Chapter 157
Cunogorata sighed with a pained expression and said, "The Devers built these warehouses and hotels in Amendarra in hopes of increasing revenue for the treasury and benefiting the people at the same time. You're monopolizing all the warehouses and hotels, and we're outsiders. What do you think the people of Amendarra will think? I think doing business is the same as managing a city. It's not just about making money, it's also about winning the people's hearts! " Kunogorata warned his son earnestly. In fact, he really wanted to say that Devers was the role model for Sostatus to learn from. After observing him for a while, he realized that the young leader was not only talented in military affairs, but he was also a genius in politics. Just look at every proposal he put forward. He always considered the problem from the perspective of the city-state and the people. He rarely took care of his personal interests. Therefore, people seemed to have forgotten that he was actually the only lifelong consul. As long as the Devers were like this, Cunogorata was willing to work for him.
"Father … I understand," Sostatus answered reluctantly after some thought.
"It's good that you understand." Cunogorata smiled in relief. He thought of something and asked, "Sostatus, it seems like you're preparing to go into business instead of public service?"
"Can't I be a public servant and a businessman in the Tua Alliance at the same time?" Sostatus asked doubtfully.
"Of course you can. Since you like to stay in the market, why don't you become a tax collector under Marigi? But you have to pass a test. "
"Test?"
"How can I be a tax collector if I can't count?"
"That's too easy for me."
"In a few days, the 'Tua Alliance Public Service Law' proposed by the Consul Devers will be promulgated. All Tua Alliance citizens will have the right to hold public service and receive a salary." Cunogorata decided to give his son a hint.
"Isn't that the same as the Athens Games?" Sostatus exclaimed.
"It's not quite the same as the Athens Games. You'll understand when the time comes." Cunogorata said calmly, but he was sighing in his heart. The promulgation of this law will probably make the people who already support the Devers love him even more! What an amazing young man who dared to think and act!
… …
Three months after the peace treaty between the Tua Union and the Crotone was signed, the road from the ferry of the Sinni River to Turií was completed. On the same day, the Lucanians who had participated in the construction of the road were rewarded by the Tua Union Senate: half a year of labor was reduced.
Thus the Lucanians were reduced to one and a half years' labour (two and a half years' labour had been reduced for the war with Crotone). And because we captured Melansius and other high-ranking officers, another half a year was reduced.) Of course, they and the Crotone captives had to continue repairing the road to Castellón.
After the road between Heraclea and Turií was built, the wide, flat, and solid road sped up the movement of pedestrians and carts. The journey time was reduced by at least two-fifths, and it was especially convenient for vehicles.
In fact, when the slaves and captives were familiar with the process of building the road, the progress was very fast. The main difficulty was the bridge. This section of the road had to cross four rivers. Apart from the Sinni River, which was on the border between Amendolara and Heraclea, there was already a pontoon bridge. It was impossible to enter Heraclea to build a bridge, so three more bridges had to be built. Moreover, the Devers demanded that the bridge must be flat, not pontoon or arch bridges, so that it would be easier to transport goods.
Little Heraclede spent most of his time thinking about how to build the bridge. He consulted not only his father, but also experienced carpenters, and even two Pythagorean apprentices on what geometrical supports would make the bridge more stable. After thinking it through, he presented his bridge plan to the Devers, which was approved by the Devers. However, the consul made a request that the captives should not be allowed to build the bridge, but the citizen soldiers should be allowed to participate.
At the same time, the Devers also ordered that on the military training day, the soldiers must participate in the construction of the road in the morning. The Devers wanted the soldiers to master the skills of building roads and bridges, so that they could be prepared for future battles.
Heraclede, Jr., directed the soldiers to first tie the logs in pairs, sharpen one end, and drive it into the riverbed at an angle. Then, ten meters parallel to the tree stump, another set of logs was driven into the riverbed, symmetrically and obliquely. Then, between the two sets of logs, a stout log was placed in the gap at the top of the logs (for the two logs were fixed together). Then, after fastening and tying the logs together, row after row of piers was completed. Then, they laid planks on the piers to make the bridge deck, and the main body of the bridge was completed. The subsequent work was much easier. They made guardrails, added supports to the piers to prevent long-term water impacts, and so on. After seven days, the first 15-meter-long, nine-meter-wide flat bridge was built across the Burano River.
With the experience of the first bridge, the construction of the subsequent bridges was even faster … When it came to the construction of the third bridge, it only took two days to complete.
The Devers were full of praise and asked Little Heraclede to write the steps of building the wooden bridge into the Military Law of the Union of Tua to guide the army in battle.
Young Heraclede was greatly encouraged, but then he was troubled, for the bridge over the Krati was even more difficult. Though it was to be built west of the city of Turi, where the pontoon bridge had once stood, and with the delta as a buffer, the Cosceni was still more than twenty yards wide, and the water was too deep to cross. Little Heraclede had to first figure out how to drive the bridge piles into the riverbed more easily and steadily.
Just as he was thinking hard, the Devers, in order to encourage and stimulate him, said, "Now the Union of Tua is only building wooden bridges. In the future, we will build stone bridges, and three-layer galley warships can pass under the bridges. If you can do all these, then you will become a master bridge builder and be remembered by future generations!"
The Devers' words made Little Heraclede feel pressured, but at the same time, it ignited his fighting spirit.
… …
A few days later, the reconstruction of Turií came to an end for the time being. Countless free people flocked to the registration office. Rafias, the registrar, received tens of thousands of applications to become Turií citizens in a single day. He was so busy that he had to ask the Senate to send more people.
The Senate was also holding a meeting to discuss the construction of a large square to accommodate tens of thousands of citizens to hold meetings and gather troops when the Union went to war.
"I have no objection to the construction of a large square. From Rafias' letter for help, we can see that our official citizens will easily exceed ten thousand in a few years. " After nearly half a year of training as the chief executive of the city of Amendola, especially the work of rebuilding Tuliyi in the past three months, Cornelus had gained a lot of experience and confidence. He talked and laughed calmly in front of dozens of elders, even eliciting a knowing laugh from the group of elders.
Then, Cornelus raised another question, "But I doubt that the Senate needs to build a meeting hall for six hundred people. Right now, the Senate has less than fifty people. Building such a large meeting hall will not only waste the manpower and resources for the reconstruction of Turií, but also make us sit in such a large meeting hall to discuss issues. It won't be nice either. "
Some of the senators agreed with Cornelus' words.
At this moment, the Devers stood up from the grass. The senators of the Tua Union were holding a meeting in the open space of the camp because the hall had not been built yet. He immediately attracted everyone's attention. Not only was it his proposal to build a large meeting hall, but to the Turií senators who had just survived a disaster, the Devers, who had saved Turií twice and was the highest authority in the new Union, was in awe of him.
"The reconstruction of Turií is not only to rebuild our people's homes, but also to consider and plan for the future development of the Union. Therefore, we have built better roads, better bridges, better ports, bigger squares, more orderly streets, and an elevated water bridge that has never been seen before. In the future, the new city of Turií will be one of the most beautiful cities in Greece and even the whole Greek world! Then, the Senate, as the center of power of the Union, the place where the elites of the Union have to discuss and decide the life and death of the Union, the place where the people pay attention to and the neighbors often visit, will remain the same as before. We can be frugal, but the people will not agree. They will say, 'Look, that little Senate doesn't match our beautiful city at all. It makes our beautiful Turií look ugly!' "
The senators chuckled, and many nodded in agreement with the Devers.
At this moment, someone said, "Lord Consul, we … can make the meeting hall more beautiful, but we don't have to make it so big."
The Devers found the voice a little strange. He looked at it and saw that it was Polyxis, whom he had met once before. He nodded and said, "I proposed to build a meeting hall that can hold six hundred people. I'm thinking about the future. The Elders of Amendorara know that there were only about twenty people in the Senate half a year ago. Now, there are close to fifty. Perhaps in the future, we will have to invite other city-states or tribes to join our Alliance. Shouldn't we bring the elites and tribal leaders of their city-states into the Senate, just like what we are doing now? Let the new city-states and the Alliance become one, stabilize the hearts of the new citizens, and ensure their interests! "" That's right. For example, one year later, the Vespa tribe will ask to join us and become citizens of the Union. Or Castellón, maybe one day it will also ask to join the Union … "
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