By the Sword

by Christian Kachel

  “Men, you are all aware of Lord Regent Perdiccas’ loss in Egypt. The rightful Argead Regent was murdered under treachery by the very men whom our former brothers are now being led. I have served the Argead cause since the time of Philip II. I have been at the side of Alexander for every battle, every siege, every march, and every victory from Ionia to India. As one of his seven most trusted bodyguards, I was in the room the moment our God King died. I wept for him on his deathbed. I personally witnessed Alexander give Perdiccas the Argead signet ring. And this is the man our enemies murdered for their own purposes? It is these usurpers that now condemn this army. It is the same men who call us outlaws. I ask you again: do these accusations, made by these men, deem us villains?” As Eumenes posed this last question, the army cried out in disgust for the new regime.

  “I ask these questions not to bolster my own sense of self but to instil in you the confidence required to face down the false accusations levied on this noble army. As we speak, these usurpers have sent an army north from Syria to face us in open contest. We defeated the army of the fiend Neoptolemus. We bested the army of Alexander’s most respected general, Craterus. And what will you say when an army, led by a decrepit seventy year old who did not accompany us through Asia, decrees your cause is unjust, illegitimate, unlawful?”

  The army now let out a thunderous roar of defiance to our approaching adversaries. Eumenes had won the army for now. It remained to be seen how loyal the Macedonians would be to the Cardian once the infamous Antigonus One Eye arrived at the head of a twenty-five thousand man Macedonian army with the two Kings in tow.

  “The army that truly fights for the Kings will not sit idly by and wait for the usurpers to decide when and where we are to do battle, however. We will travel west to Sardis to enlist the support of Alexander’s sister, Cleopatra and, by extension, Alexander’s mother, Olympias. Lastly, men, know that your commander does not allow his army to be the helpless victim of external events. As I speak to you now, measures have been put in place that will ensure Alexander’s heirs assume the throne of the empire. You have done all that has ever been asked of you, and more. I could not be prouder of each of you. Sleep well tonight, for we depart at first light.”

  Despite ending on a less inspired note, the army was ready to follow Eumenes to Sardis and face Antigonus in open battle. Eumenes departed and we were dismissed back to our bivouacs. Spear and Bacchylides were waiting for me at my tent and the three of us embraced, with Stephanos smiling widely in the background.

  “I thought your lochos succeeded in getting rid of your worthless ass,” Bacchylides joked. “Stephanos has been talking about some important mission you’ve been on for the past three months. I figured you just ran away because you couldn’t hack it.”

  “You look a little weak; can you even handle a sarissa anymore?” Spear added.

  “Come find out,” I replied while gently pushing my more intimidating companion. “Too bad we are to march tomorrow. When we get to Sardis we’ll be sure to do some proper celebrating of my triumphant return.”

  “This one must tell you of the women he’s had in the east,” Stephanos interjected merrily.

  “Oh you better, loverboy,” Bacchylides commanded. My two comrades departed towards their file’s bivouac and I made my way towards the command pavilion. Guards escorted me to a small guarded tent where Eumenes, Vettias and Davos were waiting for me. Davos and I embraced warmly and were instructed to kneel. Two hooded diviners, dressed in white linen robes with blue and gold embroidering, came forward, burning incense in front of Alexander’s royal diadem and sceptre.

  “Davos of Thrace, Andrikos of Ionia, do you come here of your own free will?” Eumenes asked in a serious tone.

  “Yes sir,” Davos and I replied in unison.

  “Do you come to take the oath of the King’s Hand, the Argead Protectors?”

  “Yes sir.”

  Eumenes motioned the diviners to begin the ritual.

  “His Excellency, Alexander III of Macedon, from the house of Argead, descendant of Herakles and Zeus Ammon; Freer of peoples, Slayer of tyrants, Builder of cities, wrote these words in his own hand, guided by the instruction of the Gods, two years ago along the Indus River. Those who have taken this oath before you have sworn their lives in protection of Alexander’s heirs. Many of whom have made that ultimate sacrifice.”

  “Davos of Thrace, Andrikos of Ionia, do you hereby swear to the Gods, in the company of those assembled, and in the presence of the diadem and sceptre of Alexander, that the members of the Argead house are the true and rightful heirs to the Macedonian Empire?”

  “I do,” Davos and I answered.

  “Do you hereby swear to the Gods, in the company of those assembled, and in the presence of the diadem and sceptre of Alexander, to sacrifice your lives in service and preservation of this stated belief?”

  “I do.”

  “Do you hereby swear to the Gods, in the company of those assembled, and in the presence of the diadem and sceptre of Alexander, to faithfully serve as a member of the King’s Hand?

  “I do.”

  “Do you hereby swear to the Gods, in the company of those assembled, and in the presence of the diadem and sceptre of Alexander, to obey all orders from your superiors without question; to assume The King’s Hand’s objectives as your own; and to never divulge the existence or goals of The King’s Hand to anyone who has not taken the oath under punishment of death?”

  “I do.”

  “Then rise, Davos of Thrace and Andrikos of Ionia, as official and recognized members of the King’s Hand.”

  Before Mara I had never took anything seriously in my life. I had no great piety or reverence towards the Gods. I did not believe in anything, save for the love of my family, which could stir me to action or to accomplish great feats. I always envied men who believed in something that compelled them to subordinate their own self interests. Responsible men such as Nearchus and Argos; driven men such as Vettias and Stephanos. As I affirmed the words of the oath, I experienced a feeling of exhilaration come over me. I internalized every word and vowed to live by the oath I had sworn. When instructed to rise I felt as though I was now a man of worth. This was the culmination of my coming of age since leaving Ilandra, since joining the army, since facing men in combat, since my time with Vettias, since meeting Mara. I would now live my life with this knowledge being at the forefront- guiding my actions and bolstering my confidence at all times. I felt compelled to run and speak with all that had been a part of my life in the past- to show them the man I had become and would now be.

  Davos remained stoic as usual- I wondered what, if anything, could bring this man to emotion. My eyes met with Vettias, who stood smiling proudly at me and motioned me over to embrace. “Congratulations kid, you made it. There’s a good deal more to do and I expect much from you. Come to my quarters afterwards.”

  “Yes sir.”

  After being congratulated by General Eumenes and embracing Davos, I followed Vettias to his quarters. He poured two cups of uncut wine and we drank in comfortable silence for several minutes. “We’re going to start seeing infiltration in the coming days and weeks. There are probably operatives of Orontes in our midst as we speak, so you and Davos will start working for me in the same manner as if we were in Triparadeisus. Just because we are safely out of there does not mean you can’t wake up in your tent staring up at an assassin’s blade. I still have a few operatives within this army but the majority of my people travelled with Perdiccas and most have not returned. You and Davos will work in coordination as needed but will be compartmented from the rest of The Hand until events necessitate otherwise. I will allow you to participate in the coming battle with Antigonus, despite my better judgment, so don’t do anything stupid- like dying. We’ll revisit the issue of your position within the army after that time- it may make sense for you to remain within your lochos, but I will make that determination later.”

  “This business with Cleopatra is a gamble
and smacks of desperation on the part of Eumenes. I watched him try to engineer a marriage between the Princess and Perdiccas almost two years ago and it ended in a debacle. The female members of the Argead family are a difficult bunch to say the least. Alexander’s mother was a princess from Epirus when she married Philip II. It is the peculiar tradition of Epirotes that the surviving woman of a slain man becomes head of the house until the maturation of her first-born son. Olympias was tantalizingly close to having a major role within the Macedonian Court but Alexander was already sixteen years old at the time of Philip’s assassination. That explains why she has been so prevalent in Macedonian affairs as mother of the King and, now, as Dowager to Alexander IV. This Cleopatra, being the widow of her husband, King Alexander I of Epirus, tasted this rare instance of female leadership for several years as Regent of that land. Her decisions will still be influenced by the looming presence of Antipater in Cappadocia traveling back to Macedon, however.”

  “Our biggest concern between now and the coming battle will be General Eumenes’ ability to hold the loyalty of the Macedonian regulars. At this point, he has held their wavering loyalty through military victory and generous allotments of land and acquired wealth. Ironically, his very success in these matters, especially against Craterus, has fostered resentment among many Macedonian officers within the army. They are weary of fighting for a non-Macedonian and, paradoxically, the more success he has against their kinsmen, the more resentment they hold. So, in addition to countering infiltration from enemy operatives, you are going to be keeping an ear out for surreptitious rumblings from the phalanx. Any sedition rising to the level of potential desertion or treachery must immediately be reported and their leaders identified.”

  “I am to be a rat against my own phalangites?” I asked, somewhat surprised by Vettias’ instructions.

  “You are to support The Hand in uncovering and rooting out enemies of this army- the rightful protector of the Kings,” Vettias responded forcefully. “Is Antipater not a Macedonian? Antigonus? Orontes? These men will stop at nothing to eliminate this army and the Argeads to further their own goals. We stand as the last bastion of Alexander’s legacy. This army is the only force between these usurpers and the total destruction of the Argead House. Now, let us discuss how we are to meet. You will inform your lochagos to designate you as your lochos’ liaison to the quartermaster.”

  “I don’t inform Croesus of much,” I interjected sarcastically. “I ask permission.”

  “Discreetly tell him it is an order from me and if there is an issue let me know and I will speak to him.”

  “I may know someone that can assist in providing a secure meeting location,” I replied, eager to utilize Rhexenor, my one useful connection within the army.

  “That may be of use down the road,” Vettias replied. “For now, meet me at the surgeon’s tent at dusk three marches from today, understood?” I nodded and returned to my tent to prepare for the morning’s march. If I thought I had begun to understand the convoluted world Vettias had thrust me into since Triparadeisus, our discussion that night proved otherwise- more Argeads, more treachery, more battles to worry about.

  Chapter 38

  Our march the following morning began promptly at daybreak. It felt good to be with my mates again, although my thighs and calves definitely suffered from lack of exercise. Despite this inconvenience, our pace was swift yet manageable- allowing my mind to wander. The fact we were marching west to Sardis, a city teasingly close to Ilandra, brought an excited gait to the march. The realization that, with each step, I was travelling farther from Mara dampened my enthusiasm, however. Vettias’ instructions to report members of the phalanx on charges of sedition also lingered. My first official orders were unsettling, but the oath I swore and the overall goals of The Hand allowed me to rationalize this potentially disloyal act. These inner struggles occupied my thoughts for the first few days of the march. Nights were spent as they had been before my departure: preparing dinner, tending to equipment, and sitting around fires speaking with my mates. Our lochos had absorbed two Macedonian regulars from the defeated army of Neoptolemus but, thus far, they seemed content. The fact we were to face an army in control of the Macedonian Kings did not sit well with us- even non-Macedonians, but most believed our cause was just.

  Dusk arrived on the third day and I began my walk to the surgeon’s tent to meet with Vettias. Croesus had no issue assigning me to our lochos’ quartermaster detail and none of my mates suspected anything of it. I had little to report to Vettias other than my mates’ concerns combating the Kings’ army and he advised I begin utilizing my contacts within other lochos’ to expand my awareness of the phalanx’s sentiment. He also allowed me to employ Rhexenor’s ability to find us a secure area within the quartermaster bivouacs to use for all meetings going forward. The next two weeks passed in much the same manner, and I had fully settled back into the routines army life- with the notable exception of my new duties as a member of The King’s Hand.

  On the fifteenth day of the march along the Royal Road, our army arrived at the Satrapal capital of Sardis. We established an encampment just outside the city limits in full view of the Satrapal Palace. General Eumenes had sent runners ahead to alert Cleopatra of our arrival and he ensured everyone had thoroughly polished their armour the night before. Our trumpets blared, our banners were proudly raised, and the army executed several impressive manoeuvres involving complex movements within sight of the palace. General Eumenes remained at the head of our army in full battle regalia atop an impressive mount with his top cavalry and infantry generals to complete the regal pomp and circumstance.

  Upon conclusion of our prominent display, all ouragous’ and lochagos’ ensured each syntagma bivouac was perfectly aligned and all individual tents were assembled correctly. General Eumenes proceeded into the city on horseback at the head of a small delegation of his inner circle to include Apollonides and Hieronymus. Our army held a great celebration that evening in honour of Alexander’s sibling- complete with wine, women, and meat. Stephanos assembled Rhexenor, Spear, Dion, Bacchylides, and myself to enjoy our own private celebration.

  Our low status in the army ensured we did not have first pick of any of our celebratory offerings and Stephanos proposed slipping out of the encampment to raise a cup and bed a ‘proper woman’ at our old establishment in the city where Stephanos and I first met. All of us agreed with the idea but Rhexenor was the only one in position to ensure the plan’s success due to his many contacts accumulated over the past year. We eagerly followed our connected comrade through the quartermaster bivouacs and out a back alley unseen by our fellow revellers.

  The five of us quickly jogged the short distance between our encampment and the city gate, grinning with excitement the whole way. Once we entered Sardis we casually made our way towards the familiar neighbourhood. An air of delight hung over our merry band as stories were told, insults were levied, and exaggerated tales of glory were recalled. The city was bustling with the arrival of our army and the streets were swelled with all manner of people looking to benefit from the presence of thousands of potential buyers of their wares. Despite our nondescript clothing, we were constantly being haggled and hassled by beggars and merchant alike as we giddily waded through the sea of people.

  We arrived at our destination and found the establishment filled to capacity, precluding us from sitting at a table. We shouldered our way through the patrons and occupied a portion of the bar. We passed several hours drinking wine and raising a cup to each other’s inflated stories. I fended off several questions about the particulars of my absence and succeeded in describing it in such a way as to lose the group’s interest. As the crowd began to thin, we occupied a vacated table and took inventory of the tavern’s offerings. As I scanned the room, a familiar face caught my eye sitting at a table in the back corner- it was our former tormentor, Callisthenes. He was alone and speaking with a prostitute sitting on his lap. His sharp facial features rapidly brought back the im
age of me hunched over myself laying in a pool of vomit. Stephanos was sitting beside me and noticed my fixation.

  “See one you like?” he asked with a grin.

  “I see someone you might be interested in meeting again,” I responded cryptically, eliciting a questioning look from my mate. “Look to the back corner, the man sitting with the whore over there.” Stephanos squinted his eyes and examined the designated portion of the tavern. I watched as his eyes grew wide with stunned recognition before narrowing again in an angered stare. I immediately regretted alerting Stephanos to his presence and tried to talk him out of his apoplectic state. He ignored my words and shooed my hand off his shoulder in an incensed manner. His gaze could not be deterred while the rest of our group now took notice of Stephanos’ enraged condition.

  “What’s the matter with you? The tail here isn’t that bad,” Dion asked jokingly. Stephanos did not respond.

  “Hey, is there a problem?” Spear inquired.

  “I’d like to raise a glass to our fallen friend Labdacus,” Stephanos announced sullenly. His furious monotone created unease among the table as everyone now looked at me for an explanation. “Put your cups up, damn it!” Stephanos commanded. Everyone did as instructed. “To our fallen comrade Labdacus. A kind, yet hapless kid who was always quick to raise a cup or defend a mate. May his murderer one day remember his name again.” The table drank to our departed companion and continued looking at me for an answer.