Chapter 630
This was a leader who had a close relationship with Arconis. His question caused the panicking leaders to focus their gazes on Arconis.
Arconis took over the conversation. "What should we do? Gather our warriors and form a strong army. We'll declare war on Diónia and take back everything we've lost! "
The leaders were shocked again.
An old leader reminded him, "Chief Arconis, don't forget that Diónia defeated the overlord of Syracuse, Dionysius, ten years ago. The Kingdom of Diónia is even more powerful now! How can we fight against the powerful Kingdom of Diónia? "
Some of the leaders nodded in agreement, but Arconis immediately said, "Who said we're fighting against Diónia alone? We have the support of the equally powerful Carthage! "
The leaders were shocked when they heard this.
Arconis raised his head and took out a letter from his pocket. He handed it to the leader beside him. The other leaders ignored their statuses and gathered around the letter.
"The Carthaginians told us that as long as we stand up against Dionysia, they will intervene in this war and help us, the people of Sikael, gain independence," Aklis said loudly with a hint of smugness.
"The Carthage is just using us," one of the leaders said.
"The Carthage is using us, but we are also using them. Otherwise, how could Kaifarotian and Enna be taken down so easily … "Arconis sneered.
Some of the leaders suddenly realized that the Carthage had been supporting the Taninian Tribe for a long time. Otherwise, how could this tribe, which was almost abandoned by the Sikeres, grow into such a powerful tribe in just a few years?
"Alright, leaders, you know the situation now. It's time to take action!" Arconis looked around and said in a serious tone, "All of you, gather the warriors of your tribe here, and we will attack Agilion together!"
Attack Agilion?! Agilion was the largest town in Sikeres. It had many people and high walls. It was extremely difficult to attack! The leaders were stunned.
Aconis said respectfully to a middle-aged leader on his left, "Uncle Seacopus, what do you think?"
"No problem. My tribe is ready. As soon as your army attacks Agillion, they will immediately cooperate with you in the city. "
Seacopus, the leader of the large tribe of Trakler in the city of Agilion! Someone recognized him, and his face changed slightly. Only then did he remember that Arconis was the son of the former king of Sikaer, Agillion, and Agillion was the seat of the royal court of Sikaer. Although Dionysius had poisoned Agilis to death and destroyed the Kingdom of Sikell, there were still supporters of Arconis in Achilon!
"Let's go back to the tribe and gather our clansmen immediately." The chiefs, who each had their own thoughts, expressed their agreement.
Arconis said, "You don't need to go back. Send your men back to carry out the task. I'm holding a banquet in the city. I'd like to invite all the leaders to attend."
The leaders' faces all changed. This was forcing them to take sides!
But when they saw the fully-armed soldiers rushing into the hall, most of the leaders obediently obeyed. Over the past few years, Arconis had led his army to conquer several cities and occupied many tribes. The leaders who dared to resist were all killed by his sword. Those who survived were all cowards who helped him deceive Diónia, so they did not dare to resist now.
Just then, a guard hurried in and whispered a few words in Arconis' ear. He was just looking at the embarrassed leaders with a smug expression, but now he was stunned. His men had told him that Diónia's Eighth Legion had suddenly stationed in Agillion!
The sudden news disrupted his original plan, and he immediately discussed it with Hippus nervously.
Seacopus, who had been arrogant just now, was also panicking. At the same time, his confidant also reported to him that Agillion had been sealed, and they could not get in touch with the tribes in the city.
After a tense discussion, Arconis immediately announced to the leaders that they were to send more men back to gather their clansmen. They had to bring the army to Kafaloytian tomorrow!
In order to appease the confused leaders, the banquet continued.
But when the banquet that lasted for a few hours was about to end, the guard brought another piece of bad news. Arconis, who was slightly drunk, could not control his emotions and smashed the ceramic cup in his hand.
The news that the Eighth Legion of Diónia had quickly captured Hena made him lose his cool, and the leaders even more panicked. A few of the leaders from Hena even cried bitterly, and the cheerful atmosphere of the banquet was completely gone.
… …
Kelisopus, who was already in his fifties, received the decision of the council of elders. After a secret discussion with Agesilaus, he hurried to the port of Gophian, boarded a passenger ship, and headed for Diónia.
The passenger ship drifted along the west coast of the Peloponnesus Peninsula for a night. The next morning, it sailed across the Adriatic Sea and docked at the top of the "heel" of the Italian Peninsula. This was the city of Odlum, which belonged to the Kingdom of Diónia.
After a night's rest, Kelisopus had regained his energy. After disembarking, he leisurely strolled around the port.
Odrum used to be a city-state of the Mesapian people. Although it used to be near the Adriatic Sea, few Greeks knew about it. This was because the famous Mesapian city-states were Brindisi and Mesagne. Odrum, on the other hand, was surrounded by uneven terrain and inconvenient transportation. Hence, very few Greek merchant ships were willing to stop here. It was not until Dionysia conquered the Mesapian region that this town gradually became famous.
Kelisopus saw that there were many merchant ships anchored in the port, and it was even a little crowded. Labourers were rushing back and forth on the dock, constantly moving goods. It was a little hectic, and there would occasionally be some mistakes. From time to time, the owners of the ships would curse and even cause some small conflicts. Therefore, the patrol team had been maintaining order at the dock. It was obvious that the people of Odlum had not fully adapted to such a busy port.
He also noticed that there were quite a number of Illyrians in the port. These unwelcome barbarian races that the natives of Greece referred to as' bandits' and 'pirates' had actually appeared here in large numbers, and he was rather curious about it.
The city of Odlum was also quite lively. The streets were filled with foreigners, Cretans, Corinth, Epirus, Kekirans … There were many merchants from the Peloponnesus Peninsula. However, Kelisopus was not surprised. After all, the vast territory, large population, and rich resources of the Kingdom of Diónia provided a huge business opportunity for Greek merchants. These greedy merchants flocked to Odlum, and Odlum was the nearest town of Diónia to Greece.
The largest number of shops in the city was actually a carriage house. Kelisopus immediately understood that Odlum had gradually formed a vague impression in the minds of the Greeks of the Eastern Mediterranean. It was the first town for Greeks from the Eastern Mediterranean to travel by land to the center of Diónia, Turií, or other places. It was also cheap to take a carriage here, probably because the Messapian region was also rich in horses.
Kelisopus hired a carriage from the carriage house in the city and went to the city of Tarantum.
The coachman was a Messapian, and he was not very talkative. However, under Kelisopus's intentional questioning, he gave a lot of information.
At first, when it was annexed by Diónia, the Messapians of Odlum resisted the rule of Diónia. One of the coachman's relatives died in a riot. However, the swords and spears of the Diónia soldiers made them suffer. The people of Odlum gradually changed their ways and chose to resist in silence. Even when the governor of Odlum, Nicomachus, who was appointed by Diónia, announced that "according to the laws of Diónia, the tribes will be abolished, and the people of Odlum will be given individual independence …", they were only skeptical, waiting to see the people of Diónia make a fool of themselves. Although Odlum had a small population, according to the laws of Diónia that Nicomachus mentioned, each person would be given five acres of land. Odrum's land was so small and barren that it would not be enough.
However, the short-sighted people of Odlum did not expect that the governor would really give them land, not barren mountains, but plains not far from Odlum. Those lands used to belong to other city-states, but now under the unified rule of the Kingdom of Diónia, they belonged to Odlum. For the first time, the people of Odlum felt the benefits of joining Diónia.
Then, the second benefit came. "All Messapians who become citizens of Diónia will be exempted from taxes for two years in a row!" In addition, the governor, Nicomachus, also told them, "For those who don't know how to farm, don't worry. The Ministry of Agriculture will send specialized personnel to teach them. If anyone's family doesn't have enough labor, they can go to the newly established Cristoia Bank in the city to get a loan, and then go to Tarantum to buy slaves with farming experience."
Tarantum was the mortal enemy of the Messapians. When the two sides met, they would only fight to the death. Now, it was actually under the rule of Diónia (the Messapians did not understand the meaning of a "free city" and thought that Tarantum had been completely integrated into Diónia)!
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