Chapter 1

The spirits of people in Rhodes were so high that everybody spilled out on the street to celebrate the victory. Demetrius, son of Antigonus, finally gave up on his siege, and pulled out his army after almost a year of attempt. The defense had been hard; especially because Demetrius used such heavy-duty weapons to break the walls of Rhodes.

A tortoise-like armored battering ram, which took one thousand men to operate, was one of the radical weapons he used. The other was a giant catapult that could throw an 180 pounds stone for a quarter of a mile. But the most intimidating weapon he used was an enormous wheeled fortified tower, which was equipped with its own catapults and sling throwers. It was a miracle that Rhodes did survive the attack of 40,000 soldiers equipped with such.

However, today, Demetrius' army left all those weapons behind, and fled back to Cyprus. It was not solely the Rhodians' effort that had won this freedom; the divine winds blew some of the enemy's ships over, and flooded the land outside of the walls halting the tower's further movement. The gods were on their side, as well as Ptolemy of Egypt, who had sent a force of ships to aid the Rhodians.

Looking at this almost hysterical celebration, Chares' mind was swinging between two extremes; ecstasy and despair. The people of Rhodes had decided to build a giant statue of Helios to celebrate their freedom and victory, and Chares was the one they had chosen to perform this honor. His heart swelled with pride and glory at one moment, but it shrank with a fear and anxiety the very next moment.

As a perfectionist in his work, Chares had to excel above and beyond everybody, including his master Lysippus. Lysippus has built a statue of Zeus, which towered 60 feet high. It meant for Chares that he had to build this statue so that it exceeded his master's in height. At the same time, this was a great opportunity for him to prove to the world what he could do. To create a perfect statue of Helios, he needed more than a myth to reference, he needed an actual image with flesh and blood.

As he searched for possibilities, Chares remembered his master had talked about Alexander the Great. Lysippus had mentioned to him more than once how Alexander looked so divine that he did not doubt that Alexander was actually the direct bloodline of God. Golden hair framed his sharply chiseled face like a lion's mane. One glance from him could make the bravest warrior shiver in fear as if he was standing in front of a god. Alexander was not a tall person, but his well-proportioned muscular feature, and regal posture made him look bigger than his actual size.

Chares imagined this glorious figure, and thought he could almost create a statue. However the more he thought it through, the stronger he felt the need of something deeper to make it perfect. He needed to know how Alexander actually behaved and acted in order for him to give crucial characteristics to the statue. He needed to hear a true story of Alexander the Great from a person who had been alive at the same time. After considering a few options, Chares decided to travel to Egypt to meet king Ptolemy, the Soter of Rhodes. He was certain that Ptolemy would meet him once he understood the purpose of his visit. He arranged the trip with an Egyptian merchant who was going back to the port of Alexandria in two days.

The sight of the city was beautiful from the harbor. When Chares requested a meeting with king Ptolemy, he was told to wait for a few days. He took advantage of this, and decided to study this gem of Egypt. As he strolled the city of Alexandria, Chares could see a clear vision behind the construction of Alexandria. The streets were laid out on a grid pattern, and over three-quarters of a mile of man-made causeway ran through the city to form a double harbor, one on the east and the other on the west. The planning was genius. The city was also well organized and functional, yet warm and aesthetic. It was an ideal blend of the people who lived there, and the structures that surrounded them.

On the third day, he was finally summoned to the palace, which was a replica of pure Greek architecture. Although the king stood tall and looked very healthy, his youth was obviously behind him; his light brown hair was all turned to silver grey, and deep creases formed lines on his forehead and either side of his mouth.

"Ah, Chares of Lindos. How was the trip?"

"It was fine, my lord." Chares was surprised with the king's frankness for a moment, but continued, "People in Rhodes are celebrating the freedom, thanks to your help for this victory."

Ptolemy's gentle brown eyes looked through into Chares', "You are not here to tell me what I already know, are you?"

"No, my lord." Chares thought he should just get to the point. "We have decided to build a giant statue of Helios to celebrate our freedom. I was chosen to be the sculptor of the statue, and I was hoping to receive your assistance."

"So, are you here to raise a fund?"

"No, my lord, Demetrius left all the weapons behind, and we have enough material to build the statue by melting those weapons."

"Then what do you need from me?

"Well, my master Lysippus told me that Alexander was the closest human to a god."

As soon as Ptolemy heard the name 'Alexander', his expression softened. Chares took this as a welcoming sign, and continued.

"So, I decided to use him as an image to create the statue, but I needed something more than a physical feature. I needed to hear from somebody who actually knew him. I would like to hear a real story about him so that I can put his spirit in the heart of the statue. And I believe you, my lord, were the closest to him."

Ptolemy's eyes narrowed for a moment as if he was looking back into the past.

"Yes, I was, except for one. You cannot talk about Alexander without him. I will tell you a story of when Alexander almost lost himself. Have you ever heard of the Prophecy of Artemis?"

"The prophecy of the invincible king of Asia, Alexander, and his companion? But, did such a man really exist?"

"Yes, my story will prove to you that the man was real, and so is the prophecy. I still remember the day when Alexander met him for the first time. We were all young, studying under Aristotle in Mieza. As soon as this boy from Athens came into the class, Alexander's eyes were fixed on him. Well, I cannot really blame him, because he was such a beauty. His name was Hephaistion, and I have never met a person who was as beautiful and noble as he was. We joked for a long time that Alexander was struck by Eros so hard that he looked stupid just staring at Hephaistion with his mouth open. "

All of sudden, the fire of life lit up king Ptolemy's face, and his calm brown eyes were shimmering with long lost excitement.

Ptolemy's memory was taken back to nearly thirty years ago. He shifted his body to lean heavily against the back of the chair, closed his eyes, and then started to tell a story.

TBC