Eretria adopted the demokratia system similar to the nearby city-state of Athens, they held yearly elections. Only the freemen were allowed to cast their vote though. Each of them will pick up one piece of stone and cast it into a vase with the representative name carved on it. It was during the campaigning season that Heracle focused on raising his popularity.

“We will carve your name on a vase!” said Arete.

“What? I’m a woman! There’s no woman in history who has contested in any election!”

“The strategy is to use populism against populism! No freemen could resist a beautiful hetaira! If Peisistratos can use the name of Athena to take over Athens. You can use Aphrodite to do the same!” Arete stared at Pryne. Knowing how the Eretrian behave, Pryne could be the best contestant to go against the handsome demigod.

“I’m not an orator! I only know some herbs, some medicines, some farming, some foraging, probably entertain some men… physically.”

“That’s not important! The weakness of the system is that it only works when all people participate in voting and all are well informed. That’s the reason why Syracuse remained an oligarchy. It is to your advantage, when only the freemen are allowed to vote. And those men... how long you’ve escaped from Eretria? They must have missed you so much, those gullible horny men.”

“Well, I don’t think this is right…”

“Aren’t you the one who told me that the end justifies the means? If the city can do better without Heracle, why hesitate?”

“Gah! It’s easier to just kill him! Am I right Mate?” Agave was bored hearing the conversation between Arete and Pryne. Matea simply agreed with a nod.

Heracle and his assistants marched toward the city square full of people, it was the day of the election. The man place a beautifully ornate vase with his name inscribed at the center of the plaza. Next to it, there were two smaller and simpler vases with other names on them. Both of his contestants were not as influential as Heracle. With a proud smile, he waved to the ladies who kept screaming on his arrival.

The crowd made way for the entrance of the entourage that carried a lady with straight blonde hair. Arete was sitting on the sedan chair carried by the temple guards, wearing a golden mask covering her upper face. She tied some towels inside her dress to make herself look fuller. While Pryne was hiding behind a secret compartment on the sedan chair. Matea and Agave were both dressed up as cup bearers, carrying a large vase with Pryne’s name carved on it. They placed the vase next to Heracle’s. Their large vase overshadowed Heracle's, it was a challenge, a larger vase meant confidence that she could gain more votes than him.

Heracle was surprised, but he suppressed his own emotion, he knew an irked face would make him look unattractive. A tent was raised to cover the vases to prevent others from knowing the decision of the voters, as they started to queue up in front of it.

“What a joke! Lady Pryne! The hetaira, a woman! Competing against the demigod Heracle, for the Archontes position of Eretria.” His assistant shouted, trying to insult the lady who challenged his master. But that was what Arete had been waiting for, a spark that could start the fiery debate.

“Demigod? Years he had been telling us he dug a trench that flourished the land and brought up the harvest. Until now, we see no trench! Yet he spent the earnings from my temple and emptied the granaries. How shameful of him to spend gold of hetairas for his own benefit!”

“How dare you accuse me! Where is your evidence?” provoked by Arete, Heracle shouted in anger.

“The evidence is everywhere! Ask yourself why the men have to visit my temple! Aren’t their wives not pleasing them on their bed? No! The women of the city are all charmed by this fake demigod and neglected their duty!” she spoke loudly, bringing up the topic which might have caught the men’s attention. It was a stunt, intentionally betting on the unhappy men who visited the hetairas.

“Woman had no place in the position of Archontes. There has never been and never will be! Do you think people are stupid enough to let a harlot to lead?”

“With the blessing of the Goddess Aphrodite! Eretria is flourishing with the economy supported by the temple! How dare you challenge my position when I brought in all the golds and talents and you never did anything other than spending?”

“You had abandoned the people of Eretria for years, went missing and now you came back. Expecting the people to trust you once more?”

“Who is the one who expelled all his opponents without trial? Even the commoners who did nothing wrong were removed from the city!”

The exchange continued, mostly personal verbal attacks and accusations. “Oh Dionysus, I wish to kill both of them! How long do we need to endure this?” Agave let out a big sigh, while Matea nodded multiple times to show her consensus.

“Only about five thousand freemen are voting. Normally by afternoon we will know the results” Pryne replied while they were hiding behind Arete’s sedan.

After the last man casted his vote, the guard uncovered the tent and tilted the vase to pour out the stones, Heracle’s to the left, Pryne’s to the right, and the stones dropped to the ground. Without counting, Pryne’s vase gathered significantly more stones than Heracle.

Seeing the unfavorable result, Heracle was furious. The crowd was stunned, they never expected to have a woman to be their Archontes, over and above that, a hetaira. Heracle raised his hand, sending the crowd into silence, we marched towards Arete.

“The strange disease in our beloved city Eretria, is all started in the temple of Aphrodite! Brought in by the sea captains from the east. They stayed and paid for the services in the temple! The hetairas caught the disease, and spread it to the Eretrian men!” Heracle argued.

“How could I allow a harlot to destroy our beloved city? The men may casted their votes, seduced by the beautiful hetaira. But as Socrates had warned, Demokratias can only be effective when all are allowed to take part in the election! This election is rigged!” He added.

“The election is rigged!” his supporter shouted.

And the women all shouted, seeing the amount of women supporters, a light smirk beamed on the edge of his lips. “Women should be allowed to vote!” he shouted.

“He is with us! The hero, the demigod Heracle, is fighting for us!” The women screamed louder and louder. Sensing danger, Arete ordered her guards to prepare for the retreat.

“We must take down the temple and end the prostitution! Women shall be respected and shall not be the object of trade!” Heracle continued to provoke the crowd.

"Retreat! Back to the temple!" Pryne shouted. That was her only fortress, they ran into the grand temple while the guards trying to stop the raging crowd, but they pushed further, storming into the temple, damaging the statues and the structure.

Arete was out of words, while Agave and Matea were both in a position to defend themselves from the angry crowd. Pryne was still hiding inside the sedan.

“We’re in trouble!”

To be continued…