Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece - Chapter 113

[Chapter 12 Tarantum’s Aid]

At the meeting, someone was still complaining: Is two hundred drachmas too much?

Some people retorted: It is necessary to have more, so that they can feel that it is not easy to become citizens of Amendolara, and then they know how to cherish it.

As a result, the next day, news came from the household registration officer Raphias: the consul’s wife Cristoia paid in advance for ten freedmen, and at the same time Mersis also advanced for six freedmen. money.

Only then did everyone realize the value of these free people.

Not to mention that Mersis had a vicious eye, and searched for a lot of talents who could write and calculate along the way in Persia, as well as excellent craftsmen. Even those ordinary slaves are mostly strong, because they are the labor of the transportation camp. After many battles, they can become qualified soldiers with a little training. What is more valuable is that they are mainly Persian farmers.

In the Mediterranean region, there are three places where farmers are very experienced in planting crops: one is the Persians, the fertile land in the Mesopotamia has cultivated excellent farmers; the other is the Egyptians, the Nile River, which swells every July, makes the Egyptians He only loves to do two things in his life – farming and worshiping the gods; the third is Carthage, the two powerful magic weapons of Carthage – sea trade and agriculture, for which they also compiled an agricultural book.

As for the Greeks, because the native land in Greece is barren, they go to sea trade, herd cattle and sheep, grow olives, make wine, and make handicrafts… And these new citizens have been running around and fighting, and they are completely oblivious to farming. A smear of black.

As a result, everyone rushed forward, and the three hundred freedmen were quickly divided up. Citizens who did not hire freedmen had to go to the market in Tarantum to buy slaves (At that time, Tarantum had the largest slave market in Greater Greece), Some citizens even took up the idea of the large number of freedmen in the neighbouring Turiyi, of course, this is a later story.

The Senate did not dissolve immediately after the proposal for slaves had been dealt with, for Marij had returned from Tarantum.

Take the sea from Amendolara, not far from Tarantum, and board the ship from the port of Turii, which can be reached in less than two hours with the wind.

Davos made a mistake in letting Marij go to Tarantum. Of course, he didn’t have better talents at that time. As a Persian, Marij couldn’t get in at Tarantum at first. Anticipating this situation, Archita wrote a letter for Marigi to bring to his father, Histiavis, plus Marigi’s favor and the rich and novel gifts he brought, the senior elder Histi It was Avis who actively mediated for him, which made Tarantum’s senate and consul show enthusiasm for Amendolara’s initiative to request an alliance with Tarantum.

Of course, it wasn’t because of Histiavis that Tarantum became enthusiastic about the proposal of mercenaries. The actual reason was: although Tarantum and Turii have been at truce for decades, and now they have joined the defensive alliance, But this is a loose alliance after all, not binding.

Since this alliance was initiated and established by Tarantum, it also actively contributed some efforts. For example, some city-states have accumulated relatively deep hatreds, and it is good not to destroy each other, such as Crotone and Locri.

Tarantum, including Tarantum, was a little bit grumpy about Turiyi. After all, Tarantum, as one of the largest states in Greater Greece,

faced a newly built city-state and lost twice in a row. In the end, although a truce was signed, the peaceful communist party

Build Heraclea, but Tarantum is a big loser in Greater Greece.

Amendolara, who used to be an ally of Turiyi, is now going to ally with Tarantum. The Tarantum Senate has a big long face, and the addition of Amendolara can well protect their affiliated city-states— —Heraclea, how could there be any reason to disagree!

But another request made by Marigui made them embarrassed: Marigui asked Tarantum for assistance on the grounds that Amendolara had just gone through the war and was in desperate need of supplies to make ends meet.

Originally, as a newly formed ally, Tarantum is also a wealthy city-state, and it is a matter of hand to help some materials.

However, the amount of materials requested by Mariji was relatively large, and the elders had to discuss the aid.

Until the next day, when Archita led his troops and returned to Tarantum to report to the Senate about his expedition, he focused on explaining the combat effectiveness of the mercenaries and the outstanding military talent of the leader Davos, and also emphasized: Now Amendolara was brought to power by the new citizens of mercenaries.

In fact, Mariji had praised the performance of the mercenaries for the annihilation of the Lukania coalition before, but instead it caused some elders to be dissatisfied, thinking that they wanted to take credit for Tarantum.

Now their trusted Archita has also said this, and is full of praise for Davos, which makes them realize that this new Amendolara can not only protect Heraclea from the wind and rain, but also Can do something else.

Therefore, not only did not delete the number of materials requested by Mariji, but also added some additional things.

When Mariji read out the covenant with Tarantum at the venue, the old citizens listened to their ears and didn’t feel much. They were also allied, but the object was that Turii was replaced by Tarantum, and the content was not. What a change.

On the contrary, the Persian and current citizen of Amendolara, Mariji, caught their attention, not only because of his fluent Greek, but also because of the two bills he introduced, which made the old citizens feel complicated for a while.

Then, Mariji read out Tarantum’s list of aid supplies: 100 tons of grain, 1,000 catties of salted fish, 200 sets of round shields and thorn guns, 100 pieces of linen cloth…

After they heard the quantity of each material, There was a surprise on his face, and in the end, before Mariji finished reading, everyone cheered: Tarantum is so generous!

Not to mention other things, but a hundred tons of grain is enough to sustain the entire population of Amendolara for six months, and by then, the wheat fields of Amendolara will be harvested.

Amendolara’s biggest difficulty was solved so easily, and the elders seemed to be in a dream.

“Because all the above substances are too large, Tarantum will be divided into several times and transported by sea to Heraklia, and then transported here. The first batch will be delivered tomorrow!” Applause.

At this time, Davos took advantage of the situation and said loudly: “Everyone, in view of Marigi’s great achievements for Amendolara, I propose that Marigi, a citizen of Amendolara and a city-state commercial officer, become the elder of the Senate!

” The enthusiastic support of the citizens, the old citizens also reluctantly raised their hands.

Next, the Senate also decided that the envoys, led by the Chief Executive Cornerus and the Overseer Antonios, would visit Tarantum on the second day to express their gratitude to their allies and conduct in-depth discussions on the details of the covenant. .

The Senate meeting ended, and Marigi followed Davers out of the meeting.

“Thank you for your help! But let me become a citizen of Amendolara, a business officer, and a noble elder!” Mariji said gratefully.

“It seems that I didn’t lie to you.” Davos chuckled.

“My lord, you always keep your word, how can you deceive people!” Marigi seemed to have forgotten what he said when he came to Greater Greece.

“Mariji, you have to remember that this is not my decision, this is because the elders thank you for your reward for your contribution to Amendolara!” Davos reminded him even though he was humble.

Marigi looked around, and then whispered: “What senate! I only know that without you, I am afraid I am not even a citizen of Amendolara. Marigi will always be loyal to Lord Davos!”

Marigi The words were sincere, and Davos smiled again and said, “It seems that you have to slowly adapt to life as a citizen of a Greek city-state.”

Marigi wanted to say more, and Davos patted him on the shoulder. He asked again, “How is Tarantum?”

Mariji was a smart man, so he didn’t say any more, but said seriously: “The time is too short, so I walked around in a hurry, I feel that the city of Tarantum is very big, There are a lot of people and a lot of wealthy people…they have a lot of merchant ships in the port, the market is prosperous, and the daily transaction volume is estimated to be not low…” Mariji looked envious.

Davos nodded and asked again, “I heard that the Messapi people are invading Tarantum, how is the situation now?”

If he hadn’t joined the mercenary army, Marigi wouldn’t have cared about this, let alone. One, two, three, after hearing and seeing the mercenaries, I also have some understanding of the military: “The Mesapi people have retreated, and the troops they invaded are mainly composed of cavalry and light infantry. Tum’s heavy infantry, they can only invade the land outside Tarantum, but Tarantum can’t do anything about them, because they can’t catch up with the Mesapis.”

“Cavalry? Are there many cavalry of the Mesapi people?” Davos asked sharply.

“I don’t know. But I heard that the terrain south of Tarantum doesn’t have many tall mountains, few rivers, and mostly flat grasslands, so the Mesapi people graze a lot of cattle, sheep and horses there.”

Davos moved in his heart. He thought that on the Apennine Peninsula, except for the Gauls in the north, because of the vast plains and swamps of the Po River, the cavalry was strong, so the cavalry was strong; The cavalry is just a facade.

I didn’t expect that in the south, on the “heel” of the “Italian leather boots”, there were actually cavalry-based tribes (in fact, this is Marigi’s information is wrong, Messapi’s army is not mainly cavalry), you must turn back Let Antonios visit the Tarantum force and investigate the Messapi force.

Note: Messapi, said to be a race that immigrated from Illyria (the location of today’s Epirus and Albania) to the “heel” of southern Italy a long time ago, because it predates the Greek colonial era, it was also considered local indigenous.