The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe-Chapter 25 - Negotiations Break Down

As they approached the Persian cavalry, Philesius whispered to Juleios, "The men leading the Persians are Ariæus, Artaozus, and Mithridates—three of Darius the Younger's most trusted subordinates during his lifetime. The one in the center, though, you'll recognize—it's ASistes, the Persian envoy we met before."

The Greek officers stopped about 20 meters from the Persian cavalry.

"Come closer!" Ariæus beckoned, pointing to the ground in front of his horse.

The officers remained still.

ASistes couldn't resist a sneer. "Are all Greeks this cowardly?"

"Perhaps it's because Persians have broken their word so many times that we no longer dare to trust you!" Xenophon retorted sharply.

"Exactly! Persians are shameless scoundrels who would even deceive the gods!" Krianos shouted angrily, sparking a chorus of insults from the other officers.

"Silence! Listen carefully to the Great King's decree!" Ariæus bellowed.

"That's your king, not ours! If you have something to say, then say it. Otherwise, we're leaving!" Juleios shouted back.

"We Greeks are free men, not slaves to a king like you Persians!" Timasion added, half-proud, half-mocking.

Ariæus's face contorted with fury, his nose flaring. He turned to ASistes, who nodded, giving him the cue to proceed. Ariæus reluctantly unfolded a sheet of papyrus and began reading aloud:

"Greeks, I, Artaxerxes, King of the Persians and ruler of all peoples, declare that Clearchus has broken his oath and disrupted the truce. The Divines have already punished him. The leaders who revealed his plot are being honored with the hospitality of my governor, Tissaphernes. The weapons you bear were purchased with the funds of the rebel Cyrus, which came from the Persian treasury and rightfully belong to me. Surrender your weapons, and I swear by the great Divine that you will be safely escorted to Ionia."

"Hahahaha!" Juleios burst out laughing. "A wolf tricks deer into becoming its friends, then eats them. Once it tastes the benefits, it wants all the deer to break their own antlers so it can feast on their meat without worry! How stupid do you think we are? Or is it your king whose brain is broken?"

"Impudent!" Ariæus shouted, pointing angrily at Juleios. "Insulting the Great King is punishable by death by fire!"

"Enough, Ariæus! You shameless scoundrel!" Krianos shouted, turning his anger on the three Persians—Ariæus, Artaozus, and Mithridates. "Do you not feel ashamed before the gods? You swore with us to be allies and fight against the Persian king. Now, you've betrayed us to collaborate with that heartless villain, Tissaphernes. You deceived Clearchus and the others and now seek to sell us out! The gods who watched us swear our oath will surely curse you!"

Ariæus shrank back instinctively, glancing at ASistes, who feigned indifference. Reluctantly, Ariæus continued, "The Great King genuinely wishes to send you home safely. Cyrus, the traitor, has received just punishment, and you were merely deceived by him. The King does not wish Persia to endure unnecessary war on its soil..."

"If Proxenus and the others have revealed Clearchus's supposed plot and been rewarded by you, then bring them here. This will clear up our doubts, and as leaders, they can help mediate between us!" Juleios interjected.

"That's right! Bring our leaders here, and we'll trust you!" the officers shouted in agreement.

"Uh... Proxenus and the others are enjoying a banquet with Lord Tissaphernes... They've had too much to drink... so..." Ariæus stammered.

ASistes, growing impatient, shouted, "The Great King commands you to surrender your weapons immediately! Only then will you be ensured a safe return. Otherwise, we will offer you no further assistance!"

"By Ares, Greek warriors will never abandon their weapons and submit to slaughter!" Timasion roared, striking his bronze shield with his spear.

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"Anyone who tries to take our weapons will meet their death at our hands!" Krianos bellowed.

"Proxenus and the others aren't drunk; they've been killed by you, haven't they?" Xenophon added bitterly. He deliberately exaggerated to force Ariæus and the others to reveal the truth, but his words instead ignited the officers' fury.

"The Persians want to kill us all!"

"Revenge for our leaders!"

Enraged, the officers closed in on Ariæus and his men. Seeing the escalating situation, ASistes turned his horse and fled. Ariæus and the others quickly followed suit. After riding some distance, ASistes looked back and saw they had put enough space between themselves and the Greeks. Embarrassed and furious at having been driven away by a band of "Greek barbarians," he shouted, "You Greeks have missed your best chance. You'll regret this soon!"

"We'll see who regrets it!" Xenophon retorted defiantly.

As the Persian cavalry retreated, the Greeks were left with heavy hearts. It was clear that the mercenary leaders had met a grim fate. With the Persians tearing off their facade of cooperation, what should the Greeks do now?

Surrender to the Persians? Even Cyrus the Younger, the king's own brother, had been brutally decapitated and mutilated. Most of the officers believed surrender would only lead to their execution or enslavement—an unacceptable fate.

The only alternative was to fight the Persians again on this foreign land. But now, without Persian guides, they were on an unfamiliar route, thousands of miles from home. They would have to fend off hostile locals and defend against Persian attacks while blindly forging their way back. The Persians couldn't beat them in direct combat, but they could outrun and harass them. If the Greeks failed, they faced annihilation.

These thoughts filled the officers with despair. When they left the camp earlier, the soldiers had shown some spirit, but by the time they returned, everyone was gloomy and sighing, faces etched with worry.

Back at the camp, the officers gathered to discuss their next steps. Juleios, naturally falling in alongside Philesius, participated in the meeting. As a newcomer, he spoke little, instead observing the officers closely. Heated debates often exposed personalities: the hot-tempered Timasion, the cunning Crianos, the cautious Zantiparis, and the amicable Agasias, who got along well with everyone.

Xenophon, however, was vocal. Arguing passionately, he eventually raised his voice, saying, "Clearchus and the others have been captured by the Persians. We must immediately elect new leaders for each unit to replace them. Then, we must convene a full army assembly to rebuild the soldiers' determination to fight the Persians and their confidence in relying on themselves to return home. If we allow this chaos to continue, we'll be defeated even before the Persians attack!"

Juleios agreed with Xenophon. While he was new to military matters, his previous life had taught him the importance of uniting a group under a common goal. As a former village official and later an administrator in a high-tech development zone, he had managed far more people than the 10,000 soldiers here and knew how critical morale and unity were.

Timasion, however, seemed annoyed by Xenophon's assertiveness. Ignoring him, he turned to the others and said, "There's no need to rush. Ctesiphon will return soon."