Volume 4: The League of Dionia, Chapter 37: Triumphant Return and Former Comrades-in-Arms (Part 2)

“Can outsiders really become citizens of your alliance?!” Xanthiparis exclaimed.

Agasia, not fully understanding the specifics, gave a vague reply: “Well… there are some special reasons for that, but it’s true that our alliance is more open and tolerant than other Greek city-states. It’s fairly common for foreigners to become citizens here. For example, you all know that Persian merchant who used to follow Davos’s unit back then—he’s not only a citizen of the alliance now but also a senator in the Senate, holding the high office of commercial officer.”

“Wow!…” Amid the crowd’s amazement, someone half-joked, half-seriously said, “If a Persian can become a senator, then shouldn’t we old comrades who went through life and death together with you from the very start have an even better claim to being senators?!”

“That’s right! That’s right!…” a few echoed.

Agasia had made some unrealistic remarks earlier to lure Timasion and the others to Magna Graecia, but now he didn’t know what else to say. It was the driver Solikos who couldn’t hold back and interjected: “You outsiders shouldn’t talk nonsense. Becoming a senator in our alliance isn’t that easy! According to the Daonia Alliance’s Public Office Law, a citizen must first hold a lower public office for at least six years, with outstanding performance, before being promoted to a middle-level office. After another four to five years of excellent service, only then might they be eligible to enter the Senate. But first, they must pay taxes on time every year, actively serve in the army, and have no record of breaking any laws… Tell me, is it easy to become a senator?! And as for the current senators, they all contributed to the founding of the alliance. Take that Persian you mentioned, Mariji—the prosperity of Thurii’s port and market today is entirely his doing! And the newly added Lucanian senators Vespa and Bacule—I’ve heard that thanks to them, Nerulum was pacified so quickly! You outsiders open your mouths and demand to be senators, but tell me: what have you ever done for the alliance?!”

The mercenaries were momentarily speechless.

“So, if you want to stay and develop in the alliance, be practical and first become citizens,” Solikos said, both with some pride and earnest advice.

“Stupid old man, shut up with all your nonsense!” The mercenary Torax and some young officers shouted angrily, red-faced, and were quickly stopped by Timasion and the others. But they had already angered the drivers, who immediately yelled at the mercenaries to get off the carts. Some mercenaries refused to get down, and a dispute broke out. Agasia tried to mediate, while Solikos also persuaded his companions. With help from Timasion and Xanthiparis, the two sides finally reached a truce, narrowly avoiding intervention from the patrol that maintained order outside the city.

Solikos and the drivers collected the fare and drove their carts away from the mercenaries.

Looking back at the mercenaries’ muscular silhouettes, Solikos said worriedly to the others, “If these men stay long in Thurii, they’re going to be a real headache for the patrol.”

Meanwhile, Timasion was quietly asking Agasia, “Is it really that hard to become a senator of the Daonia Alliance?”

Agasia nodded silently.

“If only we had known you’d end up in such a position, we should have followed you back in Byzantium!” Xanthiparis sighed regretfully, then added, “But that’s the arrangement of the goddess of fate—nothing we can do about it. Let’s just take it in stride! We don’t necessarily have to become senators; just being citizens and getting a share of land would be good enough!”

“Then we might as well have stayed free and easy in Asia Minor instead of coming to this remote place to be tied down by all these rules. Don’t you think so, Agasia!” Cleanho said indignantly.

Agasia was at a loss for how to respond, looking embarrassed. The group walked along, each lost in their own thoughts, watching the parade.

The soldiers of the Fourth Battalion weren’t marching in perfect formation, but they were tall and sturdy, drawing quite a bit of attention. These Lucanians from the mountains, experiencing for the first time the cheers and praise under the gaze of the entire crowd, cast aside all their usual inferiority and restraint as outsiders. They were wildly excited, and some even waved at the onlookers.

After the full force of the Fourth Battalion—a thousand men—had passed, a dozen pack carts followed. They were loaded with gold and silver vessels, gold and silver statues, jewels, gold and silver coins… all captured from Nerulum and the spoils divided from Laüs. A full dozen carts, glittering and dazzling, caught every eye.

The crowd gasped in awe. Had it not been for the fierce soldiers guarding the carts, someone might have been tempted to grab a handful.

War brought not only death but also wealth. Davos was showing this to the Senate and the alliance’s people in the most direct way.

“Are all your spoils handed over to the alliance?” Timasion asked curiously.

Agasia replied, “A small portion is distributed to the soldiers who fought, but most goes to the treasury. Private hoarding is not allowed.”

“If there’s no loot to be had, then there’s no passion in fighting. Who would want to risk their lives in a desperate battle!” Cleanho grumbled.

Agasia thought for a moment, then said seriously, “They are alliance citizens. Going to war and defending their territory is their duty. Besides, after these spoils are turned over, they are ultimately spent on them—on compensation for the dead, care for the disabled, maintenance and replacement of weapons and equipment… Did we ever get such benefits when we were mercenaries?! Think of all the brothers who died on the battlefield and couldn’t even have their bones brought home!!” There was some anger in Agasia’s voice, clearly fed up with his former comrades’ constant nitpicking.

Cleanho snorted and fell silent.

Timasion, Xanthiparis, and the others were deeply affected.

Just then, Tolmides exclaimed again, “Look! Who is that?!”

After the pack carts came five horse-drawn chariots. The first was pulled by two pure white horses—originally planned as a four-horse chariot, but Thurii was still recovering from ruin and lacked horses, so it was changed to a two-horse team. On this intricately carved chariot stood a man in gleaming armor. He had no helmet on, so the crowd could see his face clearly, but his expression was somewhat stern, still not quite used to such a lively occasion.

“Philistos! That’s Philistos!” the mercenaries cried out in surprise.

The people were shouting his name as well, stirring up waves of cheers: “Philistos! Hero of the alliance! You defeated the Lucanians!…”

Philistos, surrounded by layers of onlookers, couldn’t see his former comrades shut out beyond the circle. Facing the heartfelt gratitude of the crowd, he finally forced a smile and waved his arms around.

On the second chariot, pulled by piebald horses, stood a man the mercenaries didn’t recognize. From Agasia’s introduction, they learned he was Drakos, battalion commander of the Second Battalion of the First Army Corps of the alliance. Originally a mercenary, he had participated in all the battles since Davos came to Magna Graecia, earning his present position.

The man on the third chariot made the mercenaries exclaim once more: “Hieronymus!”

That man who had once been squeezed out of a leadership position by Xenophon—many had secretly sneered at him, and even more had scorned his decision to follow Davos in Byzantium, thinking he had lost all self-respect and dignity by following a younger man with less experience and seniority. Now, the man they had looked down upon stood tall on the chariot. His face was as stern as a wooden carving, but the crowd’s cheers were no less enthusiastic, showing that he had become a figure of great importance in the alliance. The mercenaries’ hearts were a mix of emotions…

The man on the next chariot was another stranger, but his appearance suggested he was a Lucanian. This was Bacule, battalion commander of the Fourth Battalion. As the only Lucanian riding in a chariot in this triumph, he felt both pride and fear—fear that the alliance’s people would treat him coldly because he was an outsider. But the jubilant scene before him eased his mind: if it was like this outside the city, there was even less to worry about inside, where his father Vespa, along with Hemon, Kxima, Ulaza, and many other Lucanian preparatory citizens from Nerulum, had come to Thurii to watch the ceremony. He thought to himself: his image on the chariot at this moment would certainly inspire the Lucanians of the alliance to serve more actively!

The man on the last chariot once again surprised the mercenaries: “That’s Epithenis!”

Because Epithenis was easygoing and had gotten along well with the leaders from other camps during the Persian expedition, everyone was familiar with him. Now, with a broad smile, he waved gracefully to the crowd on all sides. Some free women called out his name, trying to catch his attention, but they didn’t know that this battalion commander of the Seventh Battalion was more interested in men than women.

Seeing these former comrades looking so proud and spirited, the disappointment in Timasion and the others was palpable. Back in Persia, Philistos had only been an adjutant, Epithenis just an officer, and Hieronymus a failed general. In contrast, Timasion, Xanthiparis, and Cleanho had once commanded thousands of soldiers and jointly decided the fate of the entire mercenary army. Now, those who had been mere underlings enjoyed high status in this vast alliance, while the former power-brokers, after a year of campaigning in Asia Minor, were still nothing more than mercenaries scorned by any city-state. The sharp contrast left Timasion, Cleanho, and the others feeling bitter.

As the legion’s banner entered the North Gate, colorful petals scattered down from above, fluttering and falling onto the soldiers, adding a touch of romance to their martial appearance…

Inside the city, the cheers were even more fervent. From the North Gate, the procession moved into Thurii, advanced two blocks, then turned west, heading straight for the square.