CHAPTER 114

 

September 29

 

After the difficult march to reach this place, after crossing 2 rivers and eating dry meat and hard bread for weeks, the army had camped for 4 days a few miles from the hills that surrounded the place called Gaugamela. If Darius had expected to fight against tired and hungry men, he was wrong, his plan of burning fields to starve the invaders had failed and Alexander’s troops couldn’t be in a better shape. Just as his guides had said, once he crossed the Euphrates he found rich fields and soon could get more supplies.

 

That day, now known as September 29 of the year 331 BC, after a well-deserved rest, Alexander gave the order to form ranks at dawn; they were going to fight the Persians and settle things once and for all.

 

- Can I see the battle from the hills? –asked Achilles jumping, while Kyros helped Hephaistion to bind the different pieces of the breastplate of his armor.

 

- No Aki, that’s dangerous –said Hephaistion—Anything can happen on a battlefield and I want you inside the camp until we come back –the boy made a pout—Understood? 

 

- Yes, daddy –said a very crestfallen Prince.

 

- There –said the Theban finishing and arranging his master’s black cloak—Good luck!

 

- Thanks Kyros, be sure to have the meal ready when I return –the General smiled and the Theban forced himself to smile back. He was terrible nervous and he couldn’t understand how was that Hephaistion looked as if nothing out of the ordinary were about to happen.

 

- Give a hug Aki –asked Hephaistion kneeling in front of his son and the boy did as he was told.

 

Outside, the men were ready in battle formation, recently polished armors shinning under the morning sun, it was an impressive sight, 47, 000 men fully armed with shields, sharp swords, and deadly spears, sarissas, javelins, daggers, each man had taken special care of his equipment, they knew that, if they wanted to live to tell the tale, they must have their equipment in excellent conditions.

 

Hephaistion went to take his place among the men of the Agema, pleased to find them ready and determined, but, among those veteran and familiar faces, he found a very pale Lysanias standing there as if he didn’t belong in that place. This would be his first battle and the only thing the General regretted was that it had to be such a big and important one, he would have loved to prepare him better but there was nothing to do now. 

 

He would have to learn in the hard way –he thought, mounting his warhorse.

 

Soon, drums and trumpets sounded the order to advance and rank after rank moved to the enormous wooden doors to leave the safety of the camp, but, how many were going to come back?

 

They were still a few miles away from the Persians but the hills in front of them, even if they weren’t too tall, didn’t let them see the Great King’s army, waiting on the other side. For several minutes, that appeared to be hours, Hephaistion could only hear the footsteps of thousands of men, the hooves of hundreds of horses, the clink of armors and the metallic sound of weapons at each step. The silence and the wait were making him nervous, but one look at Alexander in front of him helped to calm him down…a little.

 

He had a bad feeling but he couldn’t explain what it was, his heart was beating faster and his hands were sweating, this had never happened to him before, but that feeling, that sensation that something was wrong was becoming stronger. 

 

The General now knew that this place was called Gaugamela, the name he had dreamed, and knew that here they would fight a great battle, but, there was something that didn’t let him, a feeling that something terrible was waiting for them.

 

After a few moments the terrible wait ended and, as they climb the hill, in front of them appeared slowly, as if coming out from the mist, the biggest army they had ever seen. One thing was to be told that 100, 000 were waiting at the other side of the hills, another completely different was to see 100, 000 men in battle formation: thousands of armors shining like stars on the earth, and thousand of thousands of armored horses.

 

Hephaistion opened his eyes in pure astonishment. This wasn’t a disorganized mob, this was perfectly armed army, composed almost entirely of cavalry, something he had never seen before in his life. 

 

- All mighty Ares! –exclaimed Dismas, riding at Hephaistion’s side in front of the Agema. His veteran second in command saw the Persians like forces from the underworld, minions of the God of Death sent for their eternal damnation.

 

The General kept his cold blood and said nothing, but inside, he was as impressed as Dismas. No mattered where he look, all his eyes found were warhorses, and, behind them, covering the plain, a large force of infantry. This wasn’t an army; this was a sheer display of force, a bold statement of the true power of the Persian Empire.

 

The trumpets sounded the order to stop, and the King called all his officers, his personal staff, captains, commanders and Generals to the front. Hephaistion dismounted, handed the reins of his horse to one of his men, and ran to the front, his heart beating fast against his chest. Now he understood why he felt so uneasy, but he didn’t know what was worst, to know what was waiting for them here or to remain in bless ignorance.

 

As soon as he arrived he read on the faces of his companions the same shock and surprised that had filled his own heart at such impressive sight. They all were thinking the same thing, their senses overwhelmed by that army, they hearts oppressed knowing that this place was full of death promises.

 

The King himself looked trouble, and Hephaistion guessed without difficulties that Alexander hadn’t expected this. He knew the army was numerous, but he didn’t expect this outstanding number of horsemen.

 

This is bad –thought the General, the King was always one step before his enemies, and, as he saw Alexander’s eyes fixed on the impenetrable wall in front of them, he knew that, for once in his life, his King didn’t know what to do. 

 

- It looks as if Darius has assembled a cavalry army –said Parmelio, walking at Alexander’s side, his eyes on the proud Persians on the other side, they hundreds of standards dancing at the mercy of the wind, a carpet of colors marking the positions of men from places they didn’t even know exist.

 

- But this is insane! –exclaimed Philotas, he was nervous but tried to hide it sounding angry—There! –he pointed towards the Persians, advancing at his father’s side—Must be like 40 thousand horsemen. Who, by all the spirits of the underworld, assembles an army with 40 thousand horsemen?!

 

Alexander was clearly irritated by Philotas’ words, which only served to make the men more nervous, but he said nothing and acted as if the hipparch of the hetairoi cavalry hadn’t spoke.

 

- We can’t do something about the enemy’s numbers, but, what can we do now? –Alexander was asking for their opinion and that reassured them.

 

- Attack, what else? –said Krateros, crossing his massive arms over his massive chest—Its like you said, we can’t do something about their numbers, and sooner or later we’d have to face them.

 

- Yes, but they chose the ground –Koinos pointed out, his face tensed—Are you willing to fight in a place chosen in advance by the enemy?

 

- There are no rivers here and no mountains like Issus –said Nicanor, illustrating his words with his arms—With a cavalry of that size the Persians can outflank us easily, they would annihilated us in a heart beat.

 

- Then what? What are you suggesting? That we surrender? –asked Kleitos harshly—We wanted to fight the Persians directly, a clean battle, and here they are! –he raised his voice—They outnumber us, they have always outnumbered us in the past and we have always won.

 

- Yes, but this isn’t the Granicus or Issus –Perdikkas intervened—It’s as Nikanor says, the ground is favorable for them, here –he walked to the front and pointed at the plain ground—Is nothing, NOTHING! That can cover us from their charge, nothing we can use in our advantage, it’s as simple as this our force against theirs.

 

- But Kleitos is right –said Meleager, biting his lower lip—We came this far…we have to fight.

 

Several heads nodded their agreement.

- Why have we fight for so long if we are going to surrender now? –asked Polyperchon—I agree, we should fight.

 

- It’s as Kleitos said –Simmias spoke; another one of the taxiarchs who commanded the phalanx—They have always outnumbered us; we can win again. 

 

- They chose the ground –said Hephaistion slowly—They have been waiting for us all this time and they even level the ground.

 

- What are you talking about? –asked Krateros rudely.

 

- Hephaistion is right –said Leonnatos, watching the ground in front of them and several men walked to the front to have a better look.

 

- Holy &%$/ Mother with $%&/ On top! –exclaimed Perdikkas in utterly astonishment—What did they do that for?

 

- For their chariots –said Polyperchon, his eyes narrowed watching the distance—These motherless Persians have chariots, there –he pointed and several heads followed his finger. They like this even less now.

 

- There is other thing –Hephaistion continued, successfully catching their attention—How do we know that they didn’t buried pits with sharpened stakes or caltrops?

 

He had a point and the men fell silent.

 

- Alexander –said Parmelio—I strongly advice you to wait, the ground clearly needs closer reconnaissance. 

 

The King, who until that moment had said nothing else than listen to them and stared at the Persian lines, nodded.

 

- The army is going back to the camp, I’ll stay –he said at last.

 

Hephaistion went back where Dismas was waiting to choose a heavily armed escort for the King, if he wanted to inspect the ground with the whole enemy army in front of him, he would make sure that he were property guarded.

 

XXX

 

Among the perfectly formed Persian lines, Darius saw, from his war chariot, how the Macedonian army withdrew and a small squadron of cavalry and heavily armed infantry troops remained. Even at that distance the Great King could see the purple standard with a star of sixteen rays, which marked the position of the barbarian King.

 

What is he planning? –Darius asked himself.

 

- It looks like the Macedonians are not presenting battle today, your majesty –said Oxyathres, mounted at his side and commanding the Royal Household Cavalry, just as he had done at Issus. 

 

- What do you think they are planning? –asked the Great King and his brother took a moment before answering, watching a black horse with red mane at the distance, closely followed by the escort.

 

- I think…the barbarian King is exploring the ground, Great King –Darius nodded.

 

- It looks like that…

 

It had sense, after all the Great King had chosen the battlefield, maybe this was why the Macedonian army had withdrew, Alexander needed time to understand against what he was fighting.

 

- Do you wish to stop the invader, your majesty? –asked Oxyathres, ready to give the order to attack the small escort and finish in that moment with the man who had caused so much damage and suffering to all of them.

 

His sister Stateira was dead. The Persian Queen had died in captivity in childbirth, whose child? That was everyone’s wonder, the eunuch who had managed to escape hadn’t said much on that matter, but Oxyathres wasn’t going to wait patiently until he received the news that his mother, nieces and nephew had died too. It was already too humiliating to know the royal family was at the mercy of the barbarians and they could end all of that now, they just had to kill Alexander.  

 

- No –Darius’ brother needed a moment to understand what he had just heard—Let the barbarian explore the ground, let him do as he pleases, it doesn’t matter, he simply can’t win.

 

- As you command Great King –Oxyathres bowed his head, thinking that his brother was making a terrible mistake. Why would they give Alexander time to think? They should attack, kill the invader and end that war once and for all. But, he would never ever contradict the Great King.

 

- It’s getting hot here –said Darius—Let’s go back to our camp.

 

XXX

 

Hephaistion saw how the Persian army withdrew, kicking up immense clouds of dust behind them. He saw with all his attention how rank after rank moved back to the safety and comfort of their camp, and then he had a good look of the Persian forces; they had scythed-chariots, thousands of horsemen, archers, spearmen, Greek mercenaries, infantry soldiers and, as if all of that wasn’t enough, the General counted 15 war elephants.

 

Something was clear, Darius wanted not only to defeat them but also to exterminate them. This battle wouldn’t just one more battle, it would the battle that would decide the future of both: Darius and Alexander. Neither could lose, for Darius it would mean losing his Empire, and for Alexander it would be extermination.

 

And men fought more savagely when they are trap –thought Hephaistion, following his King closely in case the enemy was planning something—This is going to be a brutal battle.

 

Alexander spent all morning there, riding across the plain; sometimes he dismounted and walked around with his eyes on the ground, others he just stood at the same place for what it looked like hours.

 

Even if he said nothing Hephaistion knew the King was concerned. He didn’t spoke, just went from one corner of the plain to the other as if he were alone, and the General didn’t make the attempt to talk to him, he didn’t want to interrupt his thought because, for the first time in his life, Alexander was in front of a force he couldn’t defeat, for the first time he didn’t know what to do, and that was eating him.

 

The King had never doubted that he had a great destiny, the oracle at Siwah had assured him that he would conquer Asia, but now…he lifted his uneven eyes, watching the Persian camp at the distance. What was he going to do? He felt as if he were in front of a wall, he knew he had to pass this test, but how?

 

By afternoon Alexander mounted Boukephalos and gave the order to go back to the camp. 

 

XXX

 

Berenike was at Ptolemy’s tent, with her children, Netikerty, Thais and Sophonisba, when they heard the army coming back. Both women had exchanged very surprised looks because they weren’t expecting them until late, sure that the battle would be as long as the one fought at Issus, and they ran out to see what had happened.  

 

They found Leonnatos first and his wife approached him with an endless list of questions, while Thais continued looking for Ptomely.

 

- What happened?…Did we win? –Berenike asked as if the army had went to play a football game against the Persians and, the excitement and tone of her voice made Leonnatos laugh. 

 

- No! There wasn’t even a battle –said her husband, glad to be able to relax after all the tension of that morning.

 

Berenike frowned.

 

- Why not? Did Darius surrender?

 

- No, Eni.

 

- Did we surrender? –she asked outraged.

 

- No! –exclaimed Leonnatos horrified—We just didn’t present battle.

 

- Why not? –now Berenike was confused.

 

- Come, I’ll tell you everything at our tent –Leonnatos took her by the arm, without noticing Kleitos’ eyes on them.

 

XXX

 

When Alexander came back he barely ate, barely spoke, barely paid attention to what was happening around him, and, once again, went back to his thoughts and worries. Hephaistion gave orders to assure the King wouldn’t be interrupted and personally inspected the surroundings of the royal tent. Alexander needed time alone and the only thing he could do now to help, was to see that he were safe and comfortable.

 

At dusk, the General went to the King’s chamber, the pages had informed him that Alexander hadn’t came out from his room and hadn’t seen anyone. That didn’t surprise him and, as soon as he entered his room, he found the King sitting on the floor with his back against the bed and, in front of him, were a series of drawing made with a piece of charcoal. Hephaistion found a jar with wine on a table nearby and poured a cup.

 

If Alexander noticed his presence, he didn’t show it and continued staring at his drawings.

 

- Here –the General gave the cup to the King, taking a seat at his side—How long have you been here staring at that? –he pointed the drawings with his chin.

 

Alexander didn’t answer immediately. He took the cup and drank with his eyes still on the floor.

 

- For enough time to know…

 

- To know what? –Hephaistion insisted, there was something in the King’s voice that alarmed him.

 

Alexander sighed, left the cup aside, closed his eyes and threw his head back. This was the most difficult trial he had ever faced in his life, and it was not easy to say aloud what he had known since he saw that impressive sight across the plain of Gaugamela. The Persian army had appeared in front of him like the terrible hydra with 100, 000 heads, perfectly armed and ready to destroy him. Maybe he had made a mistake, he should have never gave Darius so much time to prepare his defenses, he had made one big mistake and, for someone who wasn’t used to be wrong, this was a terrible blow.

 

He had underestimated his adversary.

 

Just like Darius underestimated me at the beginning of this campaign –he thought—But not anymore, he is doing what I wanted him to do, to take me seriously, to fight me directly but…I awoke an sleeping lion. 

 

- We can’t win –finally! Alexander said it aloud and, even if Hephaistion had known this since his dark gray eyes saw the Persian army that morning, in his heart he had hoped that, if someone could defeat the impossible, that one was his King. He felt a knot in his stomach—I won’t say this again, and I would have never said it aloud but…–he opened his eyes and turned to look at his beloved directly—I can’t lie to you. 

 

- What are we going to do? –asked his General softly, no mattered what Alexander decided, he would follow him to the very end, he would go to the underworld for him, just like Orpheus did for Eurydice.

 

- I don’t know –the King rubbed his eyes—I don’t like to admit it but, for a change, Philotas is right. Darius’ cavalry numbers among 30 and 40 thousand horsemen. My whole army is composed of 47 thousand men; his sole cavalry is of the size of this army –he tapped the floor with his index finger to emphasize each word— You do know what this means, right? He will outflanked us in a blink and attacked us by all flanks –he made a pause—His army is big enough to swallow us and then, he would kill each and every one of us like animals. He knows…—Alexander smiled humorless—Darius knows he can’t defeat my infantry, so he simply chose not to rely on his foot soldiers and instead he gathered a massive cavalry force…clever. Who would have expected that from him?

 

This time Hephaistion didn’t know what to say. Of the 2 of them the genius, the brilliant commander and the undefeated General, was Alexander; he had always shone on the battlefield and, if he said there was nothing they could do to win, what could possible say Hephaistion to help?

 

- Alex… 

 

- Alexander! –Parmelio’s voice could be heard from outside and, when both of them lifted their heads, they found the old General standing at the threshold—Alexander, I need to talk to you.

 

The King and his General stood up.

 

- I’m listening –said Alexander as his usual self. His most vulnerable side was something that only his beloved was allowed to see. 

 

- Alexander, we should launch a night attack –said Parmelio, approaching his King and successfully catching Hephaistion’s attention—The enemy is not expecting us and we can cause alarm and confusing in the Persian camp.

 

It’s a good idea –thought the General. It could be the answer to their problems, and in the dark and confusing they could kill an army much numerous without suffering major casualties, but, somehow, he was sure Alexander wasn’t going to accept this. 

 

- “I will not” –said the King with strong voice—“Demean myself by stealing victory like a thief. Alexander must defeat his enemies openly and honestly”(1)

 

For a moment nobody moved and nobody spoke. Hephaistion thought this was a great bravado coming from someone who, just a couple of minutes ago, had admitted that to defeat the Persians was not possible, but he understood why Alexander had said this. First, the King wanted to achieve great deeds like Achilles, and a night attack had nothing of glorious or spectacular, and second, night operations were always highly risky because, well, there were no light and the men were always nervous in the dark.

 

- However –Alexander added, pacing around—This could be useful. Parmelio –he turned to look at veteran General directly—See that the rumor spreads to the Persian camp that we are planning a night attack, this is going to keep them busy all night.

 

- I’ll see to it –Parmelio saluted and left.

 

The King sat on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his thighs, and Hephaistion sat down behind him. The General embraced him and rested his head against Alexander’s back, his knees bend up on either side of King.

 

- I wish I could be of more help –his beloved whispered.

 

- Don’t be ridiculous, Phai; you are everything I need –Alexander was tired but his voice was full of intensity. They fell silent for a long moment, just enjoying the presence of the other, hearing the distance sounds of the guards on the corridor—Maybe we are all going to die tomorrow –the King said softly— I wonder, how am I going to be remember in the future? Maybe historians would say I was mad, or that I died heroically fighting against and army almost 3 times the size of mine.  

 

- Don’t talk like that –whispered Hephaistion—I have never heard you talking like that before.

 

- That’s because I have never been in a situation like this before –the King admitted. He put his hand over his beloved’s arm, around his waist.

 

Silence. The strangest silence there had ever been between them.

 

- You told me once that, the worst thing a commander could do was to expect the obvious –said Hephaistion—You told me that, battles never “behave” in the obvious way and, that a plan perfectly conceived on paper could be disastrous in practice.

 

- Yes, I said that –Alexander looked at his hands. 

 

- But, you are doing this now –that took the King by surprise.

 

- What do you mean?

 

- You are expecting Darius to outflank us –said the General. 

 

- Phai, that’s because its obvious that he is going to outflank us, what else could he do with an army of that size? –Alexander answered angrily, raising his voice. He was tired, worried and angry. He had spent all day thinking a way out, he felt trapped and that had him in a terrible mood—Darius has 100, 000 men, do you understand that?!

 

The King was talking to him as if Hephaistion were an idiot, but his beloved said nothing, he knew the King was under a lot of stress and all his emotions needed a way out.

 

- I’m just saying that anything can happen –Hephaistion replied softly.

 

- Anything like what? Do you think Darius is going to sit on his war chariot waiting for me to…? –he stopped talking so abruptly that the General lifted his head to see him.

 

- What? –he asked intrigued by the sudden change in his voice.

 

- Oh…dear…Zeus… —said the King slowly as realization struck him like a thunderbolt. He looked again at his chaotic drawings on the floor and started to see just one way out—Maybe there is one way to defeat him.

 

The General felt his heart racing.

 

- How?

 

- But its too risky, very, very risky –said Alexander, talking to himself—And so many things could go wrong…

 

His beloved smiled watching his expression of “deep in concentration” and asked no more. He stayed with him just a couple of minutes and returned to his own tent, to let him think alone; they were going to fight the battle of their lives next day and he needed to rest.

 

XXX

 

(1) Arrian. The Campaigns of Alexander, p 163