Chapter 200

“The Croton had better speak up! Let’s hear just how much of Theonia they think they can swallow!” Amyntas, Scombras, and several other senators began to shout, their earlier feelings of guilt replaced by a unified, defiant anger.

Lysias shot a glance at Davos. This young man is not to be underestimated.

He cleared his throat, his composure restored. “The Croton alliance and the city of Crimisa demand that Theonia pay a reparation of five hundred talents, to compensate for the grievous losses Crimisa has suffered.”

“What? Five hundred talents? Are you mad?” Mersis shrieked.

Lysias ignored him, his gaze sweeping across the chamber. “Furthermore, to prevent the aggressive Theonians from violating their neighbors again, we demand that Theonia dissolve its League, grant independence to Amendolara and Nerulum, and abolish its alliances!”

“What? Did I hear him correctly? By what right does Croton dictate our affairs?”

“We will never agree! This is a humiliation!”

“Get out! Are you insane, to speak such words in the Senate of Theonia?”

“Only a fool would agree to such a demand! And only a fool would make it!”

The chamber exploded. Senators leaped to their feet, hurling curses. The more hot-tempered among them, like Amyntas and Scombras, even lunged forward, intent on thrashing Lysias, and had to be restrained by Kunogelata and Cornelius. The hall descended into chaos.

Through it all, Lysias and Antaoris remained aloof, watching the pandemonium as if they were mere spectators. It was not until Davos stepped forward that a semblance of order was restored.

“Have you heard our answer?” he said, his voice cutting through the noise. Then, he enunciated each word, loud and clear. “We—do—not—agree!”

“Then that means war, for it was you who first violated the treaty,” Lysias said grimly.

“Then let there be war. Is that not the true purpose of your visit?” Davos, seeing their intentions laid bare, had no patience for further debate. When a man is determined to condemn you, he will always find a pretext.

His nonchalant attitude seemed to catch Lysias off guard. It was like swinging a fist and hitting nothing but air. “War!” he repeated, as if to convince himself. “I speak of war between Croton and Theonia!”

A slight smile touched Davos’s lips. He turned to his senators. “Are we afraid of war with Croton?”

“Excellent! Finally, another battle!”

“I cannot wait to crush the Crotoniates!”

“We have beaten them once, we can beat them again! This time, we will burn Croton to the ground!”

Faced with the senators’ soaring morale, Lysias, for the first time, felt a flicker of unease.

“Kunogelata,” Davos said suddenly, “be sure to record the Crotoniates’ demands. They will be useful at the next negotiation.”

“The next negotiation?” Lysias asked, puzzled.

“Yes. After the war is over.”

A chill went down Lysias’s spine. In Davos’s eyes, he saw a burning, unquenchable fire.

***

After the envoys had been dismissed, the fiery atmosphere in the chamber lingered. But while the former mercenary senators were eager for battle, the senators from Amendolara and Thurii were filled with a gnawing anxiety.

Kunogelata’s words were representative of their fears. “Lord Archon, are we certain of victory against Croton? For decades, they have been a great power in Magna Graecia, and they command a powerful alliance. They can muster an army of thirty or forty thousand men! They also have a fleet of twenty-five triremes, while we have not a single warship. Once war is declared, they can easily blockade our ports. And this time, I fear they will not make the same mistake of underestimating us.”

Davos listened intently. He looked at the men before him and could feel their fear of Croton, especially among the Thurians, for whom the memory of their city being sacked three times had forged an almost instinctual awe of Croton power. He was about to respond when another voice cut in.

“I told you we should have gotten rid of those damned mercenaries!” it was Polyxexis. “You would not listen, and now you have brought Croton’s vengeance upon us! We should first hold those who indulged them accountable!”

Agasias and the others shot him a furious glare.

“Am I wrong?” Polyxexis shot back, undaunted.

“War is upon us. There is no point in arguing about this now,” Burkos said, trying to placate his friend. “We must all stand united to face this crisis, not create divisions that will weaken us.”

“It is precisely because this has led to war that we must get to the bottom of it, to prevent such a thing from ever happening again,” Polyxexis retorted stubbornly.

Just then, Antonios stood up. “As censor, I have recently received numerous complaints from the citizens. They note that during the rebuilding of Thurii, senators such as Burkos and Praexinas often went to the people’s homes to offer their apologies. Yet there are some who were the main aides of Neanthis, and who bear a great responsibility for the burning of our city, who now stride through the Senate every day without a hint of remorse. The people demand a full investigation, to prevent such a thing from ever happening again.”

The color drained from Polyxexis’s face.

As if on cue, Davos asked, “Polyxexis, do you think we should get to the bottom of this matter?”

“I… I…” Polyxexis trembled under Davos’s sharp gaze.

“Antonios,” Davos said, his voice calm, “as Burkos has said, we must now stand united for this war of survival. Let us set aside all other matters for the time being.” The words were a lifeline to Polyxexis. He sagged with relief, slumping onto the stone bench.

Antonios shot Polyxexis a look of contempt, then turned back to Davos. “As you command, Lord Archon.”

Davos’s expression relaxed. “My apologies for the interruption. What I meant to say, honorable sirs, is that you have all been so busy with your own affairs that you may not be fully aware of the League’s current military strength. Scombras, do you still believe our citizen-army numbers only five thousand men?”

The stubborn old man stroked his great beard and chuckled. “Of course not! Amendolara alone now has over six thousand citizens, including the preparatory citizens. I do not know the numbers for the other cities, but it must be a great many.”

“For the exact numbers, let us hear from our strategos, Philesius,” Davos said.

Philesius rose to his feet. “Honorable sirs, the numbers I am about to announce represent the men from Thurii, Amendolara, and Nerulum who are currently participating in military training and have been organized into army units. This number is lower than the total census recorded by Lord Lapyx, as it does not include citizens over the age of forty-five, nor those in certain protected professions, such as physicians, engineers, and scholars.”

The senators nodded, their full attention on Philesius.

“The number of citizens from Amendolara who have been training for more than three months is approximately five thousand five hundred. From Nerulum, approximately four thousand three hundred. And from Thurii, the largest contingent, fourteen thousand eight hundred.” Seeing the looks of astonishment on their faces, Philesius elaborated. “Of these, seven thousand are full citizens. The rest are all preparatory citizens. At the end of last December, at the Archon’s command, I organized them into three legions.

“The First Legion is primarily composed of the veterans and preparatory citizens of Amendolara. It is our most combat-effective force, commanded by Legion Commander Capus.

“The Second Legion is composed of the citizens and preparatory citizens of Thurii, commanded by Legion Commander Drakos.

“The Third Legion is composed of the citizens and preparatory citizens of Nerulum, commanded by Legion Commander Hieronymus, with Bagulos as the commander of its First Cohort.

“Each legion has a standard fighting strength of seven thousand men, for a total of twenty-one thousand. In addition, we have a reserve force of three thousand six hundred, for a grand total of approximately twenty-four thousand six hundred men. We also have a cavalry force of three hundred, led by Laedes.”

“And Philesius has not even mentioned the registered freemen,” Davos added, his voice rising with a stirring passion. “We can mobilize another ten or twenty thousand of them as light infantry. Furthermore, Laos can provide us with two to three thousand reinforcements, and Castellum, though its numbers are small, can provide at least fifty horsemen. If we commit our full strength, we can field an army of nearly fifty thousand men! Of course, we must leave garrisons in Nerulum and the port of Thurii, so the actual number will be far less, but it will not be much different from the strength of Croton. Honorable sirs, rest assured, the days when our League was forced to fight outnumbered are over. We have the strength to meet Croton on land!”

His words electrified the senators. Amyntas and the others leaped to their feet, shouting with confidence, “We were not afraid of Croton when we were few! They are no match for us now!”

“As for the sea,” Davos said, turning to Kunogelata, “it is true that we are at a disadvantage. But what can the Croton fleet do, besides blockade our ports? If they dare to enter the mouth of the River Crati, we will annihilate them. And our cavalry will patrol the coast from Amendolara to Castellum to prevent any surprise landings. I believe that if the Crotoniates have any sense, they will not attempt such a risky maneuver. Theonia and Croton are too close. This war will be decided on land.”