The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe-Chapter 156: The Perspective of Foreigners on the Tu’a Alliance (Part One)

He hurriedly added, "But it’s all recorded in the accounts and can be checked."

Juleios asked calmly, "Are these grains and supplies charged for?"

"Of course, they are..."

Juleios smiled and said, "You see, you’ve already understood the difficulties of the lowest-level public officials. Before our legislation is even implemented, you’ve taken the initiative to pay them."

The senators burst into laughter. Melsis was at a loss for words.

Juleios seized the opportunity and continued, "Your accountants are all liberated slaves who followed us from Persia, right? Now, with the impending promulgation of the ’Land Lease Law,’ a large number of preparatory citizens will go to Bourkos to apply for leased land. Meanwhile, your accountants can only continue to contribute silently to the city-state. Do you think they would still consider holding public office an honor?"

"In the future, we can... use official citizens," Melsis murmured.

"Using citizens to serve as the lowest-level public officials of the Alliance?! Are you implying that, since citizens have slaves at home to take care of their land, they can work without worry, right?"

Melsis nodded.

"In our Alliance, does the average citizen’s household generally have only one slave, and don’t citizens need to work alongside their slaves?" Juleios asked Cornelius.

"That’s correct, Governor. Some households don’t even have slaves," Cornelius replied.

"If citizens work for the Alliance, the labor force in their household is reduced by half. Wouldn’t their family income decrease as well? Over time, wouldn’t holding public office become a burden for them? Yet, for our Alliance to function smoothly, we absolutely rely on the diligent work of the lowest-level public officials, such as the scribes under Raphaelias, the firefighters, sentries, jailers, jurors under Cornelius, and the navigators and market managers under Marigi. We can’t just make the horse run but not feed it. Only by encouraging more and better citizens to willingly dedicate themselves to the city-state can our Alliance thrive!"

"That’s right!"

"Very well said!"

The senators straightened their backs and expressed unanimous approval.

Juleios patted the somewhat dejected Melsis on the shoulder and comforted him, "Besides, paying public officials will help you collect more taxes."

"Really?!" Melsis suddenly raised his head.

Juleios looked around and noticed that Kunogorata also appeared puzzled. So, he said loudly, "When citizens have money in their hands, they’ll desire to buy things—a copper pot, a clay jar, a jar of olive oil, a set of tables and chairs... Maybe even something more luxurious, like wine or spices. When citizens have money to spend, the market will flourish, and you’ll collect more commercial taxes."

Melsis perked up. "But most of the money goes to foreigners."

"That’s the case now. But soon, our own goods will be produced. Marigi can explain this in detail."

Marigi stood up, excited, and said, "As of yesterday, the Thurii market has seen the launch of a pottery workshop, an olive oil workshop, a brick workshop, a mill, two carpenter shops, a paint shop, and a stone carving shop. Additionally, a large-scale winery is also in the planning stage and will soon begin operations."

"That’s Oriphes’ winery. His family’s wine has been renowned throughout Magna Graecia for decades!" Kunogorata interjected, pointing at one of the elders. freeweɓnovel-cøm

"This is thanks to the loan from the Cristoia Bank. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to rebuild my vineyards and winery!" Oriphes nodded toward Juleios in gratitude. Everyone in the Alliance now knew that the bank, which had greatly contributed to the reconstruction of Thurii, was ultimately owned by him.

"We should impose high taxes on similar foreign goods to protect our fledgling domestic industries," Kunogorata suggested.

"You’re absolutely right!" Juleios nodded and said, "Currently, our Commerce Officer Marigi is preparing to implement new measures in the Thurii market. The days of foreigners raking in our wealth are coming to an end. We need to strongly support the industries of our Alliance citizens. Taxation will encourage them to actively bring these goods to Thurii for sale. For very important goods that we can produce but temporarily can’t compete with foreign goods, the Alliance should provide subsidies. For foreign luxury goods, given that citizens’ pockets are still limited, we should temporarily impose heavy taxes to ensure that our easily tempted citizens spend their money wisely."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Juleios spoke loudly once more, "Gentlemen, we must understand that silver coins left unused in the treasury are not money but just a pile of metal. Only when they circulate can they generate great profits, improve our citizens’ lives, promote trade, and fill our treasury even more!"

"Agreed! Agreed!" Led by Kunogorata and Cornelius, the elders expressed their unanimous approval, with some even applauding.

A Foreign Merchant’s Perspective

Teos, a Corinthian merchant, no longer cared to listen to the Tu’a Alliance citizens’ conversation. Though he didn’t believe the Alliance could achieve what Athens had, he felt a pang of jealousy deep inside.

As an ordinary citizen of Corinth, although Teos was wealthy, he could only serve as a low-ranking official in the city-state. Membership in the city council was exclusive to nobles (Corinth operated under an aristocratic system), which is why he chose to enter the commercial world. This time, he came to Thurii because Corinth’s relationship with Sparta was tense, with the risk of war breaking out at any moment. Therefore, it was necessary to stockpile grain as a precaution.

Two centuries ago, Corinth was a thriving center of trade. Weapons, pottery, and other goods were sold across the Mediterranean city-states, making it the wealthiest of all. Later, Athens rose to compete with Corinth in all areas of commerce, especially in pottery, which was Corinth’s pride. This dealt a heavy blow to Corinth, leading to its decline. Although Corinth’s commerce today was no longer what it once was, it remained a major power on the Peloponnesian Peninsula and continued to be wealthy. However, as a city-state that did not produce much grain, Corinth had always relied on foreign sources for its grain. Typically, they imported grain from the Euxine Sea, but with Spartan fleets dominating the Aegean Sea, Teos opted for the Western Mediterranean to avoid unexpected problems.

Sicily was his first choice, but unfortunately, grain prices in Sicily, known for its abundant wheat, had recently risen. It was said that Syracuse was purchasing grain on a large scale, suggesting that something significant might be about to happen there. Sensitive to such developments, Teos hesitated to proceed to Carthage. At this time, he heard that Thurii was undergoing reconstruction and urgently needed large amounts of supplies, with very low tariffs. Teos was tempted. He inquired about the grain situation in Thurii, as he knew that the Sybaris Plain had been renowned for producing wine, wheat, livestock, and beeswax during the Thurii era. When he received the reply that there was an "abundance of grain," he decided to head to Thurii instead.

By late summer, the Tu’a Alliance had ample grain, enough to meet citizens’ rations and still have surplus for sale. When his merchant ship finally squeezed into the port, he disembarked and found the so-called "Market Administration Office" he had heard about. His first words to the manager were complaints: "Your port needs to be expanded! It’s too small and wastes too much time!"

The manager replied courteously, "Yes, you are absolutely right. We are currently working on expanding the port. I apologize for the inconvenience this temporary port has caused you. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

The manager’s apology dissipated much of Teos’ irritation. He had initially intended to explore the market, but the manager’s attitude won him over, so he directly stated his request. The manager immediately checked the day’s transaction log and introduced him to a seller. In fact, the seller, Nicobulos, was under Bourkos, the agricultural officer responsible for the sale of agricultural products in Amendolara.

After examining the samples and negotiating the price, Teos decided to purchase five shiploads of wheat. However, Nicobulos informed him that such a large quantity of wheat was not readily available in the market and would need to be transported from Amendolara, with delivery possible by the next day. Teos expressed his understanding.

Out of courtesy, Nicobulos also informed him that the port area’s inns were fully booked and suggested he stay in Amendolara, which had a specialized commercial lodging district. He assured Teos that the accommodations were comfortable, reasonably priced, and quiet.

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