Chapter 3

“!@#￥%&” Beside the campfire, the women begged for mercy and screamed. Okazi didn’t understand their language and didn’t know what they were shouting.

While watching his accomplices raping women, Okazi slowly cut meat from the leg of sheep with a stone knife. His teeth were no longer strong enough for him to eat meat, so he could only use a knife to scrape the meat into small strips and put it into his mouth and swallow it directly.

His body had been depleted for too long, and he was powerless for women. He still needed time to recover.

They occupied a relatively steep mountain as a base and transported all the supplies from the surrounding farms up the mountain. Everyone knew that there was an upcoming battle with the Roman Legion, and they were unscrupulously satisfying their desires.

The women were robbed from the farms, and the male masters killed them all, and the women became tools for sexual gratification. The difference is that the female slaves were required to work and spare their lives. The female masters basically played to death within a day.

Everyone knew that they were about to die, and it was a profit to play with one more person.

... The slave army was poorly equipped but had a large number of people.

The battle began, and the Roman army began to loosen its formation on the way up the mountain. But when the two armies were about to fight, Okazi’s slingers threw stones from a high place to attack the flank.

The rope was cut, and the large stone hung by the telescopic rope made a loud noise and rolled towards the flank of the Roman army. These slaves from the quarry had a lot of experience in playing with stones.

Many huge rolling stones killed many Roman soldiers. Unable to break through the front, the Roman army began to collapse due to the continuous attack of the slingshot on the side.

Okazi never thought that they could defeat the Roman army.

The fleeing and dead and wounded Roman army left behind a large amount of weapons and equipment, which also boosted the confidence of the slave uprising army. Many slaves who were originally on the sidelines began to bravely join the uprising.

May 25, the Purification Festival of Farmland (Ambarvalia).

After hearing that the governor led two Roman armies to Heraclea to quell the rebellion, people finally settled down.

Under the auspices of the Curia governor, Caras, the Farmland Purification Festival was held as usual.

In the morning, the person presiding over the ceremony drove a cow, a sheep and a pig around the farmland of the community three times to purify the farmland. While walking, they sang the song of farming accompanied by the recorder player.

After the parade, the three animals were sacrificed in front of many statues related to farmland protection. The cow’s internal organs were dug out for divination. When the host loudly announced that the divination result was good luck, everyone began to eat barbecue in the farmland. (People believed that the gods would eat the smoke of barbecued meat, and the meat left after the gods ate the smoke would be eaten by people.)

On May 27, the news of the governor’s defeat reached Agrigento.

Caras, the Curia governor, summoned all the heads of households to a meeting.

“The governor’s army was defeated, and the rebels became famous. They destroyed farms, killed masters, and released slaves everywhere in the countryside. Now the rebels have no less than 20,000 people.” said the father.

“What should we do?” asked the mother.

“Karas said he was contacting a large cargo ship. Let’s go to Italy to avoid the limelight first.” said the father. “But once we leave, what will happen to the land and slaves? All our property is here.” Killian asked. “Arkan, pass on my order. Double the food for the slaves tonight. All slaves will gather tomorrow morning. I want to speak.” The father said to Arkan.

“Yes, master.”

“Father, what are you going to say?” Killian asked his father after Arkan left.

“I want to release all the slaves and turn them into tenants.” said the father.

“Ah~” Mother, Sophia, and Killian were all stunned. This was equivalent to a direct loss of half of the family’s wealth.

“You haven’t seen the slave uprising 30 years ago, so you don’t know how terrible it is. If we leave, the slaves will flee in all directions, and when we come back, the land will be occupied by others, and we will really have nothing. If we set them free, they may stay to protect the land. This is a choice of losing half of the property or losing everything.” said the father.

“Maybe things won’t be that bad, and the Roman legion won’t sit idly by.” said Killian.

“It takes only two days to walk from Heracolia to Agrigento. The slave rebels may be at our doorstep within a week and can’t wait for the Roman legion.” said the father, shaking his head.

“Father, we can hide in the city, we can go to Sofia’s fiancé’s house. Once the Roman army defeats the rebels, we can go home immediately.” said Killian.

“Are there no slaves in the city? As long as we cooperate inside and outside, what’s the use of the city wall.” said the father. “Does it have to come to this? Is there no other way?” Killian asked.

“Unless all masters immediately declare slaves free, there will be no slave uprisings without slaves. Although there will be some losses when slaves are turned into tenants, the rebellion will be quelled immediately. Moreover, after becoming tenants, they will still work on our land. Lend them money to buy farm tools, build houses, get married and have children. After two or three years, they will become our slaves again because they cannot repay the principal and interest. In fact, the loss is not that great.” said the father.

Sophia felt that her elderly father was full of wisdom, which impressed her.

“Master, I have done as you ordered.” Alkan came back.

“Alkan, I want to congratulate you.” The father poured a glass of wine, held it up and handed it to Alkan.

“I declare Alkan free with God as my witness. You are now a free man.” The father walked to the courtyard patio and said to Alkan. (The oath in the house is invalid. It must be sworn in a place where God can see)

“Thank you, my benefactor.” Alkan knelt down and kissed the ring on his father’s hand.

As we all know, after being freed, slaves became cliens and patronus with their original masters. There are still many rights and obligations between them. After Alkan was freed, he took the surname of Topilus, and he is now called Alkan Topilus.

“I will pay you 25 silver coins (similar to the salary of Roman soldiers) every month,” said his father.

“Father, what about my fiancé Marcus? Will he go with us?” Sophia asked her father. “Alkan, go to Marcus’s house in the city and tell him about our refuge on the boat and ask for his opinion. You ride a donkey and pull a donkey’s wheat for him. There is no food to buy in the city.”

“Yes, patron.”

Alkan rode back on his donkey at night. Marcus decided to stay in the city.

The next morning, while the slaves were having breakfast, Topilus swore to free all the slaves in his family, and then divided the land and leased it to these freed slaves (freed slaves. They had fewer political rights than free people who were born free).

“Drive away all the fortune tellers and dream interpreters.” Topilus said to the gatekeeper.

This time of chaos is a good time for these people to make a fortune. In the morning, many people who claim to be fortune tellers came to do business.

For the first time, Sophia really felt that her father was a believer of Epicurus. At such a critical moment, it takes great perseverance to make decisions based on one’s own judgment without praying to God or asking for divination. At this time, the elderly father showed transcendent masculinity.