Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece

In 657 BC, Prince Byzantine, a native Greek city-state of Megara (next to Athens, to the southwest of it), prepared to lead the tribe to the colony of Asia Minor and set up a colony with Delphi, so as to choose a suitable city location, The result is a vague answer: build a city opposite the blind man.

At first, Byzantine did not understand the meaning of the oracle. When his ship came to the city of Chalcedon, east of the Bosphorus, he suddenly understood the meaning of the oracle, because the geographical position of Chalcedon was too Oops, I couldn't even see the Golden Horn opposite. It was clearly a city that only blind people would build.So he established a colonial city on the opposite side of Charles Seaton, named: Byzantium.

Since Makara was not a strong state, the immigration it could provide was limited. After hundreds of years of development, Byzantium was still a small town, but its position gradually became important.After the rise of Athens, the food mainly came from the city-state of the Eukers Sea, so the Byzantine of Charles Seaton was conquered as the hub city of the maritime channel guarding the Eukers Sea and the Aegean Sea, which naturally became the focus of attention in Athens, and then Byzantium joined The League of Delos became an ally of Athens.

After the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans who were the winners also liked the location of Byzantium. They not only supported a puppet regime in Byzantium, but also stationed troops in the city to control the Bosphorus.

One day in the early spring of 399 BC, Burcos' ship sailed into the Byzantine port. Standing on the bow, he looked far and wide at the sight of more than one hundred warships densely moored in the port. His heart was temporarily relieved: should be Is it catching up?

Just when he instructed the crew to slowly drive the ship into the designated dock according to the instructions of the port manager, the people who were busy in the port suddenly screamed. In the chaos, many people jumped on the ship in panic and untied the ropes. Will leave the port.Without coordinated command, the ships collided with each other in a mess, and even some ships were knocked over, and the crew panic and fell into the water...

Burcos hurriedly ordered the boat to go back, but fortunately he hadn't entered the pier and escaped the disaster.He unwillingly stopped the ship outside the port and observed the developments.Many people held the same idea as him, and after a while, hundreds of large and small ships were moored outside the port, floating up and down with the sea water.

Looking at the port that was still busy before, it became empty in a blink of an eye, leaving a mess.Having doubts, Burcos asked the neighboring ship aloud: "Hi, what the hell happened?"

"Damn mercenaries! Those mercenaries returning from Persia are going to attack Byzantium!"

"Mercenaries attack Byzantium?!" Burcos' heart jumped suddenly: "Why?"

"I don't know. I heard it was the Spartans who lied to them and said, "As long as they come to Byzantium, they will be given support." When they arrived in Byzantium, they did not fulfill their promises. They also cheated them out of the city and closed the city gates, so These mercenaries were angry. Alas, in this world now, soldiers with shield spears are everywhere like robbers, and all of us are ordinary citizens like us!" An old man who looked like a captain took the word and said : "Brother, are you not a Byzantine? Where are you from?"

Burcos hesitated a little and said, "Turii."

"Turii...oh, I know that city, is it in Greater Greece? I haven't been there, but I've been to Tarantum, that's a good place, too rich! I said...or you guys That’s good! Now Asia Minor is very chaotic everywhere, and wars can happen everywhere!..."

Burkos didn't want to listen to an old chatter and asked, "Who is responsible for Byzantium now?"

"Spartan General Krian." The old man complained: "The Spartans only know how to kill, not how to manage the city-state! It's only a few years since they occupied Byzantium! You see, it's a lot worse than before La...... Alas!"

Burkes moved and asked, "Old man, what's your name? Have you been a captain for many years! The shipowners here should be familiar with it!"

"Pythras of Byzantium. When Pericles of Athens became chief general, I went out and ran the boat. At that time, he also led the Athens fleet to buy wheat in the sea of ​​Eukers. I have seen him. I’m familiar with the captain and the boatman here. Many people grew up watching me..." The old man boasted about his past and asked, seemingly unintentionally, "Why do you want to use a boat?"

"Um...it's possible." Burcos said vaguely.

"What is transportation?" The old man kept asking, "Grain? Wood? Stone? Olive oil?..."

Faced with the question of the old man who relied on the old and the old, Burcos was a little helpless.

The old man's eyes widened, and the experienced he immediately thought of: "Is it those mercenaries?! No wonder you have to ask me if I know all the shipowners here! Okay! Great! Hurry up and take them away, we Byzantium It may be quiet for a while!"

Burcos neither admitted nor denied.

At this time, a signal came from the port: signal all safety and let the ship enter the port.

"Hi, brother! If you want to use a boat, you can come to the port and say to any Byzantine in the port,'Look for old Piri', and they will take you to find me!" At the stern, leave a message to Burcos loudly.

"Okay!" Burcos replied, thinking in his mind: After going ashore, would he go to visit the Byzantine Spartan chief Krian?

…………………………………………

Some Thracian villages not far from the Byzantine city, where the continuous stretch of military camps of the Greek mercenaries, it was already dusk, most soldiers had rested, and there was a large tent still flashing candlelight.

In the big tent Daveus was thinking so hard that Christoia came in without realizing it.

"My dear, what are you thinking about?" Christopher asked Davos softly with his white arms outstretched to hug Daphes from behind.

Daveus sniffed her fragrance, sighed, and said: "Today we arranged for the soldiers to play a scene, let the angry ones make a posture to attack Byzantium, forcing the Spartans to temporarily soften, agree Give us some support, but this does not solve the fundamental problem.

Mercis mixed into the city and got some news.The Spartan general Tiburon was appointed as the governor of Asia Minor of Sparta, and he had arrived in Ephesus and began to recruit soldiers.It seems that your judgment is correct, Sparta is ready to go to war with Persia!

Kriander of Sparta trapped us here and wanted us to help them wipe out the nearby Thracians. I am afraid there is still the possibility of collecting us to help them fight the Persians."

"Isn't Kleethorpes very important to you? When I went back to report, I still asked Annaxis to take care of you, but unfortunately you ignored the enticement of Annaxus, and now he is playing fiercely with Xenophon. "Christoia gently stroked his face and laughed.

"Xenophon is good at this, but I'm not interested in Sparta." Daveus scratched his head restlessly: "If the old fights with Sparta, I'm afraid there is not even a burial place, but we It’s a fish out of the sea now, and it’s only for anyone to slaughter!"

Kristoa kissed gently on his face: "My dear, don't be so frustrated. I met someone when I came, and he might be able to solve your troubles."

"Who?" Daveus heard it.

Christoia turned back and shouted out of the tent: "Martius, let him in."