Alexander the Great Read online

  Breaking into a furious gallop, Alexander tried to reach the far right where he knew the ground was rough and unsuitable for Darius’ chariots. His plan was to draw the Persians to his right flank, hoping that Darius’ other men would try and encircle Parmenion, leaving Alexander’s left flank, by which time, Alexander had calculated, he would have ridden out beyond the Persian left, thus weakening the centre of Darius’s formation.

  But Darius saw what he was up to and moved swiftly, sending 2,000 of his dreaded Scythian horsemen to his left. They out-galloped Alexander, and prevented him from reaching the rough ground. The Scythians began to encircle Alexander, thinking to gain an easy victory there. But they had not counted on a highly mobile flank guard of Macedonians.

  700 of them charged in and diverted the Scythians from their first purpose. Behind each contingent of Alexander’s cavalry were hidden a troop of foot soldiers – infantrymen. As the two sides entangled, thousands more of Alexander’s men fell upon the Scythians, who found themselves outnumbered and had to retreat.

  Further troops on the Persian side were sent in. In the fierce fray, the Macedonians were not only out-numbered, but less well armed. However, they fought with disciplined charge after counter charge, following Alexander’s precise orders and, gradually, they forced the enemy back, breaking their formation.

  The rest of Darius’ left flank was forced to rush over to support them. Bowmen and infantry hurtled forward, and the scythed chariots again went into attack. But Alexander had anticipated this. He knew that chariots needed to move in a straight line to be effective, so waiting for them were his missile throwers and long-distance javelin hurlers, who cut them to pieces. A few chariots got through, their horses galloping aimlessly to be dealt with by the rear-guard.

  Now it became a desperate fight; every man for himself, hurling themselves at each other, bodies entangled, swords swiping, shields clashing, horses running free as their charioteers were pulled to the ground to be trampled or slaughtered.

  Desperately trying to encircle Alexander, Darius sent in his Iranian cavalry. They charged straight through, only to be met by 600 mounted sarissa-bearers, who beat them back.

  Darius sent the main body of his infantry to help outflank the Macedonians, but this weakened the centre of his formation which opened up, exposing the Great King himself.

  Seizing the moment, Alexander formed his Companions into a tight wedge, their thrusting sarissas held to the fore like a vast cage. With deadly purpose, they changed direction and plunged back to the weakened Persian centre, followed by spearmen, shield bearers and foot-companions.

  Nearer and nearer they charged, nearer and nearer to the Great King. They came so close to Darius, that Alexander flung his spear at him and just missed, killing Darius’ charioteer instead. But Alexander had aimed at the weakest point – the king himself.

  Meanwhile, on Alexander’s left flank, Parmenion was in trouble. Unable to join up with the right flank, he and his men had to fight it out. The Persian general, Mazaeus, sent in a charge to try and break their flank with 3,000 horsemen, but they were undisciplined, and lacked clear instructions. They charged wildly, straight into the baggage camp, landing up behind the enemy lines, where Alexander’s grooms and reservists surrounded them and cut them down.

  Perhaps their goal had been to rescue Darius’ queen and family. Some of them found the tent in which the Persian Queen Mother, Sisygambis, and the family were being held. But when they burst in to free her, she didn’t move. Not a word fell from her lips; neither her colour nor her expression changed, as she sat immobile. Uncertain whether she wanted to stay or be rescued, they fled.

  Back in the fray, Alexander’s men were struggling in the centre. He was desperately exposed. His outnumbered forces were having difficulty keeping their line solid. Sixty of his Companions were wounded, including Hephaistion.

  Suddenly, seeing a gap among the sarissas, jubilant Indian and Persians poured through but, rather than wiping out the disarrayed Macedonians, they too aimed for the baggage tents, perhaps also wanting to rescue the Persian queen. Instead they were set upon and routed.

  In the swirling dust, among the howlings of wounded elephants and horses with corpses piling up, and the screams of the dying, Darius retreated. Leaping from his chariot on to a waiting horse, as at Issus, he fled the field.

  Alexander and a group of his horsemen galloped after him, but though they rode hard all the way to the Royal Road, Darius evaded them yet again.

  Night fell, Alexander’s horses were exhausted. He turned back empty-handed. He was still hailed as King of Asia – but he knew that until he had actually captured Darius, he couldn’t call himself that.

  By the time he returned to the battlefield, the battle was over. More than 3,000 of his men were dead, and the Persian army – what was left of it – was in full retreat, leaving – how many dead? Was it 40,000, 90,000 or 300,000? Whatever the exact numbers, the battlefield was full of the dead and dying from both sides.

  Alexander’s victory at Gaugamela confirmed his military genius and ensured his reputation would live on through the ages to inspire Romans like Julius Caesar, and even Napoleon over a thousand years later.

  Myths about Alexander were already circulating: to the Greeks, Macedonians, Egyptians and Babylonians, he was heroic and godlike; he was Ammon, Gilgamesh and Heracles.

  But for the Persians and their allies, he was bloodthirsty and demonic. “Watch out, or Alexander will get you,” Persian mothers told their children.

  ALEXANDER THE DEMON

  Alexander, who goes round pretending to be a god, is really a demon. No one knows his terrible secret except his own faithful barber – and why? Because, my little ones, hidden beneath his dark curly locks, he has two devil’s horns.

  One day, his barber died. Alexander knew he must get another, but how could he force him to keep the secret?

  When the new barber came before him, Alexander looked at him with a terrifying gaze. “When you cut my hair,” he told him in a dark, sinister voice, “you will learn my secret. But I warn you, if you tell a single soul of what you find, I will kill you.”

  Sure enough, when the barber cut Alexander’s hair, he saw the two horns sprouting above his ears on either side. He shook with terror and awe and amazement. What he had seen was so extraordinary, he longed to shout it out to the world. But he knew he couldn’t.

  But as the days and weeks and months went by, the barber knew he must tell somebody – just somebody, or he would burst.

  When his work was done, he went home. “I have a secret…” He wanted to tell his wife, but clamped his mouth shut and fled away. He wandered through the town, greeting his friends and drinking palm wine with them. “I have a secret…” He wanted to tell them, but couldn’t, and rushed away biting his lip.

  At last he reached the open desert, where only the wind blew and the sands murmured, and there he came to an open well. He bent over the edge of the well – and far down below saw his own reflection staring wildly back up at him. “I have a secret, he screamed down the well. I have a secret, an amazing secret – but you must promise not to tell. Promise.”

  “Promise … promise … promise…”came back the echo.

  “Alexander has horns!”

  “Alexander has horns … Alexander has horns … Alexander has horns…”

  At last he had told someone, and full of exultation and relief, the barber went back to his job.

  But some months later, a shepherd herding his goats out in the desert paused for a rest and a drink, and noticed a single long reed growing out of the well. “Why, that will make me a perfect pipe,” he cried, and, plucking the reed, he got out his knife and shaped a mouthpiece and cut several holes for his fingers.

  Then he blew, to see what kind of music he could play. But instead of music, the pipe rang out, “Alexander has horns! Alexander has horns!”

  He went racing back into town. “Listen, listen!” he cried. “Listen to what I can play on my
pipe.”

  People gathered round to hear, and the shepherd blew his reed pipe. “Alexander has horns, Alexander has horns!” it trilled.

  And so the secret was out, and everyone knew that Alexander was a devil.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  BABYLON

  Behold Alexander, Iskander, Ishkander, Iskindar or Skander; riding into Babylon!

  What an extraordinary moment it was for the people of Babylon, when Alexander entered as a conquering hero. It was 2 October, and the city’s leaders and priests rode out to meet him with rich gifts. The streets were strewn with flowers, tossed beneath his chariot wheels. Darius had fled into the region of Medea, but his general, Mazaeus, who had escaped from Gaugamela, wisely surrendered to Alexander, who then made him governor of the city. But Darius’ other general, Bessus, had not surrendered. Instead, he fled into the hills with troops and turned traitor to Darius. He proclaimed himself king – saying Darius had brought shame on the empire by his flight. Alexander decided to deal with him later.

  For now, he marvelled at Babylon, for Babylon was the cradle of a civilization even older than that of the Greeks and Egyptians. This was the fabulous land of the magi, seers and soothsayers; of the god Tammuz of the Abyss, and the Queen of Heaven, Ishtar. A spirit world of hostile demons, nimble as gazelles, with wings like eagles, watchful as serpents, who drank blood and devoured corpses. It was the land of the kings: Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar; of immense temples, palaces and treasures and the great Hanging Gardens.

  Nebuchadnezzar II had created a vast and fabulous empire which stretched from Mesopotamia to Egypt, Palestine and the shores of the Aegean. The city of Babylon was already ancient, dating back 23 centuries BC. It had risen and fallen, but under Nebuchadnezzar II, had risen again to become the most fabulous and wealthy city in the known world. He had built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, to help his Medean wife overcome her homesickness for the mountain scenery, of her own country. They were known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

  He also built the Temple of Bel Marduk with its extraordinary ziggurat, seven storeys high, which later became known as the Tower of Babel. Always remembering his father’s advice, Alexander paid his respects at the local temples, and offered up a sacrifice to Bel Marduk. He prayed:

  I will praise the Lord of Wisdom,

  Marduk, the reasonable god,

  Who, like the storm of a cyclone,

  Envelops everything with his wrath,

  But whose breath then becomes beneficent

  Like the morning zephyr!

  At first his anger and rage are catastrophic,

  But after, he has a change of heart.

  His soul revives.

  Bel Marduk was an agricultural deity, who made the plants grow and the wheat ripen. After the creation of the universe by the god of all, Ahura Mazda, it was Bel Marduk who killed the evil demon Tiamut, the goddess of chaos, and from her body, he created the earth; the mountains, seas and land below and the vault of heaven above for the moon and stars. The rivers Tigris and Euphrates flowed from her eyes, and it was between them that the city of Babylon was built and became his chosen city.

  Alexander had never seen a city as huge and rich and extraordinary as Babylon, with its vast outer wall, its boulevards, tall houses and palaces.

  Its opulence was almost unimaginable anywhere else in the world. He encountered its religions and philosophies, its history and culture. If Egypt would always be his spiritual home, Babylon would be his capital. “One day, this is where I will have my seat of power,” declared Alexander. “Babylon will be the centre of my empire.”

  Amazing stories dazzled Alexander and his armies; stories about King Nebuchadnezzar, King Belshazzar, and of Daniel the Judean, the Master of Magicians, a visionary and an interpreter of dreams, who lived 300 years before Alexander was born.

  BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST

  After Nebuchadnezzar died, Belshazzar ruled over the empire. But like so many powerful rulers, he too became corrupt, and so did the city of Babylon.

  One day, Belshazzar held a great feast and invited a thousand lords and their ladies. The wine ran freely. Belshazzar drank before them all. He brought out all the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had previously looted from the House of God in the temple in Jerusalem, when he had sacked the city. To the horror of the priests of the temple, Belshazzar exhorted all the princes and counsellors, their wives and concubines, to drink wine from these sacred vessels. They drank the wine and praised the heathen gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.

  Suddenly a mysterious hand appeared. Fingers from a man’s hand began to write strange words across the wall of the palace. The king saw the hand and was so terrified that the joints of his loins loosened and his knees knocked together. The king called out loud to bring in all the soothsayers, astrologers, those mystics of the Chaldeans, and all the wise men of Babylon. “Whoever can read these words and tell me what they mean, shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck, and will become third ruler in the kingdom.”

  From all over the city came the wise men, but not one of them could read the strange words. The king became even more afraid, and his courtiers were amazed at how his face and demeanour changed.

  Then his queen came into the chamber and said, “O King, live for ever. Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. There is a man in thy kingdom, who was known to thy father for being possessed of the holy spirit; full of light, understanding and wisdom, and whom thy father made master of all magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and soothsayers. This man, who is such an excellent spirit has the knowledge and understanding for interpreting dreams, explaining dilemmas and dissolving doubts. His name is Daniel. Let him be called and he will surely be able to interpret these words.”

  So the king called forth Daniel – the same Daniel who was born of the line of Jews, who Nebuchadnezzar had enslaved, and brought into Babylon out of Jewry; the same Daniel who entered the lion’s den – and he said to him, “I have heard that you are filled with the spirit of God; of light and understanding and excellent wisdom. None of my wise men and astrologers can read these words. If you can read them and tell me what they mean, then, as I have promised, you shall be clothed in scarlet, have a gold chain around your neck and be third ruler of the kingdom.”

  Daniel said, “I don’t want your gifts. Give them to someone else. But I will read the writing on the wall.”

  The words were Mene, Tekel, Peres.

  First, Daniel reminded Belshazzar how Nebuchadnezzar had displeased God, and had become a wild beast, who ate grass, with dew on his body, hair like feathers and nails like claws. “You too, Belshazzar, you have not humbled your heart, but you have set yourself against the Lord of Heaven. You have taken his gold and silver vessels from the temple, and allowed the lords, their wives, concubines and ladies to drink wine from them. You have praised the gods of gold, silver, brass, wood, iron and stone which see not, hear not, know not. You have not glorified the god who gave you breath.” Then he read out the words.

  Mene – God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it.

  Tekel – thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.

  Peres – thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

  Although Daniel’s words terrified him, Baelshazzar kept his promise and insisted that Daniel be clothed in scarlet, with a gold chain round his neck, and made him third ruler of the kingdom.

  But Cyrus and his Persian armies were already at the gate and, in the night, Belshazzar was slain.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ON THE PERSIAN THRONE

  This happened 300 years before Alexander came to Babylon with his armies. He was amazed at the civilization he found – older even than the Greeks – where people had written in a script called cuneiform on tablets of clay. Written down were their great stories like the epic of Gilgamesh and his beloved friend, Enkidu; stories which were sometimes told
as if they were about Alexander instead of Gilgamesh; as if it was Alexander who searched for the Water of Life to save his beloved Hephaistion; Alexander who was confronted by the demon, Musas, who tried to stop him marching through the mountain; Alexander, who finally drank the Water of Life, and came out of the well, strengthened, nourished, and his flesh blue – the colour of supernatural beings such as they were in India.

  But listen to the real story, or what is left of it. The story was found etched onto tablets of clay thousands of years old – so ancient that many tablets are missing and there are gaps which only the imagination can fill.

  GILGAMESH, THE WARRIOR WHO DIDN’T WANT TO DIE

  A baby boy was flung from the battlements of a citadel; no one knows why.

  As he hurtled to the ground, an eagle swooped down, caught the infant in his talons and flew away with it. The eagle carried the child to a wondrous palace garden in the kingdom of Uruk.

  He was found by the gardener and taken into the palace where, like Moses, he was adopted into the royal household and brought up as a prince called Gilgamesh.

  Gilgamesh became a fearful ruler of Uruk. It had been a vast city, of great wealth, with fortifications, gardens and wonderful temples. The goddess they most venerated was Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven.

  But the city of Uruk had a terrible enemy, King Humbaba, of the Great Cedar Forest, ruler of the kingdom of Elam. For years now, the Elamites had besieged Uruk, bringing famine, disease and destitution to the city. It was said that the gods had turned to flies and the winged bulls had become like mice. The people crawled on all fours and ate grass like wild beasts, and their moaning cries could be heard from afar. Although they prayed in the temple, even Ishtar seemed unable to help.