Chapter 182: Triumphant Return and Former Comrades (II)
“Can foreigners become citizens of your Union?” Exclaimed Xanticles.
Agasias didn’t know the situation. So, he could only give a vague answer, “….there are, of course, some special reasons for this, because our Union is more open than other Greek city-states and so, we are more tolerant. And it is also common for foreigners to become citizens of the Union, just like the Persian merchant that you all know and was used to be with Davos, and now, not only is he a citizen of the Union, he is also a member of the Senate and he is also the senior commercial officer of the Union.”
“Whoa!…” They were all amazed, and some people even jokingly said, “Since a Persian can become a statesman, then shouldn’t be us, who are your comrades and have been with you for a long time and have shared hardships, be more fitting?!”
“Agree! Agree!….” Some people echoed.
In order to attract Timasion to Magna Graecia, Agasias said some unrealistic things, but now, he couldn’t take it back. And it was Solikos, the coachman, who could no longer listen to them, interjected, “You foreigners, stop talking nonsense. It’s not easy to become a statesman of our Union! According to 《Theonia Union’s Civil Service Act》 a citizen must first serve as a low-rank civil servant for at least six years and perform well before he can be promoted to a middle-rank civil servant. Only after five years of excellent performance as a middle-rank civil servant can he enter the Senate. However, the first thing is to pay taxes on time every year, and to actively join the army and fight wars and have no record of violating the laws and be disciplined….Do you think it’s so easy to be a statesman?! As for the current statesmen, they have made contributions to the establishment of the Union, and the one you were talking about, the Persian, Marigi, the reason for why the port and market of Thurii can be as prosperous as it is today, is all his credit! While the Lucanians, Vespa and Bagul, who have recently joined the Senate, I heard that it was because of them that Nerulum was able to stabilize so quickly! Foreigners, just because you have opened your mouth, so you will become a statesman? May I ask what have you done for the Union?!”
The mercenaries were unable to speak for a moment.
“So, if you want to stay in the Union and develop, you should be more practical by first becoming a citizen of the Union.” Solikos became complacent and admonished them seriously.
“Old fogey, it’s tiring listening to your nonsense!” Toras and some of the young mercenary officers yelled in exasperation. Timasion and the others stopped them, but they had already angered the coachmen. The coachmen then immediately yelled for the mercenaries to get out of the wagons, and some of the mercenaries after getting out, couldn’t stop themselves from talking back and the two sides began to argue. Agasias tried to persuade them, and Solikos also persuaded his companions. With the help of Timasion and Xanticles, the two sides reached an agreement. Their argument had almost attracted the intervention of the patrols that were maintaining the order outside the city.
Then Solikos and the coachmen took their fare and drove the wagons away from the mercenaries.
Solikos looked at the sturdy backs of these mercenaries, then said to the others, “If these people were to stay in Thurii, I am afraid that they will become a headache for the patrol.”
Timasion then asked Agasias in a low voice, “Is it so difficult to become a statesman of Theonia Union?”
Agasias nodded in silence.
“If we had known that you would have this status today, we would’ve followed you in Byzantium!” Xanticles sighed with regret then added, “This is the arrangement of the goddess of destiny, there is nothing we could do about it. We don’t have to be a statesman of the Senate, it’s already good to become a citizen and have a land!”
“Then we might as well be a freeman in Asia Minor, and we would not have needed to run to such a remote place, and be bound by this and that. Agasias, you are right!” Cleanor said indignantly.
Agasias was embarrassed and didn’t know how to respond. The group then continued to watch the parade with their own thoughts.
The ranks and march of the soldiers of the fourth brigade were not very neat, but they are tall, sturdy and are very stunning. For the first time, these Lucanians from the mountainous areas received the cheers and praise from the public, they then discard their inferiority complex and restraint as foreign race. They were all excited and even waved back to the crowds.
After the fourth brigade passed by, they were followed by more than a dozen of loaded carts filled with dazzling and glittering gold and silver kitchen wares, statues, jewelries and coins seized by the army from Nerulum and the wealth that Laos presented to the Union….and so on.
It made the crowd even more amazed. If it weren’t for the powerful soldiers around the carts, I’m afraid that some people would not be able to stop themselves from grabbing some.
War brings not only death, but also wealth! Davos used the most direct way to present it to the Senate and people of the Union.
“Will all the spoils that you get be handed over to the Union?” Timasion asked curiously.
Agasias answered, “A small part of it will be allocated to the soldiers that participated in the war, and most part will be handed over to the treasury and private possession is not allowed.”
“If there are no spoils, then there is no passion to fight. Who would be willing to fight to the death then!” Cleanor said with discontent.
Agasias thought for a moment and said with seriousness, “They are citizens of the Union. It is their responsibility to join the army to fight and defend our territory. Moreover, after the spoils are turned over, it will still be used for them, such as pensions for the soldiers that died, and to care for the disabled soldiers, and the maintenance and replacements of weapons and equipment. Do we have these benefits when we were mercenaries before?! Think of our brothers who have died on the battlefield and couldn’t even return home!!” Said Agasias with some anger. He obviously has some dissatisfaction with these people who used to be his comrades.
Cleanor snorted and stopped talking.
While Timasion and Xanticles were greatly moved.
Then, Tolmides exclaimed, “Look, who is that?!”
After the loaded carts, five wagons appeared. The first one was a wagon pulled by two pure white horses(the original plan was for the wagon to be pulled by four horses, but it was because Thurii was now in a state of ruin and there were not so many horses, so they changed to two horses.) A man in shining armor stood tall on the beautifully carved wagon. He was not wearing a helmet, which was to make the people see his face. However, his expression was a little bit serious, and it was obviously not suitable for such a lively occasion.
“Philesius! That’s Philesius!” Exclaimed the mercenaries.
The people were also shouting his name and cheering, “Philesius! The hero of the Union! The one who had defeated the Lucanians!….”
Philesius, who was surrounded by the people, naturally could not see his former comrades. Facing the heartfelt thanks of the people, he finally squeezed out a smile and waved his arms around.
After Philesius, came a man in the second wagon pulled by a motley horse. The mercenaries didn’t know him, and after listening to the introduction of Agasias, they learned that he is Drakos, the senior centurion of the second brigade of the first legion of the Union. He was also a mercenary and has participated in all the battles after Davos arrived in Magna Graecia, hence why he got his present status.
The man in the third wagon made the mercenaries exclaim again, “Hieronymus!!”
Hieronymus, who was squeezed out of the leader position by Xenophon, had been ridiculed by many people in secret. Some have even looked down on his behavior of following Davos back in Byzantium, believing that he was abandoning himself and giving up his dignity to follow a young man with less experience and qualifications than him. Now, the man that they looked down now stands tall in the wagon. Although his expression is as serious as a wood carving, the cheers of the crowds did not decrease at all, which shows that he has become a pivotal figure in the Union.
On the wagon that followed, they also don’t know him, but he looks like a Lucanian. He was Bagul, the senior centurion of the fourth brigade. As the only Lucanian who rode in a wagon, he was both proud and afraid that the people of the Union would ignore him because he was a foreign race. However, the scene of jubilation made him feel relieved. This is the case outside the city, so he no longer needs to worry once he is inside the city, because there are his father, Vespa, and a large number of Lucanian preparatory citizens from Nerulum, such as Hemon, Kesima and Ulasa, who had come to Thurii to watch the triumphant return. At this moment, he was thinking that his image in the wagon will certainly inspire the Lucanians of the Union to play more actively for the Union!
The man in the last wagon had once again made the mercenaries exclaim, “That’s Epiphanes!!”
Because of his easy-going character, Epiphanes got along well with the leaders of other camps during the expedition to Persia, and they all knew him very well. At this moment, he was smiling and waving to everyone around him. His movements were natural and free, and some women of the freemen were shouting his name in an attempt to attract his attention. What they did not know was that the captain of the seventh brigade was more interested in men than women.
Looking at the high spirited appearance of their former comrades, one can only imagine the loss in the hearts of Timasion and the others. One must know that, in Persia, Philesius was only an adjutant, Epiphanes was only a squad leader, and Hieronymus was an ousted strategos, and were not like Timasion, Xanticles and Cleanor, who have commanded thousands of soldiers and discussed the fate of the whole mercenary….but today, the former little soldiers are now prominent figure in such a large Union, and the former leaders who held powers and have fought in Asia Minor for a year, had ended up being a mercenary hated by any city-state. After this contrast, Timasion and Cleanor felt very uncomfortable.
When the legion flag entered the north gade, colorful petals were scattered from the sky, which fell on the soldiers, adding a bit of romance to the valiant soldiers….
There was even more cheering inside the city.
After they enter the city of Thurii from the north gate, they then walk a few blocks ahead and then turn to the west, they were then able to reach the square.