The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe-Chapter 134: The Slave Uprising

As Konogorata lay recuperating in his bed, news reached him that sent shockwaves through his weary heart: slaves from Thurii’s stone quarries had revolted. They had overpowered their guards and fled, some even seeking refuge in Amendolara. Soon after, envoys from Thurii arrived, demanding their immediate return.

In the Amendolara Senate, the tension was palpable as Thurii’s envoys stood across from representatives of the escaped slaves. The air seemed thick with hostility.

Leading Thurii’s delegation was Pleisinas, a man whose fiery rhetoric had helped incite the mobs that expelled Konogorata from his home. Pleisinas now strode forward, his voice loud and accusatory:

"Amendolara is an ally of Thurii! Is this how you treat the emissaries of your ally? Refusal to comply with our request will force us to reconsider our alliance!"

The boldness of his declaration caused murmurs to ripple through the senators.

Antonius, the inspector, rose calmly. His voice, measured and unyielding, cut through the commotion:

"Honored envoy from Thurii, you have not yet been invited to speak, yet here you stand at the center of our hall, making demands. Allow me to remind you: your place is among the visitors. An envoy should wait to be addressed before speaking."

The chamber erupted in laughter.

Pleisinas, though humiliated, did not falter. His gaze turned sharp as he pointed at a figure standing among the slave representatives. "And I have never heard of a city-state allowing a slave to take part in discussions of such gravity! The Senate of Amendolara is a sacred place—how can you allow it to be desecrated by the presence of this lowly being?"

Cornelius, presiding over the Senate that day, responded coolly:

"This slave represents those who sought refuge here. Their plight concerns both Amendolara and Thurii. I believe it necessary for him to state his case, so we may deliberate impartially and determine the truth of his claims."

Pleisinas scowled but returned to his seat, his protests silenced for the moment.

Cornelius turned to the slave representative. "You may speak now," he said solemnly.

The slave bowed respectfully before addressing the assembly. "Honored lords, my name is Aristocrates. First, let me clarify: I was not born into slavery. My father was a nobleman in Cyrene, overseeing the production of silphium with a large estate and many slaves. But misfortune struck—I was captured by pirates while traveling and sold into slavery, eventually ending up in Thurii."

He paused, his voice trembling as he fought back sorrow.

"In Thurii, I served diligently, completing every task assigned by my master. Yet two months ago, I, along with others, was summoned to the mercenary camp. My lord"—he bowed to Juleios—"you stood before us and called upon us to fight for Thurii. You declared: ’If we achieve victory, you will be granted your freedom!’ For freedom, we who had never wielded weapons took them up. For freedom, we who had never killed fought the ruthless Lucanians. Out of thousands of slaves, only a little over a thousand survived..." frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

His heartfelt words brought a hush over the Senate. Even the hardened senators who had fought alongside slaves felt their memories stir, recalling the desperation of that battle.

"We awaited the promised moment of liberation," Aristocrates continued, "but what came instead was cold steel. Thurii was saved, but we were herded back into the dark, damp mines, burdened with heavy stones once more. Our protests were met with whippings and starvation.

In our despair, we learned that the mercenary slaves who fought beside us were now freedmen, some even on their way to becoming citizens of this city-state. That gave us hope. We overpowered the guards and fled here to ask you, my lord: does the oath you swore in the name of the Divines still hold true?"

His words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. The senators sat in stunned silence, the weight of his appeal pressing down on them.

Pleisinas broke the silence, his voice sharp with desperation:

"He’s lying! They were never part of the fighting force!"

Antonius rose again, his voice steady and unyielding. "Whether they fought or not can be easily verified. Many freedmen fought alongside them. I’ve already arranged for a representative of the freedmen to come and testify. I request permission to bring him into the Senate."

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

The senators’ overwhelming approval drowned out Pleisinas’s objections.

As they waited, Juleios studied Aristocrates. Despite his scarred visage and rough appearance, the man’s words revealed a sharp intellect and an air of dignity that no amount of suffering could erase.

"You asked me earlier whether my oath still holds," Juleios said. "I will answer you soon. But first, I have a question for you: From your speech, it’s clear you’ve received an excellent education. Why, then, were you sent to work as a mining slave?"

Aristocrates offered a bitter smile. "I was purchased by a wealthy merchant in Thurii to manage his vineyard. I earned his trust and performed well. He even promised me freedom. But he fell ill and died. His wife remarried, and my new master gave me to the city-state as an offering. At the time, Thurii needed slaves for mining, so I was sent there..."

Juleios nodded, sensing there was more to the story but choosing not to press further. "I believe the Divines are not punishing you," he said, "but tempering you."

Aristocrates’s eyes widened, a glimmer of hope igniting within him.

At that moment, the freedman representative entered the Senate. Swearing an oath before the Divines, he confirmed: "These runaway slaves indeed fought in the battle."

Pleisinas, unwilling to concede, stood and retorted, "It’s common for city-states to arm slaves in times of war! Even Sparta sends helots to fight, but they never grant them freedom. Based on the alliance between Thurii and Amendolara, I find it impossible that Consul Juleios would have made such a promise. This slave is clearly lying! Returning lost property to its rightful owner is a Greek virtue. I demand the Amendolaran Senate return these slaves to Thurii!"

Aristocrates turned to Juleios, his expression one of quiet desperation.

Juleios met Pleisinas’s overbearing gaze with a cold smile. Rising to his feet, he addressed Aristocrates directly:

"You asked me whether my oath holds true. Let me tell you now: I, Juleios, Consul-for-Life of Amendolara, uphold my promises as steadfastly as the eternal flames of Hades. My vow to you remains unbroken."

The senators erupted in agreement, their voices ringing out:

"Grant them freedom! Thurii, you swore an oath to the Divines—you must grant them their freedom!"

Pleisinas paled, his bluster reduced to stammering. "Thurii... Thurii never received such an agreement... Lord Juleios, you must be mistaken..."

Juleios’s piercing gaze bore into Pleisinas. "Mistaken? I think not."

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on f(r)e𝒆webn(o)vel.com