Tyndareus said. ‘Ruler of Troy, and a powerful man by all accounts.’
‘Too powerful.’ Agamemnon frowned. ‘He’s started imposing a tax on trade passing over the Aegean. He claims the sea for Troy and says all ships must pay him tribute. Something I won’t tolerate.’
Tyndareus finished another cup of wine and belched loudly. ‘You may have to, son. You can’t dictate terms to Priam on his own territory.’
‘I don’t regard the Aegean as Trojan territory!’ Agamemnon told him coldly. ‘Besides, Mycenaean ships are not the only target, Tyndareus. Your own merchants will soon feel the pinch, as will the rest of the Greek states. Which is why I’m here – to offer a solution that will ensure free trade throughout the Mediterranean, keep the peace here and give our armies their wish for glory. I propose to call the Greek kings to a council of war. We’ll raid Ilium and teach Priam to respect us!’
Agamemnon gripped the arms of his chair and stared at the Spartan kings, the flames reflecting vividly in his eyes. With his son-in-law’s words ringing in his ears, Tyndareus stood and began pacing up and down by the fire, shaking his head.
‘Don’t be a fool. It’s impossible.’
‘Is it?’ asked Icarius, leaning back and tugging thoughtfully at an earlobe.
‘Yes it is,’ Tyndareus snapped. He held out his cup to a slave, who rushed to refill it. ‘Take it away, you idiot! I need a clear head if I’m to avoid being talked into one of my son’s wars. Now listen to me, Agamemnon, you come here talking peace and propose a war. That’s fine by me, but can you really see the Greek kings joining forces for anything – even to sack foreign cities? Can you imagine all those generations of petty hatreds and family feuds simply being pushed aside so that Mycenaean merchants don’t have to pay tribute to Troy? Can you hear all those proud men swearing oaths of fealty to each other?’
Icarius stood. ‘Listen to him, Tyndareus. Of course we could bring them together, even with all their hatred for each other. Most of them only hold grudges because of what their fathers and grandfathers did to one another. The feuds can’t continue for ever. We need an objective that’ll unite the Greek-speaking cities and make us into a people.’
‘A great people,’ Agamemnon added fiercely. ‘Can you even imagine the power of a united Greece?’
‘United under your leadership, Agamemnon?’ Tyndareus said, looking at him suspiciously. ‘Even with your political skills you couldn’t lead the Greeks. If you could ever get them under one roof, they’d only kill each other. Or is that what you want?’
‘Of course not. But ask yourself this: would you rather take a Spartan army to fight Greek-speaking Argives, or Corinthians, or Athenians; or would you rather kill Trojans with their unintelligible bar-bar-barring, their strange dress and the way they insult the gods with their outlandish worship?’
‘You know my answer to that . . .’
‘And wouldn’t you like to see peace at home and all our wars fought abroad? Don’t you want a unified Greece where a man can go about his business in safety, whether it be a journey to Pythia or a visit to a neighbouring city?’
Agamemnon stared hard at his father-in-law, demanding an answer.
‘Son, you have great vision and I don’t doubt Greece has the potential of which you speak,’ Tyndareus sighed. ‘But if you couldn’t convince Diomedes, your closest friend, to forget his family’s feud with Thebes, what chance will you have of making the kings of Greece swear allegiance to each other? We can’t be reined in like a team of horses, you know, and we’re too damned paranoid about each other to join forces against Troy.’
Agamemnon sighed and looked into the flames as a slave placed an armful of fresh logs in the fire. He had come to Sparta to seek the support of the second most powerful king in Greece, after himself, and instead had found wisdom
‘Too powerful.’ Agamemnon frowned. ‘He’s started imposing a tax on trade passing over the Aegean. He claims the sea for Troy and says all ships must pay him tribute. Something I won’t tolerate.’
Tyndareus finished another cup of wine and belched loudly. ‘You may have to, son. You can’t dictate terms to Priam on his own territory.’
‘I don’t regard the Aegean as Trojan territory!’ Agamemnon told him coldly. ‘Besides, Mycenaean ships are not the only target, Tyndareus. Your own merchants will soon feel the pinch, as will the rest of the Greek states. Which is why I’m here – to offer a solution that will ensure free trade throughout the Mediterranean, keep the peace here and give our armies their wish for glory. I propose to call the Greek kings to a council of war. We’ll raid Ilium and teach Priam to respect us!’
Agamemnon gripped the arms of his chair and stared at the Spartan kings, the flames reflecting vividly in his eyes. With his son-in-law’s words ringing in his ears, Tyndareus stood and began pacing up and down by the fire, shaking his head.
‘Don’t be a fool. It’s impossible.’
‘Is it?’ asked Icarius, leaning back and tugging thoughtfully at an earlobe.
‘Yes it is,’ Tyndareus snapped. He held out his cup to a slave, who rushed to refill it. ‘Take it away, you idiot! I need a clear head if I’m to avoid being talked into one of my son’s wars. Now listen to me, Agamemnon, you come here talking peace and propose a war. That’s fine by me, but can you really see the Greek kings joining forces for anything – even to sack foreign cities? Can you imagine all those generations of petty hatreds and family feuds simply being pushed aside so that Mycenaean merchants don’t have to pay tribute to Troy? Can you hear all those proud men swearing oaths of fealty to each other?’
Icarius stood. ‘Listen to him, Tyndareus. Of course we could bring them together, even with all their hatred for each other. Most of them only hold grudges because of what their fathers and grandfathers did to one another. The feuds can’t continue for ever. We need an objective that’ll unite the Greek-speaking cities and make us into a people.’
‘A great people,’ Agamemnon added fiercely. ‘Can you even imagine the power of a united Greece?’
‘United under your leadership, Agamemnon?’ Tyndareus said, looking at him suspiciously. ‘Even with your political skills you couldn’t lead the Greeks. If you could ever get them under one roof, they’d only kill each other. Or is that what you want?’
‘Of course not. But ask yourself this: would you rather take a Spartan army to fight Greek-speaking Argives, or Corinthians, or Athenians; or would you rather kill Trojans with their unintelligible bar-bar-barring, their strange dress and the way they insult the gods with their outlandish worship?’
‘You know my answer to that . . .’
‘And wouldn’t you like to see peace at home and all our wars fought abroad? Don’t you want a unified Greece where a man can go about his business in safety, whether it be a journey to Pythia or a visit to a neighbouring city?’
Agamemnon stared hard at his father-in-law, demanding an answer.
‘Son, you have great vision and I don’t doubt Greece has the potential of which you speak,’ Tyndareus sighed. ‘But if you couldn’t convince Diomedes, your closest friend, to forget his family’s feud with Thebes, what chance will you have of making the kings of Greece swear allegiance to each other? We can’t be reined in like a team of horses, you know, and we’re too damned paranoid about each other to join forces against Troy.’
Agamemnon sighed and looked into the flames as a slave placed an armful of fresh logs in the fire. He had come to Sparta to seek the support of the second most powerful king in Greece, after himself, and instead had found wisdom
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