In 657 B.C.E., Prince Byzan of the Greek native city-state of Megara (next to Athens, to the southwest) was preparing to lead his people to establish a colony on the coast of Asia Minor, and asked Delphi for an oracle to choose a suitable location for the city, only to receive a vague answer: to build a city opposite the blind man. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Byzin did not understand the meaning of the oracle at first, but when his ship came to the city of Charcedon, east of the Bosphorus, he suddenly understood the meaning of the oracle, because the geographical location of Charcedon was so bad that he could not see the Golden Horn on the other side, which was clearly a city that only a blind man would build. So he founded a colonial city on the opposite bank of Charcedon and named it Byzantium.

Since Megara was not a powerful state and could provide limited immigration, Byzantium remained a small city after hundreds of years of development, but its location gradually became important. After the rise of Athens, the food mainly came from the city-states of the Eugram Sea, so Byzantium, which had conquered Charciton as a hub city guarding the sea passage between the Eugram Sea and the Aegean Sea, naturally became the target of Athens' attention, and then Byzantium joined the Delian League and became an ally of Athens.

After the Peloponnesian War, the victorious Spartans also took a fancy to Byzantium's geographical location, not only setting up a puppet regime in Byzantium, but also garrisoning troops in the city and controlling the Bosphorus.

One day in the early spring of 399 B.C., Bulkos's ship sailed into the port of Byzantium, and standing on the bow of the ship, he saw more than a hundred warships moored densely in the harbor from a distance, and his heart was temporarily relieved: it should have caught up.

Just as he instructed the crew to slowly sail the ship into the designated wharf according to the instructions of the port manager, the people who were busy in the port suddenly screamed, and in the chaos, many people jumped on the ship in panic, untied the cable, and were about to leave the port. Without coordination and command, ships collided with each other, causing chaos, and even ships were knocked over, and the crew fell overboard in panic......

Burcos hurriedly ordered the boat to row back, but fortunately he escaped before he could enter the dock. Reluctantly, he parked the ship outside the harbor and observed the developments. Many people had the same idea as him, and after a while, hundreds of ships, large and small, were moored outside the harbor, floating up and down with the water.

Looking at the port, which had been a busy scene before, it became empty in the blink of an eye, leaving a mess behind. Puzzled, Bulkos asked the neighboring ship in a loud voice, "Hey, what's going on?" ”

"It's a damn mercenary! The mercenaries returning from Persia are going to attack Byzantium! ”

"Mercenaries attacking Byzantium?!" Burkos' heart pounded: "Why? ”

"I don't know. I heard that the Spartans lied to them, saying, 'If you come to Byzantium, you will give them provisions,' but when they arrived in Byzantium, they did not fulfill their promise, and tricked them out of the city and closed the gates, so the mercenaries became angry. Alas, in this world now, there are soldiers with shields and spears who run rampant like robbers, and it is all us ordinary citizens who are unlucky! An old man who looked like a captain took over and said, "Brother, you are not a Byzantine, are you?" Where are you from? ”

Bulkos hesitated a little and said, "Turiyi." ”

"Turii...... Oh, I know that city, is it in Greater Greece? I haven't been, but I've been to Tarantum, it's a good place, it's so rich! I say...... It's better for you guys to be there! Now here in Asia Minor is chaotic everywhere, and everywhere there is a possibility of war! ……”

Burkos listened to an old man's chatter and asked, "Who is in charge of Byzantium now?" ”

"Spartan General Criande." The old man complained: "The Spartans only know how to kill, but they don't know how to manage the city-state!" It's only been a few years since they took Byzantium! You see, it's a lot worse than before...... Alas! ”

Burkes's heart moved, and he asked, "Old man, what is your name?" I've been a captain for many years! The owners of the boats here should be familiar with it! ”

"Pisiras of Byzantium. When Perikles of Athens became the chief general, I went out to run the boat. At that time, he also led the Athenian fleet to buy wheat in the Euchem Sea, and I have met him! I know the captain and the boatman here. A lot of people have grown up with me......" The old man boasted about his past and asked seemingly unintentionally, "Why do you want to use a boat?" ”

"Hmm...... It's possible. Burkos said vaguely.

"What is it transporting?" The old man did not shy away from it, and continued to ask in a rambling manner: "Grain? Timber? Stone? Olive oil? ……”

Faced with the questioning of this old man who relied on the old and sold the old, Burcos was a little helpless, thought about it, and said: "...... Maybe people. ”

The old man's eyes widened, and he immediately thought of something: "Could it be those mercenaries?!" No wonder you want to ask me if I know all the shipowners here! Good! That's great! Get them out of here, and we in Byzantium may be quiet for a while! ”

Bulkos neither admits nor denies.

At this time, a signal came from the port: signaling that everything was safe and let the ship enter the port.

"Hey, buddy! If you want to use a boat, come to the harbor and say to any Byzantine in the harbor, 'Look for Old Piri,' and they will bring you to me!" The boats came into the dock one after another, and the old man was still in the stern, leaving a message loudly to Burkos.

"Okay!" Burkos replied, wondering in his heart whether he would first visit the Byzantine governor of Sparta, Creander, after coming ashore.

…………………………………………

A few Thracian villages not far outside the Byzantine city, which were constantly filled with Greek mercenary camps, were already dusk, most of the soldiers were resting, and there was a large tent with candles flashing.

Davers was pondering in the tent so much that Christoya came in and didn't notice it.

"What are you thinking, dear?" Christoya asked softly as she stretched out her snow-white arms to hug Davers from behind.

Davers sniffed her hair, sighed, and said, "Today we arranged for the soldiers to put on a scene, so that the angry people made a posture to attack Byzantium, forcing the Spartans to temporarily relent, and agreed to give us some provisions, but this does not solve the fundamental problem.

Mersis snuck into the city and get some news. The Spartan general Tiblon, who was appointed governor of Spartan Asia Minor, had reached Ephesus and began to recruit soldiers. It seems that you are right, Sparta is preparing for war with Persia!

Creander of Sparta has trapped us here, and wants us to help them destroy the Thracians in this vicinity, and I am afraid that there is still a possibility that we will be co-opted to help them fight the Persians. ”

"Doesn't Christopus think highly of you? When you went back to report on your work, you entrusted Anaxius to take care of you, but unfortunately you ignored Anaxis's wooing, and now he is in a hot fight with Xenophon. Christoya caressed his face and teased.

"Xenophon is good at this, but I'm not interested in Sparta." Davers scratched his head irritably: "If you keep following Sparta around, I'm afraid you won't even have a place to be buried before you die, but it's a pity that we are now fish out of the sea, and we can only be slaughtered!" ”

Christoya kissed him lightly on the cheek, "Don't be so depressed, dear. When I came, I met a man who might be able to solve your problems. ”

"Who?" Davers was shocked.

Christoya turned back to the tent and shouted, "Martius, let him in." ”