Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 24: Daves Crotonkatax

"I saw him. He's beautiful, just like you!"

"I haven't named the child yet. I was waiting for you to come back."

On the road home, Davos had thought about the child's name. He put one arm around his wife's shoulder and, with the other hand cupping his chin, said thoughtfully, "I remember I first learned you were pregnant right after we defeated the Crotonians... And now, he's born just as we've defeated Croton again, with the war barely over. This child has such a deep connection with Croton—it's Hades' will! I think we should name him... Crotonkatax. What do you think?"

"Crotonkatax... Crotonkatax..." Christhoya murmured it a few times, then looked up at her husband with slight worry. "Isn't that name a bit too boastful? (Katax means conqueror; Crotonkatax means 'Conqueror of Croton.')"

Davos laughed. "With this name, when the Daonia citizens call out to him after he grows up, they'll remember the hardships of founding our alliance and his father's contributions to it. That will make them more forgiving! And if my child has ambition, this name will inspire him to forge his own glory!..."

Though not completely satisfied with the name, Christhoya thought it over and finally nodded. "All right, let's call him Crotonkatax."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the infant's crying in the outer room abruptly stopped.

Christhoya covered her mouth, staring at Davos in surprise. "Heavens, Hera herself has blessed the name! The child accepted it too!"

Just then, Asuna entered with the baby in her arms.

Christhoya took him and whispered, "Little... little treasure, this is your father! Say 'Papa'!"

The baby babbled "Ha-ha" and waved his arms and legs.

"See, he's calling you!" Christhoya said with a gentle smile, then carefully placed the child in front of Davos.

Davos cradled him cautiously in his arms, afraid that even a little pressure might hurt the tiny thing.

This time, the baby didn't cry. His bright, sparkling eyes gazed at Davos with curiosity as his chubby little hands pawed at Davos's face.

Davos let him play, feeling the surge of blood connection in his heart. Excitedly, he declared, "Christhoya, I want to pass down my name as the family surname to my children, and they will pass it on to their descendants. I believe the Davos family will become the most illustrious family in the Mediterranean!"

Christhoya's eyes lit up at his words. Most Greeks had only a given name, not a surname. To distinguish people with the same name, they often added a birthplace or other identifier before the name—for example, "Socrates of Athens" or "Socrates son of Sophroniscus." But the noble families of the great Eastern power, Persia, had both family and given names. As a native of Miletus in Asia Minor, Christhoya understood this well. From her husband's words, she sensed his grand ambition. She repeated the future full name of their son with keen interest: "Davos Crotonkatax..."

Just then, Davos noticed a small head peeking around the bedroom door.

"Cynthia, come in!" he called to her.

Seven-year-old Cynthia, leading nearly five-year-old Adoris, hesitantly approached the bed.

"Come see your little brother!" Davos said cheerfully to the two children.

"Now that you have your own child... do you still want us?" Cynthia asked timidly.

Davos was taken aback. He hadn't expected his adopted daughter to be so sensitive. He quickly handed the baby to Christhoya, pulled both children close, and said loudly, "You will always be my children! How could I not want you?"

Christhoya added softly, "And your mother hopes that when you grow up, you'll take good care of your little brother and protect him."

Comforted by the couple, the two children's anxiety vanished. They looked curiously at the baby in Christhoya's arms.

"Can I touch him?" Cynthia whispered.

"Of course," Christhoya replied with a gentle smile.

Cynthia carefully touched the baby's cheek. "What's his name?"

"Crotonkatax. His nickname is... hmm... Klo."

"He's so small," Adoris said, also curiously taking the baby's tiny hand. Like a little adult, he declared, "Brother, I'll protect you."

...

"Hey, wake up! Wake up!!..." In his deep sleep, Kolebus was shoved awake. He opened his bleary eyes but still felt drowsy and turned over to continue his pleasant dream.

Immediately, a wet whip cracked across his back, burning with pain. He jumped up in agony as the overseer's demonic voice rang in his ears: "Get your ass to the quarry right now! Lord Lysimenes wants to address you!"

Kolebus had long been cowed by the overseer's whip. Dragging his sore legs and enduring hunger, he staggered out of the cave. In his haste, he accidentally bumped into a companion beside him. He instinctively reached out to help but, too weak, ended up pulled down as well. After struggling for a while to get up, he received several more kicks from the overseer.

The Crotonian prisoners emerged from the various quarry caves like ants, staggering and dazed, gathering in the circular quarry square.

Piles of freshly mined marble were stacked everywhere. On the watchtower at the entrance, Lysimenes, the overseer of the Thurii stone quarry, looked down impatiently at the scene below. "Too slow. Go hurry them up. Make those Crotonian weaklings move faster!" he ordered his men.

So the Crotonians were herded like sheep by the overseers with clubs and whips to the front of the watchtower.

A similar scene played out at the Thurii copper mine and the Temple of Hades construction site.

"Crotonians, for the crimes you committed against Thurii, I wish I could lock you here for a hundred years! Let your filthy flesh rot into sewage, and your brittle bones turn to powder!" Lysimenes cursed venomously. "But the great Hades has shown mercy, allowing our Daonia Alliance to sign a peace treaty with damned Croton, and even... become... allies. Now you... can... go home..."

Lysimenes reluctantly finished his speech. Suddenly, the square fell into dead silence. The prisoners couldn't believe their ears.

"Did... did he say...?" a companion beside Kolebus asked in a trembling voice.

"He said... he said we can go home..." Kolebus murmured. Then, as if coming to his senses, he grabbed his companion's shoulders and shouted, "Did you hear that?! We can go home! We're free!..."

When countless prisoners confirmed the news was true, they wept with joy. They embraced, cheered, kissed the ground beneath their feet, and closed their eyes to feel the warm sunlight... For the past few days, they had been digging ore in the sunless caves like slaves, enduring beatings from the overseers, insufficient food, and sleepless nights... These pampered Crotonian citizens had nearly broken down. Never before had they felt freedom so precious.

Lysimenes snorted in contempt and didn't want to watch any longer. "Bring the bread and cheese over. Let them eat."

"But if they eat and then rebel, how can we handle so many prisoners?" his subordinate hesitated. "We don't have enough men."

"Isn't that perfect?" Lysimenes sneered. "If they break the just-signed treaty, we'll slaughter them all."

"Understood."

"After they finish eating, let them wash in the river and give them clean clothes. We don't want the people coming from Croton to accuse us of mistreating prisoners."

*If this isn't mistreatment, what is?* the subordinate grumbled internally.

With the arrival of Croton's envoys, the prisoners finally believed the truth that the Daonia Alliance and Croton had become allies and that they were going home. Under the protection of fully armed Daonian soldiers, they lined up and marched toward the port of Thurii...

Why the protection? Because they feared that radical Thurians might harm these unarmed and weakened Crotonian prisoners. Such a scene had happened once before to Kolebus half a year ago. But this time, to his relief, the Thurians created no trouble for the massive column heading back to Croton. When they reached the port, they saw very few Thurians.

*Where had all the Thurian citizens gone?* The thought passed through Kolebus's mind only briefly. Now, his heart was filled entirely with joy: he could return home smoothly!

When the troop transports left the Thurii harbor, the prisoners finally felt completely safe.

"I'll never come back to this place!" one prisoner shouted in catharsis, and most soldiers, including Kolebus, nodded in agreement: twice to war, twice captured, and the second time was like a nightmare they didn't even want to recall. In their hearts, every one of them now feared the Daonia Alliance to some degree!

In truth, during the Second Crotonian War, the Daonia Alliance had treated the Crotonian prisoners this way out of necessity. Managing tens of thousands of captives was very difficult, especially since most of Daonia's male citizens were away fighting. Moreover, the Crotonian fleet still occasionally raided the coast of Thurii. If these prisoners ever revolted, the consequences would be disastrous. So the Senate had decided to imprison them like slaves in mountain mining areas far from the coast, crushing them with harsh conditions, hunger, and heavy labor.

The Daonian populace paid little attention to the departing Crotonian prisoners, because their heroes were about to return!

The Third Army Corps left three thousand men under the command of Asiastes to temporarily garrison the city of Asperustum. The First Army Corps left two thousand men under Heilos to temporarily administer Crimissa. All other troops would return.