Spartans 7

By Pueros

for Tom

Chapter 7 - Persepolis

(Persepolis, Persia, January 478 B.C.)

Mordecai and Hagai escorted the four young Greeks through the doors of the Gate of All Countries, guarded by some of the Jew's splendidly uniformed men, and through the empty Apadana to a comparatively small palace located to the south of the massive throne hall. If the boys had been awed by the sight of the Gate of All Countries, they were overwhelmed by the tall magnificent vastness of the Apadana, like nothing they had seen previously. Even Alexias had to admit that the splendid buildings of his city, where the construction of the Parthenon was still thirty years away, paled in comparison.

Construction of the palace in which the newcomers were to be accommodated with the already resident other young catamites had been started by Darius. It was called the 'Tachara', meaning 'Winter Palace', although later more commonly referred to as 'Darius' Palace' even though Xerxes' father had not lived to see its completion. It had now been finished but the present Great King had already initiated construction of another palace, twice as big, between the Apadana and the Treasury, called the 'Hadiš' or 'Dwelling Place', subsequently named 'Xerxes' Palace', as well as the conversion of part of the Treasury into his Harem. His female concubines now lived there, given their own opulent rooms surrounding a splendid courtyard, but it would be a while before the young male catamites were transferred to be re-housed around an adjacent garden.

Nevertheless, the newcomers found themselves being given luxurious rooms to be shared with one other. Naturally, Lysander and Alexias teamed together in their new home.

Hagai left the boys to settle into their rooms and went to update himself on palace affairs. He returned after an hour and gathered the newcomers together in a large resplendent chamber with throne. Also present were Xerxes' existing catamites, Abagtha, Bigtha, Biztha, Carcas Harbona, Mehuman and Zethar. The eleven beautiful youngsters were all introduced to each other, with the Greeks taking an instant liking to their new colleagues and vice-versa. As much importance had been placed on personality as physical attractiveness when selecting the Great King's young male concubines. However, the current coterie did wonder why two of the new intake had not been gelded, a little initial jealously quickly overcome by acceptance that it could not be a state that their master would permit to exist for too long.

Hagai informed the new contingent that Xerxes planned a great banquet, several days in length, to celebrate the commencement of work on the final addition to the Persepolis complex. Another throne hall, smaller than the Apadana but with more columns, 100 in fact, was to be built. The chief eunuch advised the four newcomers that they would perform their first duties during the celebrations, not needing to mention that the Great King proposed to intersperse the many courses of each daily feast with nights enjoying young Greek delicacies. During the interim, the boys' preparation and training were to continue so that their debut appearances went perfectly.

It was two nights later that Lysander persuaded a reluctant Alexias to attempt escape with him. The newcomers had been shown around the magnificent complex and the young Spartan, ever on the lookout for a means of flight, had spotted a potential opportunity, albeit a dangerous one. It required sneaking out of their room, through the Tachara and the Apadana to large open windows at the northern end of the throne hall. Outside the windows was the front very steep high embankment of the terrace on which the Persian royal complex had been built.

There was a full moon to help guide the way down to the city below, but the escapade remained full of peril, especially as they decided to remain dressed in their clumsy Persian attire as better disguise when they traversed the metropolis. However, as Mordecai's guards were concentrating on preventing anyone from gaining access rather than leaving the royal residences, the first phase of the operation passed smoothly and the excited young Spartan and terrified young Athenian soon found themselves attempting to climb down the escarpment. The former, because of his calm, was better at the task than his very nervous companion, whose soft slippers almost caused him to slip on several occasions to certain terrible injury if not death but, with some skill and a lot of good fortune, the bottom of the vertiginous incline was eventually attained.

Unfortunately, the boys' luck seemed to finish there as out of the shadows emerged Mordecai and some of his guards. Lysander considered attempting to flee by running around the approaching men before noticing that Alexias was frozen to the spot in terror, presumably already contemplating the horrible deaths to which he and his friend would be put for trying to evade the Great King's service. The young Spartan therefore put his arm around the trembling shoulders of the young Athenian to try to calm him as they meekly awaited recapture.

It was something about Mordecai's facial expression that caused Lysander to relax slightly for the Jew displayed a disarming smile. "There are more conventional ways of leaving the palace to view the rest of Persepolis," suggested the gatekeeper before querying "or did you want the climbing exercise?"

Half an hour later, the boys were back in their rooms, alone with Mordecai. "How did you know?" asked Lysander. "Because you're a Spartan," answered the Jew, addressing Lysander in particular, obviously the dominant personality amongst the two friends, "you were bound to attempt it and, rather than dissuade you, I thought that I'd let you see how fruitless and dangerous it would be. Don't worry, neither my men nor myself will tell on you. We admire pluck but, in return, you must give me your word never to try again whilst here or in Susa. It's not so much Xerxes' human possessions that I'm worried about, although I take my responsibilities towards them seriously, but your own welfare. You had no chance of successful flight. You are far, far away from your homelands with an immense amount of the Great King's territories in between, much inhospitable in terms of people and climate and terrain. I doubt if you would even have survived the harsh barren country around Persepolis, especially with royal cavalry with hounds pursuing you, which they undoubtedly would have been. Capture alive would have invariably meant horrific death, if only as an example to others."

Mordecai let these words sink in before continuing, by still concentrating on addressing Lysander, "I'm sure that the original idea was yours and that you did not want to place your friend's life in certain mortal peril but that is exactly what you did. I know that it is the duty of a captured warrior, not matter how young, to try to escape but it is not admirable to die because of a hopeless ill-conceived attempt. We are not talking about glorious death in battle here but rather terrible ends as pursued slaves. No, a sage warrior bides his time, accepts that capture brings dishonours and pain that must be endured whilst waiting the right day to overcome his bondage to live to fight another day and so be able to seek rightful vengeance. Believe me, we Jews know about captivity, having being exiled from our homeland by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon!"

Lysander contemplated Mordecai's advice. He appreciated that the Jew had, for some reason, the boys' true interests at heart and asked "Why do you help us?" The gatekeeper replied "For two reasons. It is part of my function to protect my master's property from unwanted damage. It is also against my faith to see human life wasted unnecessarily."

Lysander recognised that these motives had really guided Mordecai in his actions and reluctantly accepted the wisdom of the Jew's views. He therefore finally gave his word not to try escape again whilst in Persepolis or Susa. Alexias quickly followed suit, deeply relieved at the night's outcome and the fact that he would not have to follow his friend in future probably horribly fatal escapades.

(Persepolis, Persia, February 478 B.C.)

The great banquet began with the reception of the guests by Xerxes in the Apadana. Many of the Empire's most senior nobles, generals, satraps and other high officials, and their wives, attended. They first prostrated themselves in front of the enthroned Great King before the men took their assigned places at the long tables that filled one of the enclosed gardens within the royal complex. Their spouses went to a large resplendent room in the completed part of the Hadiš, where their host for their separate feast was to be Queen Vashti.

The enclosed garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. Abundant amounts of food and wine were served on dishes and in goblets of gold, each one different from the other. Xerxes' young catamites were to provide dance entertainment, with the newcomers last to perform, a prospect none looked forward to, especially Lysander, although all were now quite proficient at the activity. However, in the event, dancing from none of the new quartet was needed on this first day.

Xerxes' eleven catamites, including the four newcomers, also had to prostrate themselves in front of their master in the Apadana before helping to escort, with some adult eunuch overseers and palace guards, the Great King to the garden, where another throne waited for him at the head of the main table. The boys' non-dancing duties entailed serving their master with many small food courses and replenishing and holding his goblet, as well as passing messages from their master to guests out of voice range.

Xerxes was immensely pleased to see the four young beautiful Greeks again, especially as they seemed resigned and, as usual, very well prepared for their new roles. The Great King was particularly happy to observe that the previously defiant young Spartan was seemingly as meek and subservient as the others. Mordecai had kept his word about keeping the attempted escape of Lysander and Alexias secret.

Xerxes decided that he would perform an intimate check of the young Spartan's compliance to royal will in the royal bedchamber later. However, the Great King's plan was thwarted by an argument with his Queen.

As the first day of the banquet wore on, Xerxes had become very drunk and had started to talk loudly, and rather uncouthly, about the respective beauty of their wives with those sat near him. This ultimately led to the Great King challenging the others to deny that the beauty of Queen Vashti surpassed that of their own spouses. In order to prove his point, Xerxes sent a secretly reluctant and nervous Alexias on his first royal errand. The worried young Athenian was to convey a message to the Queen that she was to come, against all court etiquette, to the garden to disport her beauty before the hundreds of male guests.

Alexias was not a wise choice to relate this requirement to Queen Vashti. His deep apprehension at having to make the humiliating request, combined with his still inexpert command of Persian, caused the young Athenian's words to the Queen to be less diplomatic than they should have been. The result was to be agonising for the boy but ultimately worse for the consort.

Queen Vashti's first response to Xerxes' request was to smack Alexias hard across the face, causing the young Athenian to fall to the floor. The Queen's second was to order the frightened tearful go-between to go back to his master with the message that the royal wife would not come to the garden, unless dragged there by guards.

The tremulous Alexias ran from the Hadiš back to the enclosed garden, rightfully fearful for both himself and Queen Vashti at relating the return communication. The Great King, in his inebriation, was enraged at the response from his Queen, and first blamed the young messenger, whom he ordered the palace guards to take away and flog before sending Artabanus, Mordecai's deputy, to command the consort into his presence. Lysander felt utterly dejected and helpless as he saw his appalled friend dragged away to suffer flagellation, now knowing full well the shame and agony induced by such punishment.

Artabanus obtained a similar verbal reaction as did Alexias from Queen Vashti, now equally as furious as her husband and with pride and anger unwisely subsuming recognition of the danger she was in. However, the deputy gatekeeper did not receive the same response to the woman's reply from Xerxes as had the unfortunate young Athenian, for the Great King's drunken displeasure was now aimed completely at his wife. Xerxes did not like anyone disobeying his commands, even his consort and especially in public. He ordered his Queen arrested before storming to his bedchamber, leaving the enclosed garden utterly quiet, the male guests and servants stunned.

The escort of catamites, adult eunuchs and palace guards dutifully followed, with the latter remaining at the doors of the bedchamber whilst the boys and their overseers entered to assist the still fuming Xerxes with his disrobing and toilet. They also needed to see if he wanted any of the youngsters to remain behind for the night or alternatively required a female concubine. However, to the particular relief of the three remaining Greek newcomers, the incandescent Great King chose to remain alone that night.

Meanwhile, Alexias had been taken to the middle of a plain courtyard at the rear of the royal complex, surrounded by barrack buildings pertaining to the palace guards and illuminated by many oil lamps. The terrified young Athenian had been stripped and chained to a flogging post, ready for his whipping, which a reluctant but dutiful Mordecai had opted to inflict himself. The Jew knew that it was a task that could not be foregone or both deliverer and recipient of the flogging would suffer far worse.

Mordecai was also aware of the threat of castration hanging over his imminent Athenian victim and his Spartan friend and hoped that the Great King's current terrible anger did not extend, after awaking from his drunken slumber, to having the deed carried out without further delay.

(To be continued in chapter 8 - 'Hadassah')