“Young man, quell that fiery temper of yours.”

Anxitanos remained seated, motionless and serene, offering gentle consolation to his student. He pointed to a clay jar resting on the table beside him. “Come, taste this mare’s milk honey-water from Carthage. It will quench your thirst. The flavor is quite unique—sweet yet tart. I just had my attendant buy it from the Syracusan market.”

“I won’t drink it!” Henipolis huffed, throwing himself into a wooden chair. The furniture groaned in protest under the sudden abuse.

“Heni.” Anxitanos knew the student’s temperament well and took no offense. Instead, he spoke in a tone one might use to coax a child. “You are a man destined to be the Archon of Laos in the future. You cannot act on impulse. If we return without even seeing Dionysius’s face, not only will our mission fail and bring us blame, but the Syracusans will also mock us for lacking proper etiquette—”

“It is clearly Dionysius who lacks etiquette! He refuses to grant us an audience in a timely manner, yet you blame us?” Henipolis shouted indignantly, cutting Anxitanos off.

“They could simply say, ‘We are busy negotiating with the Carthaginians and cannot spare the time to receive you at the moment…'” Anxitanos replied calmly. “After all, to the Syracusans, Carthage is far more important than our Theonia.”

Henipolis let out a cold snort, staring at his teacher. “Teacher, the truth is that Dionysius intends to give us the cold shoulder to humiliate Theonia, isn’t it?!”

“If Dionysius were truly a man of such petty spirit, he would never have secured the position of Tyrant of Syracuse. I fear this simply reflects the varying degrees of importance he attaches to different matters.” Anxitanos stroked his graying beard, a gleam of wisdom in his eyes. “So, there is no need for anxiety. We wait… slowly. It is a perfect opportunity to see exactly how much weight the Theonian League holds in Dionysius’s heart.”

Henipolis was young and hot-blooded, but he was no fool. Indeed, his talent was the very reason Anxitanos had chosen him to serve by his side on this mission.

“Fine then. We shall compete in patience with Dionysius and see who breaks first!” Henipolis relented, though his tone remained sharp. “This afternoon, I’ll go to the city theater to watch a play. Truth be told, although Syracuse is larger and more populous than Thurii, it lacks Thurii’s vibrant vitality. There are no rugby matches to watch, no delicacies to eat… all one can do is watch plays.”

Speaking teasingly, Henipolis grabbed the clay jar from the table and took a massive swig. Immediately, he spat it all out onto the floor with a loud Pfft!

“This stuff is sour and fishy! It’s disgusting! Far worse than beer!”

“Young people simply don’t understand how to savor things.” Anxitanos hurriedly snatched the jar back, fearing the boy would waste all the liquid inside. “You should know, the Carthaginians learned to make this from the Numidians. They made minor improvements to suit the tastes of sailors at sea. In Numidia, this isn’t just for quenching thirst; it is a part of their food…”

“What does Numidia have to do with us? By your tone, it sounds like you want to research the history of that race next,” Henipolis said dismissively, confident he understood his teacher’s scholarly obsessions.

“Not me. It is the owner of the house where you usually stay who has a great interest in them. He has asked me about Numidia many times,” Anxitanos said, taking a sip of the milky liquid.

“You mean Lord Davos?!” Henipolis’s interest was piqued instantly. “Why would he ask about Numidia?! The Theonian League is separated from Numidia by the ocean, Sicily, and Carthage. Contact between us is practically impossible.”

Anxitanos tapped his own chest gently. “There are always one or two people in this world who stand at heights others cannot reach to ponder problems… because here, inside, they are infinitely vast.”

“Lord Davos is indeed an extraordinary man,” Henipolis agreed wholeheartedly. Then, a thought struck him. “Teacher, now that the Carthaginians have chosen a truce, I fear it will be disadvantageous for our meeting with Dionysius, and even more disadvantageous for Theonia!”

Anxitanos looked at his student with approval. “Why?”

Henipolis knew his teacher was testing him again. He organized his thoughts seriously before speaking.

“In the Western Mediterranean, Syracuse has always been the most powerful Greek city-state, yet it has been confined to the island of Sicily. The biggest reason is the Carthaginians. The strong Carthaginian presence on Sicily not only keeps Syracuse constantly on guard but has also threatened its very survival multiple times. Dealing with Carthage alone is difficult enough for Syracuse; where would they find the energy to care about affairs outside the island?

“But in reality, the Syracusans have always been interested in Magna Graecia. I remember decades ago, the tyrant Hieron sent troops into our region. However, the situation in Sicily these past few years is vastly different. Carthage has suffered disastrous defeats in two large-scale military campaigns. I heard they suffered over twenty thousand casualties this time alone before being forced to propose a truce. I fear they no longer have the strength to pose a significant threat to Syracuse.”

Anxitanos nodded, praising the student’s insight, though he did not fully agree that Syracuse would launch military actions against Magna Graecia.

“Carthage failed because it seemed to be fighting Syracuse, but in reality, it was contending against the power of the entire Greek world. How could the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta, or city-states like Neapolis in Campania, allow foreigners to completely occupy Sicily? That would cut off the trade routes between the Eastern and Western Mediterranean and even threaten their rear. I believe that after these two disasters, the Carthaginians will become smarter. They won’t easily provoke war in Sicily again. But with their immense power in Africa, they will remain Syracuse’s greatest threat.”

“You are right, Teacher! But at least for now, Syracuse’s power is far greater than Carthage’s. After this peace treaty, the Carthaginians will inevitably retreat significantly toward western Sicily. It is plain for anyone to see that Syracuse unifying Sicily is a likely event in the near future,” Henipolis said worriedly.

“Yes, this is an issue the League must watch closely,” Anxitanos muttered.

“We cannot just watch. I believe Dionysius will not be satisfied with merely dominating Sicily. He is a greedy man. Both wars with Carthage were triggered by his active expansion of territory. If Sicily stabilizes, I fear he will aim his sights at Magna Graecia.”

Although Anxitanos did not agree with Henipolis exaggerating the war threat, as a scholar, he enjoyed debating with his student to spark inspiration. Frowning, he asked, “Why must it be Magna Graecia?”

“Because to the south lies Carthage. No matter how arrogant Dionysius is, he wouldn’t dare run wild in Carthage’s true territory. To the east lies Sparta’s sphere of influence. To the west is the Iberian Peninsula—not only is the voyage distant, but I hear there are many Carthaginian colonies there. Unless Dionysius loses his mind, he would never launch a long-distance expedition and repeat Athens’ mistake.

“Therefore, the only possibility is Magna Graecia to the north. It is separated from Sicily only by the narrow Strait of Messina. Dionysius could ferry an army of a hundred thousand onto the soil of Magna Graecia in half a day.

“Moreover, I believe Dionysius has long coveted Magna Graecia. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have married a Locrian woman and allied with Locri years ago. Even now, while fighting Carthage, he hasn’t forgotten to send spies to disrupt Theonia. His ambition for Magna Graecia is blatantly obvious!”

“Heni, you must understand: having ambition is one thing; being able to wage war is another. Dionysius may covet Magna Graecia, but Magna Graecia now has the Theonian League.”

As Anxitanos spoke, a strange thought arose in his heart: If Thurii were still the Thurii of the past, the prospect of these scattered city-states facing a behemoth like Syracuse would be truly unimaginable. Thank Hades for sending Davos. He established the Theonian League and integrated the power of Magna Graecia, forcing Dionysius to treat us with caution!

“Besides, Syracuse has been at war year after year. I hear their treasury is empty, and the people are deeply discontented. I believe you’ve sensed this while wandering the city these past few days. Under such terrible conditions, can Syracuse launch another large-scale war like the one against Carthage? I think it impossible. Furthermore, our purpose in coming to Syracuse this time is to let Dionysius know the determination of the Theonian League and thoroughly dispel his unrealistic ambitions!” Anxitanos declared with confidence.

Infected by his teacher’s conviction, Henipolis nodded solemnly.

Just then, an attendant entered the guest room. “Lord Anxitanos, there is someone outside looking for you. He says he was sent by Philistus.”

Philistus? Dionysius’s heavy-weight minister?

Anxitanos and his student exchanged glances…

***

Anxitanos was invited to attend a banquet hosted by Philistus that evening.

Just as dusk fell, the carriage sent by Philistus arrived at the inn. Anxitanos took Henipolis and boarded the vehicle.

The quarters for the Theonian diplomatic mission were located in the central district of Syracuse. The original colony of the Syracusans was on the island of Ortygia. It was not until decades ago, when Dilon became the Tyrant of Syracuse, that he led a large number of immigrants to expand inland. This expanded urban area was now the city center, where most temples, theaters, and markets were concentrated. Yet, this already sizable area occupied only a small part of the sprawling city Syracuse had become.

In the decades following Dilon’s reign, the Syracusans extended the city northeast, incorporating a coastal area three times the size of the central district into Syracuse proper. This area, known as “Achradina,” included a massive quarry rich in stone.