Chapter 562
"Yes, the arrogant people of Tarantum!" The Devers recalled the inexplicable sense of superiority held by the Tarantum people when they led the army to aid Tarantum. Whether it was the elders or the ordinary citizens, they also recalled that in the history of their previous life, it was this Tarantum that became weaker later on that took the lead in resisting Rome's invasion and invited Petrus to lead the army into Italy, which led to the Elephant War. A hundred years later, Tarantum, which had already surrendered to Rome, rebelled again and became Hannibal's supporter and Carthage's logistical base in southern Italy. Tarantum's contribution to Hannibal's war against Rome in Italy for 13 years could not go unnoticed. It could be seen that the genes of rebellion flowed in the blood of the people of Tarantum …
It would be more justifiable to stand by and let the allied forces of Mecca and Prussia completely destroy it and then take it back later … The Devers's face was clouded with uncertainty.
Henepolis saw the new king of Diónia frowning as he paced back and forth in the big tent, lowering his head in contemplation. Therefore, he did not make a sound for fear of interrupting the Devers' thoughts. Instead, he stood aside and waited quietly.
After a while, he heard the Devers say, "Henny, it's difficult to integrate Tarantum into Diónia in its entirety, but how about integrating part of it?"
"Part of it? Your Majesty, do you want Tarantum to cede part of its territory to Diónia? " Henepolis was not surprised by the decision made by the Devers. It was not a bad idea to gradually annex a large state by nibbling away at it.
"It's not like that." The Devers shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I want Tarantum to become a 'Free City' in the Diónia Alliance."
"Free City?!" The new term puzzled Henepolis.
"The Free City is to make Tarantum a part of Diónia, but it doesn't have to pay taxes to the treasury, and the Senate doesn't interfere. It manages the city-state according to the original laws, but it doesn't have the right to independent diplomacy, and it doesn't have the right to form an army. When the League encounters difficulties and needs its help, it must also contribute its strength!" When Devers spoke of this new idea, he was also sorting out his own thoughts, so he spoke slowly and clearly.
Henepolis's eyes lit up. He applauded the Devers' novel political idea, but he had to remind him, "Your Majesty, although a free city is only a few steps forward from becoming an affiliated city-state, I'm afraid the people of Tarantum will not agree."
"The Messappi and Puchetti will force them to agree. Of course, I hope the people of Tarantum have the courage to refuse. That way, we can build a new city on the ruins of Tarantum in the near future! "Dyvers ridiculed with a hint of coldness in his words.
… …
Since the destruction of Motia, an important town of Carthage at the southwestern tip of Sicily, five years ago, the Carthaginian commander Himilco had built a new city, Lilibo, near it.
After a few years of development, the new city had gradually flourished. Since Margo became the governor of Sicily and made Lili Bay the center of the entire Sicilian jurisdiction, its development was even more rapid. Gold and silver coins, weapons and armor, grain, War Horse, slaves … Every day, countless merchant ships loaded with all kinds of military supplies sailed into the port of Lili Bay and were then sent to various barracks through Lili Bay.
The development of the port gave rise to the demand for labor. Phoenicians, Numibians, and Mauritanians swarmed into Lili Bay in large numbers, causing the residential area of Lili Bay to continue to expand outward. In less than a year, Lili Bay had become the largest city controlled by Carthage in Sicily.
On this morning, Margo received Ediyaruba, the envoy from the Senate of Carthage, in his governor's mansion.
Margo's attitude toward this senator was quite friendly. Ediyaruba did not belong to either the Magonid faction or the Hanno faction. He was an important figure among the minority of neutral senators in the Senate. Because he did not belong to the former two, he sometimes dared to propose some bills that harmed the interests of the two factions but were beneficial to the people. Although they often failed to pass, it made him more popular among the people. So he was later elected as an important member of the "hundred court", so Margo did not dare to look down on him.
After the two exchanged friendly greetings for a while, Ediyaruba came to the point, "Lord Margo, a month ago, you applied to the Senate to" ask for Lili Bay to obtain the right to mint coins ". After a long debate, the Senate finally made a decision —" Ediyaruba saw the slightly nervous look on Margo's face and could not help but secretly shook his head in his heart. He slowly said, "The Senate rejected your proposal."
As soon as the Senate made the decision, they sent Ediyaruba as an envoy to Lili Bay immediately, so Margo did not have time to receive the message from Carthage's confidant. He was shocked and immediately asked loudly, "Why?!"
"The right to mint coins can only be enjoyed by the city of Carthage. This is to ensure Carthage's leading position among the other Phoenician allies, which is beneficial to our trade in Carthage. I think as the current patriarch of the Magonid family, who was once the main builder of Carthage, you should understand this truth!" Ediyaruba's calm tone was accompanied by a warning.
"I only proposed the temporary right to mint coins," Margo argued. "Since the Senate appointed me to be in charge of the military defense of Sicily and to ensure the security of the north of Carthage, I have to be responsible for it seriously! But the current situation is that every time Carthage sends over military funds, it's either delayed or insufficient. Sometimes, the ships transporting the gold coins would be sunk in a storm … Do you know how much trouble these problems have caused to my military defense plan?! The soldiers are very resentful! A few days ago, the mercenaries stationed in Segesta caused an uproar because of the delayed payment of salaries. I spent a lot of effort to appease them! "
The more Margo spoke, the angrier he became. "I now suspect that the elders led by Hanno are making things difficult for me. But if they don't care about the interests of Carthage and continue to act recklessly, the mercenaries in Sicily will be in danger! Then, the Sicilian defense system that I have worked so hard to build will be destroyed, and the rioting mercenaries may pose a danger to the city of Carthage! Master Ediyaruba, you have always been fair. This time, I hope that you can reconsider my proposal from the real interests of Carthage! "
Margo's accusation and implied threat to Hanno were too straightforward. Ediyaruba frowned. He felt that compared to the former patriarch of the Magonid clan, Himilco, Margo may have some talent in military affairs, but he was still immature in politics. No wonder he could not beat Hanno, who was very shrewd.
Although Ediyaruba was a neutral in the Senate and attacked the two factions from time to time in meetings, he was able to do well in the Senate. Naturally, he did not lack flexible political skills. At this moment, he focused his mind and gently persuaded, "Master Margo, you don't have to be so anxious. Although the Senate did not approve your proposal, the problems you mentioned have attracted the attention of the senators. For this reason, the Senate has sent someone to be responsible for the casting and transportation of the Sicilian military funds, and another person to supervise. I believe these problems will not appear again soon.
Of course, these problems you mentioned are not caused by someone deliberately targeting you. I think all the senators in the Senate will be vigilant and worried about the recruitment of mercenaries, so they strictly review the amount of military funds and the amount of pay. They cut some unnecessary funds, resulting in a reduction in the amount and a delay in the delivery time. I think you should also understand that this is all out of the public interest of protecting the interests of Carthage … "
Margo snorted and did not continue to dwell on this issue. He looked indignant on the surface, but he was a little guilty in his heart because he had diverted a small part of the military funds to the family's development in Iberia. Therefore, he felt that Ediyaruba's words were probably a warning to him. It seemed that the Senate was aware of this. Fortunately, the purpose of his proposal had been achieved. He did not have much hope for the temporary coinage. He just used this to threaten Hanno not to withhold military funds.
"In addition, your proposal the day before yesterday, 'while Syracuse and Diónia are at war, Carthage should send troops to attack eastern Sicily and restore Carthage's former sphere of influence' was also not passed by the Senate," Ediyaruba continued.
Margo was not surprised. After all, he knew the character of those in the Senate. He squinted at Ediyaruba and asked coldly, "Rejected all of them? No other opinions? "
"Most of the senators agreed that Carthage should not intervene in this war at this time. Instead, they should remain neutral and avoid letting the Greeks unite against us again."
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