Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece

“Impossible!” Several labourers showed surprised expressions and shouted simultaneously. They had caused such a commotion that they seemingly forgot the soldiers standing around, prompting Martius to strike his long shield with his sword again, quickly calming the crowd.

Adrius continued, “Because this priest of Hades was a Theonian, my father decided to trust his life saviour and took us to Irna… Eight years have passed, and my father is already a Theonian citizen, and apart from owning land in Irna, he became an official in the kingdom. Meanwhile, I learned to write Greek after studying at the school in Irna for four years at a meagre cost. And after reaching adulthood, I became an official in Irna with a generous monthly salary while my younger brother was still studying… Now our family lives well and is respected, and we have never again experienced the situation of being oppressed and starving since then…”

After finishing his story, the place became quiet as the labourers looked at the young interpreter. Although he is also a Latin with black hair and black eyes, he is well-built, has fair skin and has a gentle temperament. He is obviously unlike those who work daily in the dock, suffering injuries and falling ill.

Crotokatax listened to Adrius' story while looking at him carefully. He didn’t expect that this low-ranking and inconspicuous official who had just followed them would have such an extraordinary experience, making him curious about him.

Seeing the people fall silent, Davos struck while the iron was hot and pointed to several other interpreters, shouting, “Besides Adrius, all of them are Latin but also Theonian citizens. Over the years, many Latins decided to become Theonian citizens. Do you know why?

Because those Latin city-states controlled by nobles oppressed the civilians and made their lives harder, in contrast, we treated all citizens equally in the Kingdom of Theonia, giving them land and the law to protect their land! And anyone, rich or noble, who dares to steal the wealth of the commoners will be severely punished by the court! As a result, the people of Theonia have been able to live in peace, with plenty of food and a carefree life that is unachievable in any city-states!”

Then the several interpreters nodded repeatedly, with sincere expressions.

In reality, Davos had exaggerated the number of Latin citizens in the Kingdom of Theonia, with the total number reaching at most ten. Davos had known this because he had explicitly asked the Chief Census Officer Raphias to carefully search for them in the kingdom before they went on the expedition. Because Latium wasn’t adjacent to the Kingdom of Theonia, most Latins stayed in Irna. In addition, the maritime trade and ports of the city-states in Latium were underdeveloped, resulting in little information exchange with the outside world. Furthermore, as the vast majority of the Latins were farmers, they usually settled in one place. Coupled with the Theonian and Latin languages and cultural differences, only a few were willing to go south.

But Davos knew the labourers became interested after seeing them listen attentively, each having various thoughts with their eyes glistening.

Suddenly, someone in the slave group shouted, “Can we also become citizens of Theonia?!”

After Adrius translated the other party's words, Davos didn't expect the slaves to be the first to act. But he said immediately, “No matter what your origin or race, as long as you have the will to become a citizen and are willing to abide by Theonia’s law and fulfil the obligations that the kingdom requires of its citizens, we in Theonia are more than welcome to accept you and grant you the rights that a Theonian citizen should enjoy!”

Then with a wave of Davos’ hand, Martius immediately ordered the palace guards around him to remove their helmets, revealing their distinct hair colours and facial features. As a unit that had served King Davos for a long time and had a special status, the palace guards were known for their diverse racial composition in the Kingdom of Theonia, proving to everyone the king’s attitude towards treating all races equally. And this approach has proven effective in foreign lands. Furthermore, with slaves competing with them, the labourers became less reserved.

“How can one become a citizen of Theonia?” Several labourers asked almost at the same time.

“This is my clerk, Henipolis. Next, he will provide a detailed explanation of the procedures required to become a citizen of Theonia. You can ask him your questions, and he will answer in detail.” Davos pointed to Henipolis, holding a slate and taking notes beside him.

Henipolis quickly put away the slate and said earnestly, “I will answer their inquiries satisfyingly, Your Majesty.”

Finally, Davos turned to the crowd and asked aloud, “Is there anyone among you who has spent time in the city of Rome and who knows every quarter and every corner of the city and who also knows something of the various nobles of Rome? I would like to invite him to be my advisor. I will pay him, of course, and it would also help to reduce the number of years required to become a citizen of Theonia if he is willing to do so.”

Once the interpreters finished translating Davos' words, many in the crowd immediately raised their hands.

After some questioning, Davos chose a slave named Valerius because he was once a Roman citizen.

When Davos first appeared, fear filled the eyes of the slaves and labourers. But when he left, their gazes were filled with awe.

Davos glanced back at the crowd gathering around Henipolis in the torch-lit clearing. He felt this was a good start, for he planned to turn these people into Theonian citizens and make them the sparks that would ignite a raging fire in this land.

But this is a long process, and time is short. He also has a lot to do tonight.

On his way back to the city, Davos bumped into Tolmides, who hurried over and said, “Your Majesty, Amintas' battle report has arrived.”

“How's the situation?”

“After defeating the Roman army, Amintas led his entire army in pursuit, especially the two cavalry legions that desperately chased the Romans towards the south of Lavinium while also seizing this small city. In addition, Amintas captured many Roman soldiers that he couldn't even have the time to count. Worried that these captives would drag down their military operation tomorrow, he adopted our method in Persia.” Tolmides lowered his voice when he uttered the last sentence.

Davos glanced at Crotokatax beside him and said, “Have the herald return immediately and tell Amintas that he has won magnificently! But have him order the soldiers to rest tonight to regain their strength and find a way to solve the soldiers' rations. He must ensure the soldiers are in good shape when he leads them tomorrow and meets us in Rome, preferably not too late.”

“Understood!”

Crotokatax asked curiously, “Father, what's the old method?”

Tolmides looked at the now grown but still childish-looking Prince of Theonia but remained silent.

Davos hesitated but eventually decided to tell him, “It is to sever the captives' hands and feet to immobilise them and then leave them on the battlefield… We used this method to deal with captured soldiers to avoid killing them while fleeing Persia since some of Persia's subordinate city-states constantly attacked us, which would have provoked the enemy even more. In addition, it was also to divert the enemy's attention towards caring for the wounded soldiers…”

“But…isn't that too cruel…” Crotokatax couldn't accept it. Then faced with Davos' serious gaze, Crotokatax gathered up his courage and said, “They have all surrendered, so we should ensure their safety. Father, that should also be beneficial for us to win the goodwill of these Romans, allowing us to conquer this land faster!”

Instead of getting angry at his son's lecture, Davos smiled and said, “Croto, I'm glad you have your own opinion! But you need to understand that the Romans are our enemies now, and even after we won two victories, our army far away from the kingdom is still in danger. We might lose against the Romans and its allies that far outnumbered us at any time, die on this unfamiliar land or become slaves of the enemy. Hence our primary goal is to do everything possible to ensure we can continue winning while reducing our soldiers’ casualties, even if cruel. Only when we have the absolute advance can we consider the issue you had raised…”

Davos patiently taught his son. Once he saw him ponder, he encouraged him by patting his shoulder. Then he turned around and asked Tolmides, “Has the soldiers' accommodation been arranged yet?”

“We've arranged everything. There are quite a few warehouses in the city that we simply modified, which is much better than sleeping in tents. In addition, we have locked up all the Ostians in one place and provided the emptied houses for the officers' and soldiers’ accommodation. However, there are still some extra empty houses-”

“Then arrange for the slaves and labourers to stay there. After all, some of them will come with us tomorrow and need a good rest. Additionally, they can enjoy the benefits of joining our kingdom of Theonia in advance.”

“Understood. I will arrange it quickly.”

“How is our food situation?”