Chapter 347
The Devers said calmly, "Marigi, have you heard of an ancient saying from the East?"
"What saying?"
"If the gods wish to destroy them, they must first make them mad."
… …
Nikestratus, Statipus, and Lycassus stood in front of the gate of the Diónia Academy.
It was a strangely shaped gate. It was a large, pure white arch with a huge stone ball resting on top of it. A thick, sword-shaped stone tablet extended straight up from the middle of the arch, holding up the arch and dividing the arch into two.
There was a sentence carved on the stone tablet: All things have their own rules, and only those who persevere in their search can obtain their secrets.
Nikestratus listened carefully to the sentence and nodded. He looked down and saw the signature — Devers.
"Devers? Which Devers? "Nikestratus asked in surprise.
"Who else? Of course it's the Archon of Diónia! "Statipus replied.
"This is a place where scholars gather, a sacred place! What right does he have to be here? "Nikestratus' expression changed, and he was about to say something.
Statipus was shocked and hurriedly stopped him. "Don't talk nonsense. The Devers isn't just an Archon. He's respected by the doctors of Diónia, and even the scholars who study mathematics respect him. It's said that they've received a lot of inspiration from the Devers, so everyone in the academy respects him. Besides, I've heard the Devers's lecture last year. His medical knowledge is indeed unique and thought-provoking … No wonder so many people say that he's the emissary of the gods. If these people hear you insult him here, they'll definitely fight you! "
"I'm not afraid of the people of Diónia …" Nikestratus muttered stubbornly. He did not say anything else and walked through the gate with Statipus.
Lycassus kept his eyes on the ball on top of the arch. He stepped through the gate with trepidation, but after a few steps, he could not help but look back. He muttered to himself, "What's the point of putting such a heavy stone ball on top of the arch? Aren't they afraid that it'll fall?"
"Little fellow, you don't understand." A young man in his twenties stood behind the gate, loudly explaining, "The dome symbolizes the land we live in —"
"Wait, are you saying that the ground under our feet is round?!" Lycassus interrupted him in surprise.
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I always see the sail first when I look at a ship sailing in the distance? You know, as early as 200 years ago, Thales of Miletus once … Forget it, I can't explain this to you in a short time. You just have to remember that the land we live on is a big ball! " The young man said impatiently. Then, he pointed at the vault and said, "Look at this vault again. What does it look like?"
Lycassus took a closer look. "Oh, it's a pair of arms!"
"That's right. Lifting the sphere with both hands means that humans can transform the earth!" The young man said excitedly, "But what will we use to overcome the terrible disaster and transform the earth?"
"How would I know?" Lycassus glared at the young man who was forcefully pulling him back.
"Do you see the words engraved on that stone tablet?" The young man pointed at the sword-shaped stone tablet and said in high spirits, "It depends on knowledge, on exploration, and on scholars like us who constantly study hard! This gate designed by Sir Devers is too profound! "
Lycassus sneered, dissatisfied with the young man's boasting.
The young man obviously did not notice Lycassus's expression. He was still holding Lycassus's hand and said, "Now, I'll tell you why the stone ball doesn't break the vault and fall. That's because the vault has the characteristic of distributing weight to both ends …" As he said that, he picked up a branch and drew a gravity decomposition diagram on the ground. "Of course, the gravity of the stone ball can't be completely dispersed. The pressure on the vault still exists, and the support of the stone tablet is the key …"
Poor Lycassus was completely bewildered by the young man's professional explanation. It was as if he was listening to a heavenly book.
Nix Stratos, who had been listening to the side out of curiosity, was now completely impatient. He shouted, "Lycassus, it's time to go! It's getting dark, don't miss the registration! "
"Yes!" Lycassus was so frightened that he pulled his hand back, almost causing the young man to fall.
"Registration? Registration for what? "The young man looked at them in confusion.
"We're here to participate in a medical forum," Statipus replied.
"You're here to find doctors who work with corpses and skeletons!" The young man suddenly realized.
"Hurry up and go! Hurry up and go! " He immediately lost interest in teaching and slapped away Lycassus's hand, as if afraid of being tainted by bad luck.
"What's wrong with this man? He's crazy …" Lycassus muttered to himself as he followed Stathippus.
The trees in the school were lush and green. A small path paved with gravel was hidden in the shade of the trees, and the branches crisscrossed.
The three of them had not gone far when they suddenly heard an urgent call. "Careful, don't step on it!"
Statipus hurriedly stopped in his tracks. Only then did he see a man curled up on the ground beside him, holding a piece of limestone in his hand. In front of him was a relatively flat paving stone that was densely covered with words and symbols.
The man used his body to protect the stone, looked up at them, and urged them with dissatisfaction, "Go away! Go away! "
"These people are probably scholars from some mathematics research institute in this Diónia Academy. It's said that most of them are from the Pythagorean School of Tarantum," Statipus explained to the dissatisfied Nix Stratos.
So it's this group of lunatics! Nix Stratos suddenly understood. The Pythagorean School worshipped mathematics as their god, and often held some strange rituals. Their whereabouts were secretive, and in the early years, they had close ties with the nobles of the various cities of Greece. They opposed democracy, so many people regarded them as heretics and avoided them.
Diónia actually accepted them! Nix Stratos felt a little disgusted.
When they saw someone leaning against a tree trunk, looking up at the sky, muttering to himself, someone with lifeless eyes, walking like a puppet, no one knowing what he was thinking, someone who was originally lying on the muddy ground, suddenly leaping up with wild joy … and many other strange words and actions, the three of them no longer found it strange.
After going around a few tall trees, a small pavilion appeared in front of them. Many people had formed a circle in the pavilion, and there seemed to be something placed in the center …
They fiddled with the object while arguing fiercely.
Curious, Lycassus approached the pavilion and heard them saying something like, "How long should the span of the bridge be?"
"Where should it be built to ensure the level of the bridge?"
"How many piers are needed to support this bridge?"
"How far should it be?"
…
"You're here to participate in the medical forum, right?" Someone walked out of the crowd and asked quickly when he saw the medical kit on Lycassus' waist.
Before Lycassus could answer, Stacypus had already bowed and said respectfully, "Hello, Doctor Stacykodas!"
"You are?" Stacykodas looked at him in confusion, trying hard to find his name in his memory.
"I'm Doctor Stacypus from Crotone, and this is Doctor Nix Stratos and Lycassus, both from Crotone," Stacypus immediately introduced himself.
"Oh, look at my memory, I'm really sorry! I remember, last year you gave a lecture on … um … the application of aloe in sports bruises! "Stacykodas slapped his forehead and said apologetically.
"Yes, that was a little bit of my experience from last year's exchange. It's been so long, and you still remember it! "Stacypus' face was full of joy.
"Of course I remember! Inspired by your lecture, some doctors in our medical school have done more in-depth research on aloe this year, and there have been some new developments, which will be mentioned in this forum, "Stacykodas said seriously.
"That's great!" Stacypus couldn't help but cheer, completely forgetting about Nix Stratos, who was a little unnatural beside him.
However, Stacykodas didn't forget, and he took the initiative to step forward and salute, "Welcome, Doctor Nix Stratos!"
Nix Stratos returned the salute in a reserved manner.
"And you, Nix Stratos! Welcome to Diónia Academy! "Stacykodas said enthusiastically, and at the same time, he led them in the direction of the medical school.
"I'm really sorry! Today is my turn to greet the doctors who came to participate in the forum at the entrance of the academy. It's just that I'm a little tired after standing for so long, so I took a break in the gazebo and listened to the mathematics research institute discuss the construction of the stone bridge. I didn't expect to almost miss you, "Stacykodas said embarrassedly as he walked.
Stacypus was stunned, "You mean the construction of the stone bridge?"
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