The Liturgy of Iskandar Xanatos
In the ekklesia it was another day of very spirited debates and humorous attempts of oration by very enthusiastic men of Eretria Eskhata.
So many ideas and votes were spread around, as citizens of all strata debated what to do next in the issue of the exiled citizens of Lykai, the colonial issue of the islands now that the spectre of the Liburnian pirates were gone.
For now.
There was a sentiment of quiet pride throughout the city, and none more so given to the worthy men of the psilois, ekdromoi, and the naval rowers that made such battles against the barbaroi truly decisive and bloody, though there were some hiccups here and there by the actions of Irenaeous and the attempt to crucify some scum.
But in this moment Iskandar son of Xanatos, of the Great and Good of Eretria came to the assembly on his finest raiment, with a group of oiled and muscular lifters (and loyal retainers of his noble family) while he walked with dignity and grace, carrying in his hands a pole wrapped in cloth.
When his rock was settled, a thing of beauty carved from the finest sculptors of the city, and made to look like a prow of a ship he climbed on it and began his oration.
"Friends, Eretrians, countrymen. Lend me your ears! I have come not to add more debate, but speak of better things."
With a theatrical sweep of his head towards the ekklesia he raised his chin and continued. "We must thank the gods Poseidon, Nike, and the Divine Couple for another clear and present victory over the Liburnians whose merciless and ravenous pirates have long been a scourge to any civilised Hellene and savage barbaroi alike in their depredations. Praise be to them!"
"And I had too, participated in that glorious war to prove our mettle and keep my promise on what I have talked for hours in this assembly: to kill all, burn all, and destroy all pirates. And by Nike and Poseidon how great was our victory there and how blessed our triremes were to dance amongst the waves, bringing death and destruction to the pentekontors that outnumbered US!"
Iskandar takes a deep breath, his hands tightening on the wrapped pole.
"Liburnia is almost destroyed. And having the islands that were former pirate hideouts in our hands will strangle the pirates to limit themselves should they come back inevitably in a generation or two. And it gladdens my heart that those hideouts of scum and villainy are now right and proper Hellenic colonies."
"But enough of that! I had promised to you a liturgy and one that I shall deliver on. This had been a dream that gripped me since we have started the construction of the Divine Hill and the war against the Tarentines... How time flies so quickly. It took me some time to gather all of the resources and find the appropriate persons that could be sworn to secrecy but it is done. Behold!"
And with a flourish Iskandar pulled away the rope that bind the whole cloth, falling away to reveal his masterpiece to the entire citizenry.
It was a standard of battle with a banner. But it was no ordinary standard that Iskandar made for the city.
An eagle with its wings outstretched greeted the assembly, made of pure gold that Iskandar was able to take from the loot of Taras, standing over a burnished iron stand. And it stood over seven feet tall, its staff made from the finest cedar and gilded with gold with an iron point at the lower end to fix it on the ground.
Perhaps the most striking was banner itself, a cloth dyed so red as to evoke crimson blood to the viewers, contrasted sharply by the golden figures of the Divine Athena and Apollo themselves standing together in equal height and smiling, surrounded by symbols of Nike.
And holding hands.
Iskandar smiled. "This is my liturgy and my expression of piety to the gods, and I call this the Banner of Promised Victory. In this I honour the greatest gods of Eretria. The King of all Gods Zeus stands above all, whose greatest representation is the eagle. Nike has brought us victory, not by brute force but by tactics and strategy, but she could only do this by the blessing of the Divine Couple, whose hands in union have created our fair city that continues to prosper."
The banner flutters in the wind.
"This I gift the banner to our city, kept in reserve in peace, and in times of war let out and held aloft in pride by the best of our soldiers and it inspires us to greatness and keep our army galvanised with the promise of victory."
A/N: @Cetashwayo I made a legionary standard for Eretria! 
