CHAPTER I.
The Nile had overflowed its bed. The luxuriant corn-fields and bloominggardens on its shores were lost beneath a boundless waste of waters; andonly the gigantic temples and palaces of its cities, (protected from theforce of the water by dikes), and the tops of the tall palm-trees andacacias could be seen above its surface. The branches of the sycamoresand plane-trees drooped and floated on the waves, but the boughs of thetall silver poplars strained upward, as if anxious to avoid the wateryworld beneath. The full-moon had risen; her soft light fell on theLibyan range of mountains vanishing on the western horizon, and in thenorth the shimmer of the Mediterranean could faintly be discerned. Blueand white lotus-flowers floated on the clear water, bats of allkinds darted softly through the still air, heavy with the scent ofacacia-blossom and jasmine; the wild pigeons and other birds were atroost in the tops of the trees, while the pelicans, storks and cranessquatted in groups on the shore under the shelter of the papyrus-reedsand Nile-beans. The pelicans and storks remained motionless, their longbills hidden beneath their wings, but the cranes were startled by themere beat of an oar, stretching their necks, and peering anxiously intothe distance, if they heard but the song of the boatmen. The air wasperfectly motionless, and the unbroken reflection of the moon, lyinglike a silver shield on the surface of the water, proved that, wildly asthe Nile leaps over the cataracts, and rushes past the gigantic templesof Upper Egypt, yet on approaching the sea by different arms, he canabandon his impetuous course, and flow along in sober tranquillity.
On this moonlight night in the year 528 B. C. a bark was crossing thealmost currentless Canopic mouth of the Nile. On the raised deck atthe stern of this boat an Egyptian was sitting to guide the longpole-rudder, and the half-naked boatmen within were singing asthey rowed. In the open cabin, which was something like a woodensummer-house, sat two men, reclining on low cushions. They wereevidently not Egyptians; their Greek descent could be perceived even bythe moonlight. The elder was an unusually tall and powerful man ofmore than sixty; thick grey curls, showing very little attempt atarrangement, hung down over his short, firm throat; he wore a simple,homely cloak, and kept his eyes gloomily fixed on the water. Hiscompanion, on the contrary, a man perhaps twenty years younger, of aslender and delicate build, was seldom still. Sometimes he gazed intothe heavens, sometimes made a remark to the steersman, disposed hisbeautiful purple chlanis in fresh folds, or busied himself in thearrangement of his scented brown curls, or his carefully curled beard.
[The chlanis was a light summer-mantle, worn especially by the more elegant Athenians, and generally made of expensive materials. The simpler cloak, the himation, was worn by the Doric Greeks, and principally by the Spartans.]
The boat had left Naukratis, at that time the only Hellenic port inEgypt, about half an hour before.
[This town, which will form the scene of a part of our tale, lies in the northwest of the Nile Delta, in the Saitic Nomos or district, on the left bank of the Canopic mouth of the river. According to Strabo and Eusebius it was founded by Milesians, and Bunsen reckons 749 B. C. It seems that in the earliest times Greek ships were only allowed to enter this mouth of the Nile in case of necessity. The entire intercourse of the Egyptians with the hated strangers was, at that time, restricted to the little island of Pharos lying opposite to the town of Thonis.]
During their journey, the grey-haired, moody man had not spoken oneword, and the other had left him to his meditations. But now, as theboat neared the shore, the restless traveller, rising from his couch,called to his companion: "We are just at our destination, Aristomachus!That pleasant house to the left yonder, in the garden of palms which youcan see rising above the waters, is the dwelling of my friend Rhodopis.It was built by her husband Charaxus, and all her friends, not exceptingthe king himself, vie with one another in adding new beauties to ityear by year. A useless effort! Let them adorn that house with all thetreasures in the world, the woman who lives within will still remain itsbest ornament!"
[We are writing of the month of October, when the Nile begins to sink. The inundations can now be accurately accounted for, especially since the important and laborious synoptical work of H. Barth and S. Baker. They are occasioned by the tropical rains, and the melting of the snows on the high mountain-ranges at the Equator. In the beginning of June a gradual rising of the Nile waters can be perceived; between the 15th and 20th June, this changes to a rapid increase; in the beginning of October the waters reach their highest elevation, a point, which, even after having begun their retreat, they once more attempt to attain; then, at first gradually, and afterwards with ever increasing rapidity, they continue to sink. In January, February and March, the Nile is still drying up; and in May is at its lowest point, when the volume of its waters is only one- twentieth of that in October.]
The old man sat up, threw a passing glance at the building, smoothed thethick grey beard which clothed his cheeks and chin, but left the lipsfree,--[The Spartans were not in the habit of wearing a beard on theupper lip.]--and asked abruptly: "Why so much enthusiasm, Phanes,for this Rhodopis? How long have the Athenians been wont to extolold women?" At this remark the other smiled, and answered in aself-satisfied tone, "My knowledge of the world, and particularly ofwomen, is, I flatter myself, an extended one, and yet I repeat, that inall Egypt I know of no nobler creature than this grey-haired woman. Whenyou have seen her and her lovely grandchild, and heard your favoritemelodies sung by her well-practised choir of slave-girls, I think youwill thank me for having brought you hither."--"Yet," answered theSpartan gravely, "I should not have accompanied you, if I had not hopedto meet Phryxus, the Delphian, here."
"You will find him here; and besides, I cannot but hope that the songswill cheer you, and dispel your gloomy thoughts." Aristomachus shook hishead in denial, and answered: "To you, sanguine Athenians, the melodiesof your country may be cheering: but not so to me; as in many asleepless night of dreams, my longings will be doubled, not stilled bythe songs of Alkman."
[Alkman (Attic, Alkmaeon) flourished in Sparta about 650 B. C. His mother was a Lydian slave in Sardes, and he came into the possession of Agesides, who gave him his freedom. His beautiful songs soon procured him the rights of a Lacedaemonian citizen. He was appointed to the head-directorship in the entire department of music in Lacedaemon and succeeded in naturalizing the soft Lydian music. His language was the Doric-Laconian. After a life devoted to song, the pleasures of the table and of love, he is said to have died of a fearful disease. From the frequent choruses of virgins (Parthenien) said to have been originally introduced by him, his frequent songs in praise of women, and the friendly relations in which he stood to the Spartan women (more especially to the fair Megalostrata), he gained the name of the woman's poet.]
"Do you think then," replied Phanes, "that I have no longing for mybeloved Athens, for the scenes of our youthful games, for the busy lifeof the market? Truly, the bread of exile is not less distasteful to mypalate than to yours, but, in the society afforded by this house, itloses some of its bitterness, and when the dear melodies of Hellas, soperfectly sung, fall on my ear, my native land rises before me as in avision, I see its pine and olive groves, its cold, emerald green rivers,its blue sea, the shimmer of its towns, its snowy mountain-tops andmarble temples, and a half-sweet, half-bitter tear steals down my cheekas the music ceases, and I awake to remember that I am in Egypt, in thismonotonous, hot, eccentric country, which, the gods be praised, I amsoon about to quit. But, Aristomachus, would you then avoid the fewOases in the desert, because you must afterwards return to its sandsand drought? Would you fly from one happy hour, because days of sadnessawait you later? But stop, here we are! Show a cheerful countenance, myfriend, for it becomes us not to enter the temple of the Charites withsad hearts."--[The goddesses of grace and beauty, better known by theirRoman name of "Graces."]
As Phanes uttered these words, they landed at the garden wall, washedby the Nile. The Ath
enian bounded lightly from the boat, the Spartanfollowing with a heavier, firmer tread. Aristomachus had a woodenleg, but his step was so firm, even when compared with that of thelight-footed Phanes, that it might have been thought to be his own limb.
The garden of Rhodopis was as full of sound, and scent and blossom asa night in fairy-land. It was one labyrinth of acanthus shrubs,yellow mimosa, the snowy gelder-rose, jasmine and lilac, red roses andlaburnums, overshadowed by tall palm-trees, acacias and balsam trees.Large bats hovered softly on their delicate wings over the whole, andsounds of mirth and song echoed from the river.
This garden had been laid out by an Egyptian, and the builders ofthe Pyramids had already been celebrated for ages for their skill inhorticulture. They well understood how to mark out neat flower-beds,plant groups of trees and shrubs in regular order, water the wholeby aqueducts and fountains, arrange arbors and summerhouses, and eveninclose the walks with artistically clipped hedges, and breed goldfishin stone basins.
At the garden gate Phanes stopped, looked around him carefully andlistened; then shaking his head, "I do not understand what this canmean," he said. "I hear no voices, there is not a single light to beseen, the boats are all gone, and yet the flag is still flying at itsgay flag-staff, there, by the obelisks on each side of the gate."
[Obelisks bearing the name of the owner were sometimes to be seen near the gates of the Egyptian country-houses. Flags too were not uncommon, but these were almost exclusively to be found at the gates of the temples, where to this day the iron sockets for the flagstaff can still be seen. Neither were flags unknown to the Greeks. It appears from some inscriptions on the staffs of the Pylons, that if the former were not actually erected for lightning-rods, it had been noticed that they attracted the electricity.]
"Rhodopis must surely be from home; can they have forgotten?"--Herea deep voice suddenly interrupted him with the exclamation, "Ha! thecommander of the body-guard!"
"A pleasant evening to you, Knakais," exclaimed Phanes, kindly greetingthe old man, who now came up. "But how is it that this garden is asstill as an Egyptian tomb, and yet the flag of welcome is fluttering atthe gate? How long has that white ensign waved for guests in vain?"
"How long indeed?" echoed the old slave of Rhodopis with a smile. "Solong as the Fates graciously spare the life of my mistress, the old flagis sure to waft as many guests hither as the house is able to contain.Rhodopis is not at home now, but she must return shortly. The eveningbeing so fine, she determined on taking a pleasure-trip on the Nile withher guests. They started at sunset, two hours ago, and the evening mealis already prepared; they cannot remain away much longer. I pray you,Phanes, to have patience and follow me into the house. Rhodopis wouldnot easily forgive me, if I allowed such valued guests to depart. Youstranger," he added, turning to the Spartan, "I entreat most heartilyto remain; as friend of your friend you will be doubly welcome to mymistress."
The two Greeks, following the servant, seated themselves in an arbor,and Aristomachus, after gazing on the scene around him now brilliantlylighted by the moon, said, "Explain to me, Phanes, by what good fortunethis Rhodopis, formerly only a slave and courtesan can now live as aqueen, and receive her guests in this princely manner?"
[The mistresses (Hetaere) of the Greeks must not be compared with modern women of bad reputation. The better members of this class represented the intelligence and culture of their sex in Greece, and more especially in the Ionian provinces. As an instance we need only recall Aspasia and her well-attested relation to Pericles and Socrates. Our heroine Rhodopis was a celebrated woman. The Hetaera, Thargalia of Miletus, became the wife of a Thessalian king. Ptolemy Lagi married Thais; her daughter was called Irene, and her sons Leontiskus and Lagus. Finally, statues were erected to many.]
"I have long expected this question," answered the Athenian. "I shallbe delighted to make you acquainted with the past history of this womanbefore you enter her house. So long as we were on the Nile, I would notintrude my tale upon you; that ancient river has a wonderful power ofcompelling to silence and quiet contemplation. Even my usually quicktongue was paralyzed like yours, when I took my first night-journey onthe Nile."
"I thank you for this," replied the Spartan. "When I first saw the agedpriest Epimenides, at Knossus in Crete, he was one hundred and fiftyyears old, and I remember that his age and sanctity filled me with astrange dread; but how far older, how far more sacred, is this hoaryriver, the ancient stream 'Aigyptos'! Who would wish to avoid thepower of his spells? Now, however, I beg you to give me the history ofRhodopis."
Phanes began: "When Rhodopis was a little child playing with hercompanions on the Thracian sea-shore, she was stolen by some Phoenicianmariners, carried to Samos, and bought by Iadmon, one of the geomori, orlanded aristocracy of the island. The little girl grew day by day morebeautiful, graceful and clever, and was soon an object of love andadmiration to all who knew her. AEsop, the fable-writer, who was at thattime also in bondage to Iadmon, took an especial pleasure in the growingamiability and talent of the child, taught her and cared for her in thesame way as the tutors whom we keep to educate our Athenian boys.
The kind teacher found his pupil tractable and quick of comprehension,and the little slave soon practised the arts of music, singing andeloquence, in a more charming and agreeable manner than the sons of hermaster Iadmon, on whose education the greatest care had been lavished.By the time she had reached her fourteenth year, Rhodopis was sobeautiful and accomplished, that the jealous wife of Iadmon would notsuffer her to remain any longer in the house, and the Samian was forced,with a heavy heart, to sell her to a certain Xanthus. The government ofSamos at that time was still in the hands of the less opulent nobles;had Polykrates then been at the head of affairs, Xanthus need not havedespaired of a purchaser. These tyrants fill their treasuries as themagpies their nests! As it was, however, he went off with his preciousjewel to Naukratis, and there gained a fortune by means of her wondrouscharms. These were three years of the deepest humiliation to Rhodopis,which she still remembers with horror.
Now it happened, just at the time when her fame was spreading throughall Greece, and strangers were coming from far to Naukratis for her sakealone, that the people of Lesbos rose up against their nobles, drovethem forth, and chose the wise Pittakus as their ruler.
[According to Herodotus the beauty of Rhodopis was so great that every Greek knew her by name.]
The highest families of Lesbos were forced to leave the country, andfled, some to Sicily, some to the Greek provinces of Italy, and othersto Egypt. Alcaeus, the greatest poet of his day, and Charaxus, thebrother of that Sappho whose odes it was our Solon's last wish tolearn by heart, came here to Naukratis, which had already long been theflourishing centre of commercial communication between Egypt andthe rest of the world. Charaxus saw Rhodopis, and soon loved herso passionately, that he gave an immense sum to secure her from themercenary Xanthus, who was on the point of returning with her to his owncountry; Sappho wrote some biting verses, derisive of her brotherand his purchase, but Alcaeus on the other hand, approved, and gaveexpression to this feeling in glowing songs on the charms of Rhodopis.And now Sappho's brother, who had till then remained undistinguishedamong the many strangers at Naukratis, became a noted man throughRhodopis. His house was soon the centre of attraction to all foreigners,by whom she was overwhelmed with gifts. The King Hophra, hearing of herbeauty and talent, sent for her to Memphis, and offered to buy herof Charaxus, but the latter had already long, though secretly,given Rhodopis her freedom, and loved her far too well to allow of aseparation. She too, loved the handsome Lesbian and refused to leavehim despite the brilliant offers made to her on all sides. At lengthCharaxus made this wonderful woman his lawful wife, and continued tolive with her and her little daughter Kleis in Naukratis, until theLesbian exiles were recalled to their native land by Pittakus. He thenstarted homeward with his wife, but fell ill on the journey, and diedsoon after his arrival at Mitylene. Sappho, who had deri
ded her brotherfor marrying one beneath him, soon became an enthusiastic admirer of thebeautiful widow and rivalled Alcaeus in passionate songs to her praise.
After the death of the poetess, Rhodopis returned, with her littledaughter, to Naukratis, where she was welcomed as a goddess. During thisinterval Amasis, the present king of Egypt, had usurped the throne ofthe Pharaohs, and was maintaining himself in its possession by help ofthe army, to which caste he belonged.
[Amasis, of whom much will be said in our text, reigned 570-526 B. C. His name, in the hieroglyphic signs, was Aahmes or young moon but the name by which he was commonly called was Sa-Nit "Son of Neith." His name, and pictures of him are to be found on stones in the fortress of Cairo, on a relief in Florence, a statue in the Vatican, on sarcophagi in Stockholm and London, a statue in the Villa Albani and on a little temple of red granite at Leyden. A beautiful bust of gray-wacke in our possession probably represents the same king.]
As his predecessor Hophra had accelerated his fall, and brought thearmy and priesthood to open rebellion by his predilection for theGreek nation, and for intercourse with foreigners generally, (alwaysan abomination in the eyes of the Egyptians), men felt confident thatAmasis would return to the old ways, would rigorously exclude foreignersfrom the country, dismiss the Greek mercenaries, and instead of takingcounsel from the Greeks, would hearken only to the commands of thepriesthood. But in this, as you must see yourself, the prudent Egyptianshad guessed wide of the mark in their choice of a ruler; they fell fromScylla into Charybdis. If Hophra was called the Greeks' friend, Amasismust be named our lover. The Egyptians, especially the priests and thearmy, breathe fire and flame, and would fain strangle us one and all,off hand, This feeling on the part of the soldiery does not disturbAmasis, for he knows too well the comparative value of their and ourservices; but with the priests it is another and more serious matter,for two reasons: first, they possess an unbounded influence over thepeople; and secondly. Amasis himself retains more affection than helikes to acknowledge to us, for this absurd and insipid religion--areligion which appears doubly sacred to its adherents simply because ithas existed in this eccentric land--unchanged for thousands of years.These priests make the king's life burdensome to him; they persecute andinjure us in every possible way; and indeed, if it had not been forthe king's protection, I should long ago have been a dead man. But Iam wandering from my tale! As I said before, Rhodopis was receivedat Naukratis with open arms by all, and loaded with marks of favor byAmasis, who formed her acquaintance. Her daughter Kleis, as is the casewith the little Sappho now--was never allowed to appear in the societywhich assembled every evening at her mother's house, and indeed was evenmore strictly brought up than the other young girls in Naukratis. Shemarried Glaucus, a rich Phocaean merchant of noble family, who haddefended his native town with great bravery against the Persians, andwith him departed to the newly-founded Massalia, on the Celtic coast.There, however, the young couple both fell victims to the climate, anddied, leaving a little daughter, Sappho. Rhodopis at once undertook thelong journey westward, brought the orphan child back to live with her,spent the utmost care on her education, and now that she is grown up,forbids her the society of men, still feeling the stains of her ownyouth so keenly that she would fain keep her granddaughter (and this inSappho's case is not difficult), at a greater distance from contactwith our sex than is rendered necessary, by the customs of Egypt. To myfriend herself society is as indispensable as water to the fish or airto the bird. Her house is frequented by all the strangers here, andwhoever has once experienced her hospitality and has the time at commandwill never after be found absent when the flag announces an evening ofreception. Every Greek of mark is to be found here, as it is in thishouse that we consult on the wisest measures for encountering the hatredof the priests and bringing the king round to our own views. Here youcan obtain not only the latest news from home, but from the rest of theworld, and this house is an inviolable sanctuary for the persecuted,Rhodopis possessing a royal warrant which secures her from everymolestation on the part of the police.
[A very active and strict police-force existed in Egypt, the organization of which is said to have owed much to Amasis' care. We also read in inscriptions and papyrus rolls, that a body of mounted police existed, the ranks of which were generally filled by foreigners in preference to natives.]
Our own songs and our own language are to be heard here, and here wetake counsel on the best means for delivering Greece from the ever freshencroachments of her tyrants.
In a word, this house is the centre of attraction for all Hellenicinterests in Egypt, and of more importance to us politically, than ourtemple, the Hellenion itself, and our hall of commerce.
In a few minutes you will see this remarkable grandmother, and, if weshould be here alone, perhaps the grandchild too; you will then at onceperceive that they owe everything to their own rare qualities and not tothe chances of good fortune. Ah! there they come! they are going towardsthe house. Cannot you hear the slave-girls singing? Now they are goingin. First let them quietly be seated, then follow me, and when theevening is over you shall say whether you repent of having comehither, and whether Rhodopis resembles more nearly a queen or a freedbond-woman."
The houses was built in the Grecian style. It was a rather long,one-storied building, the outside of which would be called extremelyplain in the present day; within, it united the Egyptian brilliancy ofcoloring with the Greek beauty of form. The principal door openedinto the entrance-hall. To the left of this lay a large dining-room,overlooking the Nile, and, opposite to this last was the kitchen, anapartment only to be found in the houses of the wealthier Greeks, thepoorer families being accustomed to prepare their food at the hearth inthe front apartment. The hall of reception lay at the other end of theentrance-hall, and was in the form of a square, surrounded within by acolonnade, into which various chambers opened. This was the apartmentdevoted to the men, in the centre of which was the household fire,burning on an altar-shaped hearth of rich AEginetan metal-work.
It was lighted by an opening in the roof, which formed at the same time,an outlet for the smoke. From this room (at the opposite end to thaton which it opened into the entrance-hall), a passage, closed by awell-fastened door, led into the chamber of the women. This was alsosurrounded by a colonnade within, but only on three sides, and herethe female inhabitants were accustomed to pass their time, when notemployed, spinning or weaving, in the rooms lying near the back orgarden-door as it was termed. Between these latter and the domesticoffices, which lay on the right and left of the women's apartment, werethe sleeping-rooms; these served also as places of security for thevaluables of the house. The walls of the men's apartment were painted ofa reddish-brown color, against which the outlines of some white marblecarvings, the gift of a Chian sculptor, stood out in sharp relief.The floor was covered with rich carpets from Sardis; low cushions ofpanthers' skins lay ranged along the colonnade; around theartistically wrought hearth stood quaint Egyptian settees, and small,delicately-carved tables of Thya wood, on which lay all kinds of musicalinstruments, the flute, cithara and lyre. Numerous lamps of variousand singular shapes, filled with Kiki oil, hung against the walls. Somerepresented fire-spouting dolphins; others, strange winged monsters fromwhose jaws the flames issued; and these, blending their light with thatfrom the hearth, illumined the apartment.
In this room a group of men were assembled, whose appearance and dressdiffered one from the other. A Syrian from Tyre, in a long crimson robe,was talking animatedly to a man whose decided features and crisp, curly,black hair proclaimed him an Israelite. The latter had come to Egyptto buy chariots and horses for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah--theEgyptian equipages being the most sought after at that time. Close tohim stood three Greeks from Asia Minor, the rich folds of whosegarments (for they wore the costly dress of their native city Miletus),contrasted strongly with the plain and unadorned robe of Phryxus, thedeputy commissioned to collect money for the temple of Apollo at Delphi,wit
h whom they were in earnest conversation. Ten years before, theancient temple had been consumed by fire; and at this time efforts werebeing made to build another, and a more beautiful one.
Two of the Milesians, disciples of Anaximander and Anaximenes, werestaying then in Egypt, to study astronomy and the peculiar wisdom ofthe Egyptians at Heliopolis, and the third was a wealthy merchant andship-owner, named Theopompus, who had settled at Naukratis.
[Anaximander of Miletus, born 611-546, was a celebrated geometrician, astronomer, philosopher and geographer. He was the author of a book on natural phenomena, drew the first map of the world on metal, and introduced into Greece a kind of clock which he seems to have borrowed from the Babylonians. He supposes a primary and not easily definable Being, by which the whole world is governed, and in which, though in himself infinite and without limits, everything material and circumscribed has its foundation. "Chaotic matter" represents in his theory the germ of all created things, from which water, earth, animals, nereids or fish-men, human beings &c. have had their origin.]
Rhodopis herself was engaged in a lively conversation with two SamianGreeks: the celebrated worker in metals, sculptor and goldsmithTheodorus, and the Iambic poet Ibykus of Rhegium, who had left the courtof Polykrates for a time in order to become acquainted with Egypt, andwere bearers of presents to Amasis from their ruler. Close to the firelay Philoinus of Sybaris, a corpulent man with strongly-marked featuresand a sensual expression of face; he was stretched at full-length on acouch covered with spotted furs, and amused himself by playing with hisscented curls wreathed with gold, and with the golden chains which fellfrom his neck on to the long saffron-colored robe that clothed him downto his feet.
[Sybaris was a town in Lower Italy notorious throughout the ancient world for its luxury. According to Strabo it was founded by Achaeans 262. About 510 it was conquered and destroyed by the Crotoniates and then rebuilt under the name of Thurii.]
Rhodopis had a kind word for each of her guests, but at present sheoccupied herself exclusively with the two celebrated Sarnians; theirtalk was of art and poetry. The fire of youth still glowed in the eyesof the Thracian woman, her tall figure was still full and unbent;her hair, though grey, was wound round her beautifully formed head inluxuriant waves, and laid together at the back in a golden net, and asparkling diadem shone above her lofty forehead.
Her noble Greek features were pale, but still beautiful and without awrinkle, notwithstanding her great age; indeed her small mouth with itsfull lips, her white teeth, her eyes so bright and yet so soft, and hernobly-formed nose and forehead would have been beauty enough for a youngmaiden.
Rhodopis looked younger than she really was, though she made no attemptto disavow her age. Matronly dignity was visible in every movement, andthe charm of her manner lay, not in a youthful endeavor to be pleasing,but in the effort of age to please others, considering their wishes, andat the same time demanding consideration in return.
Our two friends now presenting themselves in the hall, every eye turnedupon them, and as Phanes entered leading his friend by the hand, theheartiest welcome met him from all sides; one of the Milesians indeedexclaimed: "Now I see what it is that was wanting to our assembly. Therecan be no merriment without Phanes."
And Philoinus, the Sybarite, raising his deep voice, but not allowinghimself for a moment to be disturbed in his repose, remarked: "Mirthis a good thing, and if you bring that with you, be welcome to me also,Athenian."
"To me," said Rhodopis, turning to her new guests, "you are heartilywelcome, but not more in your joy than if borne down by sadness. I knowno greater pleasure than to remove the lines of care from a friend'sbrow. Spartan, I venture to address you as a friend too, for the friendsof my friends are my own." Aristomachus bowed in silence, but Phanes,addressing himself both to Rhodopis and to the Sybarite, answered: "Wellthen, my friends, I can content you both. To you, Rhodopis, I mustcome for comfort, for soon, too soon I must leave you and your pleasanthouse; Philoinus however can still enjoy my mirth, as I cannot butrejoice in the prospect of seeing my beloved Hellas once more, andof quitting, even though involuntarily, this golden mouse-trap of acountry."
"You are going away! you have been dismissed? Whither are you going?"echoed on all sides.
"Patience, patience, my friends," cried Phanes. "I have a long storyto tell, but I will rather reserve it for the evening meal. And indeed,dear friend, my hunger is nearly as great as my distress at beingobliged to leave you."
"Hunger is a good thing," philosophized the Sybarite once more, "when aman has a good meal in prospect."
"On that point you may be at ease, Philoinus," answered Rhodopis. "Itold the cook to do his utmost, for the most celebrated epicure fromthe most luxurious city in the world, no less a person than Philoinusof Sybaris, would pass a stern judgment on his delicate dishes.Go, Knakias, tell them to serve the supper. Are you content now, myimpatient guests? As for me, since I heard Phanes' mournful news, thepleasure of the meal is gone." The Athenian bowed, and the Sybaritereturned to his philosophy. "Contentment is a good thing when every wishcan be satisfied. I owe you thanks, Rhodopis, for your appreciation ofmy incomparable native city. What says Anakreon?
"To-day is ours--what do we fear? To-day is ours--we have it here. Let's treat it kindly, that it may Wish at least with us to stay. Let's banish business, banish sorrow; To the gods belongs to-morrow."
"Eh! Ibykus, have I quoted your friend the poet correctly, who feastswith you at Polykrates' banquets? Well, I think I may venture to say ofmy own poor self that if Anakreon can make better verses, I understandthe art of living quite as well as he, though he writes so many poemsupon it. Why, in all his songs there is not one word about the pleasuresof the table! Surely they are as important as love and play! I confessthat the two last are clear to me also; still, I could exist withoutthem, though in a miserable fashion, but without food, where should webe?"
The Sybarite broke into a loud laugh at his own joke; but the Spartanturned away from this conversation, drew Phryxus into a corner, andquite abandoning his usually quiet and deliberate manner, asked eagerlywhether he had at last brought him the long wished for answer from theOracle. The serious features of the Delphian relaxed, and thrustinghis hand into the folds of his chiton,--[An undergarment resembling ashirt.]--he drew out a little roll of parchment-like sheepskin, on whicha few lines were written.
The hands of the brave, strong Spartan trembled as he seized the roll,and his fixed gaze on its characters was as if it would pierce the skinon which they were inscribed.
Then, recollecting himself, he shook his head sadly and said: "WeSpartans have to learn other arts than reading and writing; if thoucanst, read the what Pythia says."
The Delphian glanced over the writing and replied: "Rejoice! Loxias(Apollo) promises thee a happy return home; hearken to the prediction ofthe priestess."
"If once the warrior hosts from the snow-topped mountains descending Come to the fields of the stream watering richly the plain, Then shall the lingering boat to the beckoning meadows convey thee Which to the wandering foot peace and a home will afford. When those warriors come, from the snow-topped mountains descending, Then will the powerful Five grant thee what long they refused."
To these words the Spartan listened with intense eagerness; he had themread over to him twice, then repeated them from memory, thanked Phryxus,and placed the roll within the folds of his garment.
The Delphian then took part in the general conversation, butAristomachus repeated the words of the Oracle unceasingly to himself ina low voice, endeavoring to impress them on his memory, and to interprettheir obscure import.