Saturday, May 23, 2015

Hegemon Book 4: High King Agamemnon

After the death of Atreus, Theyetes and a number of his supporters attempted to storm  the palace of Mycannae, but they were defeated by my brother Agamemnon. My brother was but twenty at that time, but he had no qualms about challenging Theyetes. No, he was Theyetes’ better in all that counted. He slew twenty warriors in the space of a breath, and the battle joy was upon him. I, Menelaus, led a contingent of archers, and one of the arrows found the mark upon Theyetes’ forehead. Over thirty Mycanaen nobles who hath supported Theyetes were beheaded that day, and the House of Atreus was reinstated on that glorious day.

Agamemnon outlawed Aegisthus, and there was to be a reward worth one hundred talents of silver upon his head. But no man could find the renegade prince in our territory. We would not see him for some time to come.

Agamemnon quickly set about the task of a Hegemon. He was intent on making Mycannae the foremost city of Greece, building and training its great army day and night. Brave generals like Alektruon and Agurois who hath served Atreus were promoted to the rank of Peers and allowed to discuss military matters with him in private. Small cities such as Ithaca and Naxos sought the alliance and protection of Mycannae.

Agamemnon laid claim to our ancestral city of Tiryns and soon incorporated its territory into Mycannae. Soon, he was recognized as the most powerful king the Hellenes hath ever known. Nestor, the respected king of Pylos, and Peleus, king of Thesally, voted Agamemnon to the post of High King of the Hellenes and vowed to follow his lead against any common enemy.

It was beyond me to know at that time, but my brother’s aim was to unify and lead the Hellenes into conquest of Asia. And what I saw unfolding before me was but the beginning. Agamemnon was not content to lead the great city of Mycannae as Atreus had done, and soon his expansion would impact major cities as Sparta and Troy, and I was to be part of the scheme as Zeus would will it so. The king who deigned to chart the destiny of nations would rouse the anger of the gods, and it is said that the gods of Olympus are fickle.

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