Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 39: Plato’s praise

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Plato smiled and said seriously: "My insights have been said at the previous scholars conferences. If there is no update, how can I stand on the podium again? Besides, what are the issues at this scholars conference? The lectures of young scholars are also very wonderful, especially your son Apox, who has such amazing discoveries at his young age, it is really enviable! And most of these young scholars come from your Dionian Academy, you can see you Dionia's years of unremitting investment in education finally began to bear fruit. In contrast, other city-states, including ours, Athens, are lagging a lot behind!" At this point, Plato's face was a little worried. .

"Yesterday, Spiusips' speech also won praise from many scholars! Plato, you don't have to worry about no one to succeed!" Lycias comforted.

Spicypus hurriedly got up to express his gratitude to the elders.

Plato was not modest. He pointed to his nephew and said: "Compared with the first scholars conference, Spisips has indeed made great progress now, but my school has still He is the only one who can be called a'young scholar', but your academy has sprung up many outstanding young scholars. The gap is huge!"

"The Dionian Academy is a public institution of the Kingdom. It is funded by the Dionian Treasury. Every year, the best students are selected from the students who graduated from schools in various cities and towns in the Kingdom. It’s very high. The Akademi Academy is funded by you personally. Due to the limitations of funds, space, and the number of teachers, you can’t recruit more students. Of course, it’s incomparable.

However, I heard that the reputation of Akademi Academy has begun to spread in the Eastern Mediterranean. I believe that gradually more outstanding young people from various Greek city-states will be willing to study in your academy, and the situation will be very different. Big improvement. "Lysias comforted.

Plato sighed: "As I wrote in the book "New Utopia",'If a country or a city-state wants to achieve sustained and prosperous development, it must first focus on education. Education can not only make young people Citizens of China have wisdom, and can cultivate them to have sound thoughts and morals from an early age. Only when the quality of citizens has been improved and they know how to think, can the whole country be able to develop healthily...'

Unfortunately, we Athens citizens don’t think so. They only value immediate benefits and hope to distribute the property in the treasury equally. Therefore, at the citizens’ assembly a few years ago, they unanimously agreed to implement the citizen assembly allowance system (ie All Athenian citizens attending the conference will be given half a drachma as compensation each time. As prices rise, this allowance will increase accordingly, and even extended to participate in other conferences to receive allowance compensation).

After having tasted the benefits of sharing the wealth of the city-state, they formally passed the'implementation of the subsidy system for drama watching' the year before last (during the celebrations in Athens, occasional subsidies for the purchase of theater tickets are given to impoverished citizens. This tradition first began. (In the Pericles era), for this purpose, a financial officer was specially set up to manage drama subsidies..."

Plato said worriedly: "Now the citizens of Athens enjoy the benefits of sharing the wealth of the city-state. They hope that the city-state will provide more frequent and more subsidies, and the remaining part of the Athens tax will become less and less. The ability to cope with the economic situation is getting worse. But the citizens of Athens are getting more and more comfortable, and they become reluctant to engage in difficult and dangerous military operations.

Some time ago, Konun’s son Timothy proposed in the council, ‘should lead the navy around the Peloponnese, attack the Spartan navy, and thoroughly establish the superiority of the Athens navy. The council approved his proposal, but did not allocate the money for the levy, and the people were not enthusiastic about joining the army. Timothy had to raise money by himself, hire soldiers, and pay remuneration to form a fleet for the expedition.

As a result, after the conquest of Corfu Island, due to lack of funds, the sailors refused to fight for him anymore, and the entire military operation was only halfway through and ended in a hurry. The military generals who encountered such a dilemma were not only Timothy, but also Iphikratus and Cabrias... These fairly good Athenian generals also suffered military spending restrictions, which led to Athens’s military spending in recent years. A series of military operations have had little effect.

This has also led to outstanding generals who are willing to work for Athens to often have to work for foreign monarchs, and it also gives them enough money or the ability to borrow money to support their military operations for Athens, like Iphikrat Not only did Si often work for the Thracians, but he also married the daughter of a Thracian king. Timothy had a high reputation in Ionia, and he also married the daughter of a King of Asia Minor. ...

In normal times, they spend more time abroad than in Athens, because then they have more freedom and can lead a luxurious and flashy life without being criticized by public opinion. In the long run, how much loyalty do they still have for Athens? !

This is simply a vicious circle! However, the citizens of Athens do not see these dangers. Most of them only value being able to watch theaters for free, and get money every day by sitting in various venues... This is the saddest thing! "

After hearing this, Daves didn’t want to comment on the affairs of Athens, but he thought about it again and said in a serious manner: “The Athens government’s unwillingness to pay from the treasury to build an army for war will lead to a worse As a result, the generals of Athens used the money they raised to pay the mercenaries. The mercenaries naturally obeyed the orders of the generals instead of the Athens government. The Athens government completely lost control of the army, and it was difficult to order the army to implement what it stipulated. Strategy. Even if the generals of the reigning army have some ambitions towards Athens and order the army to attack Athens, would you say these mercenaries would obey?"

Plato was taken aback for a while, slowly put down the wine glass that was brought to his lips, and then hesitated for a while and said: "Although Timothy and Iphikratus have some contradictions, these generals of Athens today Athens is still full of love...but you are right. Since the army serves the city-state, the city-state should also pay for the soldiers and protect their lives. Both parties have obligations to each other. But one party waives this obligation, and the other party Of course, I have the right not to perform this obligation...

The day before yesterday, I came to Turri. I have heard about the fact that “Dionia used tax increases to form a border army”. It is indeed a blessing for the people of Dionia to have a strong and intelligent government. matter! "

Plato drank a sip and didn’t want to discuss this annoying issue anymore, and continued: “The reason why I came to Turey at the end of the scholar’s ​​conference this time is because it took some time to wander around. Other towns in Onia."

"Oh!" Davers said with regret: "You should tell me in advance and let me make arrangements for you, so that your travel itinerary will be more convenient and safer."

"I’m not telling you, it’s just to make my wandering more free and what I see with my eyes more real." Plato pointed to his eyes and asked narrowly: "Honorable King Daves, do you think To arrange for me, is it because I am afraid that I will see some bad things?"

Davers smiled heartily: "You should know me, I have nothing to worry about."

"Indeed, I should congratulate you!" Plato said with interest: "I went to the south, the former Carthage military town of Lilibre, and to the great city of Rome to the north, where I was still in the old town. I spent two days in Bereventum, the central town of the Monet people...Dionia’s territory is indeed vast, and it took me a lot of time just to be on the road.

But, I want to correct what you just said, the king, this road is very safe, whether it is by sea or land, I have not encountered pirates, nor mountain bandits, nor have I seen the war or the places I passed by. It seemed peaceful and peaceful everywhere, even in the territory of the Samonei, which the Greeks called the "fierce barbarians".

Be aware that more than ten years ago, more than twenty years ago, Great Greece and Sicily had wars like mainland Greece, the wars between the Greek colonial city-states, the wars between the colonial city-states and the indigenous people, the Greek city-states and Cartesian The war between the bases... Today the war and conflict in the Greek mainland are still continuing, but it is completely another scene on the west side of the Adriatic Sea, which is brought to the western Mediterranean by the existence of the Kingdom of Dionian Great change! "

Plato drank another sip and continued loudly: "I have to mention another important change. Although the journey is long, the traffic is very convenient. The sea lanes are smooth. The port towns I go to, no matter how big or small, Its port facilities are relatively complete, and its management is also orderly.

As for land, you have to mention the roads that you spent on the treasury and a lot of management and construction. They are flat, wide, and strong. Even in the rolling mountains of Samona and Lucania, they still exist. . You are also building roads on the territories of alliances such as the Volsi and Campanias... Oh, you call it the "road network". It is indeed a network, which connects most of the races in the Italian peninsula. Together, they have provided great convenience for their travel and trade, and have also strengthened exchanges between people of all races.

When I walk on the avenue, the pedestrians on the road are always in an endless stream. Most of their faces have an optimistic spirit. I see a desire in their faces, and this desire forces them It seems to be in a hurry, whether it is driving a pannier or carrying a package, but this hurry is not because of poverty, but for a better life... And this kind of desire is exactly what the Kingdom of Dionian wants. Bestowed! "