By 248 B.C. The invasion from the north of Ardaiei lands was about to commence, led by the re-cooperating King and his cousin Hebryzelmis. Sparatocos, brother of the king made ready to defeat the Illyrians in the south, so that they would have no where to retreat.
Sparatocos sat with Olorus the gray bearded
Ctistae at the gray marble table on the third story of the governor’s palace in Pella.
He dared not eat a thing, not a shred. Friendship, good times, boyhood games, like the time they had kicked an inflated angus’ bladder through the boughs of a tree, these things were distant memories. Brothers were brothers, and this Prince of Macedon had a vision of Odrysia without the heirs of the house of Teres II in it. When mettle came to mettle, the girls they had bedded, bedded together, the wrongs they had righted, and the wine they had drank and spillt, danced and laughed, family mattered now, and the Great King Raizdos’ wishes for the future of his kingdom.
The back door is sealed.
He had just returned from council with the High King of the Illyrian Daorsi, while on campaign in Epidamnos, the more powerful neighbors of the pirate Ardaiei. Their capital was at the walled stronghold of Delminium, taken from the Delmatae in years past, and Antiphus, the High King had just agreed to a non aggression pact on King Diegylis’ behalf. This would make the trek through Eprius and Epidamnos in Illyria much safer, with bought allies at their backs, and the people of King Demetrius welcoming him as a hero.
There had been much ado about Bardyllis, that thorn in the Lion’s side, marching on Larissa and Thessaloniki, and so he was here, at least in the formalities of Olorus’ letters to assure his friend, Diegylis, Prince of Macedon, that such a seizure would never be allowed to happen.
He had met with the rebels outside of Pella first of course. Corinthians, Macedonians, Slaves, Thessalians and other malcontents. It had been declared a slave rebellion, at once encouraged by the common Greeks of the land, with the Macedonians in one camp to the south, and the Slaves in a much larger and more equipped group of regiments in the hills outside of the city. Equipped and outfitted by Sparatocos, just as his youthful fantasy to Olorus, so it was ironic that he was sitting with the elder scribe now, as the plan came to fruition.
After the sack of Sparta, Craterus II, who could not be called King after the fall, had driven Beithys back to Athens, which was vacant of a governor since the death of King Raizdos. The attempt on Diegylis’ life had been followed by assurances from Beithys that he had nothing to do with it, or the following skirmishes. Disbelieved by the King of course. There were now two Kings of Odrysia, divided into two Kingdoms, Macedon and Thrace, Beithys and Diegylis, and the only thing from biting at each-other was the threat of the Macedonians and Spartans to the south, and this meeting, upon the dreadful, bloody war-torn region of Thessaly. So Spartatocos was here to assure Diegylis, his young friend, that when he rejoined Rhascus campaigning in Epidamnos, The Prince of Macedon’s claim would be secure over the city, indeed he suspected that his old friend had hoped, that Beithys would soon be the new King. Sparatocos had an army to ensure that, and it would do business with the army of the rebels, so Olorus had promised.
To gain access to this region, that hosted so many armies of different flags, Olorus had threatened Bardyllis himself with destruction , should he attempt to intervene, this, in truth, saving the Prince of Macedon part of his dominion. Such promises were made, and Olorus only had to show the fates of the governors of the lands around Epidamnos to force Bardyllis into a steady retreat at first. Such threats were based on the combined armies of the Prince of Macedon and Sparatocos, and that, spurted Sparatocos from some water in his flask, as if it was a joke, was a hollow threat.
You can't fight us together, although I'll be alone.
Such purposes were why he was here, the Lion folded his hands on the table, in the room surrounded by guards loyal to both, but at war with each-other in all but decree.
By the gods, he was here to flog that whettling of Beithys for his insolence to his half-brother, but he said nothing of that in his letter of invitation.
‘Ah, my guests.’ Said the Prince, walking into the room with his guards, mercenary veteran hoplites, well armored and well trained.
‘Have you made parlay with the rebels?’ Asked the Prince to Olorus. He was eager, too wanting, this made Sparatocos all too the more confident in his decision. That sour guilt of wanting to get on with things, change the subject.
‘I’m afraid they would not listen, as you are beleaguered. We threatened, ahem, the rebels, but their war-chief would hear none of it.’ He clasped his hands and then pointed a finger at Diegylis.
‘Yes, we are more beleaguered than you know, Olorus.’ Said Diegylis grimly. He looked outside the great window of the palace where the mid-day sun shone in with rays.
‘What of the King’s vengeance, the King’s pressure?’ Motioned Sparatocos. Well, I might as well ask him, he thought to himself.
‘He can delude himself only to the point in which he strikes upon me. Then we will show him the power of true brothers.’ Said the Prince a bit un-nerved, sweating, looking desperately to Sparatocos. He held out his hand. Sparatocos swatted it away.
‘You tried to kill him didn’t you? Though I swear it, that if my half-brother attacks you, I shall defend you.’ Said Sparatocos quietly.
‘And what then. What if it comes to that. Would you support my the claim of a Prince of Macedon after this mess on your way in is sorted out?’
‘Surely, my friend. I support the notion of such a Prince of Macedon. But the King Beithys will never be in the position to betray us.’
‘As you say.’ Diegylis smiled eagerly, that nervous wheedle, and poured wine for the two of them.
‘ I will not be drinking. We will entrench around and fortify the city, as Olorus has promised. And in proper time we will meet the Macedonian rebels.’
Later that day, as the sun set, and the day was winding down, so that the lights of the city upon the sea could almost be seen, there, far in the hills, not very far from the marching rebel army, Sparatocos was indeed entrenched. The autumn trees opened up on a glade, and within that glade were Olorus, and maidens clothed in white, and there, the one emissary of the rebels, Andradios, who spoke quickly to Olorus and said that after the ceremony, that their army should depart from Thessaly, and rush to confront the Ardaiei if that was their intent. The devotee maidens placed a wreath upon Sparatocos head, bowed, and walked away in procession. Flutes puffed soothingly amid the glade, where a ring of stones with amphorae and urns had been placed. A bull was marched into the center of the ring of attendants, as Sparatocos reclined to a wicker chair and set his eyes on the bull.
‘By order of King Diegylis, and for before all the gods, this Sparatocos, third in line after Rhascus the Fertile, to the throne of Teres and Seuthopolis and Odrysia, is now named the King of Macedon. Before Sabazios, damned be the name of the usurper Beithys.’
In Pella, down from the hills, the watchmen did as they had been paid to do. The lights at each tower could be seen blinking out, in a great ring around Pella, and the gates creaked open. Alarms had not sounded, but the rebel army could be heard marching towards the city from their position.
Sparatocos, through the slits of his lion mask, kept his thin, heavily lidded eyes, on the bull. Dentuscu wielded the cleaver. And the next, and the next. This night if any, he had never been more in love with her.
The new King of Macedon
He fell, as so many proud young men in the flower of his time, died, in your wisdom, Kotys, you took him as you took so many bright young individuals....