Chapter 234
Following that, the General Assembly held an election, and Lucias, who brought peace to Crotone, became the chief general. Although his act of ceding territory was criticized by many, the more than 10,000 citizen soldiers who returned to their homeland thanked him for saving them from hell in time, so most of them voted for him. At the same time, Sisprotes, who participated in the peace talks with Lucias, also became a general. For a time, the conservative faction in the General Executive Committee of Crotone clearly had the upper hand.
However, the most urgent task was to defeat Locke and rescue the Alliance. The newly formed cabinet of ten generals in Crotone was very clear about this. After careful consideration, they decided to appoint the three experienced captains who were once captured by Diónia as generals.
Therefore, the soldiers who had just returned to Crotone had no choice but to go out again. 15000 soldiers (including 10,000 heavy infantry), in addition to the recruitment of 4,000 freedmen, after preparing their rations, they immediately set off for Corunya.
Some people in the council objected and requested that more citizens be left behind to protect the empty Ciudad Crotone.
Although conservative, Lucias was not a coward. Not only did he not agree, he even sent an envoy to Asprousturm, telling the garrison of Diónia that Crotone was now empty and hoped to receive help from the Alliance if necessary.
At the same time, when they received a clear response from Asistes, the Crotone fleet, led by the Navy Commander Ascamas, sailed together with more than 60 warships of various sizes towards Corunya.
… …
Just as Crotone and Locke were about to fight, the Senate of Diónia voted to select five candidates for Crimissa to enter the Senate. Antares, Eurippus, and Preades were all selected.
This matter was just the appetizer of the long Senate meeting today. What followed next was the reward for the soldiers who participated in the war of Crotone. Due to the large number of people who participated in the war, Felicius, the military officer, and Rafias, the census officer, only decided on a rough number during the meeting. About 7,000 official citizens would receive 1 to 3 acres of land based on their contributions. The senators, led by the Devers, suggested that as much land as possible be allocated to the citizens in the cities where they lived. Of course, if they were willing to swap, it should be accommodated.
About 15000 registered freedmen participated in the war. According to the law, more than half of them would directly enter the probationary period of official citizens. As the war had obtained a large amount of land and two cities, a large number of people were urgently needed to occupy these lands and guard the new cities. Therefore, even though the official citizens' probationary period had not yet ended, the Senate still decided to grant them five acres of "land" in Crimissa, Asprousturm, and Northern Plains of Crotone. Because they had not become official citizens yet, during this probationary period, they still had to pay 10% of land income. Until official citizens became official citizens, the probationary period would Senate.
For nearly 6,000 freedmen who participated in the war, the probationary period for them to become probationary citizens would be halved. At the same time, they would be given the priority to rent land in the city-state. Of course, the 20% tax burden would not change.
For the soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the war, regardless of whether they were citizens or freedmen, as long as their relatives were still alive, the Senate would reward them according to the normal soldiers' rewards. At the same time, generous compensation would be given, mainly from the spoils of war.
The entire matter of reward and distribution would be handled by the agriculture officer, Bourkes, and the census officer, Rafias, with the assistance of the three army commanders, Capus, Dracos, and Hieronymus.
"The citizens of Diónia will respond to the call, fulfill their duties, and fight bravely for the alliance. As the helm of the great ship that is the alliance, the Senate must also give them the corresponding rewards and care fairly. We cannot let our warriors shed tears while they bleed! Only in this way can more people contribute to the prosperity and strength of the alliance! " Finally, the Devers used a passionate speech to remind Bourkes and the others who were about to go to work.
Next, the discussion was about the candidates for the chief executive of Crimissa and Asprostom.
There were many senators who signed up to run for Crimissa, because it was a seaport city with favorable conditions, and the residents were all Greeks. Although it was adjacent to Crotone, they had already become allies, and with Asprostom at the forefront, the governing environment was relatively safer.
The final result of the voting was that Scombras received the highest number of votes, which surprised some people. But after thinking about it carefully, although Scombras had a bad temper, he was a straightforward person who would correct his mistakes. He was not too scheming, and he was willing to help the younger generation. Therefore, many people were willing to associate with him.
According to the law of Diónia, the Devers had the final right to veto any proposal in the Senate, but as long as the proposal was reasonable, he rarely used this right. Just like now, he thought that the candidate for the chief executive of Crimea was not bad. Scombras's straightforward personality might win the favor of the Crimeans who were still hostile to the people of Diónia. So, he was the first to congratulate Scombras.
"Don't worry, Your Excellency. I will definitely let the people of Crimissa recognize the alliance of Diónia as soon as possible, and at the same time, coordinate the relationship between the local people and the new immigrants … "Scombras promised the Devers in high spirits.
Having an old man at home was like having a treasure. Before the 50-year-old Scombras took office, he had already grasped the two major problems he needed to solve after becoming the chief executive of Crimea. So, the Devers smiled and said, "With you in Crimissa, the Senate has nothing to worry about!"
As for the candidate for the chief executive of Asprustum, because the Devers had said in advance that Asprustum was different from Crimissa, it was located in the middle and upper reaches of the Neto River, and from time to time, it would be harassed by the Bruti who swam from the southwest. In the south, it was necessary to be vigilant and deter other Greek city-states from coveting the northern plains of Croton, and at the same time, to coordinate the relationship with the people of Crotone.
In addition, the Devers also told the senators that many Lucanian warriors were willing to move to Asprustum. In this way, apart from the Lucaria region (including Neutum, of course), Asprustum had the highest proportion of Lucanian residents among the cities of Diónia. Therefore, the requirements for the chief executive of Asprustum were higher. First of all, he must have strong military skills, a certain amount of administrative experience, and a strong ability to coordinate. At the same time, he must be able to make the Lucanians, who had just joined Diónia and were still somewhat undisciplined, obedient.
For senators like Amendolara and Turií who had suffered from the war, there was always an indelible fear in their hearts when they were asked to deal with the war independently. Vesba and Hemont loved to take the initiative to give suggestions when it came to Lucania, but when it came to the affairs of the Greek city-states, they would always watch calmly from the sidelines and act as the voting machine. Most of the mercenary senators were either unwilling to deal with administrative affairs, or they were not competent enough. Those who were more competent in administrative affairs, such as Antonios and Alexis, held important public positions and could not leave. Therefore, when the rotating chairman, Cornelus, announced that the people who were willing to be the chief executive of Asprustum would raise their hands, for a moment, no one responded.
When the Devers saw this, he was a little surprised. A name appeared in his mind — Asistes. However, Asistes was not a member of the Senate, and according to the regulations, he could not take the position of the chief executive of the city. Only then did he realize that before the "Diónia Alliance Public Service Law" was promulgated, it was difficult for the former mercenaries who did not become a member of the Senate to enter the Senate and become a senator. For these guys, most of whom only wanted to fight, it was undoubtedly impossible for them to re-engage in administrative affairs and rise through the ranks. It seemed that there was a need to add a few provisions in the "Public Service Law" specifically for the senior generals of the legion to enter the Senate …
As the Devers pondered, he saw someone in the crowd raise his hand — Hilos. It turned out to be Hilos, the former captain of the Devers and their most capable confidant, Hilos!
Some time ago, the Devers were busy with administrative affairs, and Hilos was serving as the captain of the Amendolara patrol. Other than meeting in the Senate, the two did not have many opportunities to meet. However, the Devers still understood Hilos's performance. With the prosperity of the warehouses, accommodation, and food in Amendolara, there was a large influx of foreigners, but there had been no major conflicts. Hilos's performance was the greatest credit. His ability to deal with emergencies and his fairness in resolving conflicts between the residents and foreigners were praised by the people of Amendolara and the chief executive, Cornelus. As for his military ability, the Devers's evaluation was that he was good at using troops, which was just right for Asprustum, which was located in a special geographical location. They believed that with his rich mercenary experience, it would not be a big problem to convince the Lucanians. As for his administrative experience …
The Devers thought about it. They could let the Asistes stay in Asprustum for a while and help Hilos deal with administrative affairs. They believed that with Hilos's serious attitude in learning, he would soon be able to govern independently.
After waiting for a while, there was still only Hilos. Cornelus had no choice but to announce that the candidate for the chief executive of Asprustum was Hilos.
"I agree with Hilos as the chief executive of Asprustum. He is the most suitable candidate!" The Devers were the first to express their support.
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