Parthian Dawn

by Peter Darman

  ‘No,’ I replied. ‘I want you to attack the Roman supply lines once the main army has passed. They will establish fortified camps along their route of march to safeguard their lines of communications with Antioch. We offer no resistance until their main force has arrived before the walls of Dura, then I will send word for you to attack.’

  ‘Majesty,’ spoke one of the lords, a wiry man with a pointed jaw and eyes bereft of emotion, ‘you have your own legion, a formation bloodied in battle and undefeated. Why do you not use it against the Romans?’

  ‘I intend to,’ I said. ‘But I want the Romans to suffer a grievous defeat here, at Dura, one that will make them think twice before they invade my kingdom again and tangle with its lords.’

  They growled their approval of my plan. A thin smile creased Domitus’ lips.

  ‘What about the citizens of the city?’ said Godarz. ‘If there is a siege they will eat up the food quicker than a plague of locusts strips a field of crops.’

  ‘Bring in as much food from the outlying areas, and purchase food from across the river. Once you have done so the city’s population will be evacuated across the river to Hatran territory. The city will be populated by its garrison only. The merchants and caravans will disappear quickly once they get wind that the Romans are approaching, so we will not have to worry about them.’

  ‘What about the workers living in tents to the north of the city?’ asked Rsan.

  ‘Pay off those who want to leave, the rest will go with the civilians. There are enough oases across the river to water a few thousand people until we can defeat the Romans and get them back to their homes. Godarz, you will have to organise tents to house the civilians.’

  Godarz nodded. ‘We should have enough, though people won’t be happy about having to evacuate their homes.’

  ‘They will be happy enough when they know an enemy army is coming to kill or enslave them,’ I replied.

  ‘What of the army?’ queried Domitus.

  ‘It cannot remain in the city. Domitus, you will take the legion and the men from Pontus across the river and there wait for my orders. Nergal, you will do likewise with all the horse. Gallia and my daughter will be leaving for Hatra and will be escorted there by the Amazons.’

  With hindsight it was foolish of me to presume that my wife would do as she was instructed. When roused to anger, her jaw set solid and her eyes burned with defiance. This was the visage that now confronted me.

  ‘The queen,’ she said slowly and deliberately, ‘will remain in Dura. She will not flee before a few Romans, to become a fugitive in her own kingdom.’

  The lords rapped their knuckles on the table to indicate approval of her words, as did Nergal and Domitus. Godarz smiled wryly and Rsan looked helpless.

  ‘Silence!’ I shouted. I turned to Gallia. ‘Perhaps we should discuss this further in private.’

  She raised an eyebrow at me. ‘Further discussion on the matter is useless. I and my daughter will be staying here. The day I flee from my home will be the day that the stone griffin on the gate flaps its wings and flies away.’

  I decided that it was futile to argue further, and it was also unbecoming of a king to cross words with his queen in public.

  That night I tried to convince Gallia to leave the city but she would have none of it.

  ‘But think of our daughter,’ I implored her, to no avail.

  ‘Stop whining, Pacorus. Our daughter is safe behind Dura’s walls. Have you not invested heavily in strengthening the city?’

  ‘Yes, but it’s not the same.’

  Gallia held Claudia in her arms on the palace terrace, while Dobbai remained to one side observing us both.

  ‘Oh, Pacorus, the Romans will never breach these walls.’

  ‘I wish I could share your certainty.’

  ‘I have told her so,’ interrupted Dobbai, ‘and it will be so.’

  I had to confess that the old woman’s words, irrational as it may seem, calmed my nerves and reassured me. So I said no more on the matter.

  ‘When the griffin no longer sits upon these walls,’ said Dobbai, ‘then Dura will fall, but not until then, and certainly will not fall to a red-haired manservant.’

  She was speaking in riddles again but I was not listening to her words. There were things to attend to. As I left the palace the next morning to ride to the Palmyrene Gate, Praxima and the Amazons were striding up its steps and then disappearing into the interior. I shook my head. For individuals supposedly under my command they were a law unto themselves.

  Domitus must have read my thoughts, because when I tethered Remus at the gatehouse and climbed the stone steps to the battlements my legion commander was already there. He stood beside the griffin talking to a dozen centurions, who snapped to attention when they saw me. I told them to carry on. I stood to one side listening to the words of Domitus. He was looking west, towards the legion’s camp and the vastness of the desert.

  ‘Now remember, they can only attack the walls from this direction. The wadis on the north and south sides of the city are too deep and their sides too steep for ladders or siege towers. And they can’t attack from the river because it’s a sheer cliff face. So that leaves the west.’ He gestured with his right arm at the area in front of the city.

  ‘Therefore this is the direction they will attack from. First of all they will line up every soldier they have in front of the city, like a giant parade, trying to intimidate you. Expect lots of flying flags, red cloaks and trumpets blasting. Then their commander will send an emissary to demand the city’s surrender. Governor Godarz will politely refuse. Resist the temptation to use the emissary for target practice. It is considered bad manners to kill messengers under a flag of truce. There will be time enough for killing. Besides, you need to conserve your missiles for later.’

  ‘Don’t give them any easy victories. Keep your men off the walls and inside the towers. Their slingers and archers will be hired professionals from Crete and Greece most likely, and they can shoot. So keep the walls clear until the fighting begins. And watch out for their ballista. They will use them against individual targets on the walls. Taking the head off some poor daydreaming sentry boosts the morale of the besiegers and reduces it among the garrison. Above all do not underestimate your enemy. The Romans have conquered half the world by being determined, disciplined and professional, and they know how to conduct a siege.

  ‘First they will try to soften you up with ballista, both to demoralise you and clear the walls of defenders. As they can’t storm the walls on the riverside, or to the north and south, they will concentrate their efforts here. But all the firing with engines, slingers and archers is just a preliminary to an assault, and again it will come from this direction. They may employ a battering ram to smash in the gates or build siege towers to storm the walls, or both. Either way they will not try to starve you out. They don’t know the size of the garrison, and in any case as far as they are concerned Dura is garrisoned by Parthians who don’t know how to defend a city. All this you can use to your advantage. And finally, remember that you are not alone. The army is just across the river. You are the bait, but you are not expected to fight the Romans on your own.

  ‘Dismissed.’

  They saluted and left us, and I noticed that every one of them, now battle-hardened veterans, laid a hand on the griffin as they trooped away.

  ‘So,’ I said to Domitus, ‘the trap is set. Let us hope they take the bait.’

  ‘Oh, they’ll take it all right. You think Crassus is with them?’

  ‘I do not know. Byrd will tell us more when he returns.’

  Domitus stared into the distance, across the yellow baked ground that had become his homeland.

  ‘You need to deal with the situation in the north, Pacorus. Otherwise there will be two Roman armies in Parthia, one on each side of the Euphrates.’

  ‘Do not worry, my friend, we faced more daunting odds in Italy.’

  He still looked to the desert. ‘True, but then
we were one army under one general, an army that was well drilled and armed, and using the same tactics as the enemy. But here…’

  He stopped, as though fearful to say more.

  ‘If two friends cannot be truthful to each other, then who can? Speak freely.’

  He turned to face me. ‘The Romans know that Parthia is a collection of kingdoms rather than a unified domain. And they know that the recent civil war has aggravated divisions within its borders, so they seek to take advantage of that.’

  ‘I know this, Domitus.’

  ‘But do you know that they wish to conquer all the lands between the Tigris and Euphrates?’

  I did not believe him. ‘You exaggerate the threat, my friend.’

  ‘I do not. The Romans are not interested in Media or Atropaiene, though they will seize those lands readily enough. What they really desire is control over the Silk Road, and if they conquer Hatra then they will have it. So I hope that Dura can hold out, for its army may be needed in your father’s kingdom.’

  His words stayed with me for the rest of the day, and that night I shared a quiet meal with Gallia. A sombre mood hung over me like a dark cloud, though I tried to conceal it from her, to no avail.

  ‘What is the matter?’

  ‘Nothing,’ I replied, but she knew me too well.

  ‘I will ask again, then. What troubles you?’

  ‘I am worried that I have made a mistake. Perhaps I should have taken the army and engaged the Romans further north.’

  She shook her head. ‘It’s too late for changing your mind. The die is cast.’

  And so it was. In the early hours of the next morning, before dawn had broken, I kissed my daughter’s forehead and whispered my farewells to Gallia, then I left them both. I ate a meal of biscuits and cheese washed down with water and went to the stables to saddle Remus. There was much activity as stable hands began the daily chore of mucking out the stalls and the men of my escort went about saddling their own mounts. The air smelt of leather, horse dung and hay. The horses chomped on their bits and scraped the flagstones with their hooves impatiently. Remus moved his head away from me as I grabbed his reins and led him into the courtyard. He was in a bad mood, no doubt resentful at having to be readied at this unholy hour. I pulled him forward and he snorted in disgust. The others followed me into the courtyard and on my signal we vaulted into our saddles to trot through the gates and into the still slumbering city.

  The Palmyrene Gate was opened and so we left Dura, swinging right to join the road that would take us across the pontoon bridge. We moved quickly, riding east towards Ctesiphon and the palace of Phraates, taking the same route as I had the year before when we had marched to defeat Narses and his rebels. Once across the Tigris we headed north towards Media.

  Media, Gordyene and Atropaiene are forested regions carpeted by beech, yew, juniper, oak, poplar and cypress trees. In the far distance, on our right as we rode, lay the massive, brooding Zagros Mountains, but we rode across lush forest steppe teeming with life. In these lands were bred great herds of horses that carried Parthia’s warriors, and which were sold throughout the empire. And there was good hunting in these parts, the rich vegetation being home to leopards, lynx, brown bears, wild boar, wolves, badgers and otters. To the east roamed the mighty Caspian tiger, though I had never seen this magnificent beast, only their pelts lying on the floor of Farhad’s palace. Domitus was wrong about this land. Any foreign conqueror would want a land rich in such wildlife.

  A week after leaving Dura we arrived at Irbil, which thankfully was not ringed by a Roman army. As we trotted down the main road leading to the city, everything appeared normal in the immediate vicinity. There were no rising columns of smoke on the horizon or dead animals or bodies lying in the fields, though as we got closer I noticed a distinct lack of activity on the road. In fact, we were the only people on it. There was no sign of life either side of it. Nothing. When we reached the huge ramp that led to the fortified city we were met by at least a dozen spearmen at its base who barred our way with their weapons, while on the walls high above archers pointed their bows at us.

  One of the spearmen, a tall man with a large belly and long, straggly hair, pushed though his comrades and raised his spear at us.

  ‘That’s as far as you go. State your business.’

  ‘My business is not your concern. Tell your king that his brother, Pacorus of Dura, is here to see him, and be quick about it.’

  It took a few seconds for his miniscule brain to understand my words, then he grinned broadly.

  ‘Yes, majesty, apologies, majesty.’ He turned around and shouted up at the walls. ‘King Pacorus is here, King Pacorus has arrived! Salvation is at hand!’

  The group of soldiers, their misshapen faces wearing smiles, parted and I nudged Remus forward, walking him up the ramp, through the gates and into Farhad’s capital. The streets were crowded with frightened women and children huddled in groups on every corner and in every doorway. As we made our way to the palace I could smell fear, the city was rank with it. It was as if the world’s most wretched and hopeless had been gathered up and dumped in this place. All I could see were listless expressions, filthy bodies, unshaven faces, children dressed in rags and men with dread in their eyes. The Romans would not have to lay siege to this city. It was like a rotting apple; all they would have to do was wait for it to decay from within. I was glad to leave the press of refugees that clogged the city and reach the palace gates, which were swung open to allow us to enter. As we did so guards carrying spears and shields raced past us to bar the way of anyone who might try to force an entry into the king’s compound. None did, but the tired looks on the faces of the guards who had screened our entry told me that panic stalked these men.

  Our horses were taken from us and I told my men to get some food inside them. I had a feeling that we would not be staying long in the city. A steward escorted me into the palace and thence to the great hall where Farhad was sitting on his throne. His wife had died in childbirth giving life to his only child and most precious possession, his son Atrax. Ominously I did not see his son anywhere, though I did see my sister, Aliyeh, standing as straight as a spear on Farhad’s right side, her stare cold and unwelcoming.

  I bowed before the king, who looked nothing like the proud, confident and strong figure he had been at my wedding. Now he looked a haunted man.

  ‘Pacorus, the gods be thanked that you have come.’

  ‘I came as soon as I could, lord king.’ I glanced at Aliyeh. ‘Sister.’

  She said nothing, merely giving me the faintest of nods.

  ‘How far away is your army, how many men did you bring?’

  ‘Twenty riders, lord,’ I answered.

  ‘Yes, I was told. But when will your army arrive?’

  I shook my head. ‘It defends Dura, lord, for a Roman army is marching on my city.’

  Farhad let out a groan and buried his head in his hands. Aliyeh laid a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at me with black-ringed eyes.

  ‘Then Media is lost.’

  I was shocked by his reply. ‘Surely you have some troops left? What of those from Atropaiene?’

  Farhad leaned back in his throne and chuckled. ‘Aschek is in a far worse situation than me. Most of his men lie dead on the battlefield; at least I managed to save some to have the luxury of dying at a later date.’ The reprieve from his despair lasted only seconds before his dark mood returned and he cast down his eyes once more.

  ‘We will speak later. Go and get some food. Aliyeh will escort you.’ He grasped her hand with both of his. ‘Your sister is of great comfort to me. It was a mating of eagles when she married Atrax.’

  Aliyeh looked upon him with eyes full of comfort, her expression changing back to ice as I walked with her from the hall. She said nothing until we were marching down a corridor towards the kitchens.

  I attempted to converse with her, though was afraid to ask about her husband.

  ‘Where is Atrax?’

>   ‘Recovering from his wounds.’

  ‘I hope they are not severe.’

  ‘He will live, no thanks to you.’

  ‘How are his wounds my fault?’

  She stopped and swung round to face me, jabbing a long finger into my cuirass. ‘Because you filled his head with nonsense about honour and glory, and for weeks after you had left he pestered his father about retaking Gordyene, about how the Romans were weak and that it was an insult to Media’s honour that the death of Balas had not been avenged. And so Farhad enlisted the support of our neighbour, Aschek, and a meeting was arranged with the Romans at the same spot where you and Phraates met Lucullus. Only this time Farhad and Aschek demanded that the Romans leave Gordyene and pay reparations to Parthia for their gross insolence.’

  I closed my eyes. I knew what was coming next. Aliyeh continued, her words as sharp as arrowheads.

  ‘The Romans killed our emissary, and so thousands of our horsemen charged across the river to be felled by their slingers and turn the water red with their blood. And Atrax, my brave and foolish husband, led them. And the flower of Median manhood perished at that wretched river. Atrax kept rallying them and our allies, and again and again he led them against their shields and spears and accursed engines and slingers, and each time they killed more of our men. Our allies from Atropaiene died beside our own until the ground was soaked with Parthian blood. Atrax was knocked from his horse and speared in his leg.’

  She said no more but turned away from me, her body shaking with grief.

  I laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘Sister.’

  Quick as a cobra she turned and slapped my face.

  ‘Do not touch me. I do not want your pity. I wish you had never come to Media.’

  I held her stare. ‘Take me to see Atrax.’

  She snorted in disgust and strode away. I followed her and we reached her private apartments in the palace. Before she entered what I assumed was a bedroom she pointed at me.