《The Song of Nikandros》

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Nikandros, King of Arkadia, was born between the black sea and the red mountains.

On the day of his birth, the eternal flame at the palace altar flickered three times, which the old priests interpreted as an omen of war.

Nikandros first mounted a chariot at the age of sixteen, and before he turned twenty, he had claimed victory in three battles. Though young, he knew no fear, and it is said that the moment a spear left his hand, the enemy's shield shattered first.

After he ascended the throne, the territory of Arkadia expanded day by day. The kings of the ports paid tribute, and the tribes beyond the mountains closed their gates at the mere mention of his name.

People called him the Iron King, the Lion of the Aegean.

He held one woman more precious than his crown, and she was his Queen.

Nikandros did not fear blood on the battlefield, but it is said he would lose all color in his face if even a small scratch appeared on the Queen's fingertip.

One day, a priest asked him:

"Your Majesty, why is it that you do not grieve the deaths of thousands of enemy soldiers, yet you cannot sleep all night over a single tear from the Queen?"

To which Nikandros replied:

"The deaths of my enemies are by my choice. But her tears were not my choice."

Hearing this, the priest questioned him no further.

What Nikandros feared least was death.

He feared only one thing: Passing into the realm of the gods before the woman he loved.

And because of that fear, he would later ignite the greatest of wars.

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— The Song of Nikandros, Book 3, Verse 17

Historical material estimated to be an epic tradition from around the 7th century BC