In 657 BC, Byzas, the prince of gara(next to Athens, southwest), was going to lead his people to the coast of Asia Minor to establish a colony. He asked the oracle of Apollo at Delphi on where to choose the proper place to build the city. He got a vague answer: ‘Build the city opposite the land of the blind.’
At the beginning, Byzas didn't understand the aning of the oracle of Apollo. But when his ship ca to Chalcedon, east of Bosporus, he suddenly understood the aning of the oracle. Because Chalcedon's geographical position was so bad that it couldn't see the opposite Golden Horn, it was clear that only the blind could build the city. Thefore, he built a colonial city on the other side of Chalcedon and nad it, Byzantium.
Because gara is not a strong city-state, and has limited immigrants, after hundreds of years of developnt, Byzantium is still a small city, but its position has gradually beca important. After the rise of Athens, the food had mostly ca from the city-states on the Black Sea. Therefore, Byzantium, which had conquered Chalcedon, beca the hub of the sea passage that guarded the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, which naturally made Athens interested. Later, Byzantium joined the Delian League and beca allies with Athens.
After the Peloponnesian War, Sparta, as the victor, had also took a fancy to the geographical position of Byzantium. They did not only supported a puppet governance in Byzantium, but also stationed troops in the city to control the Bosporus Straight.
One day, in the early spring on 399 BC, Burkes' ship sailed into the port of Byzantium. Standingg on the bow of the ship, he could see more than 100 warships in the port, and was relieved for a while, ‘I should be able to make it in ti.’
When he ordered the crew to slowly navigate the ship into the designated dock in accordance with the instructions of the port managent personnel. The people who were busy in the port suddenly scread. In this chaos, many people jumped on the ship in panic, untied the cable and left the port. Without the coordination and command, the ships collided with each other and made a ss. Even so of the ships were knocked over and the crew mbers fell in the water in panic…
Burkes hastily ordered the boat to go back, but fortunately he had not yet entered the dock and escaped. He reluctantly stopped the ship outside the port and looked at the situation. A lot of people held the sa idea as him. After a while, hundreds of ships, big and small, were moored outside the port, floating up and down in the sea.
Looking at the port which was still busy previously, it had now beca empty and left a ss in the blink of an eye. Burkes was confused, so he asked the neighboring ship loudly, “Er, what's going on?”
“It's those wretched rcenaries! Those rcenaries ca back from Persia and will attack Byzantium!”
“The rcenaries is attacking Byzantium?!” Burkes' heart abruptly leaped, “Why?”
“I don't know. I heard that the Spartans lied to them and said, ‘As long as we get to Byzantium, we will provide support’ as a result, when they arrived in Byzantium, they didn't keep their promises, and cheated them out of the city and closed the gates. Therefore, those rcenaries got angry. Alas, in this world, soldiers with shields and spears are like bandits. Unfortunately, all of us are ordinary citizens!” An old man, who looked like the captain, answered, “Brother, you aren't a Byzantine, where are you from?”
Burkes hesitated a little and said, “Thurii.”
“Thurii… Oh, I know that city, isn't it in Great Greece(Magna Graecia)? I haven't been there, but I have been to Taras(Tarentum/Taranto), it's a good place, and prosperous! I say…it must be nice to you guys! Now Asia Minor is in a ss, and a war might happen!…”
Burkes isn't in the mood to listen to the old man, and so he asked, “Who is in charge of Byzantium now?”
“The Spartan governor-general(Harmost), Cleander.” The old man complained, “The Spartans only know how to kill, and not how to manage a city! It had only been a few years since they occupied Byzantium! Look, it beca much more worse than before…alas!”
Burkes' heart jolted, and asked, “What's your na, old man? You've been a captain for a long ti! You must be familiar with other shipowner in here!”
“Pisilas of Byzantium. I started operating the ship when the Athenian Pericles beca the polemarchos. At that ti, he also led the Athenian fleet to buy wheat in the Black Sea, and I have seen him! I am familiar with the captains and crew in here. I grew up watching a lot of people…” As the old man boasted his past, he seemingly asked unintentionally, “Why? do you need a ship?”
“Uhm…if it's possible,“ Said Burkes vaguely.
“Is it for transporting?” The old man continued asking, “Food? Wood? Stone? Olive oil?…”
In the face of this old man who relied on his experience, Burkes had no choice but to think about it and say, “…maybe people.”
The old man's eyes widened, and the experienced man imdiately thought of sothing, “Are they rcenaries?! No wonder you had ask if I know all the shipowners here! Good! Excellent! Let's get rid of them imdiately, Byzantium might beco peaceful for a while!”
Burkes neither admitted nor denied it.
At this ti, a signal ca from the port that signals everyone that everything is safe and the ships were allowed to enter the port.
“Hey, boy! If you want to use a boat, you can co to the port and say this to any Byzantine in the port, ‘I'm looking for old Piri’, and they will bring you to !” The old man was still at the stern, leaving a loud ssage to Burkes.
“Okay!” Burkes replied, while thinking whether to first go visit the Spartan's governor-general of Byzantium, Cleander?
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Not far from Byzantine are so Thracian villages, where the Greek rcenaries camps are endless. It is already dusk, and most of the soldiers went to rest. There was a quarter that is filled with the flickering of the candlelight.
Davos was thinking so hard in his quarter that he didn't notice Cheiristoya entering.
“Dear, what are you thinking?” Cheiristoya asked softly, while holding Davos in her arms from behind.
Davos sniffed her hair and sighed, then said, “Today, we had arranged the soldiers to make a scene, letting them act like they will attack Byzantium and had manage to force the Spartans to soften for a while and had them agree in giving us so supplies, but this did not solve the fundantal problem.
rsis infiltrated the city and got so information. Thimbron, a Spartan general, was appointed as the harmost of Asia Minor of Sparta, he had arrived at Ephesus and began recruiting soldiers.
Cleander of Sparta has trapped us here and want us to help them in eliminating the nearby Thracians, but I fear that there's still a chance that they will want us to help them fight the Persians.”
“Wasn't Cheirisophus greatly valued you? When he went back to report, he entrusted Anaxibius to take care of you. Unfortunately, you ignored Anaxibius advances, and now, he is currently intimate with Xenophon.” Cheiristoya made fun of him while stroking his face.
“Xenophon is an expert at this, and I am not interested in Sparta.” Davos irritably scratched his head, “If we follow Sparta to war, then I am afraid that we won't even have a place to die. Unfortunately, we are currently a fish out of the sea, and at the rcy of the humans!”
Cheiristoya kissed him on the face, “Dear, don't be disheartened. I unexpectedly encountered a man when I ca, he may be able to solve your troubles.”
“Who?” Davos heard her words.
Cheiristoya turned around and shouted out of the tent, “Martius, let him in.”
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