Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 60: The Secret to Dionia's Power? (Part 2)

“Oh, which two?” Canios leaned forward with extraordinary curiosity.

“The first one—” Sipros slowly placed a wooden tally on the table and said, “Anyone can apply for Daonian citizenship, whether they are foreign wanderers, captured citizens of enemy states, or even freed slaves. As long as they meet the requirements of the law, they can become Daonian citizens…”

Canios gasped. Elea would also grant citizenship to some freemen from other city-states, but that was always due to war and a shortage of soldiers and labor. The idea of Daonia keeping its citizenship open all the time like this was hard to imagine. “This… this… doesn’t that make Daonian citizenship seem less valuable? Wouldn’t they enjoy fewer alliance rights? And any kind of person could become an alliance citizen? How would the order of the city-state be maintained?…”

“Daonian citizenship is extremely attractive!” Faced with Canios’s many questions, Sipros shook his head and said in a low voice. “Let’s set aside other rights for a moment. The mere fact that every new citizen can receive a ‘five-acre allotment’ is enough to drive freemen mad with desire. Not to mention that additional land can be granted based on military service merits.”

“This… is this true?!” Canios found it hard to believe. He swallowed involuntarily. For the citizens of Elea, who had been trapped inside their city for so long, land held an enormous temptation.

“Of course it’s true. Otherwise, in the decisive battle between Daonia and Croton earlier, how could the outnumbered Daonia easily recruit 7,000 freemen without spending money? And how could those freemen fight so bravely to help Daonia defeat Croton? It was all because of the allure of Daonian citizenship.” Sipros glanced around at the diners engaged in lively conversation, then turned back and continued. “As for whether it will disrupt the order of the city-state—at today’s celebration ceremony, there were at least twenty or thirty thousand Daonian people present, weren’t there?”

At Sipros’s reminder, Canios immediately understood. “This is the first time I’ve seen so many people attend an alliance celebration or festival, and there were no major disturbances. I doubt it’s just because there were plenty of patrol soldiers keeping order.”

Sipros replied in a low voice. “Of course. That has a lot to do with how Daonian Alliance laws constrain citizens, and even freemen and slaves. Thurii has more than just patrols compared to other city-states—it also has courts. And those courts not only judge cases and disputes but also record the names of those who break the law. For freemen, that affects whether they can obtain citizenship on schedule. For citizens, it affects their land allocations… Therefore, for the sake of a better future, the vast majority of people living in Daonia consciously abide by the laws here…”

“This is truly an excellent method! Over time, Daonians naturally develop the habit of obeying the law. No wonder…” Canios couldn’t help praising. “This approach fundamentally solves the disorder that might arise from Daonia’s population of diverse origins. I wonder who originally proposed it…”

He saw a faint smile appear on Sipros’s face and immediately realized. “Was it Davos again?”

Sipros nodded.

Canios shrugged helplessly. He had nothing more to say about Daonia’s magistrate.

“What is the second law?” Sipros’s familiarity with Daonia and his unique insights had deepened Canios’s understanding of the alliance, so he eagerly wanted to know more.

“Subordinate states.” Sipros uttered two words, a strange light flickering in his eyes. “Daonia’s method of handling subordinate states or occupied territories is very different from most Greek city-states.”

“What’s different?” Canios was once again drawn in by Sipros’s words and asked urgently.

“Asperustum—do you know it?”

“I’ve heard of it. It used to be a Bruttian town, later became a subordinate state of Croton, and I hear it has now joined the Daonian Alliance.”

“Take Asperustum as an example. When the Crotonites occupied it back then, what did they do? They killed all the Bruttians in the town, moved Crotonite citizens who had no land into Asperustum, and imposed the same system there as in Croton.” Sipros speared a piece of tripe, tossed it into his mouth, and said with a mocking smile. “The residents of Asperustum were Crotonite citizens, and its government was Croton’s government. Logically, Asperustum had become completely part of Croton. So why, over the past few decades, did Asperustum experience two revolts demanding to break away from Croton?”

“Asperustum had two revolts?” Canios was a little surprised. In his impression, Asperustum was just a town of Croton.

“Yes, two.” Sipros held up two fingers and spoke slowly. “Because Croton quickly suppressed the revolts and deliberately suppressed the news. Your Elea is far to the north, so it’s normal not to know… Although Asperustum was initially completely subordinate to Croton, after twenty years the situation changed. According to Croton’s law, only men whose fathers were Crotonite citizens could become Crotonite citizens in Asperustum. Over time, some foreigners came to Asperustum, married local women, and their children could not become Crotonite citizens—only Asperustum citizens. Others were born and grew up in this small town. Their attachment to Asperustum exceeded their attachment to Croton, and they refused to apply for Crotonite citizenship…

As a result, in this small town, the number of true Asperustum citizens grew, surpassing the Crotonite citizens. Naturally, their willingness to defend only Asperustum’s interests outweighed their willingness to defend Croton’s interests. And as for the Crotonites, because the blood ties grew more distant, they treated Asperustum people more and more like slaves rather than their own. When war came, they made Asperustum people charge to the front. When land disputes arose, they favored the Crotonites… Thus, the Asperustum people’s resentment toward Croton deepened. How could they not demand independence?!”

Hearing this, Canios nodded and took a large gulp of beer.

“The measures Croton took after the Asperustum revolt were—kill those who resolutely resisted Croton, then move a large number of Crotonite citizens into the small town, while pro-Croton Asperustum people were supported, and Crotonite citizens were put in charge of Asperustum’s highest authority. But after another ten-plus years, Asperustum revolted again, in the same situation as before… From what I understand of Greek city-states, this is roughly how they treat their colonies and occupied territories. Asperustum was very close to Croton, and Croton was a powerful city-state in Magna Graecia, with enough strength to control a small town like Asperustum—yet this still happened. As for subordinate states far from their mother cities, or whose mother cities were weak, later they failed to unite with their mother cities to enhance their own strength—this is common. That’s the better case. Worse is when the mother city becomes an enemy of its subordinate state—there are many such examples!…” Sipros said with emotion.

His words reminded Canios of Elea’s mother city. Elea had once sent envoys to ask for help from its mother city, but the mother city turned a blind eye to Elea’s plight and refused any assistance. The two had become strangers. Canios felt a little sad. “You’re right!” He raised his wine jug and invited Sipros to drink a cup.

Wiping the foam from his lips, he asked with interest, “How does Daonia treat its occupied territories?”

Sipros picked up another wooden tally and placed it on the wooden table, speaking slowly. “After Daonia occupied Asperustum, the first law it enacted declared that ‘all Asperustum people who are willing to stay will become Daonian citizens.’”

“Ah?!” Canios showed surprise.

“Although very few Asperustum people chose to stay, I think they made the right choice.” Sipros emphasized this point specifically before continuing. “The second law Daonia soon implemented was—the Daonian Senate appoints public officials to go to Asperustum to govern, and the city’s highest administrator is the City Administrator, who must be a senator. I recall the current City Administrator of Asperustum is… Heilos of the Daonian Senate, a senator closely connected to Davos.

You see, the residents of Asperustum are now all Daonian citizens. And Daonian law stipulates that ‘as long as either parent is Daonian, their children will be Daonian from birth.’ Furthermore, the ruler of Asperustum is directly appointed by the Senate, and any Daonian citizen can apply for a public office in the city-state. After serving in public office for a considerable number of years, those with extensive experience and outstanding performance can become senators of the Daonian Senate.”

Sipros’s expression grew slightly excited as he continued. “In this way, whether now or in the future, the residents living in Asperustum are unlikely to betray the Daonian Alliance, because they enjoy the same rights as Daonian citizens in other alliance cities. Asperustum is already part of the Daonian Alliance, and the alliance’s Senate directly manages it. Whether it’s paying taxes or performing military service, it directly strengthens the alliance’s power. That’s why, back when Daonia was weaker than Croton, it could muster a similar number of soldiers and resources—because this kind of government allows it to better concentrate all the power of the cities under its rule! As for Croton, not even Asperustum fully supported it, let alone its allies Scylletium and our Trina. This is probably the most fearsome aspect of the Daonian Alliance—every piece of land it gains adds to its strength!”