Name: Khushmasta

Born: 512BC

Died: 450BC

City/region: Konkobar, Lower Media

Affiliation: Mede, Arizanti tribe

Occupation: Satapatis to Lord Mahrkhusha of Konkobar

Our last hopes faded as we arrived at Sestos on the Thracian shores of the Hellespont and found the bridge of boats gone. Some said they had been destroyed by storms, others said by the fleet of the Hellenes.

Only eight moons ago I had been ferried across from the city of Abydus on the opposite shore in one of the ships and boats innumerable. Meanwhile other ships tied together formed two great bridges, across which yet more of our troops and supplies crossed.

Where there had once been so many great ships, only a few small boats remained. The great bridges had wholly disappeared, leaving no trace of their existence except the wrecks that lay here and there, half buried in the sand along the shore.

It had taken forty five days to march here after returning from the destruction of our fleet at Salamis, a march so different from when we had first entered the land of the Hellenes. Where before there was welcome, now there were constant attacks. Where before there had been food and wine in plenty, now there was hunger and disease. Along all the roads leading to Sestos, and now filling the city and the banks of the Hellespont, we passed broken chariots, dead and dying horses of great value, slaughtered beasts of burden, and the bodies of soldiers from all the nations that had once marched so grandly into Thrace watched by the Great King himself, may Ahuramazda preserve him.

Where before our camps were filled with song, laughter and good cheer, now men fought for scraps, or lay stricken with disease. As for myself, I am lucky for I, with those others of Mede and Persian blood, am fed better than most for we are fearful lest the other nations in our once proud army should turn their anger on the Great King.

But I forget myself and my manners.

I am Khushmasta, of the Arizanti tribe, Satapatis to my Lord Mahrkusha of Konkobar. Now my Lord is dead and of the one hundred spearman in my satabam, only thirty remain.

Of those that have fallen, more than half were slain by the devils of Lacedamonia on the first day of battle at the place, called by the Hellenes, the Gates of Fire. I myself took a wound to the shoulder as I tried to recover the spear-ravaged body of my Lord. For the loss of my Lord, my men, and many others who fought beside us, I saw not one of those devils in bronze either killed or take a serious wound, even though our numbers were twentyfold theirs.

At first we thought them foolhardy, for they chose to fight in front of a wall that they had constructed for their defence. But their long spears, held above their shields, struck down at our unprotected heads and shoulders whilst our shorter spears, locked between our shields, struck only against the wall of bronze. All morning the men of my nation, skilled warriors all, tried to break through that wall of bronze and long spears but it was like we faced gods not men.

After midday the warriors of Cissaria replaced us and although they faced Hellenes other than those devils we fought, still they fared no better for now those Hellenes fought from behind the wall. Towards the end of the day I saw the chosen warriors of the Great King, those called the Immortals, replace the Cissarians and we felt that by nightfall the pass would be clear. But once again the warriors of Lacedamonia took the front of the Hellenes line and the myth of the Immortals was broken, although none would dare say so.

It was two days later that the pass was finally cleared and even then our warriors feared to face the last of the Hellenes, being unable to tell who among them were gods or men. It was with arrows that we killed those warriors of Lacedamonia and Thespia who remained, the Sacrae using poison on theirs. Amongst the Hellenes only the warriors of Thebes were spared, for they stood apart from the others and offered earth and water to the Great King.

I still shudder at the memory of how many of our slain we buried there, disguising the graves so that our sailors and marines thought the more of our victory.

I thank Ahuramazda that the Great King chose us to escort him back here and did not command us to stay in Hellas with the army of Mardonius. It is said he will face battle with more of those devils in numbers a hundred times more than we faced in that narrow place.

After that we marched to Athens and our mood improved as we sacked the city and killed all who remained behind their wall defending their temples, which we tore down. Although plunder was scarce, still I had a moderate sum and more was promised when we marched beyond the land of the Hellenes.

But such thoughts were destroyed with our fleet at Salamis and our army divided. I marched, with great haste, back to Sestos with the Great King and the larger force. At first it was only the pace of the march that wearied us, then came the lack of food, disease and then the attacks by the cavalry and hill warriors of Thrace. We abandoned our baggage and plunder and we feared to march in small groups for all such were swiftly attacked.

Now, having reached Sestos, I wonder if I will have to fight to protect our Great King or to secure a boat for ourselves from the hungry, diseased and desperate soldiers of the fifty nations of the empire gathered here.

I wonder also if I shall return to Konkobar with those of my satabam who survive, and look again on the faces of my two sons, my wife and my young daughter, or will I be part of the garrison that will be left here in Sestos.

There is talk that the Great King will raise another army and return to Hellas, to complete the promised conquer of all the lands beyond until the land meets the sky. But I pray to Ahuramazda only that I am allowed to see my home again and see my sons grow to manhood.

But for now my wound aches and my body is tired, so I will sleep the few hours until morning.

Konkobar - Kangavar, province of Kermanshah, Iran

Arizanti - derived from the words Arya (noble) and Zantu (tribe, clan)

Satapatis - Commander of a unit of 100 men

Satabam - a unit of 100 men