ancient greece mediterranean ruler

Chapter 375 Speeches of Historical Celebrities

Isocrates couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

Rotating chairman Scombras tapped the table with a gavel, and today's meeting officially began.

Scombras then announced loudly: "There is only one issue today. The Athenian envoys have come to Thurii. Let us listen to their demands."

Some senators who had not received the news in advance immediately became excited when they heard this: Athens, the great city-state famous throughout the Mediterranean, actually sent envoys to our Dionian Alliance!
Isocrates walked to the front desk under the curious eyes of everyone, stood calmly in front of everyone, and then saluted everyone elegantly and steadily. After standing up straight again and puffing out his chest, he began his speech: "Dear Dionian senators, I am Isocrates, the envoy from Athens. This is the first time I have set foot on the land of Thurii, but it makes me feel extremely friendly! 50 years ago, Athens The great general Pericles extended a helping hand to the displaced Sybarians and promised to rebuild a new city for them, and this city would inherit the ideal pursued by General Pericles throughout his life - that all Greeks could build a new city without distinction of region. Regardless of race (the Greeks can actually be subdivided into many races, 'Greeks' is just a big and broad term and concept), they live together in peace and friendship.

To this end, he not only mobilized Athens, but also called on the whole of Greece. The whole of Greece was taking action to establish a beautiful Panhellenic city-state.Of course, we Athens contributed the most. Not only did we use the gold and silver in the Athens treasury to purchase materials such as stone and grain for the new city, but General Pericles also invited the great Greek architect Hippodmus to preside over the construction of the new city. For the construction plan, two Athens generals Lycion and Xenocletus with outstanding abilities were sent to manage the new city, and my teacher, Protagora the wise, was invited to make laws for Thurii, and there were also historians Herodotus and the rhetorician Tisias settled here and planted the seeds of Greek culture and wisdom for the immigrants...

With such powerful help, Thurii became the brightest pearl of Magna Greece as soon as it was completed.But the Athenians returned to the Eastern Mediterranean without asking for anything in return, allowing the newly born baby Thurii to grow up independently and freely..." Isocrates determined to become a speaker since he was a child, but when he grew up, his voice was hoarse. In Athens, where speeches are popular and demanding, this is almost a fatal flaw, so he rarely uses his speaking talents in large formal occasions, and has no choice but to turn to teaching rhetoric and eloquence. Today is a rare occasion for him to be in public. spoke, so emotionally charged.

The Dionian is not so particular about speech, but feels that his emotions are integrated into his hoarse voice, which has a unique appeal.In particular, the senators like Lucania and Bruti didn't know much about this period of history, so they listened to it with great interest.

Kunogorata, Bulkos, Davos and others who knew the inside story were very clear: Athens was not as noble as Isocrates said. Out of gratitude to Athens and the majority of immigrants, Athenians Two reasons led to the political situation in Thurii being dominated by Athenian descendants in the first few decades.However, it is true that Athens did not forcefully turn Thurii into a member of the Delian League or a subsidiary state of Athens, and it never made any overly strong demands on Thurii. .

"Today when I set foot on this land where the Athenians once poured their hearts and blood, I was surprised to find that General Pericles' original ideals had been realized. It should be said that today's Turui has exceeded his expectations! Here... not only It is the immigrants from various Greek city-states who live together peacefully, and even other races get along well with the Greeks." When Isocrates said this, he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, but his voice was full of emotion: " The magical city-state alliance of Dionia has shown a bright prospect of peace for the Mediterranean world with ethnic conflicts and constant wars! For this reason, I would like to express my lofty thanks to you who led the people, worked hard, and achieved this grand goal Respect!" As he spoke, he bent down and bowed respectfully and slowly.

Cornerus, Scombras, Bulcos, Vespa, Hermon, Bagilipi, Sedorum and other senators were moved by his sincere words. Even Kunogorata, The senior veterans of the city like Mariji were also moved by it.

Although Davos knew from Ansitanus that Isocrates was an "Athenian supremacist", these words were by no means his original intention, but rather to gain the favor of the senators to achieve a certain purpose.But out of politeness, he led the senators to stand up and applaud warmly in return.

There was no trace of complacency on Isocrates' face. He calmly waited for the applause to subside, and then said: "It is precisely because of this unique friendship between Athens and Thurii that both sides will reach out to each other in times of difficulty. Lend a helping hand and do your best to help the other party!... Shortly after the founding of Thurii, it was Athens that helped Thurii resolve the threat from Crotone and signed a peace agreement on behalf of Thurii and Crotone; also in With the aid of Athens, Thurii defeated Tarantum in the plains of Seris and reached a settlement with Tarentum.

When Athens and Sparta broke out in war and sent a large army to conquer Syracuse, when they passed through the city-states of Great Greece, only Thurii provided sincere help and sent troops to help!

Decades passed by, and a few years ago both Athens and Thurii suffered disasters.During the Peloponnesian War, the Attica area of ​​Athens was completely reduced to ruins and has not been fully restored to this day.The city of Athens was occupied by the Spartans, who supported a group of tyrants who hated democracy and advocated dictatorship. These people ignored the law, arbitrarily harmed citizens, and robbed property. The freedom-loving Athenians fled one after another, suffering the pain of leaving their hometowns. …

Thurii also suffered from the tyranny of the powerful. The Crotones used tricks, which led to the capture of Thurii. The city of Thurii, which had been built with the sweat of the people of Athens and Thurii, was completely burned. Countless people died in the fire. Loss of life...

When this shocking news reached Athens, the whole city fell into silence, and many people who had good memories and affection for Thurii shed tears, including my deputy Lysias..." Socrates was full of affection and sad, and many of the senators were touched and became solemn.

"Fortunately, both the Athenians and the Dionians stood up bravely from the huge blow. We wiped away our tears, buried our loved ones, and rebuilt our homes with hard-working hands...

The past is gone, but it cannot be forgotten.Today's Greek world is still not peaceful. Power is rampant and bullies the weak. Sparta in the east and Syracuse in the west are all coveting the Greek compatriots around them with greed and ferocity, just like hungry wolves coveting fat. In a flock of sheep, the weak lambs must unite to frighten the powerful wolves and avoid the same mistakes of destruction!

That's the main reason I'm here.We, Athens, stretch out our hands from the east and want to re-hold the hand of our former brother Thurii in the west and connect Greece and Magna Graecia as a bridge, not only to strengthen trade and cultural exchanges, but also to strengthen the exchanges between the people of the two places. In order to get more benefits from our lives, we must reach unity and cooperate with each other in the military, so as to tightly protect the precious freedom and rights that were once taken away from us and are now particularly cherished! "

After Isocrates finished his speech, there was silence in the assembly hall.

Davos had to admire the Athenian orator for speaking about the alliance in such a tactful and provocative way.To this end, he also played the emotional card, even ignoring the fact that Thurii had expelled the descendants of Athens, not to mention the fact that Athens formed the Delian League and suppressed many allies who opposed it, placing both Athens and Thurii in the In the position of the victim, an attempt was made to resonate with the elders.

However, Isocrates forgot one thing. This is Dionia. The place where he gave his speech was not the citizens' assembly. Any decisions and affairs in Dionia were not decided by the citizens' assembly, but by Isocrates. It was decided by the Senate senators headed by Firth. These senators were either veterans who had been in politics for many years, capable people who could handle complex affairs, or they were leaders who had been in charge of the lives of thousands of people. It should be said that they were all Belonging to the elites in the Dionia Alliance, they certainly do not make decisions based on impulse like ordinary citizens when considering issues.Maybe they can be moved for a moment, but when it comes to making decisions about the future of the alliance, they must consider the issue more from the perspective of interests.

When Isocrates was asked out of the meeting place, Petalus, Pergamon and other former Brutian leaders first stood up to express their support: they would form an alliance with Athens to fight against Sparta and Syracuse.In fact, this was not their original intention, but Polluxes and others were sentenced before and were denounced as "traitors" by all Dionians. The public voice was completely ruined. They once supported their request to convene a citizens' assembly. Although Petalu and several other senators were not involved in these matters and were safe, they themselves always felt uneasy and took this opportunity to express their innocence and determination.

The other senators basically opposed it: forming an alliance with Athens and fighting against Sparta and Syracuse.Although they had already felt the ambition of Dionysius during the trial of Polyxis, the gap in strength between Dionia and Syracuse was that they were unwilling to actively provoke the Greek overlord of the Western Mediterranean. .What's more, Syracuse has signed a friendly agreement with Dionia.

Even if Davers is more wary of Syracuse, he doesn't think now is a good time to confront Syracuse.

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(End of this chapter)