CHAPTER XXX
LEONIDAS UNDERTAKES A MISSION
Down from the Phrygian plateau, through a land that glowed with thetouch of autumn, marched the Macedonian host, with Alexander at itshead. On a clear October night the army halted at the foot of therugged and forbidding crags of the Taurus. Leonidas with his cavalrytroop followed the young king in the attack upon the Cilician Gates,which scattered the guard stationed there and opened the way into thesatrapy of Cilicia.
From one of the captives taken at the pass, Alexander learned that thesatrap Arsames had planned to plunder the city of Tarsus and retreatinto Syria with his spoil. While the main body of the troops was stillfiling through the pass, he gathered a chosen body of cavalry and lightinfantry and swooped like a falcon upon the town. The Spartan rodethat day at the head of his squadron for fifty miles; and Arsames,abandoning all thought of plunder, deemed himself fortunate to escapewith his garrison.
It was here that Alexander fell ill from bathing in the icy waters ofthe Cydnus, and the rumor spread through the army that his life was indanger. Grief and anxiety pervaded the camp. The toughest of theveterans, with tears in their eyes, gathered before the house in whichhe lay, demanding news of his condition. The physicians came and wentwith grave faces and in silence.
Although his fever ran high, Alexander insisted upon receiving hisfriends as usual and attending to his affairs. One day came a letterfrom Parmenio, who had been sent forward with a strong detachment tosecure the southern pass into Syria through the Amanic range. Theyoung king read it thoughtfully, and Leonidas noticed that he thrust itunder his pillow without discussing its contents as his custom was.
A conference of the physicians was being held to consider the king'smalady, for it was evident that some decisive measure must be taken ifthe fever was to be checked. In this consultation a dispute arosebetween Philip of Acarnania and the other physicians. Philipmaintained that a strong remedy should be given, but when he named thepotion that he proposed to administer, his colleagues declared thatthey would have no part in it, holding the opinion that the drugs wouldsurely kill the patient.
Hearing the voices raised in controversy, Alexander demanded thereason. He called the doctors before him and listened to all they hadto say.
"Will this draught of which you speak enable me to ride Bucephalus inthree days?" he asked of Philip.
"I will answer for it," the Acarnanian replied.
"Compound it, then, for me," the young king said. "When it is ready, Iwill take it."
He turned his face away and the physicians left him. During theinterval of waiting he talked with Clitus, Philotas, Leonidas, andothers of his Companions concerning the Trojan war, but, noting theirevident anxiety, he broke off to rally them upon it.
"Do not think," he said, laughing, "that we have come so far andendured so much to stop here. There is many a campaign yet before us."
When Philip came, bringing an earthen bowl containing a liquid whichsteamed with an odor of spices, he raised himself on his couch and drewParmenio's letter from under his pillow. As he took the bowl from thephysician, he handed him the letter.
"Read it!" he said quietly, setting the potion to his lips.
With his eyes on Philip he slowly drank the medicine. The physicianglanced at the letter and grew pale, but he returned Alexander's gazewithout flinching.
"Drink and be of good cheer," he said. "I tell thee this after havingread this charge against me."
He returned the letter as he spoke.
"I have drunk already," Alexander replied; and then, turning to Clitus,he bade him read what Parmenio had written.
"Beware of Philip, your physician," the letter ran. "I am informedthat he hath been bribed by the Great King with the promise of athousand talents and the hand of his daughter to poison thee. I beg ofthee to take nothing that he may offer."
Scowling brows were turned toward the physician, who was busyinghimself unconcernedly in heaping fresh coverings upon his patient.
"Let no man interfere," Alexander said sternly. "Where I have placedmy trust, no other shall doubt."
This warning was sufficient to restrain the Companions, even when theysaw their leader lying like a dead man beneath the blankets, withclosed lids and a pulse that was scarcely perceptible. But Philipnever moved his watchful eyes from the pale face, and when he saw dropsof perspiration rolling down the forehead a slight smile ofsatisfaction appeared upon his lips. His confidence and the faith thatthe young king had placed in him had been justified; for an hour laterAlexander came out of his faintness, and, although weak, the fever hadleft him. He was able next day to show himself to the soldiers, and afew days later to lead them against the bandits who infested thesouthern part of the province, routing them from their fastnesses andscattering to the four corners of the earth those who escaped thesword. On his return he received news that Ptolemy and Astander haddefeated Orontobates and captured the Salmacis and the Royal Citadel ofHalicarnassus. He celebrated this victory and his recovery withsacrifice and games after the ancient manner.
Suddenly across the country like wildfire spread the news that Dariuswas approaching with an army so great that none might count itsnumbers. When inquiry was made, no man could tell whence the story hadcome. Alexander questioned many who were brought before him, but allgave him the same answer.
"The Great King is coming," they said. "Where he is we know not, norwhen he will be here. All that we can say is that he is on the way,for the Syrians told us, and they learned it from the travellers andtraders of the South."
Then came a shape of man who had once been a Corinthian. His tonguehad been cut out and his ears and nose shaved away. He could only nodhis head and weep when they asked him of the approach of the Persianmonarch.
Alexander sent for Leonidas. The Spartan came with an impassive face,and stood awaiting his orders.
"They say Darius is on the march," he said. "Where he is and of whathis army consists, no one can tell me. Choose what men you like and goto Parmenio at the Syrian Gates, where I purpose to join him with thearmy as soon as the march can be made. Find the Persian and bring meword there of the things that I should know."
"It shall be done," Leonidas replied.
On the evening of the fourth day after the order had been given,Leonidas, with fifteen men of his troop, whose courage had been testedin the campaign against the Pisidians, took leave of Parmenio and rodeout upon the rolling plains beyond the Syrian Gates. He had learnedthat Darius was at Sochi, two days' march away, but when he arrivedthere, he found only hills and fields from which the harvests had beenstripped as if by locusts, and a city where starvation reigned.
Here he learned much of the numbers and character of the host that hadleft such a track of desolation. From Sochi he bore away toward theleft and the mountains, and on the third day overtook the Persianhorde, whose camp-fires stretched for miles across the plain.
Although thousands of camp followers and women had been left behind inDamascus in charge of Cophenes, together with the greater part of theluxurious equipage of the courtiers, and of the treasure in gold andsilver, which six hundred mules and three hundred camels could scarcelycarry, there still remained an enormous train in the rear of the army.
Leonidas soon ascertained everything concerning the army of Darius andits composition that it was necessary for him to know; but he wasastonished to find that the Great King had passed beyond the SyrianGates, near which Alexander had expected to find him, and that he wasstill marching northward. This march puzzled the Spartan. It carriedthe Persian army each day farther from its base of supplies atDamascus, and apparently did not give the Great King a better battleground than the one he had left behind at Sochi. He determined to keepthe army in sight, at least until he had reached the Amanic Gates.There was the only other entrance from Syria into Cilicia, and throughthem Leonidas planned to carry the information that he had gathered toAlexander, who would be awaiting him in the southern pass. As the
Persian horde advanced, he found that he was being pressed toward thewooded slopes of the mountain range. At last, as the enemy showed nointention of halting, he resolved to strike for the Amanic Gates, notdaring to delay his report longer.
He soon became entangled among the rocky spurs and ravines. At last hebelieved that he had reached the pass, and advanced far into themountains before some shepherds told him of his mistake. Followingtheir directions, he crossed a lofty ridge and descended into the truepass on the evening of the second day after his departure from thePersian army. Darkness overtook him, and he was forced to encamphalfway up the precipitous slope of the valley. Before sunrise nextday he roused his men and led them down toward the broad road below,which followed a watercourse.
In their descent, Leonidas and his men entered a belt of timber thatfor a short time hid the road from their view. They burst their waythrough the undergrowth, to find themselves face to face with a troopof horsemen whom Leonidas recognized at once as belonging to the armyof Darius.
"The Persians have entered the pass," was the thought that flashedthrough his mind before he considered his own danger. That Dariuswould seek to enter Cilicia instead of accepting battle upon the Syrianplains was a possibility that had never even been discussed in theMacedonian councils. Leonidas realized that if Alexander had carriedout his plan of marching to the Syrian Gates, far to the southward, thePersian army was about to place itself between him and the territorythat he had conquered, cutting off his line of retreat. The safety ofthe Macedonians might depend upon his reaching Alexander in time togive him warning.
He gave a rapid glance at the Persians who confronted him. There werethirty or forty of them. Far below he caught a glimpse of the plain,where miles of troops, horse and foot, were crawling like ants towardthe pass. The enemy gave him no time to see more. They raised anexultant shout and dashed upon him with lowered lances. AlthoughLeonidas and his men fought with desperation, the Spartan realized thatthey were not strong enough to hold their ground. The mere weight oftheir opponents forced them back, inch by inch, until their horses werestruggling on the brink of the slope to the bed of the stream.
"Let us die where we stand!" Leonidas shouted. "Remember that we areGreeks! Forward, forward!"
He plunged in among the Persians, thrusting at their faces, and his menwere enabled to gain a few feet in the space that he had cleared. Therelief was only momentary, for the Persians surrounded them on threesides and the chasm was in their rear.
The captain of the Persian troop had not mingled in the contest.Hovering in the background, he urged on his men, taking care to keepout of danger. Leonidas saw him as he wheeled, raising his arm to givea command. The sun flashed upon the glittering links of his gildedcorselet. The Spartan hurled his lance at the mark with all thestrength in his body. Straight flew the point of steel and split thebrazen links, like a bolt from a catapult. The captain toppled fromhis horse and lay with his face in the dust. It was a final effort. Afew moments more and all would be over.
Suddenly from the glen out of which Leonidas and his men had emergedrode a man upon a powerful black charger. In his hand he carried alance of unusual length. His yellow hair tossed about his shoulders,and his blue eyes turned eagerly toward the righting.
"Leonidas!" he shouted. "Strike home! We are here!"
Behind him rode two companions. At sight of them the Spartan's browcleared.
"Chares! Clearchus!" he cried.
Their coming turned the tide of the conflict. The Persians, ignorantof how many more might be following them, turned and fled down the passbefore the new arrivals could strike a blow.
Leonidas embraced his friends. Of the Greeks who had fallen, only one,a young man of Caria, who had been stunned by a blow from a mace, wasstill alive. Clearchus caught his horse, and they lifted him upon itsback.
"What brings you here?" Chares asked of Leonidas. "Where is Alexander?"
"That I will tell you later," the Spartan replied. "Look yonder!"
He pointed over the tree-tops on the lower slopes at the innumerablehost that was creeping toward the mountain side.
"The Persians are about to cross the pass," he said. "Alexander andthe army are in danger of being cut off, and we alone can save them."
"If Darius crosses the pass, it will be in our footsteps," Chares said."Let us be off."
Of the men who had followed Leonidas down the mountain at daybreak,only four remained.
"Lead on, Leonidas," Clearchus said. "You are in command again."
The Spartan turned his horse's head up the pass and the others fell inbehind him. They rode unchallenged, for the defile had not yet beenoccupied by the Persian force. From every new elevation they could seethe endless lines of infantry and cavalry slowly drawing together farbelow them, until they passed at noon through a narrow way betweenlofty and beetling cliffs, and saw Cilicia lying before them, with theblue horizon of the sea in the distant southwest.