The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe-Chapter 31 - A Remarkable Start (Part 1)

At that moment, thunderous cheers erupted:

"Juleios! Juleios!! Juleios!!!..."

The shouts were so synchronized and loud that they drowned out all other noise, causing even the leaders to change their expressions.

"That's Menon's mercenaries!" Timasion craned his neck toward the direction of the sound.

"They should now be called Juleios's mercenaries!" Hieronymus said enviously.

On the stage, Juleios smiled and began speaking:

"Greek warriors, I am Juleios of Thessaly. I am now replacing Menon as your new leader!"

After the soldiers on the platform relayed his words, the soldiers in Juleios's camp immediately stood up, clapping and cheering for him. This left the other soldiers exchanging glances, thinking, Are these guys crazy?!

Some who were in the know started showing off their information to their companions:

"I heard that this young man is blessed by Hades, and every 'oracle' he receives is unbelievably accurate!"

"I heard he even miraculously saved a dying soldier! Yes, the one standing behind him!"

"He's also invented some useful things for us! Like this leg wrap on my leg..."

Word of mouth spread rapidly among the soldiers. Soon, their looks of contempt toward Juleios turned into curiosity.

Juleios's voice echoed again:

"Earlier, Clearchus's speech was very exciting—just too short! It's like when a man and a woman are doing that thing, and the woman is just starting to get excited, but the man finishes too soon. How unsatisfying would that be for the woman!"

The soldiers below hadn't expected such crude words from the seemingly youthful Juleios. They froze for a moment before bursting into laughter:

"Hahaha..."

Many even took the opportunity to whistle lewdly...

"This young man is quite interesting!" Several soldiers nodded with smiles.

"Rubbish! Absolutely improper!" Timasion glanced at Cheirisophus and scolded repeatedly.

Even Xenophon was taken aback. The Juleios he knew was a well-mannered young man with unique insight, not someone so crude.

Cheirisophus, however, didn't say anything. Though Juleios had made him the butt of the joke, he wasn't angry. Having spent his life in the military before turning 30, Cheirisophus understood soldiers' minds well. He wasn't sure if Juleios had done it intentionally or by accident, but that vulgar joke had already made the soldiers feel closer to their overly young leader. Cheirisophus now looked forward to the rest of Juleios's speech.

"When I walked up just now, I saw many of you with your heads hanging low, some even with tears in your eyes. You're afraid! Afraid you won't make it back to Greece! You're scared! Scared the Persians will wipe you out! But think carefully: when we were deep in the heart of Persia, after our employer Cyrus the Younger was killed, and we didn't know what to do, the Persians, with several times more soldiers than us, didn't immediately attack us and wipe us out. What did they do instead?

"All of you here know very well. The Persians spent effort negotiating with us, provided us with abundant food, and escorted us such a long way... They spent so much time, money, and effort just to trick our leaders into being killed by them!"

Juleios spoke slowly and paused, then loudly asked:

"Soldiers, tell me! Who is truly afraid?"

The soldiers were momentarily stunned.

"Is it the Persians?!" Juleios's voice rang out again.

"Yes!" someone responded.

"I didn't hear you! Is it the Persians?!" Juleios raised his voice.

"Yes!!" More voices joined in.

"That's too quiet—like the timid Persians! One more time, who is afraid?!"

"It's the Persians!!!" the soldiers roared, their spirits beginning to rise.

"Exactly! We Greeks have not yielded! At Marathon, the Athenians, though outnumbered, routed the Persian army, forcing Darius to scurry back to his lair, where he died a few years later. His son Xerxes, seeking revenge, gathered an unprecedentedly massive army to invade Greece again.

"Soldiers, tell me, where did we strike the Persians hard?!"

This time, Juleios didn't need to guide them further. Soldiers enthusiastically shouted:

"Salamis!"

"Plataea!"

"And Thermopylae!"

...

Juleios picked up where they left off:

"Yes, the united Greeks defeated the Persians again, making Greece a land of freedom, bringing decades of peace and prosperity. Soldiers, can any of you name some officers and soldiers who participated in the battles against Persia?"

"Miltiades!"

"Aeschylus!"

"Pheidippides!"

"Leonidas!"

"Themistocles!"

"Aristides!"

"Pausanias!"

...

Names were shouted one after another, starting with officers' names, then soldiers'. The Greco-Persian Wars, having ended just 80 years ago, were still fresh in their memories. Many mercenaries were descendants of those who fought in those battles, proudly proclaiming their ancestors' names. Even leaders like Cheirisophus, Timasion, and Hieronymus couldn't help but join in. The entire assembly was becoming electric.

Timasion couldn't help but widen his eyes, realizing he had underestimated this young man.

After a long while, the shouting began to subside.

Juleios continued passionately:

"The names you've just mentioned were written into history by Herodotus and into your memories. They became the heroes of Greece! Their spirit, like the Divines, is immortal! We grew up hearing their stories, idolizing them, aspiring to achieve great deeds like theirs.

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"Soldiers, do you realize that you have the same opportunity to become Greek heroes and be written into history?!"

Eager soldiers stood up, impatiently asking:

"Tell us! What opportunity?!"

"Don't you see?!" Juleios shouted.

"Our ancestors defeated the Persians, but always on Greek soil or at sea. Never before has a Greek army marched into Persian territory. Yet, we've penetrated the heart of Persia! If we unite, defeat the Persians, overcome countless challenges, and finally return to Greece victorious, we will make history!

"Our deeds will be written into books, sung in ballads, and spread throughout Greece. Beautiful girls and adorable children will beg us to tell our tales of adventure! Our descendants will, like you today, take pride in us!

"And most importantly—" Juleios took a deep breath and said excitedly:

"Our deeds will inspire future Greeks! They will know that Persians, though seemingly powerful, are weak within. They are nothing but a giant made of clay. Nations, like people, have their prime and their decline. When praising us, what will they say?!"

The soldiers were utterly enthralled.