Eumenes 1, Chapter 6: Death March

“Nearkhos, what do you say about your fleet?”
“A perfect navy.”
“It's time you unite three navies, Persian, Indian, and your own. You take its supreme command as the Makedonian admiral.”
“Yes, my Lord. And we will soon connect all the seas of the world with our fleet.”
“Sounds great! It's my gift for you, but also a burden on you, isn't it?”
“No, my Lord. I do my best to meet your expectations, but there remains the last thing we haven't done yet.”
“Gedrosia?”
“Yes.”

Once upon a time there was a series of wars, which have continued for almost eighty years in Europe. The Persian king Khshayarsha marched himself toward Hellas bringing allies from all nations, killed the Lakedaimonian king Leonidas at Thermopylai. Also by water, the king dispatched admiral Artemisia, the queen of Halikarnassos. The Persian king deeply trusted her. Athenians elected dictator Themistokles to cope with Artemisia. He lured her to his home waters near the island of Salamis. The Hellenic allies initially appeared to back their ships away as if in fear. The narrow strait got very crowded with Persian ships and they become disorganized. When the tidal current changed the direction and the morning wind blew, the Hellenic allies were far from disintegrating but lined up and ready to attack. Hellenic allies pushed back and finally won the Persian war. But after the war, Athenians expelled Themistokles, the hero of the war, judged by the democratic voting, the Ostrakismos.
Hellenes used to be good sailors holding superiority over the Pontos. But afterwards almost Hellenic sailors left Athens to become Persian mercenaries, serving wealthy queen Artemisia. As a result, though Athens and its allies once repelled Persia, the Pontos was almost united by Artemisia, including Phoenician and Egyptian fleets. Consequently, the Delian League, which was under the leadership of Athens were crushed by the alliance of Halikarnassos and Lakedaimon in the Peloponnesian War.
Before King married Raokhshna, he loved a middle-aged Persian lady, who bore his first son Herakles. She was one of the students in Mieza, exiled from Halikarnassos to Makedonia. Before loved by King, she had some husbands and daughters. Her husbands as well as her father and brothers were all Persian admirals. She is the heiress of Halikarnassos royal family and succeeded Artemisia's heritages. She is Barsine.
As Alexandros defeated the Persian king Darayavaush III at Issos, one of Barsine's daughter was engaged to Nearkhos, it means that he was appointed to the next admiral of the navy.
A navy is a kind of dynasty succeeded by an admiral family, almost independent of nations, which organize armies. In general, an army is an autarkic or agricultural community which needs almost no money, whereas a navy is an economic system depending on world trades. Persia is wealthier than Athens, and Makedonia became much wealthier now. Almost automatically, the united Hellenic navy received the patronage of King Alexandros.
The Cretan boy Nearkhos was sent to Makedonia as a hostage. He became one of good friends of Makedonian prince Alexandros, as well as some students at Mieza, such as Ptolemaios, Perdikkas, Hephaistion, Barsine, and me.
King conquered Egypt and Babylonia, becoming the Egyptian pharaoh and the king of Babylon. Nearkhos began to recover the 'Canal of the Pharaohs', which was initiated by Nakhtnebef II, reinforced by Darayavaush the great, but almost abandoned for long years. This canal could link the Pontos and Red Sea by water.
Nearkhos already acquired both of Hellenic and Persian navies, and now the brand-new Indian navy is given to him. “To establish the Indo-Persian route, we need at least ten harbors along the Gedrosian coast. I'm afraid it will be as a difficult task as making a canal connecting the Pontos and Red Sea.
I sailed here from Egypt, examining the lands by myself. I saw many villages and villagers near the seas, but there dwelt almost only fish-eaters.”
“Fish-eaters? You mean fishermen?”
“Yeah, how to say, it's very difficult to explain. I mean, that those fish-eaters are very primitive fishermen. We Hellenes, of course, are also fishermen in general. Especially we Cretans primarily eat fish. But we don't live only on fish. But they really do. We also eat vegetables and animals. We cultivate and grow plants. We have harbors and boats and ships, meadows and farms and gardens, livestock and poultry, tackles and fishing gears, but they seldom have.”
“No harbors nor ships. No tackles nor gears. Then how they catch fishes?”
“By hand, or sometimes using nets made of the bark of date-palms, twisting the bark like twine. Yes, they are very poor fishermen. Only a few of them fish, for only a few have proper boats and have any skill in the art of catching fish; but for the most part it is the receding tide which provides their catch.”
“Explain in detail.”
“When the sea recedes and the earth is left, where the earth remains dry it has no fish, but there are hollows, some of the water remains, and in this a large number of fish, mostly small, but some large ones too. They throw their nets over these and so catch them. They eat them raw, just as they take them from the water, that is, the more tender kinds; the larger ones, which are tougher, they dry in the sun till they are quite sere and then pound them and make a flour and bread of them.”
“They make flour from fish powder to make bread?”
“Yes, precisely. Others even make cakes of this flour. Even their flocks are fed on the fish, dried; for the country has no meadows and produces no grass.”
“What kind of fish they catch?”
“Well, various kinds, but mainly, some kinds of tuna.”
“Oh, tuna. You tasted it?”
“Yes, I tried. Natives brought me in a friendly way, gifts from a tribe's village; tunny-fish baked in earthen pans. They collect also in many places crabs, oysters and shell-fish. There are natural salts in the country. They also make oil from date-palms, in addition, use various flavorings, pepper, garlic, mustard, or turmeric, in varying ratios, stimulating the appetite.”
“Did it taste good?”
“Yes, considerably. I'm the first Hellene who had seen cooking their food and been served such excellent cuisine.
Those of them who inhabit the desert parts of their country, treeless as it is and with no cultivated parts, find all their sustenance in the fishing but a few of them sow part of their district, using wheats as a relish to the fish, for the fish form their bread. The richest among them have gardens of date-palms. They build huts; they collect the bones of any large fish which the sea casts up, and use them in place of beams. Doors they make from any flat bones which they can pick up. But the greater part of them, and the poorer sort, have huts made from the fishes' backbones.”
“I cannot rely on such fish-eaters.” King laughed. “Then what should we do now, Nearkhos?”
“I know the only way, which you used to use in such situations.”
“A special division?”
“Yes, my Lord.”
King always divides or appends his troops according to strategic decisions. Some division is left for defence or dispatched in advance frequently. This time he divided his army into three brigades.
From here, Boukephalia, King dispatches Krateros taking charge of the major brigade, traveling west along a caravan route in mountains to Kerman as safely and straight as possible.
Another is the fleet of Nearkhos, goes down Sindhu, tries to reach Persian Gulf traversing the coastland of Gedrosia.
King himself leads the rest, which is rather small consisting of volunteered veterans including Perdikkas, Ptolemaios and Hephaistion. It goes along the coast, digging wells to supply water to vessels sailing off-shore, also settling dockyards and facilities to establish Indo-Persian sea lane.
King tells Vakhshuvarda, “Belong to Krateros team and take your family to the Gandharan route. We will meet in Kerman or Susa. Look after yourself and see you later.”
“Me too?” Raokhshna says. “My lord, please take me with you all the way.”
“Ridiculous,” King half laughed, half angered. “You can't. As you know, we are fearless soldiers. Disease, wound, fatigue, drowsiness, hunger or thirst. For any reason whatsoever, if a volunteer gets unable to walk, we forsake him with no mercy. Expecting a big reward and honor, he must save himself. A tough guy cannot survive, much less a woman like you.”
“I know it well.”
“You want to die?”
“Yes, I do. I don't understand why you are still alive, seem too much lucky to die easily. I've hoped to die after seeing your death, but now I'd rather die beforehand.”
“Why?”
“When my uncle Darayavaush ascended the Persian throne, I was only eight years old. To support my uncle king my father got very busy campaigning around Persian districts such as India and Kerman. As father was always absent from home, I was sent to general Spitameneh, who is Apama's father. She is now assigned by you to our care manager, but I respected her deeply as my elder sister.
My sister Apama used to be a jolly girl, cheerful and youthful like Amastri, had never been such a depressed and miserable woman.
“It'll be a long story, darling.”
“Can I tell you?”
“Go on, as much as you want.”
“Apama had a younger brother. His name was Mazdayasna.
He and I were just the same age. We lived in the same home, getting along very well like true family. We spent so happy days in youth. Unconsciously we got love each other. Any time he treated my so gently. I dedicated my life to him. We were so happy. Everybody blessed us. We could be a good wife and husband. Apama would become my true sister, and Spitameneh, my true father.
Suddenly everything changed. Barbarians invaded Bakhtrish. That's you, Makedonians. We were defeated. Spitameneh and his son Mazdayasna made up their mind to resist until the very last moment. But one night it happened, which I never hoped. Spitameneh's wife killed him. She cut off his head and came out of the bedroom. At the sight of her bringing his head in her hand, Mazdayasna got mad, killed her with a single stroke of the sword. Relatives and servants then attacked Mazdayasna all at once, chopped him into pieces. When he lost his life he was just sixteen years old. The heads of Spitameneh and the son were sent to you, my Lord, by his clan as a sign of surrender. You showed me and Apama those heads, intentionally, “I suppose these are of your family.” Instantly Apama saw the faces she lost her color and fainted, fell into a coma for three days. It also caused me severe shock, I vomited heavily, unable to eat almost everything, especially meats.
You are a so horrible man. Do you have human mind? Even now I frequently awaken from sleep at midnight dreaming the bloody head of Mazdayasna, spring up and scream. Oh, I truly curse you.
We couldn't share our future because you intruded our life and smashed apart.”
“Terribly sorry, but I didn't have any other choice. Your father Vakhshuvarda confined his wife and children in the fortress of Sogdia, and he took refuge into the deep Scythia, attempting to prolong the war. He was then the top of the successors to the Persian throne. He owed duty to recover the kingdom. He and Spitameneh estimated optimistically that the stronghold would never fall in a year or two because it was fortified heavily on the top of a steep rocky cliffs with enough stock of foods and water. But my soldiers climbed it up in one night, let it surrender and captured you princesses.
Hearing the fall of the stronghold, Sogdians got into panic, desperate to send Spitameneh's head. I didn't kill him, had no intention to kill him, either. If he surrendered, I courteously employed him like your father Vakhshuvarda.
Oh, Raokhshna, my darling, when I did your family and relatives bad conduct?”
“Everything is your fault. If you did not intrude our country Bakhtrish, nothing would happen. Why didn't you spend a peaceful life in your home country Makedonia, loving your people all your life, while loved by your people? My father and Spitameneh were both peace-loving lords, if you didn't start wars against Persia.”
“That's not true. Peace is an instant chance lain in tedious wartime. Someone wins, other one loses. In this world, like the movement of a pendulum, the sequence of troubles never ends. There are countless reasons why I had to come to Bakhtrish, but I didn't want to do so. At least it's not my fault. A king, whoever he is, I or somebody else, has no choice but to use his power to calm down the world. It's a crucial medicine the world requires. Every man knows such a thing well.”
“Do what you believe in, but you know, nobody hates you more than me. I would kill you anytime you sleep well in bed beside me. You should kill me before I kill you. You had better discard your stupid plan to marry Persian women to Makedonian men.
Oh, woe to the man who will marry Apama inheriting the blood of a husband-killer.”
How could she curse Apama? She is innocent and irrelevant.
Raokhshna mocks, “and I was also born under an evil star to be a husband-killer. But it is lucky that my husband is you, not Mazdayasna. If I was destined to kill him, I would rather kill myself.”
Her words frightened us. We are afraid King kills her in anger drawing the sword from his back, but he keeps quiet.
“Raokhshna, you are my brilliant star.”
Her eyes gleamed under her long hair. 'Raokhshna' means 'light' or 'shining' in Persian.
“The blood of husband-killer. It may also flow through my veins.” He gives hollow laugh, “My father most likely was killed by my mother.
I know very well. You won't kill me. Because you already loves me more than anybody else, much more than the son of Spitameneh. You must love me because I love you more than anybody else.
You must know well how much I love you. Since I met you I have a sound sleep every night hugging you. I'm not afraid you because you are the last woman in the world who makes me regret even if she kills me.”
“The most disgusting joke I've ever heard. You always sleep well only because you are so indifferent to your life that you feel nothing even if you are killed by me in bed as well as shot by enemy's arrow in battle. That's all.
You, Makedonian king, you intend to unite the cultures and civilizations of Hellas and Persia, by celebrating a mass wedding in Susa. You arrange marriages, not only of you and me, but also between tens of thousands of Persian noble wives and Hellenic officers. Insane!
I used to visit the old city, Susa, invited as one of Persian princesses. All peoples from all nations welcomed me in majestic Palaces. I was very proud of it. But now, I lost my nation. There is nowhere I return to. Our dynasty has ruined. Susa is yours, our homeland Bakhtrish is, too. Also Syria, Babylonia, Assyria, and Egypt. I don't have a tiny piece of ground where I live. Needless to say, I don't want to be your wife, nor live as a mother of your children.
I wanted to meet my dear Mazdayasna in heaven after I see your last moment by my own eyes. But I completely get sick of living with my inconsiderate husband, I can't stand it any longer, hence I'd rather leave this world in advance.” Raokhshna traces over the scar on the King's chest with her finger, touching her womb by the other hand. “My baby is as pitiful as me. Simply because I am your wife, and simply because my baby is your child, we spend uneasy days, dreaming nightmares every night, scared of enemies' silhouettes. Only death will liberate us forever. Thinking of my baby's destiny, I would like to be forsaken by you and die.”
Holding her tightly, King keeps frowned and silent, but shortly after, he opens his mouth, “You were born to be robbed by me. God gave me you. You are prohibited to die freely. The god who gave you to me won't permit it. Your children also succeed the destiny. You cannot escape from your star under which you were born. You can only accept your fate.”
King turns to the father of Raokhshna. “What do you think? I don't mind if you also come with us.”
“Either will do.” Vakhshuvarda says showing no emotions.
“So, Eumenes, you take Amastri and Apama, and wait us in Kerman.”
“No, I go with my sister and father, too.”
Oh, Amastri hits upon a crazy idea again.
“Stop it, you restless girl. My Lord, I supervise her with attention. Also I teach her on the way.”
“Master, you also come with me. I never let you go.”
“Why are you so persistent? You must learn obedience.”
“We are members of Persian royal family. I followed my father crossing Oxos and Iaxartes rivers, climbing the rocky mountains of Sogdia, drinking muddy water and chewing tree roots, fighting against enemies until the fortress fell with soldiers. Apama also did. We are not such tender girls. If my sister goes, I'll also do. If I go, then my house maid Apama, and my teacher you should go with us. That's your obligatory duty.”
“Oh, my goodness. How about you, Seleukos. If you come along with me, I will feel much safer.” Though still young, he is a capable man, several times I relied on him and his soldiers since he joined us.
“No. I have little military career yet. I don't think this is the time to take a risk for me and my colleagues. It is a very important period to foster my clan. I and my colleagues are all freshmen. I can't involve them. I also don't think it's a suitable job for me in this case.”
“I understand your situation.”
“Sorry for that.”
I'm caught up in a calamity due to the princess sisters.
Apama is the most pitiful victim. She was a member of an honorable family with origin coming from ancient times before Persian sovereignty reached Sogdia. But she was captured along with the Persian refugees. Since then she was bound to serve Persian princess sisters. As her lord was destroyed, her family was also scattered. Her father, brother and mother are all dead. Her life is nothing more than those of slaves.
“Amastri, what do you do with your loving Airanjana?”
“I have to leave her now, because she drinks a lot of water every day.” Her voice dropped. “General Seleukos, can you keep my pet elephant, Miss Aira? She is a big eater, but can help you carrying heavy luggage.”
“I'm willing to, Her Highness.” Seleukos grinned.
“I'll go with you, my friends.” Kalanos says.
“No, it's hardly possible that an old man like you survive in desert.” I interrupted in spite of myself. “Your favorite nuts and leaves are not there.”
“You know nothing about me, young man. I know much better than you about weeds and trees, forests and deserts. In my youth, I use to ate one hemp seed in three days. Then I ate it in five days, then ten days. In such a manner, I trained to get along with starvation. Do you try it in desert?”
“You can't my grandpa,” says Amastri. “Instead, would you please go with my elephant? She is a water goddess and can't live in desert. You know elephants very well because you are an Indian. Keep your eyes to her, giving her much water, please.”
Kalanos gazes at her a moment, then says, “you are a kind-heated girl, more than I expected. All right. I'll go with your elephant, and bring you back her in the future.”
“Thank you grandpa.”

“Discussed enough? September has come. Let us go.”
King took off the saddle from the back of Boukephalas II and instead put baggage on it, he himself pulling its harness, whereas a camel was assigned to princess sisters for riding together.
Nearkhos reported that the Gedrosian sea was fit for navigation after the beginning of winter, from the setting of the Pleiades until the winter solstice; At that season mild breezes usually blow from the land, and these winds are convenient on a coasting voyage both for oars and sails.
King must go in advance to prepare by digging wells and forming depots of provisions at convenient points, before the fleet, which is scheduled to start in late October, will catch up. We also need great effort to collect provisions from the land to supply vessels. King wanted to keep as close to the coast as possible to be able to serve his fleet, but the coastal areas are almost burning arid desert. Inland areas are more appealing where crops and water are abundant. King packed the products, marked the luggage by his own seals, sent them crossing the desert to ships, but the carriers and guards stole most of the foods and ate by themselves, because the hunger is so urgent that they preferred King's punishment to starving. Furthermore, soldiers killed many of baggage-animals of their own accord. When provisions were lacking, they came together, and slaughtered most of the horses and mules. They said that the animals perished from the great depth of the sand, and the heat which scorched like fire, while a great many died of thirst. What was being done had not escaped Alexander's notice, but he saw that the best cure for the present state of affairs would be to pretend to be ignorant of it, rather than to permit it as a thing known to himself.
It was no longer easy to convey the soldiers who were suffering from disease, or those who were left behind on the roads on account of the heat, partly from the lack of beasts of burden and partly because the men themselves were knocking the wagons to pieces, not being able to draw them on account of the depth of the sand.