I still remember very well that terrible night when the Gaieochos, the earth-shaker, sent us the earthquake.
It was a warm spring night of many, many years ago. I was about thirty years old.
I was going to bed when I felt the ground moving under my feet. I could hear pots and cups falling on the floor in the kitchen.
Earthquakes were common in Troy and I immediately understood that this was a big one. Without a second thought, I ran out of the temple.
Many people were gathering in the market square next to the temple. There were children crying, people wearing a cloak over their night dresses, women with their hair undone. The confusion was great. I sat with other people, far from the buildings, waiting for it to stop. With a terrible cracking sound, one of the poor houses around the square fell down. Similar sounds could be heard from the rest of the city. Moreover, we were during the waning moon and it was difficult to see what was going on.
Finally, after a long time, the earthquake ended as suddenly as it had begun. I stood and hurried towards my parents' house, thanking the gods that my brother was at sea. Suddenly, I noticed that my usual path was blocked by debris. I took a little back street close to Ares' temple.
The temple itself had been completely destroyed by the earthquake but, while running by, I distinctly heard a muffled voice screaming from under the debris.
I stopped and started removing the bricks until I found a young boy, six or seven years old. He was grated, covered in dirt and frightened but alive and apparently well. As soon as he was out of the debris, he started coughing and staggered.
Not knowing whether he was able to walk, I picked him up.
"Don't worry, young one. I'll bring you to my parents' house and we will see whether you're injured" I explained softly, hoping dearly to find my parents still alive.
In a few minutes we were there and, with a sigh of relief, I saw that their house was undamaged. A few trees in the orchard had fallen down, though, as part of our neighbors' house. My mother stood in the doorstep while my father was helping the neighbor with the debris.
"Aesacus! You are safe, thank the gods!" she cried, hugging me.
"What happened here?" I asked worriedly.
"Smyros and his sister have died" she said tearfully, pointing to the neighbor's house "I am so grateful that you are unharmed!"
The child hadn't spoken a single word yet and was clutching my hand tightly. We brought him inside, where my mother fetched some water to clean him up.
When I removed the dirt from his face I recognized him, to my great surprise: he was prince Priam.
I had to escort him back to the palace at once: since Ares' temple had been destroyed, his family probably thought that he was dead.
"Don't worry, I'm taking you home right now" I said, squeezing his shoulder.
"Th-thank..." he started, but he was overcome with another fit of cough.
As soon as we were in the citadel, I noticed with horror that part of the royal palace had been destroyed as well. Nobody was guarding the entrance and we walked inside.
Queen Strymo was standing in the hall, holding little princess Hesyone in her arms. Priam left my hand and ran to her.
She hugged him tightly and was unable to speak for a long time.
"Thank you for bringing him home, Aesacus" she whispered eventually.
"He saved my life, mother. I was buried under the debris and couldn't breath..." Priam cut in.
Strymo looked at me with teary eyes: "We will always be grateful to you, dearest Aesacus. If you had not found him..." she shook her head.
"We shall most of all thank the gods who made me hear your voice" I told the prince.
While at the palace, I discovered that king Laomedon was dead. He had been crushed by a falling column while he was trying to run to his wife. Assaracus, Laomedon's brother, was searching for Priam all over the city. Several other people who lived at the palace had been killed, too.
I went back to Hermes' temple, which was still in one piece. For a couple of nights, however, I didn't dare to sleep in my bed and I slept in the orchard.
Strymo and Priam were always grateful to me. I think Priam's decision to appoint me as one of his advisors was heavily influenced by this episode. Which is curious, because hearing his screams while I was passing by had just been a fortunate coincidence without merit on my part.
The rebuilding was long and difficult but I never saw so many weddings and so many newborn babies as in the year following the earthquake. People wanted to forget that terrible night. Moreover, the earthquake had reminded us that we could not assume we had time ahead of us.
On that night, I couldn't imagine that, many years later, another earthquake would have put an end to the war.