Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece
chapter-76

“It's only because there is just a small wharf here!” Burkes' chest heaved with rage. Just now, he realized that as he walk through the market that the reason why the types of business here are so complete is not due to the needs of the mercenaries, but the needs of the merchants and surrounding residents. No matter how wide the river Crati is, it is still not as wide as the sea, and due to that, when there are too many merchant ships, it would take them time to wait in order to enter the port of Thurii, and after entering the market, there will be tax on transactions. But now, the mercenaries have built a market near the coast, and once their ships arrived at the wharf, they can just unload the goods, and when they enter the market, they only need to pay an 1 Obol (which is the same as it being free) and without the need to pay the tax. As for the buyers, Thurii is not far away and there are many sailors and fisherman…and so on, but they are mainly free men and not citizens of Thurii, and they are more willing to go a few more distance to buy cheaper goods (because they don't need to pay taxes, therefore they are cheap) than buying in the market of Thurii. What's more, there are merchants from various city-states that got attracted by those exotic stuffs, hirings and selling military goods.

Although Burkes was angry, but he didn't continue what he want to say because he notice that Mariji has his head facing down and was ready to be criticized, “Forget it, I'll just tell Davos about this! You can't even decide about it because you are just a Persian slave.”

When Mariji heard this, his body trembled and almost shouted, You are the Persian slave! Your whole family are Persian slaves! You Greek savages are blind! I had been the royal trader of the Persian royalty!!

Fortunately, he finally held himself back, but didn't want to talk anymore and so he walk behind them.

As they approached the west gate of the market, Burkes found that there was a meter tall wall separating the area, and there was a large wooden hut in it. Compared with the noisy stall, it was quiet here, but there was a long line at the entrance…

“This is…” Asked Burkes with some doubt.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Mariji still had to explain, “This is a clinic, the physicians in our camp have been learning from our leader, Davos, for a long period of time, and with their excellent medical skills, a lot of people who had been ill had their health improved after their treatment, and so they are very popular now. Most of the time when the market is about to close, the patients still doesn't want to leave.”

“They are really so great?!” Burkes was a bit shocked, and Moras whisped into his ear, “Master, the old lady can come here to have her illness check, and maybe they can really cure it.”

Burkes watched the “long dragon” in front of the hut and nodded, and he suddenly realized something and asked, “You just said that these physicians have learned their medical skill from Davos? Davos also teach medical advice?!”

“Of course! The leader is favored by Hades, and so he of course can understand the mysteries of diseases that brought death to people.” Said Mariji proudly.

After leaving the market and bidding farewell to Mariji, Moras then asked, “Master, are there really people who are good at commanding battles, good at business and treat diseases?”

“Isn't there Davos? And he is also the favored of Hades.” Said Burkes indifferently.

A few hundred meters to the west, the camp of Davos came into their view. It is more accurate to call it a military fort than a camp as there is a 3 meters wide and 3 meters deep trenches, 3 meter high earthen rampart with a 2 meter tall wooden wall for protection. The sentry patrol can be seen behind the wooden wall, so it can be judged that there are also walkways on the wooden wall. Inside the wall are several 6 meters tall watchtowers which overlook the trenches and blindsides under the wooden walls. The middle of the wall has a wooden gate placed in it, and above it is a simple gate tower…

Burkes and Moras carefully walked along the straight path in front of the camp's gate, because there were several huge wooden signs on the side of the pathway: “There are traps, please take the pathway!”

Moras looked at the glint on the tall grass along the road and guessing what kind of traps in there, and exclaimed, “Master, we don't seem to have such a complex fortification in Thurii.”

Burkes is a bit gloomy, as he started worrying about a problem: What will Crotone think when they see that these mercenaries had build something like a city here?

The guards at the gate of the camp asked them what they want and he then immediately sent someone in to report it.

After a while, Asistes came out and led them inside.

In the camp, all the grass and debris were cleared up and the ground was flattened and cleaned. As expected, there is indeed a wooden walkway that was laid and the wall beyond the walkway could just barely block the chest of the soldier. There are also several wide wooden ladders that could be use to go up the walkway. While the tents are placed in an orderly manner and there is a wide open space between the tent and the wall, there is also wide pathway between the tents and these leads to the center of the camp, and in the center of the camp is a circular stockade.

Seeing that Burkes was full of doubts, Asistes explained, “Inside is the supply camp and medical camp, as well as the tents of the leader and the officers. During battle, once the enemy breaks through the periphery, we can retreat inside and continue defending.”

“This is really the most complex and thorough military camp that I have ever seen!” Even if he have some opinions about the mercenaries, but at this moment, Burkes could not help but exclaimed.

Asistes said with a pleased smile, “Leader Davos said that this is the most basic camp fortification, while the more complicated one can't be done now. And he has said that ‘You can never remain undefeated in battle, but a strong camp can provide protection for the soldiers if they fail and reduce the casualties while improving the morale. Therefore, even if you need to work hard, you must build it patiently and carefully. If you sweat more in time of peace then you will bleed less in time of war…’”

“If you sweat more in time of peace then you will bleed less in time of war…” Burkes muttered these words and he suddenly realized that he was going to meet a mercenary leader with rich experience in war. Without consulting Davos, the strategoi of Thurii had made a plan in advance and wanted him to comply. Is this appropriate?

At this time, Moras asked, “Why is it that there is only a few soldiers that can be seen in the camp?”

“Our brothers are all currently participating in the ‘Tug of War’ competition at the back.”

“Tug of war?” Both of them became curious when they heard a strange word.

In fact, there was a huge shouting ahead of them and Asistes just simply took them around the central circular stockade and walked into a wide field where they saw a dense crowd. Thousands of soldiers forming 5 – 6 circles, and each of their face are flushing red with excitement as they clenched their fist while shouting.

“Second team of the first company, WIN!”

“Fourth team of the fifth company, YOU CAN DO IT!”

“Come on! Come on! Use more strength!”

“WIN!!”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Such an intense and exciting event, and Burkes had only seen it during athletic games, and his blood is already boiling even though he is just currently listening to the shouting and still haven't seen the actual scene.

Seeing through the thoughts of the two, Asistes squeezed himself into the cirle and let them in to watch, while he went to go to the leader first.

On the ground in the middle of the circle is a rope that is 40 meters long, which should have been made with several ship ropes and has a thickness of a fist.

At this time, a person in the middle of the open space shouted, “Next round, from the 2nd team of the 3rd unit and the 1st team of the 7th unit, please enter!”

Soon, more than a hundred strong men entered the circle. After confirming the number and name, the man then said, “Both parties, get ready.”

And so, both parties pick up the rope.

Burkes then noticed that there was a red rope tied in the middle of the rope, with a heavy object hanging at the end of the rope which directly points to a white line on the ground, and there was also another white line on both sides of the white line.

“Match begins!” shouted the man who Burkes considered to be similar to the referee of atheletic games.

A hundred strong men on both sides tried their best to pull the rope to their side, and the sound of cheering resounded like the roaring of a tsunami…

Just watching the red rope swinging to the left then right then back…after a period of stalement, it started to move to the left by a huge margin…and the cheers also reached the climax.

Finally, the red rope reached the white line on the left.

The referee waved his hand. The game is over!

Cheers and sighs broke out at the same time…

The two of them watched it with great interest, when Asistes manage to find them and they left reluctantly.