Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece-Chapter 55: Byzantium

In 657 BC, Byzas, the prince of Megara(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 meaning of the oracle of Apollo. But when his ship came to Chalcedon, east of Bosporus, he suddenly understood the meaning 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 named it, Byzantium.

Because Megara is not a strong city-state, and has limited immigrants, after hundreds of years of development, Byzantium is still a small city, but its position has gradually became important. After the rise of Athens, the food had mostly came from the city-states on the Black Sea. Therefore, Byzantium, which had conquered Chalcedon, became 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 became 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 time.’

When he ordered the crew to slowly navigate the ship into the designated dock in accordance with the instructions of the port management personnel. The people who were busy in the port suddenly screamed. 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 mess. Even some of the ships were knocked over and the crew members 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 same 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 became empty and left a mess 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 mercenaries! Those mercenaries came back from Persia and will attack Byzantium!”

“The mercenaries 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 mercenaries 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 mess, 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 became much more worse than before…alas!”

Burkes' heart jolted, and asked, “What's your name, old man? You've been a captain for a long time! You must be familiar with other shipowner in here!”

“Pisilas of Byzantium. I started operating the ship when the Athenian Pericles became the polemarchos. At that time, 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 immediately thought of something, “Are they mercenaries?! No wonder you had ask me if I know all the shipowners here! Good! Excellent! Let's get rid of them immediately, Byzantium might become peaceful for a while!”

Burkes neither admitted nor denied it.

At this time, a signal came 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 come to the port and say this to any Byzantine in the port, ‘I'm looking for old Piri’, and they will bring you to me!” The old man was still at the stern, leaving a loud message 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 some Thracian villages, where the Greek mercenaries 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 some supplies, but this did not solve the fundamental problem.

Mersis infiltrated the city and got some 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 mercy of the humans!”

Cheiristoya kissed him on the face, “Dear, don't be disheartened. I unexpectedly encountered a man when I came, 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.”