Antiochus I (Part II)
Outside the walls of Alexandria December 5, 477 AVC
Preparations for the siege have been flawless. Our camp has surrounded Alexandria proper, and my scouts have made contact with men from the ships of Nicocrates. Supplies from Phoenicia flow steadily into the camp, and the men are confident about their exploits of last year. The army is abundantly supplied for every eventuality and the new regiments I had requested from India have arrived. At last, we have war elephants to match Ptolemy’s own, a pity that all the field battles have been fought, for I would have liked to make use of these beasts again, as my father did at the great battle of Ipsus.
A messenger from Metrophanes arrives in my camp from Syria, warning me of a barbarian incursion into our lands from Arabia. Wild and fierce were the words my father attributed to the men of Arabia. I immediately send word for Metrophanes and seven thousand of his men to intercept.
Outside the walls of Alexandria February 22, 477 AVC
The final breach has been made in Alexandria’s walls. For the last few months I’ve kept the men constantly busy. Digging trenches and constructing hundreds of siege weapons which would enable me to take the city. An army always needs something grand to capture their imagination, and what can be grander than this? We, possessing Alexander’s jewel in the Mediteranean, his final resting place that bears his name like a medal on the Earth. The work also serves to shut the Malcontents up, for they have been stirring the camp lately.
The Egyptians have been cut off from the outside world for over three months, and I can feel Ptolemy’s army nearing its end.
I did not have to wait long.
Alexandria, Spring 477 AVC
Alexander was wise in choosing the site of his city. For miles I see the great masts of merchant ships, boundless acres of farmland, great canals, irrigation and other works of man. It is also the first time I have laid eyes on the mighty Nile, a river which serves as the lifeblood of Egypt. It is no mystery to me why the people of this ancient land have worshipped it, for it holds the very essence of life in this otherwise barren wasteland. The farmlands and cities along the river are rich and bountiful, rivaling even those of the Tigris or Euphrates in Babylonia. I can see, now, Ptolemy’s attraction for this place.
I give specific orders to the men, no shrine is to be defiled, no citizen to be abused, and no property, save for the slaves, to be confiscated. My troops follow my example and behave themselves accordingly. The locals watch in awe as our regiments of heavy infantry and cavalry make their way through the city streets.
Leaving the administration of the city, and the distribution of the spoils of victory to my trusted Strategos Sophocles I spend the rest of the day visiting the tomb of Alexander Megas. While I find it distasteful to discover Ptolemy’s body entombed next to the great king, I nevertheless paid my respects to the man who had been a great friend and enemy to my father. My advisors and friends want me to move the body to the great king’s original capital in Babylon itself, but doing so would have caused an instant revolt in our occupied lands. No, the time is not yet right for such an act. I shall be generous this time, to repay Ptolemy for the generosity he showed to my father when he was beaten out of his kingdom by Antigonus. I too, have my honor.
The courtiers have left the chamber room, having made sure that the tables were adequately covered with servings of wine, meat, honey, and other exotic foods from Egypt. Though we are to be left alone, I know that outside the antechamber, a hundred hand picked guards from both our elite corps stands at guard. Yet for the moment, I get to see Ptolemy II for the first time. He seems strong enough, and composes himself with dignity even knowing that his kingdom is within my hands. It is a strange feeling seeing the man, knowing that we are carrying on the feud that was passed down onto us by our fathers. And though I was taught at a young age to distrust the Ptolemies, I nevertheless feel a sense of regret that I would be trapped by such a fate, to forever fight this man whom I have never met. Doubtless he feels worse, for I know I would were I in his position.
Though Alexander and Cyrus taught us that the purpose of victory is to prove ourselves more generous in gifts than the enemy, I feel no amount of generosity will undo the hatred this man must feel for me now.
"So my dear Antiochus, you have traveled so far and toiled with both heat and sand. Is that how much you wish to see Alexandria in person?” He said coldly.
“Indeed dear brother, and it has far surpassed my expectations. Your father was wise in his choice for deciding upon Egypt as his kingdom.” I ignore the snide remark, for I am here to make peace, not incite a future war. “You won’t mind, of course. If we proceed to the negotiations?”
“For once, we are in agreement.” Ptolemy replies, “Before we do, I must address the matter of the spoils. For during the siege, I have taken notice that your army has come into possession of my royal treasury, my family and my personal effects. For each of these, I will gladly trade away any city and province to your liking.”
I shake my head, “Your family, friends, and possessions shall be returned to you my good Ptolemy, you need not worry about their safety. This struggle we are engaged in is not one of life or death, but of honor and power. You need not offer concessions for their safe return.”
The King looks shocked at my generous gesture, but accepts it anyways. We must always prove ourselves more generous than our enemies, in the words of Alexander.
“Permit me to say, King Antiochus, that I do not wish to remain long in your debt.”
I laugh at that remark. “I pray to the gods then, that you will not be in a position to repay me in a similar fashion!”
Ptolemy clears his throat. “Well then, with that out of the way, what do you wish to discuss.”
I nodded quietly, running my fingers on the smooth marble tables in the room. “There are many advisors who tell me that I should dethrone you, and take Egypt for myself.”
“Why not then?” Ptolemy asks rather bravely. I admire his defiance, even in defeat. “Surely any general before would jump at the chance.” I see he has already read my mind.
“As tempting as it is, no. This struggle was mainly to protect my father’s legacy, to make his kingdom secure.”
“From me no doubt.” Ptolemy remarked.
“True, yet we must not forget that we are all of Macedonian descent here. There is no profit to be made in spilling our blood needlessly. Especially when we have the Romans and Carthaginians to deal with, not to mention the multitude of nationalities we have to rule. Let us not waste Macedonian livesand leadership in senseless wars with one another as the Greeks had done. It had led to their downfall.” I know the histories quite well. Some say that the Greeks of the past would have cheered Alexander and my countrymen for conquering Persia. I would think the opposite is true. They would be weeping for having left this honor for Alexander and his Macedonians, instead they chose to waste their best soldiers and generals on the battlefields of Leuctra, Corinth and Arcadia against one another.
“You speak of unity fifty years too late brother. The dreams of empire are dead.” Ptolemy replies.
“Indeed, it died the day our fathers won at Ipsus and carved themselves the kingdoms we rule today. So I propose this. I evacuate Alexandria and the Sinai fortresses, but Judea and Cyprus will remain under my control. Though your fleet is in shambles, I still left you with an army intact. You may have Egypt and your wealth Ptolemy, I am going to continue my father’s and Alexander’s dreams of a unified people in Asia.”
“Not like I have much of a choice in this matter do I?” Ptolemy says gravely.
I shake my head. “No, if you do not comply, then I will have no choice but to follow my advisor’s wills. And I can make no guarantees after that.”
Ptolemy contemplates for a moment, deep in thought, then suddenly turns to me and replies. “Very well Antiochus, we have a deal.”
I motion to shake his hand, he accepts. “Hail to you Ptolemy, may this be the start of a new era in our common history.”
With this victory, I have accomplished two goals. One, I have secured the mountain fortresses of Judea and my father's previous claim for ruling Syria. This also provides A strong barrier against any invasion by the Ptolemies.
Secondly, I have obtained Cyprus. Securing the entire coastline of the empire against the Ptolemaic invasion fleet, as well as capturing Ptolemy's main naval base in the north. My fleet now swells to over two hundred ships following this war, both from captured vessels and newly constructed ones from Ptolemy's shipyards. My kingdom's domination of the Eastern Mediteranean is all but assured. We may in time, even surpass Carthage in naval power and influence of the seas!
Babylon, November 477 AVC
My hearts warms at the sight of home. Already, crowds of my citizens have gathered in the streets, celebrating the end of the Syrian wars. I see husbands reunite with wives, fathers with their sons, or vice versa. My phalanx is flanked on both sides by the adoring people, who took it upon themselves to throw a festival in honour of my victory over Ptolemy. In commemoration of this, I've ratified the various treaties engaged between the towns of Babylon and I, granting them privileges such as freedom of religious worship and assembly, such is the custom of the old Babylonian kings. For Judea, my new province, I grant the people of Jerusalem their own charter, respecting their ancient religion and guaranteeing their old rights, something Ptolemy had neglected to do in my stead.
Sophocles, though quite satisfied with the conduct of our men, poses me a question as we ride our horses in front of the procession.
"My lord, though I do not question the outcome of the treaty you made, I do profess at being curious. Why did we not simply take Egypt for ourselves and dispose of Ptolemy? Ending our decades long war with them?"
It is a fair question, one that I myself had struggled with on campaign. "Sometimes my friend, it is more important to win morally than militarily. We have a victory that broke our foe’s hearts, and stopped him from ever contesting Syria with us again. If we had moved upon Egypt, to take her as a whole, Ptolemy would have little trouble mobilizing the whole Egyptian people against us. And that is a scenario I do not wish, to fight war upon war with them until both our kingdoms are ruined. Do not be fooled by our swelled ranks, we lost almost twenty thousand of our men advancing from Syria to Alexandria, how many more would we sacrifice if we were to conquer the upper nile? I would not sacrifice a whole generation for that impossible goal. Endless conquest invites nothing but inevitable defeat, because conquest itself destroys the hope of the people. That is what the successors have taught us.” I remember the examples of Eumenes, Antigonus, Demetrius and Lysimachus. All great generals who had grasped for too much, and met their own ends.
No, my goal is to make a complete peace, such that its outcome would never be contested and peace will reign for a generation. We are masters of Cyprus and Syria, both the land and the sea, and Ptolemy knows it with his fleet and army in ruins. He cannot strike me, not with my army intact and free to move about as opposed to being trapped in Egypt. Let him sulk, while I attend to more important matters.
“You father’s wisdom is more evident in you day by day sire.” Sophocles compliments me.
I smile. “Enough of this talk my Strategos, let us celebrate the time we have now! Besides, it has been a while since I’ve said hello to my family. I suggest you do the same to yours.”
In celebration of the victory, I distribute gifts to all my friends and relatives, as well as to the great crowds of poor folk who petition me for my aid.
Antioch, September 5, 478 AVC
It has been a year since the end of the Syrian war, and already the land is starting to heal. More and more merchants and goods now flow through Syria and the sea lanes of Cyprus, while the rich black soil of Anatolia, Mesopotamia and Persia continue to give us bountiful surpluses. This is the month where i also reaffirm my old treaties of friendship with the kingdom of Pontus up north, and the cities of Western Asia Minor.
I receive a message from Metrophanes that the barbarian horde that had surfaced earlier this year have been destroyed. In gratitude for this, I award him the spoils of the battle.
Seleucia, November 2, 480 AVC
In our third year of peace, I decided to spend more time training my son Antiochus in the arts of war and governance. Already he is 12, and I see that he is growing to become a great athlete. He has already mastered the Persian art of horseback riding, and is learning Macedonian swordplay with his friends. I instruct the philosophers and academics of the day to instruct him, in hopes that they pass onto him the wisdom to run his future kingdom. I am happy to see that he has made many friends despite his status, who will no doubt help him in his future endeavors. I urge my wife to teach him the native Persian tongue, for it will prove invaluable in his governance of the famed Persian noble cavalry we have at our disposal.
Seleucia, Febuary 21, 481 AVC
All is quiet from Ptolemy, who is no doubt licking his wounds. I receive reports from Nicocrates that our fleet has now surpassed over three hundred ships! A mighty number that would equal that of Athens and Egypt combined. It is a great day indeed for our kingdom.
More curious news arrive from the west in the form of my envoys to Pyrrhus. The great Pyrrhic war has ended, with a complete defeat for the Greeks of Magna Graecia and the annexation of the Kingdom of Syracuse. It is a stunning reversal, for my advisors had always believed Pyrrhus represented the epitome of Macedonian generalship in arms. His phalanxes have had a reputation of invincibility throughout Greece. Apparently, I am told that he had won most of his battles, only to fall short when the Romans continually raised more men, while he could not make good his losses.
It is disturbing news indeed, perhaps there is a new power that I must take into calculation on top of Carthage, Egypt and Greece. Perhaps that of Rome.
My envoy also tells of an interesting tale, of how the Romans were on the verge of surrendering were it not for a man known as Appius Claudius. An old man who was too old and blind to serve in the senate but yet shamed the senate in a rousing speech to continue the war.
Despite our opposing agendas, I would have very much liked to meet the man.
In any case, my kingdom has recovered enough. I now take my eyes off the West and focus on a prize closer at hand.
The Kingdom of Armenia.
The New Empire, 481 AVC