Chapter 372

After passing the checkpoint, the carriage drove directly north, cutting through the eastern side of the port market. The rows of shops and the crowded flow of people on both sides did not attract much attention from Isocrates and Lysias. Having already understood the busyness of the Thurii port, they had a preliminary estimate of the market’s situation. No matter how prosperous it was, how could it compare to the Agora of Athens, famous throughout the Mediterranean?

However, the direction the carriage was traveling caught Lysias’s attention. “Hey, the city of Thurii is to the west, but you are heading north.”

“Don’t worry,” Sperian explained. “If the carriage goes directly west, not only do we have to pass through a more crowded and longer market route, but further west lies the Temple of Hera and the Thurii Arena not far from it.

“(With the increasing popularity of rugby and football matches, the arena inside Thurii city was no longer sufficient. Two years ago, the citizens of Thurii collectively raised funds to build another arena outside the city. Since the arena inside the city is the venue for the finals of the various Theonian teams, it was named the ‘Grand Arena of Theonia,’ while this one outside the city is called the ‘Thurii Arena.’)

“It is May now, the time when rugby matches are most intense. Because the new Thurii champion team is about to be selected to participate in the final championship, many people go to watch every day. The road not only becomes very congested, but there might also be disturbances. We would rather take the long way around to reach Thurii city; it will still be much faster than going directly west.”

“So that is the reason.” Lysias nodded. He had long heard rumors about a unique ball game popular in Theonia. However, he had experienced many hardships, was always busy making a living, and was getting old, so he wasn’t very interested in this reportedly violent sport.

But Isocrates’s eyes lit up. “Can you tell us about this Theonian rugby match?”

Lysias glanced at Isocrates in surprise, feeling this didn’t fit Isocrates’s usual interests. There must be a deeper meaning.

Isocrates’s words scratched Sperian’s itch perfectly. He immediately began to talk non-stop, explaining everything from the origin and rules of rugby to the establishment of the Theonian Rugby Championship Finals.

Isocrates observed as the cargo cart drove onto a new avenue (the Thura Avenue) and turned west. Aside from the road surface being slightly narrower, the road facilities were not much different from the Port Avenue. At the same time, he listened to Sperian recount the history of rugby in the Theonian League.

In the short time from the passenger ship docking at the Thurii wharf to walking out of the port, he had already discovered a characteristic of the Theonian people.

To put it negatively, they were reserved and dull. To put it positively, they observed order.

A port is usually the most chaotic place in a city-state. The port of Thurii was quite prosperous, yet there were rarely any scenes of quarreling, fighting, or brawling. Even loud talking and noise were rare.

This was impossible for Athenians, who were always full of passion, unrestrained, proud, and fond of debating and boasting about their city’s history.

Hearing the porter speak of how the whole populace loved such a savage and rugged sport made him realize that beneath the seemingly introverted character of the Theonians, there likely hid a certain brutality.

“This is our first time in Thurii. Are there any fun places worth visiting here?” he suddenly interjected.

Lysias glanced at him again.

“Worth visiting?” Sperian was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “I say, two guests, when you come to Thurii, you shouldn’t say you are here to visit and sightsee, but to enjoy entertainment! There are too many things for you to play with here.

“First, Crystoia’s Restaurant—you must go! It has the best food in all of Greece, perhaps even the entire Mediterranean.

“Second, the hot spring baths by the Crati River in the west of the city. Take a good bath and let you Greeks, who don’t like bathing, feel the benefits of being clean.

“Also, as I just mentioned, go to the Thurii Arena to watch rugby and football matches. Though whether you can buy tickets in this season is hard to say.

“Also, you can go to the Thurii Hospital to see a doctor and discover any hidden diseases you might have. You should know that the medical skills of Thurii doctors are very high because they received teachings from the God of the Underworld.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot. You must go to the Temple of Hades in the city to pray! That is the only residence of Hades, the King of the Underworld, in the human world in all of Greece, and it is very miraculous! Every time I go there to worship and talk with the priests, I feel my whole body relax when I come back, just like taking a hot spring bath…”

Isocrates and Lysias listened to Sperian’s endless introduction of Thurii, exchanging glances from time to time.

At this moment, the cargo cart had arrived near the North Gate of Thurii. A tall archway built of white marble stood in front of them.

Lysias recalled some information he had heard about the new city of Thurii and said uncertainly, “A Triumphal Arch?”

“That’s right, the Triumphal Arch! The second Triumphal Arch!” Sperian said excitedly. “This was built only two years ago. The victorious returning army starts from here, entering the city of Thurii to receive the cheers and review of the Theonian citizens. That is the greatest glory in the life of every citizen who participates in the war!

“I participated once. That was after the conquest of Bruttium. We, as temporarily conscripted light infantry (the two thousand freedmen), also sent some outstanding performers to enter the city with the legions… Oh! The people of all Theonia were cheering for us. Beautiful girls threw flowers at us endlessly. And our respected Lord Archon delivered an inspiring speech. I will never forget that scene in my life! …And it was after that Triumph ended that I met my beautiful wife! …”

Sperian looked intoxicated. After a long while, he sighed. “It’s a pity it’s been too quiet these past few years. There haven’t been any wars, and naturally, no Triumphs held. Sigh…”

“From your words, do you actually wish for war to happen?!” the sharp Isocrates asked immediately.

“Of course! Without war, we cannot participate in battle. If we cannot participate in battle, I cannot shorten my observation period to become a formal Theonian citizen as soon as possible, and I cannot obtain fertile ‘allotted land’!”

Sperian blurted it out without hesitation. Then, seeing the strange expressions on the two men’s faces, he immediately explained, “However, we Theonians rarely take the initiative to invade others. It is always others who come to invade us first, inviting our counterattack…”

Isocrates obviously did not believe the porter’s words.

“But war leads to death. Among the dead might be your friends… or relatives…” Lysias said in a warning tone.

“Of course I know that. The priests of Hades have warned us, ‘Nothing beautiful is ever obtained easily.’ We are not afraid of death because this is land protected by the King of the Underworld. If I die heroically in battle, my wife and children will receive generous compensation and care from the League, and my soul will return to Hades’s Hall of Valor to guard our League! …”

There was a calmness, a firmness, even a trace of longing on Sperian’s face. The only thing missing was fear.

This gave Isocrates and Lysias a massive shock.

“Triumphal Arch, I am here!” Sperian drove the carriage to the front of the arch and shouted excitedly, as if he were returning in triumph himself.

Isocrates frowned, looking up at the numerous reliefs on the arch and the statue of the legion eagle at the top. Sperian’s voice rang in his ears:

“That carving is the scene of Lord Davos leading the legion to help Tarentum defeat the Messapian-Peucetian coalition… That one is the Third Legion routing the Lucanian rebels and retaking Pyxous (according to the Senate’s propaganda, the people believed Pyxous was once a Greek city, so it was ‘retaken,’ not conquered)… And there is the scene of Lord Davos leading the grand army to conquer Bruttium. That is the one I participated in.

“There is a funny story about this relief. People say that the Bruttian Senators in the Senate once protested making the Bruttian War into a relief, thinking it was detrimental to unity. But the Lucanian Senators retorted, ‘We Lucanians have already been carved in three panels, and we haven’t said anything. What are you Bruttians anxious about?’ Haha, and just like that, the Bruttian protest came to nothing…”

Listening to Sperian’s laughter and looking at the Triumphal Arch, Isocrates could not smile at all.

***

“Lysias, since you received your brother’s letter and rushed to Athens, we haven’t seen each other for nearly twenty years, have we?” Kunogelata looked at Lysias, who was so aged he was almost unrecognizable, and spoke with emotion.

“Yes. That year my father passed away, and I rushed back to Athens for the funeral. Then my brother’s business fell into trouble, and I had to stay to help him. Then… Athens suffered successive defeats in the war against Sparta. The Thirty Tyrants came to power, my brother was persecuted, our property seized… Too many things have happened these years. When Teacher passed away, I couldn’t even make it back to attend his funeral…”

Lysias’s seemingly calm face could not conceal the regret and confusion contained in his low voice, along with a measure of exhaustion.

“We all know about your affairs. At that time, Thurii also faced difficulties and couldn’t provide you with help. It’s just that Teacher kept muttering your name before he died. Who told you to be his proudest disciple!”

Kunogelata said this, and seeing tears flashing in Lysias’s eyes, he changed the subject and joked, “Did you make a fortune in Athens recently? Giving four or five of these precious Athenian black-figure amphorae at once?”

“I have no talent for being a merchant, and of course, I could never become a rich man. That is why my father handed the weapon workshop to my brother to manage.” Lysias smiled self-deprecatingly.