Gemmell, David – Lion of Macedon 01
Gemmell, David – Lion of Macedon 01
Contents
Author’s Foreword ix
BOOK ONE
Spring, 389 BC 3
Sparta, Summer, 385 BC 5
Sparta, Summer, 382 BC 87
Thebes, Autumn, 382 BC 123
BOOK TWO
Thebes, Autumn, 379 BC 161
The Temple, Asia Minor, 379 BC 200
Thebes, Summer, 371 BC 265
BOOK THREE
Thebes, Autumn, 371 BC 303
Pella, Macedonia, 371 BC 309
The Temple, Summer, 359 BC 320
Macedonia, Summer, 359 BC 325
The City of Susa, Persia, Autumn, 359 BC 330
The Thracian Border, Autumn, 359 BC 350
Illyria, Autumn, 359 BC 386
The Temple, Autumn, 359 BC 399
Pella, Spring, 358 BC 404
The Lyncestian Plain, Summer, 358 BC 410
The Temple, Summer, 357 BC 417
Samothrace, Summer, 357 BC 421
The Temple, Summer, 357 BC 442
Lake Prespa, Midwinter, 356 BC 445
The Temple, Asia Minor, Winter, 356 BC 463
The Temple, Spring, 356 BC 468
Pella, Macedonia, 472
Isle of Samothrace, 487
The Temple, 494
Pella, Spring, 356 BC 500
Bibliography 501
Author’s Foreword
The world of the ancient Greeks was one of turmoil and war, intrigue and treachery. There was no Greek nation; the divided land was ruled by scores of city states which fought continually for domination.
For centuries the great cities of Athens and Sparta battled across land and sea for the right to become the leaders of Greece. Thebes, Corinth, Orchomenus, Plataea – all changed sides time and again and Victory flew between the warring factions, always the harlot, moving on, sweet with a promise she would not keep.
The Greek wars were financed by Persia, fearful that a united Greece would seek to dominate the world. The Persians grew rich and their empire flourished across Asia and Egypt, their power felt in every city of the civilized world. But still their wary eyes watched events in Greece; for twice the Persians had invaded the Greek mainland, and twice had suffered terrible defeats.
The Athenians and their allies crushed the army of Darius on the field of Marathon. Darius’ son, Xerxes, then led a massive army, numbering more than a quarter of a million men, to subdue Greece once and for all.
A small Spartan force blocked their way at the pass of Thermopylae and held them for days. The Persians won through at last, sacking the city of Athens and ravaging the
countryside, until finally they were decisively beaten in two battles. On land 5,000 Spartans, led by the general Pausanius, inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Persian horde, while at sea the Athenian admiral Themistocles destroyed the Persian fleet at Salamis.
Persia would never again invade, seeking instead to rule by intrigue.
The events detailed in Lion ofMacedon (i.e. the taking of the Cadmea, the battles at Thermopylae, Leuctra and Heraclea Lyncestis) are all historically based. The main characters (Parmenion, Xenophon, Epaminondas and Philip of Macedon) all walked those ancient mountains and plains, following their own paths of honour, loyalty and duty.
But the story of the Lion ofMacedon is my own. History has all but forgotten Parmenion. No one can know whether he was the king of the Pelagonians, a Macedonian adventurer or a Thessalian mercenary.
Yet, whatever the truth, I hope his shade will smile in the Hall of Heroes when this tale reaches him.
David A. Gemmell Hastings 1990
Book One
A wonderful people are the Athenians. They elect ten new generals every year. In all my life I have known only one – and that is Parmenion.
Philip II of Macedon
Spring, 389 BC
It had begun with a morbid fascination to know the day of her death. She had tracked the limitless paths of the future, tracing the myriad lines of possible tomorrows. In some futures she had died of illness or plague, in others of seizures or murder. In one she had even fallen from a horse, though riding was distasteful to her and she could not imagine ever being persuaded to mount such a beast.
But as she idly traced the possibilities, she became aware of a dark shadow at the edge of her last tomorrow. No matter when she died, the shadow was constant. It began to gnaw at her. With all the thousands of futures, how could this shadow remain? Tentatively she moved beyond the days of her death and saw the futures expand and grow. The shadow was stronger now, its evil palpable. And in a moment which touched her beyond terror she realized that, even as she knew of the shadow, so it was becoming aware of her.