Alexander's Legacy: To The Strongest Page 8

  As Meleagros contemplated this, Eukleides seemed finally to grasp the reality of the situation. ‘Some of the lads are starting to complain about the growing scarcity of fresh food, sir,’ he informed Meleagros.

  ‘Who in particular?’

  The ones paid by Perdikkas to do so.

  ‘At the moment it seems to be mutterings in corners and that sort of thing.’

  ‘What are they saying?’

  ‘Well, they’re blaming you for creating an impasse and are wondering whether you’re qualified to lead them.’

  That seems to be money well spent.

  Meleagros scratched at his beard as if it were a badger that he was trying to remove from his chin. ‘Root them out, Eukleides, I can’t have my authority questioned.’

  ‘And do what, sir? If you punish them then it will only cause more resentment and, with the cavalry tightening their grip around the city, it can only get worse because how can we take the phalanx out to face the cavalry on the plain without cavalry support on our flanks?’

  Eumenes suppressed a smile. And that’s just the point; finally, you get there. Well done; I think you should both have a lie down after that. ‘If you agree to this proposition, Meleagros, then you’ll be able to wheedle out the malcontents from your ranks once the deal is done and their support has faded away.’

  ‘He may be Greek but he’s right, sir,’ Eukleides said with finality.

  Meleagros had another go at his beard and then nodded his reluctant agreement to his colleague; he turned back to Eumenes, sitting opposite him. ‘So the cavalry is prepared to accept Philip as king, if the infantry promise to accept the child of the eastern wildcat, Roxanna, as joint-king, should it be a boy; is that it?’

  Progress at last. ‘That’s it.’

  ‘And I am regent for Philip and become second-in-command of the entire army?’

  ‘Yes.’ I think that’s the part of the deal he really likes after years of just being a phalanx commander.

  ‘And Perdikkas stays as commander-in-chief and becomes regent of the half-breed if it’s a boy.’

  ‘Regent to Alexander’s son, the Argead heir, yes.’

  ‘And Antipatros and Krateros stay as regents in Europe?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But what about Leonnatus? He’s being left out now. Surely he won’t appreciate losing his position to me as one of the council of four?’

  ‘Sacrifices have to be made.’ And that particular one will encourage Perdikkas to accept the deal because it sidelines Leonnatus, who was foolish enough to show his support for Ptolemy.

  ‘And Perdikkas has agreed to this?’

  One step forward and then another one back; how does the phalanx manage to advance so smoothly in battle? ‘I don’t know yet, do I? As I’ve said, for the last three days I’ve been going backwards and forwards between the two camps trying to work out a way by which one of you will recognise the other’s king whilst foregoing your own. It is obvious to all by now,’ even to you, surely, ‘that it just won’t happen; so the best idea that I can come up with is we have two kings out of necessity, as a compromise.’ Both as witless as each other, but never mind that small detail. ‘Now, Meleagros, do you agree on behalf of the infantry that I can take these terms to Perdikkas?’

  ‘Do you think he’ll agree?’

  Ah, so you want him to, do you? Excellent; you’re as good as dead. ‘I can but ask.’

  ‘And why should I agree?’ Perdikkas asked as Eumenes stood in his tent not long after; the sides had been lifted to allow a cooling breeze to flow through now that the sun was approaching the horizon. ‘It may deprive Leonnatus of his position but I get an idiot as my second-in-command instead as well as a drooling fool as king. A king, what’s more, over whom I have little control as Meleagros is his regent. And finally, if Roxanna does pop out a boy he becomes one of two kings or, perhaps, a half-king which would make me a half-regent.’ He gritted his teeth and stamped his foot. ‘Gods, how Ptolemy would love that, after accusing me of being half-chosen.’

  Ptolemy did have a point; he’s a clever lad. Eumenes put on his most sympathetic expression that had been well honed over years of dealing with the perceived slights suffered by these proud men. ‘That’s how it would appear on the surface but, consider this, Perdikkas: how would it be if the infantry agree to those terms – which they already seem to have done, having sent me to present them to you – but you end up regent to the fool and to the brat as well, should it be male, and with someone else as your second.’

  ‘How would that happen?’

  Enjoying the ambitious look on Perdikkas’ face, Eumenes pointed to the pitcher of wine, it had been a long day.

  Perdikkas poured them both a cup, offered one to the Greek and indicated that they should both sit down. ‘I’m sorry; it was ill-mannered of me not to see that you were comfortable before we started talking.’

  Eumenes was used to a lack of courtesy and, in fact, revelled in it as it meant he was being underestimated, understanding completely the value of being thus. ‘Think nothing of it, my dear Perdikkas; these are difficult times for us all.’ He made himself comfortable, took a sip of wine, tolerable, and sat back in his wicker-work chair. ‘Tell me, Perdikkas, what is the first thing that a Macedonian general does once a dispute within the army, of some magnitude, has been settled?’

  Perdikkas did not need to think. ‘He purifies the army. Nothing else can happen until the Lustration ceremony has taken place.’

  ‘Exactly. Now, assuming that you agree to these terms, what message would you send me back with?’

  ‘I would say to Meleagros that it is agreed and we should have the Lustration tomorrow at the second hour after dawn.’

  ‘And he won’t even question that?’

  ‘Of course not; he will expect it.’

  Eumenes rolled his cup between the palms of his hands. Now we shall see your aptitude for treachery, Perdikkas. ‘It so happens that the men you’ve been paying to sow discord in the infantry have been rather successful.’

  Perdikkas took a sip and savoured the vintage whilst considering the statement. ‘I’m pleased that I haven’t wasted my money.’

  ‘Meleagros wants to root them out from his ranks.’

  ‘I’m sure he does.’

  ‘I could suggest to him that the Lustration would be a suitable time to do it.’

  Perdikkas frowned and leant forward in his chair. ‘Do you think that I would be foolish enough in helping Meleagros rid himself of my agents?’

  Eumenes raised a conciliatory hand. ‘My dear Perdikkas; I did not for one moment imply that you should do that. I only said that I could suggest to him that the Lustration would be a suitable time to do it; however, I won’t be saying to him that we will do it but neither will I say that we won’t.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Where would this Lustration ceremony take place?’

  ‘The palace courtyard is big but not big enough for what we have to do so I suppose the best place would be out here on the plain.’

  ‘And what would Meleagros say to that?’

  Perdikkas shrugged. ‘Well, he would agree; we have to purify the army, after all.’

  ‘Especially as he thinks the ceremony will be used to get rid of all those who have been working against him and that you will help him do so as a part of the deal.’

  Perdikkas’ eyes narrowed.

  I think he’s starting to catch on. ‘So, tomorrow you will cut a dog in half and take one piece to one side of the field and the other to the opposite side and then have the army pass between it whilst prayers and what-have-yous are said; all very pious. But, at the end, where will that leave the infantry?’

  Perdikkas looked baffled by the question. ‘On the plain, of course.’

  ‘And the cavalry?’

  The frown deepened. ‘On the plain as well.’

  ‘And the elephants?’

  The notion was getting through to Perdikkas. ‘On the plain with
the cavalry.’

  ‘And what happens to infantry caught, unsupported, out in the open, by cavalry?’

  Perdikkas slowly smiled. ‘Oh, Eumenes, you are a—’

  ‘Sly little Greek?’

  But it was not sly that best described how Eumenes felt the following morning as, sitting mounted next to Ptolemy in the front rank of the cavalry, he watched Perdikkas, with King Philip nominally assisting, sacrifice a substantial hunting hound in front of the army: it was apprehensive. Both infantry and cavalry were arrayed out on the plain, on the east side of the Euphrates, beyond the city’s outer wall that enclosed the gardens which surrounded the entire eastern half of Babylon in a verdant swathe.

  The sacrifice complete, the dog was cut in two, and then, to the accompaniment of the droning imprecations of the priests of Zeus and Ares, each half was dragged, smearing a bloody trail, to opposite sides of the field, north and south, a thousand paces apart.

  With a blast of horns and a clash of swords on shields, the phalanx, without their pikes but drawn up in battle order, sixteen men deep, crashed forward with the thunder of twelve thousand feet marching to a steady beat. On they went, east, helms glowing brazen, with Meleagros and Eukleides leading them, as the priests kept up their prayers, cleansing the infantry in the eyes of the gods.

  Eumenes turned to his neighbour. ‘I forgot to ask you, Ptolemy, but how are the elephants this morning?’

  Ptolemy continued looking straight ahead, shading his eyes against the morning sun. ‘I believe they’ve had their breakfast and should be joining us at any moment.’

  ‘How gratifying.’

  ‘Yes, I thought so too.’

  Eumenes glanced over to where Perdikkas now sat on his mount at the head of the cavalry formation with King Philip next to him, dressed again as Alexander and holding his elephant; his apprehension grew. I hope the fool remembers what to do and I hope Perdikkas has the stomach to do this properly and then, perhaps, we can all get on with making ourselves fabulously rich whilst attempting to maintain Alexander’s legacy in the most logical manner.

  The final rank of the phalanx passed between the divided carcass but the formation marched on further out onto the plain, three, four, five hundred paces, until, satisfied that there was enough room for the cavalry to pass between the sacrifice, Meleagros brought them to a halt; with much stamping of feet, the formation turned one hundred and eighty degrees to face their comrades. Meleagros and Eukleides then made their way through to the new front rank.

  Raising his right fist, Perdikkas pumped it thrice. The calls of officers echoed along the line, five hundred men across and six ranks deep, and with the jangle of three thousand harnesses and clatter of twelve thousand hoofs, the cavalry moved forward at the trot.

  Eumenes gripped his thighs tight to his horse’s flanks, swaying his body to the rhythm of the beast, holding the reins in his left hand and with his right resting on his hip. The priests continued their dirge appealing to the gods to cleanse the cavalry in the same manner they had done the infantry. Through they went between the two halves of the carcass, horses snorting and whickering, bridles clinking and dust rising from thousands of hoofs; as the sixth rank cleared the sacred line, Perdikkas punched the air once more and again the cries of the officers rose from the formation but this time the order was much different, for it caused the formation to change. With the swiftness born of manoeuvring on many fields of battle, the cavalry formed wedges, eighteen in all, right across their line without breaking pace. Another air punch and another order shouted and the entire line broke into a canter; a communal moan rose from the phalanx as they realised their predicament.

  With fifty paces separating the two arms of the army, Perdikkas brought his men to a halt.

  Eumenes noted with amusement a smile flicker across Meleagros’ face. That will soon go.

  Meleagros turned and bellowed for order as disquiet grew within the infantry ranks.

  ‘They don’t look too happy, it has to be said,’ Eumenes observed as he noted the concern on most of the men’s faces.

  ‘The same can’t be said of Meleagros,’ Ptolemy said, turning in his saddle. ‘Ah, here come our guests. I’m always pleased to see the elephants; when they’re on our side, naturally.’

  ‘Naturally,’ Eumenes agreed, craning his neck to see the two dozen surviving elephants remaining to the army of Babylon trundle onto the plain, trunks flicking and ears flapping; great bronze sheaths decorated their tusks and their mahouts sported gaily coloured tunics and turbans as they urged their beasts forward with gentle taps of their canes. At their centre, mounted in a howdah, stood the huge figure of Seleukos, whose command the elephant brigade had been before he had been given the Hypaspists as a reward for fine service. And now he was bringing his former charges out in support of Perdikkas. ‘Although I must confess: being half the size of Seleukos it’s hard not to find him as intimidating as a bull-elephant.’

  Another moan rose from the phalanx and a thousand hushed conversations broke out.

  At the sight of the elephants, Perdikkas kicked his horse forward and, accompanied by King Philip, rode to within twenty paces of the phalanx; the phalanx went quiet. ‘Macedonians!’ he roared, holding Alexander’s ring aloft on his forefinger. His trailing white horsetail plume, decorating his helmet, fluttered in the breeze. ‘For too long there has been bad blood between infantry and cavalry. On this day that blood is cleansed. But, as with the Lustration, which has cleansed the army as a whole, the bad blood between us needs a sacrifice. You will have noted your position, my friends. With one word from me the cavalry will be at your flanks, and then in amongst you; but that is not what any of us would want to happen. We cannot have Macedonian fight Macedonian; it must never come to that!’ Perdikkas paused to let that sink in. ‘We must put all this bad feeling behind us to ensure that such a challenge to the king’s authority,’ he shook the ring, ‘and Alexander’s authority, does not happen again. Here is your king.’ He gestured to Philip, slouched on his horse next to him.

  This will be interesting.

  Startled by suddenly having to do something, Philip jerked upright in the saddle and looked around him in surprise.

  Perdikkas hissed at him.

  Philip nodded with slow understanding as the memory of his orders came back to him. He cleared his throat with a welter of drool and threw his head back; the words tumbled out in a rush: ‘I command you to give up the three hundred foremost supporters of Meleagros for punishment.’ The voice was surprisingly strong and, being naturally high, carried to all the members of the phalanx who gaped at the man they had chosen to rule them.

  Perdikkas’ relief at the king not forgetting his lines was apparent in his grim smile as he pointed to the elephants now just six hundred paces away. ‘You do not have long to decide.’

  Very nicely done, Perdikkas; that should concentrate their minds.

  And concentrate their minds it did. Scuffles broke out within the massed ranks; some violent and bloody, others no more than an attempt to resist being manhandled to the front, as Meleagros and Eukleides, with the stark realisation that they had been double-crossed, slipped back into the depths of the formation

  Perdikkas signalled behind him and a dozen troopers dismounted, bearing coils of rope. As the elephants arrived alongside the cavalry line, reinforcing it, the infantry produced their sacrifice; three hundred men, some resisting to the last, others accepting of their fate, were brought to the front by their own comrades.

  ‘Bind their hands behind their backs and their ankles together,’ Perdikkas ordered as the rope was distributed, ‘and then leave them on the ground in front of you.’

  ‘I do believe that our Perdikkas is rising to the occasion,’ Eumenes commented with a satisfied countenance, his apprehension melting away. ‘This is going to be far nastier than I had hoped.’

  ‘Most gratifying,’ Ptolemy agreed. ‘A salutary lesson; one of the first rules of command. He’s coming on a treat, our Perdikkas.’
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  And not asking them to give up Meleagros was a shrewd move; they might just have baulked at that. There will be plenty of time to deal with him later.

  ‘Meleagros!’ Perdikkas shouted, ‘I know you’re bravely hiding in there somewhere; never fear, I shall find you. However, in the meantime, order your command back one hundred paces; I don’t want anyone killed accidentally.’

  There was silence for a dozen heartbeats and then a horn rang out and the phalanx shuffled back, in a very unmilitary manner, the distance required of it leaving a line of bound prisoners on the ground before them.

  It was not until the elephants took position, single-file, facing down the gap between the two formations that it became apparent as to what was to happen. Struggling against their bonds as they realised what lay in store for them, the condemned men shouted for mercy, prayed to their gods, pleaded with their comrades or just sobbed in misery that the last ten years should end thus.

  But no entreaty could dissuade Perdikkas from his purpose, and that purpose was clear: to re-establish his authority; and none watching could deny that it was a fearsome way in which to do it as he signalled to Seleukos. With much trumpeting, the elephants rumbled forwards, slow at first but with a gradual increase in speed until the very earth trembled with their passing.

  It was at full charge that the first heavy foot crushed the nearest head like a watermelon, spurting its juices wide in sudden explosion. And even the bravest of the three hundred screamed in terror at the sight; men, who had faced so many dangers and had risked their lives for Alexander on numerous occasions, soiled themselves at the sight of the towering beasts barrelling towards them, heads tossing, trunks waving and feet thundering. The pulping of the second prisoner’s stomach and crushing of the third’s legs sent the already writhing captives into heightened struggles to free themselves from their bonds. Some managed to get to their knees and a few even to their feet, hopping away from the oncoming menace in a ludicrous manner, bringing forth much mirth from the cavalry.