Alexander (Vol. 3) (Alexander Trilogy) (13 page)

Alexander acknowledged them with a nod and then turned again to his friend to ask, ‘How many?’

‘Very many. At least two thousand it seems, if not more, but the Persians too have suffered heavy losses. There are thousands and thousands of bodies scattered all over the plain and others are being killed as I speak by our cavalry who gave them chase.’

‘And Darius?’

‘He fled together with Bessus, probably towards Susa or Persepolis, I’m not sure. But we have taken Mazaeus.’

Alexander thought to himself for a moment and then asked, ‘Is there news of Artabazos?’

‘I think I saw him among the Persian notables who have been captured. He’s with Mazaeus, if I’m not mistaken.’

‘Take me to him.’

‘But Alexander, the men are waiting to see you, to hear your victory speech . . . they fought like lions.’

‘Take me to him, Hephaestion, and give orders to someone to take care of them,’ he said, pointing to Barsine and Eteocles; at that moment the bearers were laying the son alongside his mother. Then he turned to Phraates, ‘Come with me.’

The Persian leaders – satraps, generals and relatives of the Great King – had all been gathered by Eumenes in a place far from the battlefield and quartered in the great tent of the war council. The Secretary had also given orders that all those in need of medical care should be treated by the army surgeons and physicians, who also had to take care of the hundreds of wounded crying out for help as they lay in the field.

Alexander entered and all the Persians bowed, but some of them went further, moving towards him, bending over to the point where their foreheads almost touched the ground, and then bringing their right hands to their lips to send him a kiss.

‘What’s this?’ Alexander asked Eumenes.

‘It’s Persian protocol – a special kiss reserved only for the emperor himself. In Greek we call it
proskynesis.
It means that these men recognize you as their legitimate sovereign, the Great King, the King of Kings.’

Alexander in the meantime had not let go of Phraates’ hand and he sought one particular face among all those present. Then he said, ‘This boy is called Phraates and he is the son of Memnon of Rhodes and Barsine. The war has taken both parents from him, together with his brother Eteocles.’ As he spoke he saw the eyes of an elderly dignitary at the back of the tent begin to fill with tears and he understood that this was the man he was looking for. ‘My hope is,’ he began again, ‘that among you is his grandfather, the Satrap Artabazos, the last member of his family left alive. My hope is that he will take care of Phraates.’

The old man stepped forward and said in Persian, ‘I am the boy’s grandfather. You may entrust him to me, if you so wish.’

As soon as the interpreter had finished translating, Alexander bent over Phraates who was drying his face with the sleeve of his tunic, ‘Look, your grandfather is here. Go to him.’

The boy looked at Alexander with his eyes still full of tears and murmured, ‘Thank you.’ Then he ran to the old man who fell to his knees and held him tight. A hush fell on all those present and they moved aside, clearing a pathway between Alexander and the far end of the tent so that for a moment all that could be heard were the sobs of the boy and the quiet crying of the elderly satrap. Alexander himself felt much moved and turned to Eumenes and said, ‘Leave them now to their grief, then arrange for Barsine’s funeral according to her father’s wishes and tell him that he will be reinstated as governor of Pamphylia. He will keep all his privileges and properties and he may educate the child as he thinks fit.’

Then another person attracted his attention – a seasoned warrior who was still wearing his armour and still carried signs of the battle on his body and on his face.

‘That is Mazaeus,’ Eumenes whispered in his ear. Alexander whispered something in return and left.

He went back to the centre of the camp and was welcomed by the ovation of the entire army, assembled on six lines and accompanied by all their officers, both infantry and cavalry. Parmenion, even though wounded, gave the command for them to present arms and the
hetairoi
lifted their spears while the
pezhetairoi
presented their enormous
sarissae,
which all clanged together. His companions were there too, standing proudly to salute, and Craterus and Perdiccas displayed the wounds they had received on the battlefield.

The King rode Bucephalas over to a small rise and from this natural podium he turned to his army to thank them and to salute them: ‘Men!’ he shouted, and immediately a deep silence fell, broken only by the crackling of the last fires on the field. ‘Men! Evening approaches and, as I promised, we are victorious!’

A great cheer exploded from one end of the camp to the other and a powerful rhythmic chant began, becoming progressively stronger and clearer in the midst of the din made by the clanging arms, reaching up to the sky:
‘Alexandre
!
Alexandre
!
Alexandre
!
’

‘I wish to thank our Thessalian friends and the other Macedonian horsemen who came to us from across the sea today, just in time to take part in the battle and turn it about. I was anxiously waiting for you, men!’ The Thessalians and the Macedonians from the new squadrons replied with a cheer. ‘And I also wish to thank our Greek allies who held firm out on the right – I know it wasn’t easy!’ The Greeks began beating their swords against their shields. ‘Now,’ he began again, ‘all Asia is ours, with all its treasures and its wonders; there is no feat that is beyond us, there is no wonder we cannot work, there are no frontiers we cannot cross. I will lead you to the ends of the earth. Are you ready to follow me, men?’

‘We are ready, King!’ shouted the infantrymen and the horsemen, frenetically raising and lowering their spears.

‘Then listen to me! Now we will enter Babylon and you will see the largest and most beautiful city in the world and you will enjoy your rest after so much effort. Then we will set off on our march again and we will not stop until we reach the banks of the world’s final river, the River Oceanus.’

A slight breeze started blowing, gaining strength so that it lifted a light dust and made the crests on the warriors’ helmets waver, a wind that seemed to come from far away, carrying weak, almost forgotten voices with it. The King felt the homesickness that was beginning to affect his men now as darkness approached; he felt just how taken aback they were by his words and he said, ‘I understand you, I know that you have left your brides and your children and you want to see them, but the Great King is not yet fully defeated – he has simply retreated to the furthest corners of his empire and he thinks that perhaps we will not succeed in following him that far. But he is wrong! If there is anyone who wants to turn back, I have no criticism of him, but if you prefer to continue then I will be proud to lead men like you. From tomorrow onwards Eumenes will distribute three thousand silver drachmae to each of you and much more money when we conquer the other capitals which contain great treasures. We will stay in Babylon for thirty days and thus you will have time to think it over. Then Eumenes will read the roll call so that we know who is going back home and who wants to follow me in this new enterprise. Now dismiss, men, and prepare yourselves, for tomorrow we set off on our march once more.’

The army exploded into a long, frenetic cheer, while Alexander spurred on Bucephalas with his heels as he rode once more through the ranks at a gallop. He signalled to his companions and they rode off with him towards the Persian camp, which was being kept under strict surveillance by the men of the Vanguard and a division of Agrianian assault troops.

It seemed impossible, but the royal pavilion was even more luxurious and sumptuous than the one he had seen at Issus, although there were fewer servants. They did find over two hundred talents in gold and silver coin that were to have been used to pay the wages of the mercenaries and the newly enlisted troops, and Eumenes immediately started preparing the inventory.

The King invited his friends to sit down with him and then ordered the servants to provide food, and he ate as well.

Leonnatus came out with a sort of loud groan and said, ‘Lads, I really can’t believe it, but I thought we’d had it today. There was that moment when they’d broken through on Parmenion’s side, while Bessus was taking the Greeks out on the right, and we were right in the middle like a bunch of idiots.’

‘So that’s what the surprise was that you had in store,’ said Seleucus. ‘The reinforcements from Macedonia and Thessaly – but how did you know that they were going to arrive in time? Just one hour later and—’

‘We’d all be out with stakes up us like skewers and the crows shitting on our heads, just waiting to tuck into our eyes and our balls. That’s exactly what they always start with . . . did you know that?’ asked Leonnatus.

‘Enough!’ Alexander interrupted him. ‘I have no wish to joke tonight.’ Then, turning to Seleucus, ‘General Antipater had prepared everything carefully and from Tyre onwards I was receiving news on the reinforcements’ daily movements. I was sure they would make it. In any case we will soon know more – we are expecting visitors.’

‘Nothing is ever sure, my young and resplendent God,’ came a voice from the entrance to the tent. ‘Just a little more rain up in the mountains last night and your Thessalians and Macedonians would have been stuck on the other side of the Tigris, waiting for the flow to recede or for Darius to cut you to pieces.’

‘Come in, Eumolpus,’ Alexander called out as he recognized the informer’s voice. ‘Perhaps I should have placed my trust in Mazaeus’s promise? His was the most dangerous operation of them all and he very nearly managed to take us from behind.’

‘Why don’t you ask him?’ said Eumolpus as he entered, accompanying the man Alexander had seen in the prisoners’ tent. ‘He is here. Just as you ordered.’

The satrap entered, walked directly towards Alexander and bowed so low that his forehead was directly above the ground, then he lifted his hands to his lips and sent a kiss.

‘I see that you pay homage to me as your king,’ said Alexander, ‘but if I had believed in your word then the dogs and the birds would be picking my bones right now.’

The satrap stood up and said in perfect Greek, ‘May I respond, Sire?’

‘Of course. In fact, the pair of you ought to sit down because there are a number of things I’d like you to explain.’

T
HE DISCUSSION WENT
on deep into the night and in the end Mazaeus confessed that he had wanted to honour the promise made to King Darius to bring his family back and that was why he had launched such a fierce attack on the Macedonian left wing. He pointed out, however, that he could have effected a much more damaging attack from the Macedonian camp, wiping out the supplies and even have wiped the phalanx units that were marching toward the Persian centre and thus had their backs exposed to him.

‘And why didn’t you?’ Alexander asked.

‘Because he couldn’t,’ Parmenion interrupted. ‘We were still fighting and they couldn’t get away without wiping us out first.’

‘This is possible, but it would lead us into an endless discussion. So answer my question, Mazaeus.’

‘I am a Babylonian, Great King, and the Babylonians are famed throughout the world for being able to read the messages written in the sky and in the movements of the constellations. Our magi have seen your star shining brighter than all the others in a dark sky, completely outshining Darius’s star. I could not go against the signs written up there, the signs confirmed by Marduk, our highest god, through his oracle in the temple of Esagila in Babylon.’

‘I am not certain I fully understand your reasoning, Mazaeus,’ replied Alexander, ‘but I can tell you that as far as I know, and judging by what I saw, you fought valiantly in favour of your king and his family. This is why I intend to reward you, not for any pronouncement of obscure seers that may have stopped the charge of your horsemen at the last moment.

‘Therefore you will be reconfirmed as satrap of Babylonia and you will have the support of the Macedonian garrison I will leave here to make sure your authority is respected.’

This was a skilful move in reconfirming a good local administrator under the direct surveillance of a Macedonian military authority, while at the same time showing himself to be magnanimous. Eumenes showed his approval with a nod of his head.

Mazaeus bent over in an even lower bow, ‘Does this mean that I am free to return to Babylon?’

‘To your palace, as satrap – right now, if you wish, with your personal escort.’

Mazaeus stood up and, lowering his eyes, said, ‘There will be nothing from now on that can ever lead me to forsake the loyalty I swear here before you, before the gods and on my honour.’

‘I thank you, Mazaeus, and now let us rest: this has been the hardest day and tomorrow we must see to the funerals of our fallen comrades.’

Everyone stood up, mounted their horses and rode off towards the camp. Alexander, however, took Bucephalas by the bridle and started walking off on foot. Eumolpus of Soloi appeared behind him and asked, ‘Do you mind if I walk some way with you?’

‘Not at all. After a day like this, the best thing to do is to walk a while in the peace of the evening.’

‘I have heard about Barsine and her boy – I am truly sorry. I told you he was in Darius’s camp because I feared he might carry out some mad act.’