"Well said!" Ansitalus' loud praise did not interrupt Plato's desire to continue to speak: "Dear King Davers, you once criticized my views in "The Ideal" and said, "I only have city-state citizens in my eyes, but I despise slaves and aliens." This time, whether it was in the south of Dionia or the north, what I saw and heard shocked me!

Romans, Phoenicians, Samones, and even Volsie, who were not citizens of Dionian, were trying hard to speak Greek (Dionian), although most of them were still very stiff. I also encountered several children from different races asking me questions many times... These made me realize that even the totally ignorant and backward indigenous people can educate them to have wisdom and love Greek culture like us, and those Greeks who are both illiterate but unwilling to make changes should be truly despised by us!…”

Plato took another sip of wine, increased the volume again and said, "When I first met you, King, I praised you as the true king of philosophy, and now I find that this statement is not completely correct. This time, I spent a while in Rome, Benetum, and Lilibi, carefully observed the governance of the towns under my jurisdiction by the Dionys officials. Although these towns are different in different situations and environments, one thing is the same - the Dionys officials there are very serious and responsible in performing their duties, and they are governing their towns under their jurisdiction in accordance with the Dionys laws, and according to what I have observed, they are well governed and have high administrative efficiency...

I once said, "If you are sick, you need to find a professional doctor. If you want to transport goods from a merchant, you know how difficult it is to manage a city-state well. However, it allows the citizens of inexperienced but selfish city-states to participate widely. How can a city-state develop well? But many Greek city-states do this!

As far as I know, senior officials in various towns in Dionys have been promoted step by step. They have enough experience and wisdom to deal with and solve various problems encountered by the town. This is what you once said to me, "Choose the virtuous and the capable." So, I have to change the sentence I said, "Not only King Davers, you are a true philosopher, but many of your officials are also philosophers. It is under your governance that Dionys has the strength they are today!"

"Dear Plato scholar." Davers, who was in a high position, has heard too many compliments over the years and has become accustomed to it, but he still feels a little proud of being praised by a great man who was called the "father of Western philosophy" in his previous life. He showed a pleasant smile on his face and tried his best to make himself humbly: "Did you come today to praise Dionia?"

"Since Dionia has done well, why not praise it!" Plato raised his glass and said loudly: "Come on, let's praise Dionia together!"

Davers smiled and raised his glass.

After finishing this cup with the others, Plato shook his head, as if he was about to shake off the slightest drunkenness that had risen. He pinched his face hard and continued, "Dear King Daphs, do you still remember Isocrates?"

"Of course I remember." Davers said with confusion: "We invited him to give speeches in the first and second sessions of the Greek Scholars Conference, but when he invited him again, he refused to come again. I once thought it was because we did not take good care of her during the previous reception process, so he was dissatisfied."

"Your Majesty, although Isocrates is rigorous and doesn't like to talk too much, he is not a person who likes to care about this." Lycias, who has lived in Athens for many years and has had close contact with Isocrates, explained: "Based on what I have learned, he also built a school in Athens. He has been busy teaching students in recent years, so he may not be able to take time to attend the conference."

"Oh, that's right, he also built a school." Davers looked at Plato with an interesting look and asked, "Wouldn't that compete with your school?"

Plato said frankly: "I and I have different goals in training. His school focuses more on teaching students how to make words, how to speak, and how to better conduct public political life... and more practical. My Akaddmi focuses more on studying the political system of the city-state and discussing how to build a more perfect country... But indeed, there is a certain competition between our two colleges, and I had a debate with him last year."

"Oh?" Davers looked surprised, but in fact he not only knew about the debate, but also had a rough record of the debate in his mansion.

"This debate is also related to you, Dionia." Plato said seriously: "I think one of the main reasons why Isocrates has not agreed to your invitation to attend the Scholars Conference in recent years is that he believes that the existence of the Kingdom of Dionia is a huge threat to the Greek mainland-"

"How is this possible-" Lycias was a little surprised, but before he finished speaking, he was taken over by Ansitanos: "For this, I can also prove that in the fourteenth year of the Kingdom (380 BC), our war with Carthage had just begun. At the 99th Olympian Games, Isocrates delivered a speech "Dedication to the All-Greece Festival", which mainly called on the Greek city-states to stop the war, unite, and unanimously restore the glory obtained by the Greek ancestors in the Hippo War, complete their unfinished careers, and liberate the Greek compatriots in Asia Minor who were enslaved under Persian rule. Any Greek who argued with Persia and even engaged in civil wars by Persia should be cursed...

But later in this speech, he also mentioned... Well, that's what the original text said...

‘Today we gather in Olympia, thank Zeus for his blessing to the Greeks, but we should feel that compared to decades ago, this event has become much deserted, not only because of war, but also because of the lack of participation of many city-states. Tarantum, Crotone, Locre, Turiyi, Syracuse, Agrigento… These colonial city-states in the Western Mediterranean, the vanity and shallowness of their people in previous events really make us despise, but if they are missing at the event, we will feel lonely. They were originally a member of our Greek family, but now they have become towns under the Kingdom of Dioria.

Is Dionia a Greek country?

There were never any of them at Olympia, Pityia, Nimia, and Isthmus Games, and Delphi did not set up a holy bank for them. This shows the attitude of the priests who represent the will of the gods towards this Western Mediterranean Kingdom, not only because there are too many barbarian citizens in its country, but also because it distorts our understanding of the gods! Dionia believes that Hades is the Lord of the Gods rather than Zeus. He also allows citizens to believe in the gods of aliens. Can Dionia, who can do such terrible behavior, still call it a Greek state! Under this misconception, the citizens of Dionia cannot become Greeks of the same faith as us!

But why don't we protest against their wrong practices or even send troops to interfere? Because Dionia is very powerful, the powerful strength it has gathered by annexing many Greek colonial city-states can force an independent city-state. Naples, with a relatively strong national strength, dare not participate in this grand event, just because they are afraid that Dionia will be dissatisfied with it.

When we were instigated by the Persians and killed each other for their own interests, the sub-states of our Western Mediterranean and the colonial city of Dionia have expanded into a huge kingdom. Although it has shown no malice to us so far, it is so different from us, and so close to us that once a conflict occurs, the consequences will be serious!

The Greeks with wisdom! On the east side of us are the Persians who never gave up trying to slave our enemy, and on the west side of our neighbors are a powerful kingdom that we cannot guess their minds. Our situation is so dangerous. Shouldn’t we abandon prejudices and reunite like the Persian army facing invading decades ago, to unite again, defend our homeland, and regain the glory of our ancestors…’”

"Why didn't I know there was such a speech?!" Lycias was very surprised after hearing this.

"Because at that time, Athens and Athens had already fought with Sparta, neither side dared to offend Persia and us, so as not to cause changes in the situation, we deliberately banned the popularity of this speech. This was a handwritten manuscript obtained by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when they went to the Greek mainland." Ansitanos explained: "From this speech, Isocrates regarded us as a potential threat to the Greek mainland."
Chapter completed!