Chapter 228

Metrophanes believed the Theonia Senate was deliberately stalling for time to make a fool of him. In reality, they had long been prepared for peace talks with Croton, rendering his arduous journey to Thurii completely futile… How dare this newly established Theonia City-State Alliance mock and despise Locri so blatantly!

Consequently, he dragged his still-weak body to attend the Triumph. As the Locrian envoy, the Senate had arranged for him to stay at an inn not far from the Senate House. Since he was already residing within the city and was a distinguished guest, he was naturally permitted to watch the Triumph. Originally, he had planned to confront the Theonian Archon at the end of the ceremony to vent his dissatisfaction and, on behalf of Locri, issue appropriate threats to Theonia—now allied with Croton—to force them into making changes favorable to Locri. However, after witnessing this magnificent, lively, and unprecedented military triumph, he was awestruck by Theonia’s massive military strength, high morale, and the fervent atmosphere of its people. It made him realize that this was a League that revered heroes and excelled in warfare, from senators to commoners. It was not to be trifled with, and it would likely not compromise easily. Thus, he began to beat a retreat…

After seeing off the last contingent of freedmen, the people flooded into the square. Davos’s speech brought a perfect conclusion to this Triumph: “Citizens of the Theonia City-State Alliance, on behalf of the Senate, I thank you!

“When powerful enemies invaded, you did not fear, nor did you retreat. Instead, you united and fought back bravely! Soldiers fought heroically on the front lines, fearless of sacrifice, striving to be heroes; meanwhile, you in the rear tirelessly transported supplies, dodged enemy fleet raids, and endured the grief of losing loved ones to support our battle on the front lines!

“Today, we are victorious. This is the result of the joint efforts of all citizens, preparatory citizens, freedmen, and their families of the Theonia City-State Alliance! We dedicate this victory to comfort the brave warriors who died on the battlefield, hoping their heroic spirits arrive safely in Hades’ Elysium! I, Archon Davos, also use this victory to tell you that the days of the Theonia City-State Alliance being bullied are over. You will have a brighter tomorrow! Victory to the Theonia City-State Alliance!…”

“Victory to the Theonia City-State Alliance!!!”

“Victory to the Theonia Senate!!!”

“Victory to Archon Davos!!!”

“Victory to Davos!!!”

…

In that moment, cheers erupted across the square, and the entire city of Thurii became a sea of joy!

***

Following the sacred memorial day of King Agis of Sparta, and after a period of preparation, the Spartan Gerousia finally decided to elect a new Spartan king to avoid prolonged vacancy of the throne, which could lead to domestic political instability.

On this day, all 29 members of the Gerousia entered the council chamber in Sparta early. Also present were two candidates for the kingship: Leotychides, the son of the late King Agis, and Agesilaus, Agis’s brother.

The rotating Ephor, Cleostidas, announced, “The sacred election for the king begins! First, the candidates shall state their reasons for why they should be king.”

Young and aggressive, Leotychides jumped up first, shouting at his uncle, “Agesilaus! The ancient laws clearly state, ‘The first in line to inherit the throne should be the king’s son, not his brother. Only if the king happens to have no heir might it be his brother’s turn to succeed.’ If you don’t want to lose face, leave now.”

Agesilaus did not face his nephew. Instead, he turned to the assembly, his attitude respectful, his tone low but firm. “Respected Gerontes, the one to succeed as king should be me, Agis’s only brother, Agesilaus!”

Leotychides stamped his foot, yelling to interrupt his uncle. “Agesilaus, don’t think just because you’re a cripple you can play dumb! Listen, the sacred laws of Sparta have already decreed it. As Agis’s only son, I am the rightful king. Stop making a scene!”

Agesilaus turned his head, looking at the flustered and exasperated Leotychides with a trace of disdain. “True, the law says so, but the prerequisite is that you are indeed Agis’s son! Yet I have heard the man you call father say more than once, ‘You are not his true son!'”

“You lie!” From childhood to adulthood, rumors like this had always reached Leotychides’s ears, becoming a nightmare that haunted him and a sore spot as he grew up. His face flushed red instantly. He leaped from his seat, rushed over, grabbed Agesilaus, and roared in anger, “Damn cripple! Don’t think just because you’re my uncle I won’t beat you!”

He tried his best to suppress his rage, his teeth grinding audibly. “Listen! My mother knows the truth better than my father! To this day, she still says, ‘I am the king’s son! I am Agis’s son!’…”

“Silence! Silence! The council chamber is a sacred place. No fighting is allowed, or you will be expelled!” Ephor Cleostidas issued a warning.

Agesilaus pushed his nephew’s hand away, his demeanor even calmer. He spoke solemnly, “Respected Gerontes, perhaps you recall the year Sparta suffered an earthquake. Agis left his wife and led his guard to provide disaster relief, gone for nearly a year. Poseidon’s wrath filled the Spartans with awe, but this god also provided the most powerful testimony that Leotychides is not Agis’s son! Because of time! Leotychides was born ten months after Agis left his wife!”

Upon hearing this, the Gerontes fell into deep thought, and some expressions turned grave.

“You lie!” Leotychides flew into a rage again, but blocked by prepared guards, he could only roar continuously.

“Enough. The candidates’ statements end here,” Ephor Cleostidas quickly said. “Do any Gerontes have anything to say?”

Diopeithes stood up. “Gentlemen, as you know, before convening this meeting, authorized by Pausalios and representing the Gerousia, I went to Delphi to seek an oracle from Apollo. He warned us, ‘Spartans, beware of a lame kingship!’ Therefore, I believe Apollo has given us a warning. If Agesilaus becomes king, it will surely bring danger to Sparta!” After speaking, he passed the parchment scroll in his hand for everyone to see. Some Gerontes nodded as they read.

Diopeithes glanced triumphantly at Lysander sitting in the front, then made a calming gesture toward Leotychides.

Agesilaus struggled to maintain a calm expression, but his hands clenched behind his back. He saw the Gerontes glancing at his feet from time to time, and subconsciously, he pulled his left foot back.

At this moment, Lysander stood up. His immense influence immediately drew everyone’s gaze. “As everyone knows, the oracles of Delphic Apollo are always profound and difficult to interpret. If understood only literally, one often reaches the wrong conclusion!” Lysander looked around the room and spoke loudly. “Years ago, the King of Lydia received an oracle that ‘a great empire will be destroyed.’ He thought Persia would be defeated, but instead, it was his own kingdom that fell. Before the Persian invasion, if the Athenians had literally built a wooden wall as the oracle suggested, they would not have defeated Persia at sea… So we must understand this oracle more deeply! If the king we elect is not of Agis’s true bloodline, then wouldn’t our proud dual-kingship system, the sacred bloodline descended from Heracles, be ‘lamed’?!”

Lysander’s words were thought-provoking. Combined with his influence, the Gerontes began whispering and discussing among themselves incessantly.

Leotychides glared at Lysander but dared not curse him as he had Agesilaus. Although Lysander’s power had been intentionally weakened by the Gerousia in the years following the Peloponnesian War, he remained a hero to the Spartan people with astonishing rallying power—not someone a mere heir to the throne could insult.

The other Spartan king, Pausalios, had no obvious bias toward either of Agis’s heirs. However, he was extremely hostile and wary of Lysander, who had once sought to undermine the “dual-kingship system.” Thus, whatever Lysander supported, he usually opposed. But in the meeting to elect a new king, according to tradition, the other king could attend but had no right to advise or vote. Since Sparta’s dual kingship existed for mutual checks and balances, the sitting king had to avoid suspicion. Pausalios could only signal to a trusted Geron, Herippidas.

This Geron had to stand up hastily, stammering, “Sparta is now the hegemon of Greece, but if… the Spartan king is… um… a person with a physical defect, it will only invite secret ridicule from other city-states toward Sparta, thereby reducing their awe of us. Moreover, Sparta has never had a physically unsound king! Never!”

As soon as he finished, Lysander immediately retorted, “True, Agesilaus is lame. But he fights bravely, is upright in character, and has always been respected by our Gerontes and people. He is a traditional, pure Spartan warrior who has not disgraced the royal family’s reputation! But please, look closely at Leotychides. Who do you think he resembles?”

Leotychides was robust and handsome, inheriting more of his mother’s looks. But guided by Lysander’s words and influenced by long-standing rumors, the more the Gerontes looked at him, the more they felt he resembled that handsome and dissolute Athenian—Alcibiades.

Seeing the realization dawning on others’ faces, Diopeithes grew anxious and hurriedly said, “Those rumors about Leotychides’s birth are just lies spread by certain people to achieve their own goals. There is no solid evidence! And… and in history, we honest Spartans have never let the rightful first heir lose the throne inexplicably because of false rumors!”