friends demise. At the last possible second he decided to untangle himself and rush to Caesar’s side, to share his death, to die side by side, the final glorious moment of his military career. He was almost at Caesar when the Roman dictator suddenly spun around and shouted.
“NOW!”
At the steering oars men lifted the port side clear of the water and the men at the starboard oar pushed theirs deep into the sea while the rowing oars at the port side were lifted clear of the sea while the oars on the starboard side stopped rowing and held theirs down. The ship slewed around violently throwing men about both above and below decks. Caesar and Agrippa held onto each other in a strong embrace. Caesar’s back exposed to the fire arrows which mercifully didn’t come.
Caesar was smiling at Agrippa.
The Roman ship was leaning far over, her timbers creaking under the heavy strain. Then she righted and the oars were quickly doing their work and they were pulling away to the victorious cheers of the Alexandrian fleet.
Agrippa was still looking at Caesar as the two men moved apart.
“The best is yet to come,” Julius said.
On his ship the Greek mercenary Euphranor from Rhodes was watching the scene ahead. His ship, a Greek trireme, had been at the back of the Alexandrian fleet where the previous evening they had sailed in as Greek mercenary pirates and sworn allegiance to King Ptolemy and Achillas. Then accepted as allies they had spent the night preparing. His ship had been under pain of death to remain absolutely silent. All communication had been done with wax tablets among his crew.
While the Alexandrian flagship and her fleet had been preoccupied by the tactics of Caesar they had quietly slipped anchor and using the gentle currents they had positioned themselves. Unseen at the back of the fleet they had slowly slipped their oars into the water and in silence and without the aid of a drumbeat they had begun moving towards the flagship. Using only hand signals and maintaining silence they had built up speed. Other Egyptian ships had watched them go through thinking they were just mercenaries keen to prove their loyalty had been bought.
Then at the given signal, Caesar’s standard being raised, they had gained speed for ramming.
Standing alone at the prow Euphranor had watched Caesar’s ship speeding towards the Alexandrian flagship. He’d seen the Alexandrians brace themselves for impact.
’Fools! The Romans wouldn’t hit them head on. What would that achieve? I thought the Alexandrians considered themselves masters of the sea and they don’t even know the basics.’
Euphranor had seen how Julius Caesar had sailed within throwing distance of the flagship.
’The Gods I admire that man.’
“Listen to me!” his brother Mentor had said that night on the balcony of their father’s home at Lindos, “We have to join the Egyptians. They will be the eventual victor in this war.”
The island of Rhodes like so many had been inundated with calls by Caesar and Rome to join in his fight with Pompey.
“I disagree brother. I know the Egyptians are ancient compared to Rome but Rome has never been defeated on land or at sea. You chose the army which made you a General. I chose the sea. I chose Caesar. Rome will be the eventual victor in this war which could swallow up the whole of the Mediterranean world.”
“I don’t think it will.”
“Our father does.”
“It’s true my son. What your brother says is right.”
The old man stepped from the shadows. His hair had long since turned white, his arms and body crisscrossed with scars from decades of fighting.
“Father,” Mentor rushed forward to kiss the old mans hand. The old General accepted the embrace then turned to his youngest son.
“Do you not embrace your poor old father?”
Euphranor kissed the old mans hand.
“May the Gods watch over you father.”
The old General sat wearily on his favourite stone seat in his garden.
“Your brother is right Mentor. I have seen most of the world. The Egyptians have become soft behind their palaces. They buy everyone’s loyalty with their gold. Rome is different. They have taken on all comers, the Gauls, the Germans. Tough competition. Men that are still barbarians. And defeated them all. I implore you, if you want to fight for someone, fight for Rome.”
“I am sorry father. You are the greatest man I’ve ever known. But you are wrong.”