Tomb of the Lost (74 page)

When news reached the various Greek states of the advancing Persians Athena and Sparta threw aside their differences and united against the vastly outnumbering Persians and led by their King Leonidas the three hundred Spartans set up a roadblock at Thermopylae in the narrow pass. They held off the Persians for four days before Leonidas was killed and the three hundred overwhelmed.

Following this victory the Persians continued towards Athens and the Athenians abandoned their city and boarded ships for Salamis, an island offshore. The Persians sacked Athens, burned her temples and the greatest insult to Greece, they cut down the sacred olive tree of Athena.

Next the Persians had tried to surround Salamis and as Xerxes sat on his golden throne and watched from a nearby hillside they closed in for the kill.

That night Themistocles, the Greek commander, spread a rumour that the Greek ships would make their escape by sailing the straights between Attica and Salamis. Xerxes was quick to react and the Persian ships moved before dawn, cramming themselves into the narrow channel of sea. When the Greeks saw that the false rumour had worked they sailed their warships to the attack. The Persians were unable to manouevre and the Greeks caused them a catastrophe. The Persian fleet was almost destroyed. Themistocles urging the Greeks to fight for their wives, their families, their very lives. The Persians had been forced to withdraw though they did leave a large army behind. This army was defeated at Plataea the following year. From then on the Persians set the extent of their empire at Western Turkey.

The Greeks rebult Athens, building the incredible Acropolis and the blackened columns of the original Parthenon were set into the walls. The Greeks would never forgive or forget the Persian attack and the Greek tribes vowed revenge on Xerxes empire. It would be a twenty year old Alexander who took revenge.”

“
How far do you think Alexander wanted to go? You know from the beginning.
” Hutchinson asked.

“
I don
’
t know. From what I
’
ve read I would say, to begin with, to conquer Persia. Probably to take Persepolis and the seat of Darius. I don
’
t think he intended to kill the Persian King though.
”

“
Did he kill him?
”

“
No Darius wanted to raise another army after his second defeat. Darius
’
generals wanted to run. Eventually Darius was stabbed and a general by the name of Bessus proclaimed himself King. Alexander
’
s forward party found Darius stabbed and left for dead by the river Oxus. By the time Alexander arrived Darius was dying, some say Darius was already dead, Alexander was too late. Some say Alexander was openly shocked by the death of such a great man. Others though said that Alexander cradled the dying King and they spoke, though if true Alexander never revealed what the conversation was about. He took it to his grave. Alexander was now ruler of the whole of Persia. Many thought that this would be enough for the King. He had avenged the Hellenistic world for Marathon one hundred and fifty years before. But no. Alexander now set his sights on more. That winter what started as an army of thirty thousand had now swelled to double that and they crossed the mountains of the Hindu Kush into Afghanistan. Alexander now wanted to rule the whole world.
”

“
When you say the whole world what was the extent of their knowledge?
”
from Hutchinson.

“
Imagine the Mediterranean world as it is now. It hasn
’
t changed much. The coastline is still the same. For the Greeks of the fourth century B.C. they knew little or nothing of the outside world. The discovery of the American continents was still almost two thousand years away. The Japans years after that. When Alexander
’
s army arrived at the Caspian sea in the North of Iran they ran into it to drink only to find it was salty. They then believed that they
’
d reached as far North as they could go. That this was part of the great sea that encircled the entire earth, that they could get into their boats and sail around India and all the way around Egypt and up the Nile and back to Greece.
“

Natalie shook her head smiling.

“
The whole of Russia is above the Caspian sea and beyond India is China. Their knowledge really was limited wasn
’
t it.
”

“
Yes they knew nothing of these countries East. They knew of Italy, Spain, France, though the Greeks seldom, if ever, traded that far West. You know there was even talk among Alexander
’
s confidants about a campaign to Britain, though of course that would never take place, not until Julius Caesar arrived in 55BC.
”

“
The Greeks must have heard of China though.
”

“
I
’
m sure they did. To them India was the biggest country in the world. It was even feared that the great King of India whoever he was had an army of over one million, riding Elephants!
”

“
Did this deter Alexander?
”

“
Not him. Not the lion of Macedon. His army paused by the Beas river, India, while on the opposite bank thousand upon thousand of Indians lined the other side and challenged the Greeks to cross. They didn
’
t. It wasn
’
t that they were afraid Far from it. But it was morale. Some of them hadn
’
t seen their homelands in ten years.
”

“
What did Alexander do?
”

“
He got in among the ranks, reminded individuals of what he
’
d personally done for them, accused others of treason. His lifelong friend Coenus was the only one brave enough to stand forward and speak. He reminded Alexander of personal sacrifices. Every man there that day had bled for their King. Coenus named those that had fallen, Black Cleitus, Parmenion, his father Philip. Alexander continued to rant and rave but his army had had enough. Finally Alexander returned to his tent where he sulked for three days. He hoped they would give in, but on the fourth day Alexander realising they weren
’
t going to budge an inch re-emerged from his tent, performed a sacrifice and announced that the odds weren
’
t favourable. The army cheered. They would return home.
”

Each of them sat in the car for a minute silent.

“
On the return journey Alexander made a grave mistake. He led them into the Makran desert, the most inhospitable place on earth. Without water in plentiful thousands of them died of thirst. There is a famous story to come out of it though. A helmetful of water was found and presented to the young King. He took it and looked down at it, his parched throat agony, as were the others. He raised it to his lips and then stopped looking out over his thirsty men. Then he tipped the helmet and emptied the water into the sand.
“
I
’
ll drink when you drink!
”
he said to the amassed ranks. Of course they cheered such bravado by their King.
”

“
There were other such stories weren
’
t there?
”
Natalie asked
“
I remember something about a horse.
”

“
Bucephalus,
”
George added.

“
Bucephalus was Alexander
’
s favourite horse. He even named a city
’
Bucephala
’
in India after the animal when he was killed in the battle with Porus.
”

“
That
’
s sad.
”

“
Yes Alexander was inconsolable. He and Bucephalus had been together for over twenty years.
”

“
I remember now. Something about Alexander being the only one able to ride him. How did the story go?
”

“
Alexander was just a boy of ten when he attended a sale of horses with his father and mother. Philip had just become engaged as it were to Atalus
’
niece. They were all there. Alexander
’
s mother sat away from them with the nobles. Philip as usual was drinking when a beautiful black stallion was brought into the show ring. Philip instantly bid a high price for the beast which nobody offered to raise. Philip was applauded as he left his seat and went down to greet his purchase, the show ring being open air, the sun shining strong and hot. But as Philip approached the horse became panicky and reared up several times while lashing out with its hind legs. Philip tried a few more times then swore and gave up.
“
This animal is too wild to be tamed. He will kill anyone who attempts to ride him. Sell him for meat
”
he ordered.

Alexander suddenly jumped in.

“
Buy him for me father!
”

“
That animal can
’
t be tamed,
”
Philip shouted back.

“
I
’
ll buy him.
”

“
With what?
”

“
If I cannot ride him I
’
ll give you ten times his worth.
”

Philip laughed
“
You don
’
t have the money boy.
”

“
I
’
ll not need it,
”
Alexander replied.

Philip not wanting to see his son hurt was about to order the horse
’
s slaughter again when Parmenio stepped in.

“
Let the boy try Philip. Surely he
’
s too good an animal to waste.
”

Others took up the shout now. Philip turned a complete circle looking at his friends.

“
Very well,
”
he said, leaving the show ring to a great applause. Alexander now stepped into the ring as the crowd fell silent. Slowly with no deliberate movements he approached the horse which was still skittering its feet.

“
Shh! Shh!
”
Alexander called soothing to the animals ears. He reached for the horse
’
s rein and held it gently. The stallion now calm, he was able to reach up and pat his neck. Alexander while watching had noticed that the horse was afraid of its own silhouette.

“
You don
’
t like your own shadow do you,
”
he said turning the horse into the sun, so the shadows were now behind. Alexander continued to soothe the horse. Then to the shock of everyone present, he deftly swung himself up onto the horse
’
s back and as the crowd cheered he trotted the horse from the arena and galloped across the fields and out of sight. The crowd waited anxiously and roared with delight when he re-appeared and galloped back into the show ring and brought the animal to a halt. Alexander jumped down and pressed his face against the horse
’
s neck.

“
I shall call you Bucephalus,
”
he said stroking the beast
’
s nose.

Philip came limping into the ring now. He grabbed Alexander and lifted him onto his shoulders.

“
Aha! My boy,
”
he roared with delight
“
Find yourself another kingdom! This one isn
’
t big enough for you.
”

Natalie clapped.

“
That is a beautiful story.
”

“
Yes and not far from the truth. Unlike some of the other propaganda we
’
ve heard like the one about the Gordian knot.
”

“
The Gordian knot,
”
Hutchinson said
“
I don
’
t think I
’
ve heard this one.
”

“
I know it,
”
said George.

Dennis smiled.

“
Perhaps you would like to tell everyone about it,
”
Hutchinson said to George, only too happy to include others into the tale.

“
No. Mr Dennis tells the story better than I.
”

“
You tell it,
”
Natalie said, reaching out and touching the journalist on the arm. Dennis made no reaction but Hutchinson saw an intimacy there between them, certainly from his beautiful archaeologist. Hutchinson also saw a reaction from George.

“
Ah! Was that jealously,
”
he asked himself. George Roussos had always had a natural, instinctive, protectiveness over her.

“
Very well if you insist,
”
Dennis said. Suddenly he was holding her hand and Hutchinson had to hide an embarrassed smile.