The hunt began at first light

The hunt began at first light and, in accordance with the King's wishes, even the younger members of court were there to take part. Alexander with his friends Philoyas, Seleucus, Hephaestion, Perdiccas, Lysimachus and Leonnatus, as well as Ptolomy, Craterus and others. Eumenes had also been invited, but he asked to be excused on the account of a stomach upset and he showed a note from Philip the physician, prescribing absolute rest for a few days together with an astrigent cure based on hard-boiled eggs. King Alexander of Epirus had sent for a pack of hound from his kennels. There were special hunting dogs with an excellent sense of smell which were set loose now by the beaters who had taken up position the night before on the edge of a wood up on the mountain. The ancestors of these hounds had been brought from the East more than a hundred years before and had settled extremely well in Epirus. The best kennels were in the land of the Molossian people, and so the hounds, too, became known as Molossians. Their strentgth, their large build and their ability to withstand pain made them the best possible breed of dogs for hunting big animals. The herdsmen had reported the presence of a lion in the area, a male which had already carried out several massacres among the sheep and the catle. Philip had waited deliberately for this special occasion to give chase to the beast – to initiate his boy into the only pastime befitting an aristocratic and to offer his Persian guests a diversion worthy of their rank- They had set out from Pella three hours before dawn and as the sun rose they found themselves at the foot of the mountains separating the valley of the Axios from the valley of the Ludias. The beast was hiding somewhere in the midst of the oak and beech woods that covered the massif. The King nodded and the chief huntsmen blew theis horns. The sound, intensified by its echo, travelled high to the wooded peaks and the beaters heard it. They egged the dogs on, following on foot, and then they too set about making noise, beating the metal rings on their javelins against their shields. The valley resounded with the howling of the pack of Molossians and the hunters readied themselves, forming a semi-circle over an arc of perhaps fifteen stadia. At the centre was Philip with his generals: Parmenion, Antipater and Cleitus the Black. The persians were all arranged on the right flank and everyone was amazed at the transformation in their appearance. No more embroidered tunics and showy gowns, now the Satrap and his Immortals were dressed and equipped like their nomadic ancestors of the steppes: leather breeches, jerkin, hard cap, two jabelines in a holster, a double-curved bow complete with quiver and arrows. To the left of Philip stood King Alexander of Epirus, lined up together with Ptolemy and Craterus, and after them came the youngest hunters – Alexander, Hephaestion, Selecus and the others. Wisps of fof floated down along the river, spreading like a gossamer veil over the green, flower-filled plain, which for the most part was still in the shadow of the mountain. Suddenly a great roar ripped through the peaceful dawn, drowning out the far-off barking of the dogs – the horses neighed excitedly, stamping and snorting, so it was difficult to keep them still. From the book: Alexander: Child of A Dream. By Valerio Massino Manfredi. Translated by Iain Halliday