Chapter 118
The Devers suppressed his excitement and said to Marigi, "Now the city is distressed by the lack of money in the treasury. You came back at the right time. As the commercial officer of Amendolar, it is your duty to change the situation of almost no trade in Amendolar and increase the revenue for the treasury! I hope you can study the city and think hard to come up with a good plan! "
"I'll do my best!" Marigi was eager to give it a try.
"Also —" The Devers stopped as soon as he spoke. Let's talk about the marriage proposal in a few days. After all, Marigi had just returned.
Marigi saw that the Devers did not speak again and did not dare to ask, so he said, "By the way, my lord. Two people from the Pythagorean School of Tarantum came with the ship to Amendolar. They said that they were invited by you. "
The Devers hurriedly asked, "Where are they now?"
"I think they went to look for you," Marigi said uncertainly.
… …
It was not long before Dyves found himself in his own house two Pythagoreans, one called Mattikoris, the other Mentoticeres, both of whom looked young, probably no more than thirty years of age.
Therefore, the Devers who had just returned home said with a smile, "You look very young!"
This annoyed Mattikoris, who said loudly, "Mathematics is not judged by age. No one in Tarantum can compare to my speed! Do you think I came to this remote town willingly? "
The Devers laughed. "You see, I became a consul at a young age. If I look down on your youth, wouldn't I be looking down on myself?! "
Mattikoris was stunned.
"On the contrary, I am very happy that the Pythagoreans are all young. Because they are young, they are energetic; because they are young, they are ambitious; because they are young, they dare to break the rules and think what their predecessors dare not think of! This is especially important in the academic field, isn't it?! "The Devers said passionately.
Mentoticus, who had been silent before, widened his eyes.
Mattikoris muttered embarrassedly, "What you said makes sense …"
"Don't worry! I will greatly support the development of your school in Amendolar. I will provide you with a large house for you to live and teach. As long as you do not violate the laws of Amendolar, you can develop your students in Amendolar without any restrictions. I believe that with your abilities, you will be able to create a glorious career in Amendolar that your classmates in Tarantum could never achieve! To make up for the regret of your ancestor, Pythagoras! "
The Devers' promise and encouragement had kindled the two young men's enthusiasm. After bowing respectfully to the Devers, they asked the Devers to send someone to take them to the house, where they would rest for a while and then begin their work.
Of course, the Devers could not ask for more. When the two of them walked away, he could still hear Martikoris's voice. "That consul is not bad! Not bad at all! Bitarantum … "
"Keep your voice down, Matticles. We're in someone else's house!"
…
Devers listened and could not help but laugh.
"Are you really going to support the development of the Pythagorean school in Amendolar?!" Cristoya walked out of the side room and put her hand on Devers' shoulder. She said worriedly, "I heard that the Pythagorean school has a bad reputation. They are secretive and do not worship the gods. Instead, they believe that everything is made up of numbers. In the past, they had many conflicts with the assembly and council in the various cities of Greece, so no one welcomed them!"
Devers smiled carelessly. "What does it matter? We Greeks are used to the harmony between man and the gods! We will not be completely ruled by the gods like the Egyptians, where disrespect is punishable by death. Moreover, it is not easy to become a disciple of the Pythagorean school. Except for a few highly educated nobles, ordinary people cannot pass their test. This is also the reason why their school has not been able to grow. Also, they are against democracy! "
"Oh …" Cristoya's eyes wavered. "You think they will support you?"
"What does it matter to me whether they support me or not?" Devers shrugged and said, "But at least it means that they will not be a big problem. Also, don't think that they only study mathematics. They have in-depth studies in philosophy, music, art. Also, there is one thing that you are interested in. In academics, they advocate equality between men and women. "
"Really?" Cristoya asked in surprise.
"Of course it is true. It is said that Pythagoras' wife was his student. I heard this from Archita. " Devers laughed. "With them living in your bank, there will be no shortage of employees who can do accounting in the future."
"Didn't you say that they can't develop?" Cristoya remembered what he said before and rolled her eyes at him.
"Of course not according to the current way of teaching disciples of the Pythagorean school. However, after these two young people hit a wall, I don't believe that they will not change, "Devers said confidently.
… …
Early in the morning, wildflowers bloomed all over Mount Amendola. They were beautiful purple and red. It was a romantic sea of flowers. Among them, most were purple thyme. They swayed in the mountain wind, spreading a rich fragrance all over the city.
Couples dressed to the nines came out of their houses and gathered in the square …
More than 1,500 newlyweds turned the small square into a happy crowd. The morning light shone on their happy smiling faces, and their eyes were focused on the central platform. There stood a statue of Hera from the Temple of Hera in Metapontum. The goddess held a scepter in her right hand and gently twisted the corner of her clothes with her left hand. She had a kind smile on her face as she faced the newlyweds below the stage.
Around the statue were several priestesses in pure white robes. They danced a sacred ritual dance and sang hymns …
After the ceremony was over, High Priestess Hera used her clear and penetrating voice to say to the countless newlyweds below the stage, "Today is a beautiful day. The Great Goddess Hera shall witness your happy union! The Greeks cherish the family most. A happy marriage is a sign of prosperity for the family and the foundation of the city! … "
The high priestess took a step forward and leaned forward to ask, "Hera asked me here to ask all the men present, 'Are you willing to shelter your wife from the wind and rain, no matter what difficulties you encounter, love her until the end of your life?'"
The men, led by Devers, said without hesitation, "Yes!!!"
"Hera asked me to ask all the women present, 'Are you willing to manage the family for your husband, raise children, respect him until the end of your life?'"
The women, led by Cristoya, said sincerely, "I am willing!!!"
The high priestess smiled. "Now the newlyweds can kiss each other!"
The Devers and Cristoya, Giogris and Dania, Olivers and Mitra (Due to the early arrival of Hera's priestess team from Metapontum yesterday afternoon, the Devers hurriedly went to Marigi to propose marriage. They did not expect Marigi to agree readily. In fact, Marigi, who was influenced by the royal system in Persia, did not care much about Olivers' reputation or how much wealth he had. What he cared about was that Olivers was a close friend of the Devers, and it was the Devers who personally proposed marriage. Countless newlyweds gazed at each other affectionately and kissed each other sweetly …
Strompoli, who was watching from the side, could not bear to watch, but he protested in a low voice, "This is against Greek tradition, it's too immoral! The censor … The censor should stop them! "
"The censor has already visited Tarantum." Scombras smiled. "I think this Hera ceremony is quite interesting."
"'A happy marriage is the symbol of a prosperous family and the foundation of a stable city.' This sentence makes a lot of sense!" Raphael said with a sigh.
"I've never seen this kind of sacrificial ceremony of Hera before." Cornelus was a little puzzled.
"I heard that the consul went to the high priestess' residence at night and discussed it together. It must have been the consul's idea," Protesilaus guessed.
"From what you've said, it seems that your consul is an interesting young man," Angelos, the messenger of Heraclea, said with a smile as he looked at the square.
"The Great God Hera blesses you!" the high priestess said devoutly with her fists facing the sky.
Several priestesses began to sprinkle holy water below the stage, and the newlyweds also sang Hera's Ode devoutly.
As soon as the marriage ceremony ended, the firefighters on the sidelines began to pour water into the venue with pots filled with water. Although they had been notified in advance, the women still screamed and hid in the arms of their men, while the men protected their wives while trying to snatch the pots from the firefighters. The entire venue continued to scream, and the scene was lively and cheerful …
"This is so interesting! This is so interesting! "Plotsilaus looked excited. He suddenly turned around and ran back.
"Where are you going?" Tritodemos asked.
"Back to get the pots filled with water!" Protesilaus ran without looking back.
"Get the pots?" Tritodemos was stunned, but he immediately understood. Looking at the lively scene, he was tempted and shouted, "Get a few more pots!"
"Yes, get a few more!" Scombras also felt like a child. At the same time, he lamented, "It's a pity that I got married so early!"
"Amendolar hasn't been this lively in a long time!" Raphael exclaimed.
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