Volume 6: The Meeting of Two Heroes, Chapter 27: Davos Takes Action

“The Sicily controlled by Dionysius is slightly smaller in area than Daonia, but half of Daonia is mountainous and cannot grow grains or other crops, while Sicily is a famous wheat-producing region in the Mediterranean. Based on last year’s wheat trade volume in the city of Syracuse, Sicily’s wheat output is probably twice ours.

Furthermore, the port of Syracuse thrives on commerce. Compared to our city of Thurii, it almost monopolizes the maritime trade between Greeks and Africa. Even now, while at war with Carthage, you can still see many Phoenician merchants in Syracuse’s port. Although I cannot determine Syracuse’s monthly commercial tax revenue, its port capacity and number of merchant ships far exceed Thurii’s. This doesn’t even account for city-states founded three hundred years ago, like Acragas, Catana, Naxos, and Messina—their port trade is quite prosperous!…”

Listening to Aristelas’s words, Davos involuntarily nodded and spoke: “As for war mobilization capability, there’s no need to elaborate. Since Dionysius is a tyrant, his greatest advantage is that he can concentrate all resources under his control to the utmost, including the populace, without needing approval from the Council, launching war suddenly. I recall you mentioned last time that in this war against Carthage on Sicily’s northern coast, Dionysius deployed about one hundred thousand men?!”

“Yes, my lord. To be precise, it was nearly eighty thousand infantry and twenty thousand navy.”

“Last time… when he attacked western Sicily, how many men did he deploy?” Davos asked again.

“Reportedly also one hundred thousand.”

Davos exhaled: “Indeed, Syracuse frequently launches massive wars of one hundred thousand men, and what’s more, it can support such a huge army fighting for over half a year a hundred miles from the mother city… Syracuse’s war potential is truly astonishing!” Davos sighed with unusual emotion.

“My lord, although Syracuse is powerful, it is not without weaknesses.” Seeing a hint of frustration in Davos’s tone, Aristelas volunteered: “Dionysius rules the Syracusan populace with brutality to prevent them from rising against him. He forces the people to pay heavy taxes; Syracusan citizens must pay twenty percent of their income to the treasury annually, and the people deeply resent him. Moreover, citizens of other Sicilian city-states also hate him, because they not only pay high tribute to Syracuse, but in Syracuse’s previous conquests, their relatives were killed in battle by Syracusans, or captured and sold as slaves to distant lands… They harbor hatred for the Syracusans and for Dionysius!…”

Davos quietly watched Aristelas’s face, slightly distorted by pain. After a long moment, he said: “You’re right. But as long as Dionysius’s army continues to win victories, as long as his power suffers no major losses, then the hatred of the Sicilian populace can only be hatred; it cannot harm Dionysius in the slightest. He also has Sparta’s backing—”

Aristelas immediately said: “But Sparta is now embroiled in war and has no spare strength to support Dionysius, and to the south of Sicily lies Syracuse’s mortal enemy, Carthage.”

“This is indeed a good opportunity…” Davos stroked the sparse stubble on his chin: “The Daonia Alliance currently has a population of about eight hundred thousand. In both commerce and agriculture, it is far inferior to Syracuse. Moreover, Daonia’s military forces are relatively dispersed due to its geography, not easily concentrated, and its navy is especially weak. Once war with Syracuse breaks out, the pressure will be great…”

Aristolas stared at Davos, long silent, anxious but not daring to show it, unconsciously gripping the wooden armrests of his chair.

“Aristolas.” Davos finally spoke: “I permit you to start sending your men to Sicily now. Have them thoroughly investigate the factions in Sicilian city-states that oppose Syracuse and Dionysius, and establish initial contact with them.”

“Yes, my lord.” Aristelas’s spirits lifted, and he couldn’t help asking further: “And then?”

Davos looked at him, eyes gleaming: “Until war with Syracuse begins, there is no ‘and then’ for now.”

…

The next day, the public trial in Thurii continued, still attracting a large crowd of Daonian citizens to watch. That day’s trial was mainly about “whether Polyxides and others colluded with Syracuse to disrupt Daonia.”

Although Greek city-states had cases of judging citizens for colluding with foreigners and betraying their country—for example, Xenophon, who a year ago was tried in absentia by the Athenian government for “betraying Athens” because he had long served Athens, and was sentenced to execution, which made Xenophon even more afraid to return to Athens—Daonia was different. It had explicitly written “treason” into its legal code from the outset, with detailed grading of penalties according to severity. The single article on treason occupied several pages of the code, showing how seriously the Daonia Alliance regarded this crime. Today’s trial would be the first time the Daonia Alliance, only a few years old, tried someone for treason. Given that the maximum penalty for this crime was death, the highly interested citizens were eager to see the outcome.

Compared to yesterday, Polyxides’s mental state was much worse. Clearly, yesterday’s trial had dealt him a heavy blow, but today he had to pull himself together. While yesterday’s conviction resulted in at most deprivation of citizenship and exile, a conviction today could cost him his life.

Aristocrates’s appearance was warmly welcomed by the crowd. Though this young judge had a slightly stooped back, his quick thinking, sharp words, and courteous demeanor won the people’s affection. Especially when they saw him argue Polyxides and the others into silence, some even began inquiring about his family background, privately thinking of marrying their daughters to this promising young man.

Polyxides still tried to save himself, but unfortunately, the evidence against him was overwhelming.

Among the valuables seized from his home were many Syracusan silver coins. Since Syracuse had been waging expansionary wars in recent years, its treasury was nearly empty; it constantly levied heavy taxes on the populace, and Dionysius, disregarding the city’s credit, had issued a base silver coin to cover the deficit, forcing Syracusans over the past two years to use a kind of “four-drachma coin”—a coin weighing four times a drachma—adulterated with lead, passing off inferior goods for quality. Such coins rarely circulated in Daonia’s markets, yet many of these coins were found among Polyxides’s possessions. Notably, his family did not engage in maritime trade. Similar coins were also found in the belongings of Oryphus and Massisacus.

More importantly, Aristocrates showed the jury several letters seized from Polyxides’s home. He picked two and read them aloud: “…Lord Polyxides, having received your letter, we understand that there has been considerable progress recently in the Daonian Senate’s discussion regarding the ‘convening of the Assembly.’ The Plenipotentiary General [referring to Dionysius] was very pleased to hear this news. He immediately agreed to the amount of silver coins you requested and will soon ship them to the port of Thurii on a merchant vessel. At the same time, he instructed me to remind you that simply having merchants and nobles come out to protest is not enough. The main body of the Daonia Alliance is not them, but the ordinary citizens who serve as legionaries. If you can approach them, win them over, and get them to join the protest, then…”

Polyxides again denied it vehemently, shouting: “These letters are forgeries!…”

“Forged?! Then look at this one—” Aristocrates picked up another letter and showed it to the jury: “This is the only letter you wrote that was seized. It’s in your handwriting and bears your seal. Check the date—it was the very day you were arrested. So this letter never got sent. I believe the people will be very interested in its contents.”

Aristocrates sneered, watching Polyxides, who crazily rushed forward trying to snatch the letter but was restrained by the guards maintaining order in the court. He then read aloud: “…Lord Philistos—I should explain here, many may not know, but Philistos is the most important minister of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius… Regarding your previous suggestion, I do not agree. Winning over ordinary Daonian citizens will not greatly help in passing the bill to ‘convene the Assembly.’ Instead, I have come up with a good idea. There are certain points in Davos’s bill ‘governing the Lucanians and Bruttians’ that I can exploit. I believe that after my instigation, those simple-minded so-called foreign senators will likely abandon their support for that proud young man…”

“This is a forgery! Someone is framing me!…” Polyxides shouted desperately, defying the tide of curses from the crowd below.

Aristocrates immediately summoned witnesses.

The Syracusan Hermes, after being detained, had been subjected to interrogation methods crueler than those of the era—for example, covering his mouth and nose with linen and slowly pouring water over it, making him wish for death. Then, Matonis coldly told him: either tell the truth and be sent back to Syracuse, or refuse to confess and continue the interrogation.

Between the two choices, he unhesitatingly chose the former.