The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe
Chapter 48 Racing Against Time

Chapter 48: Chapter 48 Racing Against Time

What’s wrong?" Juleios noticed something unusual in Cristoia’s expression.

"...When we return to Greece, what do you plan to do?" Cristoia asked softly.

"Oh... I haven’t really thought about that," Juleios replied, though in truth, the question had been on his mind for some time. "But one thing is certain: wherever I go, I’ll take you with me."

Cristoia rested her face against Juleios’ broad shoulder, gently stroking his rough skin. Her tone was resolute as she said, "Wherever you go, I’ll follow you!" After a moment, she added emphatically, "But you’d better not return to Asia Minor!"

"Why not?" Juleios asked, surprised.

"Because it might become a battlefield." Her words startled Juleios. She continued, "I heard Darius the Younger say—" She glanced at him cautiously, and when she saw no unusual reaction, she went on, "There is deep animosity between the Spartans and Tissaphernes. The Spartans have been drawn into this Persian rebellion and want to replace Athens as the protector of the Greek city-states in Asia Minor. After the war ended, Sparta delayed fulfilling their agreement with Persia, and Darius the Younger, for certain reasons, didn’t push them to honor it.

"Now, with the new king ascending the throne and Tissaphernes back in Asia Minor, he will undoubtedly act on behalf of the Persian king to pressure Sparta into fulfilling the agreement."

Juleios was taken aback to learn of such a secret between Sparta and Persia. Sparta’s duplicity surprised him but was understandable. Agreeing to the terms would mean that Sparta, the leader of the Greeks, would hand over their compatriots’ lands to their enemies—a betrayal that could be seen as treason. It would damage the prestige they had built after winning the Peloponnesian War and might even provoke rebellion among the Greek city-states. On the other hand, refusing would violate the agreement, potentially leading to war.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Could Clearchus’ recent overtures be an attempt to win him over? As the thought crossed his mind, he asked, "Cristoia, if I don’t go to Asia Minor, would you return to Miletus?"

"I already told you I’ll follow you wherever you go," Cristoia said, her voice tinged with sadness. "Besides, if I returned now, it would bring trouble to my family."

Juleios immediately understood. As a former concubine of Darius the Younger, she was considered part of a rebel’s household. Her return would undoubtedly draw the attention of Persian authorities to her family in Miletus.

Comforting her, he said, "Don’t worry. One day, I’ll make sure you can return home with honor."

Cristoia gazed at him, her worries gradually fading as she saw the earnest determination in his eyes. "I believe you," she whispered.

She draped her himation over her head and said, "Since you’ve put me in charge of the medical camp, I’ll start exercising my authority. I want to grant freedom to those female slaves. That way, they’ll work harder to care for the wounded."

"That’s your right," Juleios said. "But I should inform Melsis first."

Three days later, the mercenaries broke camp and resumed their march.

By afternoon, Tissaphernes and his army had caught up.

The Greek leaders, informed by their scouts, quickly led their troops to the nearest village to set up camp. Many soldiers were unable to fight: some were wounded, others were carrying the injured, and still more were burdened with the weapons of those they helped. The significant reduction in combat-ready soldiers made it impossible for the mercenaries to march and fight simultaneously as they had before.

When Tissaphernes’ forces arrived at the village, the mercenaries noticed that the banners of Orontes and Sithernes were absent. The leaders speculated that Tissaphernes had delayed his pursuit to bid farewell to these Persian nobles. They also began to worry about the journey ahead. While the king’s brother posed no threat, Orontes, as the governor of Armenia, could potentially block their path to Armenia.

As the Persian army came under attack from the Greek slingers, they retaliated with a volley of arrows, continuing the daily routine of long-range skirmishes. However, the Persians were at a disadvantage in this exchange. With the Greeks now fortified in their camp, their advantage was even greater. The leaders were puzzled as to why a shrewd commander like Tissaphernes would persist with such ineffective tactics.

The battle lasted only a few minutes before Tissaphernes ordered a retreat. Concerned about the chaos a nighttime assault could cause among his cavalry-heavy forces, the Persian camp was set up ten miles away from the Greeks.

After a brief council, the Greek leaders decided that their troops would rest at dusk and march before dawn. If the Persians pursued, they would set up camp again. This strategy ensured the army’s safety without delaying their progress.

For the next three days, the Persians did not appear. Then, on the fourth morning, scouts reported that the road ahead was narrow, flanked by several peaks, one of which showed signs of Persian activity. Remembering their previous experiences, the leaders were unusually cautious.

"Just like before, I’ll lead a unit around the right side of the peak to drive them off," Xenophon proposed confidently, emboldened by his prior success.

At that moment, scouts from the rear arrived with urgent news: Tissaphernes’ main force was approaching.

The leaders tensed immediately. The mercenaries were no longer as strong as they had been—too many were wounded, and the narrow, hilly terrain was unfavorable for deploying their troops. The dense formation made them vulnerable to ranged attacks. Clearly, Tissaphernes had carefully planned this maneuver, intending to deliver a significant blow to the mercenaries.

The situation was critical. Clearchus, realizing there was no time for further discussion, turned to Xenophon and said sternly, "You must clear the Persians off that ridge as quickly as possible to ensure our safe passage. Once you secure the ridge, you can hold the mountain pass, and Tissaphernes won’t dare to pursue us further."

"I’ll need some light infantry," Xenophon replied immediately.

"Archers and slingers can’t be spared—they’re needed to counter Tissaphernes," Clearchus said firmly.

"I can give you 500 light shield bearers," Juleios offered without hesitation. This was no time to conserve strength; only full cooperation would see them through this crisis.

Xenophon was grateful for Juleios’ support, as he had often voiced his approval publicly.

"I’ll give you 800 Thracian light shield bearers!" Timasion added loudly. His camp had the most light infantry, thanks to his previous leader, Clearchus, who had recruited Thracian mercenaries during an extended campaign near the Hellespont.

With 1,500 troops, including 200 heavy infantry, Xenophon set out immediately.

Meanwhile, the leaders ordered the rest of the army to increase their vigilance and hasten their march toward the pass.

When Xenophon and his troops reached the base of the ridge, they saw the Persians entrenched at one of the peaks. As he prepared to give the order to attack, Epitenes, the captain of Juleios’ first light shield company, stepped forward.

Pointing to a higher peak adjacent to the Persian position, he said, "Xenophon, look at that peak. If we attack the Persians directly, they might retreat to that higher ground. It’ll waste time and make our assault more difficult. Instead, we should secure that higher peak first. From there, we can rain javelins and stones down on them, forcing them to retreat."

The light infantry captains agreed with Epitenes’ suggestion. Xenophon, recognizing the wisdom in the plan, ordered his troops to move quickly and seize the higher peak.

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