“I led my kinsmen to build a new type of road and a residential district for the Thurii-Amendolara Alliance,” Bagulos declared proudly. “I led them into battle against Croton. And now, we have taken Nerulum. For these accomplishments, I was made a senator. As for my father, he did none of these things. But never before had a Lucanian joined a Greek city-state. He bravely led over two thousand of his people to join a Greek alliance,”—this figure included their families; Bagulos was deliberately embellishing the facts—“and in doing so, he made history. He has encouraged and supported everything I and our people have done for the Alliance. For that, Lord Davos personally invited him to join the Senate.”

The guests let out a collective gasp of envy and astonishment.

“The Senate is open to any citizen of the Alliance,” Axistes emphasized. “So long as you make a great enough contribution, the Senate will welcome you into its ranks.”

Hermon nodded, a look of dawning understanding on his face.

“But what if Grumentum, Pixous, or even Potentia to the north attack Nerulum after it joins the Alliance?” someone asked worriedly.

“I think you all know that Grumentum and Pixous are currently at each other’s throats. They are in no position to trouble us anytime soon,” Axistes said, his voice ringing with confidence. “And even if they do come, we are not afraid. We have Lord Davos!” That single name was worth a thousand reassurances, and the guests’ anxieties instantly dissolved.

“I am willing to lead my people to join the Thurii-Amendolara Alliance!” Cxima declared, standing up.

“I am willing as well!” Uraza followed.

“I cannot let Vesba be the only one enjoying himself in the Senate!” Hermon also rose to his feet.

Seeing that nearly all his guests were now eager to join, Bagulos and Axistes exchanged a smile. They raised their cups. “Come, let us toast the Thurii-Amendolara Alliance, which belongs not only to the Greeks, but to the Lucanians as well!”

***

The next morning, Avenogis’s forces opened the city gates of Laos. In a coordinated assault with the Alliance army, they easily defeated the Lucanian garrison. When they finally stormed the great chieftain’s residence, they found Tulla trembling on his bed. Beside him lay the cold body of the Greek slave girl he had just strangled. Enraged, the Alliance soldiers ran him through with their spears.

Avenogis warmly invited Philesius to quarter his troops within the city, but Philesius politely declined. “Laos has only just been retaken, and the order of the city must be restored,” he said. “Our army is large, and I fear our presence within your walls would only create disturbances and harm the friendship between Laos and our Alliance. We will rest outside the city for a short while and then depart, as Lord Davos instructed before we left.”

Philesius’s firm stance and the Alliance’s consideration for Laos’s welfare moved Avenogis deeply. As a gesture of gratitude, he immediately offered Philesius half of all the money and livestock seized as spoils of war. Philesius did not refuse.

Including the spoils from Nerulum, the expedition had been immensely profitable. By order of the Senate, all the captured livestock was to remain in Nerulum, for Sextus to use in aiding the allied Lucanians. Most of the captured wealth was to be brought back to Thurii, with a portion going to military funds, a portion to the state treasury, and a small part distributed among the soldiers as a bonus. The captured weapons were donated to the Soldiers’ Committee.

Philesius left the Second and Fourth Legions to temporarily garrison Nerulum and led the remaining forces away from Laos, carrying five days’ rations. When they reached the entrance to the mountain pass they had traversed before, the army halted and, on Philesius’s orders, began to construct a fortified camp. Alobamas, who had accompanied them, was puzzled.

In response to his questioning, Philesius answered truthfully. “The Senate has ordered”—in truth, it was Davos’s order—“that after taking Laos and Nerulum, the army must construct a fortress at the entrance to this pass. It is to be permanently garrisoned to prevent a future invasion by the northern Lucanians. If they were to besiege Nerulum and then quickly block this mountain path, it would sever our line of support to both cities.”

Alobamas was silent for a moment. “And what of the trade and travel between Laos and Nerulum in the future?”

“It will not be affected in any way,” Philesius stated firmly. “They may pass through the fortress without any fee.”

Not wishing to damage the newly forged alliance, Alobamas had no choice but to accept. But both men understood the truth of the situation. A fortress here, guarding the pass to Thurii, was not only for defending against a future Lucanian army. If, one day, Laos were to betray the alliance or make any unusual moves, the army of the Thurii-Amendolara Alliance could just as easily march through that fortress and appear at the gates of Laos. It was a power play in plain sight, an overt strategy that left no room for deceit.

***

At Sextus’s temporary administrative residence in Nerulum, a great crowd of Lucanians had gathered since early morning, all wishing to join the Alliance and lease livestock and land. Sextus was overjoyed. He had Bagulos and the soldiers of the Fourth Legion maintain order and act as translators, while the scribes from the census and agricultural offices prepared for the influx.

Registration, signatures, thumbprints… Lease agreements, signatures, thumbprints…

The number of Lucanians arriving only grew. It was not just a herd mentality; the Intermarriage Law, specially enacted by the Alliance to consolidate its hold on the newly conquered city, had made the more astute Lucanians realize they had to claim the benefits offered by the Alliance quickly, before a flood of Greeks from Thurii arrived to compete with them.

The geography of Nerulum was complex. To the northwest, it was bordered by the Lao River, beyond which lay a range of low, forested mountains. To the southeast, a narrow, flat river valley, less than two li wide, led directly to Laos. To the east lay an impassable mountain range, with only the single pass connecting it to Thurii. Only to the northeast, in the region between the headwaters of the Lao and Agri rivers, was there a high plateau with relatively fertile soil. This area had once been home to numerous small tribes before falling under Nerulum’s control. It was irregular in shape, with rugged terrain, and was fragmented by mountain ridges, making it difficult to survey and distribute. Bagulos therefore suggested a practical solution to Sextus: divide the land and allocate it to the tribes based on their population, making the chieftains responsible for collecting the taxes. Land would only be allocated to individual Lucanians who did not belong to a tribe. This would save time and manpower and avoid direct friction between the Alliance and the local people.

Considering the unique nature of the Lucanian mountains and their tribal structure, Sextus agreed.

***

While Sextus was wracking his brains and busying himself with the governance of Nerulum, Davos received an urgent battle report from the west. The victories at Nerulum and Laos were entirely within his expectations, and the last vestiges of his anxiety about not having led the army himself vanished. He had told himself many times that he could not be like Napoleon. The Mediterranean was vast, and the Alliance would face many enemies in the future. He needed more commanders capable of independent command.

Sextus’s actions in Nerulum, however, were a surprise. He handed the papyrus scroll to Aristocrates. “What is your opinion,” he asked, a hint of anger in his voice, “on Sextus allowing the Greek slaves to massacre the Lucanian prisoners?”

After deciding to have Axistes assist Sextus in governing Nerulum, Davos had no intention of having him return to his old post. A fledgling eagle must eventually learn to soar on its own. But this meant he needed a new scribe. He had remembered Aristocrates, the young man who had so calmly and eloquently debated Praexinas over the matter of the escaped slaves in Amendolara, winning over the senators. He had sent Aristelas to find him, and he had been discovered working in one of Crystoia’s new restaurants in Thurii. As the position of Scribe was a public office and Aristocrates was still a freeman, he could not be appointed. But when offered the role of a personal clerk, he had readily accepted. The decision, however, had earned Davos a complaint from Crystoia that evening, who grumbled about him poaching her staff and then exacted her “revenge” with such passion that he was nearly drained dry.

“My lord, I am not familiar with the situation in Nerulum, and so I cannot comment,” Aristocrates replied, his caution a stark contrast to the outspoken Axistes.

Davos glanced at him. Is that his subtle way of reminding me? He thought for a moment and then said slowly, “You are right. We do not know the situation in Nerulum better than Sextus does. Since we have entrusted him with its governance, we should let him do his job. I just had not expected this Sextus, who usually seems so unremarkable, to be so decisive and ferocious in his actions. In that, he is stronger than I.”

***

As the Senate House in Thurii was still under construction, the afternoon’s Senate meeting was held once again in Amendolara.

Before the assembly, Davos announced in a loud, clear voice that the Thurii-Amendolara Alliance had successfully captured Nerulum and had aided their ally, Avenogis, in retaking Laos. Though the senators had already heard the news, they still burst into cheers.

“My lords,” Davos continued, his voice ringing with passion, “from this day forward, the Thurii-Amendolara Alliance holds the territories of Thurii, Amendolara, and Nerulum. We also have two client-allies who acknowledge our leadership: Castellum and Laos. Though Crimisa remains neutral and Poseidonia is still in Lucanian hands, we have gained Nerulum. Our population is still small, our trade is not yet as prosperous as it could be, and our prestige is not yet fully established. But fundamentally, the Thurii-Amendolara Alliance has restored the domain and the allies of Sybaris from a century ago. We will recreate the glory of Sybaris in Magna Graecia!”