Chapter 1263
However, the Olympia representative did not dare to raise his voice. He could not forget the terrible scene of the Dionysian Army surrounding the city of Olympia a few years ago. He was afraid of angering Diónia in public and bringing disaster to the Olympia again. He could only remind the representatives of the surrounding city-states in a low voice, hoping to attract their attention and protest against Diónia together.
However, these representatives either said that the ceremony was very meaningful and worth watching, or they pretended not to hear it. Even if some agreed with his statement, they did not explicitly say that they would protest against Diónia. The entire venue gradually quietened down under the supervision and reminders of the Diónia spectators and athletes.
Not long after. "Dong! Dong! Dong! The vigorous and heavy sound of the bell spread to the main arena, making the Diónia people look even more solemn.
At the place where the bell rang, the Hill of the Gods was now surrounded by many devout believers of the Hades. When the ninth bell rang, the senile Pleasinas walked out of the main temple shakily, holding the torch lit by the sacred fire in his hand. All of them devoutly sang the hymn of the Hades. The entire inner city was immediately immersed in the light and melodious hymn.
At this moment, Sekerian, who was wearing a pure white unlined shirt, came forward with a solemn expression.
Pleasinas said gently, "General, please take it!"
Sekerian did not say much. He just nodded his head and solemnly took the burning torch with both hands. Then, he turned and ran down the mountain.
The Turís stood densely on both sides of the road, forming a human corridor that led directly to the main arena. As they sang, they excitedly watched Sekerian run forward with the torch in his hand.
Soon, Sekerian reached the foot of the mountain and handed the torch to Tegetus, who was waiting for him. Tegetus then continued to run to the next torchbearer …
The main temple of the Hades was about six miles away from the main arena. Even if the torchbearers ran at full speed, it would still take them some time to get there. 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. The heroic deeds of the torchbearers were, in fact, the history of Diónia's rise from a weak to a strong one. The Diónia audience who were reliving the history of Diónia felt their blood boiling. It also made the foreign people, ambassadors, and athletes who heard the story for the first time sigh.
… …
"… The last hero to enter the arena with the torch was Brutus Marks. He had been a native of Rome and had become a citizen of Diónia.
In the Greek War that broke out in 24 BC (370 BC), the Dionysian Army and the Sparta Allied Forces fought a decisive battle on the Tegea Plain. Due to the sudden rebellion of the Tegeans, the First Legion, as the main attacking force, was attacked by the Sparta Allied Forces from both the front and the back. The situation was very critical, but the soldiers of the First Legion fought bravely and withstood the fierce attacks of the Sparta warriors. They held on until the arrival of reinforcements and finally reversed the situation. However, the First Legion suffered heavy losses. When the battlefield was cleaned up after the battle, the medical staff unexpectedly found that Marks was still breathing.
The platoon leader of the First Legion was at the forefront of the battle. All the soldiers of the platoon had died bravely in battle, and the platoon leader had fallen in the center of the phalanx, next to the platoon flag. Around him lay a circle of Sparta warriors. He was bathed in blood and had fallen into a coma. Even his limbs were incomplete. After many rescues by the doctors, and with the blessing of Hades, he finally came back to life …
When His Majesty the Devers heard of his deeds, he was very moved and immediately appointed him as the Hero of the Kingdom. However, his injuries were too serious. Even if the triumphant return of the war was held a year later, he could not attend! But today, he will hold the torch in his hand and use the holy fire to light the altar in the arena. This is to remind the audience not to forget that it was the blood and sacrifice of the Diónia soldiers on the battlefield that gave rise to the establishment of the Greek Union! That gave rise to peace in Greece! That gave rise to today's grand sports celebration! Therefore, we should sincerely thank brave warriors like Max! "
Having rehearsed several times in advance, the experienced hosts controlled the time very well. So not long after they finished speaking, a figure appeared at the entrance of the arena.
Brutus Márquez used to be a handsome young man in Rome. He was only in his thirties now, but he looked nothing like he did in the past. The left side of his face looked like it had been bitten by something. A large part of it was missing. Even his left eye was gone. His right hand was missing from his shoulder. His left leg seemed to be shorter. He limped a lot when he ran … He looked quite scary.
But the audience of Diónia all stood up and applauded him with all their might. Nearly half of the audience of Diónia were Turií. Almost all of them burst into tears. When they saw Marks, they could not help but think of their loved ones who had died or been injured in the Greek war.
This scene moved the emissaries of the Greek city-states. They stood up and applauded.
Ipamilonda sighed. "The Kingdom of Diónia admires its citizens who fight bravely. How can their citizens not fight bravely? This is the fundamental reason why the Dionysian Army is so strong! "
"After seeing this, we should feel more at ease!" Lycomedes also sighed. "Because as long as Diónia remains strong, the Greek Union can survive for a long time!"
Among the few who did not stand up to applaud, the most obvious was Agesilaus. That was because the Spartan warriors seemed to have become evil beings in the host's speech. However, Agesilaus, who was already seventy years old, did not feel any anger. He was very clear that the rise and fall of a city-state had always been determined by the victors. If the Battle of Tegea was said to be won by Sparta, it might be a different situation today. However, it was precisely because there were countless Daolian soldiers like Max who fought bravely that the military plan that he had drawn up with all his might ultimately failed. Therefore, he silently looked at the figure staggering on the racetrack. His emotions were rather complicated …
The Devers and their families stood up as well. They all looked solemn as they applauded silently. Cristoya, Cynthia, and a few other women had tears in their eyes. Even Dui's voice was choked with emotion …
Plato and Xenophon, who had been debating incessantly, tactfully remained silent. They had long known that the Devers' adopted son, Adoris, had died in the Battle of Tegea. Clearly, this torchbearer who entered the racetrack had caused the Diónia royal family to recall that painful past.
At this moment, Marks was in a terrible state. Not only was his body crippled, his body was also riddled with scars under his white shirt. The two most important injuries were that his left and right lungs had been pierced by the spears of the Sparta warriors, greatly reducing the function of his lungs. If he moved for a long period of time, he would feel a lack of air and find it hard to support himself.
When the preparatory team discovered this problem, they had considered changing the candidate, but Marks had repeatedly promised Cloto Catax that "he would definitely complete the task." After several rehearsals, he had indeed persevered. Be it due to political or personal reasons, Cloto Catax would not change the candidate to light the Sacred Flame on the altar.
But today was different from the usual rehearsals. Tens of thousands of spectators were watching him, accompanied by thunderous applause. Max, who had been living a life worse than death for the past few years, felt the passion in his heart ignite. Yes, he carried the hopes of the families of the hundreds and thousands of comrades who died at Tegea. He ignited the sacred fire and let their brave souls be praised by the people of the Mediterranean Sea!
His heart was beating violently, and his footsteps unconsciously quickened. The exhaustion in his body had clearly exceeded the usual rehearsals. Marks was a little out of breath. His vision was dark, and his body was swaying uncontrollably as if he would fall with every step.
Hold on, Marks, you must hold on! Your comrades are watching you from the Elysee, waiting for the great moment when you light the Sacred Flame! There are only a few dozen meters left, hold on! Marks kept cheering himself on, suppressing the nervousness in his heart.
At this time, the whole venue suddenly fell silent. Everyone's eyes were focused on the swaying torchbearer on the track. The distance of a few dozen meters seemed short, but it felt like a long time to him.
Even the Devers could not help but grab the railing of the stands. Cloto Catax's worry was written all over his face. So far, everything had been going smoothly for the opening ceremony, but if Marks fell or the Sacred Flame was extinguished, all the previous efforts would be in vain, and the innovative opening ceremony of the Diónia Games would become a laughing stock.
However, at this moment, Cloto Katax didn't regret his choice of Max as the candidate to ignite the altar. In order to encourage him and himself, he even cursed from the bottom of his heart, "For the fallen brothers of the First Legion!" For my big brother! Marks, you better f * cking hold on! " …
The prayers of the tens of thousands of Diónia spectators did not seem to have any effect. Marks' body swayed even more violently. Just when everyone could not bear to watch anymore, the young man who was standing at the front of the referees suddenly handed the wooden sign to Calsidis, who was behind him, and then quickly ran towards Marks.
Then, another young man who was not far from him also ran over.
Two unblemished youths supported a disabled but determined veteran as they jogged towards the altar in the center of the arena. This harmonious scene immediately caused the audience outside the arena to applaud enthusiastically, and it also made the dark hearts of a very small number of spectators vanish.
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