Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1057: Lentulus's Secret

What they did not know, however, was that Davos's main purpose in enacting this decree was to accelerate the assimilation of certain citizens, such as the Romans and the minority of Phoenician aristocrats who had joined Daionia. It also fostered a unique sense of pride among the Theonians—across the nations and peoples of the Mediterranean Sea, those who gradually adopted surnames generally placed their given name first and their surname last. This, in turn, helped accelerate the formation of a unified Daionian people.

Following the promulgation of the Surname Law, Daionian citizens generally complied with the decree, and no major turmoil erupted within the territory. The decree made no mention of slaves; after all, many slaves lacked even a proper given name and went only by nicknames. For convenience, however, many masters gave their slaves formal names. Hoping to better establish themselves within the kingdom after eventually gaining their freedom, some kingdom slaves also adopted formal names and registered them at the slave camp administration office.

Under such a sweeping trend, if Gaius stubbornly refused to change his name, he would undoubtedly stand out as an anomaly and attract special attention from the patrol squads.

"Someone outside the camp is looking for you. Get going," the soldier at the door said, his tone softening.

"Thank you... thank you, my lord!" Gaius hastily threw on his clothes, scrambled out of bed, and bowed obsequiously to the soldier before sprinting toward the camp gates.

The previously quiet dormitory immediately buzzed with chatter. "Someone coming to look for Gaius in the evening? That's bizarre."

"What's so strange about it? We all work in the stone quarry during the day now. The evening is the only time you can actually find anyone in camp."

"Gaius is so lucky. There's always someone coming to see him. He must have a lot of relatives on the outside!"

"What's so strange about that? It's because he used to belong to the Roman Aristocracy. Don't you Phoenicians have a lot of relatives in the kingdom too? Unlike us Lusitanians... sigh, our families back home don't even know if we're dead or alive..."

Only after a long while did someone speak up to console him. "In a few more years, once you earn your freedom, you can return to Iberia and bring your whole family to live together in Daionia."

"Hmph! Once I get my freedom, I won't stay here. I'm definitely going back to the Iberia I know, far away from this wretched Kingdom of Daunia. Who knows, maybe one day, I'll even fight against Daionia... hmph!"

"What's the point of returning to those impoverished mountains in Iberia? You'll constantly go hungry, there's no medicine when you get sick, and the tribes are always fighting bloody wars. You never know when you'll lose your life in battle... Honestly, living here in this slave camp is far better than living in an Iberian tribe! Once I get my freedom, I'm never going back to Iberia. Living in Thurii will definitely be even better than the slave camp!"

"You dare betray the tribe! I'll beat you to death!"

"Alright, knock it off! Do you want to draw the patrol squad over here?"

...

The slave camp resembled a self-contained little Daionian town. With a cafeteria, shops, a hospital, and even an arena, almost all the essential civic facilities were in place. During their free time, as long as they did not break the rules, the slaves could move about freely within the camp, though they were forbidden from leaving. However, to reduce rebellious urges and encourage them to focus peacefully on earning their freedom through labor, the administration allowed outsiders to visit the camp.

Following the Western Mediterranean War in particular, the number of outside visitors had sharply increased. This was due to the massive influx of new Roman and Phoenician citizens, alongside an equally large influx of Roman and Phoenician slaves.

Gaius walked into the reception room beside the camp gates. Catching sight of a familiar back sitting there, he could not help but call out, "Lentulus Manlius."

The man, who appeared even younger than Gaius, turned around and glared at him. "Gaius, watch your mouth!" he warned in a low voice.

Gaius, who was already nursing a stomach full of pent-up anger, completely ignored Lentulus's warning. Instead, he sneered, "Is that not your name?! Or have you already forgotten your true identity and the glory of your family? Are you so willing to obey the demands of the Theonians and adopt a new name that isn't Roman at all?!"

In truth, Lentulus could have easily retorted: "Since you haven't forgotten our family's honor, Gaius, do you dare publicly declare that your name is Gaius Fabius Labeo!"

But he did not. His father was Publius Manlius—not only the first major Roman aristocrat to defect to the Kingdom of Daunia, but also the very first Roman official of the kingdom to publicly change his surname after the Surname Law was enacted. Many former Roman aristocrats, now kingdom citizens, secretly hated him to the bone, even calling him "the chief culprit who caused the fall of Rome." These rumors had clearly affected Lentulus. His face flushed red, and he blurted out agitatedly, "Gaius, you only dare flap your lips! You have no idea what kind of immense risks the people truly defending Rome are taking! One day, you will see whether or not I've forgotten Rome and our family's glory!"

Having said that, Lentulus held his head high. A look of resolute pride surfaced on his face, momentarily stunning Gaius, who knew him well. Gaius subconsciously lowered his voice and asked, "Lentulus, what do you mean by that? What are you planning to do?!"

Lentulus ignored the question. He hefted a thick package, dropped it onto the table, and said coldly, "Your sister sent another package to our house from Rome, asking us to deliver it to you. You look pretty happy every time you receive one. It doesn't seem like you've cut off contact with them just because your brother-in-law Stolo is a Daionian official and changed his surname too."

"Who says I don't curse them out? But I still have to accept the goods." Gaius flashed a shameless grin, dragged the package over, and immediately tore it open.

"No use being so eager to look. It's just some food and clothes. Nothing valuable. The guards already rummaged through it when I came in," Lentulus said, maintaining his frigid tone.

A look of sheer satisfaction spread across Gaius's face. "Excellent! It's all the Roman specialties I love to eat! It's been so long since I've had these, I almost forgot what they taste like!"

Hearing this, Lentulus looked somewhat distracted.

Just then, he heard Gaius say, "Lentulus, our two families are relatives, and we've played together since we were kids. I still remember how my father used to praise you. He'd say, 'Even though he's younger than you, he's always had a mind of his own. When he grows up, he'll definitely have a brighter future than you, and might even become a hero of the City of Rome.' I've always kept those words in my heart. When I insulted you just now, it was partly because I'm upset about what your father did, but also because I was afraid you had truly submitted to Daionia, letting down the expectations my father and I had for you... Anyway, I hope you can forgive me!"

Lentulus felt Gaius's flattery scratch exactly where it itched, and the resentment in his heart quickly melted away. Feigning indignation, he declared, "My father is my father, and I am me. I will always be a true Roman!"

"Of course! Of course! We are a great race raised by the she-wolf; we will never yield! Especially you, Lentulus. I firmly believe you will become a great Roman hero!" After Gaius finished his heartfelt speech, he saw Lentulus's angry expression swiftly vanish, replaced by smug satisfaction. He quickly leaned in closer and asked in a hushed voice, "That major matter you mentioned just now... what exactly is it?"

The young Lentulus had already let his guard down entirely after Gaius's spiel. He glanced around; aside from the two of them, there was no one else in the reception room.

So, he leaned in close to Gaius and whispered with a hint of showing off, "Just like before, you have to keep this a secret! Let me tell you..."

...

After seeing Lentulus off, Gaius stepped out of the reception room. In high spirits, he submitted to the guards' second inspection, then walked back toward the camp with a brisk stride.

He did not return straight to the dormitory. If the other slaves discovered the food in his package, it would likely be snatched up in an instant. Instead, he headed to the villa district—the single slaves' nickname for the area where slaves with families lived—and knocked on the door of Maximus's home.

"It's already so late. Instead of resting properly to recover your strength, you're still wandering around! Don't forget we have to go to the mines tomorrow!" Maximus opened the door, saw who it was, and immediately scolded him without holding back.

Gaius ignored him. Craning his neck to peer inside, he asked, "Where are my sister-in-law and the kids?"

"Is that Gaius? Hurry and come sit down!" A figure stood up in a corner lit by faint candlelight. Then, two smaller figures darted out, crying out affectionately, "Uncle Gaius!"

"Good kids!" An amiable smile graced Gaius's face. He crouched down and pulled a few things out of his package. "Look, what did Uncle bring you?"

"Wow, such a huge loaf of bread!"

"And fish too!"

"Remember this, it's wheat bread from Rome and salted fish from the Tiber River. And this—Sabine Cheese. Take it and eat."

"Uncle Gaius is the best!"

"Thank you, Uncle Gaius!"

"Your cousin Conia sent you things again. She treats you truly well!" Seeing the package and the food, Maximus immediately guessed the whole story. In the past, the great Roman clans frequently intermarried, so they were all quite familiar with one another.

"My cousin does treat me well. It's just that Stolo actually became a Daionian official. My uncle must have been blind to marry her off to that plebeian!" Gaius said resentfully. "However, I don't think he'll be a judge for much longer!"

"Has something happened?" Maximus asked, instantly on high alert.

Gaius did not answer directly. Instead, he said, "Brother, do you still have any wine here? Tonight, we'll eat this salted fish and bread from back home, throw a little banquet, and celebrate!"