Greek Tragedy

[Franconicus]

First Chapter - Year 23

A strong wind from the west drives waves and clouds against the beach. It is difficult to decide, where the sea ends and where the sky begins. On the opposite side the first light of day appears, but it is still uncertain if the daylight will overwhelm the darkness of the storm.
At the camp south of Milet, Aristogoras, the tyrant of the city, has been walking up and down the beach, not taking notice of the wind or the clouds. But now as the daylight comes, he knows that he cannot ignore it. It is time to act now.

At night, he received news from his hometown and an agents brought him his money, all he has got. Now, he intends to use it right.

He sees the first hoplite stepping out of his tent, stretching and coughing. Aristogoras calls him and gives him the order to send all military leaders to his tent, immediately. The soldier looks surprised, but he is used to obey and soon the military leaders are gathered. Aristogoras looks into their faces. He sees Ionian hoplites, Crete slingers as well as Phoenician and Egyptian rowers. Most of them fight for money. And in this aspect as well as any other, the campaign has been a terrible failure. Aristogoras knows that the men haven't received their pay for a while and most likely, the satrap of Sardis won't be willing to pay the bills any longer. So Aristogoras makes them another offer, a risky one, indeed, much more dangerous than the expedition against Naxos, but also much more profitable. The men are taken by surprise, they hesitate and argue, but in the end they are overwhelmed by their greed. They welcome Aristogoras as their new commander.
His first order is to arrest the other tyrants from Ionia, which had accompanied the campaign. Then he turns to Milet for the next act.

The city of Milet welcomes their tyrant. When he tells them that he is no longer following the orders of Dareios, people are scared first, but then they are applauding. Only Hecataeus the Historian argues against Arisotogoras. He tries to make people see that it is insane that a single city wants to fight an empire that covers almost the entire world. But Aristogoras' arguments and money convince the people and he is nominated as leader of the military council of Milet.