“The situation is that he has succeeded in keeping us here with the detachment you see before us and has crushed our Perdiccan allies commanded by Attalus and Alcetas. Had those fools listened to my appeals to join forces several months ago, we may have already defeated our anti-Argead foes. But, as with all Macedonians I am forced to deal with, they could not see past their own narrow self-interest and chose to be defeated and killed separately. Antigonus is now unopposed in his mastery over the near east and will look to consolidate the empire’s far eastern holdings once we are defeated.”
“Although our interests are at odds, we still call each other friends, however,” Eumenes continued. “At the onset of our siege, Antigonus and I met face to face after assuring me safe passage into his camp in return for hostages to be brought into ours. I agreed to allow Hieronymus to be held by Antigonus. My kinsman and fellow member of The Hand still remains within our foe’s entourage and is hopefully making useful inroads into the battle staff. After warmly embracing, Antigonus made generous offers to restore my former governorship and the wealth I had lost if I make myself his ally in Asia. Though his proposal was enticing, to side with him would be to choose against the future of The Kings, of which Antigonus has little regard. I respectfully declined the pact and returned to our stronghold where we have remained ever since.”
“We do not sit idly waiting our fate, however. I have sent several probing and attack sorties out to test their defenses and each has been unsuccessful in creating an opening large enough to effect a breakout. I fear we may not be capable of escaping, even if Polyperchon is successful in Pella.”
“There’s something else,” Vettias added. “As expected, Orontes is in Pella. We were very close to eliminating him, but he narrowly escaped.
“You saw him?” Eumenes asked.
“The kid did. Gave him another scar on that hideous face of his as well. Our scheme to uncover the viper strained our relationship with Queen Adea, however. She will not be inclined to help the cause in the near future unless her life depends on it.”
“It might well. It’s of little matter. She is a means to an end. Alexander IV is the ultimate goal,” Eumenes concluded.
“Agreed.”
The bleak picture Eumenes painted of our situation did not foster any sense of hope in me for our future prospects. I saw my reunion with Mara slipping from my grasp as I could not conceive a way for us to successfully ally with the Silver Shields. Vettias seemed undeterred, however, and began poring over the various maps with our general. Noticing I was too tired and unskilled in stratagem to add anything to the conversation, I was dismissed for the evening. I found an open space on the floor of one of the barracks, unrolled my bedroll and used my rucksack as a pillow. I fell asleep easily that evening despite my earlier optimism for seeing Mara being dashed for now.
The next morning I was awoken by the clamor of men within my barracks preparing for the morning’s exercises at Nora’s makeshift track. I considered myself exempt from such unwanted activity and went back to sleep once my barracks was empty. I was awoken again two hours later by the rush of men re-entering the barracks and loitering about with idle conversation.
The frequent sneers I was receiving by the men who were all questioning my presence within their quarters provoked me to wake, gather my belongings and receive instructions from Vettias on what to do next. I was also eager to reunite with Stephanos and actively looked for him on my way to the headquarters building. Along the way I observed the extraordinary contraptions designed to allow the horses movement within our confined space. They were cajoled into a harnessed-pulley that raised the beasts off the ground. The stable-hands then coaxed the animals to attempt to run and thrash about through verbal commands and whips. The exercises proved effective as the animals perspired and foamed after a short time within the apparatus.
I noticed a neatly drained sewage ditch that ran under a section of the bastion’s wall and emptied over the cliffs below. Several men were engaged in cleaning the rapidly accumulating animal dung while others ensured any puddles of sitting water were removed. Despite the impressive operations to keep our accommodations sanitary, a persistent stale and foul odor wafted throughout the fortress. Having found Vettias and received the vague instruction to ‘settle in and relax’, I spied Philotheos in the infirmary and thanked him again for patching me up after the Battle of Orcynia. He was happy to see me but shared in the common misery of our confinement. Finally, I moved purposefully to seek out Stephanos.
CHAPTER 10
I found my closest of friends still lingering at the gymnasium, along with a forty-man contingent performing Syntagma movement drills. I stood off to the side, away from anyone’s notice, and observed my friend execute precise battle movements with as much skill as any of the hardened veterans present. I watched for the better part of an hour before they ended their drills and slowly made their way to the exit. I snuck up behind my perspiring friend and jabbed my finger like an assassin’s blade into his side. He quickly turned around, recognized me, and tackled me to the ground.
“You little shit, where’ve you been this time?” Stephanos laughed while putting my face into his armpit.
“Uh, you stink! Get off me you swine,” I yelled as I jammed my thumb into a pressure point on his side, causing him to release his grip. We stood up and embraced, still laughing from our childish sparring, and began catching up as we walked out of the gymnasium toward his quarters.
“How did you get back into the fortress? Did you scale the cliffs?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It was too perilous a journey up those blasted rocks only to be stuck in this latrine with a bunch of savages. Can you point me to the nearest brothel?” I asked sarcastically. “I am in need of a woman’s touch.”
“Ha! Go take a long walk off that short cliff over there. You’ll find all the release you need.”
“So what was that training in the gymnasium after everyone else had completed their exercises for the day?” I inquired.
“Much has changed since your departure, my friend. I have been chosen by General Eumenes himself as an officer within his Phalanx when we escape this damned rock and reconstitute our army. What you witnessed was the officer corps’ daily training regimen.”
Stephanos was beaming with pride and my heart warmed for the well-deserved promotion of my friend. Being the men we were, however, it was incumbent upon me to greet this news with derision.
“An officer in command of a shithole atop a desolate mountain. A lot of good that will do you!” I chided.
“Well some of us have to work around here while the rest run off with delusions of grandeur, chasing little boys in Persian brothels. They haven’t made a eunuch out of you yet have they?”
“I wouldn’t allow it until I had the pleasure of knowing your mother,” I shot back.
“I’m afraid she would not be worth the wait my friend! Perhaps I will perform the surgery now?”
The two of us bantered back and forth for several more minutes as we entered his cramped quarters and he introduced me to his new comrades. It didn’t take long to recognize Stephanos had become the leader of this new band of officers, just as he had during our recruitment. Stephanos also informed me our friends Spear and Bacchylides survived the defeat and made it to Nora. Rhexenor was captured with the baggage train and hopefully was serving in Antigonus’ army. Dion did not fare as well, however, and was killed during the battle.
****
I fell into the mundane routines of the bastion over the next two months: joking with Bacchylides and Spear; taking shifts in the mess hall; cleaning the stable; performing morning exercises; and working to renovate the stronghold’s crumbling fortifications. Luckily, my staff position kept me from servicing the latrine ditch too frequently. Despite the preponderance of tasks to complete, the majority of each day was spent in monotonous languor. Vettias encouraged me to use this time to become proficient with bow, throwing spikes and throwing spears which, he explained, w
ere useful in our line of work. I heeded his words out of sheer boredom and found I had natural abilities with a bow and arrow. I would spend an hour or two each day shooting targets made of packed hay.
Another old friend sought me out shortly after my arrival: “You lucky little shit, do you know what it’s been like for me on this blasted rock?” I eagerly turned toward the familiar voice to see my friend Davos standing before me, looking like a ragged dirt farmer instead of the ruthless and cunning killer I knew him to be. The prolonged seclusion had clearly begun to wear on my friend who was normally accustomed to moving and acting as he pleased.
“You look like you’ve been living in Hades these past months.”
“I would have preferred it – at least there’d be some interesting scenery. Whatever you and Vettias did in Pella better be getting me out of here in the near future. May the gods help the first poor maiden I see outside these damned walls.”
“We certainly hastened that day. Events are in motion in the capital that should facilitate our escape in the coming months.”
“It won’t be soon enough. I will find you later for I am scheduled to clean the stables like some common swineherd.” With that, my valued friend trudged off disgruntled toward the horses and I continued on to my next menial task.
****
At the end of the fourth month, a delegation from our besiegers approached the gate of our stronghold requesting an audience with General Eumenes. The General’s closest advisor and fellow member of The Hand, Hieronymous – Hiro to those that knew him, hostage to Antigonus for almost a year as part of their prior agreement – was part of the contingent standing before our battle staff and vouched for its intentions. Vettias had summoned me so I could observe how diplomacy is conducted at the highest levels and I occupied a small sliver of space in the farthest corner of the headquarters building and generally remained unnoticed.
The leader of the besieging delegation stepped forward and greeted our council of officers. “I am Polemaeus, General serving under Antigonus, General of Asia,” the envoy announced before clearing his throat and reciting a rehearsed greeting. “General Eumenes, victor over Neoptolemus and Macedon’s most honored General, Craterus; Royal Secretary to King Philip II and Alexander III, General during the India campaign, and honored member of Alexander’s sacred bodyguard. Antigonus, General of Asia as proclaimed by the Macedonian Kings Philip III and Alexander IV, bids you warmest regards and compliments for the skilled defense of Fortress Nora. Under a lesser man, the bastion would have fallen long ago.”
“I thank you and your master for the kind words,” Eumenes replied. “Antigonus is an extraordinary general and a remarkable leader of men. I am honored to call him friend these past twenty years and anxiously await the day when I may call him ally once more. But you did not come to our wretched bastion to exchange niceties. Please, state the nature of your business so we may both get on with our tasks at hand.”
At Eumenes’ command, Hieronymus stepped forward holding a scroll with the seal of The Kings for all to see. “General Eumenes, my most trusted friend and countryman, General Antigonus has allowed me to retake my rightful place within your battle staff in exchange for personally presenting a treaty between yourself and Antigonus that will cease all hostilities and return you to staunch allies in pursuit of common cause. I can personally vouch for the sincerity of General Antigonus and for the merits of the agreement I lay before you. It is an oath to support General Antigonus in his endeavor to bring peace and order to the empire of Alexander.”
“Hieronymus, my most loyal supporter,” Eumenes replied, genuinely pleased to see his comrade. “Fellow countryman from Cardia, your counsel could inspire me to remain on this wretched summit forever. If you declare the earnestness and favorability of General Antigonus’ oath then I too will give it my utmost consideration.”
Polemaeus then stepped to the fore, broke the royal seal and unrolled the document. “Antigonus of Elimeia, General of Asia and Protector of The Kings Philip III and Alexander IV, seeks a formal union with his ablest of allies from the time of Philip II, General Eumenes of Cardia, through the following oath:
‘I, General Eumenes of Cardia, make solemn oath, to The Gods and all present to bear witness, that I will support Antigonus of Elimeia, son of Philip, General of Asia, in his charge to unite the fractured Empire and restore order to all of Alexander’s holdings. Furthermore, I will freely lend men, resources and my own support to General Antigonus in combating all enemies of the Empire. I take this oath of my own accord and under no external duress.’
“In return for vowing allegiance to Antigonus, General of Asia, you will be granted your previous Satrapy of Cappadocia, you will have all property and wealth returned to your coffers, with an additional one hundred talents from the royal treasury as a token of General Antigonus’ generosity and gratitude. Our army has strict orders to allow you and your men safe passage from Nora, to the satrapal capital of Cappadocia, on the condition you recite and sign the oath in their presence. This is the offer of Antigonus, General of Asia.”
“General Polemaeus,” Eumenes responded, “I thank you and your master for making such a generous offer to an old friend. Such an important decision needn’t be rushed without careful consideration, however, and I request proper time to consult with my staff. When I am prepared to make a decision I will send a delegation to you. Normally, I would invite your delegation to eat and drink with us this evening, as is tradition for valued guests, but since we have neither spirits nor proper provisions for such a banquet, I will bid you farewell as a respected adversary with hopes of soon calling you ally.” Eumenes warmly embraced Polemaeus and they were escorted from our mountain summit.
“Well, this is everything I’ve asked for,” Eumenes stated while turning to his assembled advisors. “I must seriously consider such a generous offer, if for no other reason than for the benefit of the men who have sacrificed so much to remain sequestered atop this damned rock for so long. Hiro, my most trusted and loyal compatriot, is it as you have claimed? Does Antigonus make this gesture in earnest?”
“It is my belief that he does, sir. I say this as a man who has been recently freed from the man’s court and who is no longer subject to repercussions from giving my honest assessment. The man has grand designs to take over the entire empire for himself. He cares not for the petty political squabbles that separate two friends presently. He cares not for the fate of The Kings. He only seeks to remove a potential thorn in his side in Cappadocia so he may focus on his interests abroad. He’s the strongest of the Successors and it would be advantageous to be in his inner circle to ensure the safety of The Kings. In my opinion, sir, I would take this deal.”
“Spoken like a true diplomat,” Vettias sneered.
“And what of the men who languish on this summit?” Hiro retorted. “This deal will secure their safe passage back to their families. It would mean an end to hostilities for them.”
“Becoming the lap dog to the very man who threatens to usurp the Argead throne from its rightful owners would denigrate everything these men willingly sacrificed,” snapped Vettias. “ It would be an affront to the eight thoussand souls lying dead in Cappadocia at the hands of your new benefactor. Would it not have been to their benefit to surrender to Antigonus before the first arrow was fired at the Battle of Orcynia? Maybe you long for the luxuries afforded you in Antigonus’ court, but our cause has always been that of defending The Kings. That is what separates us from the rest of these Macedonian usurpers. We here stand behind General Eumenes because he is the one true leader remaining who fights for their interests and has no designs for his own dynasty. His cause is more Macedonian than the very leaders of that land who claim to fight for it. I would bet my life that Alexander is looking down at this group of men assembled here on this damned rock right now and willing us to remain true to his legacy and continue our fight to save his empire.”
“This deal is our only way off this damned rock!” yelled anot
her staff member. “Maybe you need to stay here a few more months like the rest of us, Vettias. We’ve been trying to break out of Nora for a year and have been unsuccessful. Sign the fucking oath so we can depart unmolested from here and pick up our struggle once free from this place.”
“I will not renege on an oath I have sworn to in the presence of men and whose parchment I have signed,” Eumenes interjected.
“Time is of the essence,” Hiro pleaded. “If events in Pella play out the way Vettias claims, we have to be free of this blockade before Antigonus hears of it, otherwise he will never let us off this damned rock. This possibility may already have happened for all we know.” Loud arguing now erupted within the battle staff, with all aggressively weighing in on the situation and criticizing each other’s suggestions.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen!” Vettias shouted. “There may be a way to both sign the oath and remain free to oppose Antigonus in the future,” Vettias stated in his usual cryptic manner. The rabble was silenced while they waited for Vettias to continue. Vettias gave a deliberately long pause to add to the drama he created before Eumenes spoke.
“Please elaborate, Vettias,” Eumenes commanded.
“General Antigonus’ army has orders to allow us passage once they witness you recite the oath and sign the document. What if we change the wording of the oath to better suit our purposes?” This idea generated a rash of scowls and condescending laughter among the men.
“What if it was written in a way so his army preferred our wording to that of Antigonus?” Vettias shouted over the noise to which everyone quieted in anticipation of his fanciful idea. “As of now the oath names Antigonus as the subject of loyalty. Antigonus himself, as well as all in his army, claims he is fighting on behalf of The Kings. What if we present an oath that inserts The Kings’ interest in place of Antigonus’ name? If both are presented to his army, would they not choose the more virtuous of the two oaths to be sworn? Show me the Greek who believes a man currently living has the right to usurp the Argead throne while Alexander IV still lives? By only changing Antigonus’ name with that of The Kings, are we not saying the same thing if Antigonus claims to fight on their behalf? Despite his true intentions, Antigonus’ own words suggest General Eumenes swearing an oath to protect The Kings in no way negates anything that is written on this document.”
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