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

– What now, ashamed of victory, Attal said.

“I will make a sacrifice according to the old custom, I will redeem the spilled blood,” said the king, and ordered to bring himself a shepherd’s fur coat, a staff, and call for the flutists. When they brought the required, he undressed himself, put on a fur cloak, took the staff and went barefoot on the field, where there were no dead.

“Play Pirrich, warriors,” Philip ordered, and to the frantic rhythm of the instruments, he began to move to the beat of the music, offering a sacrifice to the gods with dance,

– We are already at home here, Alexander, – the Thebans shouted to him, – You’re the guest!

– Well, the prince shouted at them, – I will honor you!

– Ila line up, runners and hypaspists stand in the back of the head for equestrian, squires help the wounded! – he quickly commanded, and the warriors ran his orders running, running high-horse cataphracts, lined up in powerful armor, slinging up huge sarissas, and among them was Alexander and all his friends.

“Marsh, march, through one, with spears, forward,” in a youthful voice, commanded by a fair-haired leader, and on Bukefale, the first, holding a sarissa with two hands, directed her to one of the Thebans, they also took spears at the ready and covered themselves with shields. But can this shield protect against the impact of a long spear of a cataphract? There was an overwhelming crash, and the shield burst like a nut, and a fragment of a spear that broke at the moment of impact, broke through the chest of a brave foot soldier, and Alexander already sent his horse back to the ranks of the runners and hypaspists to change the spear, and other riders also attacked the best warriors of Thebes. Nearh saw Filota, Erigy, Ptolemy, repeating the same maneuver, in one of these races Ptolemy still touched with a spear in his hand, after a few seconds it was the turn of Notarch, and he, too, jumped on a horse and sarissa in two hands The Theban’s head, the tip of the spear pierced the copper helmet as an egg shell, and the enemy fell like a podkoshenny, but the warrior from the third row, in despair threw his spear at him, it hit the side of the wheel, when he turned around, he carried it out of the saddle, like extra eaglet from the nest. Nearh immediately immediately felt that he was already lying on the ground, and the wound in his side was bleeding a little, thanks to his father’s strong armor, and Teres was already racing on his horse, swinging his mace, he instantly dismounted, and on the other side Eleftherion ran up, and to them, breaking the ranks and hoping to kill at least him, the best guardsmen of Thebes fled. Kuret rose, threw a small shield from his back into the arm, pulled his sword out of its scabbard with a dry crack, and the fight boiled, for some reason, Neararu remembered that it was all in the manner of Homer’s Iliad the battle for Patroclus’s body (fortunately for him, he did not yet become Patroclus, for after all, while he was still alive). The Macedonian runners rushed to their aid, and the Thebans broke the line, and the battle turned into a bloody massacre. The Cretan man no longer saw the battle; he could only be cut down by a faithful mahaira. He fought together with Teres, and Eleftherion covered the rear, he was able to reach one of the opened Thebans with a chopping blow from the top, and another Teres hit his shoulder with his shestoper, and the enemy’s hand turned into a solid wound, so that his comrades dragged him to the rear. The fight continued, and soon Ptolemy rode up to him with his squires, and bent, clapping him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, from which Nearhs all twisted and hurt his whole body after falling, and a trickle of blood unpleasantly flowed down on his side, on his foot, and flowed into sandals.

– Well done, sorcerer! We broke their line, now we will press, retreat to the rear, where my servants of your horses were caught, armed, and come after us, “said the prince’s bodyguard, and his horse moved into the thick of the battle, covered by runners and hyperspasties. Nearh stumbled to the rear, limping on two legs at once, and saw the servants of Ptolemy holding their horses, Teres immediately ran to them with joyful leaps, but the shestoper did not give up, from which these people who did not know the Thracian close retreated quickly, and this newly appeared Hercules began to joyfully stroke horses and feed them crackers. Eleftherion, seeing the blood on the side and the leg of the owner, began to pull off his armor. What was fun for everyone to remember later was how Hephaestion especially laughed at him, about the fact that he remained in the helmet, but he was naked naked.And that the helmet, without a doubt, he is very beautiful, and looked all around it at his helmet and nothing more. The servant washed his wound, fortunately quite shallow, with wine, and planted from the bag, and put a tight bandage out of a clean canvas. Meanwhile, the battle, which turned into a massacre, ended, forty-six wounded and wounded Thebanian fighters were captured, and Alexander was tormented with them now, trying not to die, he loved everything rare, and two hundred and fifty-four killed fighters lay on the field, and the prince ordered the captive boeotians to dig their grave. Alexander sent for Nearhom, and dressed in a spare chiton, a Cretan man with servants stumbled under a shed, where Alexander was sacred. The fame of the art of the prince spread throughout the army, and the soldiers believed that if Alexander touched them, they would not die from their wounds. Having tied up the Thebans, the prince turned to them: removing the weight of the spilled blood from the soldiers and taking upon itself the weight of it, this dance was performed very rarely, this dance of the purification of filth.

Next to the Macedonian tent, at a distance of stages, the warriors fed the captured Athenians, and one of them noticed Philip’s sacred dance,

“The Macedonians have gone mad with blood,” one said scornfully.

“What to expect from the barbarians,” said another, thoughtfully eating up the Macedonian stew with the freshest flat cake.

Hearing this, the guard swung a spear shaft at them, but the lohag stopped the warrior.

“To the Athenians, any gratitude is alien,” said the Lochag with irony, passing by the captives.

Two thousand Athenians were captured, and the ambassadors from the City had already arrived, with a ransom offer. They met shortly after the Macedonian feast. The messengers reported to the king about the embassy, he met the heralds of the world on a beautiful armchair.

– Hello, Philip, you let the prisoners go home, but your Thracians took their cloaks from them and it will be cold for them to get home, many people may freeze at night, -the Athenian king turned to the king.

“Without any doubt, it will be fair,” Philip replied smiling broadly, he found it amusing. The Athenians left on foot, with donated raincoats and blankets, and the dead Athenians were put in carts, and a whole caravan gathered, and the carriers were the servants of the Athenians captured in battle. The king thought for a while who to send as a messenger of sorrow, and decided that the prince would be the best. Just once, everyone did not split up after the feast, and he addressed his son:

“Alexander, take the bodies to Athens, the mission is not pleasant, but you will be grateful, and you will visit this great city,” his father sighed.

“And you, tsar,” asked the prince, “you could come with me.”

“If I enter the city, they will think that I conquered them, and I want them to invite me,” said Philip with a tone and expression of an unlucky admirer rejected by a beautiful girl – the most beautiful city of Hellas! And some allies asked me to destroy it..

Philip sought not loyalty or fear of the Athenians, but their love. Each person wants more than anything else that he cannot receive, and here the king of Macedonia was no exception.

Alexander took with him supplies, friends from his retinue, silt of horsemen to protect the cargo. Ahead of the caravan, Philip sent a messenger to Demad, the archon of Athens, to his proxen, in order to warn about the embassy. It was necessary to move forward immediately, so the charges were short-lived, and Philip gave another letter for Demades, his acquaintance the king in Athens, that he would receive Alexander as he should, and the necessary money. Alexander took with him Hephaestion, Ptolemy, Nearh, Cassandra, Filotu, Leonnat, Eumenes and Garpal. The embassy moved as quickly as possible along the road from Thebes to the Plateaus, destroyed, but according to rumors, which the formerly expelled townspeople began to restore. Driving past the city, the Macedonians saw that it was true, and although there were only two churches in the city so far, people stubbornly rebuilt their dwellings, they continued their way despite the summer heat, to the Athenian Eleutheras, the border city between Attica and Beotia. But the travelers dropped in and worshiped Gera of Platea, visiting this beautiful temple decorated by Callimachus and Praxitele themselves, as well as the temples of Athena Areea and Demeter, and leaving the caravan for a while, Alexander and his retinue bowed to the monument to the lost Hellenes at the Battle of Plateo against Mardonius. The valley of Kiferon was full of wonders, and the prince did not regret that he had been sent for this sorrowful business, the return of the dead Athenians to their homes. Soon they approached the Eleutheras, where Alexander delivered the carts with the dead Athenians, but indicated that after nine days the carts themselves would be returned to Eleutheria, where the Macedonians would take them. Then the retinue rode in joy, there was no oppressive feeling of mourning, and the young people looked forward to the joy of meeting the beautiful city. The Athenian guides, near the city gates of Athens, demanded that the convoy stay in the field, and Alexander ordered ilyarkha to camp and wait for them here. The retinue, too, remained with a wait to wait for Demad, Philip’s proksen. It took about half a day, and the archon appeared with two servants. He was a man of about forty, with a small black beard and short hair, dressed in a long tunic and cloak, relatively modest, and he did not wear any jewelry, except the ring on his right hand.

– Hello Alexander, glad to welcome you in the City, and thank you for bringing the dead home. – the person who spoke was not very mobile, and he looked intently at the prince, – I would like to provide my house for you and the retinue. Share my modest meal with me. “It’s not according to our custom to come to the master of peace without a gift,” said Argead with his sonorous voice, “Take from your heart a gift horse from our herd, and Alexander’s squire brought the pedigree Thessalian stallion to Demad,

– Thank you, prince, a rich gift, Let’s go to the city, be guests at my hearth. But it is better to leave these horses with the warriors, I have a small house…

“We understand,” Alexander told the lingering archon with a smile, “our legs are worn as well,” and in response the friends laughed at the joke, so the Macedonians moved into the city on foot.

Inside, the city was not too different from other Hellenic cities – a narrow street between rows of manor fences made of uneven stone, alternating wickets for a turn, and a house with blank walls to the street, and looking out over the fences of fruit trees of home gardens. But over the city stood the Acropolis with the majestic statue of Athena. Finally, they entered the house of Demade, quite considerable in size, also built of stone and covered with plaster. The servants of the Eters and Alexander were taken to the Lads, and the host led all the guests to the garden for dinner, where a treat was already prepared, and the beds were arranged. The butler led the guests to their places, the servants brought tables with delicate dishes and fine wine, only Nearh had seen such feasts at his father’s house.

– I am glad to the guests, although I am not happy about your visit to our city, but I still consider you to be my and our friends, and war is a common misfortune. Let’s drink to the world! – Demad delivered a heartfelt speech, looking around at the makedonians, and they lifted the filled bowls, and pouring wine on the ground in honor of the gods on the ground, drank wine as a sign of agreement and blessing of the spoken words. Everyone considered war a misfortune.

The guests paid tribute to the archon’s dishes – extraordinary fish from Euksinos pontos, boneless and excellent taste, tuna, the best treat, seasoned cheese, and pickled fish, terrible in smell and unusual for the connoisseur. They had already drunk four cups each, and the wine hit my head slightly, the archon rang the bell, inviting flute girls and dancers.

The music was magnificent, but the eyes of the Eters were riveted to a naked girl, with curled black hair, she was thin, without too much heaviness, which attracted Praxitela. The lines of her body were commensurate, the movements were polished and charming, the matte roundness of the shoulders and hips was emphasized by long black hair, and the beauty of her face corresponded to the perfect shape of a small breast. When the dance was over, Alexander invited the sitter to sit on his bed, seeing this, Demad smiled rather, believing that he had pleased the prince.

– What is your name, dear, – asked the young man with interest.

“Tais, hetera,” the beauty replied without a shadow of constraint and attempts to hide behind or move away.

“Your art is beautiful, you look perfect,” looking at it with visible pleasure, he told her, but he did not try to touch her, which surprised Athenians, he was clearly puzzled, and looked with incomprehension.

Alexander felt the warm and floral scent of the body next to him, which pleased him, and felt the purse on his belt, and took out a handful of dariks and put it in the girl’s palm, covering her hand with his.

– This is for you, beauty similar to the Harits. I would like to come to you, said the young connoisseur of beauty.

“Come, you will find Thais’ house,” she answered fervently,

– Not only me, but friends will come.

– Then there will be a good society, I will invite artists, poets, philosophers. But I would like to see you alone, “said Thais, and slightly curving, smiled slyly and became even more beautiful,” to talk about medicine.

Everyone could not stand it and laughed, and Alexander, who looked at friends with incomprehension, laughed himself, and Tais, bending over, hugged him with his left hand and kissed him on the lips, the prince did not move away, and the dancer stood up and fluttered out of the garden.

“Neverh,” said Ptolemy in a whisper, “tomorrow I will need a brothel.” Yes, and others too.

The sun had already set, and the stars lit up, it became cooler and much nicer, the garden exuded evening aromas of flowers, and Alexander cheered up, in a strange city he didn’t feel very good, but now Athens no longer crushed him with his greatness and beauty.

They drank some more wine, and recovered to rest, the butler parted the guests’ rooms. I slept restlessly in a new place, and the eters woke up early, they brought water for washing, and quickly ate, was already the usual meal of tortillas, cheese and diluted wine.

– Are you escorting us, Demad? – asked the prince, – Inspect the Acropolis, and Alexander carefully looked at his friends, and they talked about something with the servants of Demad.

“Alexander,” as the senior Garpal turned, “you know, it turns out that the graves of the ancestors are located here, and we would like to examine them.” Niarc and will you come with us? “He looked at Cretnin, winking imperceptibly,

– Where are I from? – surprised kuret- I was from Crete, I dreamed about the Parthenon for a long time, and to explore the Acropolis with Alexander and Hephaestion is an honor for me.

However, Hephaestion, also went to look at the wonders of Athens, while the other Eters disappeared unnoticed. With the prince went two more servants with drinks, and the visitors of antiquities went through several stages and began to climb the Propylaea, looking upwards at the Acropolis rock, at the visible copper roofs of the temples. To the right of Propiley was the temple of Niki Apteros, but Alexander considered it inappropriate to visit this place. White marble marble rasps, and the roof is also made of Pentélicon marble, and decorated with statues of horsemen, and when they passed, the Propylaea saw at the entrance to the Sacred place as guardians the statue of Hermes and the statue of Harit. Here the site was met by a priest and a priestess from the Kekrop clan, Butatida.

– Hello Alexander, hello to you, Hephaestion, – the priest turned to him, – And you are Nearh, – having looked at his clothes, and having seen a ring on a finger, – hello to you, he smokes. None of you has been here since the days of Epiminides.

– Hello, Alexander, Hephaestion and Nearh, – in turn the priestess addressed them, -My name is Kallia, and the priest is Kallia. I am his daughter, and we are taking you around the Acropolis.

To the right of the entrance is the temple of Artemis Bravronia, a small but beautiful temple with a statue of Artemis by Praxitele and her especially Noarh studied it with all the attention, the face of the goddess was very interestingly executed by the artist, then Kallia led them into Pinakothek. Hephaestion walked incessantly with Alexander, and he, too, was very interested.

– This is a repository of rare and pictures of Athens, let’s go, you will see beautiful pictures of Polygnot., She convinced them. They came in and saw “The Boy Carrying the Jug with Water” and “The Wrestler.”, The picture of Thimenet, as well as other paintings depicting Achilles, Odysseus, and other ancient heroes, depicted with warmth in wax paint on primed wood.

Then they examined the giant statue of Athena Promakhos (Warriors), the work of Phidias, whose spearhead is seen by seafarers, and the golden shield and helmet shine brilliantly in the sun, the face of the goddess is beautiful and imperturbable. Callia and Callius led them to the majestic Parthenon, the frieze of which adorns the image of the birth of Athens, as a product of Zeus and eight columns greeted visitors with unshakable power and beauty. The servants were left outside, and four went into the temple, and Callia showed visitors a statue of the hero Iphicrat, whose image was installed in a temple lit by bronze lamps, the statue of the goddess herself, made of gold and ivory, is beautiful and amazing, the goddess is sculptured in a helmet, long chiton to toe, with a spear in his hand. Here Alexander brought a bloodless sacrifice to the goddess, and from the back side they examined the copper statue of Apollo, and the frieze of the temple, depicting the Attica dispute between Athena and Poseidon. Alexander began to behave strangely next to the altar of Athens and the stone of Dionysus, he stroked the stone for a long time, whispered something, and Notarh heard only: “The second time I was here, how everything changed …", the Cretan did not understand what the prince was talking about, because he had not visited the Acropolis before.

Callius led the Macedonians to the Erechtheion, the temple-palace, the temple-riddle, Nearh anticipated the sight of the rarity of Athens.

“Look,” the priestess caught the attention, “This is the altar of Zeus the Most High,” she pointed out with her hand, and the prince laid flowers on the altar,

“The Erechteion is like a palace in Pella,” Nearh said Neisarch in a whisper,

The entrance to the temple was decorated with sculpted images of the maidens, supporting the heads of the pediment of this beautiful building.

– So here are also hidden things in the basement, – the prince answered in a whisper,

– And this, she solemnly pointed out, pictures of the exploits of the priests, the Kings of the Butadids, descendants of Kekrop. All the main priests and priestesses of Athens of our kind. Next come the secret place of Athena, and the secret place of Poseidon. Only priests can see them, but you are both dedicated, you smoke Nearh, and you are Alexander of the royal family, as we are.

And she led them to the inside of the Erechteion sanctuary, where the mysterious mist covered the secret hall of Athena, where the procession began during scyrophorion, making the Athena Pallas’ fee, they went through the twilight, illuminated only by oil lamps, and finally reached the cloister of Athens-Pallas, illuminated by the uneasy Alexander and Nearh watched this miracle incessantly with the lamp of the greatest Kallimachus, made of gold, until Callia led them out, pointing to the closed salt water well in the temple that led to Persephone monastery and the place, the hatchway to the secret basement, where the crypt is hidden from everyone, where, according to legend, lives Erichtonius the Serpent, the father of the Athenians and a kind of priests Butadids. Nearby was the palace of Poseidon. Nearh looked and recalled, shown by Elicia, and everything came together – the sacred source leading to the habitations of Elishia, the Serpent-Kronos lair, and something else…

“Listen, madam, is there a sacred tree on the Acropolis?” Asked the priestess to smoke.

– You by chance, did not the great Epiminid teach, smoke? – asked Kallia in a half whisper and her eyes widened, and a fright shadow appeared on her face, – The consecrated olive of Athena grows next to the Athenian altar. And remember the oaths that you gave, but the Lady will not forgive.They also looked at the sanctuary of Zeus Polyei, and the priests led them from the Acropolis, going back to the Propylaea, they turned left, to visit Eleusinian, a sanctuary connected with the cult of Persephone and Eleusis, once a year, they bring a mysterious cargo to Eleussion. Kallia led them to the temple, and showed a statue of Artemis Levkofrina (white-browed), Nearh could not take his eyes off her, the image of this figure reminded him of something already seen.

– They went, Nearh, and then the goddess will steal you as a Phaeton, – Alexander laughed. “She would have liked you,” and Callia flashed her eyes at him.

“If you are marked, you are hers,” she said in a whisper, so she only heard her smoking, and he remembered the mark on her shoulder, and she wouldn’t take it anyway.

“Thank you, madam,” Nearh worshiped her, and his legs became wadded, and thought that perhaps he would be lucky.

“Thank you, Kallia, and you, Kall,” Alexander said confidently and proudly. “Receive a gift from me for a good memory,” and he took the fine silver bowls from the servants and handed them over to the Butadids.

“May the blessings of the gods be with you,” said mother and father to friends and said goodbye, the Macedonians went to the house of Demad, and the Butadids climbed the Acropolis. The three Macedonians, on their way to the house of Demad, discussed what they saw, and everyone agreed that the Athenian Acropolis is something extraordinary and unforgettable. It was already dusk, and the archon invited them to dinner, it was also an ordinary, but hearty meal, bread, fish, wine. Friends ate, and got ready for bed, and it was just that the Eters came with Ptolemy at the head.

– How did you find the Athenian Acropolis, Nearh? Interesting? – asked his bodyguard of the prince.

– Many terrific, especially the fire of Kallimachus, who is unbecoming, replied smoking,

– Like this? Whole year burns and does not go out? Interesting. Well, we can’t think about anything after Tais’s dances, went and found some girlfriends.

“Okay, I sleep, Ptolemy,” Nearhar said, yawning, and went to his room, but could not fall asleep at once, recalled the words of Callia, but fortunately, the fatigue took its toll.

The sun rose again above the beautiful Athens, and the rays fell on houses and streets, and the statue of Athia Promachos again shone from the light of Helios. All stood up and ate, and gathered in the gymnasium, as the servant came with a letter from Thais for Alexander.

The prince broke the wax on the papyrus scroll, and read the writing.

– What is it, Alexander? – Hephaestion asked impatiently.

– Fine Tais invites me to his place, – the young man replied with a constant smile, – I will go, of course, you can not refuse a beautiful girl,