NOVEL NEXT Chapter 241: Cunogorata's Family Affairs.
It's important to understand that the original Crotone Alliance, whether in foreign affairs or warfare, was centered around Crotone. The other city-states also paid annual tribute. While Crotone certainly contributed significantly to the allies' security against foreign enemies, its strength often led it to make decisions without consulting its allies, forcing them to provide support, as was the case with its previous declaration of war against Dionia. If Davos' proposal were implemented, the opinions of smaller allies would be given weight in the new alliance, a boon for Trina, Corumnia, and Silene.
"I agree with the Archon's suggestion to establish such an alliance among our city-states. This will unite the city-states of southern Italy, protect our interests, and deter our enemies from easily aggressing!" The Trina envoy, Sipros, was the first to express his support.
Then, the Silene envoy agreed. The Corumnia envoy, whose home was protected by Crotone's army, only implicitly expressed his approval.
Everyone's attention focused on Thesprotis.
Hissprotis was now in a state of panic. He knew that if he agreed, the new alliance would be formed, the Crotone League would cease to exist, and Crotone's century-long dominance in southern Italy would end. In reality, Crotone's power had declined after the Second Crotone War, but it only used the Crotone League as a fig leaf to comfort the people.
Unwilling to shoulder such a heavy responsibility and become a scapegoat for public abuse, Thesprotis hesitantly said, "This matter... I... I can't make the decision. It must... be discussed and decided by the council."
The other envoys were disappointed by his delay, but Davos calmly said, "It's okay. We can wait."
Negotiations
could wait, but the war would not stop.
In mid-February, the Syracuse army easily captured Agrigento, bringing Sicily's second-largest Greek city-state under its control.
A few days later, the Locrian army, having received a small amount of reinforcements from home, emerged from camp and marched towards the city of Corinthia. Although over 2,000 Crotone reinforcements remained within the Cilicium, the Crotones resolutely joined forces with the Corinnian soldiers and marched out of the city to meet them. After an hour of fighting, the Locrians, relying on their superior numbers, began to gain the upper hand. If it weren't for the fortuitous strong wind that prevented the Locrian cavalry from pursuing, the Crotone-Corinnian coalition would have suffered more than a minor setback.
......
When Thurii was rebuilt, each senator was assigned a residence. Cunogorata deliberately chose a courtyard far from his former residence to avoid any traumatic memories.
That night, he returned home. The living room was still lit with candlelight, and his eldest son, Sostatus, came out to greet him: "Father, you came back so late today. Has something difficult happened in the city again?"
Kunogorata glanced at him, took off his sweaty bolton, stood in the courtyard, and asked the male slave to bring water to wash his body. Then he said, "Antaolis and others from Crimisa have come to the Senate to report. I'm busy today with a lot of things like household registration and housing allocation for them..."
"You don't need to do these things yourself, just let your men do it."
"What do you know! Considering that Crimisa has just joined the alliance, we need to use actions to show Dionysia's attention to these elders representing the people of Crimisa and dispel their worries..."
Sostatus leaned against the column and said disapprovingly, "Is it Davos's request again?"
"Damn you!" Kunogorata grabbed the damp cloth from the slave's hand and threw it at Sostatus, shouting, "How many times have I told you not to disrespect the Lord Archon? You never listen!"
"How am I disrespecting the Lord Archon?" Sostatus cried out in injustice as he picked up the damp cloth and carefully tossed it to the slave. "Lord Davos is my commander. I always abide by military law and obey orders. It's just that I've always spoken like this, and I can't change."
Kunogorata sighed as he watched his son's face maintain a lazy expression even when he was seriously refuting him. This son really doesn't seem cut out for politics! Thinking of this, he asked, "You're not going to bed so late, waiting for me here? Are you trying to borrow money from me again?"
"You underestimate me, father. The last time I borrowed money from you, I contracted the warehouse and hotel in Amendolara. Besides paying you back and paying the rent, guess how much money I made?" Sostatus asked smugly, but Kunogorata ignored him.
"Twenty minas a talent!" Sostatus wiggled his fingers, boasting, "If it weren't for the war with Crotone and the blockade of the port of Thurii, I'd have earned even more!"
He paused, then added, "Father, I have something to discuss with you."
"Go ahead," Cunogorata said, knowing he had something to say, feigning nonchalance.
Sostatus observed his expression and spoke cautiously, "After this war, the alliance will reward you and me with four acres of land in the northern plains of Croton. I intend to exchange it for land in Amendolara." "
What?! You're trading the fertile plains of Croton for the barren land of Amendolara!" Even Cunogorata, who didn't value money, had to be cautious about the land issue, for land was the lifeblood of the Greeks.
"Father, listen to my explanation!" Sostatus said hurriedly.
Cunogorata knew his son had a reason for saying this, so he washed himself, changed into clean clothes, and sat in the living room, listening intently.
"Father, as the governor of Thurii, you should know that since Thurii's reconstruction last year, trade at the port has been increasing." Sostatus' words made Cunogorata snort. How could he not know this? He could even readily recite the number of cargo ships entering and leaving Thurii's port each month and the amount of commercial tax on market trade. Marigi had devised a detailed plan to revive the alliance's trade, and he had devoted considerable effort to its implementation.
"Why am I making money?! It's because Thurii's port can no longer accommodate the influx of goods and foreigners. That's why the warehouses and inns at Amendolara, with its convenient transportation, are so popular. Now that we've defeated Crotone, we've not only expanded our territory once again but have become a truly powerful state in southern Italy. Merchants and freedmen will flock to us. And yet, your Senate has enacted a law prohibiting the diversion of the fertile Sybarite Plain for other uses, lest the land be reclaimed—" "
Yes, Burkes is in charge of this, and it's also to protect Thurii's arable land," Cunogorata interrupted.
"I think this bill is well-drafted!" Sostatus boasted, then added, "This way, Amendolara becomes the inevitable choice for these foreign merchants and freedmen. Furthermore, the land for that industrial zone Maliji established last year has all been auctioned off. I went to see it a few days ago, and a weapons workshop, a pottery workshop, and a stone carving shop have already begun operations. These are large-scale workshops, requiring large numbers of laborers and slaves, and therefore have a huge demand for accommodation, food, and even entertainment. Previously, I had preliminary discussions with others, and I think four acres of Croton Plains land could be exchanged for eight acres of Amendolara land near the industrial zone. With such a large piece of land, I could easily build a large number of low-cost housing and warehouses. The annual rent alone would be considerable. I could also build some small shops and rent them out to others as bakeries or clothing stores... Even in the future, when I have enough money, I could buy many slaves and rent them out for a profit..." Sostatus spoke of his dream incessantly.
"Father, no matter how fertile the land is, it will suffer heavy losses in a disaster year. But according to my method, as long as our Dionysian Alliance always remains strong, our family will get much more income every year than farming!"
Kunogorata looked at his son's high-spirited face, pondered for a long time, and said: "Socrates, you will be fully responsible for the family finances from now on. I will announce this at home tomorrow and let Koloesus (Kunogorata's slave steward) obey your arrangements in the future."
"Really?!" Sostatus couldn't believe his ears.
"Of course it's true! Since you have a talent for business, I won't let you bury it. But-" Kunogorata said: "After I die, half of the property you earn must be given to your brother. Can you agree?"
Under Kunogorata's gaze, Sostatus calmed down, thought carefully, and said solemnly: "Ever since our family was driven out of Thurii last time, and my sister Sefenna also... left us, it makes me feel more that I should cherish my family! Dikaokrate is my only brother, father, I will sign an agreement as Ni requested, and when you go... to Elysees, I will give him half of the family property! And my sister, when she remarries, I will also prepare a generous dowry for her!"
"Very good! Very good!!" Kunogorata was relieved and felt that his decision was not wrong, and Sostatus' words also reminded him of another worry.
Diona, his eldest daughter, was already married when he was driven out of Thurii, so she didn't follow them to Amendolara. As a result, she suffered humiliation in Thurii from her husband's family. During Crotone's attack on Thurii, her husband was killed, and her family expelled her.