The bronze basin on the altar was filled with olive oil, and when the torch touched it, it immediately burst into flames, radiating heat all around.
Amidst the cheers of the audience, Max seemed to see those familiar faces through the blazing firelight. They were all smiling at him, shouting loudly and powerfully: "Yes, Captain!" And then, under his leadership, they shouted the name of Hades, charging towards the fleeing enemies…
Two streams of tears rolled down Max's cheeks.
Supported by the two youths, Max walked to the exit of the arena, his mood somewhat recovered, and he quickly thanked the two youths.
But one of the youths waved his hand and said, "Uncle, no thanks! My name is Christod, and Croto Catacus is my father."
The other youth followed closely and said, "I… I'm Aenon, and Adoris is my father!"
"Commander?!… Captain?!…" Max was stunned. It seemed that fate had once again brought his thoughts back to that bloody battle. His emotions surging, he hugged the two youths and began to cry loudly…
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
At this moment, in the arena, Kalsidis, the head of the referee panel, walked through the athletes' ranks to the front of the altar. Facing the scrutinizing gazes of the athletes, he solemnly said aloud: "Gods above, I, Kalsidis, as a referee of this games, am willing to swear before thousands of spectators that I will always treat every athlete fairly and justly in the games, strictly abide by the rules of the games to preside over every competition, and handle every dispute with seriousness and responsibility… If I violate this oath, may you punish me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the more than 200 priests of the entire referee panel also began to swear in unison. The voices of more than 200 people were loud enough for the audience in the nearby stands to hear clearly.
Many spectators from the Greek city-states were stunned after hearing the oath. Although the Daonian Games, like the previous Greek games, had an oath-taking ceremony, there were also obvious differences: First, whether it was the Olympic Games, the Pythian Games, the Corinthian Games, or the Nemean Games… they all took oaths to one main god. How could they take oaths to all the gods like now? This seemed a bit like child's play. If something really went wrong, which god would bring down divine punishment?
Secondly, in previous games, it was the athletes who took the oath, and the priests who were the referees did not need to take the oath, because they were the representatives of the gods on earth and were respected. How could they possibly engage in favoritism and bribery in the games? But in fact, there were frequent examples of priests being bribed by athletes or even city-states to openly tamper with the results of the competition. However, the Daonian Games had the priests take the oath first, showing the Daonian Kingdom's emphasis on this games and its determination to rectify the phenomenon of cheating in the games.
Thirdly, in previous games, athletes took oaths in temples, facing statues of gods under the guidance of priests, which was relatively private compared to the audience. However, this time, the oath was taken in the center of the arena, and the oath clearly mentioned "to have the audience outside the arena as witnesses", which was more likely to please the people. After all, the punishment of the gods was ethereal, while the anger of the people could be expressed directly.
In any case, the Daonian Games' novel oath-taking method successfully aroused heated discussions among the audience.
At this time, the athlete representative from Thurii in the arena once again led all the athletes in solemnly taking the oath with similar words. The powerful sound wave formed by thousands of people spread throughout the venue, causing an even greater sensation.
Amidst the audience's heated discussions, the opening ceremony of the Daonian Games finally came to an end. The referee team and the athlete team began to leave the venue in order.
Most of the audience felt that it was not enough, and even the most critical representatives from Olympia, Delphi, and Corinth, although they believed that their city-states' games were more sacred, had to admit that their games' opening ceremonies were too short, not lively enough, and too private.
It was far less able to attract the attention of the shallow-minded audience than the opening ceremony of the Daonian Games.
"Your Majesty, just like you said in the invitation letter before, the opening ceremony of this games is indeed magnificent and novel in form, which has opened my eyes. I feel like I haven't seen enough!" Plato sincerely praised.
Xenophon wanted to refute, but in the end, he didn't say it.
Davos laughed and said: "This opening ceremony has already been going on for several hours, and it is now noon. According to the Daonian custom, it is now lunchtime. If you haven't seen enough, it doesn't matter. The good stuff is still to come. Let's have lunch and continue watching the later competitions."
The Daonian Games did not only arrange the opening ceremony on the first day. After that, there was also the 100-meter race.
This was Davos's suggestion. He was going to use this combination punch to clearly tell those who were full of doubts about whether the Daonian Games could be done well: The Daonian Games not only have a good opening ceremony, but also have exciting competitions!" Thus, it will stimulate the enthusiasm of all the domestic and foreign people in Thurii to watch the games.
During lunch, Xenophon raised a question in his mind: "Davos, when I entered the arena, I saw the notice you posted on the wall at the entrance. In addition to this opening ceremony, there will also be a 100-meter preliminary round. Does this 100-meter refer to 100 meters? Did your Daonian Games also change the distance of the running competition in the traditional Greek games?"
The system of weights and measures implemented by the Daonian Kingdom at the beginning of its founding was very different from that of other Greek city-states. With the strengthening of national power and the increasing frequency of trade exchanges with other city-states, the Daonian system of weights and measures was gradually accepted by foreign merchants due to its more systematic, more precise, and easier to operate. When the Greek League was established and Daonia became the hegemon of the entire Greece, the Daonian system of weights and measures has gradually replaced the more chaotic traditional weights and measures of the Greek city-states in the past few years… So Xenophon and Plato are familiar with the concept of "meter".
Davos took a sip of cold pulp water and explained unhurriedly: "After research and proof by the Daonian Academy, the distance that our humans can sprint at full strength is about 100 meters. As the distance gradually increases, endurance will replace explosiveness, so the 100-meter race is to test the speed limit that we adults can reach when sprinting at full strength."
"In this way, the shortest distance of the running competition in the previous games (approximately 192 meters) is… a test of the athletes' physical endurance to maintain this high speed after sprinting at full strength?" Plato said thoughtfully.
"That's right." Davos nodded in response: "The 200-meter race of the Daonian Games and the shortest distance running competition of the previous games are all to achieve this goal, while the meter race focuses more on the test of endurance—"
"Then what about the marathon?" Xenophon interrupted him and asked: "Is it to completely test the speed and endurance of adults? Davos, how did you think of using it as a competition item in the first place?"
Although Xenophon and Plato are not interested in the current Athenian government, they are both Athenians after all, and they are equally proud of Athens's past glory. Davos knows this, so he solemnly said: "The Battle of Marathon is of great significance to all Greeks. Using it as a competition in its name will undoubtedly allow the Greek people, and even the entire Mediterranean people, to remember that distant history for a long time.
In terms of the competition itself, the marathon is not just a test of the athletes' maximum endurance, it is also a test of their willpower. Not to mention winning the championship, being able to persist in running the entire course is not an easy task."
"Yes, even the swift-footed Pheidippides back then, under the spiritual excitement of winning the battle, ran the entire course without stopping, but in the end, he was exhausted to death. It can be seen that the marathon is a very dangerous project!" Xenophon said with a somewhat solemn expression.
"But even so, there are still many Athenians who have signed up to participate in this competition. They obviously want to bring the glory of the marathon champion back to Athens," Plato said.
"Then they will face the competition from Daonia's best long-distance runners." Davos smiled and said seriously: "However, don't worry too much. We have considered the danger of this competition and specially equipped medical personnel along the entire marathon route. Once an abnormality is found, rescue will be carried out immediately. Moreover, we have also made special regulations for this competition. The athletes participating in this competition should do what they can and are allowed to withdraw from the race halfway when their physical condition is not good…"
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
While Davos and his two friends were chatting about the games in the royal box, the audience was not idle either. The Daonians have been watching ball games for many years and are very experienced. Knowing that they would be staying in the arena for a day today, most of them brought lunch in advance and were now eating with their families in their seats.
Although the foreign audience did not have the habit of eating lunch, they had been cheering and applauding non-stop this morning, and their consumption was also very high. Seeing that the Daonian audience next to them were all chewing food in big mouthfuls, they all felt hungry. At this time, many vendors appeared in time on the passages between the stands, hawking bread, salted fish, cured meat, dried fruit, pulp water… and they were quickly sold out.
The audience ate while excitedly talking about the opening ceremony just now, and curiously watched the scene in the arena, guessing how the next competition would be conducted.
Because there were still dozens of athletes in the stadium at this time, all of whom were about to participate in the 100-meter race. Although the games organizing committee had also prepared lunch for them, most athletes did not eat immediately, but instead adapted to the venue and warmed up on the track.
On the side near the royal stand, the staff of the games were inserting wooden poles at both ends of the measured track, and then tying a very long thin rope to the wooden poles, stretching it straight on the ground. Then the referees, holding long-handled iron spoons, traced straight white lines, each a hundred meters long, along the thin rope on the solid dirt ground…
"I was wondering before, this stadium has neither starting blocks nor finishing posts. How can a race be held? Now I know that those white lines drawn with white powder are the starting line, the finish line, and the lanes. This is very clear!"
"But, I counted, and they only drew 6 lanes with white lines. Do they only allow 6 athletes to participate in a race at a time? I remember that other games have more than a dozen finishing posts alone, with more than a dozen athletes competing at the same time…"
"It's nothing, just have a few more rounds! The key is that there are fewer athletes in a race, which can avoid confusion and make it easier for the referees to supervise. It seems that the Dionisians have carefully considered the shortcomings of other games and sincerely want to make this games a success."
The person speaking was Harpius, a middle-aged citizen from the Arcadian League's city-state of Orchomenus. He had participated in running competitions in various games many times when he was young. Later, because he was too old to participate, he was keen on watching the games. His biggest regret was that he failed to win a championship. Once, he was very close to the championship, but because a nearby athlete hit him in the face when swinging his arm, it affected his final result. He also appealed to the referee, but to no avail. Therefore, he deeply hated some of the shortcomings of the Greek games.
Harpius is a veteran games enthusiast. When he learned that Daonia, the overlord of the Greek world, was going to hold games, he rushed to watch without hesitation and was lucky enough to buy tickets for the opening ceremony. Before entering the arena, he was ready to nitpick the Dionysian games with a critical attitude, but after the opening ceremony, his favor for the Dionysian games greatly increased: the unprecedented novelty of the opening ceremony was secondary, the most important thing was that he felt the Dionysian games' real respect for the participating athletes.
As someone who had been there, he deeply knew the hardships of being an athlete. In addition to the unremitting hard training, he also had to rush to the stadium alone before the games started, arrange his own accommodation and food at his own expense, register at the temple in time, accept detailed inquiries from the priests, and the tedious preparations before the race, the tension and anxiety that no one could relieve, and all the glory after the race belonged to the champion, and no one greeted the other losers even if they were injured…
But this time the Dionysian games were obviously different. He had talked to athletes from the Arcadian League before: Daonia not only provided all participating athletes with free and comfortable accommodation and food, but also required the participating city-states to send officials to be responsible for solving all the athletes' miscellaneous affairs, that is to say, the athletes could devote themselves to the competition without worrying about other issues. And at the opening ceremony, the Dionisians arranged for the athletes to circle the stadium for a week, receiving the salute and cheers of so many spectators…
Harpius regretted that he was born a few years earlier and did not enjoy such honor.
Therefore, Harpius, who had a good impression of the Dionysian games, of course hoped that the Dionysian games would also be brilliant after entering the competition stage, and with his experienced competitive vision, he carefully observed the layout of the stadium and soon discovered some clues that were different from previous games.
"I heard before that the Dionysian games will not only hold 100-meter races, but also … After I entered this venue, I found that there were no stone pillars as markers in the stadium. I have been wondering how they will conduct long-distance running competitions (in the Greek games,
When conducting long-distance races, athletes run from the starting block to the finishing post, then run back around the post, and so on, until they run the full distance, similar to the current shuttle run). Now I understand.
Look! The Dionisians have built a very large circle with small stone bricks around the entire stadium, and then, like now, draw lanes with lime powder outside the entire circle. The contestants run around the entire big circle. Not to mention hundreds of meters, thousands of meters can be easily held. This is much simpler than running around stone pillars!"
Harpius was deeply touched by the way long-distance running competitions were held in previous games. With his decades of games experience, he spoke in a logical and infectious manner, naturally attracting a group of spectators. With him as the leader, they were seriously discussing.
At this time, someone shouted: "Look up! Heavens, the Dionisians are going to cover the sky!"
The foreign spectators looked up one after another, and then their mouths widened in surprise: they saw long white strips of cloth slowly converging towards the center of the stadium above the main arena, piecing together a thin white cloth cover, covering the sky above the arena, blocking the midday sun and bringing coolness to the audience.
Xenophon, who came to the Dionysian arena for the first time, was as surprised as other foreign spectators, and couldn't help but ask: "How is this done?"
Davos replied calmly: "In fact, it's very simple. 200 wooden poles are erected on the edge of the top of the arena. Each wooden pole is connected to the wooden pole on the opposite side through the center of the stadium by a pulley rope. When there is a sunny day and a competition, the arena management staff will tie special cloth strips to the rope of each wooden pole, and then turn the pulley, which can push the cloth strips to converge towards the center of the sky… However, while we are enjoying all this with peace of mind, don't forget that there are hundreds of management staff on the top of the arena serving us under the scorching sun…"
"Although it sounds simple, the design is very ingenious!" Plato exclaimed sincerely: "The key is that this spirit of not being willing to endure difficulties when encountering them, but trying to solve them and striving to do the best is very rare! We Greeks are relatively rough in life and don't pay much attention to details, but the Dionisians are different. They have high demands on life, which makes their spirit of striving to do the best permeate every aspect of the entire kingdom… So I am full of confidence in Daonia's holding of the games. It will not only be successful, but it will definitely give all Greeks a new understanding of the games!"
"Hahaha…" Davos laughed heartily: "Good you, Plato, you can say a lot of great truths from a small matter!"
Xenophon did not speak, he looked at the sky, lost in thought.
Just when the foreign spectators were marveling at the ingenious design of the main arena, the athletes began to withdraw from the stadium, which aroused some spectators' doubts: "Is the running competition not going to be held?"
And some experienced spectators like Harpius said with certainty: "No, the running competition is about to begin!"
Just as they said, the athletes came to the lounge next to the entrance of the arena. Because the Dionysian ball game is held every year, the room specially for the players to rest is decorated very comfortably, but the athletes have no intention to feel these, they took off the grand costumes they wore during the entrance ceremony, and then put on the shorts specially provided by Daonia, and then began to carefully apply olive oil evenly on their bodies. After all this was done, everyone began to pray sincerely to Apollo, so that their tense minds could be comforted.
After a while. A priest walked in and said loudly: "Athletes, the time for the competition has come, please enter the arena!"
Siritheus, who had been feeling calm, suddenly felt his heart beating faster again when he heard this.
Dozens of athletes returned to the stadium again. The priest gathered them together. Because this was the first competition of the Dionysian games, in order to ensure its smooth progress, Calsidis, the head of the referee team, personally presided over it. The always amiable old priest looked serious at this moment. He said in a powerful tone: "Athletes, I think you should have a very good understanding of the rules of the Dionysian Games running competition after this period of practice, but I still want to emphasize it again before the competition — only the athletes whose names are called can participate in the competition, the remaining athletes must stay away from the track and must not interfere with the competition; the athletes can start running only after the referee issues the order 'competition start'; before starting, the feet must not step over the starting line; after starting, the athletes must not deviate from their own track, must not interfere with other athletes, and must not deliberately obstruct and injure…
Anyone who violates any of the above regulations will be disqualified from the competition! If the violation is intentional and the circumstances are extremely serious, the referee team will report the athlete's situation to the games organizing committee, and they will decide whether to carve the athlete's appearance on the punishment wall of the Dionysian Games Memorial Hall that will be built, as a warning to the athletes who will participate in the Dionysian Games in the future! — Do you all understand?!"
"Understood!" The athletes nodded in response one after another.
Calsidis then showed a slight smile, raised his palms to the sky, and said gently: "May Hades bless you!"
Then, a priest took the athletes' roster and said loudly: "Please pay attention, the athletes whose names I call will participate in the first round of the competition — Siritheus! Lane 1!"
Siritheus was stunned: He was called first, what good luck!
Siritheus didn't respond promptly because he was in a daze, and the priest had to call out again. He quickly replied, "Here!"
The priest glared at him but didn't reprimand him, and then continued calling out the names behind him.
After the six contestants were confirmed, the priest led them to the track.
When the audience saw the contestants heading towards the track, they realized the competition was about to begin and immediately started cheering again. Siritheus, who was walking at the front, even heard someone in the audience closest to him shout, "Look, isn't that the athlete who saluted His Majesty!"
Siritheus immediately felt countless eyes focused on him. He even noticed young women among the crowd watching him…
While marveling at "how bold Daonian women are, just as the rumors say," Siritheus also suddenly felt that it was indeed necessary for the Daonians to require them to wear shorts. At least he wouldn't feel embarrassed facing the women's gazes at this moment.
The extroverted Siritheus not only shed his nervousness but also immediately perked up. He strode forward with his head held high and his chest out.
The sunlight projected down from the unblocked center of the arena, shining on him. Although Siritheus wasn't very tall, he had handsome features and firm, well-proportioned muscles. The olive oil covering his skin reflected the sunlight, making him shine like a deity. Especially when he was warming up for the run on his track, the power and beauty displayed by the contraction and relaxation of his muscles made many male spectators couldn't help but sigh in admiration, and also made the eyes of a few female spectators light up.
The contestants adapted to the track for a while, and then returned to the starting line, each taking a small shovel from the referee and starting to dig two small pits on the track.
"What are they doing?" Some spectators were puzzled.
Harpalus watched for a while before saying, "In previous Olympic Games running competitions, there were starting blocks. They not only served as starting markers, but the dents on the blocks helped the contestants start well and prevent them from slipping. Although there are no starting blocks on this track, I think these small pits serve the same purpose…"
The audience next to him suddenly understood.
At this time, the athletes stepped their bare feet into the small pits in front and behind, tamping them firmly to facilitate exertion during the start.
Two referees stood at both ends of the starting line, one responsible for giving the commands and the other for supervising whether any contestants committed fouls. A red ribbon was also stretched across the finish line of the 100-meter race, and the atmosphere on the field began to become tense.
Siritheus, feeling nervous again, looked at the contestant beside him. This was a foreign contestant who would not be allowed to participate in other games at all, but he could appear in the Daonian sports arena in a grand manner, and the Daonian referee team specifically stipulated: there must be no discriminatory behavior between contestants, otherwise they will be disqualified!
So Siritheus smiled at this contestant.
But this contestant from the Samnite Mountains was obviously participating in such a large competition for the first time and was obviously a little nervous, and had no intention of paying attention to the goodwill conveyed by Siritheus.
Siritheus, feeling snubbed, cursed inwardly and refocused his attention on the upcoming competition.
At this moment, he heard the referee shout loudly, "Contestants, please pay attention!"
Siritheus immediately tensed up, bending down slightly and leaning his body forward.
"Ready—" Just as the referee was about to issue the starting command, a figure suddenly darted out, causing the other contestants to follow closely behind.
The referees managed to stop the race and called the contestant who had fouled first to the front. This contestant was contestant number 2, who was next to Siritheus. Despite his pleas, the referee on duty unhesitatingly disqualified him.
The Daonian Olympic Games referees' strictness towards offending contestants not only made the contestants on the field feel terrified, but also made the spectators outside the field who were waiting to see a joke realize that the Daonians' prior declaration that "athletes who cheat and violate the rules at the Olympic Games will be severely punished" seemed to be serious.
Siritheus and the others returned to the starting line, feeling somewhat listless, not only because of the physical exertion, but also because the disqualification of the contestant was a major shock to them.
At this moment, a huge shout rang out from the audience, cheering them on and encouraging them to regain their spirits.
"Ready—" The referee raised his right hand again.
All the spectators' eyes were focused on the contestants on the starting line, with more or less the same thought in their minds: the opening ceremony of the Daonian Olympic Games was wonderful, but will the real competition be just as wonderful? We'll see soon enough.
The referee forcefully waved his hand downwards: "Run!"
The contestants were worried about being disqualified again, so they didn't rush out of the starting line until they heard the command clearly, almost half a beat late.
But after the start, almost all the contestants immediately ran with all their might, because after the practice in the previous period, many contestants who had participated in previous Olympic Games, like Siritheus, knew that the 100-meter race of the Daonian Olympic Games was half the distance shorter than the shortest distance race of other Olympic Games. If you don't go all out from the beginning, you won't have a chance to win.
Siritheus quickly swung his arms, his feet moving forward quickly in alternation. The huge wind pressure coming towards him wrinkled the skin on his face. The corner of his eye could see the ferocious face of the contestant running side by side with him. The rapid breathing was like a sword constantly stabbing behind him, urging him to move forward even more vigorously…
Before he had even run half the course, he felt a suffocating discomfort in his entire chest, as if a ball of fire was burning every lobe of his lungs, making him couldn't help but roar out, "Ah!!!…"
In previous Olympic Games running competitions, it was rare to see such a scene: all the contestants in the competition were roaring hoarsely, and as the continuous roar continued, their speed became faster and faster…
Almost all the spectators were stimulated by this exciting scene and stood up, shouting and yelling. The sound wave erupted from the arena resounded throughout the entire city of Thurii, making the Daonian people outside the arena who had not bought tickets itchy and unbearable.
Arex, who had been sitting silently at the back of the royal box, suddenly rushed to the front, gripping the railing tightly, staring wide-eyed at the contestants who were running with all their might, as if to imprint their figures in his mind, muttering to himself, "Great! Great! This is exactly what I want!…"
Xenophon and Plato also showed surprised expressions: Too fast! Faster than the speed of the contestants in the running competitions they had seen before! Just as Davos said, the 100-meter race can fully demonstrate the contestants' full sprint ability!
This display of the limits of human speed shocked the spectators in the arena, causing them to keep their eyes fixed on the sprinting contestants without daring to blink.
The audience suddenly let out a cry of surprise.
It turned out that, when he was about to reach the finish line, Siritheus, who had exhausted all his strength, suddenly staggered. Driven by the huge inertia, he stumbled forward and fell to the ground at the same time as he crossed the line first.
The doctor, who had been closely monitoring the situation on the field, rushed over quickly and helped him up. After confirming that Siritheus only had some minor abrasions and was not seriously injured, the chief referee on duty, Calcidius, walked over and raised his right hand, indicating that the winner of the first round of the preliminaries was Siritheus.
Since there were no precise timing tools in this era, it was impossible to accurately test the time required for each contestant to run the 100 meters, and then determine the best few to enter the final based on their preliminary results. The only thing the Daonian Olympic Games could do and ensure fairness was: only allow the winner of each round of the preliminaries to enter the semi-finals or finals, because in the end there was only one champion, no runner-up or third place, which was in line with the tradition of the Xiluo Olympic Games.
As the other eliminated contestants walked towards the exit of the arena with their heads hanging down, the audience gave them warm applause to thank them for presenting such a wonderful competition.
And Siritheus, who was walking at the end, although his face was still covered with dust and there were several bloodstains on his body, making him look a little embarrassed, the audience gave him even warmer cheers: this young man from Crete won the approval of the Daonian people through this competition.
As dusk approached, the competition of this day finally ended. When he saw that many of the surrounding spectators were still enthusiastically discussing the opening ceremony and running competition they had seen before, the envoy from Olympia had mixed feelings. Although he was picky on the surface, he had to admit in his heart that both the opening ceremony and the subsequent running competition made him feel novel and wonderful. The Daonian Olympic Games did indeed have a good start!
And when many Daonian spectators walked out of the arena, they were surrounded by other familiar Thurii people, who asked about everything that happened in the arena, and these spectators were also happy to share it with them.
So, after night fell, candlelight illuminated the entire city of Thurii. The restaurants and taverns in the streets and alleys were crowded with guests. They drank fine wine, ate delicious food, and talked endlessly about the interesting things that happened in the Hadis Main Arena, and laughter filled everywhere.
Such a lively scene also took place in the Daonian royal family.
Davos held a family banquet at his mansion on the hill to celebrate the successful holding of the opening ceremony of the Daonian Olympic Games, but at the banquet, the most discussed topic was the sensible performance of his two grandchildren, Christodoulos and Aenon, at the Olympic Games.
Faced with the family's constant praise, the two teenagers were so shy that they wanted to escape from the banquet.
At this moment, the palace steward Libazo quietly entered the dining room, came to Davos, who was sitting in the main seat, and whispered a few words in his ear.
Davos's smile remained unchanged, but he stood up.
Christoia couldn't help but ask with concern, "Is something the matter?"
"There's a rather important administrative matter that requires immediate attention. I'll be back soon. Leave things here to you and Agnes. Make sure the children enjoy their meal."
Whether it was the two queens or Croto, Eunice, or the others, they were all used to Davos excusing himself mid-banquet. The celebration continued boisterously.
Davos walked straight to the front yard. Aristilas was already waiting in the study.
"What happened?" Although Davos' tone was calm, he knew that the intelligence chief coming here while the people of Thurii were celebrating the successful opening of the Daonian Games was no small matter.
"Your Majesty, I just received intelligence from the African region—" Aristilas said with a solemn expression, "The Egyptian envoy's fleet encountered a storm in the sea between Cyrenaica and Hadrumetum on its way to Thurii and may have been destroyed—"
"May have been destroyed?" Davos raised his eyebrows, clearly dissatisfied with such ambiguous wording.
Aristilas quickly explained, "The storm occurred at dusk. No other ships witnessed it at the time. It wasn't until the next day that a Phoenician merchant ship rescued Egyptian sailors who had been drifting at sea for most of the day and learned of the situation, immediately reporting it to Hadrumetum. Just as the intelligence personnel in Hadrumetum were issuing this report, a large number of ships had been dispatched throughout the African region to search the entire area, and Numidian light cavalry legions had been sent to search along the coast. More detailed reports should be forthcoming soon."
"The heavens are unpredictable! No wonder the Egyptian delegation hasn't been able to reach the port of Thurii in time…" Davos tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden chair, pondered for a moment, and sighed helplessly, "May Hades protect Jehohanan!"
Aristilas stood quietly with his hands at his sides.
Davos glanced at him and asked with a smile, "Are Assuna and the children at the arena watching the opening ceremony of the Games today? Did they enjoy it?"
"It was wonderful!" Aristilas replied without hesitation, "Polis (his youngest son) kept talking excitedly about it when he got home, and Assuna decided to take them to see the competition tomorrow as well."
"There are competitions in several arenas tomorrow. Choosing which one to go to is a headache." Davos said seriously, "If you can't buy tickets, you can go to Libazos. He'll get some ready for you."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!" Aristilas said gratefully.
"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Today is a day of great joy for all the people of Thurii. Go back and celebrate with your children!"
Davos watched Aristilas take his leave with a smile, then sat alone in the study, his deep eyes gazing through the wooden window into the hazy night.
After a long while, he softly spoke a sentence in Chinese, as if lost in thought: "When fortune arrives, heaven and earth conspire…"
He walked to the door of the study and asked Libazos to summon Croto.
After Croto arrived at the study, Davos told him about the Egyptian envoy encountering a storm.
Croto was shocked: "This is terrible! If Jehohanan dies in the storm, Egypt will be in chaos!"
"Why do you say that?" Davos asked calmly.
"Father, you're testing me again." Croto smiled wryly before continuing, "The political situation in Egypt is complex. Pharaoh Tanis is bedridden and unable to manage affairs. Jehohanan is basically responsible for the government. Since taking office, Jehohanan has quickly changed Egypt's long-standing national policy and begun to suppress and restrain domestic religious forces. This has already aroused dissatisfaction among a large number of priests. Furthermore, Pharaoh Tanis' relative, Nectanebo, is dissatisfied with Jehohanan's rule, harbors ambitions for the Egyptian throne, and there are rumors of collusion with Egyptians…
It is precisely because Jehohanan's rule in Egypt is unstable that he would risk personally leading a delegation to Thurii to participate in our Games in order to obtain our full support… But if Jehohanan dies in the storm, Pharaoh Tanis is critically ill and unable to manage affairs, and there is no second prestigious heir to stabilize the political situation, both the priests and Nectanebo are likely to take the opportunity to rebel…"
Davos nodded and asked, "Then how do you think we should handle this matter?"
Croto thought seriously for a while before saying, "I believe that first, we should increase manpower and speed up the search for Jehohanan's whereabouts to determine his life or death as soon as possible. If Hades protects him and he is still alive, then everyone will be happy. We should bring him to Thurii as soon as possible, arrange for doctors to treat him, and ensure his health.
At the same time, send messengers to Memphis to inform Pharaoh Tanis and Egyptian officials that 'Jehohanan is safe and sound' in order to avoid rumors that could lead to turmoil in Egypt. After the Games are over, send an elite legion to carefully escort Jehohanan back to Egypt, demonstrating Daonia's support for Jehohanan to the Egyptian people and helping him stabilize the Egyptian political situation.
But if Jehohanan perishes…"
Croto paused for a moment, then said with a solemn expression, "Not only must we send Jehohanan's body back to Egypt as soon as possible, but we must also send envoys to discuss with Pharaoh Tanis and ask him to appoint a successor as soon as possible, establish contact with the successor, re-establish the friendship and alliance between the two countries, and promise to fully support his rule in Egypt.
At the same time, we must begin to mobilize some legions and fleets. Once a rebellion occurs in Egypt and we receive a request for assistance from Egypt, we will immediately send troops to Egypt to assist in suppressing the rebellion…"
Davos listened carefully and said in a gentle tone, "You have considered everything very thoughtfully. This is indeed the most standard way to deal with this crisis."
Croto was stunned and asked in confusion, "Father, what do you mean?"
Davos stared at him and said in a low voice, "When Daonia was still very weak, it faced tremendous pressure from Syracuse and Carthage. Egypt formed an alliance with us, which can be said to have provided us with great assistance, especially in terms of food.
But times have changed… As the kingdom has become stronger, Egypt has become more and more of a burden. In the war five years ago, we exhausted all our efforts to conquer mainland Greece, and we had to spare some strength to assist in the defense of Egypt. In the years since, we have sent troops to garrison within Egypt's borders."
Davos tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair, his eyes growing deeper: "As mainland Greece has been incorporated into the kingdom's sphere of influence, Egypt has become the forefront of the kingdom's struggle with Persia, and that Persian king seems very determined to reconquer Egypt… Unfortunately, the situation in Egypt is becoming increasingly unstable. Even if Jehohanan is still alive and receives our support, judging by his previous style and methods of governance, the conflict between him and the Egyptian priests will only intensify. The future political situation in Egypt will probably continue to be turbulent, plus there is the external enemy of Persia… Are we Daonians going to send reinforcements again and again to help him maintain domestic rule? Don't forget that Daonia and Egypt are only brothers, not parents who only give and don't ask for anything in return."
Hearing this, Croto' heart skipped a beat, and he immediately advised, "Father, hasn't the administrative council already made a resolution to launch an attack on Persia soon? We need Egypt's strong support, and once we defeat Persia, Egypt will naturally stabilize. Even if the conflict between the future pharaoh and the priests intensifies, it will be easy for us to resolve at that time. Therefore, I don't think it's a good idea to break the alliance with Egypt. It doesn't conform to the kingdom's consistent tradition!"
Davos smiled slightly: "If Jehohanan is still alive, the kingdom will naturally support him. But if he has perished and Tanis is about to die soon, according to the current intelligence, Nectanebo has great power and is likely to successfully usurp the throne. Will Daonia and Egypt still be allies then? Nectanebo, who has the support of Persia, is likely to be our enemy!"
"Father, as long as we send reinforcements in time, we can prevent Nectanebo's rebellion." Croto reminded, "Even if Nectanebo takes the lead and successfully usurps the throne, we have the ability to completely defeat him and re-support Tanis' other descendants to become pharaohs."
Davos remained noncommittal, but said quietly, "Ten birds in the forest are not as good as one bird in hand… After all, allied countries are allied countries. There are many things and troubles, and it's not as convenient to use your own!"
Croto suddenly widened his eyes, and after a moment, he asked in surprise, "Father, are you planning to… conquer Egypt?"
Davos looked at him and said in a deep voice, "Owning Egypt has very important strategic significance for the kingdom's future development! In the past few years that you have been handling national affairs in Thurii, you must have a deeper understanding of the kingdom's grain production and supply. Although there have been no droughts in recent years and the harvested grain has been relatively abundant, the rapid growth of the population in Thurii and its neighboring areas means that the grain produced by the local people is not enough to support themselves. A large amount must be imported from Sicily, Rome, Africa, and other regions, and the amount is increasing year by year, while the grain production in these regions is almost constant. If this continues, one day the consumption will exceed the supply…
The Po River region has a network of rivers and dense forests, and it will take a long time to fully develop it. Egypt, since ancient times, has been the granary of the Mediterranean. Owning it means owning a long-term guarantee of food!
Furthermore, once we defeat Persia and occupy some territories on the Asian coast of the Eastern Mediterranean, having Egypt nearby to provide security will make the kingdom's rule there more stable."
Croto was no longer the naive youth who had graduated from the Thurii school. From an ordinary Tribune in the Roman region to the Roman Administrative Officer, from an ignorant recruit to commanding armies, and finally winning the Greek War and serving as Consul, he had actively participated in the kingdom's administrative management for five years... Under Davos's deliberate cultivation, Croto had grown into a qualified leader with both literary and military skills.
Of course, he would no longer think about problems based solely on personal preferences. Instead, he would consider the overall interests of the kingdom from a higher perspective. Therefore, after pondering for a while, he did not explicitly express his opposition, but reminded him with some concern, "Father, we are about to launch an attack on Persia. Will conquering Egypt at this time affect the original military plan? After all, Egypt is an ancient kingdom with its own unique civilization, a large population, and a complex political situation. Conquering it may not be easy. If it provokes sustained resistance from the Egyptians, leading to a protracted war, it will be troublesome."
"That possibility cannot be ruled out," Davos said with a slight nod. "Therefore, we must try our best to avoid such a situation from happening. From past history, the current Egyptians are not a strong nation. In the past 100 years, they have been invaded and ruled by Ethiopians and Persians successively. Now, the dynasty established by Tanis and others is mainly composed of Libyans. Most of the time, the Egyptian people have shown relatively obedience. So why can't they be ruled by us Daonians?
After all, in recent years, Daonia and Egypt have had close trade relations. Our cheap and high-quality goods have flooded the Egyptian people. Egyptian merchants and civilians have a good impression of us. Also, because the two countries are allies, our troops sent to Egypt in recent years have strictly observed discipline, not harassing local people, nor forcing purchases or sales, and always taking the lead in combat. Their performance is far better than the Egyptian army itself, which has won a good reputation in Egypt. All of this has laid a good foundation for our future conquest of Egypt."
Davos paused for a moment, pondered for a while, reorganized his thoughts, and then slowly spoke out his long-considered ideas in a confident and firm tone: "As long as we can do the following, I believe the situation you are worried about will not occur, and our rule over Egypt will be very stable! First, you are right, Egypt is indeed a kingdom with a unique civilization, and its history is very long. We cannot govern Egypt using the methods of governing other regions, but must first treat it as a unique region of the kingdom, and govern it using the methods of the Egyptian Pharaohs—"
"Use the methods of the Egyptian Pharaohs..." Croto said thoughtfully.
"Although we Daonians believe in Hades and other gods, the Egyptians are far more devout to the gods than we are. They dedicate their entire lives and afterlives to the gods. The gods dominate everything for them. Therefore, we must gain the support of the Egyptian priests, like Tanis, recognize the rights they once possessed, even recognize their autonomy in the upper reaches of the Nile, and even prevent the spread of Hades' belief in Egypt, so as to obtain their full cooperation and help us consolidate our rule in Egypt."
Hearing this, Croto hesitated to speak.
Davos knew what his son was thinking, patted him on the shoulder, and said gently, "As descendants of Hades, we have done a lot for him, and I think he will definitely forgive us! After all, that is a very ancient land, and the gods there are even older than him. He should never have expected to gain the recognition of the Egyptians..."
Croto was silent for a moment, and finally nodded slightly.
"Second, I have carefully read the information about Egypt collected by the intelligence department. In the past, when these foreign races ruled Egypt, the Persians encountered the most fierce resistance. Why? Because the Persian king divided all the land in the Egyptian Delta among the Persian nobles. Those Persian nobles regarded the Egyptians in their fiefs as slaves and oppressed them extremely severely. Of course, they would encounter fierce resistance from the Egyptians.
Why did Artaxerxes attack Egypt several times? I am afraid that this is driven by the Egyptian nobles, because they are unwilling to give up this land that makes them richer.
And if we conquer Egypt, we must learn a lesson. We cannot colonize it in large numbers like we did with those conquered areas in the past. Instead, we should try not to colonize Egypt and not compete with the Egyptians for land..."
Davos held out two fingers and said solemnly, "Divine power and land, as long as we basically maintain the status quo of Egypt and do not make major changes, I think Daonia can quickly conquer Egypt and quickly stabilize it!"
"Divine power and land..." Croto murmured, and asked somewhat hesitantly, "Father, are the concessions we are making a little too big? Will it leave huge hidden dangers for the future rule of Egypt?"
"Look, you didn't want to conquer Egypt just now, but now you are starting to worry about the issue of power," Davos said jokingly.
"Father, I—" Croto wanted to defend himself a little embarrassedly.
Davos waved his hand with a smile and said, "We have made great concessions, but as long as we can quickly stabilize Egypt, we will get a large granary and a stable territory in the Eastern Mediterranean! After all, we are outsiders. If we want to gain the recognition of the Egyptians, it is imperative to make major concessions at the beginning. But as time goes by, the Egyptian people have completely accepted the rule of Daonia and fully recognized that the Hades Davos royal family is the supreme ruler of Egypt. At that time, we will gradually make some changes to the governance of Egypt...
The unique culture of Egypt has gradually formed over a long period of time. We must be patient enough and not rush it!"
Croto pondered for a moment and agreed with this.
"Okay, now our father and son have reached a consensus on the issue of Egypt," Davos patted the chair lightly and asked, "If we really want to send troops to conquer Egypt first, who do you think is the most suitable person to lead the troops?"
"Prosos Us," Croto said without hesitation. "His military command ability is one of the best in the kingdom, his political adaptability is not weak, he is also very loyal to the kingdom, and more importantly, he has experience in fighting in Egypt. He is the most suitable candidate!"
"Prosos Us is indeed a very suitable candidate, but it would be an overkill to use him to conquer Egypt," Davos shook his head, and then uttered a name: "Let Carcis Dis lead the army on the expedition."
"Seventh Legion Commander Carcis Dis..." Now Croto is also very familiar with the kingdom's army and generals. He immediately recalled the resume of this general.
Davos had already continued, "When Prosos Us served as the Eighth Legion Commander, Carcis Dis, as a Catania, was the First Battalion Commander of the Eighth Legion. He performed very well in the war against Carthage. After the war, he was promoted to Legion Commander for his merits. During the Greek War, Prosos Us led his troops to rescue Egypt, and Carcis Dis's Eighth Legion was the main force. He contributed the most and performed the best in the defensive battle against the Persians... This shows that he has strong military capabilities and is also familiar with Egypt.
Moreover, unlike Prosos Us, his communication skills are not weak. He is good at handling the relationship between the army and the people. The war report on the Eighth Legion in Egypt submitted by the Ministry of Military Affairs once specifically mentioned, 'Wherever the Eighth Legion is stationed, Egyptian officials and people actively cooperate.' We want to conquer Egypt and reduce the Egyptian people's aversion to Daonia. We need a commander who can flexibly handle the relationship between the two!"
After listening to Davos's explanation, Croto had no objections to Carcis Dis serving as the commander of the army attacking Egypt. He just reminded softly, "Father, all these plans we have made are based on the assumption that Jie Hao may have been killed. If Jie Hao is lucky enough to be alive, the alliance and friendship between the kingdom and Egypt should still be maintained..."
"That's natural! However, it is best to prepare in advance for anything to avoid being caught off guard when an accident really happens. And after everything is ready, it all depends on whether Hades blesses us..." Davos said in a flat tone, but a faint, imperceptible sternness flashed in his eyes.
Then, he added in a heavier tone: "But if Jie Hao is really killed, in addition to letting Carcis Dis lead his troops to attack Egypt, the plan to attack Persia formulated by the Ministry of Military Affairs will probably have to be implemented more quickly. The Greek coalition forces to conquer Persia should be formed as soon as possible. I plan to let Prosos Us serve as the commander of the coalition forces and launch an attack on Asia Minor as soon as possible to contain Persia and prevent it from attacking Egypt again, which would seriously affect our conquest of Egypt.
After the Games, the kingdom will also immediately conduct military mobilization. I will lead the main force of the kingdom's army to Egypt to stabilize the situation there as soon as possible! Once the war starts, the kingdom's affairs will inevitably be numerous, the pressure on all sides will increase, and the kingdom's elite troops will be transferred to the Eastern Mediterranean, and the domestic defense force will also be significantly reduced...
However, in terms of administration, Sipros, Anta Oris, and Haka will assist you. In the military, Olives and Printols will also fully assist you. I also plan to let your brother-in-law Patroclus stay in Thurii to protect the safety of the kingdom, but the burden on your shoulders is still not light!"
"Father, don't worry! I will do my best to maintain domestic stability and prosperity and wait for your triumphant return!" Croto said in a deep voice.
Davos carefully looked at his flourishing son with gentle eyes, but his expression seemed a little complicated.