Chapter 47: The Eastern Dionia (1)
This is a leader who has close contacts with Arkonis, and his questioning made the panicked leaders focus their eager eyes on Arkonis.
Arconis took the opportunity to take over the topic: "What to do?! Of course, it is to gather the warriors, form a powerful force, declare war on Dionysus, and take back what we Sikelians have lost!"
The leaders were startled again.
An old leader reminded: "Leader Arconis, don't forget, Dionysius was able to defeat the tyrannical tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse ten years ago, and now the kingdom of Dionysius. It will only become stronger! How can we, the tribes, fight against the mighty Kingdom of Dionia!"
Some leaders just wanted to nod their heads in agreement, and Arconis immediately said: "Who said we were fighting against Dionia alone! We have the support of the equally powerful Carthage behind us!"
As soon as these words came out, the leaders were shocked.
However, Arconis held his head high, took a letter from his arms, and handed it to a leader next to him.
"The Carthaginians told us, 'As long as we rise up against Dionysus, they will intervene in this war and fight for independence for us, the Sikelians,'" Acris said aloud with some contentment.
"The Carthaginians are just using us," said a leader.
"Carthage is using us, but we are also using it. Otherwise, how could Kepharoition and Enna be captured so easily..." Arconis sneered.
Some leaders suddenly realized: It turned out that the Carthaginians had been supporting the Tanikian tribe for a long time. Otherwise, how this tribe, which was almost abandoned by the Sikelians, had swelled into a powerful tribe in just a few years, and they were afraid.
"Okay, leaders, you've all figured out the situation, now it's time to take action!" Arconis looked around the crowd and said in a serious tone: "Go and gather the soldiers of your tribe to gather here, and then let's go together. Attack Agilion!"
Attack Agilion? ! That is the largest town in Sikel, with many people and high walls, it is extremely difficult to attack! The leaders were a little stunned.
But I saw Arconis respectfully said to a middle-aged leader on the left side: "Uncle Sicops, do you think this is okay?"
"No problem. My tribe is ready. As long as your army attacks Agilion, they can immediately cooperate with you in the city."
sycops,
The leader of the great tribe Trakle in the city of Agilion! Someone recognized him, his face changed slightly, and then he remembered: Arconis was the son of the former king of Sikel, Agilis, and Agilion was the royal court of Sikel at that time. Although Dionysius poisoned Argyles and destroyed the kingdom of Sikel, how could there be no supporters of Arconis in the city of Acilion!
"We will immediately return to the tribe to convene the tribe." The leaders who were concerned about each other said one after another.
Arconis said, "You don't have to go back. Let your subordinates go back to perform this task. I held a banquet in the city and invited all the leaders to participate."
The faces of the leaders changed: This is to coerce them to stand in line!
But seeing the heavily armed soldiers pouring into the hall, most of the leaders obeyed obediently. In the past few years, Arconis led his army to break through several towns and invaded many tribal settlements. The leaders who dared to resist were killed by his sword, and all those who survived were bones, helping him to deceive Dionia. How dare you resist now.
At this moment, a guard hurried in and whispered a few words in Arconis' ear. He was still smugly looking at the embarrassment of the leaders. It turned out that his subordinates told him: Dionysian's first The Eighth Legion suddenly entered Agilion!
This sudden news disrupted his original plan, and he immediately discussed with Sykops nervously.
And Sicops, who was a bit domineering just now, was also a little flustered, because at the same time, his confidants also reported to him that the city of Agilion was blocked and could not get in touch with the tribes in the city.
After a few tense discussions, Arconis immediately announced to the leaders: Let them send their men back, and step up the gathering of the people. They must bring the troops to Kepharoition tomorrow!
In order to appease the doubtful leaders, the banquet will continue.
But at the end of the banquet that lasted for several hours, the guards brought another bad news, which made Arkonis, who was slightly drunk, unable to control his emotions, and shattered the pottery cup he was drinking from.
The news of "The Eighth Legion of Dionia quickly captured Hena" made him confused and made the leaders panic. Several leaders from Hena cried bitterly, and the cheerful atmosphere of the whole banquet disappeared.
………………………………
Cleethorpes, who was in his 50s, received the resolution of the council of elders, and after having a secret conversation with Agsilaus, he hurried to the port of Gofi'an, took a passenger ship, and rushed to Dionia. .
The passenger ship drifted overnight along the western coast of the Peloponnese, sailed across the Adriatic Sea early the next morning, and docked at the top of the "heel" of the Italian peninsula, where the Dionysian kingdom belonged to Austria. Drum City.
After a night's rest, Clethorpes recovered his spirits, and after disembarking at the port, he strolled around the port quite leisurely.
Once a city-state of the Mesapis, Odrum used to be on the verge of the Adriatic Sea, but was rarely known to the Greeks, because the famous maritime city-states of the Mesapis were Brindisi and Mesa Nirvana, and Odrum because of the uneven surrounding terrain and inconvenient transportation, so few Greek merchant ships were willing to stop here. It was not until Dionia conquered the Mesapi area that the town gradually became famous.
Kerethops saw a lot of merchant ships moored in the port, and it was even crowded. The laborers were running back and forth on the wharf, constantly carrying the goods, which seemed a little hectic. Occasionally, some mistakes were made. From time to time, the owner of the ship could be seen by the side. They cursed and even caused some minor conflicts, so the patrol had been maintaining order at the dock. Obviously, the Oldrum people had not fully adapted to such a busy port.
Kerisopes also noticed that there were many Illyrians in the port, and that these unwelcome savage races, which were called "robbers" and "pirates" by the native Greeks, appeared here in such a large number, which was quite disturbing. Kerethorpes was curious.
The city of Oldrum is also quite lively. Gentiles can be seen everywhere on the streets, Cretans, Corinthians, Epirus people, Kerkyra... There are actually many businessmen from the Peloponnesian Peninsula. However, Kerisopes was not surprised. After all, the kingdom of Dionia, with its vast territory, large population and rich resources, provided huge business opportunities for Greek businessmen. These greedy businessmen flocked to it, and Odrum was far from mainland Greece. The nearest town of Dionia.
The largest number of shops in the city are actually carriage shops, and Clethorpes understands when he thinks about it: Now Odrum has gradually formed a vague concept in the impression of the Eastern Mediterranean Greeks. Overland to the starter towns of Dionia Center Turii or elsewhere, and it's also cheaper to take a wagon here, probably because the Messapi area is also rich in horses.
Kerethorpes hired one from a coach shop in the city and headed to Tarantum.
The coachman was a Mesapien, stammered in Greek and not very chatty, but he also gave a lot of information when Kerethorps deliberately asked.
Initially, the Mesapis of Oldrum resisted Dionia's rule when it was annexed by Dionia, and a relative of the coachman died in a riot. But the swords and spears of the Dionian soldiers made them suffer, and the Oldrum people gradually changed their way and chose silent confrontation. Even though the Dionysian-appointed Odrum administrator, Nicomarcus, declared that "by the decree of Dionia, the tribes shall be abolished, and the Oldrums shall be given their individual independence...", they also I am just skeptical, and I am still waiting to see the jokes of the Dionysians, because although there are few Oldrum people, according to the "Dionysian Law" said by Nicomarcus, each person will be divided into five Mu of land, with the small and barren land of Oldrum, is simply not enough.
But the short-sighted Oldrum people did not expect that the chief executive really gave them a share, and it was not a barren mountain, but a plain land not far from the Oldrum people. Those lands used to belong to other city-states. , now under the governance of the unified Dionysian kingdom, they belonged to Oldrum, and the Oldrums felt the benefits of joining Dionia for the first time.
Immediately after, the second benefit followed, "All Mesapiens who become Dionian citizens are exempt from taxation for two consecutive years!" In addition, the administrator Nico Marcus also told them, "All who do not farm Don't worry, the Ministry of Agriculture will send special personnel to teach them that if someone's family is short of labor, they can go to the newly established Cristoia Bank in the city to get a loan, and then go to Tarantum to buy farmland with experience in planting. slave."
Tarantum, that is the mortal enemy of the Messapis, the two sides can only kill you and me if they meet, but now they are both under the rule of Dionia (Messapis do not understand the meaning of "free city", thinking that Tarantum has been fully incorporated into Dionia)!
There are daring Oldrum people who really went to Cristoia Bank to take a loan, and then went to Tarantum. Although the Tarantum people glared at them and even abused them, very few people stepped forward to do it. , the patrol was very nervous to guard their safety, and finally these people successfully bought slaves. Back in Oldrum, after the news spread, the whole town was shocked: that was Tarantum! The city that the Mesapi people have been trying to capture for hundreds of years, so easily let them go into the city for a walk? ! !