Chapter 939
"I've heard about it." Sextus sighed. "It's the tomb of the Rome Men! It is said that the name on the tombstone was given by the King of Devers, and Camillus's ashes were also buried in it. I think … although the name is simple, it is a compliment to them … "
There was a moment of silence between the two. Sextus realized that he had said something wrong. If it was a compliment to those who fought to the death, what about those who surrendered themselves?
Therefore, he quickly changed the topic. "It's a pity that the temples of Jupiter and Juno have been burned down! I don't even know how long it will take to build them again! "
"Rebuilt?!" Stolo shook his head and turned his eyes to the empty space in front of him. There was pain, reluctance, and a hint of hatred in his eyes. He said faintly, "There will be no more temples of Jupiter, Juno, and Janus here. I heard from the people of Diónia that they will build the Temple of Diana here, as well as the Temple of Hades and the Temple of Hera of Diónia. Jupiter … has given up Rome. I think it will not be long before he is abandoned by the people of Rome …"
Sextus was surprised. He looked at the empty space on the top of the mountain in disappointment, but he did not say anything. The Temple of Diana was the favorite temple of the commoners in Rome. During his time with the Dionysian Army, the people of Diónia often praised Hades, which influenced him to think that Hades was a powerful god who cared about mortals. After he came back, he heard from his father that Hades was also quite popular among the commoners of Rome.
As for Hera, he only knew that she was a Greek goddess in charge of marriage and family, so she should not be too bad.
"I heard that you will soon follow the Dionysian Army south to fight against Carthage," Stolo suddenly said.
"Before we returned to Rome, the King of Devers announced it to us. How did you know about it so soon?" Sextus was a little surprised.
"I am now in the city hall to assist the officials of Diónia. The current governor of Rome, Asistes, asked me about the weapons and equipment of the militia of Rome, the daily ration, whether they can adapt to traveling by ship, how much weight they can carry when marching … He asked in great detail, so I guess you will be going south," Stolo said confidently.
Since the soldiers had returned, the news of the expedition would soon spread, so Sextus had nothing to hide. He said frankly, "The King of Devers has publicly promised that he will not send the army of Rome into a difficult battle. However, after returning victorious, the soldiers received quite a lot of rewards, and some of the soldiers who performed outstandingly were immediately promoted. Therefore, many people expressed to me that they were worried that they wouldn't be able to fight in the south and wouldn't be able to obtain more military merits. They hoped that when the time came, I would take the initiative to ask to fight … "
Stolo sighed. "Diónia is very different from Rome. For the civilians, they have more opportunities to rise!"
"Why? Are you tempted?" Sextus said half-jokingly. "You might as well join the reserve brigade of Rome now."
"I have a lot of things to do now. I am too busy, and I am afraid that the city hall will not let me go." Stolo complained, but there was a hint of pride in his words. "I am also taking the time to familiarize myself with the laws of Diónia, so that I can pass their assessment and become a judge of this kingdom."
"May Diana bless you with success!" Sextus wished sincerely. "I hope that one day we can enter the Senate of Diónia and fight for more rights for the people of Rome!"
After hearing this, Stolo's spirit was lifted, and his face became a little more spirited. "Let us work hard together!"
The two were full of ambition, and they looked at the city of Rome at the foot of the mountain. Rome, which was under reconstruction, was also full of vitality, but it was different from the past …
… …
At noon the next day, the Devers held another banquet. This time, the guests were the emissaries of the Latin Alliance and several Etrurian Alliance.
At the banquet, the Devers once again emphasized the responsibilities and obligations of the Latin Alliance in Diónia, and at the same time, solemnly promised that Diónia would not interfere in their internal affairs and would do its best to protect their territorial security.
Now that Rome was completely destroyed, these city-states did not dare to be half-hearted. The emissaries rushed to express that they would absolutely abide by the covenant of the Diónia Alliance!
Since then, a huge alliance system with Diónia as the leader, the Latin city-states and the southern city-states of Etruria as subsidiaries, and Wolsey and Helniki as strong support replaced Rome and stood in central Italy, deterring the surrounding forces.
That night, the Devers held a banquet for Asistes and Giogris in the house where he temporarily lived.
"I heard that this is the house of Cominius Maruginense, the patriarch of the largest clan in Rome. Although the location of the house is good, the interior decoration is very ordinary. It can be seen that the nobles of Rome do not advocate luxury," said the Devers casually after taking a sip of wine.
"Your Majesty, you underestimate Maruginense. He has several houses in the city, and this is only one of them. Besides, he has a bigger house outside the city, more than 600 acres of land, all along the river, and hundreds of slaves …" Asistes briefly introduced Maruginense's property.
The Devers did not take it seriously. Instead, he laughed and said, "It is precisely because of these nobles of Rome that the commoners of Rome are angry. This made it easier for us to win the hearts of the commoners of Rome. They even applauded our decision to forcibly relocate the surrendered nobles. For this, I really have to thank these nobles."
"Your Majesty, are you really going to let these surrendered nobles of Rome follow you to Sicily to fight?" Asistes asked with concern.
"Yes." The Devers stopped smiling and said seriously, "Even if many of the surrendered Rome army died because of the plague, there are still more than 7,000 people left, excluding the wounded soldiers who have lost their ability to fight. This is not a small force! I'm afraid that after I lead the army out of Rome, they will suddenly change their minds and refuse to leave Latin with their families. They might even start a rebellion and destroy the new order that we have spent a lot of effort to establish here. This will always be a factor of instability! And I will use a larger army to guard them, so they will not dare to do anything! "
"But after all, they are not the reserve soldiers of Rome. Those people have basically surrendered to the kingdom. They have resentment in their hearts, and this time they are going to Sicily. Rome and Carthage are allies. If they collude with each other …" Asistes expressed his concern.
The Devers smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have a way."
Since he had always believed in the ability of the Devers, Asistes did not try to persuade him anymore.
The Devers looked at him and praised, "Asi, since you became the chief executive of Rome, in just a few months, the political situation in Rome has become stable, and the order is good. The various departments of the city hall have gradually achieved results in the management of the city. The people of Rome have also gradually recognized Diónia, and they have begun to obey the various laws of the kingdom … Your achievements are beyond my expectations!"
"Your Majesty." The Asistes said humbly, "There are still many problems with the governance of Rome. There are two most important problems. One is the language barrier, which reduces the efficiency of the execution of orders. The other is the conflict between the citizens of Diónia and the people of Rome. This is also the reason for the increase of conflicts in the city of Rome. "
The Devers gently nodded and said in a low voice, "The language barrier and the conflict between the new and the old citizens … These are the most common problems we encounter when we conquer a new race. You have served in Neutum, Kenapetia, Messagne, and Enona, and your political achievements are outstanding. I believe you have a lot of experience in this area, and you will eventually solve it well. Moreover, Giogris will give you a lot of help. "
"Ah! Me? "Giogris, who was quietly tasting the food at the side, was a little surprised when he heard this.
"This time, you will lead the Fifth Legion to stay in Rome. Not only do you have to be ready to extinguish any possible riots, but you also have to ensure the rule of the kingdom here." The Devers looked at him and said with a serious face, "Since the war here has just ended, the order has not been fully restored. It is impossible for the Ministry of Military Affairs to immediately send out military trainers to avoid riots when the citizens are gathered together. However, with the Fifth Legion as a guarantee, you can use the slack farming time after the autumn harvest to gather the citizens of Rome, Vei, Gabi, Caesrella, Phedinae, and other towns for military training. Try to mix the migrated citizens of Diónia with the new citizens of other races. Let them gradually cultivate comradeship through strict training and intense ball games, and learn the simple language of Diónia through frequent contact … "
"This is a great idea!" The Asistes interrupted excitedly, "Do you still remember, Your Majesty?! In the beginning, we mainly used this method to make the Lucania warriors of Bagoule acknowledge us, and finally fight side by side with us! "
"Yes, of course I remember." The Devers said emotionally, "That was almost 20 years ago!"
The Asistes had an idea and immediately said, "I suggest that Latin's military camp be built south of the river port and granary. This way, the military camp will not only be located in the center of these towns, but it will also solve the problem of the river port and granary's security."
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