Lysias gazed ahead at the fleet of a dozen warships patrolling within his field of vision. Behind the fleet, two massive white breakwaters were faintly visible, extending like a pair of arms from both sides of the coast, as if trying to embrace the Crati River as it flowed into the sea.

“The Thurii of today is a completely different Thurii…” he murmured.

The Athenian passenger ship finally docked at the port wharf.

Based on the information he had gathered about the Theonian League, Isocrates had speculated that since the port of Thurii was not located near the famous trade routes of the Eastern or Western Mediterranean, and lacked a naturally excellent harbor, its maritime trade would likely be mediocre.

But the scene before him overturned his assumptions.

Although it could not yet compare to the prosperity of Piraeus, it exceeded his imagination. In particular, the massive wooden cranes erected on every wharf attracted his attention. Operated by just a few laborers, these machines could easily hoist large cargos—which previously required a dozen strong men to lift—into the air and transfer them onto the docks.

Coming from Athens with its prosperous maritime trade, Isocrates immediately realized: If such a device were applied to the port of Piraeus, the unloading capacity for merchant ships could be immensely improved!

He leaned in, intending to examine the detailed structure of the device, but was rudely warned by the crane operator: “Do not approach, or the patrol will detain you!”

Isocrates returned resentfully.

At this moment, several burly men approached Lysias. The leader wore an ingratiating smile and said, “Hi, hello! I am Sperian, a porter at the port. This is my number. Do you have anything that needs carrying?”

As he spoke, he pointed to a small round iron badge pinned to his chest.

Lysias, who hadn’t returned to Thurii in decades, leaned in curiously to take a closer look. On the dark iron badge was the image of a balance scale, and below it, a string of strange symbols.

“What is the use of this thing?” he asked curiously, pointing at the iron piece.

Sperian said with a touch of pride, “This proves that I am a porter officially registered with the Port Administration. If any accidents like cargo damage occur during transport, you can complain to the Port Administration. Just report this number. After the staff verifies the situation, they will punish me and compensate you for your loss. So you can be completely at ease.”

“These are numbers?” Lysias pointed in surprise at the row of strange symbols.

“Of course, they aren’t Greek numbers.” Sperian was happy to show off his superiority in front of this old man who looked like a scholar. “These are numbers invented by our Archon Davos. They are easy to remember and easy to use. They are used everywhere in Theonia. The number carved on here is 2410. Got it?”

Lysias nodded, but his heart was in turmoil. Not because of the strange numbers—he wasn’t a mathematician and wasn’t particularly sensitive to them—but because he was astonished by Thurii’s management of the port.

If even the porters—the most common and lowly labor in the port—could be managed with such meticulous detail, the Theonians’ ability to manage their city was evident. Even Athens had no such measures to regulate the mixed and chaotic labor market of Piraeus.

Moreover, from the high number on the badge, the worldly-wise Lysias could sense the busyness of the Thurii port, which might even exceed what his eyes were seeing.

Theonia’s rise in such a short time is absolutely no fluke!

Lysias felt a jolt of alertness in his heart, but on the surface, he calmly reminded, “I will hire you to carry the cargo. However, there is a lot of pottery among the goods, so please be careful!”

“Don’t worry. I can’t even count how many times I’ve carried pottery jars and the like,” Sperian guaranteed while negotiating the price with the attendants of the Athenian mission.

By this time, Isocrates had also hurried back.

Sperian and his men loaded the goods onto carts with wooden wheels and led the Athenian mission out of the crowded wharf onto the port avenue.

Isocrates was surprised to find that this avenue was even wider than the road connecting Piraeus to Athens. Moreover, it was smoother. Looking at the drainage ditches and sidewalks on both sides of the road, it was clear that the Theonians were strict and meticulous in road construction.

This made Isocrates a little depressed: This seems to be something Athenians cannot compare with. Their minds are placed more on participating in politics, courts, and other city-state affairs.

Isocrates couldn’t help but squat down, reaching out to touch the gray-white substance that tightly bonded the stones together. He knocked on it; the texture was hard.

“Isocrates, are you planning to change your profession to an architect?” Lysias understood the reason for his actions and couldn’t help but make a joke.

“Is this your first time in Theonia?” Sperian didn’t find his behavior strange; instead, he said complacently, “Roads like this can be seen everywhere in Theonia’s territory. It’s just that this avenue is wider. Because the number of merchant ships coming to Thurii increases every year, this road has been rebuilt many times. Even the surrounding warehouses and bungalows have been demolished quite a bit. Looking at it now, it still seems a bit narrow.”

Still too narrow?! Lysias was somewhat speechless.

Since most of the traffic on this avenue consisted of carriages, and pedestrians mostly walked on the sides, Sperian had to remind them, “You should retreat to the roadside first and wait a moment. I’ll go fetch the carriage. But I have to explain beforehand: the price we discussed earlier was only for transporting the goods. The city of Thurii is more than ten li from the port. If you choose to walk, we will deliver the goods to the city gate and wait for you. If you choose to ride in my carriage with us, you will have to pay a little extra fare.”

Sperian was shrewd, but Lysias was not confused either. Although he was a literary man, he had made a living in Athens by writing forensic speeches for others. His life was relatively frugal, so he was familiar with daily necessities. “Are there no carriages specifically for carrying people here?”

“Of course there are, and many,” Sperian said truthfully. “Outside the port, there are carriages specifically for carrying passengers. They are more comfortable than my cargo cart, but the price is expensive. I’m just giving you a ride along the way, charging only a small labor fee.”

For wealthy Athenians, money was not an issue. However, Isocrates was obviously a bit tired and afraid of trouble, though he still reminded, “There are five of us. Can your carriage fit us all?”

“Rest assured.” Sperian didn’t lie. Soon, he arrived with two carriages driven by his men.

As Sperian and his team carefully moved the goods onto the carriages, Lysias couldn’t help but ask, “Did you rent these carriages?”

“No, they are my carriages.” Sperian emphasized the word “my,” speaking with pride. “As a preparatory citizen, I can apply for a loan from the Bank of Crystoia. Now, the loan and interest for one carriage have already been paid off, and the other one is nearly done too.”

Soon, the two carriages started moving.

Sperian sat on the first carriage with Isocrates and Lysias. This type of cargo cart had no canvas cover, allowing a panoramic view of the port avenue and its surroundings, which suited Isocrates perfectly.

He noticed that although there were many carriages and carts on the avenue, they followed a certain rule while moving, appearing numerous but not chaotic. Even when problems caused congestion, patrols would quickly arrive to clear the way…

Lysias’s attention, however, was focused more on the cargo carts and wagons, because they were all pulled by horses. In Lysias’s memory, Thurii was not a city-state famous for producing horses. Yet, seeing such a large number of horses in the port, he asked, “What is the price of horses here?”

“Thirty drachmas for a mare, twenty-two drachmas for a stallion.”

“How can they be so cheap?!” Lysias was startled.

“The price of horses in Thurii used to be more than double what it is now. But ever since Bruttium was incorporated into Theonia, the Bruttians have provided a large number of pack horses to the Thurii market over the past few years, so the price of horses naturally dropped,” Sperian said, patting the horse’s rump. The horse let out a gentle whinny.

Sperian said proudly, “Bruttian horses are good horses. They have great strength, good endurance, and good tempers. Now even the people of Rhegium are starting to come here to buy horses. I estimate the price will go back up in the future…”

As Sperian spoke, the carriage arrived at the exit of the port. They had to wait for the checkpoint sentries to inspect them before passing.

Originally, when Isocrates’s ship entered the mouth of the Crati River, if they had simply identified themselves as Athenian envoys to the patrol boat, they wouldn’t have needed to enter the port at all. They would have been guided by the patrol boat to the docks within Thurii city, directly entering the Theonian Senate. But Isocrates had other considerations and did not do so.

At this moment, he looked up at the tall city walls towering in front of the carriage, firmly enclosing the enormous port. He couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

When Athens was at its peak, it also used city walls to protect Piraeus—which brought endless wealth to Athens—connecting it all the way to Athens itself (the Long Walls).

Unfortunately, after the defeat in the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans forced the Athenians to dismantle the walls. This has left the people constantly anxious now that Athens has united with Thebes against Sparta. They fear that if the Spartans break through the Isthmus, the completely defenseless Piraeus will be a piece of fat meat in the mouth of a hungry wolf.

The Assembly has proposed rebuilding the walls several times, but it is a massive project. With Athens fully committed to the war, difficulties are undoubtedly abundant, and the proposals were ultimately shelved due to endless disputes.

When the walls of Piraeus are rebuilt, that will be the time when Athens rises again!

Isocrates had a profound understanding of this.