Part 103 (1/2)

Golden summer days lasted into October in Athens, but ere far too busyleaves or stroll aent would depart to take up its watch in different parts of Greece Antony and I spentthe plans before ere ready to unveil then would rely equally on sea and land power Since neither arround, and Greece had scant food, that meant food supplies must be transported by sea Theirs would coypt Obviously, whoever could e to cut the other's lines would starve the enemy army out So the shi+ps were crucial, and ere proud of ours Not only did we have more than five hundred warshi+ps with every size well represented, but our roere expert Greeks and Egyptians It did little good to have fine shi+ps if the oarsmen were inept In addition, our admirals Ahenobarbus and Sosius were seasoned commanders

As for the arionaries, some of ere veterans of Parthia and even Philippi, as well as newer recruits The legionaries nus' soldiers another twenty-five thousand Amyntas of Galatia had contributed two thousand of the world's best cavalry to the ten thousand we already had That gave us land forces of almost a hundred thousand men Antony would lead the troops, with Canidius and Dellius under hionia, Thrace, Cilicia, and Co their own forces

I wished to coyptian shi+ps, but Antony was hesitant In the first place, he did not like the idea that ould be separated in battle--one on land, one at sea--but he also worried that Ahenobarbus would balk at it And we needed Ahenobarbus's expertise against Agrippa I held ht well be different later One thing I kneould not sit on the sidelines I would be fighting soht to be involved He was old enough to begin training as a soldier But Antony was insistent that Antyllus leave and go to the safety of Alexandria, and he urged that Caesarion remain where he was

”Full-scale war is not the place for boys to learn soldiering,” he said ”Especially if one is also the heir The stakes are too high, the chances of an accident too great” He was so adamant that I bowed to his wishes

”What you mean is, you don't want them in the way,” I said

”Exactly,” he said ”I will have enough to worry about, without thees they would make!”

Still, I wondered if they would not feel cheated afterward How could a son of Caesar's sit by while a as fought in his na been perfected, we held a council of war in the enorora We needed all that space to accommodate our men, and to display the maps and make our presentations It was the last tiether under one roof

As if to eeneral's costume: buckled brass and silver cuirass with relief orna ofpurple cloak, heavy nailed sandals

I had been careful to avoid all ornaown and cloak, and wearing the ancient Egyptian award for olden flies, which I had earned in raisingbrother, as well as taking ainst the assassins I wanted them to realize that one side of anticbeside it, spear in hand Looking straight at us were the faces of all our chief officers and the ten kings Behind theates, tribunes, and centurions filled the rest of the hall

”We have feasted and celebrated, an ”Now it is ti test May all the Gods look with favor on us, and give us the victory”

He pointed at thethe peninsula of Italy to the left with his spear ”Octavian h,on where he ferries his troops across, the journeyor short If he departs from here”--he thumped the site of Brundisium--”he will have only about seventy miles to sail to reach Greece If he chooses Tarentum”--another thump--”and heads south, it will be closer to two hundred miles What we must do is be prepared to intercept him at either end Therefore I propose a chain of nine naval stations on sheltered islands just off the coast of Greece, stretching from Corcyra in the north to Crete in the south”

There was a slightimpressed

”Above Corcyra the coast of Greece is difficult to land on, so we need not worry that Octavian will try that So ill guard Corcyra, then have a major naval station south of that, at the Gulf of Ae from winter storms The main fleet inter there”

He looked around for questions There being none, he continued ”Just off off the Gulf of Ambracia is the island of Leucas, and ill put our third naval station there Then, proceeding south, almost in the middle of the chain, there will be another at Patrae, on the Gulf of Corinth There the main ar it will be two more stations, at Cephallenia and Ithaca, home of Odysseus A little farther south, on the island of Zacynthus, Sosius will co served there for seven years already” the Gulf of Ambracia is the island of Leucas, and ill put our third naval station there Then, proceeding south, almost in the middle of the chain, there will be another at Patrae, on the Gulf of Corinth There the main ar it will be two more stations, at Cephallenia and Ithaca, home of Odysseus A little farther south, on the island of Zacynthus, Sosius will co served there for seven years already”

Sosius stood up and nodded

”A ud of Mauretania will be situated at Methone, in southern Greece Then, the last one on Greek soil, at Cape Taenaruypt Below lies Crete, where our ninth station will be So you can see, it is a shi+eld stretching down the entire western flank of Greece”

”But what about the Via Egnatia, in northern Greece7” said Dellius ”Why just abandon it? I don't like it”

”We have no need of it,” said Antony ”We cannot receive supplies that way”

”But the enemy can,” insisted Dellius

”No, the eneoes east-west, and cannot help them transport supplies over the mountains in our direction It is a wonderful road, but of no use at all to us in this contest” Antony looked absolutely certain of this

”Why station the army near the Gulf of Corinth?” asked Ahenobarbus

”If the enemy comes by sea from the west, then ill be ready, and easily deployed toward the coast If, however, he should h Illyria and come down from the north, we can block him We will be prepared no matter which direction he comes in” He added, ”But I doubt very , it is almost a thousand miles”

”Better a thousand on land than seventy on the sea!” cried Canidius, playfully

”Landlubber!” yelled Ahenobarbus

”Keep infor Octavian,” said Antony ”Time, money, and supplies are on our side All we have to do is et here, keep his troops paid, and transport all supplies We have had the opportunity to assereat advantage” has to get here, keep his troops paid, and transport all supplies We have had the opportunity to assereat advantage”

”And where will she she be?” asked Ahenobarbus suddenly be?” asked Ahenobarbus suddenly

I rose I certainly could speak for yptian shi+ps, I shall be with my fleet,” I said

”You own the shi+ps, but do you command them?” Ahenobarbus said ”You must have an admiral”

”That is to be settled later,” said Antony quickly ” ”The Queen will be in Patrae withto be a bone of contention between us Well, he was right--it would be settled later

”Perhaps the Queen should return to Egypt,” said Ahenobarbus

Not this again!

Before I could answer, he offered his clever argument ”If she would allow her son to take her place, the troops would perhaps be less confused After all, he is Caesar's son, and a king in his own right It would reossip and putconsidered it ood point Ahenobarbus looked surprised, and Antony glared at me

”It will be settled later,” Antony repeated ”In the meantime you will have much to do to set up your stations before winter We must be securely positioned when the weather turns And do not forget that I a with Octavian I look forward to January first, when I will assuain!”

But Octavian outmaneuvered us He had two more tricks in his hand, and in November he pulled both out He declared Antony's Consulshi+p void, and stripped hiht mind, Octavian declared, and thereby not fit for public office ”He is either heedless or mad--for, indeed, I have heard and believed that he has been bewitched by that accursed woers on her behalf against us and against his country Therefore let no one count hiyptian, nor call him Antony, but rather Serapis Let no one think he was ever Consul or Iymnasiarch For he has himself, of his own free will, chosen the latter naust titles of his own land, has become one of the cymbal-players from Canopus It is impossible for one who leads a life of royal luxury, and coddles hiht or do a ht mind, Octavian declared, and thereby not fit for public office ”He is either heedless or mad--for, indeed, I have heard and believed that he has been bewitched by that accursed woers on her behalf against us and against his country Therefore let no one count hiyptian, nor call him Antony, but rather Serapis Let no one think he was ever Consul or Iymnasiarch For he has himself, of his own free will, chosen the latter naust titles of his own land, has become one of the cymbal-players from Canopus It is impossible for one who leads a life of royal luxury, and coddles hiht or do a manly deed”

But did he declare war on hih syerous Instead he marched to the Temple of Bellona in the Field of Mars and enacted an ancient cere a solemn procession to the doors of the war Goddess's shrine as festialis festialis priest, followed by men in military cloaks, he dipped a lance in fresh blood and hurled it in the direction of Egypt priest, followed by men in military cloaks, he dipped a lance in fresh blood and hurled it in the direction of Egypt

”This foreign queen, who has set her sights on Roment from the Capitoline hill, as her oaths have revealed--we soleyptian Queen, Cleopatra of the house of Ptoleeneral underfoot and yptian orshi+ps reptiles and beasts as Gods, feeble in courage,the lance before throwing it ”We declare a just and righteous war--justun who threatens our state We must allooman to make herself equal to a man!”