Iphicrates followed the direction of his finger and then a look of sympathy appeared on his face: "He must have just arrived in Thurii yesterday, that's why we didn't see him at the guesthouse. Speaking of which, he's quite pitiful. His son, who was seriously injured in the Greek wars, died of illness last year, and those Spartans are all muscle-bound simpletons who can't compete with the cunning Perioeci and the Helots who have the support of Messenia and Arcadia in that new Spartan government (some of the Helots of Sparta once moved to the territory of Tegea, which belonged to Mantinea, and therefore had a good relationship with Mantinea, which was the leader of Arcadia), so he, who is almost 80 years old, continues to insist on attending the New Spartan Assembly…"
"If it weren't for his constant running around, we would have almost forgotten about the Spartans," Callistratus sighed. "He really is a respectable old man!"
Agesilaus didn't know that there were two acquaintances not far away discussing him behind his back. The reason he only arrived yesterday was because he had been ill before, and his health had just recovered. He ignored the doctor's advice and rushed to Thurii. How could he give up such a good opportunity to meet King Davos and win some benefits for the Spartans? It was also to fulfill his long-held wish to take a stroll through Daonia, which he had been painstakingly trying to deal with for decades, before he died.
When the passenger ship arrived at the port of Thurii yesterday, it was already dusk. Already exhausted, he disembarked and got into the carriage sent by the Thurii City Hall, which was specially responsible for picking up and dropping off VIPs at the port. He fell asleep as soon as he got into the carriage and didn't get to enjoy the scenery of Thurii City.
Early this morning, when he was led into the Hades Main Arena by a guide, even though he had seen countless grand occasions in his life, he was still shocked by the huge building. He looked up, as if a frog in a well could only see a small circle of sky above the tall building, but the boiling sound waves formed by the gradually filling stands made him feel his own insignificance.
He had participated in the four major sports games of mainland Greece, and he had also led troops to interfere in the holding of the games several times, but this was the first time he had seen such a large-scale competition venue. As he was carefully examining this special venue, a voice came from beside him: "Agesilaus, it's a pleasure to see you!"
Agesilaus turned his head and saw Peropidas, the current military commander of Boeotia, and standing next to him was also a familiar face that Agesilaus remembered deeply—Epaminondas.
Peropidas had a smile on his face, and Epaminondas, although his expression was calm, also nodded to him.
Agesilaus twitched his face a few times, put on a stern face, and said coldly: "I'm not happy to see you!" After saying that, he turned around and ignored the two.
It's not surprising that Agesilaus had such a reaction, because in recent years he had been regretting that Sparta should not have launched the Theban War, otherwise it would not have fallen into such a terrible situation today. And it was these two Thebans in front of him who led Thebes to stubbornly fight Sparta for many years and also defeated the Spartan army at the Battle of Leuctra, so how could he give them a good look.
Agesilaus's response made Peropidas a little embarrassed. He smiled self-deprecatingly, shrugged at Epaminondas, and deliberately said loudly: "I didn't expect that now that we are both in the same alliance, he is still brooding over the past."
"Comparing the current situation of the Thebans and the Spartans, it would be strange if he could be so open-minded," Epaminondas said softly, understandingly.
Before the Theban War, Sparta was the overlord of Greece, and had garrisons in many city-states in central Greece, including Thebes. The Theban government officials met with the Spartan garrison commanders, bowing and scraping like slaves meeting their masters, let alone ordinary people.
Who knew that more than 20 years later, the real Spartans had been reduced to the point of near extinction, while Thebes, with the strong support of Daonia, had not only completely unified the entire Boeotia region, but also vigorously developed Oropos and the port located in the Gulf of Corinth,
Promoting maritime trade with Daonia, thereby greatly improving the shortcomings of the Boeotia region, making it the second largest force in the Greek League (the largest force is the Daonian Empire, Athens disbanded the Maritime Alliance and lost those sub-states, whether it is land area or the number of citizens are behind the Boeotian League, but the number of people and the level of commercial development is still higher than Boeotia, but because Thebes is closer to Daonia, so most Greek people think that Boeotia is stronger than Athens), greatly enhancing the right to speak in the alliance, but also made the Thebans' position in mainland Greece rise sharply.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, the current status of Sparta and Thebes has been completely reversed.
"Indeed!" Peropidas laughed heartily.
Agesilaus, who was in the front row, found this laughter very harsh, but he could only pretend not to hear it.
"Sit down quickly, don't block the audience behind," Epaminondas reminded, feeling that it was completely unnecessary for his friend to take revenge on Agesilaus in such a small way. He was a naturally quiet person. Since the establishment of the New Greek League and the unification of Boeotia by Thebes, he had voluntarily resigned from all positions. If it weren't for the fact that Daonia specifically requested Epaminondas to attend this time in the invitation letter to the Boeotian League, he would probably still be living in seclusion at home.
After Peropidas sat down, he looked around with interest, and then said excitedly: "The invitation letter that Daonia gave us said that they will hold a unique sports games. I think this arena is very unique, at least the city-states of Greece, including our Thebes, do not have the ability to build it!"
"Yes!" Epaminondas also sighed: "Do you still remember when we were young, we watched the sports games in Corinth, but we saw the athletes from Daonia being expelled? At that time, who would have thought that Daonia, who was humiliated by the audience, would become the overlord of the entire Greece in just over 20 years, and invite the city-states and countries of the entire Mediterranean to participate in the sports games it held!"
"What you said reminds me of something." Peropidas said half-jokingly and half-seriously: "I heard that even after Daonia became the leader of the Greek League, in recent years, the foreign athletes from Daonia who participated in various sports games were still discriminated against by the Greek people, so the King of Daolia was so angry that he wanted to hold this sports games, allowing all races in the Mediterranean to participate. This is the attitude of a great power! Unlike those stubborn and conservative city-states in our Greece, who are petty!"
"Does what you said about these Greek city-states also include our Thebes and the Boeotian League?" Epaminondas asked lightly.
Peropidas did not respond, but pointed to the side not far away, gloatingly saying: "Look, General Cleon of Corinth is there! I wonder what kind of mood he will be sitting in this arena with, and whether he will worry that the Daonian sports games will surpass the Corinthian sports games and become the most popular sports games among the Greek people?!"
"Not only will Corinth be worried, but I think Elis and Delphi will also be worried. Look, aren't their envoys sitting there!" A voice came from next to them.
Epaminondas immediately stood up: "Lycomedes, good morning!"
"Good morning, Peropidas, Epaminondas! I'm very happy to be sitting with you!" Lycomedes waved the ticket in his hand, pointed to the number on the stone bench, and said with some emotion: "Coming to Thurii, what amazes me the most is not the size and prosperity of this city, but that there are so many people here, yet they can be managed so orderly! Now it seems that this is probably because the officials of Daonia are very serious and meticulous in governing the country~
Just think, even the entrance to the arena (each entrance has a number, corresponding to the number written on the ticket), the stone steps (there are wooden railings on the sides of the stone steps to prevent falling), and the seats are carefully designed, so that so many spectators can enter the arena without causing chaos. From this, it can be seen that they have permeated this meticulous management into all aspects of people's lives…"
"Yes, think about the previous sports games, which one didn't have conflicts because the audience scrambled for seats? We, as people of the motherland, should not only feel ashamed, but also learn from Daonia with an open mind!" Peropidas said seriously, and then politely made an inviting gesture: "Lycomedes, please sit down!"
After the Greek wars, the most benefited among the city-states of mainland Greece was not Thebes, but Mantinea. They not only obtained the fertile land of the original Tegea, but also established the Arcadian League with Mantinea as the main body with the strong support of Daonia, becoming a major force in mainland Greece.
Peropidas once privately said to Epaminondas with envy, "We Thebes fought bitterly with Sparta for so many years and sacrificed so many people in order to establish the Boeotian League… But Mantinea only achieved this goal easily because it was lucky enough to closely follow Daonia in the Greek wars. Apollo is really biased!"
However, Peropidas, who is outwardly lively and cheerful but inwardly proud, showed sincere respect to Lycomedes, because he not only first proposed "establishing the Arcadian League", but also worked tirelessly for it for many years, and therefore served as the speaker of the Arcadian League (the highest position in the Arcadian League Assembly, which can only be held by Mantineans) for 5 consecutive years.
"I just heard you say that Daonia is going to hold a unique sports games…"
After Lycomedes and Metrodorus sat down, Lycomedes sighed and said, "It's certainly quite different! At the athletic games held in our Greek homeland, on the first day, the athletes and spectators gather in front of the temple and, together with the priests, offer sacrifices to the gods. Then, the athletes stand before the altar and, guided by the priests, swear in the name of the gods… But now, we are sitting in the arena, waiting for the games to begin!"
"Indeed, that's exactly what I find puzzling," Pelopidas said curiously. "Lycomedes, do you know what the Daonians will do next?"
"I ran into the chief Messenian general, Tisias, on the way here and asked him the same question, but he didn't know either, so how would I?" Lycomedes said with a smile. "Not knowing is good, that way any action the Daonians take will be a surprise!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire arena suddenly erupted, filled with cheers and shouts.
The two who were talking didn't know what was happening, but Epaminondas, who had been quietly observing their surroundings, said loudly in their ears, "King Davos has arrived!"
The royal box was not far to their right. It was a 20-meter-long, 5-meter-high marble platform with gilded iron railings and blue and white curtains above. It was guarded by majestic palace guards all around.
At this moment, Davos, accompanied by Queen Christoia, Queen Agnes, and all their children, walked onto the platform.
The sharp-eyed Daonian people immediately noticed this and cheered and paid their respects to their beloved king and queens.
Davos, wearing a golden crown and a magnificent black and gold-trimmed Bolton, smiled and raised his right hand, waving gently to the audience.
The cheers in the arena grew even louder.
Suddenly, the audience opposite the royal box stood up and raised their arms above their heads, then sat down again. Immediately afterward, the audience to their right did the same…
"The wave! The wave! I want to play too!" Croto' second son, 6-year-old Crimedes, excitedly ran forward, but Christoia quickly grabbed him and said softly, "Cri, don't rush, we'll play together in a moment."
Sure enough, when the wave reached the royal box, Davos and his family raised their hands, stood up from the soft couch, and then sat down again.
Although members of the royal family participated in person, the wave became intermittent because there were many non-Daonian spectators. The Daonian spectators patiently continued, a second round, a third round… Finally, all the spectators were motivated, and the entire arena stand rose and fell like a rolling tide, which was quite spectacular.
When the dignitaries were discussing the wave just now in the stands, Davos had already leaned back on the couch and said to Christoia with a smile, "Judging from the wave just now, at least two-fifths of the audience are not Daonians, it seems that the Thurii city hall has earnestly implemented the palace's decision."
Christoia glared at him: "It's not just the city hall, our chamber of commerce has also put in a lot of effort!"
"Don't worry, I haven't finished yet, I will praise you." Davos grinned and reached out to stroke Christoia's hand, but she slapped it away and warned, "This is a public place, don't mess around, it's not good for the people to see!"
Davos said righteously, "What's wrong with that? Showing the people our love is to remind them to respect their marriage and love their wives! Agnes, you agree, right?!" As he spoke, he took the opportunity to hold Agnes's hand.
Agnes smiled slightly, but tried to pull her hand back, but failed, so she had to let her husband stroke it.
Eunice, sitting in the back, made a face while whispering to her brothers and sisters, "Father is really shameless."
"Eunice, what are you talking about!" Davos didn't look back, but as if he had seen it with his own eyes, he shouted.
"Ah… nothing, I was just telling my sister-in-law that the wave just now was fun." Eunice quickly winked at Dido next to her: "Right, sister-in-law?"
Dido held back her laughter: "Yes."
"Telling lies with your eyes open, your daughter is just like you!" Christoia scolded with a smile.
Davos coughed a few times: "Who else can my daughter be like if not me! Eunice, I'm giving you a task, go tell them in front that the opening ceremony can begin, don't keep the audience waiting."
"Shouldn't the eldest brother be the one to inform them on such occasions?" Eunice said hesitantly.
Croto understood Davos's intention and said with a smile, "Eunice, you are the most popular member of the royal family in this arena, who else would go if not you. Besides, your appearance will greatly encourage those non-Daonian women who are sitting in the stands of the games for the first time."
Hearing this, Eunice stood up and said playfully, "Father, then I'll go, but don't be jealous when I'm more popular than you!"
"You're so rude, go quickly!" Davos pretended to be impatient, but couldn't help but joke, "Arex, what's wrong with you, you haven't kept your wife in check!"
Before Arex could respond, Eunice widened her almond-shaped eyes: "Dare he?!"
Avia finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Eunice walked out of the curtain gracefully and gracefully to the front of the royal box, and the surrounding area rang out with even more enthusiastic cheers.
In the Hades Main Arena, Eunice is more popular with the audience than King Davos, and this is not an exaggeration. Because Eunice, who loves sports among the royal family members, would come to this arena to watch rugby and football games whenever she had time, cheer for the players with the audience, and Christoia's chamber of commerce had also taken the lead in donating money in her name to renovate the Hades Main Arena, and had also replaced Davos and Croto, who were too busy, to present awards to the winning rugby and football teams several times, so many spectators and players called her the "Goddess of the Arena."
Among the enthusiastically cheering audience, there were indeed very few women from Greek city-states. More than half of them were wives of ordinary commoners, who had to show their faces and work hard in the market to buy and sell goods or cultivate farmland due to their family circumstances, so their status and power at home were much greater than those of women in aristocratic families, but even so, they could not go to the venues of various sports games to watch the exciting competitions, and the Daonian games gave them this opportunity, so they came tremblingly, and the Daonian princess standing so conspicuously in the royal box undoubtedly gave them the greatest encouragement.
There were also very few Greek girls in the audience, who were brought to watch the games by their merchant fathers, the purpose of which was to find a rich husband to help them develop their trade in the Daonian kingdom in the future. These girls were very reserved when they first sat in the audience, lowering their heads and daring not to look around, but when they saw the Daonian women nearby shouting and screaming freely, they gradually let go.
Next to the royal box was a slightly shorter platform, on which sat five arena hosts. After receiving Eunice's order, the leader immediately raised a red flag and waved it continuously in the air. After seeing this, the Daonian audience not only stopped their clamor, but also persuaded the audience next to them to remain silent.
After the entire arena calmed down a bit, the 5 hosts picked up the microphones wrapped in copper skin and said in unison with their loud voices and tacit understanding cultivated over many years of hosting competitions here: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Hades Main Arena! By order of the great King Davos, we announce—the Daonian Games officially begin!"
"First, please welcome the band!"
As the host's voice rang out, the gate leading to the entrance of the arena opened, and nearly a hundred musicians holding various instruments entered the arena in neat columns, advancing along the edge of the track, marching and playing the 'Marching March'.
Their entrance immediately welcomed enthusiastic applause from the audience, and the Daonian citizens among them also clapped and hummed along with the familiar melody, making the entire stadium lively again.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Just as the band entered the arena, the king's box also welcomed two distinguished guests: Plato and Xenophon.
Since Athens surrendered and the Greek war ended, Plato refused Davos's invitation to stay and returned to Athens to continue managing his Academy. Not only was he no longer blamed by the Athenian people, but the military executive committee also consulted him from time to time on matters related to the Daonian kingdom. He also occasionally wrote letters to Davos to exchange political issues, maintaining contact with Davos.
After Sparta was conquered, Davos wrote several letters inviting Xenophon to teach at the Daonian Academy of Letters, but he refused on the grounds that he was "fully engaged in writing and did not want to be disturbed", and had been living in seclusion in the Peloponnese.
This time, Davos invited them in the name of the games, but they gladly came, for a very simple reason: both were not only enthusiasts of sports competitions, but also participants. Plato was a good wrestler in his youth, and Xenophon was good at racing in his youth. Later, after settling in the Peloponnese, due to its proximity to Olympia, he did not miss any of the Olympic games, and he also participated in horse racing competitions. In fact, the Greeks of this era admired strength and beauty, so Greek celebrities liked sports competitions, otherwise, even if they were knowledgeable, they would be despised by the people if they were weak and frail.
Dionysius and Xenophon were moved by Davos' letter, which spoke of "hosting a grand and unique athletic meet," and so they came.
To show his respect for them, Davos invited them to the royal box.
As soon as they entered, they were captivated by the band entering the stadium.
"What is this music called? It sounds like a very nice melody," Xenophon asked curiously, as he, like many of Daonia's allied spectators, was touched by the lively and powerful melody.
Before Davos could answer, Plato interjected, "'Marching March.' This is a piece that the Daonian army must play during marches, and it was composed by King Davos."
Xenophon was surprised: "I didn't expect you to have such talent, Davos!"
When speaking to Davos in private, Xenophon still habitually used the ordinary form of address from their days in Persia, and Davos never minded. At this moment, he said modestly, "These are all from a little inspiration from the great Hades, and the credit for ultimately completing them goes to the musicians of the royal palace."
"The tune is very pleasant! But how is it possible to bring together so many different instruments, so many musicians, to play such harmonious and beautiful melodies, instead of creating chaotic and noisy sounds?!"
It wasn't just Xenophon who was surprised; almost all of the Greek people in the audience were astonished, because traditional Greek music was mostly played by single instruments, and even when there were ensembles, it was only between a few instruments and a few musicians. Such a large orchestra, with so many instruments (some of which came from other races and were unknown to the Greeks) playing together in a large ensemble, completely exceeded their understanding of music, and they were all curious: How did the Daonians control such a large orchestra and make it produce such a grand, rich, and layered melody?
"Do you know Philosanus?" Plato asked Xenophon.
"Of course I know him. He was once a musical poet from Syracuse..." Xenophon hesitated for a moment and did not continue.
Philosanus had unique insights into the format and melody of musical poetry, and therefore had a considerable reputation in mainland Greece. He had also presented poems at athletic meets in mainland Greece. After joining Daonia, he made even greater breakthroughs in musical poetry, but because some of his poems praised Hades and King Davos, he was publicly condemned by the priests of several major holy sites and was not welcomed by the upper echelons of the mainland Greek city-states, but many Greek scholars privately treasured his poems, carefully appreciating his improvements in the format and rhyme of musical poetry.
"Philosanus is a teacher in the Faculty of Arts at the Daonia Academy. In addition to teaching students how to write poetry, he is also studying how to make different instruments play harmonious melodies together. I have personally seen him organize students to play music, just like now. Look, the old man standing in front of the orchestra is Philosanus!"
The reason why Plato was so familiar with Philosanus was that after he was expelled from Athens by the Athenian people during the Greek War, he took his students to Thurii, accepted Davos' invitation, and served as a teacher at the Daonia Academy for a short time. In addition to teaching, he also carefully visited other teachers and students, studying the operating mechanism of the entire academy, hoping to learn from it and improve the teaching of the Academi Academy.
At this time, the band had circled the field once and entered the center of the stadium near the royal box, lining up and standing still, but the music continued.
"So that's how it is." Although Xenophon also treasured Philosanus' poems, he had never met the man himself. He stared at the old man in front of the band who was constantly pointing with a wooden stick and said with a sudden realization, "To make such a large orchestra play a harmonious melody, you need a commander, just like the commander of an army, who is responsible for arranging troops and formations, arranging who attacks first and who attacks later, so that the power of the soldiers can be fully utilized to achieve victory..."
Xenophon was indeed a scholar of both literary and military skills who wrote "On Horsemanship," using war as a metaphor.
But a band conductor is not so easy to be. Philosanus has been studying for so many years to achieve some success... But Davos is not prepared to explain too much to spoil Xenophon's interest.
....................................
Although Olympia did not send priests to participate in the training and selection of the Daonia Games judging panel, because Daonia promised that the Games would not be dedicated to Hades, Olympia still accepted the invitation and sent a priest as a representative to watch the Games.
Olympia priest Pesias sat in the VIP seat with a critical and cautious attitude. While the other VIPs were marveling at the grandeur and excitement of the Hades Main Stadium and moved by the band's performance, he sneered at it: The Games are the Greeks' respect for the gods and their love of sports. These sensational things are useless!
At this time, he heard the host's shout: "Now, please enter the judging panel of this Games!"
He immediately perked up.
The band's performance also changed from "Marching March" to "Ode to Hades."
Accompanied by the calm and solemn melody, more than 200 priests wearing white robes entered the stadium in loose columns. At the front was a young man from the Thurii school, holding a wooden sign with the words "Judging Panel" engraved on it with a solemn expression.
Following the young man was a smiling old priest. When he looked at the audience, the Daonia audience in the stadium suddenly became excited: "It's Chief Priest Caldias!!!"
Caldias was transferred back to the Thurii area to serve as the chief priest in charge ten years ago due to his outstanding missionary achievements in the Roman region. In recent years, Plessinas, due to his old age and lack of energy, handed over the affairs of the entire Hades Temple in the Thurii area to him, and Plessinas also recommended him as his successor, which was approved by Davos and will be promoted to scepter priest at the end of the year.
At this time, as the chief judge of the entire judging panel, he walked at the front of the team.
As the judging team moved forward, the Daonia audience sang hymns to the various gods in a loud voice, because more and more priests from various temples were recognized by the people outside the stadium.
The Greek audience was surprised that there were many priests in the judging team whose appearance was obviously different from that of the Greeks, and through the chanting of the neighboring Daonia audience, they learned that these alien races came partly from the Hades Temple and partly from other alien temples, such as the Savoni Temple in Samolay, the Mahara Temple in Bruti, the Baal Hammon Temple in Carthage, the Diana Temple in Rome...
Although Olympia had also received a notice from Daonia regarding the "judging panel composed of priests from various temples" in advance, at this moment, Pesias saw so many priests of different gods and different races walking so quietly and obediently in the same team on the field, and couldn't help but gasp in his heart, suddenly feeling a sense of isolation and unease: Is it only us Olympia and Delphi priests who have not participated?!
At this moment, he suddenly heard a Daonia elder next to him say in surprise: "That young man holding the sign seems to be Davos' grandson Christod?"
"It doesn't seem to be, he is! My youngest son is his classmate. He wasn't selected to participate in the opening ceremony of the Games this time, and he cried a lot when he got home."
...
The heated discussion among the Daonia officials in the VIP seat naturally attracted the attention of the envoys of the Greek city-states. After Daonia became the hegemon of the Greek world, they would of course have a detailed understanding of the Daonia royal family: Hades Davos Christod, the grandson of the Daonia King Davos and the son of Crown Prince Cloto Catacus, according to the Daonia royal family's primogeniture system, he is very likely to become the next king.
In the early days of the establishment of Daonia, when the royal family members of the Cynthia and Cloto Catacus generation were studying at the Thurii Inner City School (the school is located on the easternmost side of the Crati River Delta, next to the Daonia Academy), at that time, the population of Thurii was not large, and the children of citizens in the inner and outer cities were studying at the Thurii Inner City School, so most of the Thurii people knew the royal family members. When Christod went to school, because of the expansion of the population of Thurii City and the complete establishment of the royal family's prestige, not only was it difficult for children in the outer urban areas of Thurii to enter the Inner City School, but Christod also had palace guards to protect him when he went to school, so it is normal that most of the Daonia audience did not recognize him when he first entered the stadium today.
After his identity was revealed and the eyes of thousands of spectators were focused on him, the young Christod could not help but feel nervous. Fortunately, Calsidis behind him had been comforting him in a gentle voice: "Child, don't be afraid! The audience has no malice, on the contrary, they are happy that the Hades royal family has successors. Listen, they are cheering for you! You should give them a smile and thank them!"
Christod's personality is more like his father's, and he was also carefully taught by his grandmother when he was very young, so he is very particular about how to treat people. Therefore, although he was still a little nervous, he still held the wooden sign tightly and turned his head to give the audience a forced smile.
The audience cheered even louder.
Soon, he walked to the front of the royal box and clearly saw that his family was standing in front of the railing at the front of the box: kind grandparents, gentle father, strict mother, gentle aunt (Cynthia), relatively withdrawn uncle (Apox), childish little uncle, beautiful little aunt... all waving to him and smiling at him.
Meanwhile, Christodoulos's younger brother, Krimides, gripped the railing, shouting excitedly.
His lively aunt (Eunice) even waved her fist, constantly yelling, "Chris, well done! You're such a brave kid! ..."
Christodoulos smiled, this time from the heart. The smile washed away the tension in his heart. He held the wooden sign high, leading the judging panel around the arena before stopping in the center.
Earlier, all the spectators were curious as to why a wooden cart was being pushed behind the judging panel. On the cart was a half-person-high bronze basin supported by a golden copper pillar. Now, the answer was revealed: the priests pushing the cart brought it to the very center of the arena and quickly disassembled it, reassembling it into a small wooden platform. The bronze basin was placed on this wooden platform, forming what looked like a simple altar.
At this moment, a red flag was raised on the platform, and the audience gradually quieted down.
"Now, please welcome the athletes' delegations from all regions of the kingdom and the participating city-states!!!"
Amidst the host's impassioned shouts, the band immediately played "Victory March," the cheerful and joyful melody resounding throughout the arena. The audience's spirits lifted, and they craned their necks towards the entrance.
The athletes, who had been waiting outside the main arena for a long time, finally entered in order under the command of the Daonian soldiers.
Having witnessed the entrance of the band and the judging panel, the audience had begun to adapt to this novel opening ceremony of the Daonian Games. They began to excitedly guess who would be the first athletes' delegation to enter, with some even placing bets. Many people believed the answer was the Thurii region of the Empire Daonia, as it was the center of this powerful kingdom in the western Mediterranean and the host of the games, making it the undisputed leader.
However, when the Thurii youth carrying the wooden sign walked into the arena first, and the audience could clearly see the words on the sign, they were all very surprised: The Arcadian League?! Why the Arcadian League?!
Only some VIPs near the royal box could barely hear the host's voice amidst the noise: "...In order to demonstrate the principle of 'equality and fairness' advocated by the great god Hades in this games, His Majesty Davos wisely suggested to the games organizing committee that the order of entry for each sports delegation be arranged according to the order of the Greek letters in the names of the participating regions and city-states..."
The representatives of the Greek city-states suddenly understood. Daonia had indeed fulfilled its promise in the invitation letter that "all participating city-states, regardless of size, would be treated equally," which moved them to varying degrees.
Lycomedes, who was talking quietly with Pelopidas, immediately jumped up when he learned that the Arcadian League athletes' delegation was entering. Completely disregarding his distinguished status in the Arcadian League, he waved his arms and shouted loudly at the athletes, cheering them on, just like the other spectators from the Arcadian League.
The Arcadian League consisted of city-states with small populations and weak strength, but they were all ancient Greek city-states and were close to the traditional venues of the four major games. Influenced by this, their traditional athletic level had always been strong. In addition, Mantinea had a close relationship with Daonia, and with Lycomedes's strong promotion, the Arcadian League sent more than 50 athletes to participate in all athletic events except swimming, horse racing, chariot racing, and archery.
As soon as the Arcadian League athletes entered the arena, they were immediately enveloped in deafening cheers, which startled them. These athletes had at least participated in one games, but they had never seen so many spectators or such a magnificent arena. The cheers were like muffled thunder, constantly rolling and echoing within this circular space, both shocking them and igniting the passion in their hearts.
The depression of waiting for so long outside the arena was quickly thrown to the back of their minds, and they enthusiastically waved to the audience, creating a good interaction between the inside and outside of the arena,
making the atmosphere even more enthusiastic.
When the Arcadian athletes' delegation approached the royal box, Davos and his family had still not returned to their seats, and one more person had been added to the railing: Adoris's widow, Aedui. They smiled and waved at the youth holding the wooden sign, and encouraged him loudly.
The youth continued to move forward without stopping, but his eyes were a little wet. This youth, who looked two years older than Christodoulos, was named Aenon, and was Adoris's only son. After Adoris died in battle, both Croto and Davos felt deeply guilty and therefore took extra care of Aedui and her son.
After the Arcadian delegation passed the royal box, the second athletes' delegation entered the arena. The words "Argos" were clearly engraved on the wooden sign, completely convincing the allied VIPs of what the host had said: Daonia was indeed arranging the athletes' delegations to enter in a fair alphabetical order, without any favoritism.
Argos's current situation was not very good.
In the past, it had been working hard to bring the entire fertile Argos triangular plain in the northeastern Peloponnese under its control in order to resist the powerful Sparta, but several city-states in this area, such as Mycenae and Tiryns, had always had conflicts of interest with it under Sparta's secret support. Even Cleonae (the venue of the Nemean Games), which was under its control, occasionally wanted to be independent.
Although after the Greek War, Argos received Daonia's support after timely surrender and making some contributions in the siege of Athens. It had largely completed the integration of the Argos Plain region, declaring it the "Argos Plain League." However, Argos was an oligarchy, somewhat similar to Sparta, and lacked outstanding political leaders like Pelopidas and Lycomedes. The methods it had implemented in the integration of the entire plain region in recent years were simple and crude, arousing dissatisfaction among other city-states in the region and leading to conflicts. Therefore, this time Argos actively responded to Daonia's invitation and sent a team of more than 40 athletes, hoping to regain Daonia's support when the Greek League conference discussed the conflicts in the Argos triangular plain region of the Peloponnese.
Although there were few Argos spectators in the arena, the enthusiastic Daonian spectators still gave the Argos League athletes friendly cheers, just like they did for the Arcadian delegation.
However, the formation of the Argos athletes' delegation seemed a bit strange. The more numerous Argos athletes gathered together and walked in front, while the less numerous Argos allied city-state athletes gathered together and trailed behind, with a considerable distance between the two. Those who knew the inside story knew what was going on.
Plato, who understood the inside story, directly asked: "How does Daonia plan to deal with the conflict in the Argos Plain?"
"This will be an important issue at the Greek League conference at the beginning of next month. At that time, we will convene the main councilors of all the city-states in the Argos Plain to discuss it, not only to listen to Argos's opinions, but also to carefully listen to the reasonable demands of other city-states..." Davos said solemnly and implicitly: "Strive to come up with a plan acceptable to all parties and peacefully resolve this dispute."
"The Argives are somewhat similar to the Spartans, conservative and stubborn, and their tradition of dominating the Argos Plain has a long history and is deeply rooted. I'm afraid they won't easily compromise," Plato reminded.
"Originally, Argos's strength was insufficient. Although there were some small battles with other city-states in the Argos Plain from time to time in the past, they could basically maintain peace. Now that Argos has received Daonia's strong support, it has intensified the contradictions in the region, leading to the current tense situation. Daonia should bear a lot of responsibility!" Xenophon criticized unceremoniously.
"It's just some conflicts, and no war has broken out. The situation is much better than before when battles broke out at every turn. How can you say that it has intensified the contradictions?" Plato defended Daonia.
"That's only because the Greek League has a law that city-states that start wars will be severely punished, so they are all maintaining restraint-" Xenophon retorted.
"Isn't this Daonia's credit? It is precisely because Daonia established and leads the Greek League that there has been a long-term peaceful situation in mainland Greece-"
"I don't deny Daonia's achievements in this regard. I just think that Daonia's handling of the issue between Argos and other city-states in the Argos Plain is somewhat inappropriate-"
"You need to know that Argos did provide some assistance in the process of Daonia pacifying mainland Greece. Since Daonia can help Mantinea and Thebes integrate their respective regions, it is understandable to support Argos. After all, Mycenae and other city-states did not give Daonia any help during the entire Greek War."
"But facts have proved that Daonia's initial choice was wrong!"
"You can't deny the rationality of the initial decision based on the error of the result! Moreover, making mistakes is not a bad thing. Daonia can use this to make improvements. However, I believe that under the current situation, it is almost impossible for Argos, which still adopts the same oligarchic system as the old Sparta, to lead the other city-states on the Argos Plain well-"
"The former Sparta was not an oligarchy at all. On the contrary, it was a mixed regime of kingship and democracy with more classical traditional virtues than other city-states in mainland Greece-"
"This is the first time I've heard such a statement, but I don't agree. First, let's take a look, is Sparta a kingship?-"
"Alright, gentlemen, please cease your discussion." Davos said solemnly, "I assure you that Daonia will do its utmost to resolve the conflict in the Argos Plain. Any individual or city-state that obstructs or attempts to undermine the peaceful resolution process will be severely punished!"
Davos paused, then continued, "Now is not the time to discuss political matters. Let's continue watching the opening ceremony of the games. Look, the third athlete delegation has entered!"
Plato and Xenophon exchanged a calm glance and said nothing more, turning their attention to the field.
Although they were both students of Socrates and citizens of Athens, and had both written about Socrates, reminiscing about and promoting his ideas, their relationship was quite good during their studies in Athens. However, as their experiences diverged, their ideologies and pursuits became vastly different. Coupled with decades of separation, a considerable distance had now grown between them.
At that moment, Davos felt a tinge of regret in his heart: perhaps he shouldn't have invited them both at the same time.
.................................
The wooden sign held high by the third athlete delegation clearly read "Daonian Sacred Kingdom - Africa Region." Some spectators from northern Italy, who rarely ventured out, might have been puzzled: when did the kingdom acquire another region?
In fact, this region had only been established last year.
The coast of the African continent was dotted with Phoenician city-states, originally established by Eastern Phoenicians as transfer stations when developing commercial resources in the western Mediterranean. Their original intention was not colonization. It was not until the rise of Carthage that these transfer stations gradually developed into towns. However, due to their singular economic base, they were extremely dependent on Carthaginian support. But when Daonia defeated Carthage and seized several important Carthaginian trade resources, most of the Phoenician city-states in Africa had no choice but to turn to the more powerful and expansive Daonian Sacred Kingdom.
As time passed, trade ties between Phoenicia and Daonia became closer. The prosperity of Hadrumetum, a former Phoenician city-state that was already a Daonian town, served as an example, and scattered Phoenician city-states began to request to join the Daonian Sacred Kingdom. After the Greek War ended, Daonia's strength continued to increase. Discerning individuals even believed that Daonia's dominance over the entire Mediterranean was no longer a major problem. Under such circumstances, apart from a few large city-states such as Phoenicia and Utica, which were still barely holding on, other Phoenician city-states on the African continent successively requested to join Daonia. Therefore, under Davos's direction, the Daonian Sacred Kingdom added another region – the Africa Region, temporarily centered on Hadrumetum.
More than half of the athletes in the African delegation appearing in the arena were Phoenicians. They had long heard of the Greek Games but were participating for the first time, so they were very curious and excited, and behaved particularly actively while marching on the track.
Carthage's Suffete Hecaton attended the opening ceremony. Sitting in the VIP stand, his mood was extremely complex as he watched this scene in the arena: since Carthage became a dependency of Daonia, its trade had not declined but had become more prosperous. After all, Daonia provided it with a broader market. However, Carthage's agriculture was shrinking rapidly. One important reason for this was that Carthage had lost the inland lands of Numidia that it originally occupied, and Daonia could provide it with sufficient and relatively affordable grain. This led most Carthaginians to engage in trade activities, and Carthage could no longer survive independently of Daonia. Influenced by nearby towns, in recent years, citizens within Carthage had also been calling for "complete incorporation into the Daonian Sacred Kingdom like other Phoenician city-states." The Senate and the Council of One Hundred, led by him, had long reached a tacit understanding not to respond to this. But this pressure persisted, and he did not know how long Carthage's independence could last...
The fourth athlete delegation to enter was the Daonian Sacred Kingdom - Po River Region delegation.
After Daonia conquered Cisalpine Gaul, it divided the entire territory occupied by Cisalpine Gaul into the Po River Region. It could be said that this was the most fertile and vast plain in the Daonian Sacred Kingdom, but also one of the most difficult regions to stabilize. Daonia spent nearly 10 years, using all kinds of methods, to gradually get the Gauls to accept Daonian rule. In this, Capus, the administrative officer of the Po River Region, made great contributions.
Since the Daonian army conquered Cisalpine Gaul, King Davos had transferred Capus to the Po River Region, where he had served for nearly 10 years, dedicating himself to the stability of the Po River Region and the integration of the Cisalpine Gauls into the kingdom. Now he sat in the VIP stand, watching the Po River Region delegation in the arena with rapt attention, his eyes full of satisfaction.
Since Daonia had only begun to immigrate to the Po River Region in recent years, the proportion of Greeks in the region was still very small. Therefore, the vast majority of the delegation were Gauls. They were tall, with disheveled hair, some with paint on their faces, and some bare-chested... Facing the audience, they would occasionally roar and strike poses to show off their muscles.
In the eyes of some Greek dignitaries, this was a sign of barbarism, but in the eyes of the Daonian audience, who were accustomed to the intense rugby games, this was a sign of individuality, so the cheers became even more enthusiastic.
The main competition events for athletes from the Po River Region were horse racing and chariot racing, and the next delegation to appear was likely to be their competitor, as the athletes came from Daonia's famous livestock region - Bruttium.
After the Bruttium delegation, the Campanian League delegation entered. Today's Campanian League only had Naples and a few neighboring sub-towns left. The other city-states in the original league had successively joined the Daonian Kingdom. Naples' current situation was somewhat similar to that of Carthage.
The next delegation to enter was the Daonian Sacred Kingdom - Eastern Campania Plain Region. This delegation, composed of Greeks, Etruscans, and Samnites, was strongest in javelin throwing, but of course, they also had to compete with the Samnite delegation.
Immediately following them was the Corinthian delegation. But when they appeared on the field, the vast majority of the audience was stunned, because behind the sign-holding boy were only two athletes, which was far less than the previous delegations, which had dozens or even hundreds of people. Although Corinth was only a city-state compared to the previous regions and leagues, it was the host of the Corinthian Games, and its citizens admired sports and had a strong presence in traditional competitions. Therefore, Daonia gave Corinth a lot of places to participate in the invitation letter.
"It seems that the Corinthians still have a lot of opinions about Daonia hosting the games. I think if it weren't for your Daonia's strong national power and being the leader of the Greek League, the Corinthians probably wouldn't have sent even one athlete," Xenophon commented with some schadenfreude.
Davos smiled slightly and said confidently, "If the Corinthians don't participate, it won't have any impact on this games, but it will be the biggest loss for Corinth and Corinthian athletes! Because the Daonian Games will surely become the most grand celebration in the Mediterranean, and it will also become a grand theater for various city-states, regions, and athletes to showcase themselves to the countries of the Mediterranean! Don't you agree?"
Xenophon and Plato looked at the thousands of spectators from various places and races around them, as well as the athletes from various places and races in the arena, and both fell into deep thought.
The polite Daonian audience still cheered for the two Corinthian athletes, but in this cheer, there was also a lot of laughter.
General Cleonidas of Corinth, sitting in the VIP stand, was so ashamed that he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Corinth not only perfunctorily sent only two athletes, but also deliberately arrived late. As a result, when they learned that other city-states had sent many athletes, it was too late to notify Corinth to make changes.
At this time, the Corinthian councilor originally stationed in the Turii Greek League Council still clearly remembered that after learning the news, he scolded the Corinthian Council in front of him for being short-sighted fools, which would inevitably lead to the efforts made by Corinth in recent years being in vain.
What efforts had Corinth made?
After the Greek War, the Corinthians saw Daonia supporting Thebes to unite Boeotia, Mantinea to establish the Arcadian League, Elis to unite the northwest of the Peloponnese, and Argos to unite the northeast corner of the Peloponnese, so it also asked Daonia to "unite the Isthmus of Corinth."
Davos reluctantly agreed, but required that Thebes must consult with Megara.
There were only two city-states in the entire isthmus, Corinth in the south and Megara in the north-central. Although Megara was weaker than Corinth, it was also a city-state with a long history and a good reputation in mainland Greece, and of course, it was unwilling to be united by Corinth.
Since both city-states surrendered to Daonia in time during the Corinthian War, Daonia did not favor either side, and the matter was shelved.
But Corinth still did not give up. The Corinthians, who were good at business, were indeed more flexible than the Argives. When Megara firmly opposed being united by Corinth, the Corinthians quickly changed their plan and proposed "to form an isthmus alliance with Megara on an equal footing."
In order to gain the favor of the Megarians, the Corinthians also proposed, "The tolls collected when merchants from other city-states transport goods through the isthmus will be split equally between the two city-states, and Megarian merchants will have priority in using the Diolkos, with preferential rates for the fees charged…" (The Diolkos was a famous infrastructure project built by the Corinthians 200 years ago. It was a road paved with stones on the Isthmus of Corinth, with two parallel grooves in the middle. Special carts ran on this road, with the wheel tracks corresponding exactly to the grooves. This road connected the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. The Corinthians could first load the cargo from large ships in one gulf onto smaller boats, then lift the small boats onto the carts on the Diolkos, transport them to the other side of the isthmus, and then transfer the cargo onto another large ship, greatly shortening the voyage and saving time.)
The sincerity shown by the Corinthians gradually moved Megara. The two sides had already begun discussing the establishment of an alliance, but in mainland Greece at that time, you couldn't just establish an alliance as you pleased. You had to obtain the consent of the Hellenic League.
This Corinthian councilor in the Hellenic League was worried that the Corinthian assembly's foolish performance at this games would anger King Dionysius, causing him to no longer agree to the proposal of "Corinth establishing an isthmus alliance."
Just as the Corinthian general Cleonymus was filled with regret, Megas Kydes, standing at the entrance to the stadium, heard the thunderous cheers inside and was already eager to try, as it was about to be their turn to enter.
When the Dionysian official at the entrance saw the Corinthian athletes walk past the royal box, he shouted, "The Cretan delegation enters!"
The Dionysian soldiers blocking the way immediately stepped aside, and the impatient Cretan athletes immediately followed the sign-carrying youth forward. As they passed the Dionysian official in charge of entrance order, he encouraged them as friendly as before, "Cretan warriors, hold your heads high and welcome the enthusiastic cheers of the audience!"
As soon as Megas Kydes stepped into the arena, the earth-shattering cheers immediately surged from all directions, like the howling wind on the sea under adverse conditions. The towering stands surrounding them were like the Huge Waves that were stirred up, how could they not be thrilled to be in the center of this storm? No wonder the Dionysian official called them warriors, because it really took courage to be in such an environment. Even Megas Kydes, who had always been determined in the Cretan selection, felt nervous at this moment. After all, the momentum and scale of the Hades Main Stadium were far from comparable to the previous selection, and what's more, very few spectators from Crete would be seen here.
On the other hand, Silenos, who was more thick-skinned, didn't seem to be too affected. He kept looking around and exclaiming from time to time, "Wow, it seems the rumors are true, there are really some female spectators!"
"Look! That young woman wearing a white hat near us looks pretty good!"
"That woman in purple clothes must be of noble birth!"
… …
Silenos's words gradually dissolved the teammates' restraint.
They began to imitate Silenos, smiling and waving to the audience, while also commenting on each other.
As they approached the royal box, Megas Kydes jokingly whispered, "Silenos, look, the Dionysian princess you want to marry is up there!"
But Silenos suddenly stopped talking, his expression also becoming solemn. When he walked to the front of the royal box, he stopped and respectfully bowed to the royal box.
Among the delegations that had entered before, it was not that no one saluted the royal box, but those were all Dionysian athletes, and they all performed the chest-beating salute, because most of them were serving citizens of the Dionysian army, and King Dionysius was their supreme commander. But now, an athlete from a Greek city-state was paying the traditional Greek respect to the Dionysian royal family, which surprised not only the audience, but also King Dionysius and his family.
"Your Majesty, it seems that your games have already gained the recognition of some athletes before they have officially begun," Plato said with a smile.
"I think these athletes recognize the high prize money," Xenophon sneered.
Dionysius replied with emotion, "Since the establishment of the Olympic Games, the four major games have not only swept the Greek world for hundreds of years, but have also spread widely among other races in the Mediterranean. It is a pity that they have never been able to join them. Now Daonia provides such an opportunity for races outside of Greece to participate in such a grand event, and also allows outstanding Greek athletes to show their superb athletic skills to the entire Mediterranean. I think—this is probably the fundamental reason why that Greek athlete just now recognized the Dionysian Games!"
"I think the significance of establishing the Dionysian Games is probably more than that," Plato said thoughtfully, "I remember that Daonia solemnly mentioned in the invitation letter sent to various city-states, 'The Dionysian Games will follow the excellent traditions of the Greek major games, requiring all participating countries to cease all acts of war during the games and maintain a peaceful competitive environment…'. Look at the athletes on the field, they are not only from Greece, but also include most of the city-states and countries in the Mediterranean. What does Daonia's request mean?!"
Plato increased his tone and said excitedly, "It means that Daonia wants to extend the peace of Greece to the entire Mediterranean! What a great ambition! If it can be achieved, it will be an unprecedented achievement!"
"Plato, you are too excited," Xenophon said in a flat tone, "Have there been few wars and conflicts during the games in these decades! Not to mention that the Dionysian Games are being held for the first time. To extend this Greek tradition to the entire Mediterranean? It's just talk. To achieve it… hehe…"
Dionysius looked calm, but said forcefully, "Daonia has always kept its promises. Since it dares to say this, it naturally has the determination to fulfill this promise! If any participating city-state or race violates this requirement in the letter, even if the journey is far, Daonia will send troops to punish them in order to guarantee the prestige of the Dionysian Games!"
Looking at Dionysius's deep eyes, Xenophon's heart trembled slightly. He still stubbornly said, "Extending peace to the Mediterranean… this is indeed a good wish, but don't forget Persia!"
"Yes, and Persia…" Hearing this, Dionysius did not show embarrassment on his face, but sighed thoughtfully.
Since Silenos saluted, the Dionysian audience gave even louder cheers to the Cretan delegation.
Silenos seemed a little proud and said to his teammates, "Did you see that? The audience is cheering for me!"
Megas Kydes curled his lips. He felt that the reason why this guy saluted just now was purely to attract attention!
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
After the Cretan delegation entered, the delegations from the Croton region, the Daonian region, Thebes, Egypt… one after another entered the stadium. The enthusiasm of the audience remained high, the cheers continued, the entrance ceremony lasted for an hour, and finally 79 delegations, nearly 3,000 athletes, all stood still in the center of the stadium.
The envoys of a very few Greek city-states, led by the Olympic representatives, looked at the densely packed athletes in the stadium, their faces looking ugly. They had previously felt contempt for Daonia's holding of the games, and from the bottom of their hearts believed that "a non-Orthodox Greek country with no foundation—Daonia holding the games is impossible to succeed", but seeing such a large number of athletes in the stadium, they could not help but change their expressions, because this was obviously several times more than the number of participants in any previous games, which meant that the influence of the Dionysian Games was much greater than they thought.
At this moment, the red flag was raised again on the podium, and the majestic voices of the hosts echoed in the stadium: "Respected athletes, respected guests, we all know that in ancient times, Prometheus stole the sacred fire from the Olympian God Realm and descended to the mortal world. Since then, we humans have begun to break away from barbarism and ignorance and gradually move towards prosperity and civilization. Fire has also become a sacred object worshiped by any family and any city-state.
Even if people are forced by life to leave their hometowns, they will take a cluster of sacred fire from the temple of their mother country, and do their best to ensure that it burns continuously along the way, and finally rekindle it on the altar in the temple of the new home thousands of miles away… Only in this way can they firmly believe that the new home built with arduous efforts has been blessed by the gods, and the civilization of the mother country will continue to be passed on here. This is why the Greek city-state priests are as numerous as the stars in the sky all over the Mediterranean, and still maintain close contact with each other!
Today, the Dionysian Games will also hold a sacred ceremony! The sacred fire in the main temple of Hades in the Kingdom of Daonia will light the altar in the stadium. During the games, the sacred fire of the altar will burn continuously. Hades will lead the gods to bless the games to be held fairly and smoothly, bless the athletes to achieve excellent competitive results, and will severely punish any hostile behavior that disrupts the games!…
Now, please everyone remain silent and wait patiently for the heroes of the Kingdom of Daonia to bring the sacred fire to the arena!"
The Olympic representative was stunned when he heard this, and then felt angry: Daonia had promised in the invitation letter that this games would never be aimed at pleasing Hades, but the upcoming ceremony of inviting the sacred fire from the main temple of Hades was a disguised use of the games to make sacrifices to Hades. This is deception!
But the Olympia representative didn't dare to shout loudly. He couldn't forget the terrifying scene of the Daonian army besieging Olympia city a few years ago. He was afraid of angering Daonian in this public place and bringing disaster to Olympia again. He could only remind the representatives of the surrounding city-states in a low voice, hoping to attract their attention and jointly protest to Daonian.
However, these representatives either said that this ritual was very meaningful and worth watching, or pretended not to hear. Even if someone agreed with him, they didn't explicitly state that they would protest to Daonian. And the entire venue gradually quieted down under the supervision and reminders of the Daonian audience and athletes.
Before long, "Dang!…Dang!…Dang!…" the deep and heavy bell sound reached the main arena, making the Daonian people look even more solemn.
At the place where the bell rang—the Hill of the Gods was now surrounded by many devout followers of Hades. When the nine bell rings were over, the old and frail Praisinus tremblingly walked out of the main temple, holding a torch lit by the sacred fire in his hand. They all piously sang the Hymn to Hades, and the entire inner city was immediately immersed in the light and melodious singing.
At this moment, Sekelian, dressed in a pure white robe, solemnly stepped forward.
Praisinus said gently, "General, please take it!"
Sekelian didn't say much, just nodded heavily, then solemnly took the burning torch with both hands and turned to run down the mountain.
The people of Thurii stood densely on both sides of the road, forming a human passage leading directly to the main arena. They sang and excitedly watched Sekelian, who was holding the torch high, running forward.
Sekelian, who quickly ran down the mountain, handed the torch to Tigetus, who was waiting, and Tigetus continued to run to the next torchbearer…
The main temple of Hades to the main arena is about six miles away. Even if the torchbearers run at full speed, it will take some time to arrive. During this time, the hosts in the arena used this time to introduce the heroic deeds of the torchbearers to the audience who could not see the torch relay. Their heroic deeds are actually a history of Daonian's transformation from weak to strong. The Daonian audience, who relived the history, was excited, and the foreign people, envoys, and athletes who heard these things for the first time were quite impressed.
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
"…The hero who finally entered the main arena with the torch is Brutus.Maximus. He used to be a Roman, but later became a Daonian citizen.
During the Greek War that broke out in the 24th year of the Kingdom (370 BC), the Daonian army and the Spartan coalition forces fought a decisive battle on the Tegea Plain. Due to the sudden betrayal of the Tegea people, the First Legion, which served as the main attacking force, was attacked by the Spartan coalition forces from both sides. The situation was very critical, but the soldiers of the First Legion fought bloody battles and withstood the fierce attacks of the Spartan warriors, insisting on waiting for the arrival of reinforcements, and finally reversed the situation. However, the losses of the First Legion were quite heavy. After the battle, when cleaning the battlefield, the medical staff accidentally discovered that Maximus still had a breath left.
The detachment leader of the First Legion led the detachment at the forefront of the battle. All the soldiers of the entire detachment died heroically, and the detachment leader fell in the very center of the phalanx, next to the team flag. A circle of Spartan warriors lay around him, and he himself was covered in blood and fell into a coma. Even his limbs were incomplete. After many rescues by the doctors, under the protection of Hades, he finally survived…
After hearing about his deeds, His Majesty Davos was very moved and immediately appointed him as a hero of the kingdom, but his injuries were too serious. Even if the triumphal ceremony of this war was held a year later, he couldn't attend! But today, he will hold the torch and use the sacred fire to light the altar on the field. This is to remind the audience present not to forget that it is these Daonian soldiers who shed blood and sacrificed on the battlefield that led to the establishment of the Greek League! Only then is there peace in the Greek mainland! Only then is there today's grand Games celebration! So we should piously thank warriors like Maximus!"
Because of several prior rehearsals,
The experienced hosts controlled the time very well, so they hadn't finished speaking for long when a figure appeared at the entrance of the arena.
Brutus.Maximus used to be a handsome Roman youth, and he is only in his 30s now, but he can no longer see his former appearance. His left face looks like it was bitten by something, with a large piece missing, and even his left eye is gone. His right hand is missing at the shoulder, and his left leg seems to be shorter, so he runs with a limp and a large stride… The whole person looks quite scary.
But the Daonian audience all stood up at the same time, solemnly applauding frantically for him. Nearly half of these Daonian audiences were Thurii people. Almost all of them shed tears and cried out, because seeing Marx made them involuntarily think of their relatives who died or were injured in the Greek War.
This scene also moved the envoys of the Greek city-states, who stood up and applauded him.
Epaminondas sighed: "The Daonian Kingdom so admires citizens who fight bravely, how can their citizens not fight bravely! This is the fundamental reason why the Daonian army is so powerful!"
"Having seen these, we should feel more at ease!" Lycomedes also said with emotion: "Because as long as Daonian remains strong, the Greek League can exist for a longer time!"
Among the very few people who did not stand up and applaud, the most obvious was Agesilaus, because in the host's speech just now, the Spartan warriors seemed to have become evil existences, but Agesilaus, who was already in his seventies, did not feel any anger. Having seen through the world, he knew very well that the rise and fall of a city-state has always been a matter of success or failure. If the Tegea battle had ultimately been won by Sparta, today might be a different situation. But it was precisely because countless Daonian soldiers like Maximus fought bravely that his military plan, which he had tried his best to formulate, ultimately failed. So he silently looked at the staggering figure on the track, and his mood was quite complicated…
Davos and his family also stood up. They all looked solemn and applauded silently. Christoia, Cynthia and other women had tears in their eyes, and even Aedui's voice choked…
Plato and Xenophon, who had been arguing endlessly before, tactfully remained silent. They already knew that Davos's adopted son, Adoris, had died in the Battle of Tegea. Obviously, this torchbearer who entered the arena made the Daonian royal family recall that painful past.
At this moment, Maximus's situation was a bit bad. He was not only physically disabled, but also scarred inside the body covered by the white robe. The two most important injuries were that both his left and right lungs had been pierced by the spears of Spartan warriors, resulting in a great decline in lung function. After a slightly longer period of activity, he would feel short of breath and unable to support himself.
When the organizing committee discovered this problem, they had considered replacing the candidate, but Maximus repeatedly promised Croto Katakes, "He will definitely be able to complete the task." After several rehearsals, he did persevere. Therefore, whether from political factors or personal emotional factors, Croto Katakes would no longer replace the candidate to light the altar's sacred fire.
But today is different from the usual rehearsals. There are thousands of spectators watching, accompanied by thunderous applause. The blood in Maximus's heart, who has lived a life worse than death in the past few years, has been ignited by the fiery atmosphere of the arena: Yes, he is carrying the expectations of the families of hundreds of thousands of comrades who died in Tegea, lighting this sacred fire, so that their heroic and fearless souls will be praised by the entire Mediterranean people!
His heart was beating violently, and his steps were unconsciously accelerating. The consumption of his entire body was obviously exceeding the usual rehearsals. Maximus was a little out of breath, his eyes were dark, and his body was shaking. It seemed that every step he took might cause him to fall.
Hold on, Maximus, you must hold on! Your comrades are all watching you in Elysium, waiting for the great moment when you light the sacred fire! There are only a few tens of meters left, hold on, hold on!!… Maximus kept cheering himself up, suppressing the tension in his heart.
At this time, the entire venue suddenly quieted down, and everyone's eyes were focused on the swaying torchbearer on the track. The distance of those few tens of meters seemed very short, but it seemed very long to him.
Even Davos couldn't help but grab the railing of the stand, and Croto Katakes even wrote his worries on his face: So far, everything in the opening ceremony has progressed smoothly, but if Maximus falls, or even the sacred fire goes out, then all previous efforts will be in vain, and the innovative opening ceremony of the Daonian Games will become a laughing stock.
But Croto Katakes did not regret choosing Maximus as the person to light the altar at this moment. In order to cheer him up, and also to cheer himself up, he even burst into swear words in his heart: For the brothers who died in the First Legion! For my big brother! Maximus, you fucking hold on for me!…
The prayers of thousands of Daonian spectators seemed to have no effect, and Maximus's body shook even more violently. Just when everyone couldn't bear to look anymore, the flag-holding boy standing in the front of the referee team suddenly handed the raised wooden sign to Kalsidis behind him, and then ran quickly towards Maximus.
Immediately afterwards, another flag-holding boy not far from him also ran over.
Two flawless young men supported a disabled veteran with lofty aspirations, and slowly jogged towards the altar in the center of the arena. This harmonious scene immediately aroused enthusiastic applause from the audience outside the arena, and also disappointed the dark psychology of a very few spectators.