Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1185: Fierce Debate in the Athenian Assembly (2)

"Although I haven't been there, I have carefully studied the affairs of the Kingdom of Daunia. Everything I just said is a fact!" Callistratus said with absolute certainty.

"Daionia is not like Athens. Its territory is far more vast," Callias said solemnly. "To govern such a massive nation, strict order must be maintained to ensure every decision and decree is fully executed. Thanks to the diligent efforts of our officials, every Daionian citizen owns ample land and leads a prosperous life. Not only do they have plenty of bread for their daily meals, but they also regularly eat meat, drink in taverns, soak in the hot springs at the baths, watch ball games in the arena, enjoy plays at the theater, and view wild beasts at the zoo... Daionian citizens lead rich, vibrant lives. They are also deeply hospitable. I hope the people of Athens will visit the Sacred Kingdom of Daunia. You would certainly receive a warm welcome, which would help dispel the misunderstandings between our two states and foster our friendship."

His words provoked a wave of low murmurs among the Athenian citizens.

At that moment, a man in the front row stood up and shouted, "Isn't the only reason your citizens have so much land because you annexed the city-states of Magna Graecia and plundered their wealth? While Daionian citizens indulge themselves, have they ever spared a thought for the people of Magna Graecia, who lost their homes and now freeze and starve?"

Callistratus recognized the speaker as a student of Isocrates and nodded in approval.

Callias asked in surprise, "How did you arrive at that conclusion?"

"It is the truth, do not try to deny it!"

Callias laughed. "I always thought the Athenians were the wisest and most inquisitive among the Greek city-states, but now I see I was wrong. Some people simply rely on their personal prejudices to concoct baseless rumors and deceive everyone! If you truly want to know the facts, you should travel to the western Mediterranean. Go walk through Crotone, Locri, Neapolis, Syracuse, Tarentum... go and see for yourself. You will find that the majority of the people in these towns are the very same inhabitants from before. Yet, their living conditions have drastically improved compared to before they joined the Kingdom of Daunia, and their lives are much more prosperous—"

Callistratus interrupted again. "But as you just said yourself: Crotone, Tarentum, Locri... these places, which were once colonies of our Greek city-states, have all lost their independence and freedom! They were annexed by Daionia and reduced to ordinary subordinate towns within your kingdom. Even Thurii, a place we Athenian citizens know intimately, has become the center of the Kingdom of Daunia!"

His words incited an even greater uproar in the venue, with some Athenian citizens even shouting curses.

Callias's cheek twitched. He did not immediately defend himself; instead, he stood motionless, his expression impassive. He waited until the Athenian citizens naturally quieted down before letting out a cold scoff. "Lord Callistratus, I heard you are a respected orator. But shouldn't your speeches respect the facts instead of spinning wild fabrications?

"If you understood the situation in Magna Graecia, you would know that before the Sacred Kingdom of Daunia was established, the various city-states there were constantly at war. It was no different from the Greek Mainland today. Even Thurii, which you just brought up, was not invaded by Daionia. It was burned to the ground by Crotone—another city-state of Magna Graecia you just mentioned! Daionia simply rebuilt the city upon Thurii's ruins.

"Daionia never took the initiative to invade a single city-state in Magna Graecia, yet we were constantly provoked and attacked by them. For example, Crotone launched two offensives against Daionia... The tyrant Dionysius led the Syracuse Allied Forces on a cross-sea expedition against the southern Italian city-states headed by Daionia... Tarentum tore up our alliance and launched a sneak attack on our rear at the critical moment when Daionia was defending against the Syracusan army... And after Carthage, a foreign state, declared war on us, Syracuse actually colluded with them...

"Through grueling battle after battle, Daionia ultimately defeated these formidable enemies. As for those city-states of Magna Graecia joining the Kingdom of Daunia, the vast majority held their own assemblies and made the choice themselves. They did not want to face war every single day and live in constant fear. They needed a powerful pillar of support that could shelter them from the storm.

"We have all seen what happened next. The Greek Mainland has been plagued by incessant war for over a decade, yet throughout this entire period, the territories of Magna Graecia have remained peaceful and tranquil, and its people have prospered. The facts prove that the people of Magna Graecia made the right choice!"

Callias delivered this final sentence with resounding force. A profound silence fell over the assembly.

"Uh—" Callistratus tried to interject again.

Having learned his lesson, Callias quickly pushed onward. "Of course, Magna Graecia is Magna Graecia, and the Greek Mainland is the Greek Mainland. The situations are completely different. Daionia dispatching its army to the Peloponnese carries no hidden agenda. We have only two goals.

"The first, as I just stated, is to fulfill our alliance, assist Thebes, and defeat Sparta, which constantly stirs up war on the Greek Mainland. The second is to aid the Messenians. I recall that you Athenians graciously helped the Messenians many times while they suffered under Spartan enslavement. Our king also made a promise to the Messenian exiles who fled to Tyndaris. So, using this opportunity, we intend to help the Messenians—who are fellow Greeks—regain their freedom and independence.

"I can swear to the gods that once Sparta is defeated, the Daionian Army will swiftly withdraw back to the kingdom. We will absolutely not occupy a single inch of land on the Greek Mainland!"

Callias finished speaking with a solemn expression, his arms raised and his palms facing the sky.

Many Athenian citizens were visibly moved.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. "The Daionian envoy is swearing to the gods. Could you tell us exactly which god?"

Callias saw an old man stand up near the front of the venue. The man had a head of white hair, but his complexion was so deeply tanned it gave him a somewhat sinister appearance.

He hesitated for a moment before answering frankly, "The heavenly god Hades!"

"I have heard that Daionia reveres Hades as the patron god of your kingdom. Is the Hades you worship the very same Hades who is one of the twelve major gods of Greece?" the man pressed.

"Of course he is," Callias said cautiously. "It is just that Daionia's understanding of Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, differs slightly from that of the people on the Greek Mainland."

The man did not ask what those differences were. Instead, he said sternly, "We Greeks believe that Hades governs death and is unapproachable. The common people do not even dare to speak his name aloud, instead referring to him simply as 'that god'.

"On the Greek Mainland, Hades has no temples. The only temple that lacks a divine statue, has no engraved names, yet is closely tied to Hades, is located in Eleusis within our region of Attica. There lies a bottomless cavern universally recognized by Greeks as the entrance to the underworld. Because of this, we Greeks established a secret ritual to worship Hades. Almost every prominent figure on the Greek Mainland has participated in this ritual—"

"The Eleusinian Mysteries—I know of it."

"No, you do not know! You Daionians know absolutely nothing!" the man roared. "The rites of Eleusis originated in Athens and received the tacit approval of Hades, thereby earning the widespread awe and reverence of the Greek people. It is the most orthodox sacrifice dedicated to Hades in the entire Greek World!

"Yet you Daionians recklessly build statues and temples to Hades! Not only do you lack any reverence for him, but you even fabricate lies about a descendant of Hades to deceive the masses—"

"Shut your mouth!" Callias bellowed, his hair and beard bristling with fury as he glared at the man. "The fact that our great King Davos is a descendant of Hades is the consensus of every single citizen in the Kingdom of Daunia! In a mere thirty years, he rose from a mercenary to the king of the most powerful nation in the western Mediterranean, transforming Daionia from a tiny alliance into a mighty kingdom that encompasses all the civilized city-states of the western Mediterranean! This was precisely because he received the divine revelations and blessings of Hades. At several critical junctures, Hades even manifested miracles to help our kingdom overcome its crises! These events were witnessed with their own eyes by tens of thousands of our kingdom's people. That is why the citizens of the Sacred Kingdom of Daunia willingly revere Hades as the kingdom's patron god and have become his devout followers!

"Hades is a merciful heavenly god. He does not mind the different ways Greeks from different regions view him or the different sacrificial methods they adopt. But if anyone publicly slanders his divine son and insults the devout faith the Daionian people hold for Hades, then the millions of devout believers of Daionia will brave any hardship and fear no death to ensure the blasphemer pays a catastrophic price!"

Under the crushing weight of Callias's imposing presence, the man actually felt a pang of cowardice. He subconsciously stepped backward, completely forgetting the stone steps behind him. Had the people beside him not caught him, he would have tumbled over.

This man was none other than the torchbearer of the Eleusinian Mysteries. He shared the same name as the Daionian envoy—Callias. The "Peace of Callias" previously signed in Sparta was named after him, which showed just how illustrious his reputation was on the Greek Mainland.

But at this moment, his clumsy performance made Callistratus frown. Hades—what an excellent angle of attack that could have been! Unfortunately, Callias had completely botched it. His performance during the signing of the peace treaty in Sparta had been poor as well. He should have known better than to place any hope in him.