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Alexander the Great and a Cat Named Athena

Sandra Grossman

Issue #1 (March 2008)

             It was hopeless!  I had walked through all the rooms and gardens in this prison and now had to accept there was only one other cat here.  He was large with glossy black fur, sharp teeth, long nails, and cold eyes…never once even glancing my way.  Okay, I know I’m small, and my fur is sort of a thin brownish color, but a friendly gesture wouldn’t have cost him anything and would have meant the world to me.  No matter, there was no other choice. So I lapped a little milk, took a deep breath and approached him, getting close, but careful not to touch him.
            “Sir, my story is a tragic one that I must relate to you before it is too late.  I’m a simple country cat that unknowingly became a part of the downfall of the mighty empire…Persia.”
            At last he looked at me, so I continued. “I was happily living with my mother in a small house, fed well, and occasionally petted.  Nothing special, but I was only 3 months old and quite content.  Each day was the same as the day before.  The family would do their farming while mother and I slept all day.  While the family slept at night we would go into the fields and do a little hunting for mice.  A good life…but all that changed one terrible morning.
            We got home early after a successful hunt and found the family throwing all their belongings into a cart.  They were hysterical and yelling at each other to hurry because ‘the army was coming and they will kill us all.’  We were thrown on the top of everything and suddenly, with a jerk, started moving forward.  My mother didn’t have time to settle in and lost her footing.  She was knocked to the side of the road just lying very still. I couldn’t just leave her there.  What if she was in pain or just stunned…I had to try to help, so I jumped off and ran to her.  I lay next to her for a long time licking her face, but she never moved. Then I heard the terrible noise of the soldiers and the horses.  I feared that my short life was coming to an end, so I just stayed next to my mother and cried for the two of us.
            Suddenly I was scooped up by a man on a horse, put on his lap and told to stay there. His voice was soft and friendly.
            ‘Alexander of Macedo n greets you Oh Athena, beautiful and wise Goddess of War.  It is wondrous that I have finally found you. I knew you were with us at the battle of Issos, where our army not only won, but also watched King Darius of Persia run from the field of battle.  Once more at the battle of Gaugamela, with superior numbers against us, we put much of the army and Darius to flight. It’s known that you have come to Earth as an owl and an eagle, but I knew when I saw you waiting for me at the side of the road, you were now a cat.  You will be our revered guest.’
            I wanted to tell him I was just an ordinary kitten who had just lost her mother and home, but figured out that I might end up back on the road if I wasn’t Athena, so I licked his hand and looked at his face like I was proud he recognized me.”
            I could see my aloof cat companion was a little awed at my adventure, so I took another short drink of milk and continued my story.
            “Alexander kept me close to him when we camped.  I was always in his quarters and often received a small nod and a smile from the various visitors that came for discussions and orders.  I enjoyed these weeks…treated well…with respect.  There was only one incident that upset me.  It was when I was on my usual chair right next to Alexander, during a meeting that Alexander had called with his officers, and one of his friends pushed me off to take the seat himself.  I did not make an issue, but I vigorously cleaned my fur to show my disapproval. 
            “Alexander seemed very serious and talked in a quiet voice.  ‘Darius has been killed by one of his own.  I have arranged an elaborate royal funeral as would befit a great ruler.  Always remember we were vastly outnumbered and on the enemy’s territory, only our strategies and the valor of our soldiers sent Darius running from battle with his army fleeing after him.  He lost the trust of the army and the people.  Persia is ours.  The rewards will be great for all.’
            “He was right, of course, the cities opened their gates and treasury for him.  In one city he slipped a lovely gold necklace around my neck, which I acknowledged with a lick on his hand.
            “After when I rode on his horse, I always held my head high to show everyone the necklace and my importance to this great man.
            “It was in Persepolis where everything changed.  I was kidnapped by a Persian servant; probably a spy, put into a covered basket, and brought to this terrible place to be punished.   I desperately need your help.”
            I had moved closer and now our fur was touching, but he didn’t move away…just looked at me and started talking.
            “A ‘simple country cat’ is definitely an understatement.  You have been sitting on silk pillows, sleeping on a soft linen bed, eating and drinking out of golden bowls, sprayed with the finest perfume, walking on soft beautiful carpets and surmised that you were in a dungeon.  Brilliant!  You are in a royal harem, brought here by Alexander’s trusted servant, to be cared for the rest of your life.
            “Alexander would not have let a small, crying kitten perish by the side of a road. So as a great admirer of the Greek theater, he found the perfect role for you…Athena.  The others enjoyed being a part of the comic farce, and you did a wonderful job.  The knowing looks, the little hand kisses, and the haughty attitude was more than he had hoped for.  This is your reward.  The tragic part is mine.  I was told to be your constant companion.  My last companion was a wise historian, and now I have you.”
            His words surprisingly did not bother me.  “A great actress, a goddess, or simply a pitiful, vulnerable kitten; Alexander smiled at me when I looked in his eyes, he smiled when I licked his hand, he smiled when I purred with contentment.  For those moments, rare moments in battle, his burdens were lifted, and that’s why I sat in a chair beside his bed.  I knew I wasn’t the real Athena, but I was important to Alexander!”
            The large black cat was silent for a moment, but I thought I saw a glint of respect in his eyes.  With a small smile he said, “Come with me Athena, and I’ll show you around your beautiful new home.”