CHAPTER XIV
ACROSS THE HELLESPONT
Upon Bucephalus, whose proud spirit he alone had known how to tame,Alexander led his army out of Pella. The great charger tossed his headand uttered a shrill neigh, which sounded like a trumpet-call ofdefiance to the whole world, as he issued forth from the gate of thecity. Many a Macedonian wife and mother, standing upon the walls,dashed the tears from her eyes that day as her gaze followed the linesof the troops, striving until the last to distinguish the form thatperhaps she would see no more.
The young king drew aside, with his captains about him, upon a low hilla short distance from the city. The sunlight flashed upon his gildedarmor and upon the double white plume that swept his shoulders. Withswelling hearts, the men saluted him as they marched by, horse andfoot, squadron and company, thirty thousand in all. The bronzed facesof the veterans of Philip's wars lighted up as they heard his son callone or another of them by name, and the countenances of the youngersoldiers flushed with pride and pleasure at his smile of approval.Last came the baggage and provision trains and the great siege engines,lumbering after the army on creaking wheels.
Alexander turned to Antipater and gave him his hand. "I would thatthou, too, wert coming with us to share in our victories," he said."Remember, all our trust is in thee. Be just and firm."
"I will remember," the old general replied, his stern face softening."Return when and how thou wilt; thou shalt find all as thou hast leftit to-day."
Alexander turned to go, but a cry of "The queen!" caused him to halt.A chariot drawn by foaming horses drew up before him. He sprang fromhis horse and ran forward to receive Olympias in his arms.
"My son! My son!" she cried, looking into his face with streaming eyes.
"Hush!" he said gently. "Do not forget that you are the queen!"
"But I am still a woman and thy mother," she replied. "How can Isuffer thee to leave me?"
"I will send for thee from Babylon," he said consolingly.
"Thou goest to victory and to glory," she said. "Of that I have nofear; but thy mother's heart is filled with sorrow! Kiss me yet again!"
Alexander embraced her and led her back to the chariot. He stoodlooking after her with bared head, until, escorted by Antipater, shedisappeared in the city gate. His heart went out to the jealous, fierywoman's spirit, whose great love for him made her ever faultless in hiseyes. Something told him, as it had told her, although neither hadconfessed it, that they would never look upon each other again.
In another moment he was astride of Bucephalus and off after the army.Clearchus, riding with Chares and Leonidas in their company of theCompanions, saw him dash past with a smile on his eager face.
Along the northern shore of the AEgean, and always within sight of itsblue waters, they marched for twenty days until they crossed the Melasand came to the Hellespont, beyond which they could see the mountainsof Phrygia, with the snow-capped summit of Mount Ida towering above therest. Before them, across the strait, lay the promised land. Wheelingsouth to Sestos, they met the fleet that had kept them company alongthe coast. There Alexander left Parmenio to take the army over toAbydos, while he pushed on with the Companions to Elaeus.
He himself steered the foremost of the ships that carried them acrossthe strait to Ilium. In mid-channel they offered sacrifice to Poseidonand the Nereids, and as they neared Cape Segeium the king hurled hisjavelin upon the sand, and leaping into the water in full armor, dashedforward to the Persian beach. From every ship rose cries of emulationas the Companions plunged in after him and strove with each other tosee which of them should first follow him to the shore.
Upon the battle-field where the terrible Achilles had raged among theTrojans when the Greeks of olden time sought revenge for Helen'simmortal shame, the Companions celebrated with feasting and with gamesthe fame of the Homeric heroes. These exercises, filling their mindswith thoughts of wondrous deeds, were a fitting prelude for the mightytask that lay before them.
Through their camp the rumor ran from sources none could trace thatbeyond the mountains lay the Persian host in countless numbers.Arsites, Phrygia's satrap, and the cruel Spithridates, ruler of Lydiaand Ionia, were said to be in command. Memnon of Rhodes, the storywent, was at the head of an Hellenic mercenary force more numerous thanAlexander's entire army.
No attempt was made to check the spread of these tidings. If thethought of possible defeat crossed the mind of any of the Companions,he was careful not to give it utterance. In their talk around theircamp-fires they assumed that the first battle was already won and theirplans ran forward into the heart of Persia. What mattered it whetherthe enemy was many or few? Had not the Ten Thousand, whose exploitsXenophon related, shown to the world that one Greek soldier was betterthan a hundred barbarians?
But in the intervals of the celebration Alexander talked long withPtolemy. The truth was, they knew not what preparations had been madeto receive them nor what force had been sent against them. The scoutswho had gone out weeks in advance had either failed to return or couldnot tell them what they wished to know.
Clearchus was sitting with Leonidas discussing Xenophon's account ofthe death of Cyrus when a messenger brought them word that the kingdesired to see them. They followed at once to Alexander's tent, wherethey found Chares awaiting them.
"You have heard the rumors of the enemy's advance," Alexander began."I wish to know how strong he is in both horse and foot, how manyGreeks he has with him, where they will fight in the line, and who arethe commanders. To win this information will be the first service ofdanger and difficulty in the campaign. Which of you is willing toundertake it?"
"I am!" cried the three young men with one voice.
"Why not send us all?" Clearchus said. "Then if one of us falls, twowill remain, and if two are lost, the third may still be able to reachyou."
"Be it so," Alexander replied, smiling. "We shall join the army atonce and march along the coast, as you see upon this map, to theGranicus. There I think you should be able to rejoin me and there Ishall look for you."
He rolled up the map and handed it to Leonidas. "This may serve foryour guidance," he said. "I shall place you under no instructions, forI do not think you need them."
He rose and shook each of them by the hand. "Farewell," he said, "andbe not rash, for I shall have need of you hereafter."
Some of the Macedonians cast envious eyes at them as they came out ofthe pavilion. Young Glycippus, who was in the same company with them,joined them as they passed.
"What is going on?" he asked.
"The king wanted to ask me whether I thought Ajax or Achilles was thebetter fighter," Chares answered gravely.
"What did you tell him?" Glycippus inquired.
"I told him that Ajax, in my opinion, was the better with the sword,"the Theban said. "He did not like it because, you know, he claimsdescent from the son of Thetis."
"Yes," the young man said eagerly. "And he has taken Achilles' armorfrom the temple here, leaving his own in its place."
"He had it on while he was talking with us," Chares said. "It fits himwell enough. You know he has ordered Ilium to be rebuilt."
"Has he?" cried Glycippus. "That is news," and he hurried off to tellit.
"That, at least, has the merit of being true," Chares said. "Ptolemytold me while I was waiting for you."
"First of all we must choose a leader," Clearchus said when they werealone in their tent. "I vote for Leonidas."
"And so do I," Chares added heartily, clapping the Spartan on the back.
Leonidas protested, but his friends refused to give way, pointing outthat to him Alexander had given the map. They persuaded him at last toyield.
"My idea is that we shall go as peltasts and as though we were seekingthe Persian camp to take service under Memnon," he said. "Get rid ofthat gaudy armor of yours, Chares."
"What, must I part with my mail?" the Theban exclaimed, glancing downat the glittering links that covered his broad
breast. He wasinordinately proud of this display. "What shall I do with it?" heasked dolefully.
"Throw it into the sea," Leonidas suggested in an uncompromising tone.
"Some rascal is sure to steal it if I leave it here," Chares grumbled,as he divested himself of the armor.
At nightfall the three slipped out of the camp in the guise oflight-armed footmen, each with a round shield at his back, two javelinsin his hand, and a short sword at his side. As soon as they were safefrom observation Leonidas struck out briskly for the northern slopes ofMount Ida, and they quickly vanished into the darkness.