Chapter 90
The people who have been nourished by the prosperous commerce and fertile land of Tarantum for a long time have felt the cruelty of the war. They have no ambition to have a long-term relationship with Dionia, and only hope that their homeland will no longer have relatives sacrificed.
At the strong request of the citizens, the Senate organized a hasty citizens' assembly, and after intense debate, finally decided to use the victory of this battle to propose peace talks to the Mesapis.
In order to prevent the obstruction of the militant consul Diomilas, the Citizens Assembly also elected the next consul in advance. Eumacas was still elected, and Dicitimas became the consul again. He also shouldered the mission of the consul. Messapi, complete the mission of peace talks.
As for Diomilas, the Tarantum were not as radical as the Crotones, and there was no demand for his trial, but it would never be easier for him to return to Tarantum.
Dicitimas was on his way to the camp, and Davos was writing a letter to the Dionysian Senate: Ladies and gentlemen, after I arrived at Tarantum with my army, I met 30,000 maple in the mountains yesterday. The coalition forces fought and won a battle. Our soldiers suffered few casualties, but Tarantum suffered heavy casualties...
Judging from the results of the war during this period, Tarantum's decline was inevitable. Therefore, Triphias, the consul of Heraclea, offered me to join the Dionysian League, and Tudpres, the consul of Metapontum, was also shaken.
Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps you haven't realized that the Dionysian Alliance is no longer the weak city-state that was subject to the invasion of powerful states in the past, but has become the most powerful force in southern Italy! Now that Dionia has become the overlord of southern Italy and has attracted the attention of other city-states in southern Italy, we must promptly change the previous cautious and conservative style and show the spirit of a strong alliance, so that the city-states of southern Italy can be tightly united. Around Dionia, guard the safety of Dionia, and Dionia also guards the peace and stability of all southern Italian Greek city-states, and protects the safety of every Greek. This is our elder Dionia. The goal that the hospital is going to strive to achieve!
Sirius, as a Greek tribe living in a foreign race, asked us for help in times of crisis, and this is the time to test us. Rejecting him will make our allies and the watching city-states suspicious; accepting it will inspire the courage of the city-states who have hoped for Dionia, because Dionia is for such a small city as Sirus. The tribes, willing to go to war with Bruti, will lend a helping hand. So when other city-states are in danger, how can Dionia not give her all to help!
In addition, even if there is a war with the Brutes because of the maintenance of the Siru tribe, we do not need to regret it, because the war between Dionia and Bruti is inevitable! The reason why the Sirru tribe is asking us for help is that Cosenza is uniting the various tribes of Bruti to form a more powerful and terrible alliance of Bruti tribes, just like the original Lukalia tribe alliance. We all know that the land in the Bruti region is barren and the production is not abundant. In the past, the Bruti people often climbed the mountains and plundered various Greek city-states to obtain materials and population. Now the establishment of a unified Brute tribe alliance will inevitably expand outward to obtain greater development of its race!
But look around Bruti, either surrounded by Dionia's territory or bordered by our allies. Bruti is like a beast lying beside Dioria, do we want to tame it before he grows up? Or wait for it to grow up and fight it again? The answer is undoubtedly the former!
...
Davers handed the written letter to Marigi.
After sending him away, Thormead came in and told Davos in detail about the soldiers who had beaten the people.
Davos did not expect that it was because of his own reasons that the soldiers violated the military law, and he was a little moved.
He whispered: "Olivers..." It was difficult for him to make a decision for a while.
Thormid took the opportunity to persuade: "My lord, it is precisely because the Tarantum people abuse our soldiers at will... and you,
Olivers, they were too talented and beat him. I don't think they're wrong about this. and--"
Davos looked up at him, and Thormed immediately closed his mouth.
"Yeah, for me..." Davos sighed softly and made a decision in his heart: "You go to inform Caps and Drakes, let them keep half of them in the camp, and lead the rest of the soldiers to the center of the village assemble at the threshing floor, and call the military judge."
"My lord!" Thormed wanted to persuade him again.
Davers waved his hand, not allowing him to say more: "Go and execute."
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"Brothers!" Davos said loudly, standing on a man-high haystack, facing thousands of Dionysian soldiers, "You are here to fulfill Dionia's covenant with Tarantum. Coming to this strange land, fighting valiantly, repelling the fierce and cunning Messapies and Puchetti, I, the Senate and all the people of Dionia, thank you!"
The soldiers raised their chests proudly.
Davers paused for a while, and then continued: "But in the process, a bad thing happened. Several of our brothers beat a theater owner in Tarantum. At that time..."
The soldiers pricked up their ears and listened carefully. Although they were limited to military regulations and could not move around, their eyes rolled around, guessing who did it.
"Although the opponent provoked first, the Dionysian military law is not a decoration. If you hit someone, you will be punished." Davers shouted with a serious look: "The military judge!"
The military judge next to him said loudly: "According to the Dionysian military law, soldiers who insult or beat the people of the Allied countries during the war will be fined at least 20 batons, depending on the seriousness of the circumstances. Soldiers shot in anger... After I discussed with the commander-in-chief, I made a punishment decision-each soldier who committed the crime was beaten with ten military sticks!"
The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. For those who often received military training, the ten army sticks were a very light punishment.
"Olivers out," the magistrate called.
When Olivers walked to the queue, there was another small commotion among the soldiers, who did not expect a brigade leader to be involved.
Leotizides was also quite surprised. He did not expect that the Dionysians, in order to maintain military discipline, could punish the offending captain without hesitation just because they beat an ally citizen! Because in his memory, the same disciplined Spartan army could not do it. They were only strictly disciplined in combat, but on the lands of the allies, the actions of the soldiers were not strictly restricted, so they were overbearing and local. The people have a lot of grievances, such as Corinth, Megara and so on. At the beginning, as the son of Archis, the king of Sparta, Leotizides did not receive much treatment as a prince. He also participated in many battles as a soldier, so he knew more about the situation of the Spartan army.
Oliver walked to the front of the queue calmly. After hitting someone, he was ready to be punished.
After the military judge called out the name of the offending soldier, Olivers saw Davos on the haystack fix his eyes on him, and then heard him say loudly: "Besides, there is another person who was beaten by the military law, and that is me!"
As soon as this statement came out, the entire army was in an uproar.
Caps, Drakes, Antonios, Alexis, Amintas and other senior generals were shocked when they heard this, and they forgot to restrain the soldiers for a while. It was easy to restore order in the team.
"Why punish me?" Davos pointed to the offending soldiers in front of the queue, and said loudly with sincerity: "Olivers, as the captain, doesn't he know that hitting someone will violate the military law?! Don't the other brothers know that The pain of being beaten with a bat?! No, of course they know, not a single legionnaire is familiar with the Dionysian martial arts. But why was the First Legion in Crotone, in Cilitin, in Corenia? Brothers in my bros didn't have such a problem, but made a mistake here in Tarantum across the bay?! Because the Tarantum people were mainly abusing me, Olivers, they were trying to maintain me as the commander of this army. Prestige, I acted in anger! And as the consul of Dionia and your commander, I led you to aid Tarantum, but I did not win the respect of Tarantum for you, and even let them despise us , insulting us! This is my dereliction of duty, it is my responsibility! So if you want to punish them, you must punish me first, otherwise—" Davers patted his chest: "I'm not feeling well here, and I can't forgive myself. , so everyone don't come to dissuade me! I will accept the punishment of the ten army sticks with these brothers! The execution will be supervised by Drakes, and there must be no falsehood!"
After Davos finished speaking, the threshing floor was silent.
Each soldier stared excitedly at their commander, his chest rising and falling sharply.
Olivers only felt his eyes warm, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He couldn't help waving his arms and shouting: "Our Davers Wansheng!"
He took the lead, and the entire village was covered with a huge sound wave, which was also mixed with praise of "Diolia Victory!" and curses of "Damn Tarantum!"
Davers watched everything calmly, and he reminded the equally excited military judge: "Prepare to execute."
With that, he walked down the heap and stood beside Olivers.
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As soon as Dicitimas arrived at the Tarantum barracks, he convened the civic soldiers and first announced the resolution of the Citizens Assembly, dismissing Diomilas from his post as consul, and letting the guards "escort" him back to the city. Then talk to Eumacas about making peace with the Messapies.