Chapter 49 - Hiring artisans
Flavio next to the leaders of marble or jade workshops and put them on tables with a document in them
"Craftsmen I have joined you here because it is a theme related to the defense of the empire, I hope that all participants can place a drop of blood in the contract that each of you has on their tables"
The artisans wondered why but they had great confidence in their emperor so nobody questioned and they all placed a drop of their blood on the paper.
Flavio watched everyone has done it and began his speech
"As you know, this new world is our home and even though in Mesoamerica we will not find enemies, it does not mean that in other places it is the same.
In the assassination attempt that was a few days ago the subject was a shaman of the tribe of the Caribs received the divine power of their gods and that could attack me, now imagine that their families are sleeping one day and a madman with powers enters his house to kill his family, they try to defend themselves but they have a strength that is greater than yours, what would they do? "
The artisans had their faces deformed with sadness, many of them had seen first hand the fight that the emperor had with that shaman and the damage he did to the city, the emperor is a god but what about them who are mere mortals, In case someone with those characteristics attacks them they can only see how their family is killed without being able to do anything.
Flavio looked at the faces of fear of the artisans and before they started to panic about something they do not understand I speak
"There is a way to stop them and that is why we are here, Zeus and Mother Tonantzin have given me the answer, we have to build obelisk-shaped monuments and around it, there is a need to put some animal-shaped statues preferably cat or dog.
These monuments will be in charge of the defense against beings that have divine blessings foreign to our gods while the statues will be protections in case some supernatural being wants to attack them.
And to build many the empire needs your help, of course, it will not be altruistic work if you participate you will receive a farm outside nova Roma so that you can train sculptors who will pay them and feed the state, therefore, they will not put anything at all only the knowledge.
once finished the monoliths and the urgent statues will be delivered the property for their personal use without mentioning that their workshop will be exempt from taxes throughout their lives "
The artisans could not be happier, they know that a farm on the outskirts of the capital is an honor and can be a great inheritance for their descendants, as far as the orders would receive labor which can do the simple tasks while their pupils are in charge of the medians and they will take care of the complicated ones, therefore, there is no kind of problem.
(Currency conversion:
-Cent made of copper
-Denar of silver
-Denar (Made of gold does not have any special name as the other two only denar)
10 cents 1 denar silver
10 denars of silver 1 denar
A family in need to survive a day 1 denar of silver, a legionnaire earns 9 denars of silver a day, the worst paid job in the empire is the sweeper who receives only 3 denars of silver a day.
In episode 43 One day with Hellena in Origin Civitatem, Hellena spent more than 2500 denars (Gold) for the construction of the family statue and 1300 denars in various articles.
A meal in a restaurant like where Hellena ate costs only 7 cents, while beer in any pub in the city costs 3 cents.
For poor families, Flavio promotes food vouchers which can be exchanged for food at any store. Of course, it does not promote the population's laxity and reach out to the government to receive the vouchers. They have to work like everyone else to have the right to them)
"For every animal statue that ends the government will pay them with 1000 denars, for monolith 500 denars have 2 weeks to build an animal statue the minimum size will be 1.5 meters long, 1.2 wide and 1.5 long, the stones of Marble will be brought to you and your time will start once you arrive at your farm.
While the monolith will be built of cement and will be built in the place, the empire will pay its expenses of mobilization and clear travel expenses that not only is to build it will also be covered with marble bricks so that it does not stop being beautiful "
After this the artisans were divided to do their respective tasks the monolith had an effective range of 25 km², therefore every 20 km² would be built a monolith and next to it a building of the Roman Inquisition, being constructions for the national security empire They started working immediately.
The empire began to require more slaves, therefore, Flavio opened a commercial route with the Zapotecs to buy slaves because the gold was not yet a valid currency for the Mesoamerican peoples, bartering with chocolate, coffee, sugar, and salt, with a small sack of sugar 10 slaves were changed.
They also exchanged the gold that they had for copper utensils such as china pots and china because the empire does not accept gold other than denars, the merchants have to exchange gold in the imperial banks for denars, the exchange rate is 1kg of gold for 10 denars, which is a fair exchange for traders
This gave rise to an exchange of knowledge that would occupy the empire for the subsequent annexation of the peoples of central Mexico, It also helps to increase the population that the empire requires while more land conquered ...