Son of the Star, born of the Mountain Alexander the Great

– Are there archers here? asked the master.

“I can use a bow,” said Nearh, stepping forward,

– How many boards does an arrow strike a bow? – he added.

– One, at a distance of half a stage, Cretanian replied.

– Take the mechanism into the hands of the young man, – and he gave the couch a gastraphist, he took it, as the mechanic showed, and the mechanic put the arrow in the chute again, showed that it was necessary to move the corner of the house where there were two boards, and on command he pressed the hook the descent, the impact of the arrow hitting the belly was impressive, but with a bang, the arrow broke through both boards through. Alexander came up to look, and other eters also began to consider the place of entry.

– Great, the masters you have surpassed yourself, I will write to my father about this, the money will be given to you. And the device with gears is also interesting, but what is it for?

“For different automata, and for clocks, you can measure the phases of the moon for priests.”

– And time to measure, hastily added another.

“The sun’s hands don’t fall on him, how can he measure time?” Said the prince.

“You can set up to measure equal intervals of time, due to the spring mechanism,” added the master, and as an improvement for water mills and machines for lifting water from mines.

– Very interesting, you are like Daedalus, a mechanic, these are interesting products, so Ptolemy, this is all better than a struggle to watch. You will be paid for all the devices, dear masters. The retinue left the house, the prince was in high spirits, and he was whispering about something with Hephaestion.

The best riders taught the young men how to stay in the saddle, how to rearrange themselves during the battle, to be controlled with a spear and a sword. Nearh Alexander liked Alexander’s horse, as he was obedient, as the Tsarevich tenderly courted Bucephalus. Once asked about Hephaestion

– And when Alexander bought Bukefal?

“Well, this is a whole story, get ready to listen,” he answered readily. and began his story, similar to the story of Bellerophonte: “Once a merchant came to King Philip, and offered a magic horse for twelve talents of silver…

– Twelve? – Noarch interrupted, – but one horse is not worth so much!

“Don’t interrupt!” Hephaestion frowned,

The king liked the horse, it was the best of horses, and he called for the best riders, but they were all thrown off by the wonder horse. Then the king got angry at the merchant, and said that the horse was bewitched, and no one could ride it. And no one wanted to go around because they were afraid. And only Alexander was not scared, he jumped on him, and drove him in a whirlwind, and flew around the marketplace like a whirlwind, and when he returned, the horse listened to Alexander, like a tame one.

Alexander got off the agitated horse, the people around him began to shine with smiles. King Philip, he was so pleased that he just broke into a smile for joy and pride for his son. And I stood nearby, did not take my eyes off a friend, and was so happy for him, as though he had tamed a brave stallion. And Philip approached the king’s heir.

“How can you call a horse, Alexander?” He asked his son.

“Boukefal” answered he, stroking the horse’s neck with one hand and holding the reins with the other. Alexander all shone with happiness too.”

Nearh carefully looked at Hephaestion, the king’s friend, and thought:

– The prediction came true… As always, not as you expect, but the bull Alexander tamed, he was born under the star, because the coat of arms of the Argeadas is a sacred star, born of a sacred mountain (Olympiad).. And you will not ask for advice, there is no one.. Only the priestess from Crete knows the prediction..

While Hephaestion was telling a true story, Alexander approached, and so that a friend did not see him, and with a sign he showed Nearhar not to say anything to a young speaker,

– So how many already? Twelve talents? – he said laughing, and slapped him on the shoulder, – No, much less Nearh, but the horse is true, a groovy Bukefal, it cannot be better, that’s for sure. You forgot to add, Hephaestion, that my father shed a tear, and added that Macedonia is too small for me.

“That’s exactly how it was,” Hephaestion agreed, laughing.

The Cretan looked at Alexander again, and with delight and pity, realizing what was coming him, he was standing against the sun, and it seemed to Nearhex that a crista flashed around him. Can not be. It’s not time yet…

War broke out with Byzantium, a city on the Bosphorus, and the command came from Philip Alexander to come to Pella and become governor in his absence. The retinue soon formed, and each gathered for a couple of hours with his servants and spare horses, and were ready to perform. Ahead was the path along the mountain roads of Macedonia to its capital, the road did not take much time, and soon they were in Pella, where people happily welcomed a sixteen-year-old prince. People liked that he didn’t look like Philip the sturdy, powerful bearded man, but rather resembled the images of Dionysus or Hermes, blond, light, smiling. At the trot, the detachment reached the palace of the Argead, it was a very peculiar building, with columns, different architecture, and most of all resembled the images of the Erechteion of Athens. Before the dares of the royal house, everyone dismounted, the servants took the horses, took the squires to the human, and the Eters led the butler to the inner courtyard, and then Alexander led the friends. The palace was beautiful, covered with frescoes on the inside, there were bronze lamps in many corners, but it was not luxurious beyond measure.

“The lower floor is in many ways a place for testing,” and he flashed his eyes at Nearch, down there even the lenoses stand for the Dionysian mysteries, beautiful marble, they look like sarcophagi, smiling at friends with gray-faced faces, times of holidays, you will pass the dedication, do not be afraid, this is a tradition such as in the Athens Eleusinian Mysteries.

Néarh stared at this beautiful building, hewn stone walls, polished marble floor, and in the main hall, which passed by, the floor was mosaic, as well as at the entrance to the palace. In the corners of the corridors there were bronze lamps on three or four legs, with images of griffins or lions. And so, the courtyard garden of the Palace appeared, the seats were arranged, and two armchairs, in one sat a beautiful and majestic woman, and the other was for Alexander. Seeing her son, Olympiad jumped up, almost ran up, and tightly hugged Alexander, kissed him several times, then pulled him to the chair, sat down opposite her, put a cup of wine in her hand, and sat down herself, and with a gesture invited her son to sit down, all sat down, but behaved somehow very wary, waiting for something. Servants smashed bowls of wine and snacks. And Nearh cautiously looked closely at the Tsarevich’s mother. Very beautiful blonde woman, with a complex hairstyle, in a precious silk dress, girdled with a belt of golden scales, and with a necklace of gold two-headed eagles, earrings were the finest work, from small chains, going down to the open shoulders, on her forearm gold bracelets with clasps in the form griffins, and several rings on the fingers, one of them with a signet. They were whispering among themselves, so no one heard.

– Good morning, true friends, – the Olympics greeted everyone, – I am glad, and I hope for you, because you will accompany the prince to the war. Tomorrow they will dedicate him to ephebs, “she quickly looked at her son, he looked at his mother carelessly,” It is necessary that you could command the army, “she explained to Alexander,” According to rumors, honey appeared in the vicinity of Amphipolis, and this is Pangeon, gold mines, funds for the army. So wait a little with this philosopher, saddle horses, disassemble armor, click squads, the time has come.

Dinner was served, everyone ate quickly, avoiding obscene jokes, and left to prepare for tomorrow’s ceremony. Nearh rose in his room, and a servant brought him a basin and a jug to wash, he quickly rinsed his smoking, dressed in the best, brought back from Crete, fastened a dagger to his belt, put on a signet ring, went outside, where Teres, a squire, was waiting for him, also in the best chiton and sleigh, friends came up with the servants, everyone looked great, and Alexander himself and his mother soon appeared, and the whole procession moved to the temple of Apollo. The priest cut off the hair strand, the mother asked not to cut off much, and dedicated him to ephebs, and called Alexander.

Trekking in Thrace

Antipater and Cassander quickly gathered light infantry and cavalry, phalangites and cataphracts would remain in Pella, in the mountains they would be useless. One thousand Agrians came up with their leader, five hundred Thessalians, gathered two thousand dimacs and five thousand peltasts and archers, it was enough for a hike, and two hundred tents for transport. While there were camps, Nearh and Teres went for a walk to the Ares Field, where phalangites practiced. He trained their hurricane, and watched all the hegeloh, the eldest lohag, the Macedonians were built three in the back of each other in full military armament with famous sarissas in their hands, attacking the straw doll at the same time with three spears, so that in a real battle to hit the enemy, one or two blows of distractions, and the third is fatal, and so that at the same time the peak would not get stuck in a dead body. The Cretan was impressed, but he acted mediocre; he wielded a great bow and sword, like Teres with darts and a dagger. He sat next to his servants, adjusting the straps on his armor, bought the most intelligent horse hair covered with canvas, Terems, at his request, of iron scales.

– Now you are free too, he turned to the servant, and your name is Eleftherion (free).

“You drive me out,” a servant asked with a wry smile.

– Free, you want to stay – I swear allegiance.

“I swear not to throw you at a feast or in battle,” he said, “especially at a feast,” Eleftherion joked, deftly dodging Teres’s crackle.

– Key ready? And spare? asked Nearchus to the squire.

– Everything is ready, sir, I checked everything, and packs, crackers, corned beef, raisins. All is ready.

Teres perfectly joined the squad of squires of the Eters, only five fights, and became his in this violent community, now he often dragged himself, it is better to call it that, according to the priestesses of love, with the Ptolemy and Hephaestion squires.The army advanced from Pella with the dawn, the Agrians and their leaders walked in front, a cavalry detachment led by Filoty, Cassander led the infantry and Polyperchon, Erygius and Laomedon were under his command, the Fessalians were entrusted to Leonnat, Eumenes took office and reconnaissance and did not regret about it, and Garpal became involved in supplying, and Ptolemy, Nearh and, of course, Hephaestion remained under Alexander.

The honey was driven away from Amphipolis at once, there were only a couple of skirmishes, and then the detachments were drawn into the mountain passes, and the mountaineers arranged ambushes and attacks where nobody expected. A detachment of cavalry and infantry, one and a half thousand people, led by the prince himself, pursuing a large massacre of honey, imprudently walked along a mountain trail, but the cunning honey walked around the pass, and found himself in Alexander’s rear, surrounding him. We went to explore the paths of Alexander with Hephaestion, Nearh and Cassander, three paths started on the ridge, and here he smokes it for the first time..

“Go along the middle path, along the middle path, in front of the archers along the ridge, behind them the Peltasts, and leave the horsemen and hypaspists at the dam,” he said in a half-whisper as if with himself, from which all his friends were thrown into heat.

He immediately turned to his friends, and smiling, as usual, said:

– Go along the middle path, go round the honey, I know.

“I will lead, I myself am an archer,” Nearhar suggested, the prince approached, looked into his eyes,

“It will work out, my friend,” Alexander said, putting his hand on Eter’s forelegs.

A detachment of three hundred fighters quickly assembled, and pulling their raincoats over their heads, the warriors, led by Nearhom, walked around the ridge, his squires were with him. Three hours later, closer to the night, they saw the Highlanders below themselves, so the position was magnificent.

“You’ll be ready,” Kuret handed the order to the hurricanes, and all the archers prepared to shoot, and the rest took the darts.

– Come on! – Nearhs made a whisper, he shot himself, and he saw one and a half hundred arrows and the same number of darts flew into the honeys, and immediately followed them again and again. At a distance of a hundred steps, it was hard to miss, and the honey fell ten dozen onto the stones, bleeding, tried to answer, but threw the darts up and not down, so only ten people died at the Macedonians and thirty-two were wounded, Thracian dart tip. In desperation, the mountaineers rushed to the dam, but there Alexander was already waiting for them, and began to throw their weapons and surrender to the Macedonians. More than a thousand honey and their leader were captured, he gave his sword personally to Alexander. The detachment with the king and the prisoners went into one of the valleys, where the rest of the army was waiting for him with Polyperchon and Erigy. Garpal organized the supply of food, the soldiers were quite well fed and happy, and Alexander went to the prisoners, to negotiate with the leader.

The leader of the honeys was sitting with tied legs, but his hands were released to him, and heaped with his batons in order to prevent the leader from having rebellious thoughts. The prince, smiling, already in a clean dress, sat in a folding chair opposite the chieftain.

– Hello, Res, – he turned, – I broke all your troops, you are in captivity, it’s time to think about the world.

“I will not be a slave to the Hellenes,” the leader replied, proudly throwing back his head, and the golden hryvnia on his neck proudly flooded.

– Why do I need slaves? – Alexander was surprised, I don’t have anything to feed them, he laughed a little, with his head on his shoulder, – But your fortress will be mine, and you will swear loyalty, and every year you will send me five hundred lightly armed and two hundred horsemen, and you will give your son hostage. And you will not rob the roads.

“But these are our customs,” Al already scoffed.

“There is no more,” Alexander stretched out his hand to him, and after a pause, the leader extended his hand, having sealed the contract. Then they swore in the presence of the priests, and without the ropes on their feet, honey was present at the feast. Just the soldiers killed three wild boars, and one was given to the royal retinue, and he was fried in a hole, long tormented with herbs. The feast turned out great, but the guard was sober, afraid of the treachery of the Highlanders. Moved along the mountain roads to the city of Reza, the fortress for a few days. Going to the city, the Macedonians decided that everything was perfectly arranged with the honey-fortress was well fortified, the moat and the shaft were very wide, and although the wall was low, he moat and the shaft were insurmountable.

“I like the fortress, Alexander,” asked Res, turning in the saddle to the equestrian prince too.

“Great,” looking at the city with an admiring gaze answered the young man, “I swear you will not regret the king about our contract.”

“I want to name the city in honor of you, Alexandropolis,” answered Res, Alexander simply beamed at these words, he adored expressions of self-love and answered a hundredfold.

“But I will leave the garrison here, stop fifty peltastes, Res, and I would like to look at the city inside, the prince added harsherly, and the Thracian looked at him with respect and understanding.” The horsemen approached the gates, and at the scream of Resa, the gates opened, and the Pelttes and retinue of Junior Argead entered the city. Inside were several squat houses, a well, stables, nothing surprising. The king spoke with his Thracian, and Teres translated the meaning of the speeches: “We lost, but the prince is kind, allows us to live according to our customs, lets the prisoners go, but demands to stop the looting, to send five hundred young men every year to serve him, and the king’s son as a sign of friendship, they will live near the Macedonians. And also the Macedonians will leave a garrison in the fortress, and if the Mezians attack Mead, Alexander will come to the rescue. “The elders who listened to the king, agreed nod, and as the servant conveyed to Nearh, they agreed. When the prince heard the words of a Cretan citizen about this, he was delighted with this answer of the elders, and called for Eumenes,

“Write to Pella to the mother and father that I conquered the honey,” he thought for a few moments, “and stormed their fortress and called it Alexandropolis. Recorded Eumenes?

“Yes, Alexander,” after a short time he gave the prince two scrolls, he sealed them with his ring and gave Evmen back.

– Send today with the messengers, father and mother. Such news they like more.

“Res, in a week you will send five hundred fighters to Pella, and one of the hurdles of Alexandropol conducts them,” the young commander ordered, the king of the honey nodded his affirmative to these words.

– Alexander, if the Mezians come, will you definitely help?

– I never lie, Res. I will come with the army, I swear by Zeus, – with these words the honey brightened, nodded and set out to place its wounded, and select people to serve the Macedonians.

After a day at the fortress, the army returned to Pella, returned victorious. Apart from the dead from the dead, Res paid twenty talents of silver, so there was something to pay the soldiers. On the way, part of the detachments were dismissed to their homes, and only hypaspists, Eters and Thessalians returned to the capital. Only on their way did the Eters see that Alexander grew gloomy more and more.

“What’s the matter with you, Alexander,” asked his closest friend Hephaestion, and he looked up at him with sadness,

“You know Hephaestion, they tear me apart, as if you can share my love,” answered the prince in impotence by hanging his blond head,

“What is he,” asked Nearh in a whisper to Ptolemy,

“He loves both his mother and father, but they don’t get along well, and the Olympiad has a very domineering character,” Alexander’s bodyguard replied to him. “I hope that this time it will be okay.”

Having entered the city, the prince dismissed the detachments to their homes, leaving the hypaspists and personal squad, and the entire retinue approached the palace, where Alexander sent a vestnik of his return, and since King Philip returned to the city with a successful war, in honor of his victory and victory Son called all the nobility to the feast. But first, the Eters went to the bathhouse, the palace had the same showers as Miez, so they managed to get comfortable in order, and after changing their clothes, the Eters went to the Great Hall of the Palace, but Alexander went to visit his mother, so long as he did not with friends. The hall was richly decorated, and for the sake of celebration, it was thickly hung with flower garlands, there were lodges for the Goths and small tables nearby, and a large table, on which stood oratory and subtle divine aromas of fine and wine, Philip and Alexander Lodge were near, on some elevation, they also invited two aedovs in order to brighten the ears of the guests with declamation and music. Philip, as the owner, was already reclining in a wreath of flowers, the prince was not there yet, and the butler indicated the place to the guests according to their merits and nobility, so Alexander’s eters were far from the royal place. Philip was gloomy, and already called the butler to him, as Alexander appeared, he was wearing a new beautiful dress, but he was collected and pale,

“You keep yourself waiting, my beloved son,” said the king, with a light reproach, “you have undoubtedly accomplished many feats, but still?

– Sorry, father, -Alexander came up and kissed the king on the cheek,

“Your son is a skillful commander!” Said Perdiccas loudly, “he has the sense of a true warrior!”

Philip really liked the praise of a skilled commander, and he didn’t hide it.

“I don’t like to shed blood just like that, and Alexander’s face slightly twisted, as if it were from pain,” but it’s better to live a faithful ally than scorched fields and mountains of corpses.

“Well, after all, you took Alexandropolis by attack,” Philip pointedly noted, “this is the Tsarevich who kept modestly silent,” now the hones will send us help, the tsar added for his entourage. And just the butlers filled the cups, and the king proclaimed:

– For my son, Alexander, the brave and intelligent commander!

All happily shouted and drank fragrant wine. Then they went merrily – they drank for the army, for Macedonia, then the saints began to perform excerpts from the Iliad, singing the heroic deeds of the heroes, and many noble births of the Macedonians were directly descended from the heroes of the Trojan War, at least it was thought so. Then they were just drinking a lot, and the young people with Alexander slipped out of the hall. On the way from the hall, all the prince’s friends noticed that the butler was leading the flutist and heter to continue the fun.

The next day, after saying goodbye to his father and mother, Alexander and his retinue gathered and moved to Mieza to continue their studies with Aristotle. They did not know what was left to study for less than two years. The arresttel taught the main thing that to act decently and correctly is better and more useful than to follow evil and commit evil. A letter came to Nearh that Kallifen would soon arrive with his son in Amphipolis, and the prince agreed that this was correct because it was not good when the wife was far from her husband, and the husband was from his wife. But Kallifen arrived only two years later, after a big war.

A new war broke out two years later, Thebes in alliance with Athens came out against Macedonia. The messengers from Philip jumped up so that the Eters and Alexander would gather and would appear in Pella, and that the prince would receive the sludge in command. It’s time for parting. mentor, everyone gathered, and went to his house. Alexander knocked on the door, opened the elderly servant of the philosopher, let the students into the courtyard,

“Come in, I will call the tutor now,” and quickly went into the house, from which he almost immediately emerged majestically and leisurely, leaning on his staff, dressed in white linen clothes befitting a philosopher, Aristotle.

– Hello Alexander, hello my worthy students, – he greeted,

“Greetings, Teacher, we came to say goodbye, I don’t know whether we will meet again or not,” Philip’s son began to speak loudly and clearly, “a great war began, and we should go on a campaign. We did not pass your training for nothing, and I hope you will be proud of us.

– I am also glad that you took lessons from me, I didn’t have any better students, and there won’t be. The best gratitude for a mentor is worthy student behavior.

“You will not be ashamed of having taught us,” Alexander added with a bow, and so the students of the Miezensh School said farewell to the philosopher Aristotle. And so ended their adolescence.