The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe

The Citizens' Assembly then held an election, appointing Lysias, who had brought peace to Crotone, as Chief General. Although his territorial cession drew criticism from many, the over 10,000 citizen soldiers who had returned home were grateful for his timely rescue from the ordeal, and a majority voted for him. Also elected General was Hisprotes, who had participated in the peace negotiations with Lysias. For a time, the conservatives in Crotone's Executive Committee of Generals clearly held the upper hand.

However, the most urgent task was to repel Locri and rescue the allies. Crotone's newly formed cabinet of ten generals was well aware of this, and after careful consideration, they decided to appoint three experienced captains, previously captured by the Dionysians, as commanders.

Thus, the soldiers who had just returned to Crotone were forced to embark on another campaign. With 15,000 soldiers (including 10,000 heavy infantry), plus 4,000 recruited freemen, and rations, they immediately set out for Corumnia.

Someone in the council objected, demanding that more citizens remain to protect the empty city of Crotone.

Lysias, though conservative, was not a coward. He not only disagreed, but even sent envoys to Asprustum to inform the Dionysian garrison that Crotone was now empty and requested assistance from its allies if necessary.

Upon receiving a clear response from Assistus, the Crotone fleet, commanded by Admiral Askamas, sailed for Corumnia with over sixty warships of various sizes.

Just as Crotone was about to battle Locri, the Dionysian Senate voted to select five candidates for Crimissa's Senate seat: Antaoris, Eurikpus, and Pleiades were all selected.

This was just the beginning of a lengthy Senate meeting, which would soon be followed by rewards for the soldiers who had participated in the Crotone War. Due to the large number of participants, the military officer Philistius and the household officer Raphias only determined a rough number at the meeting: about 7,000 formal citizens would receive 1 to 3 acres of land based on their military merits. The elders, headed by Davos, suggested that as much land as possible be allocated to the cities where citizens live. Of course, if the individual voluntarily exchanged it, it should be satisfied.

The second group included about 15,000 freemen who participated in the war and were registered. Due to the victory of several consecutive battles, according to the law, more than half of them would directly enter the probation period of formal citizens.

Since a large amount of land and two cities were obtained in this war, a large number of manpower was urgently needed to occupy these lands and guard the new cities. Therefore, although the formal citizens had not yet completed their probationary period, the Senate still granted them five acres of land in Crimissa, Asprustum, and the plains north of Crotone. Because they had not yet become full citizens, they would still pay a 10% tax on land revenue during this probationary period, reduced to 1% upon becoming full citizens.

For the nearly 6,000 freedmen who participated in the war, their probationary period for becoming prospective citizens would be halved, and they would be given priority to rent and cultivate city-state land, though their 20% tax would remain unchanged.

For soldiers killed in battle, whether citizens or freedmen, the Senate would grant them the same rewards as regular soldiers, provided their relatives were still alive, and would also provide generous pensions, primarily from spoils of war.

The entire reward and distribution process would be led by the agricultural officer Burcus and the census officer Raphias, assisted by the legion commanders Capus, Draco, and Hieronymus.

"The citizens of Dionysia have responded to the call, fulfilled their duties, and fought bravely for the Alliance. As the helmsman of this great ship of the Alliance, we, the Senate, must also fairly reward and care for them. We must not allow our warriors to shed tears alongside their blood! Only in this way can we encourage more citizens to contribute to the prosperity and strength of the Alliance!" Finally, Davos used a passionate speech to remind Burcus and his companions as they were about to begin their work.

The next topic of discussion was the selection of governors for Crimissa and Asprustum.

Many senators registered for Crimissa, as it was a seaport city with favorable conditions and a predominantly Greek population. Although it was adjacent to Crotone, it was an ally, and with Asprustum as its frontrunner, its governing environment was relatively secure.

The final vote yielded the highest number of votes, surprising some. However, upon closer inspection, although Crimissa had a short temper, he was quick-witted, quick to correct his mistakes, and not overly scheming. He was also willing to help the younger generation, which made him a popular choice for many.

According to Dionysian law, Davos possessed the ultimate veto over any proposal in the Senate, but he rarely exercised this power, as long as the proposals were reasonable. For example, he thought the selection of the Crimean Governor was a good one, and that Skombras's straightforward and approachable personality might win over the Crimeans, who still harbored some hostility towards the Dionysians. Thus, he was the first to congratulate Skombras.

"Don't worry, Archon. I will ensure that the Crimeans quickly accept the Dionysian Alliance, while also facilitating the smooth transition between the locals and the new immigrants..." Skombras assured Davos with high spirits.

An elder in the family is like a treasure. Even before taking office, Skombras, already over fifty, had already grasped the two major issues that would require his attention as governor of Crimea. Davos smiled and said, "With you in Crimea, the Senate has nothing to worry about!"

As for the selection of the governor of Asprustum, Davos had previously stated that, unlike Crimea, Asprustum, situated in the middle and upper reaches of the Neto River, faced frequent harassment from the Brutti from the southwest. To the south, they needed to be vigilant and deter other Greek city-states from coveting the plains north of Crotone, while also maintaining good relations with the Crotonites.

Furthermore, Davos informed the senators that many Lucanian warriors were willing to relocate to Asprustum. This gave Asprustum the highest proportion of Lucanian residents among the cities of the Dionysian League, excluding Lucania (which included Nieutum).

Therefore, the requirements for the administrator of Asprustum were quite high. First, he must possess strong military talent, administrative experience, and strong coordination skills, while also being able to maintain the obedience of the Lucanians, who had recently joined Dionysia and were still somewhat undisciplined.

For the senators like Amendolara and Thurii, who had suffered the pain of war before, asking them to handle the war independently was a dread they held. Vespa and Hermon were proactive in offering suggestions regarding Lucanian affairs, but when it came to the affairs of the Greek city-states, they remained calm observers and voters. Most of the mercenary senators were unwilling to handle administrative matters or lacked the skills.

Those with stronger administrative abilities, such as Antonius and Alexis, held important public positions and were unable to leave. Therefore, when the rotating chairperson, Cornelus, called for a show of hands for those willing to serve as administrator of Asprustum, no one responded.

Davos was surprised by this, and a name suddenly came to mind: Asistes. However, Asistes was not a member of the Senate and could not serve as the city administrator according to regulations. He only then realized that before the promulgation of the "Dionysian Alliance Public Office Law," it became difficult for former mercenaries who had not become members of the Senate to re-enter the Senate and become senators.

For these men, most of whom only thought about fighting, it was undoubtedly impossible to let them re-engage in administrative affairs and move up one level at a time. It seemed necessary to add a few regulations to the "Public Office Law" specifically for senior legion generals to enter the Senate.

Davos was thinking, but saw someone in the crowd raise his hand—Xilos, who was actually Davos's former captain and most capable confidant.

Some time ago, Davos was busy with official duties, while Helos served as patrol captain in Amendolara. Aside from encounters at Senate meetings, the two had few opportunities to meet, but Davos was familiar with Helos's performance. With the prosperity of Amendolara's storage, accommodation, and catering services, a large influx of foreigners had occurred, yet major conflicts had remained absent. Helos's performance was crucial.

His ability to handle emergencies and his impartiality in resolving conflicts between residents and outsiders had earned him praise from the people of Amendolara and the governor, Cornelus. As for his military prowess, Davos praised him for his prudent deployment of troops, a skill perfectly suited to Asprustum's unique geographical location. He believed that with his extensive mercenary experience, Helos would have no problem winning over the Lucanians. As for his administrative experience…

Davos pondered and decided that Asistes could remain in Asprustum for a while to assist Helos in handling government affairs. He believed that with Helos's diligent learning attitude, he would soon be able to govern independently.

After a long wait, only Helos was left. Cornelus reluctantly announced: Helos is the candidate for the Asprustum Administrator.

"I agree that Helos should be the Asprustum Administrator; he is the most suitable candidate!" Davos was the first to clearly express his support.

Then Capus, Antonios, and others also expressed their agreement, and the candidate for Asprustum Administrator was finalized. Only Cornelus sighed, "Although I really want to congratulate Helos, I cannot help but express my regret for Amendolara losing an excellent patrol captain!"