DEATH OF ANTIPATER

AT RISE: In the bedchamber of Antipater’s house, next door to the great palace of Archelaos.

TIME: Late Summer, 319 B.C.

PLACE: Pella, Macedonia

ANTIPATER

(Antipater is standing near his bed, about to sit, with the assistance of an old woman. Polyperchon and Cassander stand apart behind the bed, eyeing each other and the dying man. Diodotus, staff secretary to Antipater, stands in the background. An old woman, along with several others, attends Antipater. Cassander shows an intense, covert hatred for Polyperchon.)

I am upright no more. My eyes dim. My legs cannot bear my life longer. I am at the dead end of my eighty-two years. Before I lie down at the last, call the noblemen to me here, at once, Diodotus. My life’s words are but a few grains left in the glass.

(Diodotus exits to make the summons.)

Polyperchon, are you there?

(Polyperchon steps toward him.)

Cassander, my son, you here, too?

(Cassander avoids Polyperchon as he steps around to sit by his father. He places an arm around his father’s shoulder. The Noblemen enter, chanting the praises of Antipater, taking a place DL. Or the lines may be assigned to several members of the group.)

NOBLEMEN

Hail, mighty Antipater, Regent of all Hellas, Alexander’s general and great warrior, Heroic commander of the great armies of Macedon, blessed by the war-loving god, Ares. Your loving and faithful servants are here to serve.

ANTIPATER

(He lifts a hand to quiet the noblemen.)

Do I hear a preview of my ceremonies to come? Soon. Very soon. Polyperchon.

(He motions Polyperchon to kneel before him. His speech is broken by shortness of breath.)

You were a loyal, capable commander, lieutenant to Craterus in return of the ten thousand. But most, you, original bodyguard, Alexander. Ptolemy, secured Egypt. Antigonus, general, Asia. Eumenes defends Nora. I ask you, be bodyguard to the kings, son of Alexander, and Philip Arrhidaeus.

(Cassander is shocked, immediately embarrassed, shamed, confused, and incensed.)

I appoint you, be their guardian, and the supreme commander, all Macedonian forces, for them, in their names. These, my last acts, as these nobles witness.

POLYPERCHON

I am honored, sire, but I must resist out of modesty for my ability to take on such a great and important task.

ANTIPATER

I foresee the uncertain fate  of him, so “honored”. Discord a long time will be great. Battles to be Alexander’s successor, will, I am certain, much evil to fall on you. You, honored Macedonian, eldest Alexander’s companions. My representative when I campaigned Asia. I beg you! faithful servant! take oath! serve as I ask you!

(He struggles to retrieve his breath.)

My breath, short, hand, shakes, heart beat,  growing faint. Ares, just there, convey to my fate. Atropos of the triune Moira, about to cut thread. Let the last words I hear be your consent, dear man!

POLYPERCHON

Yes, I will do it, sire, as these noblemen of Macedonia are my witnesses. By my station, I have drawn upon me this lot, and I cannot refuse.

ANTIPATER

(He lies down.)

I am upright no more.

(He looks around for Cassander.)

Cassander, my son, shall be Chiliarch and second in authority. Alexander venerated that title when he appointed his beloved Hephaestion, his spiritual brother, lifelong companion, to the rank.

(Antipater’s breathing is very difficult. Cassander says nothing but this aside, in his rage.)

CASSANDER

Second, indeed. We shall see!

ANTIPATER

(Much belabored in breath and speech now, but with a maximum effort to be heard by all.)

What was that, my son?

(Cassander does not answer. Antipater waves off his own question-no time to waste.

My final words be these, Polyperchon:

(extreme effort)

I advise you, never permit a woman to hold first place in the kingdom.

(pause)

Ares, my hand. To my judgment.

(Shortly, he becomes very still. The noblemen drop to their knees, with some moaning.)

POLYPERCHON

Diodotus, bring the two kings here.

CASSANDER

(He waves a hand, and all retreat US out of ear shot, understanding his desire to be left alone with his father for a while. He goes to sit by, and feel his father’s hand and cheek.)

Death is fresh here. There is still some warmth. But not for me. If you can still hear me, old man, that you have elevated one not of our blood to succeed to the high command is unthinkable, and I will take this issue to war and armies will trek to Hades realm.

(rising, walking to the side)

You have put that person over me as a check to my ambition, but I shall find the way to overturn this disposal of me. I shall be the final successor to rule all. In peace, sons bury fathers. In the wars to come, many fathers will bury sons.

(The old women, with muffled sobs, close Antipater’s eyes, put a coin in his mouth, arrange his limbs, and cover him except for his head. Roxanê and Alexander IV, now four years old and in the care of his mother, enter the room.)

ROXANÊ

Pay homage to the Regent, Alexander.

(Alexander IV kneels to the body. Looks up at his mother. Looks back and reaches out to touch the brow of Antipater and withdraws his hand slowly. He rises and sits on the side of the bed to stare intently at the face head on.
Eurydice and Philip Arrhidaeus enter the room.
ROXANÊ walks over to take Alexander’s hand and lead him away, as he continues to gaze back at the face of Antipater.)

EURYDICE

(approaching the bed, leading the shuffling Philip Arrhidaeus)

This has been your guardian, Philip. His shade has gone below the earth to Hades, while his body remains here. You knew him well and liked him, did you not?

(Philip approaches the body hesitantly, fearfully, standing sideways, his hands clasped, and peering at the face below with trepidation.)

PHILIP ARRHIDAEUS

I don’t like being here. Did he die on a battlefield, like all those others when I was with Alexander?

EURYDICE

No, Philip. Come.

(She takes him aside. She sees Roxanê and Alexander IV and avoids them carefully, with some animosity showing. The two kings signal each other in a rather friendly way.
Polyperchon waves his hand for the noblemen to carry Antipater’s body off. He follows. Cassander follows, looking after the departing train, but does not leave. Roxanê and Alexander IV move DL. Eurydice and Philip Arrhidaeus move off behind the procession exiting UR.)

ROXANÊ

(half to Alexander IV, half aside)

I honored my father, Oxyartes. My people, the Sogdians in Asia, honored their fathers. That man does not honor his father! Alexander defeated my father, and then honored him. Alexander was an honorable king. These Greeks honor their fathers. Their god is the father of all, a great power, and he is honored. That man did not honor his father! I am, they say, a “barbarian”, left alone by Alexander’s death far from my people. Deprived of his protection, I am not safe, unfriended in this Greek land. I should not be here. I am outcast but for Alexander, my child, the most revered son of the most worshipped king. Alexander said long ago, in Babylon, this Cassander is more than ambitious, and slithers with treachery.

(Cassander hesitates to leave, as he sees Roxanê and Alexander IV remaining behind. He moves over to greet Roxanê with a nod, and putting his finger under the chin of Alexander to lift up the child’s face, he speaks to him.)

CASSANDER

Where is the father in this boy? The likeness is more Persian than Macedonian.

ALEXANDER IV

(with great pride and confidence)

I shall one day be king, like my father.

(Roxanê gives him an alarmed look, becomes very protective of Alexander, grabs his hand, and pulls him toward the exit. He stops to say:)

But mother, that’s what everyone says.

ROXANÊ

I have told you before. That’s not something you say too loudly, in the wrong place.

(Exit DR.)

CASSANDER

(to Glaucias)

So he would be king. Even as an infant. They train him well, but I know his future. The royal road ahead is lined with hanging trees, strewn with the bodies of rough men, war-hacked and oozing rivers of blood. Warships go down in a sea of red, Poseidon rising up protesting in storms against the human garbage poured into his domain. I will mourn and hunt a while. I will slip into Asia where Antigonus consolidates his gains. We will make war against Polyperchon and win the kingdom. There will be only one king in the end.

(Eurydice enters with Philip Arrhidaeus. Cassander goes directly to Philip Arrhidaeus, with a passing nod to Eurydice.)

Philip Arrhidaeus, you are the king, and Eurydice your queen. I am friend to you both. Your guardian, my father, has died and appointed Polyperchon your guardian.

PHILIP ARRHIDAEUS

Your dead father made me sick. He is old and old people soon die. But not Alexander. He was a boy dead. Alexander liked me. The dead old man didn’t like me. I don’t want to see him ever again.

CASSANDER

Your good wife, Eurydice, will see to that. Do you like the little boy, Alexander?

PHILIP ARRHIDAEUS

Yes, he is a good boy. We play together good. Eurydice doesn’t like him.

CASSANDER

What will you do now, my dear Eurydice?

EURYDICE

In my dreams, I see myself at the head of a great army, taking this land from its enemies, those who have only greed and power as their guide, and restoring to greatness and honor the innocence of a king and queen who want nothing more for themselves than a peaceful and prosperous people. That is what I, with Philip, could do.

CASSANDER

You can see in Alexander that the barbarian blood is so strong that I doubt he is Alexander’s true son. Alexander himself was the son of a barbarian, Olympias, the Epirote. The legitimacy is not there. But not with you and Philip. You and I must understand that we, together, must now devise a means of deposing Polyperchon and raising the claim of Philip over that of Alexander. You will hear about my means. You will know then that you can fulfill your desire to become the military leader of Macedonia, as a legitimate daughter, a descendant of King Amyntas, and create distractions for Polyperchon here, while I am moving in elsewhere.

EURYDICE

I have no hate for those two pretenders. They are only an obstacle to overcome. Great Ananke, Necessity herself, would stand all the gods against me for the cruelest of fates if I did not heed the call of my nature, which is not to be the virgin queen I’m known to be, but to take my boyish vigor to follow Ares into great battles for the glory of Macedonia.

(She and Philip embrace Cassander and move DR.)

CASSANDER

(aside)

One king, yes, but neither that one nor the other. And a virgin for a queen? I am sure that witless boy-man has never touched her in that way. But both of them will go. Does she think this, too? No. She is too idealistic to scheme.

EURYDICE

(aside to Philip Arrhidaeus, DR)

I will be Queen-Regent and lead the army against Olympias and the other two. Ananke has demanded this. I can do nothing else. That is decreed by fate. Cassander shall be my lieutenant. Antipater advised against a government under a woman, but he only spoke of that stone in his shoe, Olympias. Yet, the old man saw that I almost succeeded in Egypt, if he had not come along. I am fortunate he is dead. His son is friendlier.

(She goes back to embrace Cassander again, takes Philip by the hand and exits DR. Cassander muses DL and exits.)

POLYPERCHON

(entering with Diodotus, dictating)

Diodotus, a letter to Olympias. May it please my queen to return to Macedonia. The people hold you in the highest esteem as the mother of our Alexander, the great king, Take charge of the king, Alexander IV, your grandson. Assume responsibility for him until he comes of an age to receive his father’s kingdom. I implore you to live in Macedonia with all the regal dignity you deserve. Now that your quarrels with Antipater have died with him, there should be nothing to interfere with your becoming, once again, the queen, in the great splendor you have enjoyed as the revered mother of Alexander. I will invite Eumenes, your trusted counselor and friend to return and suffer himself to assume the grave responsibility of Guardian of the two kings.

(Exit.)

END SCENE TWO