"Is this just nonsense from the businessmen, or is it true?"
"I cannot confirm it yet."
Alcibiades lowered his head, looking a little nervous.
"But, I personally think that we must take precautions against this matter. The Syracuse authorities intended to block this news, but it seems that it was still spread by the gossipers in the palace, and then the merchants spread it to Actium... If it is true, this matter will cause great trouble for our attack on Sicily. Your Majesty must be careful."
"Ok, I know."
Hilde still had a smile on his face.
However, she was already having doubts in her heart.
hero?
Those ancient heroes were unexpectedly summoned again by the gods.
Hilde was a little surprised. This matter was indeed beyond her expectations, and, as Alcibiades said, there were great hidden dangers.
Chapter 7: Banquet after the fight
In order to deal with Hilde, the gods of Olympus actually came up with this idea, which was something Hilde had never expected. Moreover, Hilde was also very curious. She didn't know who the heroes summoned by the gods were or what their abilities were. She only knew that they were great heroes that once existed in epic myths. If these people were really summoned, according to the records in the epics, many of them had the ability to make the gods suffer, which would indeed bring Hilde a lot of trouble.
Therefore, we still need to figure out whether this matter is true or false.
"Just keep paying attention to this matter."
"Yes!"
"Send some spies to Syracuse to investigate the relevant situation. Syracuse will definitely try every means to conceal this matter. But I think the chances of success in concealing it are unlikely. If the legendary hero really appears, it will be difficult to keep the news from leaking out."
"understood."
At this stage, this is all we can do for now.
After Alcibiades left.
Hilde, holding a glass of wine, paced around the room.
The heroes in the legend...they should be characters like Achilles. These heroes should really exist in this world, but aren't they all dead? Why can they reappear in this world? Hilde thought about it and felt that it was meaningless to think about this matter here. She still had to ask the god Artemis to get some clues.
Now, let's talk to Archidamus first.
"His Majesty."
At this time, Archidamus also came over.
He bowed his head respectfully in front of Hilde.
"You came."
"Yes, Your Majesty, is it convenient now?"
"of course."
Hilde looked around.
Although some people wanted to take this opportunity to say hello to him, only Archidamus had the courage to step forward. So Hilde smiled and said, "But do you want to eat something first? You haven't had a good meal since you came down from the arena."
"I just ate some and I'm full."
"That's good."
Hilde picked up a wine glass from the table beside him and handed it to the other party.
"Then let's drink and chat."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Archidamus did not refuse but took the glass.
For Archidamus, the current peaceful coexistence with Hilde, and the close proximity, was something he had never expected. Since being captured, Hilde seemed to have no interest in him. She just came over and said a few words to him, and then left. Archidamus had originally thought that he would be a prisoner for life, or that Hilde would find a reason to execute him. When he was taken to the arena, Archidamus thought he was going to die.
But I never expected it to unfold like this.
"About Sparta, that's what I actually thought."
Hilde took a sip of wine and said with a smile:
"We are the Greek Empire, the country of all Greeks. Because of this, the Spartans are also our people and will be normal citizens in our country. However, unfortunately, the Spartans have been led by the irresponsible gods and have come up with the idea of escaping to Syracuse. Tens of thousands of Spartans are now living in Syracuse and working for the Syracusans. Is this a good deal?"
"really."
Archidamus also found it a little ridiculous.
Abandoned his homeland and fled to Syracuse?
Isn't this just running away?
"I have thought a lot about your majesty. In my opinion, if I submit to your majesty, it may not be a bad thing for Sparta. However, I am no longer the king of Sparta. I am just a prisoner of war abandoned by Sparta. Your majesty gave me such an opportunity this time, and I really have no way to repay your majesty, so..."
"Nothing to give in return."
Hilde shrugged.
"Syracuse must be conquered, but after conquering Syracuse, the Spartans will have nowhere to retreat. Where else can they go? To Iberia? Or to Africa? Will the Iberians and Carthaginians allow the Spartans to migrate as a whole nation? Impossible... So, if the Spartans come back, if we manage them, if we restart the operation of the city of Sparta, then at that time, I think you will be the only one who can be responsible for this task."
"Your Majesty, how do you plan to arrange for our people?"
Achidamus was a little worried.
The Spartans and Hilde have always been at odds.
Even now, it is causing trouble for Hilde.
If there was a tyrant with a bad temper, he would kill or exile all the Spartans after capturing them, or reduce them to slavery. Therefore, Archidamus was still quite worried about this. The Thebans who were all enslaved were an example. Whether Sparta would repeat the same mistake, I am afraid, depends entirely on how Hilde views this issue.
And Hilde just smiled faintly.
"I want to ask you a question."
"Please say."
"If I liberate all the Helots, what will you Spartans think?"
"Shiloh?"
Ashidamus was stunned for a moment.
"That is the foundation of our Sparta's survival. Without the Helots..."
"Isn't that the problem? How I treat the Helots is the most important issue. For hundreds of years, Sparta has relied on the Helots to survive. Sparta, with a population of only tens of thousands, relies on the support of hundreds of thousands of Helots. The Spartans themselves do not farm or do business. They only know how to train warriors. After a long time... I doubt whether the Spartans can regain their ability to support themselves."
"The Spartans are resilient. Even without the Helots, the Spartans can still be self-reliant."
Archidamus gave this reply.
It can be seen that he is really confident.
And Hilde nodded.
"You are right. If the Spartans did not have this kind of tenacity, they would have died by now. They are all in Syracuse. I heard that the tyrant of Syracuse allocated them a piece of land for them to farm and live on. But there are no Helots in Syracuse. At the request of the gods, Syracuse will probably only support you Spartans for a short period of time. After the grain is harvested, the Spartans will still have to support themselves."
"Yes……"
This feeling of being a stranger in a foreign land.
Archidamus felt a little sad, but there was nothing he could do.
The King Was Moved
Because, for Archidamus.
If he were to decide this matter.
I guess he would make the same decision as Pausanias.
"Archidamus, during this time here, you should have realized that I am different from the average Greek. I am not bragging, but I do not like slaves or slave owners. In the places ruled by the Greek Empire, slaves will be abolished step by step. Those poor people should have enjoyed fair treatment instead of becoming someone's property to satisfy someone's selfish desires."
"Yes, indeed."
Archidamus had to admit.
Hilde's ideas are indeed very forward-looking.
But it is also admirable.
"So, when the Spartans come back, they have to rely on themselves and be self-reliant."
"I have no objection to this." Archidamus admitted generously, "Since the abolition of slavery is the general trend, the Spartans cannot go against it. Moreover, without the Helots, the Spartans can live a good life."
"Well, that's natural."
See that Archidamus was not wedded to the question of the Helots.
Hilde couldn't help but smile.
In fact, in ancient Greece, the Greeks who advocated democracy and human rights also reflected on the issue of slavery.
However, on this issue, the ancient Greeks generally chose to be both a proponent and a non-protagonist, and did not think about the core of the slave issue, that is, whether slavery could be abolished. Although the slavery system of the ancient Greeks was based on the productivity level of ancient Greece, abolishing the slavery system without improving productivity would only lead to economic and social turmoil, but it is really shameless to say that man is the measure of all things and then regard slaves, who are also human beings, as non-human creatures. In this regard, the Athenians and Spartans were the most excessive.
There were many slave traders in Athens.
Sparta enslaved hundreds of thousands of Helots.
It can be said that the prosperity of these two city-states was more or less built on the blood and sweat of slaves.
After conquering Athens, Hildess freed more than 100,000 slaves in Attica alone, not including those who died or escaped during the war. Sparta was even more extreme. The number of Helots in Laconia and Messenia was about ten times that of the Spartans. The total number reached 600,000 to 700,000. It is no wonder that the Spartans wanted to recruit all the people into the army. Without strong armed forces, how could they suppress the Helots who were more than ten times their number?
The Greek Empire carried out drastic reforms on the slavery issue.
Behind this was the rapid development of productivity in the Greek Empire.
The guarantee made.
Now the agricultural productivity of Hilder's empire is enough to satisfy the self-sufficiency of small farmers. The new villages built are also for this purpose. Farmers do not need to rely on slaves to obtain enough food and other crops. Moreover, ordinary small farmers and slaves are of the same class. Those land nobles or business nobles are the staunch supporters of the slave system. But Hilder has power in his hands, and these vested interests dare not say much.
This was especially true of the Spartans.
After all, they had nothing left.
But Hilde still showed his greatest kindness and said to Archidamus:
"The Helots... to be precise, they are now citizens of the Greek Empire and have their own land and homes. I have planned many villages and cities in Laconia and Messenia for them to live in. I originally let them live in Sparta temporarily, but when the new villages and cities are built, they will move out of Sparta. If the Spartans come back, they can return to your hometown to live."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Achidamus was a little excited.
At least they can return to their hometown.
Unlike the Thebans, even the city of Thebes has disappeared.
"Achidamus."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"After this fight, the grudges between you and me will be written off. It is a pity that the Spartans stood in the way of my goal and became an obstacle. However, I believe that my goal will also be the goal of the Spartans. For the future of the Greeks, I need you and the help of the Spartans. In this meaningless war, I hope that after victory, you can serve as the leader of the Spartans and lead them back to their homeland, and start a new life as a member of the Greek Empire. What do you think?"
"I have no objection."
Hilde's speech.
To Archidamus, she was like a goddess.
It's convincing.
The war had lasted to this extent, and Archidamus had seen the true face of the gods. When they abandoned Athens and Thebes, it showed that these gods did not take the pious Greeks seriously. And the evil and cruel Hilde they said was actually a widely loved monarch.
Archidamos was also observing. When he arrived here, he could see that everyone around him respected and loved Hilde. Rhodes from Athens looked at Hilde eagerly, and Tomyris from Scythia was cautious, fearing that someone would attack her. Golgopas from Ionia also showed respect, and Sitalces from Thrace kept his eyes on Archidamos all the time, keeping a close eye on him and keeping a high level of vigilance.
If it is really as God said.
So why does Hilde receive such widespread attention and love?
Why most of Greece?
Are they all willing to be loyal to Hilde and work for her?
After being captured, Archidamus actually kept thinking about this problem. He once insulted Hilde in front of the jailer and officers, trying to provoke them to be killed, but in the end he did provoke them, but he was not beaten. However, judging from the performance of the soldiers and officers, they really loved Hilde.
Now, Archidamus may have come up with his own answer. He can feel the temperament of an excellent ruler from Hilde. She has the charm that can call on all Greeks, outstanding governance ideas and concepts, super execution ability and almost absolute power.
Archidamus couldn't help but be attracted.
