Chapter 56: Thurii
Davos looked attentively. He saw a middle-aged man coming inside his quarter, he was of medium height and had a kind and amiable face.
The middgle-aged man was also staring at Davos. Although he had previously heard some rumors about this mercenary leader, but he was still surprised at his youth. But at this time, Davos was slightly different compared to the time he was in the Battle of River Centrites half a year ago. Not only did he have a round of stubble on his chin and a scar on his face, but the hardship and bloody battles along the way made him more fierce, and his gaze became more sharp and threatening.
“Burkes, a citizen of Thurii, had come to greet leader Davos!” The middgle-aged man came forward and saluted Davos.
“Thurii?” Davos was a bit confused, he knew nothing about a city-state with this name in his previous life, and his body’s uneducated memory couldn’t help him.
At this moment, Cheiristoya saw his confusion and explained softly, “The city of Thurii is located in the west of Magna Graecia’s Gulf of Taras. It is the youngest Greek colonial city-states in southern Italy. After Sybaris was destroyed twice by Crotone(Kroton/Krotone), the Sybarites, who had lost their home, had then asked Athens for help. At that time, Pericles, the polemarchos of Athens, responded to the request of the Sybarites and decided to build a new pan-Greek city-state on the site of Sybaris. Therefore, he sent a call to all the Greek city-states, including Miletus, to go there to emigrate. That is the origin of Thurii…”
“Lady, what you had said is correct. I respect your profound knowledge!” Although Burkes was surprised at the presence of a woman in an important places of discussion, but he was still polite.
“Sybaris…Sybaris…” Davos felt that the name was familiar. He repeated saying it a few times and suddenly remembered, “Oh, isn’t the life in there so luxurious that even their war horses are used to train dancing, which resulted in Crotone beating Sybaris’ music?!”
“Yes.” Looking at Davos’ excited appearance, Burkes wondered if his ability was as miraculous as the rumor.
The reason why Davos remembered this story is due to the history of their ruin which caused by the luxurious life of the Sybaris and have become a fable story of the west in his previous life, and this story is also related to Pythagoras, a famous mathematician in ancient Greece. Ah, Italy!…Davos thought a bit and suddenly became interested, “You came to me for what?”
Burkes was nervous. At first, he was full of confidence, but the refusal of several leaders had made him a little anxious about the gain and loss. Davos was his last hope, “Thurii is suffering from the invasions of the aborigines, and so I want to hire you and your soldiers to help us repel these aborigines.”
Davos and Cheiristoya looked at each other.
Burkes continued, “We will of course pay you an ample salary!”
“How much can you pay?” Davos leaned forward and asked interestedly.
Burkes felt hopeful and immediately became spirited, “A soldier can get 1 daric gold coin a month!”
Davos sat back instead of talking.
“Oh, I remember incorrectly. It should be one and a half… ah, no! Not! It should be 2, 2 daric gold coins!…” Burkes saw that Davos’ face was still expressionless and his words were quivering.
“Is there an important event in Thurii that made you so anxious?!” Davos suddenly revealed a smile.
Hearing this, Burkes, ‘Crap, I underestimated this young man, and at the same time I was too anxious in hiring him, and end up giving myself away under the composure of this young man.’
“Burkes, if you want us to work with Thurii, you’d better tell me the truth!” Davos’ tone showed that he won’t tolerate refusal.
Burkes heard a slight hope, so he adjusted his mood and said heavily, “Lucanian, the aborigines of Italy, had invaded the territory of Thurii. After a unanimous decision, the citizens’ congress of Thurii decided to send troops to fight back the Lucanians. Therefore, we sent 10,000 hoplites and 1,000 cavalry, but it resulted in our defeat…the savage and cruel Lucanians slaughtered our soldiers, cut their bodies into pieces and stacked them outside the city…only less than 300 citizens manage to return to the city…When I departed, the aborigines had not yet attacked the city, but they had occupied the city north of Thurii, Amendolara, which caused considerable panic to the citizens of Thurii…now, all their hopes have been entrusted to me! Therefore…therefore…” Burkes wept as he said this.
Davos, who had seen a lot of tragedies in this past year, was cold as steel. About Burkes’ grieved, although he was familiar with it, but he didn’t saw it, and so he asked him in astonishment, “So many soldiers, are they all citizens of Thurii?”
“Yes, Thurii is one of the most prosperous city-states in Magna Graecia!” Burkes wiped his tears and said with a little pride.
“11,000 troops have failed, are the Lucanians formidable?” Davos continued in curiously asking questions.
“No, in fact, the Lucanians seems to only have 8,000 people.” Burkes was afraid that Davos would be frigtened, so he added, “It’s just…it’s just that the internal of Thurii…um…um…the main reason is that there is no good commander, they rashly advanced and got ambushed…”
“Oh, so that’s how.” Davos stroked the stubble on his chin and asked, “Why not seek help from the other city-states?”
“We have a defensive alliance in the southern Italian Greek city-states, but in recent years, we don’t know why the aborigines began invading the territory of the city-states, Taras and Locri…and Krotone doesn’t have the extra strength to support us, and Syracuse is facing the attack of the Carthaginians…I have also asked Sparta for help, but Sparta seems to be fighting with Persia, and had refuse my request, but agreed to make it convenient for me to hire soldiers in Greece…” Said Burkes helplessly
“The whole of Greece is currently not short of troops. Why do you look for us?” Davos once more asked.
Burkes immediately said, flatteringly, “I already recruited some soldiers in Ephesus, but I heard about you! You manage to safely return from the middle of Persia, your bravery and strength have been strongly proven. If we can hire you who are experience with war, then there won’t be a problem in defeating the Lucanians! Therefore, as soon as I heard from a merchant ship at Ephesus had spotted you in Chrysopolis, I had immediately rushed there. However, I didn’t expect you to once more return to Byzantium.”
Burkes’ compliments didn’t affect Davos’ thinking, he nodded and continued to ask, “Are the Lucanians strong? What kind of weapons do they have?What is their equipment? What are their combat characteristics?….”
One question after another, like nails hitting the brain of Burkes. At first, Burkes was able to answer it with ease, but later, it was very difficult, because Davos had asked some complex questions, for example: How big is the territory of the Lucanians? How many cities they have? What do they mainly live on? What about their political system? What about their foreign contacts?…
Burkes tried his best to answer Davos’ questions, and at the same time, was surprised that a mercenary leader could ask such advanced questions. After feeling Davos was different, his confidence had also increase, because only those who wanted to go would think of a detailed understanding of the situation.
“I have a general idea of the situation.” After Davos’ said this, Burkes took a long breath. This was several times more difficult than answering the questions at the ecclesia!
“I think Timasion, Xanthicles, and Cleanor had all rejected you, didn’t they?” Said Davos.
Burkes once more looked at him in astonishment.
“My camp is at the back, you have to pass through them before you can reach me. And as far as I know, Timasion wanted to go back to his hometown, Aeolian. Xanthicles and Cleanor were invited by one of the Thracians’ tribal leader to work for him. And Xenophon is now with Anaxibius, so I’m your only choice, isn’t it?”
Davos’ shrewdness has made Burkes no longer want to hide anything, and frankly said, “Yes, leader Davos, you are my only choice! Will you then refuse or accept?”