CHAPTER 67

 

Hephaistion arrived at the King’s tent and found inside the entire war council, from Parmelio to Meleager. Philotas wasn’t there, he was still some miles ahead with the rest of the hetairoi cavalry, for everyone in the hetairoi cavalry utterly disillusionment. The atmosphere was very tense, and one look at Alexander’s face told him something really bad had happened. He ran to take his place at the King side and sat down, now the meeting could begin.

 

- Darius is in our rear –said the King without preambles, and judging by the vein on his forehead he was also very angry—He is at the Pinarus River, not far from Issus.

 

His officers saw him with eyes wide open.

 

- He cut our communication lines? –asked Krateros, not believing what was happening to them—How could this happen? 

 

- I don’t know, but that is not all –said Alexander and all the present saw him in complete silence—Darius found our sick and wounded at Issus, and he ordered to cut off the men’s hands and seared with pitch.

 

The expressions of horror didn’t wait to appear.

 

- But, there were only sick and wounded, there was no need to do that, why…? –said Leonnatos, he truly didn’t understand why would a King do such a despicable act.

 

Now Hephaistion understood why Alexander was so angry, he too was angry, 20 of his men were there, but he was also intrigued, why had Darius done that? But the answer came to him as quickly as the question had formed in his head: he was angry.

 

This is my fault –thought the General—Darius must be furious after I tricked him, and this is his own way of taking revenge.

 

- We can’t go south –said Kleitos, leaning his height back, balancing the chair on its rear legs —Or we could find ourselves surrounded by the hostile cities of Phoenicia. 

 

- How about retreating through the Syrian Gates? –asked Nikanor, his blue eyes on the giant map hanging behind the King. 

 

- Darius already took that route –answered Alexander, he was also looking at the map, trying to find a way out.

 

- The son of a bad mother trapped us! –exclaimed Perdikkas.

 

- Then, there is only one thing we can do –said the King.

 

- Fight –Hephaistion read his mind making him smile.

 

- That’s right, we fight –repeated Alexander—We’ll move to Issus and face Darius, and we have to move fast, I want to arrive the day after tomorrow to rejoin Philotas’ and Ptolemy’s troops.

 

- But that is going to exhaust the men –said Meleager in shock—We are talking about covering 70 miles in 2 days, you can’t expect them to march that distance with this weather, and after all of that, you want them to fight against the Persians? That’s insane!

 

- I know perfectly well what I’m asking from the men…from all of you to do, I know is raining daily but we have to do this –said Alexander and his orders were final, even if they still had their doubts, every man inside the tent followed his orders.

 

Things were done as Alexander wanted, and the army arrived at Issus in 2 days. They camped at the Jonah pass and the King ordered that every man should receive a good meal. He waited until nightfall and went to look for Hephaistion.

 

- Where are we going? –asked his General, following him to a hill, outside the camp with a torch in his hand—Alex, this is dangerous, you shouldn’t be here alone.

 

- That is why I’m bringing with me the General of the Agema –he answered smiling.

 

- Very funny.

 

- Come, I want to show you something –said the King and Hephaistion followed him. 

 

The walked in silence until they reach the top of the hill, they could see the lights of Darius’ camp ahead, it wasn’t as big as Hephaistion remembered it because now the Great King had sent a great part of his baggage to Damascus. 

 

- He is still a few miles from here –said Alexander—I’m planning to take him by surprise tomorrow.

 

- Do you really think he doesn’t know we are already here? –it was a beautiful view, the moon was a smile on the dark sky and the thousands of lights on the earth appeared to be challenging the stars above. 

 

- I think he knows; but, for what you said to me about him, I’m sure he is not going to expect me to attack so soon –the King, as always, was confident.

 

- What are you planning to do about the terrain? –asked Hephaistion—From what I saw today, Darius is camping at the other side of the river, the sea is at our left and we have the mountains at the right.

 

- So?  

 

- So, you are planning to fight with the river at the middle of both armies? –his beloved was confused.

 

- Yes, Phai, that’s the idea.

 

- Alex, the men are exhausted –said his General, now he was worried—And you are planning to force them to fight tomorrow against a more numerous army, and to make them cross the river. How are you going to accomplish that? 

 

The King smiled mysteriously.

 

- Oh, I’ll hate to spoil the surprise for you –he said—You’ll see tomorrow…and don’t look at me like that, I know perfectly well what I’m doing.  

 

- Fine...but…I’m worried –his beloved admitted— I’m sure you know that we have to win, we could have defeated the Persian army at the Granicus River, but ... those victories are nothing to the Persians. You should see them Alex, their empire is so big and so rich that all our victories on the coast are nothing to them.

 

- Do you think that is the reason of why Darius didn’t come for me before? –Alexander wanted to know, but Hephaistion shook his head.

 

- Yes and no –he answered—I think he was sure that the local army would be enough to fight us, and there is also their history.

 

- What about that? –asked the King with interest.

 

- Persians, Alex, are people of customs and traditions –explained the General—Since the time of Xerxes, more than 100 years ago, no imperial army had set foot on Asia minor. Darius is just behaving like his predecessors.

 

They feel silent for a moment.

 

- Phai, if you had stayed with Darius as his Commander, would you have fought against me? –asked Alexander with interest.

 

- I asked myself the same question –Hephaistion admitted.

 

- And?

 

- No, I wouldn’t –his beloved assured him.

 

- I want to play something –said the King suddenly taking him by surprise. He sat on the ground and picked up stones.

 

- What are you doing? –asked Hephaistion, kneeling in front of him.

 

- We are going to pretend –said Alexander giving him some of the stones—That you are the Commander of the Persian army, and you are going to fight against me.

 

His General laughed and sat down, nailing the torch on the ground.

 

- All right –Alexander took a small branch and marked on the ground the silhouette of the river, the sea and the mountains—But I need more stones, my army is bigger.

 

- Fine, take more stones.

 

- Do you want me to try to think like Darius or to do what I think? –asked Hephaistion arranging the stones. 

 

- I want you to do what you think is right –answered the King.

 

- Fine…Alex?

 

- Mm?

 

- I want to ask you a favor –said his beloved, finally finding an opportunity to talk to him.

 

- Anything you want my love…but I’m not sending Krateros home –Alexander arranged his stones and saw with curiosity what was Hephaistion doing with his own. 

 

- I want to have Lysanias as my page –the King lifted his eyes to see him.

 

- Well, I understand why you don’t want him near me, but…why as your page? –Alexander asked with curiosity.

 

- Because, as I told you, I don’t know my brother –answered Hephaistion—And this is a way of knowing him, besides I want him to be responsible for his actions, this way he will have to be with me and that is going to make him feel uncomfortable.

 

- Interesting, but if you want to punish him, why don’t you left him with me? –his beloved sighed.

 

- Eni asked me to ask you to reassign Lysanias…he doesn’t want to be your page anymore –the King nodded. 

 

- All right, he is your page now.

 

- Thank you…

 

I should tell him about my father, about the murder of King Philip but –the General said to himself—Not now…I’ll do it after the battle.

 

- Who will start? –asked Hephaistion watching the stones.

 

- I am, you lost your change when you asked, you should have attacked me –said the King moving his stones. Hephaistion moved his own but Alexander noticed he left many behind, on his rear. He smiled—How fascinating, you are not using your entire forces, you know is much easier to maneuver a small army and you are going to wait until my men are tired and then bring your reinforcements to finish me.

 

- Are you going to keep talking or are you going to move your army? –asked his General amused.

 

- You divided your cavalry to cover your wings –the King observed. 

 

- Yes, you have fewer men, doing this you have to…

 

- Split my forces too.

 

- Why am I playing with you if you already know everything?

 

But Alexander didn’t answer, and kept moving his stones.

 

- Phai, you have been…strange since you heard the news about what happened with our sick and injured –said the King—What’s that stone at the center of your formation?

 

- The Great King…Alex, Darius made a terrible thing cutting their hands, and 20 of my men were among the victims, I’m shocked that’s all –said Hephaistion, still indignant about that.

 

- Do you truly think I’ll believe that? –Alexander lifted his eyes—What happened at Darius’ camp?

 

- I already told you all…

 

- No, you haven’t told me ALL –the King interrupted him—You never told me why you were dressed like a Persian Prince when I found you.

 

- Because is not important and you have more important things to worry about right now –Hephaistion moved his stones again—You are cheating, your men at the river should be dead by now.

 

- I’ll judge how unimportant is this –said Alexander, taking off some stones.

 

Hephaistion sighed.

 

- I can’t stop thinking that what Darius did to the injured men at the town of Issus is my fault –he said, his eyes on the stones.

 

- Why would you think that? –Alexander truly didn’t understand—He did that because he is a coward and a man of no honor, what does that have to do with you?

 

His General kept silent for a moment.

 

- I think he is angry because I tricked him…Darius, the night you found me at the Persian camp, he had invited me to have dinner with him –those simple words awaken the King’s interest at once.

 

- Why?

 

- He wanted to talk to me. 

 

- And to talk to you did he need you dressed like a Prince? –those words made Hephaistion smiled, imagining what Xsayarsa would have said about that.

 

- He questioned me about you and…he asked me to be his lover –Alexander’s jealousy burned inside him in that moment.

 

- What?! What happened? Did he touch you? –asked the King, speaking really quickly. His game forgotten.

 

- Honestly, you are about to fight a much bigger army than yours, risking everything and you are more concern about what Darius and I did? –Hephaistion couldn’t believe it.

 

- You are not answering my question –Alexander pointed out, extremely serious.

 

- No, he didn’t touch me…he gave me an incredible dagger with jewels…

 

- And you accepted it? You never like when I gave you expensive gifts –the General ran a hand through his face.

 

- I was trying to gain his trust –Hephaistion explained—I didn’t want to insult him. I never gave him an answer and I think he is angry because he wanted me to be his lover and at the end he found out I was nothing more than a spy.

 

- That is not your fault –said the King enunciating— Every man is responsible for his own actions, if Darius decided to cut the hands of all my men at Issus that is his problem not yours….You still have the dagger?

 

- Of course I have it, it’s a dagger with a gold hilt with jewels –said the General, feeling slightly better after confessing that.

 

- Did he kiss you? –the King was one step of being really angry.

 

Hephaistion sighed.

 

- You know what, if you are going to be like this just because of a dagger, I will get rid of it –said Hephaistion, and when he saw that Alexander was going to speak again, he continued—And NO, he didn’t kiss me, I didn’t wanted to kiss him and I don’t like him.

 

And then, they started to laugh like a pair of fool, unable to stop, even when their tummies hurt and the air wasn’t getting to their lungs, they laughed even more. When finally they could stop laughing, they needed a moment to catch their breath and then, Alexander returned his attention to the stones, still arranged in battle formation.

 

- I’m very lucky to have you at my side –said the King, studying their “battlefield”.

 

- I know…but why do you say that?

 

- You are good –said Alexander looking at the stones, making him blush.

 

- Alex, anybody can play with stones, but…it’s very different to see thousands of men and horses among the confusion of the battle and the clouds of dust –said Hephaistion—Only you can always know what’s going on in a battlefield.

 

But the King said nothing, he kept staring at the stones thinking in next day’s battle.

 

There is only one way to win this –he thought.

 

As Meleager said, the men were exhausted, sodden and resentful. It was now in Alexander’s hands to lift their spirits, to bring out the warriors inside those tired body, the professional killers beneath those weary faces, the fearless soldiers hidden in their sad beings. As so he did, next day he mounted Boukephalos to be seen by all his troops, arrange in battle formation ready to start that days march.

 

The King took a moment to survey the thousands of faces in front of him, it was almost as if he could feel his fears and concerns, and then, he knew exactly what he had to say to them.

 

- “Remember that already danger had often threatened you and you have looked it triumphantly in the face”–said Alexander with strong and clear voice, making pauses every now and them to wait that his words were pass to the men at the rear, so that everybody heard what he was saying—“This time, the struggle will be between a victorious army and an enemy already once vanquished. The Gods themselves, moreover, by suggesting to Darius to leave the open ground [back in Assyria] and cram his great army into a confined space, have taken charge of operations in our behalf […] Our enemies are Medes and Persians, men who for centuries have lived soft and luxurious lives; we of Macedonia have been trained in the hard school of danger and war. Above all, we are free men and they are slaves!”

 

Alexander made a pause; he had their complete attention. Good.

 

- “And what about of the 2 men in command? You have Alexander, they… Darius!” –his men cheered—The rewards of this victory are going to be great, because this time the Great King is here in person with his army, and once the battle is over, nothing would remain but to crown our many labors with the sovereignty of Asia. Have you already forget what we have so brilliantly accomplish together? Charmides! –said Alexander calling out one of his soldiers—Have you forgotten how you were the first man to enter Miletus? –the men near Charmides cheered and whistled— Eirenaios! Where are you?

 

- I’m here, sire! –shouted the giant man named Eirenaios.

 

- And what about you? Weren’t you the one who received 120 arrows on your shield at the Granicus? –asked Alexander—And you are still here! –again the men near Eirenaios cheered and shouted—And I ! –the King shouted—Haven’t I fought always at your side? Haven’t I risk my life the same as you? –the men answered with one voice, hitting their swords against their shields—Remember Xenophon and his Ten Thousand, a force not compared to yours either in strength or reputation, a force without the support of cavalry such as you have, from Boeotia, the Peloponnese, Macedonia and Thrace. A force with only a small group of archers and slingers, and yet, this force, not compared to yours, defeated the King of Persia and his army at the gates of Babylon, and not only that, they successfully repelled all the native troops who tried to bar their way as they marched down to the Black sea. If they were capable of such feats, you are capable of conquering the whole world! (1)

 

And with that he raised his troops moral, the cheers were deafening, and even Berenike, who were among the Cretan archers, dressed like a man like Alexander had asked, had to admit that this speech had been the best speech she had ever heard, even she felt ready to kill now. She took off her tears with the back of her hand, only Baerius, the man in charge of the Cretan archers, and Alexander knew about her new assignment in the army, not even Leonnatos knew about that, and for the rest of the men, Berenike was just another archer named Amyntor, a little young, but nothing more.  

 

She felt nervous and very excited, this was her first battle, a major battle, and she knew that, if she didn’t do things right, the King was going to fire her. Berenike took a deep breath; she would give her best.

 

XXX

 

- Since when have you been here? –asked Hephaistion with a big smile to Achilles, who was with Kyros a few paces from where the hetairoi cavalry and the Ile Basilike were.

 

The General looked impressive in his polished armor, the helmet under his arm and his black cloak hanging from his shoulders.

 

- Kyros brought me to wish you good luck –said the boy smiling.

 

Hephaistion kneeled in front of him.

 

- You will have to wait in the camp until we came back, all right? –he said—Obey everything that Kyros and aunt Eni says.

 

- Yes, daddy.

 

- Give me a hug –asked the General and Achilles put his arms behind his father’s neck—I love you, Aki.

 

- I love you too, daddy.

 

- Wait me up, so we can celebrate after the battle –said Hephaistion and his son smiled. In his young mind Achilles didn’t understand the full implications of what was happening, but he was very excited, just like the rest of the army after that magnificent speech. It was contagious.  

 

- Be careful –said Kyros—You still own me a birthday present –he reminded the General, making him laugh.

 

- I haven’t forgotten. 

 

The Macedonian army headed to the Pinarus River, the Persians weren’t ready and Alexander made his men march at a leisurely pace, they had time and while they were approaching to the river his uneven eyes surveyed the ground; it was just as Hephaistion had said the night before, at their right were the mountains and at their left the sea.

 

Darius sent a small group of scouts to delay the Macedonians just enough for him to arrange his own men, and Alexander sent the Thessalian cavalry to deal with them.

 

While they approach, the Persians took their battle formations, the infantry at the front and the cavalry behind, but, when they were a few paces, the Persians started to change their formation and the entire cavalry, about 10 thousand men, according to what Hephaistion had told him, were move to the Macedonian left, at the side of the sea. It took the King a heart beat to know that Darius was aiming to encircle his left wing with his massive cavalry force, after all Alexander only had 5 thousand cavalry with him. And that taking into consideration that he already had with him, Philotas’ and Ptolemy’s men.  

 

Alexander saw the dust clouds that the Persian horses left behind them while they hurried to take their new positions; and then, he took his eyes to the Persian left wing, arches were running to take their positions in front of the infantry troops. A defensive position. 

 

- Hephaistion! –he raised his voice and his beloved rode to where he was.

 

- Yes, Alexander.

 

- Do you know what troops are at the Persian left wing? –the King asked and Hephaistion narrowed his eyes to see.

 

- Judging by the standards I’ll say they are Cardaces, Persian infantry –the General answered.

 

- You told me he has 20 thousand Cardaces –Hephaistion nodded. 

 

- Yes, Darius must have divided them, 10 thousand of them at each side of him.

 

- At the Cardaces left side, who are they?

 

- Greek mercenaries, at the center is Darius, I can tell because of the Immortals, then more Greek mercenaries, and as I was saying, more Cardaces –Hephaistion kept explaining.

 

Alexander had already a plan in his mind; but to accomplish what he was thinking he needed to know something.

 

- You told me the Immortals are the best troops he has –said the King—How difficult do you think is going to be to defeat them?

 

- I think is going to be like fighting the Sacred Band again –said his beloved with all sincerity—They are going to fight to the last man.

 

Alexander nodded; he was expecting this.

 

- Hephaistion.

 

- Yes?

 

- I think your plan with the stones yesterday, was better than the one Darius has now –that made his beloved smile.

 

If Alexander wanted to win a complete victory, he had to go after Darius, capture him and the Persian Empire would be his by the end of the day. He had to do it, aim at the center to where the Great King was.

 

Dance with your sword

Now it's time for the harvest

It's autumn of the aeons

End is near, it's nothing to fear

It's A beginning of the world

Time is spiral, eternal

(Therion, Kali Yuga Part III)

 

The King started to issue orders and his men took their battle formations with scrupulous efficiency. Again he divided his army, the left would be under Parmelio’s command, the right under his personal command. The bulk of his cavalry: 3,200 men were at his left wing, in front of the massive Persian cavalry of 10 thousand; at their right side were the Thracian javelin men and the Cretan archers, where Berenike was. At the center was the phalanx, divided in 6 taxeis of 1,500 men each; the hypaspist under Nikanor’s command were at the King’s left side with the Agema of the hypaspist. Alexander, with the hetairoi cavalry and the Ile Basilike were facing the Cardaces on the right wing, and at their right were the Macedonian archers and the Agrianians.  

 

- Parmelio –said the King to the veteran General—Under no circumstances lose your position at the side of the sea. Darius will try to encircle us with his massive cavalry force, so stay always with the sea covering your left side.

 

- Yes, Alexander –Parmelio nodded, looking at the enemy at the other side of the river.

 

- Amyntas, Ptolemy, Meleager, Krateros, Perdikkas and Koinos; you are in charge of the taxeis and you have the hardest part here, you will have to cross the river without losing the battle formation –said Alexander and when he saw their concerned faces, he continued—I know the terrain is not ideal for a phalanx formation, and I know that gaps would open through the lines because of this, but I trust you will handle this. 

 

- Yes, Alexander –answered Krateros for the rest. 

 

- The Greek mercenaries will wait as a reserve in our rear, is that clear Lykaon? –asked the King to Thais’ father, who now worked for him as the commander of his mercenaries.

 

- Yes sir, perfectly –answered Lykaon. It was so strange to fight now on this side, after all Lykaon had fought at the Granicus, but knowing of what was capable this boy King, he was happy of having switch sides. Without Memnon, the Persian army wasn’t the same.

 

- Nikanor, you have Darius’ mercenaries in front of you, it would be tough but you will have the support of the Agema –said the King—Dismas, you will be in charge of the Agema in this battle.

 

Hephaistion frowned.

 

- And what about me? –he asked.

 

- I need you at my side with the rest of the hetairoi cavalry –said the King, without explaining more, he had a mission for his beloved—I’ll lead the charge of the hetairoi cavalry and the Ile Basilike. Now, everybody have their orders, go!

 

It was insane to command a battle from the front while leading a charge; why? Think about it, you are in charge of an army of almost 40 thousand men; if you are fighting at the front you can’t see what’s going on, you can’t see the entire battlefield and you increases the chances that someone can kill you. And what is an army without its commander? Neither, Hannibal or Caesar commanded a battle from the front; but Alexander was genetically incapable of waiting at the rear, besides he believed he was blessed by the Gods and in his outstanding luck, so he couldn’t die at the middle of a battle as important as this...it wasn’t his time yet.  

 

Hephaistion put his helmet and saw the immense enemy army in front of him; he started thinking in the people he had met at the Persian camp, the mercenaries, Amyntas, Xsayarsa, Bahman; would they be still at the Persian camp or they had gone to Damascus? He truly hoped that Xsayarsa and Bahman had gone, he would hate to see they come to any harm.

 

He checked that his swords were secured at his back and closed his eyes for a moment. This was his first major battle in Asia, he had been injured at the Granicus, and he swore that he would do everything in his power to cover his King in glory.

 

Macedonian left wing

 

- Amyntor, are you all right? –asked Baerius to Berenike, while he was checking his almost 500 hundred archers. 

 

- Yes, sir –she answered feigning her voice.

 

- You understand how this works? –Baerius asked in a low voice—First the archers of the first line shoot, then the second, third an so on, until is again the turn of the first line –Berenike nodded—We can’t stop shooting.

 

- I understand, sir.

 

- Good, you will be at the third line, and don’t forget, never stop shooting.  

 

Baerius continued his inspection and Berenike took a deep breath, her gray eyes on the enemy lines at the other side of the river.

 

Never stop shooting –she remembered herself.

 

XXX

 

(1) Arrian. The Campaigns of Alexander, pages 112 and 113.

A/N: I copy textually the great majority of Alexander’s speech (yes, these were actually his own words, not mine) But, since it was very long and it wasn’t complete, I had to fill the gaps. For example, dear Arrian never says the names of the soldiers that Alexander was praising or for doing what he praised them, so this kind of things were my own invention.

 

Now, about Eirenaios and his 120 arrows. That is an anecdote of one of Caesar’s Centurions :P Centurion Scaevola received 120 arrows on his shield and lost an eye and was wounded on a thigh during the battle of Dyrrhachium…and yes he survived and Caesar rewarded him, blah, blah, blah.