I was stunned. We had not spoke, let alone seen eachother for more than 10 years, yet here Menedemos was already proclaiming me as his heir.
'I..this..' I could barely say anything, as I looked at Menedemos with wide eyes.
'Alexanor, do not think that I did this just to do you a pleasure. Of course, I have my own personal agenda to think of. Proclaiming you as my heir will certainly help the people of Pergamon believe in my pro-Attalidean intentions and you, being one of the locharchoi under Philetairos will certainly help that image.'
Clearly, I could see his intentions now.
'Then what is your intent?'
'I wish solely to lead a quiet life here in Pergamon, away from all the troubles of either the Seleukidai or the Attalidai.'
I opened my mouth and closed it again.
'What exactly is in it for me, in any way?'
He smirked, 'You would be named strategos of the standing armies and you would get to meet the last living member of Attalide family.'
'What do you mean, last living family member?'
He looked at me again. 'Have you not heard then?'
This time, it was my turn to smirk. 'Apart from the fine accommadations in my prison cell, I heard fairly little of the world outside.'
'Less than three years ago, both Eumedes and Soter, son of Attalos, were killed in defense of a Seleukide attack. Attalos still reigns as the governor of Nikaia, yet he is old and a broken man by the loss of his brothers and son.'
Before I had time to respond, one of the hoplitai came into the room.
'Strategos?'
Menedemos turned around and nodded.
'There is a messenger, sir. From Nikaia.'
'Well, send him through then.'
The hoplites nodded, bowed and then walked back. A young man, which I thought to be no more than 18 years old, ran into the room.
'Messenge from Basileus Attalos, strategos.' He handed a roll of parchment over to Menedemos, which grabbed it from the boy's hand and then gave him a destructive glare, causing the boy to bow and run out again. Menedemos unrolled the parchment roll and let his eyes run over the words.
'Well, that is funny indeed. Apparently, Basileus Attalos,' he said, with a semi-mocking tone in his voice, 'has declared me heir to the throne, for my capture of Pergamon.' He smirked again and rolled the piece of parchment up again.
I narrowed my eyes. Even though Menedemos had proven himself to be a capable strategos, was he fitting to rule the kingdom? He seemed to be a disloyal person, one that could not be completely trusted governing a city.
'Which reminds me,' said he, after a few moments, 'that would make you heir to the throne, should I pass away.'
I glanced at Menedemos.
'Even so, what are you planning?' I said, after nearly ten seconds had passed.
'It is good you ask. I was thinking of a public speech, persuading the people to once again trust the Attalide dynasty, asking them to follow us while we drive the Seleukidai over the Tauros mountains as we long had dreamed, that kind of story.'
'Incredibly cunning,' I spoke, with a slight sarcastic undertone in my voice.
Ignoring my commnent, he then turned towards me.
'You should go home now, though. You will have a busy day tomorrow. I want you to meet me two hours after sunrise, here.'
I nodded and turned.
'Oh, and Alexanor?'
I looked at Menedemos questioningly.
'You should perhaps cut that beard of yours. It looks quite distasteful.'
I smirked again, bowed and proceeded to walk out. The hoplite guards guided me out, but I simply nodded and walked down the, now dark, path outside. The streets were deserted as I continued my way to my house. There had happened so much in so little time. The liberation of the city, one of my childhood friends leading the saving army, being declared heir..perhaps the Gods were with me anyway.
When I arrived, Herine had already gone to bed. I silently snuck up the stairs and into my room. I then realized this was the first time in four years that I had been here. I lay down upon the bed that had so long been empty, and I lost my thoughts as I looked up at the ceiling in the dark room and finally, after many hours, I fell in an uneasy sleep.
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The next morning I awoke at sunrise, as Herine was cleaning the house of any unwanted bugs and creatures. Still disorientated from the hours of sleeping, I got up and opened the door leading to the balcony. Helios had just started climbing the skies on his daily routine, as I put my hands on the wooden balustrade and watched out over the city. As soon as I leaned on it, though, the balustrade broke immediately, nearly causing me to lose my balance and fall down and sending pieces of wood down on the street, causing several people passing by too look up angrily.
I quickly shoved the remaining pieces of wood to the sides. The time to clean that up would came later, I figured. I walked back into the house and decided to take a good look at my beard in the fountain, placed in our garden. I walked down the stairs and wished Herine a good morning, then proceeding to walk outside. I approached the fountain and hung my face over it, inspecting the facets of my face. My beard had grown quite long in prison, and it nearly came halfway unto my chest.
'Herine?!' I shouted
She came walking down the porch towards me, with a questioning look on her face.
'Hmm?'
'Do you have a razorblade somewhere around here?'
'Only regular blades, I'm sorry.'
I nodded, 'Good. Can you fetch me them?'
'If you want to shave your beard, you can find your own bloody razor blades,' she said, before turning her back on me and returning back into the house.
I sighed. Even though she was quite beautiful, her lack of respect started to annoy me somewhat. I followed her in and grabbed the sharpest knife from the kitchen table.
'Are you sure you want to use that? I use that to cut fish, mostly.'
I shrugged and walked outside again. I held the knife underwater for a moment to clean it and then place it just below my chin. Thick threads of hair fell unto the pavement. I tried to get the best look that I could from the fountain, but I cut myself a few times. Finally, I had cut most of my beard off to look slightly less like an overgrown Arabian lizard-monkey, and I walked back into the house again. Starving as I was for a bit of food, I grabbed an apple from a bowl and bit my teeth into it. The sensation of the sweet taste was something like from beyond this world.
'This is very good..where is it from?' I asked, with my mouth full.
'From the stand of that lady Ariadne at the agora?' Herine answered, as if it this was the most normal case of the world.
'Hmm..very good stuff.' I swallowed the rest of what was left in my mouth and took another bite. 'I need to leave very soon, though.'
'What for now?'
'I have been summoned by the strategos. If you come to the agora, you will notice why.' I threw away the core of the apple and got up. Herine looked up from whatever she was doing and looked at me.
'I have to go now, or I will be late. I hope you will be there.'
I kissed Herine on the cheek and proceeded outside. The sun had started to climb higher finally, and the city was becoming quite hot. Speeding my way along the streets, I finally arrived at the house of the governor. I nodded at the guard at the gate. He saluted and opened the gates.
"Hmm," I thought, "That was surprisingly easy. Too easy for a foreigner carrying a small blade in his garments."
I opened the main door and walked inside. I went to the same courtyard as yesterday, where I found Menedemos being clad by a group of (female) servants.
'Aah, Alexanor!', he laughed as I drew closer, 'It's good that you're here. However, you weren't planning to wear that, are you?'
He nodded at my plain white doric tunic. I looked at his own colour, a deep-blue with a white meandered pattern over the tunic itself. He was also wearing a bright white chlamys* over that.
'Ladies, fetch a new tunic for Alexanor. Preferably green, with grey patterning. With a grey chlamys as well.'
Immediately, two of his maids got up, bowed and entered a room. I stared at Menedemos, who only smugly grinned back at me. Soon enough, the two maidens came back and tried to pull my tunic off. Turning in shock, I pushed them away from me.
'Calm down, Alexanor. You cannot hope to be a noble without getting used to servants touching you everywhere.' I closed my eyes and felt how my old tunic was pulled over my head. I felt very naked, standing in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by ladies, which of course, I was. They soon pulled the new tunic over my head. Apart from looking more fashionable, the textile felt smoother. Afterwards, the chyras was attached to my shoulders with a silver Celtic fibula. They finally were done with me and I stepped forward.
'You look reasonably fit for a speech now,' Menedemos smirked. Now that I think of it, I cannot remember any time passed with Menedemos in which he did not smirk. I grinned weakly at him and aligned myself next to him.
'Are you ready?' he said
'I suppose.' I fiddled with my fibula a bit and then nodded.
'Very good. We'll go up the stairs and speak to the people from the balcony.' I nodded and followed him up the stairs. We then followed a corridor to a somewhat larger room, behind which the balcony was located. The balcony and the rest of the room were seperated by a curtain.
'I will go in first. You will follow me as soon as you hear your name.'
I nodded. He then waved the curtain aside and stepped onto the balcony. I could hear cheering and applause from outside, and I could follow his entire speech.
'Dear citizens,' he shouted, 'today, a new era begins! No longer will we be bound to the yoke of the Seleukidai, who came here to exploit the noble polis. We have succeeded in resecuring our beautiful city, and this is only one of the many victories to come. We are greatly in your debt, noble citizens, for it were you who never surrendered to the Seleukide oppression, while we fought to save this city. Without your help, the Attalides family would be little more than a mere footnote in history. But today, this will change."
More cheering.
"Antiochos "Soter", he calls himself, the great liberator of Mikra Asia from the Galatike oppression, or so he says, sits on his throne in the city of Seleukeia while the Baktrioi in the far east and the Parthioi from the steppes are claiming the furthest parts of his empire. Too long have we, true Hellenes, been denied by the "mighty" Seleukidai. The tables are turning. The city of Ipsos has been conquered by the true and only saviour, Soter Attalides. Byzantion and Nikaia had already fallen to our might. And answer me this question, oh proud citizens! If Antiochos did indeed defeat the Galatikoi, why is he paying them a tribute of gold? A tribute!
And if Antiochos can not win by arms, he sends assassins to deal with people. Is that how the great King of Kings earns his respect? Like some low Persike satrap? Yes, indeed, the news is grave, our noble Basileos Soter Attalides has been killed, by an assassin's knife indeed."
I could hear boo-ing and other sounds of anger.
"Our sons and daughters, our brothers have fought toe-to-toe with these Galatian barbaroi, and yet he claims all his honour for himself and his elephante corps.
But I say, no more! A new dawn is rising, my friends! The Gods themselves have granted Attalos a vision. A vision of a united Hellene state of Mikra Asia, free from the Seleukide yoke, free from the Pontike Persian kings. A free and united Mikra Asia, under a Pergamese banner!"
These last words seemed to drive the people insane. There was an explosion of cheering.
"To seal this day, I ask your attention for one last thing, friends. When I rode into the city, I was overjoyed to know that one of my oldest friends was still alive. He has served under Philetairos as a lochagos. He has coördinated the Attilidean resistance in the city, and has spent several years in prison for this. To close this joyous day, I pronounce Alexanor Pyrrheios,"
I drew a deep breath and walked forwards, drawing the curtain aside
"as my rightful heir and Strategos of the army of Pergamon!"
As I pushed the curtain away, the sun shone straight in my face, and I was greeted by a thundering noise of clapping and cheering.
Henceforth, I would be known as Strategos Alexanor Pyrrheios. I must admit, it did have something of a nice ring to it.
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Blegh, too much text, too little screens and all.The next chapter will be called:
Chapter V - Sardis.
Thank you all for reading. I need serious sleep now.
Re: Kings of Mikra Asia - Pergamon AAR
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