I was a priest in the city-state era

Chapter 75
In this era, the Phoenicians not only mastered the most advanced navigation technology, but also mastered the most advanced shipbuilding technology.

This is the basis for the Phoenicians to dominate maritime trade and even establish colonies along the coast of the western Mediterranean region with backward civilization.

As soon as Roy finished speaking, more than thirty Phoenicians stood up and spoke.

"Priest Loi, I am a craftsman who can make big ships."

"I've been involved in building large merchant ships."

"I have been involved in the construction of large warships for thirty sailors."

Seeing that there are 50 bronze craftsmen and shipbuilders in total, Roy nodded and said.

"You are all the artisans I need, and I will definitely take good care of you. Others can rest assured that you are also my important companions, so I will not let any of you starve or freeze. Now everyone and I leave this place Dirty, smelly and narrow sheepfold, I will take you to another place to station."

After speaking, Roy took the lead and jumped out of the sheepfold.

After the Phoenicians followed Roy and jumped out of the sheepfold, the Thebes soldiers guarding the Phoenician prisoners immediately surrounded the Phoenicians with their wooden spears.

Harmonia took the initiative to speak loudly.

"You all retreat! The Phoenician captives have been sold by me to Priest Loi, and now Priest Loi will take these Phoenicians out of our tribe."

Hearing Harmonia's order, the surrounding Thebes soldiers retracted their wooden spears.

Roy exchanged grateful eyes with Harmonia and said.

"Priest of Harmonia, now I will take my companions to the woods where the open-air temple of Mnemosyne is located. Do you want to go with me?"

"Of course! After all, I still have a lot to say to you."

Leaving the cobble-shaped plateau where the Thebes tribe rested, Roy led the Harmonians and 250 Phoenicians, and soon entered the nearby woods.

Coming to the water spring in the center of the woods, Roy turned and said to all the Phoenicians.

"Companions! You are temporarily stationed here, and everyone can get water from this spring for cooking."

Seeing the clear and clean spring water, the hungry and thirsty Phoenician immediately ran to the spring and lay down on the ground to drink it.

Seeing that someone wanted to take off his clothes and jump into the spring, Harmonia immediately shouted angrily.

"Stop quickly! This ancient spring of Dirce is one of the holy springs that symbolize the goddess Mnemosyne. You can drink the spring water here, but you must not pollute the holy spring with your dirty bodies. bathe in the spring, we Thebes will surely kill him."

Hearing Harmonia's angry warning, not only the Phoenicians who wanted to take a bath, but even the Phoenicians who were drinking water, stayed away from the ancient spring of Dirce in horror.

Seeing the reaction of the Phoenicians, Harmonia sighed and said.

"I followed because I was worried that these Phoenicians would pollute the holy spring."

Roy comforted the Phoenician.

"Companions, the Harmonian priests only forbid us to bathe in the ancient spring of Dirce, but did not forbid us to use the spring water of the ancient spring of Dirce. You can drink the spring water normally, or you can use clay pots to get water and wash it in other places Body."

Then, Roy said to Harmonia.

"Priest of Harmonia! After my companions became captives, their food and daily necessities have become your spoils of war. Can you return the food and daily necessities to them now?"

"Priest Loi, the booty is the property of our Thebes tribe. We cannot return it to the Phoenicians. I can provide the Phoenicians with food and daily necessities, but you have to give me the bronze craftsman."

"It is impossible for me to hand over my followers to you."

Roy shook his head and said.

"Now these bronze craftsmen are all my followers, and only I know where there are copper mines. If the Harmonian priests still want to mine copper mines with me and smelt various bronze utensils, they must accept my arrangement. "

Seeing Roy's tough expression, Harmonia frowned and said.

"Priest Loi, if you weren't the one who saved me and the Thebes tribe, I would definitely not compromise with you. Can you tell me now, what are your plans?"

Roy hesitated for a moment before speaking out his thoughts.

"Priests of Harmonia, my Phoenician followers have a blood feud with your tribe of Thebes, so I cannot place them in the area of ​​Thebes, but neither can I bring them back to the tribe of Athens. I intend to Put my Phoenician followers on the island of Eubia, for the copper mines I speak of are in Eubia. I want the bronze craftsmen to make bronze utensils in Eubia, and the shipwrights in Eubia Build large merchant ships and large warships, and the remaining two hundred Phoenicians will serve as soldiers to keep them safe."

Yubia is an island in the eastern part of the Thebes region. This island is second only to Crete in area and is the second largest island in the Aegean Sea.

The area of ​​Thebes is separated from the island of Eubia by the Gulf of Eubia.

At the narrowest point of Yubia Bay, the land of Thebes is only about 40 meters away from the land of Yubia Island, and the depth of the sea is only six meters.

Even if there is no boat, the Thebes can swim 40 meters across the sea with a log in their arms, from the Thebes area to Eubia Island.

Therefore, the residents of Yubia Island are basically Thebes and their descendants.

"Priest Loi, the copper mine you mentioned is in Yubia Island?"

Knowing that the copper mine is on Eubia Island, Harmonia showed a surprised expression.

Although the residents of Eubia Island now call themselves Eubia, they still worship Mnemosyne, the goddess of the earth, and maintain close ties with the Thebes in the Thebes area.

The copper mines are located on the island of Yubia, just like the copper mines are located in the area of ​​Thebes.

"Yubia Island not only has copper mines but also iron mines!"

Roy said with a solemn expression.

"Priest of Harmonia, the iron mines in Thebes are located at the junction of Thebes and Thessaly. If we mine iron ore, it is likely to attract the Dorians in Thessaly. So even in the future We have iron smelting technology, and we also want to mine iron ore on Ubia Island."

"Not only copper mines, but also iron ore. We have to mine Yubia Island—it seems that I must control Yubia Island and make Yubia Island my territory."

Hearing Harmonia's murmurs, Roy couldn't help but feel his heart tighten.

The area of ​​Yubia Island is not inferior to the Attica Peninsula. The island not only has copper and iron mines, but also fertile land suitable for growing crops and mountain forests suitable for grazing cattle and sheep.

Most importantly, the population of Yubia is very small, only a few thousand descendants of Thebes immigrants.

Roy wanted to place the Phoenician followers on Eubia Island because Roy also had the idea of ​​occupying Eubia Island and developing his own city-state.

If Roy joins the Thebes tribe that worships the goddess Mnemosyne, it is tantamount to betraying the Athenian tribe and the goddess Metis at the same time.

Roy developed a city-state on Yubia Island, allowing his city-state to worship the goddess Metis.

In this way, Roy only betrayed the Athenian tribe, but did not betray the goddess Metis, and the goddess Metis would not take away the divine power bestowed on Roy.

Unexpectedly, Harmonia learned of the importance of Eubia Island, and also had the idea of ​​controlling Eubia Island.

(End of this chapter)