Chapter 609
Antonios quickly turned to the page and saw three names circled by Devers. He was familiar with these three names. The first one was his brother-in-law, Paphogris, and the other two were the children and relatives of Naxos and Katarnais, whom he was very familiar with. Although they were all promoted to the lowest rank — squad leaders (squad leaders were not included in the ranks of officers, and could be directly appointed by the Legion Commander), Antonios knew that these three people probably did not meet the requirements for promotion.
He did not know how the other two people performed in the training camp, but he knew very well what kind of person his brother-in-law was. When Paphogris was in Turií, he was punished by the Legion Commander because he was late for military training many times. This was even reported to Antonios, and after Antonios severely criticized him, Paphogris reluctantly performed better. To be honest, when Paphogris was driven back to Naxos by Laodisian, Antonios was relieved. He did not expect that this idiot would cause even more trouble when he returned to his hometown!
"Your Majesty … Your Majesty, I really … really did not know that Paphogris was on this list. Based on my understanding of him, his ability … is not enough to be a squad leader," Antonios stammered. Antonius stammered. He regretted not checking the list more carefully and made such a big mistake!
"What you said is reasonable, but as the Minister of Military Affairs of the Kingdom, you are not qualified to say such words." Devers stared at him. Although his voice was soft, his tone was heavy. "Look at this."
As he said this, he handed Antonios a letter. This letter was written by Leotychides, the current Legion Commander of the Eighth Legion. In the letter, he described the military training of the Eighth Division and specifically introduced the military training performance of Paphocles and the other two. "Late, not serious in training, talking back to the instructor …" Words like "Late, not serious in training, talking back to the instructor …" were reflected in Antonio's eyes, and he was shocked.
Leotychides! Antonios had a deep memory of this man. He performed well in the battles of the First Legion, and was promoted to a platoon leader in just a few years. During the Battle of Brindisi, King Puchetti led the remaining elite troops to fight back. Most of the Legion of Dionysia had scattered and began to chase after the routed troops. Only Leotychides was still able to control the formation of his platoon. He blocked the path of Puchetti's army and bought precious time for the other troops to arrive and annihilate them. Thus, he left a deep impression on Devers.
After the resignation of the Eighth Legion, when Ctessus, the first platoon leader of the First Legion, refused to take the position, the Devers personally appointed Leotychides, who was still the third platoon leader of the First Legion at that time, to take over. Leotychides became the only non-mercenary infantry legion commander in the Kingdom of Diónia. He was also the youngest legion commander.
Leotychides was usually serious and did not like to socialize with others. He was strict and serious about military training. When he was angry, he would even beat and scold the soldiers. Some people in the army gave him the nickname "Madman."
Antonios believed what Leotychides said in the letter. However, the Devers had a high status. They even wrote a letter to Leotychides in Sicily to ask about the performance of these unknown soldiers in the military training.
"Your Majesty, I … I didn't manage the Ministry of Military Affairs well and made such a big mistake. I beg … I beg Your Majesty to punish me!" Antonios bowed his head and apologized in fear and trepidation.
"You deserve to be punished." The Devers's eyes were slightly cold. "Your brother-in-law killed five or six female slaves in a row. His methods were cruel. I can't believe that such a person could be promoted to be a captain! I'm afraid that when the news spreads, the elders in the Senate will impeach you. The Protectors will also protest! You … "The Devers sighed and seemed to be worried about him.
Antonios was covered in cold sweat. He bowed even lower and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I … I request to resign from the position of Minister of Military Affairs …"
After a while, he heard the Devers's regretful voice. "Alright … That's good. You can resign from the position of Minister of Military Affairs with the excuse of illness. Don't go to the Senate for the time being. Avoid this period of time … Also, don't look for people for your brother-in-law anymore. The court will give him a fair judgment."
"Yes …" Antonios responded in a low voice. He felt a hint of relief in his heart, but more than that, he felt a sense of loss.
The Devers put down the register and the letter. Then, he asked in a low voice, "Antonios, you have stayed in Sicily for many years, and your wife is a Sicilian. You should have a deep understanding of the Sicilians. Can you tell me why most of the elders in other places have their homes in Turií? Even if they own land in other towns, they mainly use it as a place to increase their income and occasionally bring their families to stay there. However, the elders in Sicily try to buy as much land as possible in Sicily and treat it as another home. Some of their families even live there for a long time. They even make friends with the local public officials to increase their family's prestige in the local area. Why?"
Although the Devers's tone was calm, Antonios could feel the suppressed anger of the Devers. He became more and more frightened. He racked his brains to think, causing him to be drenched in sweat again. Bolton said, "Your Majesty, I think the elders in Sicily and the elders in Greece … have encountered different environments, so their behavior is also different …"
"Oh? Tell me about it." The Devers raised an eyebrow.
Antonios pondered for a while before he said solemnly, "Your Majesty, because Naxos and Katarnae were destroyed by Syracuse, their people lost their homes and were forced to flee. In order to survive, they had no choice but to build settlements in the mountains and elect leaders to lead them in defending against the invading Sikells, mercenaries organized by Syracuse from time to time, and wild beasts in the mountains. Many of their people died, and their lives were very hard. This only made them miss their lost homes even more. Therefore, after they reclaimed their lost lands, they cherished their homeland even more.
Most of the leaders of the refugees eventually became the elders of Diónia. During their years of exile, they became the pillars of support for the refugees in Sicily. The refugees would look to them for help if they had any difficulties. After joining Diónia, these elders still maintained this habit …
"Most of these elders were born nobles. Before Naxos and Katarnae were destroyed, they served as generals and councilors of the city-states. Unlike the elders of Greece, before the rise of the Kingdom of Diónia, the Tarantum Alliance, the Turií Alliance, the Crotone Alliance, the Locri Alliance, and the Lijim Alliance were basically stable and formed a balance. "However, in Sicily, apart from Syracuse and Carthage, the generals and councilors of the other city-states have to constantly make decisions according to the changes in the situation on the island. Should they ally with other city-states to resist the two powerful states? Or should they attach themselves to one of the two powerful states? Therefore, they have to maintain a friendly relationship with their neighbors, Syracuse, and Carthage. That's why they like to hold banquets, send gifts, and form cliques. "
"You seem to know a lot about them. It seems that marrying a Sicilian woman has its benefits." The Devers said in a meaningful tone, "Some of our elders have learned these bad habits of the Sicilians. It's a very bad influence! The Catania Plains will be annexed to the Kingdom of Diónia, not Diónia will be part of Sicily. Everyone must strictly follow the laws of Diónia! It seems that they still haven't realized this after ten years! "
Antonios was even more shocked when he heard the last sentence. He did not dare to respond.
"Antonios, my old friend, although you're sick and resting at home, you can't overeat and hurt your body! Now that the Downey people have been defeated at the Orfanto River, it won't be long before we conquer their territory. There are still a lot of troublesome issues there that require a capable elder like you to deal with! " The Devers' words of encouragement lifted the spirits of the depressed Antonios. He replied excitedly, "Your Majesty, I'm always ready for your summons!"
Dyvers watched him leave the office, and the expression on his face slowly turned cold. He knew very well that the Sicilian elders led by Laodisian only wanted their sons to have a better future, and that was why they had the idea of joining the army. Although becoming an officer of a legion meant that they did not have any rights in daily life, they had a great advantage when they took up public office in the kingdom, or when they ran for local councilors and protectors. Furthermore, in daily life, their identity would also be respected by the people.
However, the Devers was very angry with them for disrupting the order of the army. Since the establishment of Diónia, he had always firmly controlled the army, which was the foundation of his power. The other elders could not interfere at all. The appointment and dismissal of officers were all decided by him, and the formulation of military laws was also mainly decided by him. He might discuss with the main generals, but he would never vote for the military laws. Therefore, the army was a completely closed system. However, after more than ten years, the army began to show signs of trouble. The staff of the Ministry of Military Affairs might have been bribed by the Sicilian elders, or they might have wanted to please Antonios, so they violated the rules and put the unqualified Paphogris and the others on the promotion list.
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