Corinth

Between the Peloponnese and the Greek mainland lies the narrow Isthmus of Corinth, currently controlled by the Eastern Roman Empire. North of the Isthmus of Corinth lies the Duchy of Athens, a vassal of the Ottoman.

As early as the ancient Greek period, some maritime merchants would haul their ships onto land to save time, dragging them from the east side of the isthmus to the west, and vice versa.

Thanks to this unique geographical advantage, Corinth developed rapidly. To defend against invasions, the locals built the early Corinthian walls.

In the sixth century AD, Justinian built a new wall at the Isthmus of Corinth. Because the total length of the wall was six miles, it was called the "Hexamilion Wall," serving as the gateway between the Peloponnese and the north.

In 1415, Manuel ordered the reconstruction of these long-abandoned fortifications. Due to funding issues, the quality of the rebuilt wall was poor. In 1422, the Ottoman army breached the wall with trebuchets and light artillery, then rampaged through the Peloponnese, abducting a large number of people.

"Actually, Father and my second brother should have spent more money. Even taking out a loan from Italy would have been better than letting the Ottoman plunder the territory."

Vitus arrived at a high ground, overlooking this dilapidated wall. It rose from the reefs of the Saronic Gulf (east side) and extended along the narrowest part of the isthmus to the Gulf of Corinth (west side), resembling a giant beast crouching on the earth.

Observing it closely, collapsed rubble was scattered beneath the wall, and withered yellow wild grass swayed gently between the stone gaps. The color of certain sections of the wall was inconsistent with the main tone, clearly having been recently patched.

A few minutes later, Vitus met the garrison commander, Psilos. His first reaction was to rebuke the man for his negligence:

"A force of two thousand men approached, why did you not react? If Centurione or the Duke of Athens in the north led an army to attack, how long could you hold out?"

"Your Highness, we only have eight hundred men, yet we must guard the six-mile (nine-kilometer) wall. Not only that, we are also responsible for repair work; most of the men are busy transporting stones, and we are truly overwhelmed."

Psilos used a series of complaints to stall, but Vitus impatiently brushed the topic aside. He climbed the watchtower to observe the vast mountainous area north of the wall. He could vaguely see an abandoned temple at the top of the hillside; those ruins were used as a temporary outpost, constantly vigilant against the movements of the Duchy of Athens to the north.

According to the garrison, the temple was dedicated to Aphrodite, though unfortunately, the statue inside had been taken away by the Venice merchants, presumably serving as a collection piece in some villa.

(Note: Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty in Greek mythology, corresponds to Venus in Roman mythology.)

That night, Vitus stayed in his room writing a battle report.

"Father, I have captured the main towns of the Achaea region and taken Duke Centurione and a large number of nobles prisoner. This evil force that usurped our land has vanished. Below is my detailed operational process, as well as the general situation in the Achaea region..."

After writing nearly three pages, Vitus rubbed his sore wrists and added an extra note:

"In early December, I inspected the Hexamilion Wall. The situation is dire, and the garrison is busy patching gaps with stones—this behavior is meaningless and purely perfunctory. I suspect those patched areas could not even withstand an attack from a medium-sized trebuchet.

Today's Ottoman territory is vast and its national power is strong. The Sultan spends heavily to recruit blacksmiths and cannon-casting craftsmen from Europe, and artillery technology is constantly improving. At this rate, they will sooner or later catch up with the technology in Italy and cast larger-caliber heavy siege cannons.

I suggest changing the design of the wall; instead of pursuing height, we should make the walls low and thick to withstand the bombardment of heavy siege cannons. A rough sketch is attached to the letter; I call it a 'Trace Italienne'."

A week later, Vitus returned to Andravida. This city is located in the western part of the peninsula, about ten kilometers from the coastline. It possesses one of the few plains in the Achaea region and is the best choice for a capital.

In the following time, Vitus was busy restoring order. He issued an order requiring the leaders of each settlement to travel to Andravida for an audience by a deadline.

The settlements in Achaea can be roughly divided into four types: villages, towns, monasteries, and manors.

The size of the villages varies, usually maintaining between 20 and 200 households, managed by wealthy farmers and respected elders.

There are only three existing towns in Achaea: Kyparissia, Andravida, and Patras. Vitus has not yet appointed administrative officials, so they are managed by garrison company commanders.

The land owned by monasteries usually enjoys tax exemptions, and the abbot is responsible for managing all affairs, similar to the situation in Western Europe.

Large tracts of land owned by the wealthy class are called manors. The vast majority of the owners were former Achaean nobles; now that they are dead or have fled, only twenty-five local gentry remain.

Vitus spoke with them one by one, registering the population, livestock, and cultivated land area of each settlement. Combining the data reported from all places, the current population of Achaea is 72,000, not even one-third of the Morea region!

"The people's livelihood is withered, and the population is sparse; it is actually not as good as the classical period two thousand years ago."

Upon learning the population and general output of the territory, Vitus understood that he could not afford to maintain a large standing army. He canceled his previously planned project and kept the field force at one thousand men.

In addition, the three towns each have a militia of two hundred men for daily security. The militia does not belong to the regular army; they are provided by the subordinate villages, with young men serving and rotating every six months. The expenses are far lower than the Tuna Legion.

In January 1425, after the situation in Achaea had completely stabilized, Vitus terminated the contracts with the mercenaries under his command, paying the remaining wages and return shipping costs. Before parting ways, he lamented to Piero:

"The combat effectiveness of mercenaries is indeed good, but it is just too expensive. According to my estimation, the total annual tax revenue of the Achaea region is not enough to pay the wages of two thousand mercenaries."

Piero: "Mercenaries take high risks and deserve high returns. You have served as a mercenary and understand the various difficulties of this industry. Remember to contact me if you have any business in the future; the price is negotiable."

In late January, a reply arrived from Constantinople. The Emperor continued his previous style, telling Vitus to act with caution and not to provoke the Ottoman-controlled areas to the north. As for the repair work of the "Hexamilion Wall," he and Theodore should still discuss it and handle it themselves, each contributing money and effort; Constantinople could not provide financial aid.

In addition, the Emperor sent a team of civil officials, led by Savard, who had attended Vitus's engagement ceremony in Florence and could be considered an old acquaintance.

Vitus leaned back in his chair, listening to Savard introduce the names, specialties, and previous employment status of the twenty civil officials one by one. After listening, he did not immediately grant them positions, but instead had the guards bring in tables, chairs, paper, and pens.

"You have one hour to complete the test. Discussion with each other is strictly prohibited."