ancient greece mediterranean ruler

Chapter 630 Tarentum Military Port
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: The Dionians completely turned the Taranto Bay into their inner lake. The Dionian towns in this bay made their connections with each other more intense through short-distance shipping on the sea. of closeness.

What he didn't know was that there was another reason why the Gulf of Taranto was so prosperous and lively: the piracy problem that merchants in other Mediterranean city-states were most worried about did not exist here at all. Warships belonging to the First Fleet patrol the bay continuously every day to maintain order in the bay and ensure the safety of ships.

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Just when Chrysops was comparing the busy scene in this bay with the port of Piereves in Athens that he had seen, the second son of Kunogorata, Decaocrat, received a message from the Ministry of Military Affairs. After the emergency notification, and with the approval of Commander Alexis, we rode wildly from Dauni, changing horses several times at the inn along the road, and finally arrived at the Tarantum military port at dusk.

Tarantum Military Port is the garrison of the main force of the Dionia First Fleet.After Tarantum was forced to become a free city of Dionia, naval commander Sekerian once said that "The Dionia fleet is getting bigger and bigger (because too many warships were obtained in the South Italian War)." "The military port of Liyi can no longer accommodate", he requested the opening of a new military port, and suggested that it would be best to locate the military port in the large port of Tarantum, because it is indeed a good natural port.

Davos readily agreed. Of course, the issue he considered was not just military convenience. Not only could the navy be stationed nearby to monitor and deter this capricious city-state, but Tarantum, as a long-established maritime trade power, had a lot of ship-operating skills. Skilled and experienced sailors and fishermen, they will be an excellent source of soldiers for the navy. By training them and allowing them to accept Dionia's culture and political ideas, they can in turn influence the people of Tarantum.

Faced with Dionia's request, Tarantum reluctantly agreed to hand over the western part of the port to the Dionia navy for management. After all, it had always been abandoned.

As the navy moved in, the land from the west of the port to the east of Metapontum was gradually assigned to the First Fleet.The Tarentum people suffered heavy casualties in the South Italian War, and there were not enough manpower to take care of the land near the border. Coupled with Daves' clever pressure, this part of the land was allocated to the First Fleet stationed here. sailors, including a large number of civilian sailors from Tarantum who joined the First Fleet.

Today, there are 150 triremes and other large and small warships in this military port, for a total of about 230 warships. Counting the 50 triremes and other warships in the Castellon military port, the First Fleet With more than 350 warships, it stabilizes the other three fleets and becomes the most powerful fleet in the Dionian navy.

But even if the First Fleet has a large number of ships, there is still enough open space in the Tarentum military port to build a dry dock to accommodate more warships, which shows the large area of ​​the military port.Moreover, the sea surface in the harbor is wide enough, and some small-scale trainings are even held directly in the harbor. This has become a scene in the harbor, and people from Tarantum often stop and watch on the shore.

After showing Alexis's letter of certification to the military guard, Dicaokrat was granted entry, but the waiting time for the ship at the military port dock was a bit long.

There is obviously a vacant speed boat at the dock next to it, so why are we still waiting here? !Dika Okrat was a little annoyed.

It wasn't until he got on the ship that a man came out of the cabin and explained to him: "I'm so sorry! A batch of supplies was just transferred from the Castellon military port and was to be transported to Dauni urgently. The personnel in the military port were busy doing this. , so I delayed you for some time."

"Transporting supplies to the front line is a major matter for the kingdom, and this is just a small matter for me." When Dikaokrat saw him, he immediately understood why the ship arrived late, and said hurriedly and respectfully: "And Sir Sekerian, you are here to do it yourself. Sending you off, I really don’t know how to express my gratitude!”

Seclian, the former commander of the Dionysian navy. In the South Italian War, he led his fleet to defeat the Syracuse navy that dominated the Western Mediterranean three times, thereby controlling the oceans at the eastern end of Magna Graecia and Sicily, and created the foundation for Dionysius. Ya played a key role in defeating Syracuse in the end, and is a hero worshiped by the people of Dionia.

After the war, with the expansion of the Dionian territory, the already huge fleet was divided into four by Davos: the first fleet was based in Tarantum, protecting the maritime security of Taranto Bay; the second fleet Settled in the Catania Plain to protect the maritime security of Dionia in the Sicilian city; the Third Fleet was stationed in Trina to protect the maritime rights and interests of the Kingdom of Dionia in the Tyrrhenian Sea; the Fourth Fleet was based in Brindisi As a base to protect the territory of the Kingdom of Dionia in the direction of the Adriatic Sea.

Davos did not allow Sekerian to serve as the commander of the Dionia Navy again, but instead asked him to assume the position of commander of the First Fleet. Although the strength of the First Fleet had long surpassed that of the Dionia Navy, But it's still a demotion from Navy chief to First Fleet commander.However, Davos proposed to the Senate at the same time and elected Sekerian to become the senator of Dionia. This was a great improvement in political status for Sekerian, and he also became the successor to Henipolis. The second young veteran under the age of 30.Moreover, after the navy was dismantled, Davos also abolished the position of naval commander, so Sekerian did not have much complaints.

Sekerian took up his post in Tarantum and stayed here for ten years. Except for important events, he rarely returned to Thurii to attend the usual Senate meetings. The young hero of the year has now entered middle age and has few The arrogance of youth.At this time, he said to Dika Okrat with a gentle expression: "I am also going to attend your father's funeral, and I happen to be traveling with you."

Speaking of his deceased father, Dika Oklat felt pain in his heart. It was his lifelong regret that he could not be by his father's side before he died.

"How is the war in Dauni going?" Sekerian asked casually.

"It's been relatively smooth. We have captured the cities of Hedonia and Asculum. The army has approached Lucenia, the central town of the Dauni people, and is preparing to besiege this town. Judging from the current situation Look, other Dauni tribes and towns show no signs of reinforcing the city of Lucenia. It is estimated that this war will end before the year." Talking about the war he participated in, Dika Okrate was a little excited and proud. .

After hearing this good news, Sekerian sighed: "It's better to command the army to fight on land!" After the South Italian War, the Kingdom of Dionia was not always a peaceful scene. It launched the conquest of Meshapi, The three wars of Pucetti and Daoni were also quite large in scale, but these wars were near Dionia, and the opponent's fleet was too weak, so there was no need to defend the first fleet in the core waters of Dionia, resulting in Sekerian has not been able to go to the battlefield again in the past ten years. How can he not have regrets in his heart.

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By the time Decaocrate arrived at Thurii's home, his brother Sostatus and his family had already made preparations for the funeral.

Since Kunogorata's wife died young, his eldest daughter and two daughters-in-law washed his body, applied perfume to it, and dressed it in gorgeous clothes according to Greek customs formed over hundreds of years.Moreover, Saustatus also built a large wooden shed in front of his house, placed Kunogorata's body on a bed covered with herbs in the wooden shed, and then placed it in his mouth. Place a silver coin so that his soul can pay Chiron's ferry fare.

And when the mourning hall and coffin were all arranged, it was Dionia's turn to have unique funeral customs: Plessinas, the scepter priest of Hades Temple, led a group of priests, priests, and saints to the mourning hall. In front of the audience, he began to sing carols silently for him, praying that he could enter the Elysee Paradise as soon as possible.Normally, only Hades priests or priests attend funerals. After all, Kunogolata has a different identity and status. Without Davos' instructions, Plessinas personally brought the main ritual of the main temple of Hades. Team.

The next day, Kunogolata's immediate family members, including his son-in-law Hilos, all wore black veils and stood in front of the coffin with solemn expressions. Even his daughter and daughter-in-law had their hair cut short according to custom to express their grief.

Early in the morning, Davos arrived at the mourning hall with his two wives, Christoya and Agnes, and Cynthia, Clotokatax and other six children, and paid tribute to Kunogolata's body. They made a wreath of pomegranate branches and leaves, and led the family to salute it solemnly and sing Hades' hymn.After a few words of comfort to several relatives in Kunogorata, the Davers family walked out of the mourning hall, washed the dirt on their hands and faces with several large tanks of water placed outside the mourning hall, and then left.

Since King Davos left, more and more people have come to pay their respects.

It started with the elders.There are Ansitanos, Bulcos...these old friends of Thurii who have a deep friendship; there are Cornelus, Tritodemus, Laphias, Protesilaus, Stromboli ...these senators who worked hard together and jointly laid the foundation of Dionysia; there are Cappus, Felicius, Amyntas... etc. Although they are dissatisfied with him for always advocating peace and opposing war, they admire him His talents and character include the former mercenary elders; there are Cedorum, Vespa, Hermon... and other foreign elders who have been with him for more than ten years and have received a lot of care from him; there are Antaoris, Sipu Los, Lysias...and other senators who were appreciated by him and supported by him; there were also many senators who entered the Senate after the South Italian War.

(End of this chapter)