Chapter 359: The Merchants Restlessness
In the corner, Tios and Dicaeapolis quietly sat as they ate delicious food.
After eating the fried beef on his plate, Tios exclaimed, “Alcohol, please.”
After getting a response, he picked up the clean linen towel on his left-hand side and wiped the oil stain on the corner of his mouth.
“Anyone who has watched this public trial-” Dicaeapolis said while pointing his fork at the loudly arguing diners around him, “are angry, yet you are acting calm.”
“What’s there to be angry about? In my former city-state, Corinth, such thing is not uncommon.” Tios grab the alcohol from the waiter and said thanks. Then he continued, “The nobles control the important positions in the city-state, and the selection of strategoi are always chosen among the more than a dozen or so families. Aren’t Kydonia* the same?” (Kydonia* is a city-state on Crete, situated at the westernmost end of the island.)
“That’s right. That is why I am as calm as you are.”
Both of them laughed.
“However, you are wrong about something. Kydonia is just my former city-state, as I am a Theonian now.” Dicaeapolis acted as if giving a stern warning.
“You and I both are.” Tios smiled and raised his cup as the two men lightly clinked.
“Still, there is one thing that Pollux has said that…I agree with…” Dicaeapolis looked around, leaned over his head and whispered, “Holding an ecclesia.”
Tios calmly looked at him and said nothing.
Dicaeapolis continued to murmur, “The Senate is the one making all the decisions in Theonia Union while we ordinary citizens can neither participate nor oppose them nor decide anything. Although we could also become a statesman of the Senate, the road would be too long! For example, we merchants, who travel all day, couldn’t become a civil official at all-”
Hesitating for a bit, Dicaeapolis said, “If Theonia’s government system remain the same, I fear that…that some merchants would leave. After all, having a lot of money but not being able to interfere in any decision of the Senate would always make us merchants afraid, right?”
Tios drunk some alcohol as he suppressed his shock, “Are you among those who want to leave?”
“I certainly won’t leave!” Dicaeapolis said with affirmation, “Here has the best food in the Mediterranean! Have the best entertainment and competition! The best hot spring! And there is no war where we are getting invaded! This place is simply the Elysium on earth!! So why should I leave?!” Said Dicaeapolis loudly as he leaned back in his chair.
“You are right, friend!” Next to him came a reddish, slightly drunk man. He slapped Dicaeapolis on the shoulder and said in excitement, “It is all due to lord Davos that we have today’s beautiful city of Thurii! Brothers, let’s give our respect to our great lord, lord Davos!”
With that, the diner on the same table stood up and raised their cups, “To lord Davos!”
Influenced by them, the other diners also stood up one after another.
“All hail lord Davos!”
“To our great grand legatus!”
The noisy restaurant’s noise combined into one.
After they finish toasting, someone stood up and jokingly said, “To our damned Senate!”
All of a sudden, there was a lot of laughing and swearing again.
Dicaeapolis smiled as he watched their noisiness, while Tios reminded him, “But now, Theonia is not without the danger of war!”
Dicaeapolis was taken aback and then said, “Are you worried about Syracuse?”
Tios nodded slightly.
Dicaeapolis waved his hand unconcernedly, “As a former Corinthian, you should not worry about this issue. In Greece, Sparta, Athens, Corinth, Thebes, Argos and other city-states have dispatched their spies, bribed the statesmen of their enemy city-state, and even defended enemy city-states’ interests in the ecclesia…such things are not uncommon! So if a war were to happen because of such trifling matters, Greece would have long been in a mess!…but, to be honest, things are really bad in Greece right now, especially in Corinth. I heard that Sparta had stationed their army in the territory of Corinth, often fighting the allied forces of Corinth, Athens, Thebes and Argos, causing many to die every day…you are so lucky that you were able to move out!”
Tios became silent as Dicaeapolis talked about his mother city-state. He sighed then said, “Yes, the Corinthians are now having a hard time…I heard that Agesilaus, the Spartan king, and his troops have landed in northern Greece and are preparing to head south to join hands with the Spartans troops to make a pincer attack. The anti-Spartan coalition is surely in danger!… I should really thank you for your advice. Without your persuasion, I would not have decided to join Theonia so soon!”
Dicaeapolis laughed and said, “In that case, how should you thank me?”
Tios knew that he was joking, but he still whispered, “The other day, I went to lord Davos’ house to discuss with him about the donation of the stone bridge. As you know, I have followed lord Davos in his donations many times, which is in line with the newly passed bill of Theonia, ‘Incentive provision for foreign donors donating for the construction of public buildings.’ Due to that bill, I manage to become a Theonian citizen so quickly…”
“You are now a powerful merchant.” Said Dicaeapolis.
Ignoring the slight sourness in his words, Tios continued, “Lord Davos asked me cautiously about some merchants who are protesting in the square. In the end, he said, ‘It can’t go on like this anymore, Theonia has to change!’”
“Did he really say that?!” Asked Dicaeapolis in surprise.
“Of course. I remember it very well!” Tios added with great certainty, “Lord Davos has always been a man of his words!”
A gleam flashed through Dicaeapolis’s eyes…
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Milord, are you looking for me?” Aristias came to Davos’ study room.
“Aristias, sit down.” Davos casually pointed to a wooden chair beside him.
“Understood, milord.” Although Davos was casual, Aristias still sat down with respect and caution.
Leaning back in his chair, Davos looked at his chief of intelligence and said, “You have been following me for almost five years now, haven’t you?”
“To be exact, it should be four years, seven months and twenty-two days.” Said Aristias with seriousness.
“You could even remember it so clearly.” Davos laughed and said, “It’s already been long since then, and I still haven’t seen you gain any weight.”
Aristias could only say helplessly, “I have this constitution that made me unable to gain weight no matter how much I eat.”
“If Cheiristoya were to have your constitution, she would be delighted.” Davos laughed.
Davos looked at the tall and thin man, then said emotionally, “You have been with me for a long time, and even though you have become a Theonian citizen, you are still willing to continue collecting information for me. With your ability, you could be a competent official no matter what position in the union…but you kept making great contributions to the union in silence. Just like this public trial case, I am really grateful to you and also feel guilty at the same time!… ”
A sudden uneasiness came to Aristias mind, ‘Could it be that Davos would kick me out of here?’
Tapping his right hand on the arm of the wooden chair, Davos slowly said, “From now on, I can finally do something to repay you for your contribution.”
Aristias was almost distracted by the sudden change of the subject. He then heard Davos continue, “Aristias, you should know Syracuse very well. Tell me, if we were to go war with the powerful city-state of Sicily across the sea, do we have a chance of victory?”
At last, Aristias’ heart sharply throbbed. He suppressed his excitement and thought about it for some time, and then said, “Milord, I think there is still a considerable gap in strength between Theonia and Syracuse.”
Davos was not surprised by what Aristias said. On the contrary, he was satisfied with his attitude as he could still analyse the issue from an objective standpoint even with his hatred for Syracuse, “Oh, what’s the difference? Elaborate it.”
“According to what milord had once told me, we can judge the strength of a city-state from four aspects: population, economic capacity, land area…ehm…and…move…”
“War mobilisation.” Reminded Davos.
“I almost forgot.” Aristias reorganised his thought and continued. “Now in Sicily, apart from Lilybaeum, Eryx, Ziz and several of the most western coastal city-states that the Carthaginians controlled, the other areas were under Syracuse’s rule, including the Sicels and the eastern city-states that Dionysius conquered through despicable means such as bribery and assassination. Although the Carthaginians were still fighting fiercely against the Sicilian Greek coalition led by Dionysius at Salus, the Carthaginians had lost a series of battles, according to the latest information we received. I estimate that it is only a matter of time before their defeat.
And according to the information we received from Syracuse, Gela, Agrigento, Leontinoi….” Aristias paused, “and combining the information collected by the people of Catania and Naxos with the information heard by the Theonian merchants who went to the city-states in Sicily to trade, we can have a general understanding of Syracuse’s strength.”
He paused again, And Davos tapped his armrests and said, “Continue.”
“The city-state of Syracuse and its surrounding towns has about 400,000 population, and the number of other city-states that are directly controlled and affiliated by Dionysius may be close to 1.3 million…” He then looked at Davos after saying this much.
Davos remained calm and motioned him to continue.