Chapter 368
After Dionysius came to power, in order to fight against Carthage, he was deeply aware of the strategic importance of the Epipolae Highland to the city's defense. During the Peloponnesus War, Athens's expedition to Sicily occupied the highland and fought a long battle against the people of Syracuse. Therefore, he mobilized more than 6,000 free men, and under the stimulation of the promise of citizenship, they quickly built a wall about 15 miles long, encircling the Epipolae Highland, which was six times the size of the central district, into the city of Syracuse.
At this point, the city of Syracuse became the largest city in all of Greece. It faced the sea in the east, with steep cliffs and cliffs; it faced the mountains in the west and north, treacherous and difficult to climb; only the southwest side was close to the port, but there were also swamps and rivers that hindered the march. When Carthage led the army to attack the city of Syracuse, they could not do anything to the giant city, and in the end, they were defeated due to the outbreak of the plague.
Ancitanos's carriage headed towards the southeast corner of the city of Syracuse, and its destination was the island of Ortygia. Although it was called an island, it was actually connected to the mainland. It was the original colony of the people of Syracuse, and later became the location of the acropolis of Syracuse. Most of the Greek city-states had their acropolis in the center of the city, but the acropolis of Syracuse was isolated in the sea, which was quite strange.
Dionysius happened to have his eyes on the geographical location of Ortygia, and built his palace on the island. Due to the lesson learned from being almost ousted by the citizens of Syracuse twice, he surrounded the entire island with walls and a garrison. Only his friends and supporters were allowed to live on the island, and of course, Felistos's mansion was also located on the island.
The carriage sped all the way, and stopped when it reached the isthmus that connected Ortygia to the mainland. In front of the carriage was a tall wall, completely cutting off the road to the island. In front of the wall, there was a small but sturdy castle. It could be imagined that if an enemy attacked from here, they would be attacked by the combined forces of the castle and the soldiers on the city walls.
Ancetanos was deeply moved by this arrangement. He returned to the carriage and said to Henepolis in a low voice, "If the leader of a city-state is so wary of his citizens, how can he be loved by them?"
"Being a citizen of Syracuse almost cost him his life. It's not easy being a tyrant!" Henepolis had been wandering around Syracuse for the past two days. He understood Dionysius's actions. "In comparison, Master Devers is much more relaxed in Turií."
"Master Devers is not a tyrant. You must remember this!" Ancetanos noticed that Henepolis had the tendency to compare the Devers' status in Turií to Dionysius. He immediately reminded him seriously, "Master Devers doesn't even have the intention of being a tyrant. Otherwise, he wouldn't have created such a strange official position as the Protector of the People to limit the power of those in power!"
Ancetanos' eyes were full of admiration. Henepolis nodded thoughtfully. After a while, he asked hesitantly, "Teacher, do you think my father is a tyrant?"
… …
After the carriage passed the inspection of the city guards, it passed through three city gates and entered Ortygia Island.
Philistos' mansion was quite luxurious, especially the large and spacious living room. The floor was completely paved with marble with colorful patterns, polished as smooth as a mirror. Finely carved gold-inlaid lamps were lined up on both sides, glittering with golden light. Each lamppost had five candles as thick as an arm, illuminating the living room as if it was daytime. There were more than a dozen beautiful female slaves of different skin colors serving each table in the living room.
Philistos, an important minister of Dionysius who controlled the civil affairs of Syracuse, was a little thin and weak. His rather handsome face exuded the air of a scholar. At this moment, his smile was as kind as the spring breeze. He began to introduce the other guests to Ancetanos.
"This is Leptinus, the younger brother of General Plenipotentiary Dionysius, the Navy Commander of Syracuse!"
"It's an honor to meet you!"
Both parties hurriedly greeted each other. Ancetanos sized him up curiously. This younger brother of the tyrant of Syracuse had a simple and honest appearance.
"This is the minister of General Plenipotentiary, my close friend, Harolis!" The middle-aged man that Philistos was talking about had a sharp gaze. He took the initiative to greet Ancetanos, "Ancetanos of Turií, I've long heard of your name. Welcome! I went to Amendola a few years ago and met with your archon, Dyfus. Oh, he wasn't the Consul of Diónia at that time, but he left a deep impression on me! "
Ancetanos hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude.
Philistos then introduced him to the next person, "This is General Marcius of Syracuse!"
Marcius, the former mercenary leader of Campania, simply greeted Ancetanos.
Philistos then led Ancetanos to the last guest, "This is also my close friend, the most famous music poet in all of Sicily, Ferosanus!"
The man named Ferosanus said, "Lord Philistos, you flatter me too much. I'm just an ordinary person who likes music and poetry. I don't hold any position in Syracuse, so I can't be compared to them. " He pointed to the few people in front of him, "If I hadn't heard that you're from Turií and a scholar, I wouldn't have come."
Ferosanus' straightforward words made Philistos a little embarrassed. However, Henepolis, who was behind Ancetanos, asked in surprise, "You're Ferosanus?! That's great! The bards of Turií often recite your poems, such as' The autumn wind rustles, my heart is sad, my former lover, where are you now … ' "
Ferosanus did not expect to meet an admirer from Turií at the banquet. He was a little surprised, so he asked, "Who is he?"
"Henepolis, Ancetanos' student," the young man answered hurriedly.
"He's also the only son of Avinogis, the consul of Laos!" Marcius said.
Ancetanos was shocked. He looked at the other people's faces, but they did not seem to be surprised. Obviously, they already knew that he was a student. It seemed like the people of Syracuse had already done a detailed investigation on his envoy.
"Student? What are you learning from him? "Ferosanus asked in surprise. He did not know Ancetanos well.
"I'm learning the history of the Mediterranean, and I'm also training in writing essays and participating in the compilation of my teacher's books," Henepolis answered.
Ferosanus looked at Ancetanos in surprise and asked directly, "What book are you writing?"
Ancetanos said humbly, "I want to write a book about the history of Southern Italy. It's just the beginning, so I'm still looking for information …"
"Alright, everyone, let's take our seats at the banquet. We can talk while we eat," Felistos urged everyone to take their seats.
Soon, the servants brought out plate after plate of dishes.
"I know the food of Turií is very famous. Unfortunately, I don't have a chef who knows how to cook Turií food. I hope the food will satisfy you," Felistos said to Ancetanos.
Ancetanos opened his arms and pointed at the food on his table. He pretended to be surprised and said, "This is too sumptuous!"
Felistos laughed and was about to say something.
Leptineus, who was sitting opposite him, said loudly, "I heard that most of the food in Diónia was invented by your Consul Devers. Is that true?"
"You should know that the food originally came from the restaurant of the Devers' wife, Cristoya. Almost all the citizens of Diónia think that it was invented by the Devers. Of course, that includes me," Ancetanos answered in a roundabout way.
"I heard that the popular football and football games in Greece were also invented by him. Even the doctors in Dioria call him Teacher. As a Consul, the Dionia Alliance is considered a powerful force. He must have a lot of work to do. How could he have so much energy to squander on such trivial matters? "Masias' tone was filled with doubt." That's right.
"You have to admit that some people are blessed by the gods and are born with more talent and energy than others. Although such cases are rare, they do exist. For example, Perliande, the tyrant of Corinth … Moreover, our consul is favored by Hades! "Ancetanos answered calmly.
"How can your consul be compared to Perliande, who created the glory of Corinth hundreds of years ago?" Ferosanus interrupted.
Henepolis looked furious. Ancetanos quickly stopped him with a look. Through the previous interaction, Ancetanos felt that the poet of Syracuse was a straightforward person. He said solemnly, "But in the hearts of the citizens of Diónia, the Consul Devers is far more important than Perliande! He led the army to defeat powerful enemies many times, rebuilt the burned Turií, conquered the barbarians in the mountains, built roads for the convenience of the people, and prosperous trade. He established hospitals to reduce the number of sick and injured people. He funded the establishment of academies and schools to improve the quality of the people and encourage scholars to explore knowledge. He invented ball games and food to entertain the people. He also established fair laws to give the citizens more rights … It was he who created the City-States Alliance of Diónia, which kept Greece in a state of peace for the past few years. Therefore, some citizens of Diónia even call him 'Father' in meetings. He is undoubtedly the father of the Diónia Alliance! "
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