Written in the Ashes
Page 46
Not the ship with the red sails bound for Cyprus.
No.
Not the small lateen-rigged skiff bound for the Upper Nile.
There.
Hannah let Alaya down and she flounced across the dock to a dark figure bent over beside a line, inspecting something. “Papo!”
Gideon looked up, and the little girl flung herself into his arms. He closed his eyes and pressed her heart to his, feeling her warm breath on his neck. For a long time he cradled her, kissed her, and then stood up, letting her take his hand.
Hannah approached the tall sailor dressed in a sleeveless black tunica, his tanned shoulders gleaming, his dark eyes shining as if carved of onyx. “Do you have room for two more?” she asked, squinting back the rising sun behind him. He looked so handsome and strong. Instantly, she felt grateful to be near him again.
Gideon searched her face.
Hannah swallowed, knowing she must speak. “You were right,” she said. “He did come.”
“And?” said Gideon.
“Master Junkar belongs with the Nuapar, Gideon. And we belong with you.” She knew the words were true, and discovered that as she spoke them she found her heart felt much lighter.
Gideon smiled then, triumphantly, and swept her in his arms, swinging her around and around as Alaya stepped back, giggling and shouting with glee.
“Then we sail at once!” he said, and all but floated with them to the deck. “Come,” he said. “I have christened my new ship the Hypatia.”
So.
Hannah ran her fingers along the smooth wooden rail, Alaya beside her clutching her leg as the giant ship slipped free of her berth and glided across the harbor as the sun peeked one eye over the world. Hannah could almost feel her father smiling beside her. She ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair. There were things she could never undo. Hypatia was lost. The library was a ruin. The Temple of Isis was gone. But this. This she could protect.
Once the ship was underway, waves lapping the hull, Gideon came to stand beside her at the stern, his hands on her hips, looking back on what would be a clear spring day for the inhabitants of Alexandria. The outline of the city was inscribed upon the shore of Egypt as if etched in ivory, her lighthouse standing serene as if it might stand for all time. “I have something for you.”
“For me?” asked Hannah.
Gideon nodded. “Yes, from the Temple of Isis.”
Hannah felt her breath catch in her throat. “What? But how could that be?”
Gideon nodded toward a trunk fastened to the deck. Hannah walked over to it and unlatched it, and her eyes fell on the Great Book. She pulled it out and held it in her arms, smelling the pages. Her fingers traced the edges of the codex, and then she replaced it carefully and closed the lid of the trunk, questions in her eyes.
Gideon smiled. “It was saved from the burning temple by a priestess named Iris. She heard we were leaving for Greece, and asked me to give it to you.”
Hannah embraced him. So Iris had survived. “Thank you, Gideon. You are my strength in this life.”
Gideon kissed her forehead, and pointed as Alexandria’s dolphin leapt above the harbor in the wake. A salutation of goodbye. “There is one more thing,” he said, and he unclasped the gold medallion from around his neck. “When we reach the shores of Epidavros, I want you to be my wife.” He held out his treasure, the solidus coin stamped with the image of the rearing lion, and she lifted her hair so he could fasten it around her neck.
Hannah touched the beautiful lion, meeting his eyes with a smile. “It will be an honor to be your wife, Gideon.”
“We will marry in the olive grove beside the sea. By a rabbi if you like.”
Beside the sea. Hannah nodded thoughtfully. She knew what she must do.
She untied the satchel at her hip, reached inside it, and withdrew the white alabaster jar her father had give her.
“What is it?” asked Gideon.
Alaya too, lifted her eyes in interest.
Hannah’s lips trembled with sorrow, her thoughts drifting back in time. “It is the fields of Sinai and my father’s herd. It is the mother I never knew. It is my father’s laughter. And it is an ancient olive tree that once stood in a sunlit pasture. It is the drought that killed so many.” She looked at him, her eyes full of pain, the pain of release. “And it is Alexandria, and Hypatia, Synesius and Leitah; all those I loved so deeply.” So deeply.
Gideon waited.
Alaya, too.
Hannah clenched her jaw as she forced the lid to turn.
Once.
Twice.
She smiled then, feeling the weight of it in her hands. The weight she had carried through the years. “I want to forgive my father for dying, the men for what they did to me, even Cyril for the death of Hypatia and our beautiful library. I do not want to carry the weight of that hatred with me even another hour.” Then with the cry of a falcon on her lips, Hannah tipped the jar over the rail, letting a cloud of ashes pour out like snow. The dust of bones lifted into the sky and then settled in the white ruffles of the ship’s wake, the sea inscribing its ancient song in the ashes, washing them away.
Alaya clapped, bouncing on her toes.
That gossamer cloud was followed by another, and still another, until the alabaster jar was empty as an eggshell, and the city of Alexandria and Gideon’s ship were separated by a floating white veil that slowly settled to the sea.
“To the wind,” said Hannah.
Gideon smiled and kissed her.
To the wind.
End Of Book One
Epilogue
Historically, it is still unknown how or when the Great Library of Alexandria burned. Credible sources diverge, creating a window of possibility that spans over seven hundred years during which the Great Library may have been destroyed, perhaps even more than once. Legends vary, probably because original sources are sparse due to the library having burned. Some sources argue that the main stacks were burned by Julius Caesar when he lit the harbor on fire as part of a military strategy, while others attest that the Arabs used all that was left in the library to fuel the city’s bathhouses for six months after their conquest. I found it a worthy coincidence that the last known librarian of the Great Library is often acknowledged to be Hypatia of Alexandria, and that very few references to the Great Library can be found after her death. Thus, the account that I have offered here of the Great Library’s demise is purely fictional, although plausible.
Though very little is known of Hypatia’s actual life, it is quite evident from Synesius’ letters that Hypatia was well known and adored throughout the Mediterranean; she was a celebrity. She is looked upon as one of the last Greek philosophers, holding significant sway among great leaders of her era who consulted her on matters of politics, science, mathematics and astronomy. Her death has been sighted by some bold scholars as the singular event that ended the Hellenistic era and invoked the Dark Ages that were to enshroud all of Europe until the Enlightenment many centuries later. Some sources even go so far as to suggest that Hypatia’s murder set the stage for the persecution of women as witches and practitioners of black magic by the Christians in centuries to follow. We cannot know for certain. While much of Hypatia’s life remains a mystery, her contributions to science and mathematics are still in use today, and she is currently recognized as the first female mathematician, philosopher and astronomer in history.
What is referred to in this story as the Celestial Clock of Archimedes is known today as the “Antikythera Mechanism”. It was found by Greek divers off the coast of Antikythera in 1901, and later reconstructed by scientists, some of who suspect it to be an invention of Archimedes, though there is no conclusive evidence.
Hypatia, Bishop Cyril, Heirax, Ammonius, Peter the Reader, Orestes, Emperor Theodosius II, Pulcheria, Synesius, Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, and Hypatia’s father Theon of Alexandria, are
all historical figures. I attempted to alter their lives as little as possible, though a few liberties have been exercised, as with Synesius, who did not expire in Alexandria, but had already taken up residence in Cyrene as the bishop by the time of Hypatia’s death. In fact, it is through his letters that we know most of what we do about Hypatia today. The legend of Alexander the Great and the Indian mystic Kalanos, as well as the origins of the Emerald Tablet, are ancient, and I explored them in depth by inventing the Nuapar. Although the temples of Isis and Poseidon did stand on the isle of Pharos, nothing is known about the rituals or lineages they held.
Cyril’s exile of the Jews from Alexandria, the stoning of Orestes, and the burning of the daughter library at Serapis are well-documented historical incidents I have attempted to alter as little as possible. However, the specific details of Hypatia’s death (such as where her body was disposed of) have been slightly altered to suit this narrative.
While Cyril’s involvement in Hypatia’s death was widely suspected over the centuries, it was never proven. Though Cyril was never brought to trial, in 416 A.D. an Imperial Edict was made to disband the Parabolani permanently.
More than one saint came out of the city of Alexandria from this era. For nearly a thousand years, Saint Catherine of Alexandria was one of the most venerated saints in all of Christendom. She was known as the patron saint of nurses, philosophers, spinners, teachers, jurists and clergy. But there is a lack of evidence that Saint Catherine ever existed, eventually causing the church to discredit her. There are, however, certain indisputable similarities between her and our Hypatia. For one, she was tortured, dismembered and murdered. She was also a virgin, like Hypatia, and held a standing among philosophers, claiming the title of martyr. Though the story bears a few dissimilarities as well, such as Hypatia remaining a Platonist to her death while Saint Catherine was a loyal Christian, the parallel between them is undeniable. Because Hypatia was adored by such a vast number of people, it is entirely possible that the myth of Saint Catherine was constructed so that the life and death of Hypatia could be remembered and honored without endangering the lives of her followers.
Many centuries after Hypatia’s murder, the bishop of this story was canonized St. Cyril of Alexandria in recognition of his contribution to Christianity, namely, that the Virgin Mary became recognized as the mother of God. A great many of his writings have survived the centuries. He died in Alexandria in 444 A.D. and Cyril’s saint’s day is celebrated February 9.
I must make a note to serious scholars and historians. While I utilized original source materials from university libraries wherever possible, it is clear that many of these sources and the commentaries about them, especially when having anything to do with Egypt, commonly disagree and more often than not, completely contradict one other. Inevitably, I would follow a promising thread to have it conclude by saying, “And whatever else might be known on this subject was probably lost in the burning of the Great Library.” Thus, wherever sources diverged, I chose the text most complimentary to the structure of my work.
It is most important to recognize that this novel in your hands is a synthesis of legend, history and imagination. Had I opted purely for history, this would be a bland tale indeed. Thusly, you will find a sprinkling of intentional anachronistic details. For instance, I opted for a more liberal expression of sexuality than the era was known for. Also, I made Hannah twenty years old at the beginning of the story, when, if I truly followed history, she would have been closer to thirteen—a choice I knew modern readers would shun for obvious reasons. The same was true but reversed for Alizar, as seventy years old would have exceeded the average life expectancy of the era for men by more than twenty years. At The Oracle of Delfi by this era, the priests of Apollo would have attended the Pythia, but I found the women of an earlier era in the oracle’s history more appealing. To list other details here would be trite. It is my hope that a playful reader will enjoy searching them out in the same way a child engages in a treasure hunt, with alacritous curiosity.
While the character of Alizar is not based on any living historical figure, I must say he prompted me to write this novel. When I learned of the discovery of the assorted Gnostic Gospels and texts of the Nag Hammadi library, I imagined some wise individual during the early centuries after Christ had the prescience to realize that certain texts were in danger and needed to be concealed for discovery in later centuries. I like to imagine we have not found them all but will one day, and in so doing, discover more hidden truths of history; for history, dear reader (to paraphrase Napoleon) is incomplete, and merely a fiction that all the scribes agree upon.
Glossary
The following italicized words from the text are of Greek, Roman, Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, Sanskrit or Egyptian origin
Agora – the town square
Amenti – Egyptian heaven
Amphora/amphoriskos – a ceramic vase with two handles and a neck thinner than the body. The amphoriskos are smaller amphora. Both held liquids like wine or olive oil.
Armaria — a wooden or stone cupboard, usually labeled
Brucheon – the royal quarter where the noble and wealthy live
Challah – holy bread baked on Shabbat by Jewish women
Corona – a wreath worn on the head by men for festivities
Dolmas – spiced cooked grain wrapped in grape leaves
Fellah – Egyptian peasant
Fibula – a large pin fastened at the shoulder of a garment to hold it in place
Fuul – an Egyptian breakfast of bean stew
Gabbeh – a traditional variety of Persian carpet
Himation – a light or heavy woolen mantle worn by women going out of the house
Hydria – vase used for carrying water
Impluvium – the rectangular pool in an atrium designed to catch rainwater
Kairos – the eternal moment, the feeling of time standing still, often experienced in sacred ritual
Kalimera – good morning
Kemi – “the black land”, the term the Egyptians use for the desert
Khamsin – refers to the hot and fierce North African winds that blow for fifty days across the desert starting in March/April, from the Arabic word for “fifty”
Khiton – The common clothing of the day. For men, a khiton (also tunica) was a garment of simple rectangular cloth belted at the waist, hanging to the knee. For women, the khiton was a longer flowing linen cloth that fell beneath the knee. It could be worn with or without sleeves, and was often decorated with decorative strips along the bottom edge, or simple designs, and was occasionally pleated. For simplicity, I referred to masculine clothing as tunica, feminine as khiton.
Klamys – A woolen cloak with a decorative stripe along the bottom edge typically worn by Greek travelers and horsemen
Kolossofia – (author’s creation) the two reigning masters of the Nuapar, Greek for ‘Great Wisdom’
Kronos – linear time as it occurs in the passing of hours, days, nights, months and years. Also the god known as Saturn, father of the major Greek deities.
Kukla/Kuklamu – a Greek term of endearment, like sweetheart or darling
Merles – Roman board game much like chess
Mudra – a hand gesture performed in religious Indian dance or meditation with specified meaning, often to indicate a deity
Neh – Yes
Nuapar – (author’s creation) the sect of yogic Egyptian monks, founded by the mystic Kalanos and Alexander the Great, who protect the ancient teachings of the Emerald Tablet
Palla – the Roman style of himation that was worn as an outer garment, simply a long length of cloth, often with a border, pinned at one or both shoulders with a fibula or penannular
Parabolani/Parabolan – a sect of Christian priests in Alexandria created by bishop Cyril to help the poor, later used as a small militia
Penannular – a Celt
ic design of fibula the Romans were fond of using, shaped like an unfinished O with an adjustable pin down the center, still used today in traditional Scottish dress
Peripatos – a sheltered colonnade often used to walk in contemplation
Petasos – Greek hat with a wide brim often worn by travelers
Pinakes – literally “lists”, typically refers to the lists created by Callimachus who created the library classification system in 50 BCE
Pythos – a large pot used to store wine
Raks-sharqi – the tribal predecessor of modern belly dance
Rython – a drinking cup meant to be held not set down, made of a broad range of materials from simple ceramic to decorous silver or gold.
Shabbat – the Jewish Sabbath
Shema – the most sacred of the Jewish prayers, traditionally only recited by men
Taenia – headband
Tholos – a circular outdoor platform for sacred ritual surrounded by columns, sometimes roofed, typically Greek
Tribon – the long grey or white robe commonly worn only by philosophers
Triclinium – a seated arrangement for guests and hosts of three couches popularized by the Romans
Tunica – in the Egyptian style of dress usually a simple over shirt belted at the waist, often pleated, that hung to the knee, or in some instances to the floor
Yaffe – beautiful
MONEY
Nummus/ Nummi – tiny bronze coin, the least valuable currency
Silaqua/Silaquae – silver coins sometimes referred to by citizens as drachma
Tremissis – A smaller gold coin worth about one third of a nomisma
Solidus / Solidi – a solid gold Roman coin used all over the empire
Translations
THE SHEMA
(Hebrew prayer from the Torah)
Veahavta et Adonai eloheikha bekhollevavkha uvekholnafshekha uvekholmeodekha.
Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. (the Lord alone).