34. Mars

  March 1st. Zethos marched to Castellaneta marching with relative speed despite the light pitter patter rain, his troops had won a bloodless victory, and they made sure that they marched in style to Castellaneta. They camped outside the city, or at least they planned to, but they caught the town in the complete dead of night, despite the Seneschal warning the residents of the ensuing danger, they refused to fight, leaving Zethos uncontested in his approach, instead they brought the man himself to them.

  Such treachery is hardly honourable, but it is very useful.

  “In honour of you surrendering him to us, we will not touch your personal wealth, but the church wealth is ours, and I suppose yours if you so desire. The terms of the Republic are no personal taxes, only market taxes of 5% for merchants and traders, and vendors I suppose,” he said tailing off a little, to the amusement of his own men, “the central government will cover arrears, and investments, but the Western Roman Republic is not particularly heavy handed. As for you. You’re a key to half your possessions.”

  Zethos decided to rest, he had 5000 solidi in his reserve now, but he was still short to pay the whole army but nonetheless assured them of a quick mopping up operation.

  Gocelin meanwhile looked out to sea, as his sailors chugged along, some 1100, looking out as the ocean spray hit him, he did not know it but he was significantly wealthier than his counterpart field commander, his thoughts wandered, and he heard the creaking of the ship as it began to rain.

  “Great, wonderful,” he said sarcastically.

  “But sir, imagine what our viking ancestors must have felt!” A Norman in his service piped up.

  Gocelin looked at the man with disdain and cringed his face.

  “Thorphinius,” he said dourly.

  “Of course sir,” Thorphinius said.

  A bucket of water doused the man, and the rest of the army laughed at the antics.

  2nd of March Zethos equipped with a hostage took the town of Mottola without a fight, he took 6000 solidi mostly church gold and Richard’s personal savings. 11,000 solidi was in Zethos’s pocket, and he could at least pay his army 1 solidi. He took the time to spend 1000 solidi on siege shields; with 10,000 solidi and still not even afternoon yet, he marched along the roads relatively unmolested. Until 100 Norman cavalry decided to rush straight at them, perhaps fog had misguided them, but the Glaives gave a nasty surprise to the Normans who promptly fled the field in terror.

  “Not even worth mounting the bolt shooters,” Aspar laughed.

  At a half way point in the night, they camped for the night, making a fortified camp while resting the army in turns.

  3rd of March, the city of Bari had a large amount of exports once again, 1570 litrai of cinnamon, 3150 litrai of myrrh, 1570 litrai of saffron powder, 6230 litrai of cloves and 6230 litrai of cardamon, all in all some 60,000 solidi entered the coffers of the city, and again Adaneus spent it on a mixture of defensive measures for the new province along the heel as well as economic investment. With 215,000 solidi he spent 15,000 solidi on salt flats in Gallipoli, roughly 7 salt flats all in all. Intending to save money for the moment, as he wondered when the inevitable deluge from the North would come.

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  Gioia del Colle was set upon by Zethos, with his army using the hostage Richard of Seneschal as a perfect bargaining chip, the town surrendered rather quickly. One soldier intended to fight, but the others raised their arms, in total he landed himself 9000 solidi, mostly from church property and the administrations reserves, another 1000 solidi was the personal stash of some raiders. His message of what he was doing had probably arrived by now, and he knew that the Republic favoured more cautious nation building, but he also knew he was actually doing the Republic a favour.

  If the inland roads are controlled by the Normans it is hardly conducive to your state, I might swing west at some point, but by that point it will be too late for you to question my actions.

  By the 4th of March he marched with his 10,000 man army (plus some wagon riders) to Santeramo in Colle. It was a small town, so it fell as soon as it saw the green banners. In the din of night, he had managed with the help of some 10 daring Norman raiders to run away.

  “Catch him!”

  A bolt shooter, shot a rider off his horse, but Richard managed to ride away.

  “Daring,” Lucanus spat, “bastards, don’t know when to quit.”

  “I guess we’ll capture him next time.”

  He looted a mere 2000, administrative wealth and church wealth. Again he read the city their rights, that the Republic expected no taxes from them, before resting in a fortified camp just outside the city.

  5th of March Bari. Demetra called an emergency meeting of the council.

  “My spies in the city caught Normans saying that a Western Roman Republican general made a series of movements, even capturing Richard Seneschal.”

  “Zethos?” Adaneus said, “he’s supposed to be in Taranto?”

  “Ma’am, here is a letter from Zethos,” a hurried messenger said, as he ran in.

  I am marching to secure the roads from Bari to Taranto. Zethos.

  “We must move more supplies and artillery into Taranto!” Adaneus shouted.

  “Eastern Roman merchants want to sell us wood,” Butros said, “and iron.”

  “They are necessary for our catapults, ballistae and bolt shooters!” Adaneus said, “let them sell it.”

  “My spies found a few distress notes from Normans, we haven’t arrested the spies, better to harvest information from them,” Demetra said, “we have mostly bribed the surrounding towns to defect to us, but some of the towns do belong to the Normans.”

  “Hmmm…” Kwame said, “I will bring priests into the area, I hear Taranto has nearly 5000 adherents to Helios. Our taxation policy makes for grateful peasants.”

  6th of March. Zethos with 19,000 Solidi and roughly 10,000 troops approached the small Norman fort town of Altilia, the Normans resisted, requiring the use of the bolt shooters, but a mere 500 bolt shooters firing once, and the Normans lifted their hands and surrendered the fort. Capturing the garrisons salary, Zethos managed to get his personal savings to 20,000 solidi, capturing some arms but unable to sell them for the moment.

  On the 6th of March Gocelin had seized Molfetta, losing some 100 men to fire, but his bolt shooters had managed to mostly neutralise any hostiles with his 4000 infantry wading into the city and securing the town square and any important buildings without much of a fight. Gocelin felt whole again.

  “Gocelin?” One old man said, recognising him, “I almost didn’t recognise you, you work for the devils now?”

  “The Devils huh? Old man, I’m not sure you’ll be saying that when you’ll have no taxes to pay beyond market taxes when going shopping,” Gocelin retorted.

  “Really?” The old man said.

  “Yes really,” Gocelin said, a little irritated but happy to correct the record.

  Gocelin managed to recruit some 500 infantry, still getting some 3000 net in solidi from taking the church property.

  “How can you steal from a church?” The priest said.

  “How can you steal from me and everyone else?” Gocelin retorted.

  With 58,000 solidi, he counted the coin satisfied with himself.

  I should probably copy that Greek to be honest, he had some nice ideas, glaive and shot, and shock, anyone dumb enough to stay around against that deserves the punishment.

  “Did you hear that Zethos took a string of towns north of Taranto?” One woman whispered to another.

  Gocelin walked up to the two women and looked at both of them with curiosity, lifting his head to ask what they were talking about.

  “Repeat what you just said.”

  “Zethos, the Western Roman general has apparently taken a few towns, a Norman rider came and told us that, Richard Seneschal only recently escaped and is trying to rally an army.”

  What in tarnation is that Greek doing?

  “Thorphinius! Give me a map.”

  He inspected the map.

  He’s securing the Taranto Bari roads, or at least that’s what he’s claiming. The guy is blatantly looting the local churches for his army. Smart guy. Still there are a lot of big fish up ahead, big well fortified towns with Norman garrisons, the likelihood I take the towns are basically zero without upgrading my bolt shooters. I suppose I better pay Bari a visit.