Chapter 265
"Oh, that's interesting!" Kanos smiled and subconsciously sized up the man in front of him. He had a slender figure, a small face, and a hooked nose. He exuded a lively temperament amidst his gentleness.
Noticing that Canios was looking at him, the man raised his head and smiled. "I've seen you in the VIP hotel in Turií. My name is Cypross, and I'm from Triene."
Canios hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "… I'm from … Elia."
"Oh, Elia." Cypross did not seem too surprised. He looked at Canios and said seriously, "I've been to Elia a few times. Speaking of which, our Triene and Elia are in the same predicament. Triene's territory is often attacked by the Bruti, while Elia is always surrounded by the Lucanians. The difference is that we have the support of our allies, while you can only fight alone most of the time. "
Cypross's words struck a chord in Canios' heart. This feeling of empathy for Cypross made him feel good about Cypross, and he unconsciously leaned forward.
"You're here to ask for help from Diónia on behalf of Elia, right?" Cypross said again.
Canios hesitated again, and then said, "Elia is here to seek an alliance with Diónia …"
Cypross saw his concern and comforted him. "Don't worry, Diónia will definitely ally with you!"
Cypross's words shocked Canios. In the past two days in Turií, he had seen the power and prosperity of the Diónia, and he began to worry: the weak Elia would not be able to attract the interest of Diónia, and they would not want to provoke the ferocious Lucanians.
At this moment, he dropped his guard and asked, "Why are you so sure?"
"Because Elia's position is very important." Cypross picked up a piece of tripe with a wooden skewer and threw it into his mouth. After chewing it carefully, he said, "It will help Diónia unify the Lucanian region."
"Diónia wants to take over the entire Lucanian region? How is that possible?!" Canios was shocked.
"Of course it's possible. Diónia's political system determines its ambition to expand, "Cypross said with certainty with a complicated expression on his face.
"You mean …" Canios suddenly understood. He looked around, lowered his head and whispered, "Diónia has a tyrant." A city-state with a tyrant was always cruel, greedy, and aggressive. Whether it was the tyrant of Syracuse, Gelon and his successor, Chieron, the former tyrant of Lijim, Anaxilas, or the current Dionysius, they all proved this point one after another.
Cypross shook his head. He was a man who was good at thinking. Ever since his last trip to Diónia, out of curiosity, he had been analyzing the reasons for its rapid rise. "Not exactly. I don't know if the Consul Devers of Diónia is a tyrant. Although he is the highest commander of the Dionysian Army, has the right to worship, and is also the highest administrator of the city-state alliance, but as the Chief Senator of the Senate, he has great influence, but he can't do whatever he wants. His proposals also require a majority of the Senate Senators to pass. The appointment of high-ranking civil servants of the Alliance must also be approved by the Senate, although he has the power of veto. The important matters of waging war and achieving peace are also decided collectively by the Senate. Unlike the tyrant who can easily decide the life and death of the citizens, his actions are still bound by the laws of the Alliance. However, compared to the king of Sparta and the generals of the democratic city-states, there is no doubt that the Consul has more power … "
Canios listened carefully and thought, "No wonder I heard that the Consul often doesn't need the protection of the guards in Turín, and often goes in and out of the streets of Turín alone, unlike Dionysius who lives in a palace and has thousands of mercenary guards to protect him. If that's the case, he is more like a … hmm … democratic king. "
"A democratic king?!" Cypross heard this and slammed the table in excitement. "That's the right word. It perfectly illustrates the position of the Devers in the Diónia Alliance! It's because of the unique Consul system of Diónia that Diónia's rapid rise to power. "
"You're saying that Dionia's power is due to Dyvers alone?" Kanos asked in surprise.
"Erm … Of course the Devers are very capable Consul, but the political system of Diónia is also very unusual —" Cypross finally found someone he could get along with, and Canios's question was the perfect opportunity for him to elaborate on his thoughts. However, his throat was a little dry after eating too much sauce. He swallowed his saliva and said, "Canios, do you drink beer? The beer in this shop tastes very good. I heard that the Devers specially instructed their slaves to brew it after many experiments. This person is not only very capable in military and political affairs, but also in business. No wonder he's called the 'Blessed'! "
Beer was only a beverage for the people at the bottom of the city-state, but after hearing Cypross's words, Canios was a little tempted.
"Two big cans of beer!" Cypross shouted.
A long bottle with a slender neck was placed in front of Canios. Canios picked it up, and a faint sweet aroma wafted into his nostrils. He quickly took a sip, and the cool golden liquid flowed smoothly into his stomach, dispelling most of the heat in his body. He could not help but take another big gulp.
"Not bad, right?" Cypross saw this and said proudly.
Canios nodded and burped. He could not wait to ask, "What's different about the system of Diónia that you mentioned?"
Cypross did not keep Canios in suspense anymore. He took a sip of beer and said slowly, "Whether it's Crotone or us Triene, the highest authority is the Assembly of Citizens, which decides everything in the city-state. The second is the Council of Citizens, which has a reduced number of people, usually attended by at least three to four hundred people, who discuss and resolve the general affairs of the city-state. The General elected by the Assembly of Citizens is only the highest executor of the decisions made by the Assembly and the Council, right?"
"That's right. It's the same for Elia. The system of the democratic city-states in Greece is more or less the same."
"The system of Diónia comes from Armendolara, and Armendolara … I guess, after it broke away from Sybaris, like Heraclea and Metapontum, it was influenced by Tarantum. Since Tarantum is a sub-group of Sparta, its' Dual Kings' became 'Dual Archons', and the Council of Elders became the Senate. However, the Archons are elected by the Assembly of Citizens. But after the Devers led the mercenaries to join Armendolara, not only did the Assembly of Citizens become the only Archon for life, but the Assembly of Citizens has never been held …" Cypross said in a deep voice.
"Diónia canceled the Assembly of Citizens?!" Canios almost cried out in surprise. Before talking to Cypross, based on his past understanding that the Devers were tyrants, Canios would not be surprised if Diónia did not have a Assembly of Citizens. But Cypross had already told him that "the Devers are not tyrants, and are also subject to the restrictions of the Senate". His understanding of Diónia was that it was a relatively normal city-state alliance, and that was why he overreacted when he heard what Cypross said.
"The Assembly of Citizens of Diónia has not been officially canceled, but it has never been held …" Cypross said slowly, "I think that perhaps the situation of the Union of Diónia is unique, and that's why they did not hold it. After all, the citizens of Diónia are scattered across several cities, and their origins are complicated. There are Greeks, and a considerable number of foreigners, such as Turií, Armendolarans, Crimissa … Holding a Assembly of Citizens is time-consuming, and it is easy for the citizens to quarrel over interests, and nothing can be decided … "
Canios thought carefully, and had to admit, "Perhaps, this may be an important reason. Just like Elia, even though we do not have many citizens, and all of them have lived in the city for generations, many important issues could not be agreed upon in every Assembly, not to mention a new alliance like Diónia, where the citizens come from many different origins. "
Cypross patted the beer can with his hand, hesitated for a while, and then raised his head to take a sip of beer, and said, "In fact, when the Assembly deals with affairs … any issue, the citizens can easily express their opinions based on their own preferences and interests, rather than the interests of the city-state, and exercise the right of veto, which often leads to a problem that cannot be solved for a long time, especially in times of crisis! If the Assembly cannot reach a consensus quickly, it will put the city-state in great danger. Because of this, Triene has been facing the invasion of the Bruti for a long time, so we have a system different from the Southern city-states such as Crotone and Siletina. That is, once the enemy invades, Triene will immediately elect a general with the highest authority to decide all the affairs of the city-state during the war! In this way, endless discussions and disputes can be avoided! "
Canios was delighted, "Elia will also elect a dictator during the most difficult times of war, who will have the highest authority in the city-state, very similar to the general you mentioned."
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