This, then, was my life. Six days of constant training and drills followed by a day of rest, though even on my day off I liked to hone my sword skills. Occasionally I spared with my father, who invariably humiliated me. ‘You must always move, Pacorus,’ he would tell me. ‘Stay light on your feet. A man who keeps still is already dead.’
It was two months after I had taken the eagle that an invitation for my father and I came from Sinatruces, the King of Kings, to attend him at the city of Ctesiphon, the capital of the Parthian Empire, located on the left bank of the Tigris and at the mouth of the Diyala River. This was something of a surprise, as Sinatruces was nearly eighty years old and something of a recluse. The last time my father had seen him was five years earlier, and then only briefly. Two days after the summons, my father convened a meeting of the city’s royal council.
The council met one a month to discuss matters relating to the city and the kingdom. This meeting was special in two ways. First, because it was extraordinary; second, because it was the first one that I attended. As the son of the king I would, one day, head the council, but until now I had been forbidden to attend. However, as I had proved myself in battle I was accorded the honour of formally being admitted to the council. In truth there was nothing grand about the location where the council met, being a small, comfortable room behind the palace’s throne room. There was a large wooden table, comfortable chairs and a large leather map of the Parthian Empire that covered the whole of one wall. Attending were my father, Vistaspa, Bozan, Assur, Addu, the royal treasurer, and the commander of the city’s garrison, Kogan. The garrison numbered two thousand men who were housed in four barracks in the city itself. They were the soldiers who policed the city and kept the peace, an onerous task with one hundred thousand inhabitants plus thousands of foreigners who came and went with the caravans that passed through the city every day. Peace meant trade and trade meant wealth. It was Kogan’s responsibility to maintain the peace, which was relatively easy as long as any trouble was quickly stamped on. My father left the policing of the city to him, knowing that this dour, studious individual who was the same age as my father would never let the king down. Like most efficient administrators, Kogan also had a cruel streak, though to be fair he kept this side of his nature under strict control, mostly.
After Assur offered prayers to Shamash, the meeting got under way. The mood was relaxed. Bozan sprawled in his chair, Vistaspa sat bolt upright, while Kogan watched everyone like a hawk. Assur fussed over his parchments.
‘I have called you all here for two reasons,’ began my father. ‘The first is to welcome my son to the council. He has proved himself in battle and I thought it proper that he acquaint himself with the administration of the city, which in time he will be responsible for.’
‘Not for many years, I hope,’ said a stern Assur.
‘With Shamash’s blessing,’ retorted my father. ‘The second reason is that I and my son have been commanded to attend the High King Sinatruces at Ctesiphon.’
‘I thought he was a recluse,’ said Bozan.
‘He is,’ replied my father.
‘Obviously our little spat with the Romans has aroused his interest,’ continued Bozan. ‘No doubt he wants his cut of the spoils.’
‘As King of Kings he has a right to such rewards,’ added Assur.
‘He’s only the King of Kings because of our spears,’ sneered Bozan.
‘Thank you, Bozan’, said my father. ‘Hatra will make a donation to his coffers should he request one, though I see no reason for it to be generous.’
‘Maybe the Romans have made a formal complaint to him,’ said Vistaspa. ‘Maybe he wants you both there to explain yourselves. You’re a fool to go.’
I was amazed at the way Vistaspa addressed my father, but then reminded myself that in such meetings all those who attended were free to express their views regardless of rank. My father told me that there was no point of having a gathering if those present were not allowed to give their views.
‘Were you commanded to attend?’ asked Assur.
‘We were requested,’ replied my father.
‘Then you are free to refuse, though I would judge such an action imprudent,’ said the priest.
Vistaspa shrugged and looked out of the window. Bozan placed his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands.
‘They want their eagle back,’ he said.
‘What?’ I uttered, somewhat in surprise. It was the first time I had spoken and I felt myself blushing.
‘That’s right, Pacorus,’ said Bozan, looking directly at me. ‘You stole their eagle and they want it back. I reckon that they sent an embassy to Sinatruces, groveling at his feet and spinning a tale of how we entered their territory and massacred their men.’
‘That’s a lie,’ I said.
Bozan laughed. ‘Indeed it is. But the Romans are lying bastards as well as greedy ones.’
‘They can’t have the eagle,’ I said. ‘It’s mine.’
There was a ripple of laughter around the table; even Kogan smiled.
‘You took it, boy,’ said Vistaspa,’ but can you keep hold of it?’
‘Enough,’ said my father, clearly irritated by such trivia. ‘We will go to Ctesiphon and see what Sinatruces has to say for himself. Meanwhile, I intend to enlarge the army.’
‘Good idea,’ said Bozan.
‘That will be expensive.’ It was the first time that Addu, a gaunt man in his fifties with thinning brown hair, had spoken. His voice was slightly high-pitched, giving the impression that he was in distress.
‘But the treasury is full, is it not?’ queried my father.
‘Indeed, your majesty,’ replied Assur, ‘ but military spending drains it like water running out of a broken cup.’
‘Those chests of Roman gold should be used to pay for more heavy cavalry,’ remarked Vistaspa.
‘Or more troops for the garrison,’ offered Kogan.
‘Why does the garrison need more troops?’ asked my father.
‘There are Romans in the city, majesty,’ replied Kogan. ‘They may be fomenting rebellion.’
Kogan was right, but then there were many nationalities in Hatra. Indeed, there were the offices of many foreign trading companies in the city, all organising the commerce between the east and their home countries, including Rome. As long as they paid their taxes and caused no trouble they were left alone, as were the many temples that had been established throughout the city. A host of different gods were worshipped in Hatra, including Al Lat, Mithras, Maran, Shiu and Saqaya. Again, as long as they paid their taxes and incited no trouble, the temples were tolerated. Assur and his priests were vociferous in their opposition to the city allowing alien religions within its walls, but were partially soothed by the generous donations made to their temple courtesy of the foreigners’ places of worship. An offshoot of this religious tolerance was that Hatra was known as Bet Alaha, the ‘House of God’. This in turn resulted in a healthy traffic in pilgrims, who in turn brought more wealth to the treasury.