Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece - Chapter 642

[Chapter 61 The Treasury and Salary]

“Lord Sesta, not all the elders can get used to a plain life like you. The key is that they just give and don’t gain anything, and there will definitely be imbalances in their hearts, so it’s hard to resist the temptation.” Sedorum Said a word next to it.

“Then don’t be a veteran, it’s best to go into business!” Sesta replied.

“Okay, I called you here to discuss and solve the problem, not for you to quarrel.” Davers said softly, and the room immediately returned to silence.

His eyes swept across the faces of everyone, seeing Mersis’s nervous expression, he knew what he was worried about, smiled in his heart, and kept his eyes on Antaoris. After entering the king’s office, Antao Reese remained silent.

Of course, Vespa is also a quiet one. As one of the rotating presidents of the Lucanians, except for the issue of safeguarding the interests of the Lucanians, he will strive hard. At other times, he is almost indifferent in the Senate. Without a word, he was criticized as a “puppet” in private, believing that his ability was far inferior to that of Hemen, and that he was able to sit in this position completely because of his son Bagule’s light.

After Weisba heard about it, he was still the same, without any change.

As the elder who just became the rotating chairman, Antaoris has been relatively low-key in the past few months, but Davos did not want him to be silent, so he asked directly: “Antaoris, what do you think about this? What do you think?”

Antaoris was stunned for a moment, then straightened his body, his quiet temperament changed immediately, and said in a solemn voice: “Your Majesty, the elders are the best in a country, and their status is also noble. This should have been the pride of the elders, but now the people look at us elders like criminals, full of doubts, ‘Who will be the second Polyxis? Who will be the second Laodicien?’ We The trust of the people is gradually being lost, and the foundation that bestows the supreme power of the Senate of the Kingdom is collapsing. This is a very terrible thing! Therefore, we must prohibit the elders from accepting any gifts and gifts, regain the people’s trust in us, and restore the trust of the people. Let us be worthy of that honor!—”

“But, Lord Antaoris,” Cornelus interrupted.

But before he could go on, Antaoris hurriedly said, “Dear Lord Cornelus, please listen to me!”

Corneruston looked a little embarrassed.

“However, the most honorable elders do not mean the poorest. When the poor stand in front of the rich, they have no confidence in their words, and the elders who live in poverty are the same when facing rich citizens. In this way, not only does our elders decrease Our prestige has also made the citizens look down on us and have other ideas, which is not conducive to the governance of the people and the kingdom.

While the kingdom gives honor to the elders, it should also give them corresponding wealth.

Because it is they who His efforts have created the prosperous kingdom today, and the elders should enjoy the wealth they deserve! Therefore, I suggest giving the elders a salary, and it is a high enough salary!”

After Antaoris finished his impassioned words, everyone said Some moving.

Davos remained calm, and before he spoke, Mersis shouted first: “No! No! The treasury’s money is used to pay other officials, and there is not much left! To pay the elders, it’s not at all. No!

” “Don’t worry, Mersis.

Davos nodded at him, and then said to everyone in a leisurely manner: “Antaoris said it well, and I thought so too.

Laws were made to prohibit the elders from accepting gifts and under the supervision of ombudsmen, councillors, and tribunes.

At the same time, it started to pay the elders, and it was enough salary to allow the elders to live like real elders… What do you think?

”

“Your Majesty wants to send us money, how could I disagree.”

“Sedorum said jokingly. In fact, whether he is paid or can’t help giving gifts has little impact on him and Vespa. Their other identity is the leader of the tribe, although the young and middle-aged men in the tribe are basically They have been independent, but they have a large tract of tribal land, a lot of slaves, a large number of cattle and sheep, and they are not short of money at all. Therefore, the objects of Davos’ consultation are mainly other people.

Cornerus faced Davos’s The proposal is still the usual attitude: “Your Majesty, I agree with your proposal.

But how much is this salary appropriate?

Where does the money come from?

”

“It seems that everyone has reached a consensus on the proposal of ‘forbidding the elders to accept gifts and implementing salary’.” Davos said, his eyes swept over Lysias and Marigui, both of whom were also nodding.

“Next, let’s talk about the specific salary?” Davos’s eyes fell on the nervous Mersis again: “Mercis, tell me, the next step of the city administrator. What is the salary of

the senior officials?” “The next-level officials of the city chief executive?” Once he talked about the business, Mersich regained his composure, he thought about it carefully, and said: “Deputy chief executive, intermediate construction officer, intermediate Inspectors, middle-level agricultural officers, middle-level judges, etc., can be counted as officials of the same level, but their salaries are more or less different. For example, agricultural officers and construction officers have to run around for a long time. Therefore, the salary will be higher, the work of judges and inspectors will be relatively easy, and the salary will be less… On average, it is about… about 40 silver drachmas.” Mercis pointed and calculated, Finally spit out the number.

The Hades silver coin he mentioned, since the establishment of the kingdom, the pattern of the silver coin has been changed to have the head of Hades, the king of Hades, and the head of King Davos, on the other side. The people of Dionia also call this silver coin “Dave” Silver Coins”.

In addition, the kingdom also has copper coins, with the patterns on both sides of Persephone and the Great Council of the Senate or Hercules and the Great Council of the Senate, and stipulates that the exchange rate of copper coins and silver coins is 6: 1. This is almost the same as the exchange rate of opals to silver coins, so in Dionia, copper coins have replaced the original position of opals.

With their high purity and exquisite patterns, these two currencies became the only currency in circulation in the Kingdom of Dionia, and also became one of the main currencies used by other countries in the Western Mediterranean.

“40 silver coins…about the price of one and a half cows.” Davos was not surprised by this figure. He had already had a detailed understanding of it in advance. Everyone knows it.

In fact, this salary is not low. A citizen with five acres of land will earn three times the amount of grain harvesting when he grows up, and this is only the intermediate level of the Kingdom of Dionia. Officer’s salary for one month.

Because of the rich resources of cattle and horses in the kingdom, the price is relatively low, generally fluctuating between 25 and 30 silver coins. If it is in mainland Greece, a cow costs at least 50 silver coins.

Davos tapped his fingers on the table and said slowly: “I suggest that the remuneration for the elders should be set at 100 Hades silver coins. In addition, if the elders have positions, their salary will be increased according to their positions. For example, a city chief executive. , his total remuneration should be the veteran’s salary of 100 silver coins plus the chief executive’s salary… Well, since the deputy chief executive’s salary is about 40 silver coins, then the chief executive should be about 50 silver coins, and so on After that, his monthly salary should be 150 silver coins.

Another example is Sesta, you are the elder and the highest prosecutor, whose position is the same as that of the city administrator, and his salary should be about 150 silver coins. There is someone like Cornelus who serves as the rotating chairman. The rotating chairman is different from ordinary elders. He also needs to undertake some extra work and should have additional salary…”

Everyone carefully digested Davos’ proposal, and everyone agreed Eyebrows stretched.

No one would dislike too much money, not to mention that this salary can reflect the noble status of the elders in the kingdom. In this way, even if the “prohibition of gifts” bill is promulgated, I believe that the elders will not have much complaints.

Only Mersis shouted in dissatisfaction: “Too much! Too much! Even if the more than 100 elders of the Senate are calculated according to the salary of a senator of 100 silver coins, UU Reading www.sonicmtl.com The treasury every month Two more talents to pay, I don’t have that much money there!”

Before Davos could speak, Cornelus asked suspiciously: “I remember that the Finance Department earns hundreds of talents from lottery tickets in various ball games every year. Trade is prosperous, merchant ships gather in the ports of various cities, and the monthly commercial tax is almost 100 tarantos. Not to mention that the population of the kingdom is now as high as 1.8 million, the land tax is also a large number, and the annual redemption of slaves Fees, the post office’s postage fees, the fleet’s escort fees… It’s also a lot of money, how could the treasury have no money?!”

“Lord Cornerus.” Mersis sneered: “You just look at it. I went to the treasury to take in the money, but I didn’t see the treasury spending a lot of money. You must know that there are more than 1,000 middle-level officials in the kingdom now, and the salary that the treasury has to pay to them every month reaches ten A few talents, not to mention the jailers, patrolmen, sentinels… and other low-level public servants who also have to be paid as you mentioned before, all these are counted, then there are tens of thousands of people, and a total of 50 yuan per month is paid. A salary of more than Taranto!

Also, the cost of building new public buildings such as roads, bridges, ports, temples, libraries, etc., as well as the maintenance costs of maintaining old roads, walls, temples and other public buildings, the military department The cost of summoning soldiers and warships for military training each time, the cost of building and maintaining military equipment, warships… These not only require money, but also a lot of money.