NOVEL NEXT Chapter 231: Postwar Senate Meeting 2
Hiros thanked Cornelus for his implicit praise.
Davos said, "I'll ask Amendolara to recommend a suitable patrol captain."
Cornelus immediately perked up. "Sir Archon, please speak."
"Epithenes," Davos said affirmatively, pointing to the back row, "he would make an excellent patrol captain."
"Huh?!" Epithenes, who was whispering with Tspite, was surprised to be mentioned. "Why me?!"
"So you can focus more on the administration of the Alliance and set a good example for your soldiers, instead of constantly harming the young men of Dionysia!" Davos said half-jokingly.
Everyone laughed. Epithenes's fondness for beautiful boys was well known, and many senators shared this preference, though Epithenes was more overtly so. Greeks' admiration for young men was not only a fashion but also a tradition. Although Davos personally felt uncomfortable with the idea, he expressed respect and did not wish to force change. Beyond this, what Davos admired most about Epithenes was his calm deliberation on the battlefield and his agile response to complex situations. He always completed the tasks assigned to him, often exceeding expectations.
Under Davos's pressure and Cornelus's repeated requests, Epithenes finally agreed. His helpless expression once again drew laughter from Amyntas and the others.
By this point, it was already past noon, and Cornelus adjourned the meeting for half an hour. Slaves waiting outside the Senate immediately entered, bringing food and water to their masters.
Even with the half-hour break, Davos had no time to relax. Over a bite of bread, he discussed with Skombras and Helos the issues they would need to address after taking office, as well as how the two cities could cooperate and strengthen ties to prepare for any potential situations in the south.
Then, Kunogorata approached him to discuss arrangements for the five new senators. As senators, their families naturally settled in Thurii to facilitate their duties. Even if a senator became governor of another city, they would not move out of their residence in Thurii. After all, the term of office for a city governor was only two years, while that of a senator was lifelong.
Thurii also had a significant amount of unused public land, managed by the Senate and not easily granted. Granting a small plot for a new senator to build a residence would not be free. The Dionysian Land Law clearly stipulated this, and even if Daphnis purchased the land, he would still have to pay the market price. Due to the massive influx of population over the past year, residential land prices in Thurii had been rising, and this increase was expected to accelerate after Dionysia's victory over Crotone.
Kunogorata hoped that the land granted to the new senators would be sold at the original price, demonstrating the Senate's sincerity and appeasing the newcomers.
Davos agreed, and also considered that if any of the five newly appointed Crimisa senators were unable to pay, the treasury could cover the cost first and be reimbursed later.
After the half-hour break, the Senate meeting resumed.
Davos stood and announced his first proposal: "Although Dionysia won the war against Crotone, it exposed several problems, the most important and pressing of which is the navy!"
Davos's words immediately resonated with the senators.
"Your Excellency, Archon, you are right! The greatest loss inflicted by the Crotones during this war was their fleet's constant landings and plundering—burning villages in Thurii and killing many of our people. Even now, Thurii officials are still struggling to relocate people and rebuild homes!" Kunogorata complained.
"If we Dionysia had a navy as powerful as our army, Crotone would have surrendered long ago after the battle, and there would have been no need to siege Crimisa!" Amyntas emphasized.
"The Dionysian Alliance's trade is booming, and our territory is expanding rapidly. We need a powerful fleet to protect our maritime trade, prevent attacks on our long coastline, and ensure our ports are not blockaded by enemy warships!" Maligi warned loudly.
"That's right! We need a strong navy to protect the Alliance!" Everyone agreed.
"Now that we've all reached a consensus, here's my proposal," Davos continued. "In addition to accelerating the completion of the three triremes currently under construction, we'll also build seven more this year. I've asked Enanilus, and the Thurii shipyard doesn't have enough docks for such a large order. Crimisa has a larger shipyard capable of building triremes, so we can allocate a portion of the order to them. Going forward, we'll build ten triremes each year until we have fifty in five years. At the same time, we'll equip the fleet with twenty medium-sized warships (hundred-man ships) and ten small warships (fifty-man ships), forming a relatively powerful Dionysian navy of eighty ships."
Everyone agreed the plan was feasible, but Melses objected: "No! No! This would cost the Alliance over a hundred talents per year. That's too much!"
"Although it's a bit more, our treasury can fully afford it. Last year, the treasury collected over 200 talents from land, rent, and trade taxes alone. This year, the lowest estimate Maligi gave is that revenue will at least double." Davos said this, and many senators were surprised. Unknowingly, Dionysia's treasury revenue was almost on par with Tarantum and Crotone. Spending a portion to build a fleet should be more than manageable.
"Lord Melses, building ten triremes costs less than a hundred talents per year," Marigi reminded everyone. "The cost consists mainly of timber and manufacturing. The mountains of our alliance, especially in Lucania, contain countless high-quality cedars, perfect for triremes. Athens once had an agreement with Thurii to provide a certain amount of shipbuilding timber annually."
"Indeed," Enanilus added. "Thurii was to provide Athens at least a thousand shipbuilding timbers annually, doubled if necessary. To fulfill this, Thurii cut trees en masse for decades. While they earned money from the timber, it also reduced the number of older cedars nearby. Eventually, other city-states supplied timber to Athens instead, profiting from resale."
"During the later stages of the Athens-Sparta war, when Sparta gained a naval advantage, the agreement was canceled," Kunogorata added.
Davos nodded. As Archon, he understood the agreement. Athens had two major strategic flaws: limited grain production requiring imports, and a shortage of forests suitable for warships. Magna Graecia, with its Apennine Mountains, became a key timber source, with Thurii as the primary supplier.
"Therefore, I request the Senate authorize Alliance slaves to fell a set number of cedars annually for warship construction. This would cost nothing. As for manufacturing—" Malighi looked at Enanilus jokingly. "I believe Lord Enanilus won't overcharge the Alliance."
Enanilus smiled helplessly.
Everyone agreed Malighi's argument was sound, easing concerns about costs.
"But have you considered maintenance costs once the warships are built? That's also considerable!" Melses said skeptically.
"We discussed this before," Davos said, and Enanilus nodded. "In peacetime, some ships patrol the coast, some are docked for repairs, and others escort merchant ships, especially along the Adriatic route where piracy is common. They can also temporarily serve as cargo ships, transporting goods to friendly city-states. This not only earns maintenance fees but also hones crew skills."
Davos paused for effect. "In addition, we need a qualified commander for the new Dionysian Navy. His tasks include assisting the military officer Philistius in supervising ship construction, working with financial officer Melses to review funds, recruiting sailors, staffing crews, conducting training, arranging coastal patrols, and—" Davos emphasized, "winning naval battles. Does anyone have any qualified candidates to recommend?"