Chapter 154
"No way, captain, you're taking this opportunity to retaliate." Xenotimus cried out.
Olivers laughed and said, "Let's go, brothers. We'll continue to patrol the city and teach those free people who fight over women a lesson. "
"Yes, captain!" A group of soldiers laughed and walked towards Turií City.
… … …
There was a long wooden table in the tent, and a few people were sitting opposite it. In the middle was a young man. Lusias had heard that Amendola's Archon Devers was very young, so it was obviously him. Beside him was a man with a thick beard. He happened to recognize him as the former chief general of Turií, Cunogorata. The other person didn't look like a Greek.
Cunogorata also recognized Lusias, and whispered to the Devers to introduce him. The Devers listened while sizing up Lusias. This middle-aged man from Crotone was slender, handsome, and had a well-trimmed beard. He looked very elegant, but according to Cunogorata, as the leader of Crotone's conservative faction, he was able to be elected as a general for ten years in a time when Crotone's conservative faction was declining. He was definitely not an easy person to deal with.
"I'm Lusias, representing Crotone to negotiate with the Turi … Tua Alliance!" Lusias stepped forward and said.
"Welcome, General Lusias." The Devers stretched out their right hand and gestured for him to sit on the opposite side of the wooden table. Then they looked at him calmly and said, "We've been busy rebuilding Turií City recently, and we also have to meet with the emissaries from various cities. Time is very tight, so just tell us what you want."
Lusias didn't expect the Devers to be so direct. He coughed a few times to hide the surprise on his face. Then he said loudly, "If that's the case, I'll tell you what Crotone wants. We hope that the Tua Alliance will release all the captives of Crotone and its allies. Then Crotone will stop fighting with the Tua Alliance and achieve peace!"
"Hahaha …" Dafus raised his head and laughed sarcastically. "The Krotone people killed my citizens, destroyed my city, and stole my resources. Just because they agreed to a ceasefire, they want to pretend that nothing happened. They even want us to unconditionally release the culprit who caused this disaster. I wonder if the Krotone people are too naive or too shameless?!"
Lusias said with a sullen face, "Sir Devers, don't forget that this war was not started by Crotone."
"Alright, I don't want to argue with you about who's right and who's wrong, please go back!" The Devers waved his hand.
Lusias was stunned. He didn't want to talk anymore after a few words. The Devers' way of not playing by the rules made him angry, "Sir Consul, aren't you afraid of fighting with Crotone again?! We can organize another twenty to thirty thousand soldiers at any time, and we won't make the same mistake again! "
The Devers heard Lusias' threatening words and raised his eyebrows. He said resolutely, "When it comes to war, I'm not afraid! The Alliance will never make the same mistake that Turií made before! We will first kill all the captives and use their blood as a sacrifice to the gods. Then we will use the strong defense of the city walls to make every step you Crotone take. You will have to pay with human lives! The people of the Tua Alliance will not fear death and will never surrender. If the young die, the old die, the women will! If Turií falls, we will retreat to Amendolara! If Amendolara falls, we will go to Heraclea! As long as the enemy is still trampling on our territory, we will fight to the death with the enemy! "
The Devers' words made Cunogorata, who originally hated war, feel his blood boil. He blurted out, "That's right, this is the Tua Alliance's code of conduct in the face of invasion!"
Lusias was shocked by the other side's fighting spirit. He clearly felt that this newly formed Alliance was not as weak as the Turií before, but more belligerent. Falling out with the Tua Alliance and starting a war was not a good choice!
He wanted to say a few words to ease the atmosphere, but he heard the Devers say loudly, "Cunogorata, go and call back the emissary of Locke who just left. We need to have a good discussion with him about the terms of the Alliance he just proposed!"
Emissary of Locke! Lusias' heart beat wildly. He suddenly remembered that the familiar person just now was Metatro Finis of Locke. He had negotiated with Crotone twice before, but he didn't remember him.
"Lord Consul, state your demands." Lusias had to be the first to give in.
The Devers stopped Cunogorata, who had just stood up, and said, "Wait a moment."
Marigi straightened his body and said loudly, "The Tua Alliance's demands are:
First, because Crotone burned down the Turií city, causing the Turií people to lose their homes. In order to compensate for their loss and also rebuild the Turií city, Crotone needs to compensate the Tua Alliance with 2,000 Talent.
Second, Crotone can ransom your soldiers. The ransom for each captive is 500 drachmas. At the same time, as the culprit behind the burning of the city, these captive soldiers must serve in Turií for a year to redeem their sins.
Third, Crotone must allow the Crimissa and Castellón to become allies with the Tua Alliance.
Fourth, the Tua Alliance and Crotone's peace treaty will last for five years. During this period, both sides will not invade each other.
… "
After hearing this, Lusias shook his head, "Your demands are too high. Crotone can't agree."
Thus, a long and drawn-out negotiation began.
The Devers gave this difficult task to Marigi and then went to another tent not far away.
Here, the Devers met with Armiklis from Castellón.
As the chief general of Castellón, the fact that Armiklis came to Turií in person showed his attitude. As soon as he saw the Devers, he said flatteringly, "I have long heard that the Consul of Amendola is a hero favored by the God of Hell. Seeing you today, you are indeed very different from ordinary people!"
The Devers smiled and said, "General Armiklis, why have you come to Turií?"
Armiklis didn't answer directly. He said with emotion, "Sir Devers, Turií, Amendola, and Castellón have a very deep history. We are all children of Sybaris (when Turií was founded, there were also some people who were descendants of Sybaris). We all come from the same place! In the past, when Sybaris was strong, Castellón and Amendola had a lot of relations. How peaceful it was at that time! Unfortunately, after the fall of Sybaris, Castellón was forced to join Crotone's alliance and was bullied. Fortunately, the establishment of Turií allowed Castellón to become independent and enjoy a peaceful life for almost forty years! When Crotone's army attacked Turií, Castellón was small and weak and had no choice but to join Crotone's army. We — "
"Castellón is sandwiched between the Crotone and the Tua Alliance. It is very difficult for them to remain neutral!" The Devers interrupted him and said seriously, "Since Castellón has a very deep relationship with Turií and Amendola, why don't they re-join our side? Crotone and we are currently negotiating. If an agreement is reached, Crotone will not interfere with Castellón's voluntary choice. As long as Castellón and the Tua Alliance become allies, we will unconditionally release the captives of Castellón. As an ally of the Tua Alliance, we will not interfere with Castellón's internal affairs. We don't need you to pay tribute. We only need you to agree to two conditions. "
"What two conditions?" Armiklis asked eagerly. It was obvious that he was a little moved.
The Devers smiled and said, "First, after forming an alliance, Castellón will not sign any kind of agreement or covenant with other cities and forces. Second, when the Tua Alliance goes out to war, Castellón must send troops to participate. The generals of the Tua Alliance will have the right to command the entire army. After the battle, the spoils obtained will be distributed according to the ratio of troops sent by both sides."
Armiklis carefully thought about the two conditions and the benefits of joining the alliance. His eyes gradually lit up …
… … …
After more than a day of negotiations, the ceasefire agreement between Crotone and the Tua Alliance was finally settled.
First, Crotone would compensate the Tua Alliance with 30 Talent in one go. (It was very different from Marigi's initial asking price, but there was no other way. Crotone had only suffered a small setback. In addition to this war and the previous war with the Bruti, the two consecutive wars had greatly depleted Crotone's treasury. If the asking price was too high, the agreement would not be reached.)
Second, the ransom of each captive was 200 drachmas, and they would have to serve in the Tua Alliance for half a year. The Tua Alliance had to ensure the safety and health of each captive, and allow family visits. (Including the captives of Asprostum and Xiliten, the Tua Alliance had more than 6,000 captives from Crotone and its allies. The price of each captive was equivalent to four cows. The price was not too high, but it was not too low either. If all the captives were ransomed, the Tua Alliance would earn 200 Talent. Furthermore, the Tua Alliance only provided the captives with basic food and lodging. If they wanted to feed and clothe the captives, they would have to rely on Crotone and its allies. In fact, in the end, the captives' food was all provided by their families. The Tua Alliance used the free labor of 6,000 captives for half a year. The families of the captives also brought in extra food and lodging for Turií.
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