Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 20: Fathers and Ancestors
Orville, who had made the suggestion, was stunned: "But, won't this waste time?"

Tia asked in confusion: "My father just let me delay time on the road, and told me that you already knew about this, isn't it?"

"That's true." Orville opened his mouth, but couldn't think of any reason to refute, so he began to think hard.

It's not like he knows everything about ancient times. It's not an exaggeration to say that the original owner is knowledgeable, but he also has his own areas of expertise. It's a bit difficult for him to say what specialties there are in a certain place. If he's not careful, he might make common sense mistakes, such as mentioning some specialties that only became popular hundreds of years later.

At this time, Berenice looked at the two of them and said cautiously, "I can give some advice on this matter. My family has been involved in maritime trade with the Roman Empire for many years, and I have learned a lot from it."

"You have an idea? That's great." Tia did not doubt it, because the Herod royal family did know better than them.

The Herod royal family was a mixed race of Idumeans and Parvines. It was said that they came from a business family and were originally powerful ministers of the former king. They became kings because of their outstanding abilities and were noticed by the Romans.

"The trade method my father left behind was to import black wine and dried fruits from the ports of Syria, sell some of them in Greece, buy fish and honey, and buy wheat in Rhodes. On the way to Sicily, we sold all the fresh goods along the way. When we arrived in Sicily, we bought wine from southern Italy, and when we arrived in Rome, we sold grain, the best wine, and sweets."

Tia's eyes narrowed: "Can this tell us?"

Berenice covered her mouth and chuckled. "This is a method my father learned when he was in Rome. In the end, he didn't try it many times. Sharing it with you is just returning it to its original owner. Besides, the Herod family is now unable to maintain a large-scale maritime caravan. It's useless for us to keep it in our minds. It's better to share it with friends."

In ancient times, as in modern times, information is a very valuable thing. Since Berenice has shared this method, it means that she can be sure of making money.

This has gone beyond the scope of giving advice, not to mention that Berenice mentioned her father, King Archita, who was quite famous in Rome.

Their father, Herod Architas, was a legendary leader who lived in Rome for a long time before becoming king. He was a tactful person who was good at making friends with dignitaries and was considered the most outstanding diplomat at that time.

He was a good friend of Drusus, the son of the second Roman emperor. After Drusus died suddenly, he also became good friends with two other potential heirs to the throne, one of whom was the famous tyrant Caligula, who was recognized for his paranoid, cruel, and arrogant character.

Not only was Archita a good friend of the tyrant, he also took back the throne with his help. What was more commendable was that he truly gained the tyrant's friendship. Caligula regarded Archita as his true friend before he became successful.

The customs of the Parvi people have always been different from others. They refused to worship the emperor's statues. If it happened to an ordinary emperor, it would be fine. But Caligula was unusual. When provoked, he directly ordered the governor of Syria to take the border guards to raze the country's holy city to the ground.

In the end, Agita came forward to plead for mercy, and Caligula changed his attitude very readily. He publicly stated at the banquet that "any request of Agita would be met." In the end, the people of Parphi did not even have to worship the emperor's portrait, and the matter was over.

After Caligula was assassinated, he was the first to persuade the Guards to take control of the emperor's body, claiming that the emperor was only injured and was not seriously injured, so as to buy time to choose an heir to the throne.

Together with the Guards, he supported Claudius, who had the right to inherit the throne but supported the republic in his heart, as emperor. Later, Archita persuaded the elders of the Senate to recognize Claudius' identity and persuaded Claudius himself to accept the throne. Claudius was the adoptive father of the late Emperor Nero. It can be said that King Archita contributed a lot to all this. In short, no one disliked King Archita, and no one did not give him face. Archita II also benefited from this. During Nero's reign, the territory of the Kingdom of the Palphians was expanded.

He was a skilled monarch, albeit with some shortcomings, but no one else could have saved the country between the radicals, the moderates, and the Romans, and the war broke out shortly after Architas I's death.
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After confirming their goals, they chose to follow suit, copying the homework of their predecessors and buying the same things.

The navigation technology of this period was not as advanced as it would be a thousand years later. Most ships sailed along the coastline, which made it less likely to get lost and easier to resupply.

Pirate activities have not been rampant recently, and they are protected by warships, so as long as they are careful and do not encounter natural disasters, the safety factor is still quite high.

They headed north along the coast toward the governor's territory in Syria, purchasing supplies as Berenice suggested.

The expense was not small. Orville's family was the smallest among the group. If the accounts were calculated, he would not get much. However, the other two were not short of money. They also knew that Orville needed money recently, so they all did him a favor.

Tia said that she was thanking Orville for finding a scholar of classics and law for him, while Berenice said that she was thanking him for considering the royal family. In the end, 30% of the profits were divided equally among everyone, and the remaining 10% was rewarded to the accompanying officers and soldiers. It was a result that everyone was satisfied with.

After drifting on the sea for a few more days, they left the Syrian territory and began to sail towards Asia Minor, which meant they entered the territory of the Greeks.

At this time, all the officers and soldiers became much more nervous because this area was not particularly peaceful.

They knew that some people on the Black Sea coast further north were not content and were calling on their Greek compatriots to rise up against Roman rule. Perhaps this situation could not affect this side now, but it always did not hurt to be careful.

They stopped and walked along the way, and from time to time they would stop the ship to trade goods and enjoy the scenery, but Orville still did not forget the serious business.

After studying the sea chart for a while, Orville turned to Tia and gave her advice: "We are almost in Cyprus. Should we go to the temple to ask for an oracle?"

Tia, holding a book in one hand and an orange in the other, nodded slightly in agreement when she heard this: "That's great, let's go, we need to know the news."

"By the way, don't forget to buy food. Buy more at once. Growing wheat in Rome is not as profitable as growing grapes and olives. The price of food is much more expensive than here. It's more cost-effective to buy enough at once and eat there."

Tia and Orville understood each other tacitly, but Berenice was the only one who was confused and puzzled: "What are you talking about? Why do we suddenly have to go to worship the gods?"

In her opinion, worshiping God was a very serious matter. She had never been to Rome and did not understand what the so-called "asking for an oracle" meant.

(End of this chapter)