Chapter 62
Dyvers' main tent could not accommodate more than forty people, so he asked Maltius, the captain of the guards, to lead thirty members (the number of guards had also increased) to surround an open space in front of the tent to prevent strangers from entering and snooping, and to light torches around it …
The Devers scanned through everyone's faces.
Captain of the 1st Heavy Infantry Company – Calm and generous Capus
Captain of the 2nd Heavy Infantry Company – Antonius who was good at spotting enemies and seizing opportunities
Captain of the 3rd Heavy Infantry Company – Brave Amyntas
Captain of the 4th Heavy Infantry Company – Alexis who was good at thinking and planning
Captain of the 5th Heavy Infantry Company – His loyal subordinate Hilos
Captain of the 1st Light Shield Company – Epigenis who was good at tactics
Captain of the 2nd Light Shield Company – Cspit who worshipped the Devers because of his devotion to God
Also included Merses, Medical Officer Helps, Herald Asistes, and Cavalry Captain Ledes (Even though he didn't have many horses left, the Devers still kept this organization and soldiers. After all, they had a lot of experience in cavalry battles). There were also twenty-eight team leaders, all of whom were experienced in combat and had their own talents. In addition, there were 1,400 veterans who had been fighting for more than a year. These were all the people he needed to establish himself in this world!
Tonight, he had to convince them to continue following him to fight in a foreign land that was thousands of miles away after a long year of fighting. He wasn't very confident about this. Thinking about this, he lightly coughed and said, "Brothers, the farce you put on in the Byzantine Empire today was great! Cleander immediately showed his sympathy for our situation and was willing to provide us with some food. This is all thanks to you guys! "
Everyone laughed.
Olivers even said loudly, "Leader, this isn't a farce. It's a comedy. You didn't see how those Byzantines fainted in fear! "
Everyone laughed again. Only Martonis had a guilty conscience, so he lowered his head and snickered.
"Yeah, a comedy." The Devers sighed and said, "But how long can this comedy last? We are trapped here, we can't go anywhere, we don't dare to go. According to reliable sources, Sparta was ready to go to war with Persia. Sparta's general, Tiburon, had already arrived at Ephesus to recruit soldiers. How could he let go of a group of veterans with rich experience fighting against Persia? It won't be long before we fight on Persia's soil again! "
"Is this true? I'm tired of fighting with Persia. I don't want to go back! "
"How could this be?! I'm ready to buy a piece of land in Crete and find a wife … "
…
The crowd immediately became restless, and they began to discuss among themselves …
Devers did not answer them. Instead, he revealed another shocking piece of news. "Moreover, the kind-hearted Creander is about to step down. He will be replaced by Aristarchas of Sparta!"
Someone exclaimed, "Ah!"
Devers glanced in that direction and said coldly, "Some of you know him, and some of you don't. Let me tell you, this Sparta was famous in the previous war with Athens! Not because he fought bravely, but because — "The Devers's expression was solemn, and he emphasized each word." He sold the defeated Greeks into slavery twice!! "
His words were like pouring a can of cold water into a pot of boiling oil. The crowd immediately exploded.
"Is he going to sell us?!"
"If he dares to do this, I will fight him!"
"We are free people, not enemies of Sparta! They have no reason to do this, and this is against the Greek tradition! "
"Sparta has always been arrogant and domineering. Now that it's the overlord of Greece, it has the final say in everything it does!"
…
Devers looked at the panicking crowd, and his voice was full of emotion. He said, "We are free Greeks, we live hard in order to survive. However, in the eyes of the Sparta people and the citizens of the city, we are landless peasants, thieves, and robbers who threaten the stability of the city! Therefore, Anaxis can lie to us at will (referring to the fact that this Sparta naval officer tricked them into going to Byzantium, saying that he would pay them, but he broke the contract as soon as he arrived)! Kliander can also lie to us at will, such as tricking us out of the city, closing the gate, not giving us food, and facing the large number of Thracians! Sparta is so powerful, do we dare to resist?! We can either be sold into slavery, without food or warm clothes, and one day, we will die of exhaustion in the farms or mines, and our bodies will be thrown into the wilderness. Or we can follow Sparta into battle, and we will be covered in wounds every day until we die in some unknown wilderness. Of course, there is a chance that we will be lucky enough to return home safely, but so what? As a landless free person, we will be considered a foreigner in any city. We will not be able to enjoy the rights of any city, and we will be despised until we die in obscurity … "
Everyone listened quietly. It was so quiet that they could hear someone sobbing …
At this time, the Devers also had tears in their eyes. "Is this the result that we want after fighting for a year in Persia and struggling to return home?! Can't we even have the right to live a peaceful and happy life?! Is there no place in this world for poor free people like us to live peacefully?! "
The Devers' roars and questions came from the bottom of their hearts, and every officer in the room woke up. They clenched their fists and gritted their teeth, and their eyes were filled with anger and pain …
Hilos stood up, stretched out his trembling hands, and said, "Leader of the Devers! Our commander! The God's Favored of Hades! Please tell us, what should we do?! What should we do to get out of our predicament?! "
"Yes, Leader of the Devers, we need your oracle!!" Hilos' words reminded many of them. Capus, Antonius, and the others excitedly begged the Devers.
When everyone's eyes were focused on the Devers' face, his expression became extremely solemn. "Last night … a person entered my dream. His body was emitting a golden light, and I couldn't see his face clearly … He pulled me up from the bed, through the window, and flew into the sky … I looked down in fear, and the Mediterranean Sea appeared clearly in front of me like a painting … The Peloponnesus peninsula was like a hammer plunging into the sea, and Italy to the west was like a leather boot … Further to the west, I also saw the Pillar of Hercules was like a door that separated the Mediterranean Sea from the ocean … The Mediterranean coast of Egypt was like a long green carpet that extended all the way to Africa …"
The Devers' dreamy narration attracted everyone. They compared it with their own geographical knowledge and realized that the Mediterranean Sea looked like this. This made them believe in the Devers' words.
"At this time, the person emitting the golden light said something to me?"
"What did he say?" everyone asked in unison.
"He said, 'Devers, your mission and that of your soldiers is in the west of the Mediterranean Sea!' After saying that, he pushed me down from the air, and I woke up in shock, "the Devers said with lingering fear, as if he was still in a dream.
"West of the Mediterranean Sea? Where is that?"
"Is it in Sicily?"
"It could be Italy."
"It could also be Iberia."
"Why can't it be Nubia?"
"Who is the person emitting the golden light? Is it Hades?"
"How could Hades have the golden light? It should be Athena of Athens! "
…
Just as everyone was speculating, the Devers sighed. Ever since he became the leader, he deliberately avoided using his identity as a "God's Chosen" and used his own ability to win the trust of his subordinates. But this time, it was a matter of great importance. He had to rely on the Greek gods again. He deliberately said the oracle vaguely.
Because the Oracle was ambiguous in the first place. For example, in the past, there was a kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor that wanted to go to war with Persia. They specially went to Delphi and spent a lot of money to ask for the oracle of Apollo. The oracle said that a large country would be destroyed. The Lydians happily went back to war, but in the end, the Lydia Kingdom was destroyed. The explanation of the priest of Apollo was: In Asia Minor, the Lydia Kingdom was also a large country.
Note: Turií (Thurii)
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