by Roger Hudson
Was Themistokles in Athens? Aristotle thinks he was and that he tricked an indecisive Ephialtes into finally putting the motion that abolished most of the powers of the Areopagos. However, historians tend not to believe him. After all, though Themistokles’ ten year ostracism was up, he had been condemned to death in his absence. Surely he wouldn’t dare come back. Yet many happenings at this time bear the mark of his type of cunning and, if you’d been founder of the radical party that now looked like gaining power in a bloodless revolution, could you stay away any more than Lenin could have stayed away from St. Petersburg in 1917?
It is stretching plausibility a little to have Aspasia in Athens in 461BC but just possible – she had a child by Lysikles after Perikles death in 429, which would put her at about the limit of childbearing age. I have gone along with the tradition that she was a courtesan, the only ‘business’ where a woman could achieve some degree of respect and autonomy, though some dispute this.
Historians also dispute whether there was a truce in the war with Persia but the fact that no military actions are reported around this time and Kimon felt free to take a large force to help Sparta implies there was one. Herodotos confirms that Kallias was in Persia on a mission about this time.
Very little is known about Ephialtes apart from his leadership role in the reforms, his earlier suing of members of the Areopagos for corruption, his opposition to sending troops to help Sparta, and his assassination (“under cover of darkness”). And not a lot about Perikles’ role, other than that he supported Ephialtes, or whether he was a general at this point.
The League of Hephaistos is my creation but a plausible one. Ephialtes evidently had some way of organising the popular vote, the building of a Temple to Hephaistos was started, implying a wave of new adherents to his worship, but was then postponed and only completed some years later, political groupings and religious sects were not uncommon.
So too is the newsteller Strynises, yet fragments of scurrilous satirical verse have been found that would be just his meat (I have used one or two of them), news and gossip did get around very quickly, and we know individuals did earn money from being the first with news from other cities.
Were women disaffected? Some years later, there was pressure for greater participation of women, as Aristophanes’ comedies attest. This is a logical time for such ideas to have started. Is there an element of guesswork? Yes, of course. It will be interesting to see if future discoveries support my deductions.
No foundations have been uncovered for the Temple of The Mother, so I have assumed it must have been something like the ancient temples in Malta and Gozo made from giant blocks of un-hewn stone. And I have no evidence for dispensations from mourning responsibilities but then the Athenians were very practical people.
To aid in creating or re-creating this world, I have done what historians don’t and maybe can’t do. I have been aware of similarities with, for instance, Britain after World War II (democratic rejection of upper class war leader Churchill and of his party; adoption of policies favouring the poorer classes; extensive war damage and rebuilding; new social relationships, fresh directions in art and fashion), with Russia at the time of the October Revolution (factions battling for power in a time of unprecedented social shake-up; the arts used for propaganda; the wealthy scared for their fortunes), and with Victorian England (a democracy with imperial attitudes; bureaucracy; hypocrisy).
This has allowed me to escape from the upper class bias of the ancient historical writings on which modern historians base their accounts and to go on to explore a multi-faceted society at a time of rapid change as well as, more important, spinning what I hope is an exciting yarn.
LIST OF CHARACTERS
(real people in italics)
Lysanias (just 18) - an impetuous young man with high hopes, who is in for a few surprises.
Sindron (age 55) - his elderly but opinionated slave with few illusions about his master.
THE FAMILY IN ATHENS AND ITS SLAVES
Klereides (age 43) - Lysanias’ uncle, a wealthy aristocratic businessman of dubious morals, recently deceased.
Philia (age 15) – Klereides’ pretty wife, chafing against domination by
Makaria (in her late 50s) – Bossy mother of Klereides and of Lysanias’
father Leokhares, missing presumed dead. Maybe with a few things to hide.
Hierokles (age 62) – Klereides’ insensitive, near-bankrupt landowning cousin.
Boiotos (age 31) – Hierokles’ boozy bullyboy son, an angry man.
Otanes (age 52) – Klereides’ house steward, a know-it-all high-ranking Persian war captive now slave.
Nubis (age 17) – Klereides’ dancing girl and maybe something more.
Glykera (in her 40s) - plump, bubbly cook-housekeeper with hidden charms.
THE POLITICIANS AND GENERALS
General Kimon (age 46) – top dog in Athens, leader of the aristocrats and commander-in chief of the Delian League in the Great War against the mighty Persian Empire. Now on the skids and fighting for his survival.
General Ariston (age 44) – Kimon’s deputy and hanger-on, addicted to platitudes.
Ephialtes (probably in his 50s) – leader of the democrats and instigator of the new democratic reforms, who needs a push from time to time.
Perikles (age 34) – Ephialtes’ deputy. A young (for Athens) politician with ambitions but one with principles – or has he?
Themistokles (age 64) – one-time great war-leader, since disgraced and exiled and risking death by being here. Noted for his cunning.
General Myronides (early 40s) – supporter of Ephialtes, biding his time.
Thoukydides – up-and-coming aristocrat politician with his eye on leadership of the faction.
THE BUSINESSMEN
Hermon from Syracuse (age 45) – foreign resident businessman, Klereides’ business partner with a knack for being absent at the right time.
Phraston (in his 60s) - banker and prominent backer of Kimon but maybe a little out of his depth.
Lydos (age 48) – slave banker with high hopes. Sindron’s friend but that’s a long time ago. Phraston’s right-hand man.
Philebos (age 35) – overseer of Hermon’s shipyard., young, on the up.
Hipponikos – slippery smart-talking shipbroker.
THE WORKERS
Stephanos (age 24) – a young stonemason of fierce enmities and strong loyalties, eager supporter of Ephialtes.
Glaukon (age 48) – Stephanos’ father, an older stonemason and democrat activist.
Archestratos – trainer of rowers for the Athenian navy, close supporter of Ephialtes.
THE ARTISTS
Strynises (about 38) – satirical poet and news disseminator of the market place. Hated by everyone but they all want to hear him.
Polygnotos from Thasos (age 39) – innovative artist with ulterior motives.
Mikon – well-established Athenian artist not averse to a back-hander.
Aeschylos (age 64) – prominent playwright and supporter of Ephialtes.
Damon – well-known musician and supporter of Ephialtes, ideas man for the democrats, once Perikles’ tutor in music and poetry.
Zelias- aggressively radical young sculptor.
STATE OFFICIALS
Amynias – city naval architect.
Inaros – chief maritime inspector
Bryaxis – financial scrutineer.
THE WOMEN
Aspasia (about 20) – beautiful top courtesan, knowledgeable in more ways than expected.
Elpinike (44) – Kimon’s sister and wife of Kallias, a mischief-maker bearing grudges.
Isodike (31) – Kimon’s wife, who he loves deeply despite his affairs.
Phoebe (30) – Ariston’s wife, neglected and grief ridden.
High Priestess of Athene – Athens’ top female dignitary and is she angry!
Priestess at Temple of the The Mother – not so angry but certainly not docile.
OTHERS
Niko
– aged nightwatchman at the shipyard.
Pythodoros – self-styled philosopher and legal adviser
Olinthios – king of the thieves and leader of the Athenian underdogs.
Master barber – owner of barber’s shop frequented by aristocrats.
Journeyman barber – none too efficient at his job, as Lysanias discovers.
Hasdrubal – General Ariston’s house steward and personal slave, a Phoenician.
Miscellaneous magistrates, public officials, artists, merchants, shopkeepers, craftsmen, aristocrats, priests, foreign residents, women and slaves.
OFFSTAGE
Kallias (about 58) – the richest man in Athens and a mainstay of the aristocratic faction, currently on a diplomatic mission to Persia. Married to Elpinike.
Leokhares (age 39) – Lysanias’ father. Missing presumed dead, a cause of guilt and denial for Lysanias.
Hermione (age 35) – Lysanias’ mother, who lives in the military colony Eion, where he grew up, with his brother and sister.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First, my thanks to Patrick Casey for his excellent work on preparing and uploading this e-edition of my novel. Then, I would like to thank Professor Andrew Erskine, now Professor of Ancient History, University of Edinburgh, then at University College Dublin, for reading the manuscript from a historical point of view and for his valuable comments. My gratitude to Bernadette Smyth whose eagle eye spotted grammatical errors as well as other anomalies and omissions. Thanks also to the many other friends who have given their support, encouragement and helpful suggestions and not least their enthusiasm for the story – Noelle Barker and John Parker, who read it as it chapter by chapter hot off the keyboard, in Dublin and London respectively. In Drogheda, strong support came from Steve Downes, Maggie Pinder, Tom Winters and other members of Drogheda Creative Writers who have reacted usefully to chapters read at meetings and events. The task of reducing and polishing was aided considerably by Valerie Shortland, my son Simon in Dublin and my oldest and valued friend Marion Thomas in Woodbridge, Suffolk. And mustn’t forget Captain ‘Bobo’ Burns, my classics master, who intrigued me in the first place.
My gratitude, too, to Fred Piechoczek of Twenty First Century Publishers for picking it up and running with it for the first edition, to John Moloney and Michaela for help with designing the new cover, and, of course, to my wife Sheila for all the behind the scenes support that kept me going through the cutting and rewriting stages.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roger’s career has covered many forms of researching and writing from journalism to publicity to careers books, plus scripting and directing corporate videos and TV documentaries. This wide life experience has fed into his acclaimed debut historical mystery novel Death Comes by Amphora (2007), set in ancient Athens at a time of social turmoil and introducing the detective duo of impetuous young Lysanias and his elderly slave Sindron, and it’s forthcoming sequel, Fraud Under the Akropolis. Roger grew up near Guildford in Surrey, England, where he attended the Royal Grammar School. After graduating from University College London with an economics degree, he worked many years in London and Dublin and now lives in Drogheda, Ireland with his wife. He has three published collections of poetry and performs his poems widely around Ireland. His photomontages have been exhibited in London, Dublin and Drogheda.
www.rogerhudson.me.uk
