Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 97: Pride and Prejudice

In the Pine Forest Arena, the stands were packed with spectators, excitedly anticipating the start of the preliminary sprint races. Athletes from various city-states filed into the arena, greeted by waves of cheers from the crowd along the sidelines.

Yet the competition was delayed without announcement, because the referee was still arguing with some people at the entrance. The spectators grew restless and began to grumble. A Corinthian official in charge of maintaining order hurried over to the entrance and asked the referee, "What happened? Why haven't you started the race immediately?!"

"Look, this man claims to be a competitor in this sprint heat and says he already has a number. But he's not a Greek!"

The Corinthian official followed the referee's gaze: the athlete had long, brownish hair cascading over his shoulders, deep-set eye sockets, a prominent nose, thick lips, a tall, lean build, and solid muscles. Although his naked body was glistening with olive oil, the fairness of his skin was still evident... His appearance clearly marked him as not a standard Greek.

The official was stunned: "How could the priests of the temple have approved his participation?!"

"I suppose the officials of his city-state helped him register. The priests didn't realize he was an outsider," the referee replied.

The official said angrily, "Which city-state does this competitor come from? Don't they know the registration rules of the Isthmian Games?!"

"Daonia! We come from Daonia!" Adrianx shoved his way over and protested loudly. "Lizaru may be a Lucanian, but he is a Daonia citizen. According to the rules of the Isthmian Games, any citizen of a Greek city-state can compete. We meet the requirements!"

Daonia?! The official felt the name seemed familiar but couldn't recall where he had heard it. He figured it wasn't anything like a major or powerful state, so he put on a stern face and lectured, "Only Greeks can participate in the Games—that is common knowledge. No Greek city-state would grant citizenship to an outsider! Stop blocking the entrance and delaying the competition! Leave now, or I'll have you thrown out!"

Adrianx was left speechless. Born into poverty, he had served as a mercenary his entire adult life and had never participated in a single Greek festival, so he was unfamiliar with the rules. This time, the Daonia Senate had decided to send a delegation, hoping that a senator could serve as the leader to emphasize the importance they placed on the Isthmian Games. Adrianx had eagerly volunteered because he loved sports, and besides this area, the illiterate senator could find few ways to contribute his talents in the Senate. So after taking charge of the Daonia delegation, he traveled to Croton multiple times to learn from experienced athletes, and specially led the team to depart together with the Croton delegation for Corinth. But now it seemed the Crotonians had deliberately withheld information, likely aiming to embarrass the Daonia contingent.

Just as Adrianx was regretting his decision, Lizaru shouted, "Our alliance's magistrate, Lord Davos, once said, 'No matter the race, as long as they are citizens of the alliance, they should enjoy the same rights!' That's why in Daonia, whether Greek, Lucanian, or Thracian, everyone can play rugby together!"

The Corinthian official was taken aback by his odd Greek pronunciation, then snorted with laughter. He looked up toward the stands above the arena and said loudly, "Spectators, is this outsider right?!"

The audience had been growing impatient, and they crowded down to the lowest tier of the stands, jeering loudly: "What a ridiculous fallacy! Anyone who says such things can only be a leader of barbarians like you!"

"Get out of the arena, barbarian! Go back to your city-state that gave you citizenship and let you compete! I'm sure it's a filthy, terrifying place!"

"Out, barbarian! Don't defile this sacred place of us Greeks!"

...

Scorn and curses rained down on Lizaru and Adrianx like a hail of blades.

Adrianx's face turned ashen.

Lizaru, however, was seething with rage. He was a man who loved competition and never accepted defeat. Ever since becoming a Daonia citizen and learning about the four great Panhellenic festivals, he had longed to compete against athletes from all over Greece, believing that no one could run faster than him in footraces. By the time news of Daonia sending competitors to the Isthmian Games reached him, it was already a little late. He had barely managed to sign up, and after making it all the way here, they wouldn't let him compete!

He stared resentfully at the bustling arena, then suddenly let out a roar and dashed forward.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" the referee exclaimed.

"Grab him! Grab him!!" the Corinthian official shouted frantically.

Lizaru pumped his legs powerfully, swung his arms vigorously, and howled like a wild wolf. His bare feet pounded the soft dirt track, and he moved as nimbly as a free mountain wind sweeping across the plains. He sprinted with all his might, leaving the Corinthian official and his men, who tried to catch him, far behind.

The official's frantic cries also alerted the other athletes waiting at the starting line, and they began to chase this rule-breaking outsider.

Far from being afraid, Lizaru only grew more excited.

The spectators below watched in amazement: as the other athletes tried to block and intercept him, the outsider moved as agilely as a cat and as swiftly as a cheetah, dodging each of them...

What had been a race turned into a game of pursuit and capture, but instead of complaining, most of the audience felt thrilled. Some even stood up to cheer for the "lone hero" on the field.

As one of the best running backs in Daonia's rugby matches, Lizaru used his skill to weave and dodge while maintaining his speed. One lap... two laps... three laps...

The cheers from the crowd grew louder, until the Corinthian official called in more people to block the track entirely, and only then was Lizaru tackled.

The breathless Corinthian official, without a word, punched Lizaru in the face as soon as he approached.

Lizaru struggled to break free, but too many men were holding him down. He could only glare at the official with fury.

"Stop! Stop right now!..." Adrianx rushed over and grabbed the official's fist just as he was about to strike again. "Release our fellow citizen immediately, or I will lodge a protest with the Corinthian Council!"

"Protest?!" The Corinthian official stared at him with a sneer. "Arrest him too! Disrupting the sacred Isthmian Games is a serious crime! Lock them up first! Let your bizarre city-state alliance pay compensation before they come to claim their people!"

A group of men dragged Lizaru and Adrianx out of the arena.

As they were pulled away, Lizaru struggled and roared, "I, Lizaru, citizen of Daonia, am the true champion of the Isthmian Games sprint!"

Order was restored in the arena, and the races resumed, but the spectators along the sidelines kept murmuring about the commotion.

"That man was indeed very fast. Too bad he was a barbarian, or he might have won the crown!"

"What race is he? And he claimed to be a citizen of a Greek city-state—what city-state would grant citizenship to a barbarian?!"

"He seemed to say Daonia. Is Daonia a Greek city-state? I've never heard of it."

The spectators at the Isthmian Games came from all over, and naturally there were Greeks from the western Mediterranean, and quite a few at that. They became the ones to answer these questions.

"Daonia is an alliance of city-states only founded last year. It's located in the north-central part of Magna Graecia, with its central city being Thurii. That outsider just now is probably a Lucanian. The Daonians have occupied a lot of Lucanian land and have been freely granting citizenship to the Lucanians living within their territory."

"You mean this Daonia Alliance didn't just give citizenship to one barbarian, but to many?!"

"That's right. Not only Lucanians, but also Thracians, Egyptians... anyone willing to become a Daonia citizen, after passing their assessment and meeting the requirements, can become a full citizen in a few years, and even receive an allotment of land!"

"Oh, wise Athena, am I losing my mind or mishearing?! Barbarians can not only become citizens, but also get allotments! That's... that's... Is Daonia truly a Greek alliance of city-states?!"

"Iavones, you Peloponnesians pay no attention to what's happening in the western Mediterranean. Once you sail into the Gulf of Taranto, the name you'll hear most often is Daonia. Not only are thousands of freemen streaming there, hoping to become citizens of that alliance, but the councils of every Magna Graecia city-state are closely watching Daonia's moves..."

"I can understand freemen wanting to become citizens and get allotments. But why are even the high-ranking officials of Magna Graecia city-states—"

"Because Daonia is already the most powerful city-state alliance in southern Italy!"

"What?! Are you joking?! I thought the powerful states of Magna Graecia were Croton and Tarentum!"

"Ha! Not long ago, Croton lost two pitched battles to Daonia and is no longer as illustrious as before. As for Tarentum... when I was coming to Corinth, I heard they had been forced to invite Daonia to help drive out the barbarians invading their territory, and Daonia had agreed to send reinforcements... You don't know how large Daonia's territory is! It currently governs Thurii, Amendolara, Crimissa, and vast lands in Lucania, plus Laüs and Castron as dependencies. It is allied with Tarentum. Furthermore, Croton, Trina, Scylletium, and Caulonia have also formed the South Italy Alliance with Daonia... Tell me, isn't it the most powerful force in Magna Graecia!"