Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 941: Birth of Hades

Max, however, was desperate to learn the Daonian language and assimilate into his new surroundings. He vividly remembered the speech the King of Daonia—the man who had defeated the great Camillus—had given before they were separated and drafted into the army:

"...Soldiers of Rome, Rome has been annexed into the Kingdom of Daunia, and you have been utterly defeated! You can harbor your hatred toward Daionia forever.

"But do not forget: when you breached Veii, you slaughtered every male captive in the city. When you occupied Volscian territory, including Satricum, Antium, and Velitrae, you either killed or enslaved every Volsci man you caught...

"Yet today, upon your defeat, Daionia did not treat you as you treated others. We did not bring your young lives to an early end, nor did we turn you into lowly slaves. Instead, we gave you the opportunity to become a Daionian Citizen!

"I believe many of you have crossed paths with the Roman Reserve Cohort—your former compatriots. You know something of the rights and benefits that come with being a Daionian Citizen. You might not be as wealthy as you once were, nor will you be able to abuse your power to oppress other citizens, but you will become citizens of the most powerful kingdom in the Mediterranean Sea, envied by the people of other nations. You will see a broader world and obtain more opportunities for yourself!

"Enough, Romans. The Rome of the past is gone, and you all face a brand new beginning. Will you continue to hate us, only to be suppressed and destroyed in the end? Or will you pick up your shields and spears, fight alongside us, win the respect of the Theonians, and carve out a new future for yourselves and your families? That depends entirely on you..."

At that moment, someone stepped in front of him, patted his shoulder, and asked with a concerned smile, "How are you holding up? Everything all right?"

Seeing that smile always reminded Max of the time he had been infected with the plague and filled with despair. He remembered how tirelessly the Daionian doctors had treated him, ultimately allowing him to recover and stand here today. This was why he did not harbor much hatred for the Theonians. He believed that all the Romans cured by the Daionian doctors shared this sentiment; the Theonians had given them a second life.

"Follow us off the ship!" The officer pointed to the pier directly ahead of them, then picked up the wrapped shield, spear, and armor resting beside Max.

Max wanted to stop him, but he couldn't speak a word of Greek. Combined with his continuous seasickness on the voyage, his body was truly weak. He could only watch helplessly as the officer opened the bundle and had the other soldiers each carry an item for him.

This act of kindness strengthened his resolve to learn the Daonian language as quickly as possible.

In reality, Max's initial assessment had been wrong. What he saw was not a town, but the naval base at Terina.

Therefore, as the other Roman soldiers who had not suffered from seasickness sailed into the naval base's port on the passenger ships, their eyes widened in astonishment. Unfolding before them was a port countless times larger than the Port of Ostia. Numerous piers and trestles jutted out from the winding coastline like a fearsome, many-legged centipede. Massive Warships patrolled the waters on the far side of the port, sometimes halting in rigid formation, sometimes surging forward at high speeds. The rhythmic, rising chants of the sailors echoed throughout the entire harbor...

A few Latin soldiers in the third legion of Theonia proudly shouted to the dazed Romans, "We have five naval bases like this in our Kingdom of Daunia! The First Fleet has two: Tarentum and Castron. And this isn't even the largest one."

This left the former members of the Roman Aristocracy even more astounded and uncertain. They suddenly realized that the power of the Kingdom of Daunia was far beyond anything they could have imagined. Confronted with this overwhelming display of strength, much of their lingering reluctance simply dissipated.

The Third Fleet's naval base was in Terina, but the Sixth Legion's camp was located in Scylletium. The two cities were dozens of

King Davos had planned this ten days in advance and written to inform the Senate, who then urgently notified Terina and the surrounding towns. The local City Hall had organized citizens idle during the agricultural off-season to build a camp for the incoming army. Thus, by the time the expeditionary force returned from Latium, the soldiers found the camp already fully constructed and properly supplied. They didn't need to lift a finger. Since departing for Rome, this was a rare opportunity for them to enjoy a ready-made camp without any toil of their own.

Once they had settled in, the officers announced another piece of good news: "To thank you for your contributions to the kingdom in Latium, King Davos has specially permitted a bonfire banquet for you to celebrate tonight!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers cheered in joy, and the entire camp boiled over with excitement—except, of course, for the Roman aristocratic soldiers, who had no idea what was going on.

That afternoon, officials from the Terina City Hall led a coordinated group of citizens to deliver countless jugs of wine, over a hundred goats, and other food supplies to the camp. Naturally, even more citizens flocked to the site simply to visit their relatives in the Sixth Legion.

To prevent the crowds from disrupting the camp's order, Legion Commander Tratinostes specifically permitted the soldiers to meet their families outside the perimeter.

During the expedition to Latium, the Sixth Legion had suffered no small number of casualties. Citizens who learned that their loved ones had died in battle or been severely wounded wept in sorrow, while those who saw their relatives standing before them in one piece cried tears of joy. In short, mournful wails filled the air outside the camp, while endless laughter rang out within, creating a peculiar contrast.

...

By dusk, the soldiers of the various legions, led by their officers, walked out of the camp and gathered on the prepared wilderness. Over a hundred stacks of freshly harvested wheat straw had been arranged in concentric circles. In the center lay a large clearing, where an even larger straw stack stood.

Each squad sat around a straw stack. The squad leaders took a few soldiers to the Supply Camp and returned with several jugs of wine, large pots of piping hot Sheep Offal Soup, a butchered goat, a basket of fresh fruit, a basket of washed vegetables, and a jar of dried fruit...

The squad leaders personally served the men, filling their wooden cups with wine and ladling Sheep Offal Soup into their clay bowls...

Although Max was not as ecstatic as the rest of his squad about getting to drink Thurii Wine, his aristocratic upbringing still prompted him to express his gratitude to the squad leader, who looked even younger than he did.

Seeing his respectful attitude, the squad leader offered a few encouraging words. Completely unable to understand the Daonian language, Max could only nod politely. Finally, the squad leader laughed heartily, patted him firmly on the shoulder, and moved on to serve the next soldier.

The next soldier, however, displayed a far more deferential attitude toward the young squad leader, which Max found slightly strange. Of course, he had no way of knowing that this squad leader was Adoris, the adopted son of the King of Daonia.

As the soldiers began their meal, the sky gradually darkened. Soon, the straw stacks were ignited one by one, driving away the darkness of the wilderness.

"Boom! Boom!..." The deep, resounding beat of large drums suddenly rang out. Prompted by the officers, the previously clamorous bonfire venue quickly quieted down.

A soaring and solemn chant then echoed above the gathering, wiping the playful smiles from the soldiers' faces.

They watched as a group of figures with peculiar appearances and diverse costumes emerged in the center of the venue, stepping out beside the largest bonfire.

"It's the Birth of Hades!" Some of the soldiers had already recognized the grand theatrical play and began to cheer.

Grand theatrical plays in Daionia had only been around for a little over ten years, but they had developed rapidly. By now, they had evolved past their pantomime roots to incorporate distinct chanting, solo performances, and group song and dance (an evolution that naturally owed much to the inspiration of King Davos). This made the format of these grand plays richer and more diverse, rendering them increasingly appealing to the Theonians.

The first act of

In the second act, Hades arrived in the Underworld to find it in absolute chaos due to a lack of governance. He enlisted Thanatos and Hypnos to serve as the gods of death and sleep. He then persuaded Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus to act as the three judges, subdued the three-headed hound Cerberus to guard the gates, and placed Charon in charge of ferrying souls... thereby finally restoring order to the Underworld.

In the third act, with the Underworld well-governed, the King of the Underworld took the goddess of fertility, Persephone, as his wife. Humanity, grateful for his contributions, offered sacrifices to him. Finally, he and his subordinates danced together in joy...

The entire plot had been meticulously compiled by Praxinas and his priests. Most of the dialogue was sung, with melodies painstakingly composed by the kingdom's renowned musical poet and Theonia Akademia teacher, Philosanus, alongside his students. The choreography for that final group dance—which transcended its era—came directly from the hands of King Davos. Thus,

Although the language barrier prevented Max from being as thoroughly entranced as the other soldiers, the actors' exquisite costumes, masterful acting, and beautiful singing still captivated him, prompting him to try his hardest to piece together the plot.