Chapter 259
It had only been a year since Laos joined Diónia, but the port had changed so much that Kaños was shocked.
He had to wait for a while before there was a free dock for him to dock at. The officials sent by the city hall of Laos were already waiting at the dock. Kaños gladly accepted the official's invitation and went to meet the lord of the city, Governor Avinogis.
"Is this port always so busy?" Kaños asked in the crowded crowd.
"Yes." The official said proudly, "The merchants of Diónia like to rent ships here to trade with Gaul in the north or the Iberian Peninsula in the west. They will then come ashore here with their goods and transport them back to Turií. A few months ago, after the establishment of the Southern Alliance, we became even busier here! Merchant ships from Triene, Corunna, Crotone, and Siletina also come to Laos from time to time. As long as it is a member of the Diónia Alliance, we, Laos, will provide the best service and discount for the ship's anchorage, accommodation, and food supply. Now, after Grumentum became a member of the Diónia Alliance, there are more merchants coming here. Most of them are here for the fine iron ore of Grumentum … Laos welcomes the merchants of Elia to trade here! "
Kaños smiled and was about to reply when an angry voice came from the front, "Damn idiots, don't block the way!"
Then there was a scream. Kaños saw two naked men lying on the side of the road in front of him. Their bodies were covered with bloody whip marks, and a few heavy sacks were lying on the side.
"These slaves are Lucanians." To avoid leaving a bad impression, the official quickly explained, "Their ancestors took over Laos by force and turned the Greeks of Laos into slaves, making us live a life worse than death for generations. Now, Lord Avinogis has led us to take back Laos! A year ago, they were still the masters of this city, ordering us around like cattle and sheep. Now, we, the Greeks, have become the masters of Laos again. Let them have a taste of being slaves! "
Kaños looked at the emotional official and thought, You don't look like a pure Greek at all.
"You turned the Lucanians of this city into slaves?!" He asked.
"Not all. Some of them were relatives of the Lucanians of the Diónia Alliance, but they were later released by Lord Avinogis and went to Neutum. I guess they are now citizens of Diónia. I don't know why the Dionians are so tolerant of these barbarians who believe in foreign gods! "the official mumbled softly. Although he was resentful, he did not vent it out as loudly as before.
Kaños's heart skipped a beat. This showed the influence of Diónia on the people of its affiliated city-states.
The city of Laos, located near the estuary of the Laa River, was not too big, with a population of less than 5,000. It was mainly composed of two parts: one was the tribe that the Avinogis family had always led. This was also the core force of his lifelong consul of Laos, so after these tribesmen were converted into citizens, Avinogis gave them land. The other part was the original Greek slaves. Avinogis liberated them and gave them citizenship, but they did not have "land". In order to make a living, they worked as low-level officials in the city, or as employees and dock laborers. Fortunately, the tax burden of Laos was not too heavy. As long as they were diligent and willing to work, they should have some savings.
Although Avinogis claimed to be a descendant of Greeks, he always knew in his heart that he and most of the citizens of this city were mixed-race, so the citizens of Laos had a similar sense of inferiority, exclusion, and ethnic identity. Moreover, he rescued them from slavery. As long as he treated the people well, then they would support him. So even though he learned from the Devers and appointed himself as a lifelong consul, in fact, the council of Laos was just for show. There was no general assembly, and all matters, big or small, were decided by Avinogis. He was the real tyrant.
Canios met Avinogis in the so-called city hall, which was actually the mansion of the castellan. The burly, fat, and slightly ferocious-looking consul of Laos had even prepared a banquet. He warmly welcomed Canios and invited him to take a seat.
This put Canios, who was a little on guard, at ease. After he took his seat, he also raised his wine glass and expressed his sincere gratitude to Avinogis for his hospitality. He then said, "Three years ago, I came to Laos, but this time, I found that Laos has changed a lot, especially the port trade is very prosperous. Laos has only been free for a little more than a year, and he has already achieved such great achievements. You must have put in a lot of effort for this, Lord Consul!"
Canios' compliments made Avinogis very comfortable. He laughed and said, "Of course I have put in a lot of effort, but I should be more grateful to the allies of Laos. In this alliance, Laos has enjoyed a lot of convenience! … "
Kanios listened with a thoughtful expression on his face.
At this time, Avinogis asked, "Did Elia send you this time to join the Diónia alliance?"
Canios was stunned. With Elia's situation and his visit to Diónia at this time, anyone with a discerning eye could roughly guess the purpose of their visit. But Canios did not expect Avinogis to ask so directly. He put down the wine glass in his hand, thought for a moment, and said vaguely, "Whether to join the alliance or adopt other forms of alliance depends on the results of the discussion with Diónia."
Avinogis looked at him and grinned, "Please forgive me for being direct. Based on my understanding of Diónia, with Elia's current strength, I'm afraid Diónia will not accept other forms of alliance."
This was obviously saying that Elia was not strong enough, so he should not dream of getting better treatment in the talks with Diónia. Canios was a little embarrassed. He lowered his head and drank without saying a word.
Avinogis then said, "I heard that Elia has close contacts with the Greek city-states of Campania. If Elia has any kind of alliance with them, I'm afraid Diónia will not necessarily accept Elia into the alliance because it does not allow the city-states of the alliance to have any diplomatic relations with other city-states."
Canios was a little surprised. He did not know that there was such a rule between Diónia and the alliance. "Thank you for the reminder, Lord Consul! The city-states of Campania did give some help to Elia, but Elia did not have an alliance agreement with any city-state, "Canios answered without hesitation.
In fact, the Campania Alliance, led by Naples and Capua, had never agreed to accept Elia. This was because Campania and Lucania, two powerful races, were between Campania and Elia. Elia was not strong. Once Elia became an alliance, only Campania would continue to help Elia, but it would be difficult for Elia to contribute much to the Campania Alliance. The Greeks, who had always been smart, would not make such a losing deal. Elia could trade with Campania, but both sides had mutual needs. To recruit mercenaries from Campania to defend against the Lucanians, they had to pay.
"That's great. Let Elia join the Diónia Alliance. With Diónia's reputation and strength, the Lucanians will no longer be a problem for you. Furthermore, Elia and Laos, as the only two port cities on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Diónia Alliance, can cooperate with each other in the future and strengthen trade … "Avinogis smiled excitedly, as if he had no ulterior motives when he made his suggestion.
Canios was silent for a moment. How could he express his opinion without meeting the person in question? So, he changed the topic. "Lord Consul, you must have met the Consul Devers of the Diónia Alliance, right? What kind of person is he?"
"I've met him many times. I've even fought alongside him! " Avinogis looked proud. He wiped the wine stains from his mouth and said solemnly, "I'll give you a piece of advice! Don't underestimate him just because he's young. He's a great man! "
Since Elia had to deal with Diónia, he had naturally done some research on Diónia. Naturally, the focus of his investigation was the Devers. The members of Elia's council had different opinions about him. They admired his outstanding ability. The rise of Diónia in such a short time was definitely inseparable from his hard work. They were uneasy about his identity as the only lifelong consul. How was this different from the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse?
Would Elia's cooperation with Diónia be inviting a wolf into the house? Canios needed to judge based on what he saw and heard. The prosperity of Laos reduced his worries, while Avinogis' words increased his curiosity. Was this the admiration of the tyrant towards the tyrant?
"By the way, I can send you to Turií tomorrow," Avinogis suddenly said.
"Lord Consul, I'm already very grateful for your hospitality! How would I dare to let you send me personally again? This will make me feel uneasy! "Canios was both moved and tactfully declined.
"Hahaha!" Avinogis laughed loudly. "You don't have to thank me. It's just along the way. The Temple of Hades in the city of Turií has been completed. Diónia has invited me to attend the ceremony! "
Avinogis' teasing made Canios a little embarrassed, but he was even more surprised by what he said. The Temple of Hades?!
… …
Hearing that Heraclide fainted during the completion of the Temple of Hades and was unconscious, the Devers immediately pushed away all their affairs and quickly rushed to his home.
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