When he’d arrived
in Makedonia to tutor the prince, Aristoteles had harbored one
goal: please the king enough that he’d consent to rebuild
Aristoteles’s hometown of Stagiera. Philippos had razed it five
years prior during his wars on the Khalkidiki. Aristoteles
hadn’t been against teaching the boy, but it wasn’t his chief
concern. Knowing Philippos, Aristoteles had hoped for at least
cleverness in Alexandros.
He’d found
brilliance, like sunlight off the sea, scintillating. Once
Alexandros had realized it permitted, he’d questioned
everything, a “fault” Aristoteles openly encouraged. What had
initially been a job became a vocation: to harness this
resplendent mind.
In some respects,
he’d failed. Alexandros was Aristoteles’s Dion of Syrakousai.
Yet unlike Platon, Aristoteles had been a diplomat and spy
himself, and so could forgive the prince for sometimes following
the politically pragmatic instead of pushing through to the
properly philosophic. Most of the time, however, he soared.
What Aristoteles
hadn’t expected was the
other.
Had he opened his
own school in Athenai where boys sought admission on merit,
having two superb students at once might be expected. But to
find it when handed a dozen randomly selected for the fortune of
their birth alone? What were the odds? Tykhē
had blessed him, so he mustn’t squander her gift.
Special lessons for
one had become special lessons for two, just not the same
lessons. By their second year, when it came to geometry and
mathematics, Hephaistion had pushed so far past the rest, it
simply wasn’t possible to retain him in the same group, like
weighting down a prize racehorse to keep it from outstripping
everybody else on the track. So Aristoteles had removed the
weights and arranged for Hephaistion to have his own lessons,
following the prince’s.
Like Alexandros,
Hephaistion also questioned and challenged and followed his own
tangents born of pure curiosity. Aristoteles better understood
why these two had been so drawn to each other, even if their tie
had become more physical than Aristoteles may have liked. Yet he
doubted the other boys could keep up with them, although the
prince was better at grounding himself to mingle, sometimes
disturbingly so. He could curse like an old soldier. Hephaistion
was more refined. The other boys called him haughty, but
Aristoteles thought he simply disliked crassness in all forms,
which might explain his attraction to the purity of geometry.
All the boys were
competitive, however, and—Alexandros excepted—nursed resentment
at Hephaistion’s singling out. Deciding a contest was in order,
Aristoteles gave them a theorem and a day to solve it. The one
who did so would get the private geometry lessons. He’d harbored
no doubts as to who would win.
By the next
afternoon, not a single boy had an answer except, of course,
Hephaistion, who was tasked with explaining it to the rest of
them. He’d probably had it completed within hours of it being
assigned. Thus, having proven his excellence, he’d resumed his
lessons without further challenge, but was fast approaching a
level past which Aristoteles couldn’t lead. Only one teacher
could guide him now: Eudoxos of Knidos. Aristoteles wrote to his
old tutor from his days in Athenai, telling him about
Hephaistion. Eudoxos responded: “I’ve included something for
him to solve. If he can, send him to me.” No solution was
included, which meant Aristoteles had to solve it first. It took
him almost the full basin of the water clock in his office.
In that same mail
delivery, and after two-and-a-half years, a letter arrived from
the king, recalling the prince to Pella. Aristoteles had been
expecting it. He’d had more time with the boy already than he’d
thought he’d get. He’d also known the letter coming, as he’d met
Philippos two months prior for a consultation. It had hardly
been their first.
Aristoteles
reported on Alexandros’s progress to both his mother in Pella
and his father wherever his latest campaign had taken him. For
most of Alexandros’s time at Mieza, Philippos had been away,
returning periodically for festivals and to collect funds and
new troops, his real reason for coming home. On several of those
occasions, the boys had been recalled to Pella, and Aristoteles,
of course, had returned with them. The king had always wanted a
summary of his son’s progress, and his questions weren’t
generic. He went over with Aristoteles exactly what the boys
were learning, reminding the philosopher that Philippos read
widely. He might carouse with his men one evening, drinking
himself blind, then meet with Aristoteles the next over watered
wine and excellent honey cakes, asking about Thrasymakhos’s
reality politics and Platon’s notions of True Forms.
In that, he was not
unlike his son in his ability to float between the intellectual
and the practical. His early life had made him coarse, and
sometimes brutal, but Aristoteles wondered what he might have
become if he’d been sent to Platon in Athenai instead of to
those thugs in Thebai. Although, to be fair, had he not been
taken by Pelopidas and trained under Epaminondas, he might not
have survived at all. Philosophy wouldn’t have been much use
after the death of his brother, who, according to local gossip,
had been rather too philosophic himself, requiring geometry at
his symposia. Geometry hadn’t saved him against Bardylis’s
Illyrians.
Aristoteles thought
Philippos had the intelligence Perdikkas had only feigned. He’d
never say so to the king, who’d genuinely loved his older
brother, but the death of Perdikkas had been the best thing ever
to happen to Makedon.
In any case, in the
spring of the year of the 110th Olympiad, as soon as
the hill passes were open, Philippos was back in Pella to deal
with Demosthenes’s vituperation down in Athenai, and prepare a
new campaign. Amid other business, he found a man in Mieza who,
for two gold coins, would give them a private room and dinner,
and say nothing about the identity of his guests. Aristoteles
was shown into a rather run-down andron, its painted
plaster walls cracked, but no doubt discretion was more
important than décor.
The king was
waiting.
After an exchange
of welcome kisses, both settled onto couches and accepted food
from the servers who, Aristoteles noted, were Thrakian. “They
can’t understand a word we’re saying,” Philippos explained. “So
don’t be afraid to speak plainly. Now, I’m planning to leave
again by late summer, to join Parmenion and Antigonos who are
marching the army to Perinthos. I could be gone for a year or
more. Is he ready?”
Aristoteles didn’t
have to ask ‘ready for what’? He sipped the wine; it was
vinegary. “I think he might be.”
“Might?”
“No, he is.”
Aristoteles sighed. “I’ve done what you wanted, Philippion.”
Few, these days, got to use that nickname. “I’ve educated a
king, He’s young, he’s rash sometimes, but he’s gifted. Three
years ago, when you hired me, did you know what you were sending
me?”
“I had an inkling.
But first, I had to pry him out of the grasp of Olympias’s kin.
Leonidas made him hard of body, but I needed you to stretch his
mind, not unlike what your father did for me, before Thebai. I
can still stitch up a sword cut.”
Aristoteles
chuckled. “But do you remember all the body’s bones?”
“No. Well, probably
a goodly number, but not all. Other matters have crowded out
those lessons. But he opened my imagination.”
The king took a sip
of the wine, then spat it out. “Herakleis! I need to give
that man more coin. This is awful.” He put the cup back on the
little table in front of his dining couch and opted instead for
a spit of grilled pork. “So, if you think he’s ready—”
“Ready enough.”
“After his
initiation, I’ll bring him back and put him under Antipatros
while I’m in the Bosphoros.”
“He’s ready for
that, especially on a lead-line.” Aristoteles leaned forward on
an elbow. “I want to beg a favor.”
“One bigger than
rebuilding Stagiera?”
“No,” Aristoteles
replied. “Rather less, in fact. I’d like you to release
Hephaistion Amyntoros from his vow of service to you.”
Philippos appeared
bemused. “Whatever for?”
“I want to send him
to Eudoxos, at his school in Knidas. The boy’s brilliant, and
about to sail past the horizon of my mathematical skills. I knew
Eudoxos in Athenai. He taught the school while Platon was in
Syrakousai. I’m not ashamed to admit he excels me in numbers,
although I like to think I excel him in research and
applications, not to mention politics, for which he has neither
interest nor skill. But geometry? He’s the most gifted
mathematician of our age. Hephaistion deserves such a teacher.”
Philippos leaned
back on his couch and scratched his beard. He didn’t answer.
Nervous and unaccustomed to the feeling, Aristoteles blundered
on. “You don’t need him as surety for his father’s good
behavior. Amyntor isn’t the sort to plot rebellions, and
Hephaistion…he’s a rarity. I want to cut him free to fly.”
For several long
breaths, the king remained silent. Then he grunted, which could
mean any number of things. Kings were, by nature, intransigent
and unpredictable, even with those they’d known as boys. “On the
one hand, it might be good to be rid of him. He’s a problem in
the Pages.”
“How so?”
Philippos returned
to his dinner, pulling a chunk of pork off the spit and chewing
it. Finally, he said, “Too much of his own mind to take orders
without questioning them. It sets a bad example, and boys like
that get themselves killed. His brothers were no different,
which is why they’re all dead. Even three generations out,
Amyntor is still Athenian. He teaches them to think, not obey.”
Aristoteles bit his
tongue, but it wagged anyway. “I’d have done the same.”
Philippos pointed
at him with the spit. “Which is why I’m not surprised you’re
asking me to give him to you. Of course you like him. He’s the
worst of that lot.” He took another bite, adding after he’d
swallowed, “Someday, he could make a fine officer precisely
because he can
think…if he survives until then. So, sending him to Eudoxos
might be the better option. And I’m sure Amyntor would agree to
it.”
“Good. I’ll talk to
him—”
“But. The boy’s going to
refuse.” Philippos turned his head slightly so his good eye was
on Aristoteles. “He’s in love, Aristo. You may as well try to
pry a barnacle off of a boat. It might be good for the boat, but
it’ll kill the barnacle.”
“Who’s the barnacle
and who’s the boat?” His question was more rueful than angry.
Abruptly, Philippos
set down the meat spit and pushed to his feet, pacing.
Aristoteles wondered if he knew his son did the same when
thinking. “I wanted Alexandros to have what I didn’t. Time to
grow up. A good education. Real friends. Not to be afraid every
blasted moment that somebody might stab him or poison his
supper.”
Aristoteles
struggled to contain horror at Philippos’s flat delivery. The
king was stating a fact, not seeking sympathy, yet Aristoteles
had seen enough, and remembered enough. Makedon under his father
Amyntas, and especially after, had been ill-managed madness.
“While, in theory,
I’m not opposed to your request to send Amyntor’s brat to
Knidos, and it might solve some discipline problems in the
Pages, I doubt he’ll go. Nor will I make any effort to encourage
it, for one reason.” He stopped to look back at Aristoteles.
“Hephaistion will guard my son with his last breath and never
seek anything in return because he’s as unambitious as his
father. He loves well. I never had that. I won’t take it from
Alexandros.”
His grin was sudden
and unexpected. “So you have my permission to try to steal him
from me. And if he asks,
I’ll let him go. But in this, Aristo, I won’t help you. My son
needs a Molossian guard dog. Hephaistion’s a big boy, good with
a sword, and clever. He might be a pain in the arse,
command-wise, but I’ll keep him by Alexandros if I can.”
“You do realize
what they’re doing—”
“I don’t give a
shit what they’re doing. I never bought that part of Platon.
They can fuck like hares for all I care. Amyntor’s son will
protect mine, and that’s what matters to me. Steal him if you
can, old friend, but I doubt you’ll succeed.”
He winked with his
good eye, then exited the andron.
He’d drunk no more of the sour wine nor finished his meal.
Aristoteles sipped
from his own cup, thinking. He’d never backed down from a
challenge, even from a king. Especially from a king. He’d have
to approach this carefully, but the game was on.
***
“Knidos?”
Hephaistion asked, astonished. “You mean…in Karia?”
“Yes. I might even
travel with you; I’ve not seen Eudoxos in years. I sent him
several of the theorems you solved for me, and he sent back
this.” Aristoteles handed over a small, folded bit of papyrus.
Hephaistion
unfolded it, reading aloud:
“They say
magnitudes are of equal ratio, first to second and third to
fourth in the case that any equimultiples be taken of the
first and third, and any equimultiples of the second and
fourth, when the first equimultiples all exceed, or are all
equal to, or all fall short of, the latter equimultiples
respectively, in their corresponding order. What does this
describe?”
Aristoteles could
see his mind working, and he muttered, “We need to reframe this.
Four original numbers, with differing variables, but the
relationship has to hold, whatever the variables might be….”
Sitting down at a
table, he kept muttering, but now it was too low for Aristoteles
to hear. Unlike Alexandros, Hephaistion preferred to keep his
train of thought to himself whilst working through things. Some
time went by as he scribbled on a wax diptych, but Aristoteles
was used to waiting. He’d idly set his water clock when
Hephaistion had begun, out of curiosity.
Only about half the
water was gone when Hephaistion set aside his stylus and sat up,
holding the dyptich at arms’ length to frown at it. “This is a
definition of proportions. Or maybe amplifications?”
“Both.” Aristoteles
was astonished. “You recognize it so quickly?”
“Yes.” He seemed
baffled, but Aristoteles only leaned back in his chair and
sighed.
“And that is why
you must go to Knidos, Hephaistion. It took me almost twice as
long to puzzle that out.”
“Really?”
The boy’s obvious astonishment undercut any accidental insult.
“I’m not, at heart,
a mathematikē,
not truly. You are. Eudoxos is. He can open your mind in ways
I’ve only begun to do. He said, if you understood that, to send
you to him. He’ll teach you mathematics, of course, but also
astronomy. He was my teacher once.”
“I know; you told
us.”
The boy rose,
walking around as if in a fog. He still held the little square
of papyrus. “What do I know about going to a real school?”
Aristoteles
snorted. “Where do you think you’ve been for two years?”
Realizing how that
had sounded, Hephaistion blushed. “I meant no offense. But we
didn’t come to you having to prove ourselves. You were given us
and didn’t have much choice.”
“True. But I’m
confident you’d gain admittance to study with Eudoxos even
without my letter of recommendation.”
“You recommended
me?”
Aristoteles almost
laughed. For all the boy’s pretense at jaded skepticism, at
heart, he could be sweetly naive. “How do you think you got that
little slip of papyrus?”
“You just said you
sent him my theorems.”
“With a letter of
recommendation that he take you on as his student. He sent back
your entrance examination, which you solved faster than I did.”
“Oh.” He looked
stunned, like a bull hit by a hammer before its throat was cut
for sacrifice. “But they’ll call me ágroikos.”
Farmboy.
“Eudoxos won’t.
When he first arrived in Athenai, he was so poor, he could
afford only a room by the docks, and had to walk every day into
the city to hear Platon lecture. You’re neither a farmboy nor
poor like he was, so don’t pretend to be. You have advantages he
never had.”
Hephaistion had the
good grace to look abashed. “Again, I meant no offense. I just
assumed—”
“What have I tried
to teach all of you for the past two years? Don’t assume…”
“…find the evidence
to prove it. Yes, sir.” He stared at Aristoteles. “Eudoxos
really wants me to study with him?”
“You solved his
puzzle. Yes, he’ll want you.” He hesitated, then added, “Son,
you have no idea how very good you are. All you’ve had for
comparison has been here. But I’ve been to school with several
great minds. I’m not flattering you to say you can match them.”
Hephaistion
unfolded the papyrus again, reading over the thick lines of
Eudoxos’s hand. Then he sat down, his brows drawn together.
Aristoteles let him think. He’d baited the hook well and the
fish had bit. Now he waited for it to feel the piercing in its
mouth.
“What about
Alexandros? And my oath to the king?”
There it was.
“Philippos has
promised that he’ll release you from your oath for this; you
need only ask him. But Alexandros won’t be going. He’s prince;
his father has plans for him here. Of course you can correspond
while you pursue your studies. You needn’t think on this as any
sort of permanent separation. You can return in a year or two.”
“A year or two!”
“That isn’t so
long, in the course of things.” It wasn’t, although to boys
their age, it must seem like an eternity.
Aristoteles didn’t
add that, once he’d begun his studies with Eudoxos, Hephaistion
probably wouldn’t want to return to Pella to play at war. He
wasn’t meant for battle; he was meant for maths. “In any case,
you needn’t decide just now. I’ve already sent your father a
letter of proposal. He’ll have to agree, of course. There will
be a fee.”
Hephaistion might
be a natural, but he was also nobility. He could pay his way,
whereas other boys could not. Eudoxos would most certainly
charge a fee so he could continue to teach other scholars like
himself, who had no wealth. To these newly rich Makedonians,
Eudoxos’s teaching fee and the cost of room and board was
negligible.
“I…I’ll consider
it,” Hephaistion said finally.
It was the best
Aristoteles could hope for. He hadn’t said “no” immediately.
“We won’t be
leaving for Pella for another month. You’ve plenty of time. And
you should write back to Eudoxos.” That was the best lure of
all; let the old man talk to Hephaistion directly, mathematician
to mathematician.
Now, he had another
conversation to conduct.
***
Getting an
unheralded visit from Philippos was not something Amyntor would
have expected. But there the king was, dismounting just outside
the main gate of Amyntor’s villa on the edge of Europos.
“Philippos,”
Amyntor greeted him, noting that he was sparsely attended,
meaning this wasn’t an official visit. “Did you come to
negotiate for additional mounts?”
“We can. It’s not
why I came, but I need them. Two hares in one bag?”
“What’s the other
hare?”
“Have you received
a letter from Aristoteles?”
Ah. “Yes. What of it?”
Amyntor crossed his arms and faced the king as Philippos walked
up to him where he stood by the bearded herm with its jutting
phallus that guarded the house from ill-will and the evil eye.
The sun directly overhead cast their shadows short on the packed
orange earth of the front garden. Bees hummed and danced around
the lavender and thyme, rosemary and oregano, basil and dill
that Berenikē grew in plots, to make sachets and other
charms.
“Are you willing to
let your boy go to Knidos?”
“I’m considering
it. If he wants to go.” Aristoteles’s letter had been a wee bit
too flattering, and now, here was the king. Something was up.
“Why this sudden interest in my son’s further education? I
thought he was vowed to your service?”
Philippos tilted
his head to scrutinize him with the good eye. “He is.
Aristoteles asked if I’d release him from it, to travel to
Knidos in order to study with this mathematician.”
“Did you?”
“I will. If he asks.”
Interesting emphasis.
Amyntor gestured for Philippos to follow him inside. “Come and
have some wine.”
The royal Bodyguard
didn’t follow, simply took up stations to either side of the
front entry next to the herm. House servants studied the guest
with curiosity, but had little reason to recognize the
middle-aged man in a sweaty, madder-red tunic as their
sovereign. Philippos was no regular visitor, and like Amyntor,
preferred simplicity. Amyntor might have liked him, if only he’d
stay out of unnecessary wars that led to the unnecessary deaths
of boys who thought it all glamorous, led by older men who
wished they were still those boys.
Once they were
comfortably settled on a pair of couches in Amyntor’s andron, a servant
brought good Chian, suitably watered; it was, after all,
midafternoon. “Why don’t you want Hephaistion to go to Knidos?”
Amyntor began.
“Do you want him to
go?”
“Don’t deflect. If
he aspires to, I’ll pay his student fees. If he doesn’t, I won’t
push him. Why do you care?”
“I’d think you’d
prefer he stay in Makedon, given that you didn’t even want him
to join the Pages in the first place.”
Amyntor eyed the
king, trying to discern his game, but Philippos was far too good
at rolling the dice to give away his intentions. “Not wanting
him to join your Pages was about keeping him out of combat. I
doubt he’ll be fighting with more than a quill in Knidos.”
“You’d turn him
into a philosopher? He’s got a gift with a sword. You do realize
he’s been placing increasingly higher in each Single Combat at
the Hetairadeia?”
And now they were finally
coming to it. “And I assume you approve of the
fact your son won a completely devoted lover who’d lay down his
own life for him. I understand your real concern, my king.”
Philippos toasted
Amyntor. “You’re a political idiot, Amyntor, but you understand
some things. They love each other. They should be allowed to. I
didn’t have that.”
Amyntor narrowed
his eyes. “Appealing to sympathy is no more effective.” He set
down his cup and leaned forward. “Let’s be clear. Your son is an
admirable young man with whom my son is completely besotted.
I’ve no issue with that. But if Hephaistion asks for a few years
to study his other love, geometry, I’ll support it. That’s his
choice, however. Now, do you want to negotiate for horses?”
Philippos laughed
but shook his head. “You’re a hard bargainer. Fine, let’s move
on to horses and see if I do any better.”
***
“Have a seat,”
Aristoteles invited in the prince. It was their usual lunch
lesson, but the first since Alexandros had received his recall
from Philippos.
“You had a letter
from my father too?”
“Yes, son.” He
didn’t add that he’d known a few weeks in advance. “How do you
feel about returning to Pella?”
Sitting down in the
chair beside Aristoteles, Alexandros pursed his lips, expression
torn.
“You’re allowed to
be excited,” Aristoteles whispered, as if in confidence.
It made Alexandros
laugh. “All right. I am, a bit. It isn’t that I’ve not enjoyed
our time here.”
“But you want to
grow into what I came to prepare you for.” Aristoteles nudged
his arm. “That was the goal all along. I’m glad we had as much
time as we have.”
The boy grinned,
blushing a bit. He was still so easy to flatter; it worried
Aristoteles. “I’m glad, too,” Alexandros replied. “Do you know
what my father has in mind for me next?”
Aristoteles did,
but wouldn’t spoil the surprise. “That’s with the king. But I
wager you ready for any task he sets you.”
“Really?”
Alexandros’s
countenance was painfully open and hopeful of praise. Even now,
after more than two years, insecurity from the criticism that
had stunted him when he’d first arrived could resurface in a
flash. It hurt Aristoteles’s heart. “Yes, Alexandros. Really.
You’re ready.”
Alexandros lowered
his eyes, an act of respect from student to teacher. “Thank
you.”
“You’re most
welcome. Now, as we still have a month, let’s move on to
critical matters concerning ethical rule. As king, you’ll be
required to make decisions that affect hundreds, even thousands,
up to and including their life or death. What principles should
guide you in such cases? These are things to consider when
cool-headed, before being forced by circumstance to choose a
course of action where passions might intervene.”
The prince tipped
his head. “We’ve played these games before, but as I said then,
how could I know what to do until I’m actually in that
situation? There could be all sorts of variables.”
“It’s an exercise,
Alexandros, no less than what you perform in the palaistra
or on the practice field. None of that is combat, but doesn’t it
help you in the heat of battle? Reviewing difficult theoretical
situations can likewise help when you inevitably face the real
ones.”
He shifted slightly
in his seat. “Before we begin down that path, however, I’d like
to discuss another matter concerned with endings. And
beginnings.”
Alexandros’s
expression was only curious.
“As you’re well
aware, Hephaistion’s ability at mathematics is beyond
exceptional.”
“Yes, I’d thought
to ask Father if he might assign him to requisitions and supply.
It would seem to suit him.”
“What if I could
offer him something far better?”
Puzzled, the boy
tilted his head in place of a verbal question.
“What if the best
mathematician living were to invite Hephaistion to study with
him?”
Alexandros sat
back. “What?”
“Eudoxos would like
Hephaistion to come to Knidos. He solved Eudoxos’s test question
faster than I did. I can’t teach him anymore. But Eudoxos can
guide him on the journey he was meant to take.”
The prince appeared
gobsmacked. “Knidos is in Karia!” Southern Asia Minor.
“Yes, it is.”
“He wants to go?”
“He said he’d
consider it. I’m sure your opinion will count enormously in his
deliberations, so I wanted to speak with you, as well. Explain
what this opportunity means.”
The boy exploded to
his feet, pacing all over Aristoteles’s office. “What would I do
without him?”
“What you’ve always
done; you’re perfectly capable. And this is not a permanent
arrangement, just a year, maybe two.” Aristoteles downplayed the
future. “Can you love him enough to give him up and let him
pursue his own gifts? He’s extraordinary. I think you know
that.”
On the one hand,
Aristoteles felt guilty for playing on the strings of the
prince’s natural affection and generosity. Yet on the other, he
was determined that Hephaistion have this chance. Eudoxos was
getting on in years. Who knew how long any man had? If
Hephaistion went now, and were to stay, he might even rise to
direct Eudoxos’s school one day.
The prince kept
pacing, fear and anguish etched into the lines of his face. “I
need him, but of course I love him. I want what’s best for him.
He should go to Knidos, if Eudoxos asked for him. I recognize
it’s a singular honor. I just….” He trailed off and looked at Aristoteles,
his heart in his mis-matched eyes. The blue one seemed very
bright, perhaps from a thin film of tears unshed.
“It would be a
great sacrifice on your part. I understand that. It would be one
on his, as well, to be away from you. He won’t want to go. But
here, a man shows mastery.” Sophrosunē.
“To put aside childish desires in favor of what is best, the
superior good. And again, you needn’t think on this as
permanent. It’s not uncommon to study for just a year or two.”
He was fudging, but once apart, surely distance would cool their
ardor. True friendship would remain.
Aristoteles leaned
forward. “Can you let him go? For love? Even if he insists that
he should stay? Can you set him free to fly like the eagle he
is?”
The prince paused
in his pacing, staring down at the hook rug covering the floor
of the office. Finally, he gave a short, sharp nod. “I’ll tell
him to go. He’s meant for this.”
“Indeed, he is.”
Aristoteles agreed.
***
The way Alexandros
regarded him told Hephaistion that he already knew what
Aristoteles had suggested. Anguish sketched his features, but
resolution too. Resolution to what, Hephaistion didn’t know. Nor
had he made up his own mind. He wanted to go, wanted it
desperately, even as he couldn’t bear the thought of being apart
from Alexandros.
They met in their
room after their private lessons with Aristoteles. It was the
afternoon rest. Most of their schoolmates were sleeping, or at
least doing something quiet. When Hephaistion returned from his
lesson with the philosopher, he found Alexandros sitting on
their shared double couch, just staring at the floor. He looked
up as Hephaistion entered, and Hephaistion knew that he knew.
“Aristoteles told you what he proposed to me.”
“Yes. Why didn’t
you say anything?”
“He just proposed
it yesterday.”
“That’s why you
tossed and turned all last night. But why didn’t you say
anything? Why’d I have to hear it from him?”
Upset roiling his
belly, Hephaistion looked away. “Oa! I didn’t know how to
tell you. I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around it. Eudoxos of
Knidos wants me for a student. But you couldn’t come
with me.”
He heard
Alexandros’s feet hit the wooden floor as he slid off the couch,
and glanced up in time to catch his friend’s embrace.
Alexandros’s arms wrapped around his ribcage as his own enclosed
Alexandros’s shoulders, his face in the prince’s coarse, curly
hair. It smelt of the sweet oil he put in it, to keep it from
frizz. “You should go,” Alexandros said, voice deep to contain
something painful.
“I don’t want to,
without you.”
“But you want to
go.”
“With you.”
“I can’t go,
Phaistas. My place is here.” He pulled back, although less than
a hand’s span separated them. “My father has something in mind
for me. I’m not sure what, but Aristoteles knows something he’s
not telling me. I have to stay. Besides, Eudoxos didn’t ask for
me. He asked for you.
You should go.”
“I don’t think I
can. Not if it means leaving you behind.” He hated how his voice
shook; he hated feeling so torn, the way the Persikoi would rip
a criminal in half between two bent trees, a leg tied tied to
each.
“Aristoteles said
it would be just a year. We can manage that.”
Aristoteles had
told Hephaistion the same, but he knew better. He knew
mathematics; it would be more than a year. He started to say so,
then didn’t. He suspected Alexandros knew it too, but they were
all playing along with the fiction to make the idea less
painful.
“Besides,”
Alexandros added, “what if my father were to separate us anyway?
You’re too old for the Pages. You’ll get a new assignment,
probably in the Pezhetairoi or Royal Kynēgoi.” The Hunters, a
special unit. “I’m still a Page. We won’t be serving together
anymore, so what if he leaves you in Pella and takes me to Thrakē,
or the reverse?”
Hephaistion eyed
him. “You don’t honestly think he’ll do that.”
“He could.”
“He could. He
likely won’t.”
Alexandros breathed
out and looked down, hands on hips. The room was dim, the
afternoon light arcing low from a high window to fall on a
corner where their hounds slept atop rush-filled pad, legs
akimbo, wiggling in doggy dreams. The villa was mostly quiet.
Hephaistion could hear someone speaking softly next door, the
only other sounds the music of birds. “My point,” Alexandros
said, “is that we don’t know what the future holds. You could
wind up anywhere, I could wind up anywhere. Not necessarily
together. We’re both under the king’s command. But if you go to
Knidos, at least you can be sure of that. And it’s what you
want.”
“I told you, not
without you.”
“Even if I were
free to go, what would I do in Knidos? I’m no mathematikē.
That’s you.”
Which was the
problem. What Hephaistion excelled at wasn’t anything Alexandros
could participate in, not really. Yet what Alexandros was
destined for…. At least Hephaistion was well-positioned to
become an officer one day. Alexandros couldn’t follow him, but
he could follow Alexandros. And whatever the prince’s
conjectures, the king wasn’t likely to separate them unless for
some punishment.
In that moment,
Hephaistion knew what he should choose.
“I’m staying in
Makedon.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, Aleko, I am.”
“But you want to
study with Eudokos!”
“If I could share
it with you, yes. But I can’t, so I don’t want it.”
“But maths is what
you were made for!”
“You’re echoing
Aristoteles, not listening to me. I said if I can’t share it
with you, I don’t want it. It’s not the right time.” Kairos. “Maybe a right
time will come in the future, but it’s not now.”
He watched the war
on Alexandros’s face. The prince wanted Hephaistion to stay, but
feared he was being selfish. He’d always been deeply generous,
even if it left him with nothing. To see others happy gave him
sincere pleasure, and that kindness of spirit made Hephaistion
love him. He didn’t have an uncharitable bone in his body when
it came to his friends. “But maths is what you’re best at,” he
reiterated.
“No. What I’m best
at, or what I’d like to think I’m best at, is being Alexandros’s
dearest friend.” Philtatē.
“I can’t do that from Knidos.” At some level, he instinctively
knew that if he left now, he’d forfeit his place at the prince’s
side. Perhaps in the future, when they were older, they’d be
able to weather the distance. But they were too young, and this
thing between them too new. Immaturity would breed insecurity,
which would kill them dead. He might not have been able to
verbalize any of that, but he understood it. “I’m staying with
you.”
“If I said I was
grateful, I’d be venal.”
“But you’re
grateful.”
“At some point, I’m
sending you to Eudoxos.”
“At some point,
I’ll let you. Maybe when your father invades Persis.”
Alexandros tipped
his head. “We’ve speculated on that before, that he’s planning
to.”
“Word is, he’s
preparing to attack Perinthos. He’s looking for a bridgehead to
Asia.”
“Yes, I think so.”
Abruptly, the
prince let out a sigh, as if he’d dropped a heavy load, then
began pacing the little room. “You should go, but I don’t want
you to go, and I feel badly for keeping you.”
“You’re not keeping
me. I don’t want to go without you, and you’re right, if you
went with me, what would you do there? You’d be bored to tears.
I’m not bored in the army.”
“It doesn’t stretch
you.”
Hephaistion
shrugged with one shoulder. “For now, I’m content. I’ll go
later.”
Alexandros turned
his trajectory abruptly to crash into Hephaistion, hugging him
hard. “I will never forget that you gave this up to stay with
me. And I will send you to Knidos eventually. Sacrifice goes
both ways. You’ll not be happy if your mind’s not busy, no more
than I would be.”
“I can correspond
with him. It may not be the same as being there, but if he’s
willing, perhaps he can teach me a few things that way.”
Alexandros leaned
his head back. “I’ll pay whatever fee he asks to teach you.”
“My father can pay,
Aleko.”
“No, I will. Let me
give you that. Please. It’s not as if I can’t afford it.
Hephaistion
considered a moment, then nodded. It might help Alexandros
accept Hephaistion’s decision. He needed to give. As Hephaistion
had just been thinking, it made him happy.
“All right. I’ll
ask if he’ll teach me by letter as much as he can, and what he’d
charge.”
Satisfied, the
prince gave a little nod and let Hephaistion go. “Let’s nap
until time for exercise at the gymnasion.”
“All right.”
Although Hephaistion wondered if they were really going to nap,
or if that were an excuse to get naked together. Alexandros
still asked for sex in code.
And indeed, there
wasn’t much sleeping, although they were both significantly more
relaxed when they approached the philosopher in his office after
exercise and arms practice, before the evening meal. Their hands
were laced, and Hephaistion watched Aristoteles note it, aware
of what they’d come to say before they said it.
***
Hephaistion’s
letter to Amyntor was brief. He’d decided not to go to Knidos,
but perhaps Eudoxos would be willing to teach him by
correspondence. If unsurprised, Amyntor decided it was time to
return to Mieza. Odd, that he’d been there only once in the over
two years that his son had studied with the philosopher. Early
in their sojourn, Aristoteles had written to fathers, inviting
them to visit, albeit not all at once as the villa couldn’t
accommodate everyone. If some lived too far away, Europos was
only a day’s ride, and Amyntor had wanted to see where his son
would be living, and meet the philosopher.
Now, he journeyed
there again, arriving unexpectedly at the villa after midday,
flustering the philosopher’s slaves, who took his horse to curry
and feed. Shouldering his pack, he entered without calling out.
The front door had been open, after all.
An older slave
hurried into the courtyard to meet him. “Sir, I am Myrmex. The
master is at the nymphaion
with the prince and his companions. Might I know your name? I’ll
see to it that you have wine or water, as you please, and
sweetmeats. They should all be returning shortly for the
afternoon rest.”
Amyntor simply
grinned and handed the man his pack. “Put this in a guestroom. I
know where the nymphaion
is. I’ll go and find it.” He didn’t give the man his name, just
in case the slave could get to the nymphaion faster than
Amyntor. When he invited himself to a party, he preferred not to
give advance warning. He intended to get to the bottom of this
nonsense.
The road from the
villa down to the nymphaion
was straight enough, but he had to climb several flights of
wooden stairs up to the sacred precinct. Off to his right, the
Borboros bubbled softly, late spring growth spreading green and
rich, dotted with red poppies and other flowers in white and
yellow and purple. Amyntor didn’t know their names, but
suspected the philosopher did. In the distance, he could hear
chatter: Aristoteles’s distinct Greek, the gentle Makedonian
twang in boyish voices, interspersed by a few deeper from
breaking. Then the soft Attik tenor he’d know anywhere.
Eavesdropping, he
paused at the base of the last set of wooden stairs. The
philosopher was asking about the highest good, whilst the boys
threw out theories, some colorful, on what constituted the
highest good. It was no simple lecture, but involved an
enthusiastic cacophony of ideas, combined with teasing and
laughter. Amyntor smiled. To get boys to talk so readily spoke
well of Aristoteles. Now and then the man would ask some pointed
question, steering the conversation, but he never silenced them
in order to listen him. He seemed to be doing most of the
listening, in fact, from what Amyntor could tell.
And Hephaistion was
talking. Amyntor found this mildly astonishing. Even at home,
where Hephaistion felt comfortable, he’d never been a
particularly verbal child. Here, he was contributing. Not as
much as some of the others whose identities Amyntor could only
guess, but he was
contributing. At one point, Amyntor even heard Aristoteles call
down one of them, “Leonnatos, let Hephaistion speak; stop
interrupting him.”
Amyntor settled on
one of the wooden stairs to attend further. Finally, Aristoteles
walked them all around to the notion that excelling at whatever
task they made their own was the highest good. A flautist who
played well was virtuous as a flautist, an armorer who fashioned
the best armor was virtuous as an armorer. Yet what was
mankind’s distinct good, as opposed to the beasts of the field?
To be rational and seek a medium between deficiency and excess,
of course.
Grinning to
himself, Amyntor wondered if Aristoteles really thought
hot-blooded youths the ideal audience for lessons on rational
moderation? Although perhaps putting the notion in their heads
at this age wasn’t the maddest idea ever, as long as the man
understood emotions were driving the lot of them, not common
sense. Not at this age.
The tutorial was
winding down, so he pushed himself to his feet and went up the
last few steps, walking out into the bowl of the nymphaion. The
philosopher had the boys gathered under the stoa while he leaned
into a column, gesturing broadly. Spotting Amyntor, his
impassioned lecture stuttered into surprised silence.
The other boys
looked around to see the reason for their teacher’s
astonishment, and his own son’s jaw dropped. Then he dashed out
from under the stoa
roof to meet Amyntor in a crushing in embrace. “Pappás! What are
you doing here?”
“I thought I might
listen in on a lesson before there were no more lessons to be
heard.” Then he called out to the philosopher, “Aristoteles,
please pardon the intrusion.” Although in truth, intrusion was
his intention.
Alexandros had
exited the stoa too, but now paused between the clump of boys
and Amyntor, face wistful.
“Well, come and say
‘Xhairē,’
son,” Amyntor told him, arm out.
The prince crossed
the short distance to hug Amyntor too. Hephaistion stood aside.
Amyntor knew his son wanted nothing more than for Alexandros to
feel the same acceptance that he took for granted. Philippos
couldn’t give it, not without qualification. Amyntor offered the
easy embraces Philippos couldn’t.
Yet he needed to
talk to Hephaistion without the prince present. Pushing the boy
back and grinning down at him, he said, “It’s good to see you.
May I borrow my son for a bit?”
Startled,
Alexandros gestured broadly. “Yes. Of course.”
“Aristoteles,”
Amyntor called, “I’ll have him back in time for afternoon
sparring and exercises, and I’ll join the lot of you for
supper.” Glancing at the prince, he winked. “I had cook make
plenty of those little apple tarts you liked so much, last time
you visited.”
Alexandros’s
expression was slightly astonished. “You remembered?”
“Of course.”
Then he was
steering Hephaistion away, back in the direction from which he’d
come. “Really?” Hephaistion asked softly as they descended the
stairs. “You’re bribing Alexandros with apple tarts?”
“Why would I need
bribery? Cook was flattered by his enthusiasm for them, and
insisted on making some when he heard I was traveling to Mieza.
He even made an extra dozen sealed with wax in a little pot just
for Alexandros himself.”
“Why’d you come,
then? I assumed it was about me going to Knidos. I’m not. I’ve
decided to stay in Makedon. I told Aristoteles a couple days
ago. I think he’s still angry with me. Or at least irritated.”
They’d stopped on a
short pier that extended above the river. Amyntor didn’t reply
immediately to Hephaistion’s declaration. “This looks like a
good spot for fishing.”
“It is.” His son’s
expression was puzzled. “Erigyios and I use it sometimes, if we
don’t want to go out to the Arapitsa.”
Amyntor studied the
slow-moving stream. It was wide and shallow and choked with
greenery. Minnows flitted around the pier piles, making tiny
waves in the surface and stirring up silt. He turned to his son.
“I received a letter from Aristoteles a few weeks ago. Then, a
week later, I got a visit from the king himself.”
“Philippos
traveled to Europos?”
“Indeed. I think
the both of them have something invested in whether you go or
stay. That’s why I’m here, to be sure it really is your
decision. Not theirs. And not Alexandros’s either.”
“It’s my decision.”
His son’s face was resolute, perhaps a bit too much so.
“Alexandros wouldn’t be able to come with me.”
“If you did go to
Knidos, I assume it wouldn’t be permanent. Aristoteles said a
year, maybe two.” Amyntor smiled faintly. “I know that seems
like forever, but it’s not. If you want to go. I
just don’t want anybody making up your mind for you.”
Hephaistion lowered
his eyes, then turned to lean on the rail overlooking the water.
“I would like to go, yes. I won’t lie. But I don’t want to go
right now. I wrote to ask Eudoxos if he might teach me a bit by
letter, if he’s willing. Alexandros will pay any fee.”
“I could do that.”
“I know, but he
wants to.”
“He’s feeling
guilty that he’s keeping you here.”
Hephaistion only
nodded. Then added, “That’s why I’m going to let him do it. But
it’s more, too. He likes to give things. He really doesn’t
expect a return, gets angry if you try to match the gift, says
it’s like keeping a tally. He’s the most generous person I’ve
ever met. Except maybe you.”
“You have to say
that.” Amyntor chuckled. “And I’m only generous to my household
and a few others. That’s why I’m among the richest non-royals in
Makedon. I don’t give it all away.”
“You’re the richest
because you breed the best horses, Pappás. The Argeads are rich
because they own all the timber. The king gave Alexandros an
estate and about a hundred hektars of forest when he turned
fifteen.”
Amyntor was
impressed. “I reckon he can afford any student fee, then. Who’s
running it for him while he’s here?”
“He is. Well, at
least he oversees the reports. He asked for my help with the
maths.”
“Of course he did.”
“He’s doing well
with it. I think he has a head for organization.”
“So do you. I
taught you.”
“You did. His, he
learned from his mother. She’s handling some as well, but he
does receive his steward here monthly, and the field workers do
timber cutting when it’s out of planting season.”
Amyntor nodded. “I
reckon Philippos wants him to learn how to manage estates when
he’s not also trying to run an army. The king had lands from his
own brother before he became king.” He waved a hand. “That
aside, when you decide you want to go to Knidos, let me know.”
“I will. I prefer a
bit of time with the army first, to earn some rank. Otherwise,
when I return, I’ll be starting at the bottom, but older than
the rest. I don’t want that.”
A good point.
Amyntor pursed his lips. Hephaistion had clearly given it some
thought. “You’ll find there’s a plateau, once you’ve reached the
lower officer levels, before you’re old enough to climb any
higher.”
“That’s when it
might be time to go, when I could spare a year or two. We might
even be in Asia by then. I know the king is thinking about
invading once he’s settled Thrakē.”
“Don’t expect an
invasion that quickly. A campaign against Asia would require a
great deal of planning, and I doubt the Greek city-states will
simply nod and go along.” He paused, then pressed a bit. “Are
you sure you don’t want to go now?”
“No.” It was curt
and definitive.
Amyntor glanced at
his son. “Talk to me honestly, Phaistas.”
“I don’t believe in
fate.”
That might seem a
non-sequitur, but Amyntor kept his mouth shut, waiting for his
son to elaborate. The gurgle of the stream made a soft
underscore.
“I don’t believe in
destiny, or the gods. I know that upsets you; I know it upsets
Alexandros. But I do believe….” He trailed off and fell
into one of his contemplative silences. Amyntor let him. Birds
trilled. Amyntor pulled a leaf off a nearby bush and tossed it
into swirling water, watching it float away. Muggy spring heat
had him sweating in the shade.
“I believe in
having a purpose,” Hephaistion said finally. “I love
geometry. I’d love to study with Eudoxos. But that’s not a
purpose. Alexandros gives me purpose. I know that sounds
ridiculous. Romantic.” He made a gesture between frustration and
dismissal. “I’d laugh at myself, but I feel it here.” He pressed
a fist to his diaphragm. “He needs me. I matter to him.”
Amyntor was
heart-struck. “Hephaistion, you matter beyond just Alexandros.
Your mother and I—”
“I know you both
love me. I didn’t mean to imply you didn’t.” He was blushing,
and gripped Amyntor’s arm. “But Alexandros needs me more than I
need geometry. I like feeling needed. I know it doesn’t
sound very logical, but it’s why I have to stay. This is where I
belong right now.”
Grinning softly,
Amyntor patted his son’s hand. “Logic isn’t everything.”
***
At the evening meal
of cheese pastries, grilled catfish, and baked fennel and onions
on wheat bread, Aristoteles put the boys through their paces for
Amyntor. He’d set up paired disputations on the mind versus the
soul, on the various forms of friendship, and on fate versus
free will. The concluding dispute was a face-off between
Alexandros and Hephaistion, the latter of whom, predictably,
argued for free will. If not a clear win, Hephaistion showed
himself admirably. His great virtue, Aristoteles thought, was a
disinclination to lose to Alexandros either for status or love.
Alexandros’s virtue was to accept the challenge. They went at it
with relish, clearly enjoying the contest. Aristoteles believed
Amyntor enjoyed it as well, as he rose to give both boys kisses
and individualized praise at the end.
After, Aristoteles
and his unexpected guest retired to his office, where they had
more wine and the last apple tarts, or at least those that
didn’t belong to the prince. They were seated across from one
another in a pair of chairs.
“Mind telling me
what’s been going on between you and the king regarding my son?”
Amyntor began, wasting no time. He and Hephaistion were much
alike in everything from their mannerisms to a complete
disregard for social niceties.
Aristoteles took a
long drink. “Nothing beyond what you already know.” Well, not
much. “I asked Philippos to release Hephaistion from his
service, so he could study with Eudoxos in Knidos. Philippos
said he would, if Hephaistion asked, but insisted he wouldn’t
ask. He’d stay in Makedonia.”
Amyntor eyed him as
if suspecting more to it, but didn’t push. He just took a bite
of tart.
“It’s a waste,”
Aristoteles added, irked. “The squandering of a remarkable mind.
Do you have any idea—?”
“Yes,” Amyntor
interrupted. “I do. You forget; I raised him.”
The sharpness of
the other man’s words silenced Aristoteles. Amyntor’s eyes were
as black and cutting as his son’s. “I may not understand the
geometry you both get on about, but I sure as dawn comes know
he’s exceptional. Why do you think I kept him home from Pella?
It wasn’t that I feared he’d die in combat, although I did. I
was afraid Philippos’s blasted wars would break his soul. I’ve
fought; I know what it’s like to kill a man. Have you ever had
to do that, philosopher? Watch another’s heart-blood spill into
the dirt while he cried for his Mammá?
Why would I wish that on my gentlest child? The one who begged
me, with tears streaming down his face, to spare an orphaned
foal? That’s what I worry about.”
He looked old, and
Aristoteles realized abruptly that Amyntor had a good decade on
either himself or the king. He’d raised five children and buried
three. And if Aristoteles knew himself scolded, he hoped he
might also have found an ally. “You wouldn’t have to fear for
that, if he were in Knidos. You don’t want him in the army. I
don’t think he wants to be in the army. He just doesn’t want to
leave Alexandros. Talk him into it. He’ll listen to you.”
Amyntor’s sigh was
long and loud. He stared at the trio of lamps burning on their
stand. “Do you know what happened the last time I tried to keep
him from doing something he was determined to do? He ran away.
He can’t be forced.”
“I didn’t say force
him; I said talk to him.”
“I did, this
afternoon. But the difference between me and you is that I
wanted to know what he wants. He’s young and
inexperienced, but he’s no fool. I’m satisfied with his reasons
for staying.”
“He’s staying for
Alexandros.”
“Of course he is,
but that’s not it alone, and he’s not closed the door on the
future. I might prefer to see him in Knidos, out of the way of
Philippos’s imperial ambitions, but there’s more to him than a
mind. There’s a heart, too, a mighty one. I won’t drive him from
Alexandros. That would shatter him worse than anything battle
could do.”
“You sound like
Philippos. They’re boys. This love affair isn’t going to
last.”
Amyntor set down
the cup of wine from which he’d not been drinking. It was a
careful gesture, and Aristoteles thought it concealed something
more violent. “Love affair? You think that’s all this is? You
see them every day. Are you blind, man? I raised twin boys, and
one couldn’t live without the other. I see the same thing now
between Hephaistion and Alexandros, and they didn’t share a
womb. What they have is rare, and well beyond anything
so simple as fancying.”
“I know it is,”
Aristoteles replied, conciliatory. He did believe in their
devotion, although was dubious of the crush. “But true
friendship doesn’t require proximity.”
“At their age, it
does, a bit. They’re young; they’re learning what friendship
means.”
“It’s passion
keeping him here.”
Amyntor appeared
amused. “You’ve had a pack of boys for over two years. Haven’t
you realized by now that they’re all a bundle of
passions. Moderation isn’t in their vocabulary. At their age,
everything’s a crisis, even for the most level-headed.
Hephaistion is level-headed, but he’s also eighteen. He has
reasons for staying, and has thought it through. If I want him
to be an adult, I have to treat him like one, as long as he’s
not endangering himself.”
Rising from his
chair, Aristoteles sighed explosively and paced. “It’s just…we
never know what the future will hold. They don’t think about
that! I don’t want Hephaistion to lose this opportunity. The
longer he stays here, the harder it’ll be for him to leave.
Right now, he’s young, he’s flexible….”
Amyntor burst out
laughing. “Have you met my son, Aristoteles? He gets a notion in
his head and he’s like a stallion with the bit in his teeth and
an iron neck.”
Annoyed,
Aristoteles waved a hand. “He’s stubborn, yes, but that’s not
what I meant. He can adapt quickly yet. He should go before he’s
weighed down by military service and an officer’s position.
More, I can’t say how much longer Eudoxos will be teaching. He’s
not terribly old, but was always a bit frail, unlike Platon.”
Amyntor appeared
thoughtful, fingers steepled in front of his face, chin on his
thumbs. “Your argument on timing is more to the point. Yet for
Hephaistion to keep up with the rest of his cohort, he should
return to Pella now and take time off for studies later. While
I’m not sanguine about his participation in the army, if he
falls behind early, there’s no catching up. He’s right about
that.”
He rose, too, and
cracked his back, then held out a hand to the philosopher, who
took it. Aristoteles had never been especially thick or
muscular, unlike his old teacher, Platon, a wrestler in his
youth, but standing before Amyntor, he felt downright puny. As
tall as his son, Amyntor also had the breadth of a man who’d
done physical labor most of his life. From what Hephaistion had
said, Amyntor was as likely as any of his grooms to be carting
grain pails or currying horses, or even mucking out a stall
occasionally. He certainly had the build for it, and his grip on
Aristoteles’s hand was effortlessly solid. “I appreciate that
you care so for my son, Aristoteles. Any father would. Our
children are our pride. But in this, I’ll defer to what
Hephaistion wants to do.”
“Even if he’s
making a mistake?”
“It’s his to make.”
Amyntor released Aristoteles’s hand, but didn’t move to leave.
“Thinking on it, I have to wonder if this is still about
Hephaistion, or has it become about you?”
Startled and
frowning, Aristoteles pulled in his chin, but didn’t reply.
Amyntor continued,
“You went out of your way to secure a place for him at Knidos,
which was gracious on your part. But it also put your reputation
on the line with your old mentor, and now Hephaistion is
rejecting your plan. That’s difficult to swallow, isn’t it?”
Aristoteles opened
his mouth, closed it, opened it again, but nothing came out
initially. He felt hot with humiliation and anger. “This is not
about me. I get no benefit from the arrangement. I just hate to
see the waste of brilliance.”
“I’m not accusing
you of mercenary ends. And I’m sure it frustrates you that a man
who could be a philosopher would choose to be a soldier
instead.” Amyntor’s tone wasn’t, quite, appeasing. “But I think
it’s equally frustrating to have your advice ignored. You’re a
teacher; you’re used to being listened to.”
That stung. “That’s
not it. We both know Hephaistion would go to Knidos if not for
Alexandros. He’s letting passion intercept reason. He knows
what’s best for him, but is doing the opposite.”
“Perhaps pursuing
geometry isn’t what’s best for him.”
“How can not
doing what you excel at be best? That’s absurd.”
Amyntor appeared
almost sad. “What he most excels at isn’t maths. He
needs to be needed, and Alexandros needs him. That gives him
purpose. He’s not like you, or me. We have different ambitions.
More typical. His arise from the heart. Always have. I told you,
he’s my gentlest child, the one who feels the most deeply. But
he’s also my strongest. He’s made up his mind and nobody will
change it. Not you, not me, not even Alexandros.” Turning, he
opened the door, but still didn’t exit. “Do you know what was
the hardest day of my life, besides those when I heard my sons
were dead?”
Aristoteles shook
his head, curious despite his aggravation.
“The morning I left
Pella, but Hephaistion stayed behind in the Pages’ barracks. I
had to let him go. My baby boy wasn’t a baby, and he wasn’t an
extension of me. Think about that.”
He closed the door
behind him, and Aristoteles sank back into his chair,
ego-bruised but contemplative. He could admit when he was
defeated. Yet labeling it “defeat” made it about him, as Amyntor
had just accused. He and Philippos had turned another’s future
into a transitory contest.
He hadn’t initially
thought of it so; it had been only a friendly wager, healthy
competition between old friends. He’d been certain Hephaistion
would elect to pursue advanced study, and had looked forward to
proving to Philippos that war and glory weren’t everything.
Other sorts of triumph existed, such as the life of the mind.
Instead,
Hephaistion had chosen phίlia
over philosophίa:
love itself over the love of knowledge, or over
Akhilleus’s undying fame.
The heart over the
mind.
War wasn’t
everything. But neither was knowledge.
I must thank
my colleague Griff Elder, a professor in the Department
of Mathematics at UNO, not only for replying to my
request for math help, but for writing up an explanation
of what Eudoxos was trying to say. I fear most of it
went over my head, but I did struggle through it several
times. Hephaistion's short monologue owes to Griff's
comments.
I also thank him for telling me about Dedekind Cuts. So,
for any mathematicians out there, going forward,
Hephaistion will utilize Eudoxos’s magnitudes as a basis
for an early theory of Dedekind Cuts, before Dedekind.
Assume that’s what he and Eudoxos will be writing back
and forth about.
As for Eudoxos, we have no complete work
still extant, only fragmenta contained in other authors.
The quote I used is found in Euclid’s Book 5.