Chapter 348
Stratus and Nix looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock. When Nix turned back to look at the group of people who were still arguing in the gazebo, the feeling in his heart was naturally very different from before.
He turned back and looked at Stesicordas, who was walking in front of him. He pulled Stratus over and asked in a low voice, "Who is this man? You have so much respect for him. "
"He's the … um … deputy director of the medical hospital in the Diónia Academy. Not only is his medical skills superb, but he's also very knowledgeable!" Stratus praised in a low voice.
"His medical skills are superb? How is he compared to you? "Nix did not care about the other party's position. He only cared about the actual medical skills.
"I can't compare to him at all. The difference is like the difference between a child and an adult. When you see the patients he treats and listen to his lectures, you'll understand," Stratus said sincerely.
Nix was completely stunned. He felt that his medical skills were not much different from Stratus's. Was this inconspicuous middle-aged man really that good?!
… …
At night, in a village outside the city of Turií, in a house in the village, after dinner, Tratus asked his wife to pour him a glass of wine. He sat alone in the courtyard, sipping his tea while contemplating the stars. From time to time, he would see the slaves cleaning the farm tools in the courtyard, and the sound of his son reading came from the lit oil lamp in the house …
Such a life was so comfortable! Tratus thought back to himself a few years ago and could not help but feel glad that he had made the right choice. He still felt a little guilty for betraying Crotone, but he had done many things for Crotone and Myron, including risking his life to lurk near Knapetiya, obtain important information, and make important contributions to Crotone's assistance to Triene in repelling the Bruti … However, his life had always been difficult until he was instigated by Aristiras. After the Devers defeated Crotone, they fulfilled their promise and brought his wife and child back safely. From then on, he began his life in Turií. Under the arrangement of the Devers, he officially joined the Mountain Reconnaissance Brigade to accumulate military achievements. At the same time, he secretly worked for Aristiras and served the Consul.
Until last year, he finally officially became a citizen of Diónia and obtained the "land" that every Greek dreamed of. At the same time, his child also entered the school of Diónia, and his family also bought two slaves to work in the fields … All this happy life came from him making the right choice.
Thinking of this, he felt that he should pray to the Hades. In the beginning, he was often plagued by guilt and could not even sleep at night. In the end, he listened to Aristiras' suggestion and went to the confessional in the Temple of Hades, and only then did he gradually get rid of it.
Just as he was devoutly chanting the hymn of the Hades, there was a rhythmic knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Tratus quickly rushed behind the door and whispered.
"Tratus, it's me!" A low voice came from outside the door, and it was particularly clear in the silent night.
It was the voice of Aristiras! Tratus was startled. Usually, as his superior, Aristiras always called him to his residence to report on the situation and assign tasks. He had never been to Tratus' house in person, let alone at night.
He hurriedly opened the door, and under the moonlight, the slender figure of Aristiras appeared in front of him.
Aristiras glanced at the courtyard behind Tratus with a serious expression, and then walked in quietly.
Tratus hurriedly closed the door gently and found an excuse to drive the slave away to rest.
Aristiras stood quietly in the corner of the courtyard. The courtyard wall and the tall willow tree blocked the moonlight from the sky, so his figure was completely shrouded in darkness.
Tratus arranged everything properly and immediately rushed over to receive the order.
Aristiras did not waste any time and said directly in a low voice, "His Excellency has given the order. The matter you are responsible for can begin to be carried out."
Tratus' heart tightened again. The "His Excellency" that Aristiras mentioned could only be the first person in Diónia whom he feared and was grateful for.
Then, he became excited again, "Boss, where should we start?!"
The two whispered for a while.
After watching Aristiras leave, Tratus could not suppress the excitement in his heart and suddenly clapped his hands together. "Clap!" The clear sound of the clapping in the night was welcomed by his wife's shout in the house, "Tratus?!"
"It's okay, you go to sleep first!" Tratus hurriedly comforted her and at the same time told himself: Calm down! Calm down! Although this was a great opportunity to make a great contribution, this matter was of great importance. Moreover, it involved many people. If they were not of high status, then they were extremely wealthy. He had to be careful … Think carefully … Think carefully … Was there any mistake in the entire implementation process?
So, Tratus put his hands behind his back and strolled around the courtyard for most of the night while thinking …
… …
The next morning, the sky was blue and the temperature was just right. It was the perfect weather for a trip.
The residents of Turín got up early, washed up, and ate. They placed flowers in front of their homes and sprinkled clean water on the streets. Then, the men dressed up neatly, and the women dressed up beautifully, rushed to the East Gate in pairs.
The construction of the Temple of Hera in Turín began two years ago, mainly because the Marriage Festival of Diónia was becoming more and more grand and influential. However, there was no Temple of Hera in the city of Turín. Every time before the Marriage Festival, they had to go to Heraclea to invite the Priest of Hera. Moreover, the venue of the festival could only be Victory Square, which was somewhat inappropriate and not in line with the identity of the center of the Diónia Alliance. Therefore, in response to the needs of the people and the development of the city, the Senate approved the construction of the Temple of Hera.
However, the cost of the construction of the Temple of Hera was not paid from the national treasury. At that time, the national treasury's money was used for various infrastructure and was already stretched. It was a generous donation from the Consul Devers. Due to the example he set, and the subsequent donations from many senators of the Senate and some businessmen, the Temple of Hera was completed after more than a year of construction.
At that time, the location of the Temple of Hera was also considered. After the Bruti War, the political situation of Diónia was stable. After a few years of rapid development, the number of citizens in the city of Turín skyrocketed. There was not enough open space to accommodate a new temple complex, so it could only be built outside the city. This was also the reason why the Senate began to put the expansion of the city of Turín on the agenda.
The people of Diónia went against the Greek tradition of building temples on high places and built the Temple of Hera of Turín on the bank of the Crati River outside the city, on the flat land between the city of Turín and the port.
In the early morning, the people of Diónia gathered from all directions to the Temple of Hera to participate in the annual festival celebration.
The sun in the sky had not yet begun to emit its brilliance, but there was already a sea of people outside the Temple of Hera, which greatly increased the pressure on the patrol team responsible for maintaining order.
At the same time, as the number of engaged couples who participated in the blessing this year reached as high as 500, the temples of the two gods on both sides of the front of the Great Temple of Hera — the Goddess of Seasons, Aoyas, and the Goddess of Rainbows, Iris — were filled with newlyweds.
Just when the people outside the square of the temple were tormented by the crowding and noise, they vaguely heard the sound of a bell coming from the southwest, from the city of Turín, followed by a strong sound. They knew that the sound of the bell came from the giant four-ton bronze bell of the Temple of Hades. It rang nine times in a row.
"One! Two! Three! " Then the people also shouted in unison, echoing the sound of the bell, counting to nine. (According to the legend among the people, the birthday of Hades was September 9, so not only did Diónia change the annual celebration of Hades to September 9, but every major celebration, the bell of the Temple of Hades would ring nine times.)
The celebration was about to begin! The people of Diónia cheered up. As for why the Temple of Hades, as the king of Hades, could announce the beginning of the celebration of Queen Hera, the people of Diónia had long forgotten about such questions, and they had already gotten used to it. In the past five years, the unremitting efforts of Plesinas and his subordinates had made the people of Diónia regard Hades as the patron saint of the Alliance, the giver of stability and prosperity for Diónia!
The people began to stir, because they saw groups of musicians holding lyres, flutes, brass horns, drums … came to the steps in front of the temple and stood neatly. More than a dozen female priests in white robes walked out of the temple and stood in front of the platform.
When the melodious music started, the noise also subsided. The female priests began to chant in unison, but it was not a song for Goddess Hera, but for her daughter, the Goddess of Youth, Hebe. Therefore, the new song was cheerful and lively.
As the song started, in another temple in front of the temple, the Goddess of Youth, Hebe, dozens of young girls jumped into the square with light steps, dancing along with the beautiful song, and from time to time, they changed into various formations and styles.
Since the opening ceremony of the Temple of Hades, the spectacular and magnificent dramatic dance shocked the people of Diónia, it had also opened up a new form of art, and the priests of the temples even regarded it as one of the necessary rituals for the celebration of the gods.
Looking at the cheerful dance of the girls in the square, listening to the slightly strong rhythm of the music, many women outside the square also began to twist their waists …
After the song of Hebe, the girls retreated, and the female priests on the platform of the temple let out a gentle resonance, like the sound of nature.
The people all stood on their tiptoes and looked toward the temple. They knew that it was time for the main character to appear!
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