H39

I spent the rest of the fall and winter helping to set up the Italiote and Sicilote Leagues and managing various crises that cropped up in the League Synedrions. The Siciliote League Synedrion was to be located in the newly annexed City of Lilybaeon, mostly so the joint treasury could benefit from the City's excellent fortified harbor. Syracuse had such a harbor, but none of the other Cities would consent to that. Meanwhile, the Italiote League's Synedrion would be located in Metapontion as a compromise between Taras and Rhegion. It was a compromise that didn't fully satisfy either of those cities, but one that was, at least acceptable.

Not only would the Synedrions need to be organized, but also various repairs to the Cities of the Leagues that had taken damage in the fighting would also need to be funded and begun. It helped that, as Primus Inter Pares of both Leagues, I donated a large amount of Drachmae from Epirus to get things started. Syracuse and Taras donated the most to joint treasuries after me, followed closely by Rhegion and Leontinoi. With the treasuries filled to bursting by League dues and donations, the task for winter was to get the Synedrions to agree on a reconstruction plan for rebuilding after the war.

This was easier in Italy than it was in Sicily. Very few towns in Italy had taken damage in the fighting, as most of the war had been my offensive into Roman Territory. There were some towns in the hinterlands of Taras, Metapontion, Thurii, and Sybaris, but those were all very minor repairs and the Italiote League Treasury could more than handle all of them at once without even draining the coffers noticeably. Therefore, the main point of contention in the Italiote League was improvements to infrastructure rather than repairs. Eventually, a system of roads was agreed upon as the choice for Italiote League infrastructural spending, as it would theoretically allow for an increased volume of overland trade between all cities of the League which in turn would bring everyone more money.

Sicily was much harder. Many cities had suffered sieges and conquests and each one practically screamed their demands for priority reconstruction. Eventually, through much cajoling, pleading, and no few bribes, both I and Archagathus of Syracuse managed to wrangle enough cats in the Synedrion to push through my proposal for reconstruction with a passing vote. The plan was simple, the cities with the most commercial potential would get priority funding for reconstruction, then, as their commercial potential comes on-line, their dues and donations would increase allowing us to increase the pace of reconstruction. It was a self-reinforcing cycle that any reasonable man would vote for. The Siciliote Cities were notoriously fractious , though, which required the aforementioned bribes and cajoling to get the votes to pass.

This would start with Panormos, Lilybaeon, and Akragas. Gela wasn't happy with being bumped to second priority, but the fact of the matter was that Gela's Harbor wasn't the greatest, which hurt their commercial potential. Himaera was more understanding, since their port was small and they knew it, but still at least slightly annoyed at being bumped to second priority. Heraclea, Kakyron, and others would be given last priority, as they suffered relatively minor damage, had poorer commercial potential, or both. If all went according to plan, the League should have its infrstructure repaired within the next five years. Then the Siciliote League would be able to vote on infrastructural improvements like the Italiote League currently was.

Eventually, however, the end of year storms ceased as Spring dawned on two-seventy-nine. Both Synedrions had been wrangled with compromise, bribes, and cajoling and were now repairing combat damage to both Leagues, and there was little left to do in Italy or Sicily save micromanage the Synedrions. After a brief trip to Sardinia in March to settle things there and approve a governor, which involved signing a treaty with the Kings of the Balarii and Corsii on the North of the Island, largely impressing them with gifts of high-quality Iron weaponry and finely dyed, Sea Silk Textiles. It took a month and a half for everything to get set up there, especially ensuring that the key silver mines in the Northeast of Epirote Sardinia kept working in order. 

I promoted another of my loyal officers, Kleon of Pydna to Govern Sardinia, much like I promoted Admiral Porphyrios as Governor of Epirote Sicily. Both would be able to keep those territories running smoothly and would be able to send for me in a timely manner for anything they couldn't handle. By the second week of April, my forces and returned to Elirus via ships, disembarking in Ambracia for a major festival before I sent them back to their barracks and homes. As we paraded from the docks through the Agora, and into the Temple District, joyous throngs came out in droves to see their returning soldiers. 

I had a grin on my face as I rode my horse through the streets, waving at my people. It was almost like a Roman Triumph, though as we were Greeks, it wasn't the same thing, exactly. Of course, the concept of military parades by triumphant returning forces transcended cultural boundaries. The Romans didn't have a monopolybon the concept. Clearly, the people didn't mind, many through flowers into the streets at the feet of my marching troops. It had helped that I had opened the granaries for the city to make free bread for the people of the capital, though just for today. I had no intention of also copying Rome's grain dole, after all 

As we entered the Temple District, I stopped the parade at a succession of Temples. At the Temple of Ares, I sacrificed the Numidian blade that had drawn my blood during the Battle of Kakyron, along with five hundred other captured Carthaginian and Roman weapons along with a two bulls and two roosters. Once those sacrifices were done to Athena, five hundred Carthaginian and Roman Shields, a Roman Legionary Eagle we had captured, plus a cow, a pig, and a lamb. Poseidon recevied the sacrifice of the Carthaginian Hexareme, along with five hundred painted ship prows from captured Roman and Carthaginian ships and a white bull and a red horse. Finally, Zeus Panhellenios received the retrieved Helmet of the Numidian King we had slain, along with five-hundred sets of Carthaginian and Roman Armor, and one bull, lamb, rooster, and pig for each Greek City liberated from Roman or Carthaginian assault or occupation.

By the time the religious ceremonies had finished, hours had passed and the men were tired and wanted nothing more than to return to their barracks and homes to rest. I addressed them all on the steps of the Palace, prepared to give them all one last speech before standing them down. The crowd was deafening, but as I dismounted and held up my hands for quiet, the various officers quickly wrangled the men and pointed their attention to me. With a nod, I began to speak.

"Men! Today we return home having done what many would have previously claimed was impossible. Not only did we thrash the upstart Romans, whose greed caused them to covet the lands of our Greek Brothers in Italy, but we also humbled mighty Carthage, both on land and at Sea. We have succeded in taking our place as the rising power of the age, leading our Greek Brothers to glory over those who would see them made helots for their own benefit! You should be proud of what you have accomplished these past two years! Your deeds, like those of Achilles, Ajax, Odysseus, and the other Heroes of the Trojan War, will be long spoken of after we have all gone to Elysium!" I spoke up.

In response, the men clanged their spears against their shields, applauding in a way only a soldier truly can. I wasn't finished, however, I let the clanging go on for a few moments before holding up my hands for silence once again. Once it had been attained, I continued speaking.

"Now, I know that glory and fame alone cannot fill a man's belly or provide for his family. That is why I have ordered the treasury to provide a bonus to each soldier and sailor that fought against Rome and Carthage! Each Man is to recieve one-hundred-fifty Drachmae for fighting alongside me in this War! A princely sum!" I intoned. 

It was true, that was two and a half times the average pay for a Roman Legionary for a whole year, not that Rome was in much of a position to pay even that much to her remaining forces at the moment. The men knew it too because they began clanging spears against shields and calling out my name. I chuckled as I held my hands up once again to call for silence, which was swiftly given.

"Now, I know you are all eager to return to barracks for your pay and from there, your homes. Gods above and below know that I miss my family just as dearly, so I'll only say one final thing. It has been a privelege to lead you in this campaign of liberation against the Roman and Carthaginian oppressors of our brothers in Magna Graecia." I intoned.

"Pyrhus Megas!" Called out one man in the crowd.

"Pyrrhus Soter!" Called out another.

Soon the crowd was engaged in a battle of duelling epithets, but I was never one to care about that. I would let the history books decide such things. I raised my hands for quiet once again, and cracked a crooked grin when I got it before cocking an eyebrow and speaking once more.

"What are you standing here shouting for? Back to barracks to get your pay, then to your homes! Or are you so terrified of your wives you have little better to do? Dismissed!" I ordered in good humor.

As the Army began to fall out by file back to barracks, I took the steps up to my palace, entering the great hall to find my wife, Lanassa, Son, Ptolemy, and Daughter, Olympias waiting for me. Olympias had grown into a young beauty, twenty years old with a poetic heart and gentle demeanor, while Ptolemy had seen sixteen winters and was now ready to take up a post as my aide in both administrative and military matters. I did notice that someone was missing, however. Eurydice, my younger daughter. She would be three right now, but was nowhere to be seen. After the initial set of embraces, I had to ask about that.

However, before my Wife could answer, a darting ball of orange fluff scampered across the floor of thd great hall and disappeared down a side corridor. That was swiftly followed by the thumping of tiny feet on the mosiac floors. Three year old Eurydice came toddling after the fuzzball as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. She looked like a miniature version of Lanassa, though she had my eyes. Another difference was that where my wife was a somewhat sarcastic woman, my tiny daughter seemed to behold everything with childlike wonder. Not unusual for a child, I must admit.

"Come back, Timoleon! I gotta snuggle you!" Cried out Eurydice. I couldn't help but laugh at that as I scooped my tiniest daughter into a hug and went to relax with my family for the first time in a few years. Timoleon was an absurd name for a cat, but I didn't really care about the absurdity of the situation. I was finally home for the first time in a long time.

And I was determined to make the most of it. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, apologies for any spelling or grammar errors in this one. My editing software is on my still at the shop laptop. Hopefully, you all could read this OK and it wasn't illegible.

Here we see a couple things, the first is that Wrangling the Synedrions of both the Siciliote and the Italiote Leagues is going to require someone actually in Magna Graecia full time to keep an eye on things and alert Pyrrhus to any issues. Even then, it's a slow process involving multiple meetings, debates, and bribes to get it to work. Expect that to come up during the Second Pyrrhic War as Rome attempts to take advantage.

The second thing you may have noticed is Pyrrhus' piety here. Now, it wasn't uncommon for a victorious Basileus to make public sacrifices after a glorious campaign, but to do it so often, so publically, with so much is strange. What's more, stories of Pyrrhus' piety leading to battlefield success are going to spread from the now home Army to the general population. That might give the impression that Pyrrhus is favored by the gods, which in turn will make efforts to solify religion around Zeus Panhellenios easier later on.

And of course, Pyrrhus' family is also on his mind. Ptolemy is about to start getting some hands on training from Pyrhhus as his heir and aide, while Olympias is getting ready to head for Asia Minor to be wed to Antiokos I Asianos' brother Achaeus in Pergamon. They'd postponed the actual wedding until Pyrrhus could attend instead of being stuck in the west at war. It's actually allowed their relationship to blossom on a deeper level thanks to the extended betrothal period. Also, I like the image of Eurydice being a cute little gremlin child.

At any rate, next chapter will deal with things going on in Epirus, then we'll be heading to Pergamon for Olympias' wedding.