Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1054: Thurii Stone Quarry

Meanwhile, the slave camp took on private commissions, temporarily renting out its surplus labor. A portion of the silver and gold earned was handed over to the Slave Administration Office, another portion covered the camp's own expenses, and a small fraction was distributed to the slaves as wages. (According to regulations, slaves who had labored in the camp for six months could receive a monthly wage based on their performance. Although this pay was far lower than that of regular hired hands on the open market, it greatly boosted the slaves' enthusiasm for their work and dampened their inclination to rebel.)

The Slave Administration Office set clearly marked prices for privately hiring state slaves for various labors and capped these contracts at one month, yet public demand for this temporary employment remained robust. For instance, frequent festivals brought surges of foreign travelers, leaving eateries, inns, and shops short-staffed; similarly, the autumn harvest often left private households needing extra hands. A major reason this short-term hiring of state slaves thrived was simply that they cost less than regular laborers.

Because of this high demand, the slave camp's finances were often a prime target of scrutiny for the ephors and tribunes. Over the past decade, dozens of officials at the Thurii slave camp had been severely punished for corruption and bribery.

The camp administration detailed various employment notices, requirements, and specific headcounts on black wooden boards for two reasons. First, they wanted slaves to read the postings and volunteer based on their own capabilities. If the Christoya Eatery needed four temporary slaves to keep books, applicants had to know basic arithmetic and be able to write Greek; slaves could judge for themselves whether they fit the bill. Second, aside from the extra pay the administration gave state slaves for completing private jobs, frequently hired slaves were given priority consideration for freedom. After all, consistent employment proved they could successfully integrate into the kingdom's way of life.

This naturally compelled the camp's slaves to proactively learn Daionia's language and writing. (The camp had dedicated schools teaching the language, though they charged a fee.) It was an excellent method of assimilation.

When Maximus passed the notice boards, he subconsciously glanced at them. It had become a habit; whenever he was in the camp without an assigned task, he would come to the drill grounds to check for available work. As the head of his family, he had a wife and two underage children to support. While the dining hall provided a little free food for the children, those meager rations were far from enough for their growing bodies. He still had to spend his own coin at the camp shops to buy enough food to fill their bellies.

Furthermore, as a former member of the Roman Aristocracy, Maximus not only yearned for freedom but desperately wanted his children to have bright futures in this new kingdom once that freedom was won. To that end, he had to have them learn Daionia's language and writing right away. All of this required money, so he rarely allowed himself a moment of rest. He had taken on numerous private jobs, which in turn steadily deepened his understanding of the kingdom.

Today's notice board looked much like any other day, bearing no extra notices save for one: an encouragement for the slaves to work hard on expanding the Temple of Hades in Thurii, promising that upon the project's completion, slaves with good performance would be prioritized for freedom.

Maximus felt no excitement at this. He knew the rules: state slaves generally had to labor for four years before they were even eligible for freedom. Whether they actually attained it depended entirely on their past performance and the administration's approval. His own tenure wasn't long enough yet.

A foreman walked over, asking with concern, "Have you recovered from your illness?"

"I'm fully recovered."

"Don't push yourself if you aren't. If something happens to you, it falls on my head too."

"I really am better."

"Alright, you're still in charge of your old team." No sooner had the foreman spoken than the slaves beside them erupted into cheers.

The foreman patted Maximus on the shoulder and turned to leave.

The foreman treated Maximus well because, within the slave camp, foremen were the direct supervisors overseeing the slaves' labor. They were hired camp employees—registered freemen and provisional citizens applying to join the kingdom. A single foreman often managed hundreds of slaves. How well those slaves performed directly determined whether the foreman earned extra bonuses and smoothly transitioned into a full citizen ahead of schedule.

To make management easier, they frequently divided their slaves into a dozen or so teams, picking out the most capable individuals to serve as team leaders and help keep order. In turn, these team leaders were usually the prime candidates when the Slave Administration Office selected slaves for emancipation. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Once the foremen finished their headcounts, a squad leader from the military camp directed his soldiers to escort the hundreds of slaves out toward the quarry.

It was late April. The annual Marriage Festival held for the goddess Hera had already concluded, the rainy season was drawing to a close, and dawn was breaking earlier every day. Even though the slaves had woken and set out early, as they marched toward the rising sun, they could still spot farmers already tending their fields.

The farmers were long accustomed to seeing this massive crowd march by. Some even shouted, "Hey! Hope everything goes smoothly today! Dig out a few extra stones for the temple!"

The slaves soon crossed the stone bridge spanning the Coseni River—a branch of the Crati River—and entered Thurii's delta region.

Passing through in the early morning, they could always hear clear, resounding voices echoing from behind the high walls a short distance to the east. They knew it was the students of the Theonia Akademia reading aloud or practicing their speeches. Most slaves were used to the noise, and only a rare few cast longing glances in that direction.

Continuing past the bridge, the slaves turned west. The terrain steadily rose and the ground grew increasingly uneven; only the road beneath their feet, paved with stone bricks and cement, remained broad and perfectly straight. In truth, carts laden with stone blocks and copper ore constantly rolled over this route year after year, inevitably causing the surface to cave and crack. However, Thurii's Department of Construction maintained it promptly. This constant wear and tear also drove the construction officials and artisans to continuously improve their road-building techniques, seeking out better materials to enhance the surface's hardness and load-bearing capacity.

Further ahead, the road forked. The northwest path led to the Copper Mine, while the southwest path led to the stone quarry. Usually, the slaves would be split into two groups upon reaching this junction. Lately, however, a special task had concentrated all of Thurii's state slaves into quarrying stone, so the foremen led the entire contingent down the southwest road.

It wasn't long before they reached the foot of the mountain. Here, the hard stone-paved road came to an abrupt end. Ahead lay an artificially excavated valley; an open clearing capable of holding several thousand people was neatly dotted with stone blocks of various shapes, alongside countless logs and tools stacked to the side.

Towering mountain ridges encircled the clearing. Their green moss and lichen had been stripped completely clean, exposing rock formations as pure white as snow. The sections closest to the valley floor had been quarried into straight, sheer, and blocky faces over years of excavation. Under the early morning sun, the mountain walls reflected a soft, pale light.

This was Thurii's marble quarry. The marble excavated here was regarded by the Greeks and the Daionians as the finest primary stone for building temples.

Just then, several men walked out from the valley. The middle-aged man leading them had a burly build and an imposing appearance, though regrettably, he was missing his left hand. The men following him also bore missing parts or deformities to varying degrees. Yet, not a single foreman dared to show a hint of disdain. Instead, they greeted the men with deep respect.

Aristagoras was this man's name. Twenty years ago, he had been a slave belonging to the owner of this very quarry. Because he held considerable prestige among the mining slaves, his master had appointed him as a foreman. When the people of Crotone breached Thurii, his master's family perished. Later, when the Daunian Alliance was established, he gained his freedom. He served several times as a baggage train laborer, following the Daionian Army into battle. A few years later, he became a Daionian Citizen and joined the first legion of Theonia. However, after landing in Sicily and engaging in a fierce battle against the Syracusan army at Meyaro, he was gravely wounded. Thanks to the frantic efforts of the medics, he was lucky enough to survive, but his left hand had to be amputated, naturally rendering him unable to continue his military service.

Still, with his rewards and pension, he could easily buy a few more slaves to farm his land, ensuring he wouldn't live poorly. Moreover, relying on his distinguished military service, he was entirely qualified to run for village head. From there, backed by his administrative achievements, he could climb step by step—from village head to demarchos, town official, City Magistrate... eventually, he might even become a Senator of the kingdom. This was exactly what King Davos's relative, Periandorus (Cynthia's father-in-law), had done. Some citizens left crippled by their military service had been inspired by him to step onto this very path in politics. If Aristagoras didn't want to exhaust himself, he could also choose to run for tribune to protect the interests of himself and his fellow villagers.

Of course, if he wanted to make his life even better, he could write to the Soldiers' Committee and apply for a job at the Legion Weapon Shop. This Legion Weapon Shop had originally been established at Davos's suggestion. It took weapons, armor, and other spoils of war seized from the battlefield, repaired and modified them, and then sold them on the market. A portion of the profits went toward pensions for dead and wounded soldiers, and the operation also secured the future livelihoods of disabled veterans.