Child of a Dream

by Valerio Massimo Manfredi

  ‘I will have all our informers in Athens, Thebes and other cities in Greece alerted so that we have constant news on the development of the political and military situation. Demosthenes needs Thebes if he wants to entertain the slightest hope in any battle against us because Thebes has the strongest land forces after our own. Thus we must decide on the right moment to try to prevent the consolidation of this alliance. It shouldn’t be so difficult in that the Athenians and the Thebans have always hated one another. And in any case, should the alliance go ahead then we must strike with all the strength and speed of a lightning bolt.

  ‘Your education is over, Alexander. From now on you will be kept closely informed of everything which affects us. Day or night, fair weather or foul. Now I must ask you to go to your mother and tell her the news of the death of her envoy. She was fond of him, but do not spare her the details, I want her to know everything.

  ‘And you will have to be ready from now on: the next time you lead your troop it won’t be on a lion or a bear hunt . . . it will be war.’

  Alexander left to go to his mother’s apartments and met Cleopatra in the corridor, dressed in a beautiful Ionian embroidered peplum, and accompanied by two maidservants carrying a bulky chest as she went down the stairs.

  ‘So it’s true you’re off on a journey,’ he said.

  ‘Yes, I’m going to the Sanctuary of Artemis to offer all my childhood toys and dolls to the goddess,’ replied his sister, indicating the chest.

  ‘Quite, you are a woman now. Time certainly flies. Are you dedicating them all to her?’

  Cleopatra smiled, ‘Not exactly all of them . . . do you remember that Egyptian doll with the jointed arms and legs and its little case of make-up, the one Father gave me for my birthday?’

  ‘Yes, I think I do,’ replied Alexander, forcing his memory somewhat.

  ‘Well, I’m going to keep that one. Do you think the goddess will forgive me?’

  ‘Oh, I have no doubt about that. Have a safe journey, Little Sister.’

  Cleopatra kissed him on the cheek and then, followed by her handmaids, went down the stairs quickly to the guard house where a carriage and her escort, led by Perdiccas, were waiting.

  ‘But I don’t want to travel in a carriage,’ she complained. ‘Can’t I ride a horse?’

  Perdiccas shook his head. ‘I have my orders . . . and with you dressed like that, Princess?’

  Cleopatra lifted the hem of her peplum up to her chin and showed him that underneath the finery she was wearing a short chiton. ‘See? Don’t you think I look like the Queen of the Amazons?’

  Perdiccas went crimson. ‘I see, Princess,’ he admitted, swallowing.

  ‘Well?’ Cleopatra let the peplum fall back to her ankles.

  Perdiccas sighed. ‘You well know that I cannot deny you anything. But let’s manage it this way. Climb into the carriage for now and then when we’ve travelled some distance from the palace and no one can see us, we’ll make the switch. You can have one of my guards’ horses and he can take your place in the carriage – he won’t mind travelling with your handmaids.’

  ‘Wonderful!’ exclaimed the girl.

  They set off just as the sun began to show behind Mount Rhodope and they took the road leading to the north towards Europos. Artemis’s temple stood halfway along an isthmus that divided two identical lakes. It was a place of remarkable natural beauty.

  As soon as they were out of sight of the palace, Cleopatra shouted for the carriage to stop, took off her peplum to the amazement of all members of the escort and mounted one of the guards’ horses, having had the guard in question take her place in the carriage. They set off again to the general accompaniment of the handmaids’ giggling.

  ‘See?’ observed Cleopatra. ‘It’s much more fun this way for all of us.’

  Perdiccas nodded, trying to keep his eyes on the road ahead, but he couldn’t help turning to look at the Princess’s naked legs and the swaying movement of her hips, all of which made him dizzy.

  ‘I’m sorry to have created all this fuss,’ the girl apologized.

  ‘No trouble,’ replied Perdiccas. ‘Actually . . . I volunteered for this job.’

  ‘Really?’ Cleopatra asked, lowering her head as she looked straight at him.

  Perdiccas nodded again, feeling ever more embarrassed.

  ‘I am most grateful. I am also especially pleased that you chose to accompany me. I have heard that you are very brave.’

  The young man felt his heart leap, but he sought to keep a hold on himself not only out of good breeding, but also because he was aware of his men watching him.

  When the sun was high they stopped to eat in the shade of a tree and Perdiccas asked Cleopatra to change her clothes and switch places with the guard again: they weren’t far from the sanctuary now.

  ‘You’re right,’ the girl agreed. She got the guard out of the carriage and put on her ceremonial peplum again.

  They reached the temple in the afternoon. Cleopatra entered, followed by the handmaids with the chest, and they all walked forward until they were under the statue of Artemis. It was beautiful and very old, made of carved wood and painted. They laid the toys, the dolls and the miniature amphorae and bowls at its feet. Then she invoked the goddess: ‘Virgin goddess, here at your feet I leave these tokens of my youth and I beg you to understand if I should ever prove to have neither the strength nor the will to remain a virgin like you. I beg you to be happy for these gifts, and please do not envy me if I choose to enjoy the pleasures of love.’ She left a generous offering for the priests of the sanctuary and took her leave.

  The place was incredibly beautiful: the small temple, surrounded by rose bushes, stood in the midst of a green meadow and was mirrored in the twin lakes that opened up to the right and left, as blue as two eyes reflecting the sky.

  Perdiccas moved closer. ‘I have had rooms made ready for you and your handmaids for tonight here in the guest apartments of the sanctuary.’

  ‘And what about you?’

  ‘I will guard over your sleep, my Lady.’

  The girl lowered her head. ‘All night?’

  ‘Of course, all night. I am responsible for . . .’

  Cleopatra lifted her eyes and smiled. ‘I know you are very good, Perdiccas, but I’ll be sorry if you have to stay awake all night. I thought you might . . .’

  ’What are you thinking, my Lady?’ asked the young man, his heart thumping.

  ‘That if you get bored, you might come up and talk to me for a while.’

  ‘Oh, that would be a great pleasure and an honour and . . .’

  ‘I’ll leave the door open, then.’

  She gave him a mischevious smile and ran to join her handmaids who were playing with a ball in the meadow, among the blooming roses.

  21

  NOT LONG AFTER Alexander’s return to Pella, the council of the sanctuary at Delphi asked Philip to intervene for the temple of Apollo against the city of Amphissa, whose inhabitants had started unauthorized farming of lands belonging to the god. Just as the King was about to start considering what might be the real objective behind this new sacred war, he received important news from Asia.

  It came directly from one of his spies, a Greek from Cilicia by the name of Eumolpus who had some commercial interests in the city of Soloi and had reached Pella by sea via the port of Thermai. The King received him alone, in his private office.

  ‘I have brought you a present, Sire,’ the spy announced as he placed a precious lapis lazuli statuette of the goddess Astarte on Philip’s table. ‘It is antique and very rare and represents the Aphrodite of the Canaanites. It will protect your virility for a long time to come.’

  ‘Thank you, my virility is indeed very dear to me, but I hope you haven’t made such a long journey just for this.’

  ‘Of course not,’ replied Eumolpus. ‘I bring important news from the Persian capital: the Emperor Artaxerxes III has been poisoned by his doctor on orders, it would seem, from a court eunuch.’
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br />   Philip shook his head. ‘These castrated specimens are treacherous. They once wanted to give one to me, but I declined the offer. They’re envious of everyone and anyone who still has the possibility, denied them, of fucking. It’s perfectly understandable after all. Your news confirms I did the right thing.’

  ‘The eunuch’s name is Bagoas. It seems it was a crime of jealousy.’

  ‘Castrated and buggered to boot. It’s only natural, I suppose,’ said Philip. ‘And what’s going to happen now?’

  ‘It already has happened, Sire. This Bagoas has convinced the court nobles to offer the crown to Arses, son of the recently departed Artaxerxes, and Atossa, one of his wives. Here he is,’ he said as he pulled a coin from his pocket and passed it Philip across the table. ‘It’s freshly minted.’

  The King studied the profile of the new Emperor, marked by an enormous nose shaped like a bird of prey’s beak. ‘He doesn’t look too reassuring. He looks as though he might be even worse than his father, and he was already a tough character. Do you think he’ll last?’

  ‘Who knows?’ sighed Eumolpus, shrugging his shoulders. ‘It’s difficult to say. Our observers, however, are all agreed that it is Bagoas who wants to govern through Arses and so the new Emperor will last for as long as Bagoas wants him to.’

  ‘It all makes sense. I will send my greetings to the new King and to the ball-less Bagoas and we’ll see what they make of it. Keep me informed of everything that happens at court in Susa and you’ll have no cause for complaint. Stop by to see my secretary now and he’ll pay you what we agreed on. And then tell him to come and see me.’

  Eumolpus took his leave ceremoniously and disappeared, leaving Philip to meditate on what had to be done next. When Eumenes appeared the King had already made up his mind.

  ‘You called, Sire?’

  ‘Sit down and write.’

  Eumenes grabbed a stool, a tablet and a stylus, while the King started dictating:

  Philip, King of Macedon, to Arses, King of Persia, King of Kings, Light of the Aryans and so on and so on . . . Hail!

  King Artaxerxes, third of this name, your father and predecessor, greatly offended us with no provocation on our part. He mustered and paid mercenary troops and put them to work for our enemies while we were busy with the siege of Perinthus and the war against Byzantium.

  These actions brought us terrible losses. For this reason we now demand payment of compensation to the value of . . .

  Eumenes lifted his head as he waited for the figure.

  . . . five hundred talents.

  Eumenes couldn’t help but whistle.

  If you fail to respect our request we will be forced to consider you an enemy, with all that such an eventuality will inevitably involve.

  Take good care and so on and so on . . .

  ‘Transcribe it onto papyrus and bring it to me for the seal. It must be sent with a fast messenger.’

  ‘By Zeus, Sire!’ exclaimed Eumenes. ‘This is the most peremptory letter I have ever read. Arses will have no choice but to reply with the same tone.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I want,’ affirmed the King. ‘Let’s say that the message will take a month or two to reach its destination and a month or two to come back; this will give me just enough time to sort things out in Greece. After that I’ll take care of the eunuch and his little boy. Make sure Alexander reads this letter and find out what he makes of it.’

  *

  Alexander read the letter and realized that his father had now truly made his mind up to invade Asia and was simply looking for a pretext to spark off a war.

  He returned to Mieza as soon as he was free of the multitude of affairs his return to Pella had involved: participation in governmental meetings, receptions of foreign guests, embassies and delegations, and assemblies of the army, fundamental for relations between the crown and the nobles who supported it.

  Aristotle had already left, but his nephew Callisthenes was still there working on the natural history collection and the two studies the philosopher had expressly dedicated to his royal pupil: one on monarchy and another on colonization, in which he theorized on the diffusion throughout the world of the model of the Greek city-state, the only true vehicle of freedom, an experiment in spiritual and material civilization.

  Alexander stayed there for a few days anyway, just to rest and meditate. He took his meals together with Callisthenes, a cultured young man who had considerable knowledge of the political situation in the Greek states.

  His passion for history had led him to procure not only the great classic works of Hecataeus of Miletus, Herodotus and Thucydides, but also those of the western historians such as Philistus of Syracuse who recounted the history of the Greek cities of Sicily and Italy, a land where new powers were emerging, such as the city of Rome, founded by the Trojan hero Aeneas and visited by Hercules on his return journey from far-off Iberia.

  After supper they would sit outside, under the portico, and talk until late. ‘While your father was fighting the Scythians, the council of the sanctuary at Delphi declared a new sacred war against the inhabitants of Amphissa.’

  ‘I know,’ replied the Prince. ‘Neither of the two sides, however, is strong enough to decide the dispute. The Thebans are supporting Amphissa, but they refuse to expose themselves because they are afraid of the council’s disapproval. The situation is becoming critical again, especially with regard to what Athens will decide to do. The council has already sent an official request for an intervention and I don’t think they’ll have to ask my father twice.’

  Callisthenes poured some wine for them both. ‘The council is led by Thessalians who are your friends . . . if I know your father, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he hadn’t arranged this whole manoeuvre.’

  Alexander looked straight at him as he nonchalantly sipped the wine in his cup. ‘Does this mean you have been eavesdropping, Callisthenes?’

  The young man put his cup down on the table. ‘I am a historian, Alexander, and I think I have been a good pupil of my uncle, just as you have been. You must not be surprised if I make use of the means of logic rather than listen to second- or third-hand gossip.

  ‘Now. Let me guess. Your father well knows that public opinion in Athens is not in favour of the Thebans, but he also knows that Demosthenes will try everything possible to make sure the Athenians change their minds and support Thebes in its stand with Amphissa against the council of the sanctuary, which is to say against Philip.

  ‘Demosthenes, for his part, knows that only by uniting the forces of Athens and Thebes is there any hope of avoiding the definitive consolidation of Macedonian hegemony over Greece and therefore he will do anything to make a pact with the Thebans, even if it means challenging the Greeks’ highest assembly of worship and the oracle of the god Apollo.’

  ‘And how will the Thebans act, in your opinion?’ asked Alexander, curious to know his companion’s view in depth.

  ‘It will depend on two factors: the Athenians’ manoeuvres and the performance of the Macedonian army in central Greece. Your father will try to apply as much pressure as possible on the Thebans to prevent them from allying with Athens. He knows very well that if they do ally then he will be facing the most powerful land forces combined with the strongest naval power in all Greece, too much even for the King of Macedon.’

  Alexander was quiet for a while, as if listening to the noises of the night as they came to them from the nearby forest, and Callisthenes poured him some more wine.

  ‘What will you do when you have finished your work here at Mieza?’ Alexander asked after having taken a sip.

  ‘I think I will join my uncle in Stagira, but I would very much like to follow the war from close at hand.’

  ‘You can follow me, if you like; if my father asks me to join him.’

  ‘I would be most happy to,’ replied Callisthenes, and it was clear that he had been hoping for such a proposal. It was an arrangement that satisfied both their ambitions.

  ‘Com
e to Pella then, when you have finished your work here at Mieza.’

  Callisthenes accepted enthusiastically. They took leave of each other late in the night after having talked at length about philosophical matters. The next day the young man gave his guest the two works by Aristotle that he had promised, each one with a handwritten letter from the philosopher.

  *

  Alexander returned to the palace three days later, towards evening, in time to take part in the war council called by his father. The generals Antipater, Parmenion and Cleitus the Black were present, together with the commanders of all the main units in the phalanx and the cavalry. Alexander was there as commander of the Vanguard.

  On the rear wall of the council room was a map of Greece that Philip had had made some years before by a geographer from Smyrna and the King explained, with the help of this visual aid, what he planned to do.

  ‘I do not want to attack Amphissa immediately,’ he stated. ‘Central Greece is dangerous and impervious territory where it is easy to end up imprisoned in narrow valleys, with all possibility of escape suddenly removed, and to find oneself pinned down by the enemy. The first thing we must do therefore is to take hold of the key cities to this region – Kithinion and Elatea. Then we will decide what is to be done.

  ‘Our troops are already under way and are marching through Thessaly. Parmenion and I will join them soon, we set out tomorrow. Antipater will retain command of the troops that will remain here to protect Macedon.’

  Alexander waited anxiously for the King to communicate the tasks that had been reserved for him in the war operations, but he was to be disappointed.

  ‘I will leave the Argead seal to my son so that he may represent me in my absence. Each and every act issued by him will have the value of a royal decree.’