Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 89: Marigi's Arrival

"I said—" Diomilas began, but was interrupted by Eumachus: "Let's hear the peace terms from the Messapians."

Timagoras cleared his throat and said: "Tarentum and the Messapians and Peucetii immediately cease hostilities, return to their own territories, exchange prisoners of war, and sign a peace agreement valid for two years. During these two years, neither side shall attack the other. After the term expires, the situation will be evaluated to decide whether to renew..."

"What do you mean by 'return to their own territories'?" Eumachus keenly sensed the problem with this statement.

"Of course, return to the state before the war began—the occupied lands must be returned!" Timagoras said with righteous indignation.

Diomilas cursed loudly and shouted: "You want us to give up Manduria? Dream on! If you want it, come take it with Messapian lives!"

The negotiation quickly broke down. Timagoras was not worried and tossed out a final line: "I hope you will reconsider carefully. The Messapian camp is always open to you!" He then ignored Diomilas' curses and strode away. He had observed that aside from Tarentum's stubborn attitude, the Daonian magistrate Davos and the generals from Metapontum and Heraclea were somewhat tempted by the peace proposal. The Greek allied forces were not a monolith; there was room to maneuver.

What Timagoras could see, Eumachus naturally saw as well, so he explained to Davos: "We cannot agree to such peace terms. Even if we agree, it won't matter, because the people of Tarentum will not consent to simply giving up Manduria, which was won with the blood of their citizens!"

Davos smiled: "I understand, but negotiation is like trading goods—you can bargain. The Messapians don't necessarily have to take back Manduria."

Eumachus grew anxious upon hearing this: "The Messapians are not sincere. The peace agreement they proposed only lasts two years. In two years, Tarentum cannot restore its former strength and will be unable to fend off their possible renewed aggression!"

Davos pondered for a moment and was about to speak when the tent flap was pushed open and Tolmides entered: "Magistrate, the Senate has sent an urgent letter saying the Bruttians are making moves!"

Davos quickly stood up and asked urgently: "Where is the letter?!"

"The messenger is waiting in your military tent, sir!"

Davos, with a worried expression, said nothing and walked straight out.

The remaining four looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Bruttians?" Eumachus felt the name was familiar but couldn't recall at the moment.

Daiomelas had even less impression of it.

"Bruttians are natives living in the mountainous regions west of Daonia. They are neighbors of Daonia and used to frequently come down the mountains to raid the people and property of city-states like Thurii and Castron..." Triphyas explained in detail.

"This... the Bruttians shouldn't be very powerful, right?" Eumachus asked with a hint of wishful thinking.

Triphyas thought seriously, appearing solemn but deliberately exaggerating: "The Bruttians have little contact with the outside world because no other race has ever invaded their land (Vergae originally surrendered voluntarily to the Lucanian coalition; strictly speaking, the Lucanians never entered Bruttian territory). It is said they have dozens of tribes and five or six large cities. In terms of strength, they might be even stronger than the Peucetii."

After hearing this, both Eumachus and Diomilas felt uneasy.

...

Once outside the tent, Davos's anxious expression vanished completely, and he even had the leisure to tease Tolmides: "That was a good performance just now."

Tolmides also laughed. Back then, he had been called "the best herald among the mercenaries," mainly because he was good at understanding the leaders' intentions and difficulties, and did his best to help achieve or resolve them. It was because he sensed Davos's inner conflict that he seized the opportunity presented by the Sylu tribe issue and shouted that way into the tent. He wasn't sure if Davos would accept his presumptuous action, since this was his first time serving as Davos's personal herald. Although they had interacted back in Persia, now Davos and he had vastly different statuses. Davos's words dispelled his anxiety.

"What exactly is going on?" Davos asked calmly. Through his recent understanding of the Bruttians, even if that people was moving toward unification, he didn't think the Bruttians could pose a major threat to the Daonia Alliance now.

"I heard that a tribe composed of Greeks within Bruttian territory sent someone to our Senate for help because it refused to obey Cosentia's order of incorporation, and Cosentia is sending a large army to destroy them. For the details, you can ask Mariji; he is waiting in your military tent for you," Tolmides said seriously.

"Oh, Mariji has come too." Davos's heart stirred, but his pace remained unchanged: A tribe of Greeks? ... That must be the Sylu tribe... This is just like getting a pillow just as you feel sleepy—it serves two purposes at once! ...

He thought along the way and soon reached his own military tent.

After reading the urgent letter from the Senate's Rotating President Cornelius and carefully listening to Mariji's account, a mischievous smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "It couldn't be that Polyxides is the reason why you, the busiest highest commercial officer of the alliance, made a special trip to deliver a letter to me, could it?"

"A man like Polyxides, who only chatters in the Senate without any real power—what is he for me to pay attention to!" Mariji raised his eyebrows. "I came to Tarentum mainly to take this opportunity to learn about the situation at the port of Tarentum. However, Lord Davos, Polyxides has indeed been too active lately, and it might cause some senators to have other thoughts..." He stepped closer and lowered his voice, as if trying to warn Davos.

Davos's expression remained calm, but his mind turned: He didn't care much about Polyxides's usual dissatisfaction because few other senators in the Senate responded to him, and he himself needed such an "opposition" to show that the Senate was not his one-man show. But if Polyxides mistook his tolerance for weakness and became too rampant, triggering possible chain reactions, then he would need to give him a wake-up call...

Seeing Davos lost in thought, Mariji knew his words had taken effect, and he turned to another matter: "Lord, I heard from the reserve soldiers stationed at the Tarentum camp that 'these past few days, many Tarentum citizens have been blockading the camp gate, not only loudly cursing the Daonian soldiers but also demanding punishment for the criminals.'"

"What criminals? What happened?" Davos frowned and asked repeatedly. He was quite sensitive about violations of military discipline.

"It is said that... some soldiers from our army corps beat up a Tarentum theater owner in the market outside the camp."

"Something like this actually happened!" Davos became angry upon hearing this and shouted outside: "Tolmides!"

Tolmides entered in response.

"Go inform Capus and Drakos to have their military judges thoroughly investigate which individuals in their respective army corps participated in the market brawl before the expedition!" After saying this, his anger seemed to subside a bit. He thought for a moment and added: "Also, find out what caused it."

After Tolmides left, Davos temporarily put the matter aside and turned to ask Mariji: "How is the grain price in the Thurii market now?"

"Quite high! Because of the war in Sicily and also the war here, especially the long war between Syracuse and Carthage with too many participants, the demand for grain is huge, and that has affected the grain price in the Thurii market..." When it came to commerce, Mariji was thoroughly knowledgeable. "However, the wheat in our Daonia territory has been growing well this year. In a little over ten days, after the people harvest the wheat, the wheat price in Thurii should drop significantly..."

Davos stroked the few young whiskers under his chin and paced back and forth. Finally he said: "Then when you go back, tell Mesis to use the state treasury to quietly purchase grain, at least enough to ensure reserves for four army corps for two months."

Mariji's eyes lit up. He didn't even think about how Davos's use of the state treasury without Senate approval violated Daonian law. This Persian, who still adhered to a monarchical system in his bones, considered it natural. What interested him was: "Lord, have you decided to support the Sylu tribe and take action against the Bruttians?"

Davos looked at the excited Mariji and said with a calm tone but a hint of warning: "I am only preparing for the worst. But I hope you can keep this secret and not do anything extra!"

This "extra" thing naturally referred to Mariji using advance knowledge of a possible war to profit privately.

Mariji was astute enough to immediately make a solemn promise. Then he asked: "Lord, if we go to war with the Bruttians, what about Tarentum?"

Davos smiled faintly: "Tarentum can no longer continue the war, especially with your arrival. The two Tarentine magistrates are probably discussing how to negotiate peace with the Messapians."

Mariji's eyes lit up again. He recalled seeing Tarentum citizens wearing black veils and grieving expressions along the road from Tarentum city. The decline of Tarentum was certainly a good thing for him as a Daonian commercial officer. He saw hope for the Thurii port to surpass the most prosperous Tarentum port in the Gulf of Taranto!

In fact, it was the Tarentum citizens who first proposed peace talks with the Messapians. After learning the truth of the war from wounded citizen soldiers, they hated Diomilas's recklessness and also felt disappointed in the prospects of the entire war. A few months ago, they had driven the Senate to launch the war against the Messapians, but months had passed, and Tarentum, aside from constantly bleeding, had gained very little.