Empire

To John Souter and Michael Whitehead.The Greeks saw lives as threads: washed, teased, spun, woven – and at the last, cut. Each one stands apart at first, but becomes whole cloth. I believe a love of stories is one of the great patterns. When we catch a glimpse of it, we know we are part of something vast and strange and complex – and greater than ourselves alone. Pronunciation Military terms Ancient GreekAncient Greek PronunciationEnglish PronunciationMeaningarchonἄρχωνark-ownark-onRuler, leader.epistatesἐπιστάτηςep-ist-at-airsep-ist-at-eezChairman in the Athenian Assembly.lochagosλοχαγόςlock-a-gosslock-a-gossRank equivalent to captain.phalanxφάλαγξfal-anksfal-anksBody of heavily armed infantry.strategosστρατηγόςstrat-air-gossstrat-egg-ossGeneral.trierarchτριήραρχοςtree-air-ark-osstry-err-arkCommander of a trireme.Underlining indicates stressed syllables. Locations Ancient GreekAncient Greek PronunciationEnglish PronunciationMeaningAgoraἈγοράag-or-aag-or-aOpen place, market.CyprosΚύπροςcou-prossigh-prousIsland of Cyprus.DelosΔῆλοςdare-lossdee-lossIsland birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.PnyxΠνύξp-nooksp-niks‘Packed in’. Hill. Meeting place of the Assembly in Athens. Characters Ancient GreekAncient Greek PronunciationEnglish PronunciationMeaningAgaristeἈγαρίστηag-a-rist-airag-a-rist-eeMother of Pericles.AnaxagorasἈναξαγόραςan-ax-ag-or-asan-ax-ag-or-asFriend of Pericles, natural philosopher.ArchidamusἈρχίδαμοςar-kee-dam-ossar-ki-dame-ousKing of Sparta.ArtaxerxesἈρταξέρξηςart-ax-erks-airsar-ta-zerk-seesKing of Persia.AspasiaἈσπασίαasp-as-ee-aasp-ays-iaHetaira, companion to Pericles.CimonΚίμωνkim-ownky-monAthenian general.EphialtesἘφιάλτηςeff-ee-al-tairseff-ee-al-teezAthenian politician.NicomedesΝικομήδηςnik-om-air-daresnik-a-meed-eezRegent to Pleistonax.PericlesΠερικλῆςper-ik-lairsper-ik-leezLeader of Athens.PleistarchusΠλείσταρχοςplay-star-kossplay-star-kousSpartan king, son of Leonidas.Pleistonax (Pleistoanax)Πλειστοάναξplay-stow-an-axplay-stow-naxSpartan battle king who succeeded Pleistarchus.ThetisΘέτιςthett-issthee-tissWife to Pericles.ZenoZήνωνzairn-ownzee-noFriend of Pericles, natural philosopher. PrologueArion waited on one knee, nervous in the presence of kings. After all, Pleistarchus was the son of Leonidas himself, a name all men knew. More, Pleistarchus looked like a warrior born, his limbs powerful, his every movement in balance. Yet the Spartan was one of two royal figures in that place, nor did their ephors kneel to either of them. It was a strange system to the watching eye of Arion. Though he had heard they were of common stock, the five ephors had real power, even in the royal palace.From beneath his fringe, Arion watched them discuss the plea he had brought. There was clearly some difference of opinion and he wondered if he would be sent away again. He had been summoned and dismissed twice before, until he was repeating all his answers and his voice had grown hoarse.He understood they wished to test his story, to judge from repeated details whether he had told the whole truth. He would not have wanted to lie to such men, he realised. Arion was no clever courtier, no bard or poet. He was just a young man, a runner, sent to ask for help from the greatest warriors in the world.‘Your king still lives? You say you saw him alive?’ one of the ephors directed to him. It was the oldest one, scrawny-looking with deeply tanned skin and scars like stitched leather. Arion blinked as they all turned to hear his answer.‘As I said it, master. When I left, King Hesiodos was alive, though defeated. The League fleet had Thasos surrounded on all sides. They pulled down the walls of the royal palace…’‘Some goat pen, I would imagine,’ one of the ephors muttered to another.Arion flushed and stopped talking.‘An entire fleet at anchor around Thasos, yet you escaped,’ the oldest one said.Tendons stood out in his neck as he watched the young messenger for any sign of evasion. Instead, Arion answered with barely controlled exasperation. He had spoken the truth. Though he feared them still, he was weary of their suspicion.‘I took only a coracle, a fishing boat any man can carry on his back. I waited in the woods until dark and then slipped across. I have fished those waters and I know them well.’The ephor shook his head, his eyes black.‘He lies. It is a trap, some game of the Athenians.’Arion breathed out. He did not know what he would have done if he had actually been lying. The truth was his only shield and so he repeated words he had come to know as well as his own name.‘King Hesiodos sent me to ask for help. No one else has the strength or the will to throw a rein on the men of Athens. Persia is no threat to us now. Only the League demands silver or ships, with threats of violence if we refuse! Who then is the tyrant? I was told to say, “Sparta leads the Hellenes, those who know the gods and the words of men. We do not ask for aid; we ask for justice. Nothing more.” ’He watched as they turned back to their discussion. Three of the ephors raised their hands, with two shaking their heads. A subtle tension left the group then. A decision had been made.After a beat, it was King Pleistarchus who responded.‘We will take up your cause, Arion of Thasos. You have come to us in proper humility, as is right. We will restore the balance – and Athens will be made to answer for the crimes of her people.’Arion felt a shiver go through him as he listened, awed at what he had brought into the world. Men would die because he had reached that place.In the distance, a rumble began, a sound like distant thunder in the mountains that cupped the city of Sparta. Arion had taken ship for a good part of his journey but run the last days, coming through high passes where wild deer grazed. The floor trembled and he rested his palm on it. Such things were common enough in that land. He felt his stomach tighten even so. It was as if something approached, something huge that made him afraid.‘Master…’ he began.‘The earth shakes,’ the other king said as if to a child.Archidamus was young to have such power in that group. Yet they were respectful, as far as Arion could see. He’d understood the man was somehow a king of Spartans outside the field of war, though he could still lead in battle. Pleistarchus was the battle king, though he could apparently rule on civil matters as well. It was more complicated than the island of Thasos, that was certain. Arion shook his head, waiting for the trembling to stop. He had known such things before, along with the sense of utter wrongness that went with them. It never lasted long.‘Master,’ Arion said again. ‘I think…’They all turned as a great crack appeared in one of the walls. Arion could see dust shimmering along the polished floor, invisible before,