Cheirisophus couldn't help but sigh, ‘The Theonians had completely turned the Gulf of Taranto into their inner lake.’ And the Theonian towns in this gulf are more closely connected through the sea.
But what Cheirisophus didn't know was that there was another reason why the Gulf of Taranto was so prosperous and bustling: The pirates that the mariti traders worried about the most in other diterranean city-states didn't exist here at all. After all, the warships belonging to the first fleet patrol in Roscianum's military port and Taranto's military port patrolled the gulf every day to maintain order and ensure the safety of the ships.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
While Cheirisophus compares the lively sight in this gulf with the Athenian Port Piraeus, Kunogelata's second son, Dicaeogelata, received an urgent notice from the Ministry of Military. After receiving permission from legatus Alexius, he rode furiously from Dauni on horseback while hanging his horses several tis in the inn by the road. Finally, he arrived at Taranto's Military Port at dusk.
Taranto's military port served as the base of Theonia's First Fleet's main body. After being forced to beco Theonia’s Free City, navarch Seclian asked for a new port due to the Theonian fleet growing too much (they acquired nurous ships in the South Italian War) that the port of Thurii could not accommodate them. Thus he suggested that it would be better to relocate the port to the large port of Taranto.
Davos readily agreed, but he thought about more than just military convenience. With the navy's presence in Taranto, they would be able to watch over and deter the erratic city-state. Furthermore, Taranto, as an old mariti trading powerhouse, had a large number of highly skilled and experienced sailors and fishern who would be a good source of soldiers for the navy. And if they were to train them, they would begin accepting Theonia's culture and political philosophy, and thus they could, in turn, influence the Tarantines.
Faced with Theonia's request, Taranto could only agree reluctantly to hand over the western part of the port to the managent of Theonia's navy. After all, they left that place deserted for a long ti.
As the navy moved in, the land west of the great port until the east of tapontum gradually ca under the ownership of the First Fleet. And since the Tarantine had suffered heavy casualties in the South Italian War and didn't have enough n to take care of the land near their border, and with the skilful pressure of Davos, this part of the land was then allocated to the sailors of the First Fleet stationed here, including a large number of civilian Tarantine sailors who joined the First Fleet.
Currently, this military port has about 150 trires and other large and small warships. And if you are to add the 50 trires and other warships in Roscianum's military port, the First Fleet, with more than 350 warships, has beco the strongest fleet in Theonia's Navy.
But even with such a number of ships, there is still enough open space to build dry docks to accommodate more ships in Taranto's military port, which shows how large it is. And the sea in the port is also vast enough that they could even hold so small-scale training, which has beco one of the port's sightings that would often make the people on the shore stop and watch.
It was only after Dicaeogelata handed Alexius' letter of proof to the guard of the military port that he was allowed entry. Still, he had to wait for the ship at the military port for a long ti.
“There are empty fast-sailing boats on the dock next to , yet they made wait here?!” Dicaeogelata beca a bit annoyed.
It wasn’t until he got on board that a man ca out of the cabin and explained to him, “I'm really sorry! Just now, a batch of supplies was urgently needed to be transferred from Roscianum's military port to Dauni, so the personnel in the military port were busy doing that.”
“Delivering supplies to the front line is a huge matter for the kingdom.” As soon as Dicaeogelata saw the person, he imdiately understood why the ship had arrived late. Then he said in a panic and respectful tone, “And you had co to see off, Lord Seclian. I really don't know how to express my gratitude!”
Seclian, the forr fleet commander of Theonia's navy, led his fleet to defeat Syracuse's navy, which was dominant in the western diterranean, three tis during the South Italian War, thus controlling the sea between Magna Graecia and Sicily, and played a pivotal role in defeating Syracuse and beca the hero idolised by the Theonians.
But after the war and the expansion of Theonia's territory, Davos had to divide the massive fleet into four: The First Fleet settled in Taranto to defend the mariti security of the Gulf of Taranto. The Second Fleet had settled in the Catanian plain, guarding the mariti security of the Theonian city-states in Sicily. The Third Fleet was stationed in Terina to safeguard the mariti rights of the Kingdom of Theonia in the Tyrrhenian Sea. And the Fourth Fleet was in Brindisi, defending the territorial security of the Kingdom of Theonia in the Adriatic Sea.
However, Davos didn't let Seclian beco the fleet commander of Theonia's navy again. Instead, he let him take the position of navarch of the First Fleet. Although the First Fleet's strength had long surpassed Theonia's Navy back then, it was still a demotion from the navy’s fleet commander to a navarch of the First Fleet. But at the sa ti, Davos proposed to the Senate and elected Seclian as a Theonian statesman, significantly promoting Seclian's personal status. And he also beca the second youngest statesman under 30 years old after Henipolis. Moreover, after dismantling the navy, Davos also abolished the post of a fleet commander, and Seclian didn't have too many complaints.
Seclian then went to Taranto to take up his post and stayed there for ten years. Except for major matters, he seldom returned to Thurii to participate in the usual Senate etings. And the young hero back then has now beco middle-aged and beca less arrogant. At this mont, he is looking at Dicaeogelata with a gentle expression, “I am also going to attend your father's funeral.”
When it cos to his deceased father, Dicaeogelata felt great pain as it was his lifelong regret that he could not accompany his father before he died.
Seclian then asked casually, “How is the against Dauni?”
“It's going relatively well. We have already captured the cities of Herdonia and Ausculum. Currently, our army has closed in on the central town of the Dauni, Lucera, and is preparing to besiege it. Judging from the current situation, we estimate the war will end before the year ends as the other Dauni tribes and towns show no signs of wanting to reinforce the city of Lucera.” When talking about the war he was involved in, Dicaeogelata was a bit excited and pleased.
Hearing the good news, Seclian could only sigh, “It's better to command an army to fight on land!” After the South Italian War, the kingdom of Theonia hasn't always been peaceful. The three wars they launched to conquer ssapi, Peuceti and Dauni weren't small in scale, only that these wars were near Theonia, and the opponent's fleet was too weak to require the First Fleet, which was defending the core waters of Theonia, to go into battle. Thus, Seclian couldn't go into battle again in the past ten years, so how could he not have regrets in his heart?
. . . . . . . . . . . .
By the ti Dicaeogelata reached Thurii, his brother Sostratus and his family had already prepared the funeral.
Since Kunogelata's wife died early, his eldest daughter and two daughters-in-law were the ones to wash his body, perfud it and dress it in gorgeous costus according to Greek traditions that had developed over the centuries. In addition, Sostratus erected a large wooden morial hall in front of his ho. He then laid Kunogelata's body on a bed covered with herbs in the morial hall and placed a silver coin in his mouth so his soul could pay Charon to ferry him.
And once they had arranged the morial hall and coffin, it was the turn of Theonia's unique funeral custom: The Grand Priest of the Temple of Hades, Plesinas, led a group of priests and priestesses to the front of the morial hall and began to sing a hymn for him, praying for his early and smooth entry into Elysium. The usual funeral usually only needed a priest of Hades to attend the funeral, but Kunogelata, after all, has a special identity and status. Thus even without Davos' instructions, Plesinas personally brought the main staff of the main Temple of Hades.
Kunogelata's imdiate family, including his son-in-law Hielos, were dressed in black the following day. They all had solemn expressions as they stood in front of the coffin, and even his daughter and daughter-in-law had their hair cut short, as was customary, to express their grief.
Early in the morning, Davos, together with his two wives, Cheiristoya and Agnes, and his six children, including Cynthia and Crotokatax, arrived at the morial hall. Davos then presented a wreath made of pogranate leaves to Kunogelata's body. Afterwards, he led his family in a solemn salute and sang Hades' hymn. After a few words of consolation to so of Kunogelata's relatives, the Davos family walked out, washed their hands and faces with the vats of water placed outside the hearth and left.
After King Davos left, more people ca to pay tribute to Kunogelata.
The first to co were Kunogelata's old Thurian friends, such as Ansitanos and Burkes…who have a deep friendship with him; Then ca Cornelius, Tritodemos, Raphias, Protesilaus, Stromboli…these statesn who had worked hard together with him in laying Theonia's foundations; Next were Kapus, Philesius, Amintas…and the other statesn who were forr rcenaries who, while dissatisfied at Kunogelata for always advocating peace and opposing war, admired him for his talent and character; Followed by Sedrum, Vespa, Hemon…and other foreign statesn who had been with him for more than ten years and had received a lot of his care; There were also the statesn such as Androlis, Siprus, and Lysias…who he appreciated and supported; Then ca the nurous statesn who joined the Senate after the South Italian War.
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