The Charm of Utopia
Introduction
‘The Charm of Utopia’ is a novel which represents the most exciting
period in the history of Athens in the 5th century BC, at the time of
the Sicilian Expedition, the nightmarish end of which marked the decline
of the city that had given birth to Democracy and had constructed the
symbol of world civilization, the Parthenon.
Nevertheless, it is not a historical novel in the narrow sense of the
word, which merely relies on the intense emotions inspired in the reader
by an exhaustive account of events, but an attempt to analyse the charm
that utopia exercises on individuals and on societies. The utopia such
as that of Athenian Democracy which enabled it to believe that it was
the dominant power, ideologically and politically, so as to lead all the
Greek cities and to reserve the right to intervene wherever it was
judged that dangers had been created which might pose a threat to its
security.
And in this atmosphere of utopian ideals, expectations are created by
citizens and politicians alike which drive events to the extreme.
Finally, however, ‘The Charm of Utopia’ is a tender account of people
who distinguish themselves by being able to dream and to love, while all
around them the relentless lure of utopia prevails, driving people to
conflict and wretchedness.
The story begins a few years before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian
War (431 BC), the greatest civil conflict in ancient Greece, and follows
the events until 413 BC with the utopia of Athenian domination in the
Western Mediterranean and Africa coming to a dramatic end.
The Characters
The central characters of the novel are Hegisius the metic (foreigner),
an immigrant who is employed to oversee the estate of Clinius the
ship-owner, the ship-owner’s wife, Ippareti, her son, Critius, and
Philomila, general Nikia's daughter.
Four characters, four different personal histories, every one of them
seeking happiness in their own way in an era when nothing comes easily.
And this is because these people’s lives are determined in the end by
the choices made by other figures who are lured by the utopia of Athens,
which is an overbearing super-power and behaves as such, not hesitating
to set unattainable goals and trying to achieve them.
In this way the personal stories of these people tend to appear
unimportant in the light of the events themselves, the protagonists of
which are the significant political figures of Athens, such as
Alcibiades.
-2-
The Story
A few years before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the ship-owner
Clinius hires Hegisius the foreigner as overseer of his estate in
Alimounda. Clinius belongs to the type of person who takes advantage of
the naval domination of Athens, living a life of adventure and entirely
devoid of political qualms when faced with the prospect of winning.
His wife, Ippareti, is subjected to similar behaviour in their personal
life, receiving nothing but indifference from her husband.
On one of Clinius’ rare visits to the estate, Ippareti becomes pregnant
and nine months later Critius is born. A few days after giving birth,
Ippareti is in danger of dying of post-natal fever and is saved thanks
solely to Hegisius’ insistence on bringing a doctor from Athens who
fortunately cures her.
In the years that follow, though the likelihood of a war with Sparta
increases, Clinius finds no reason to come to Alimounda, whereas
Hegisius cautiously hides his love for Ippareti which deepens day by
day.
Then the Peloponnesian War breaks out and the Spartans invade Attica.
In this climate of uncertainty, Hegisius advises Ippareti to abandon the
estate and to find refuge within the city walls that surround Athens
and Pireaus to save themselves.
Initially Ippareti refuses, but she is eventually persuaded by the turn
of events and finds shelter with her young son in Pireaus, in Siragio,
waiting for the Spartans to invade anew.
When the great famine breaks out with thousands of victims within the
city walls, Ippareti will at last be assured of Hegisius’ love for her,
but it is too late.
Ippareti’s death, coupled with the ship-owner Clinius’ refusal to take
his son under his wing for fear of being infected by disease, ends the
first part of the narrative.
* * *
Many years later, Critius, by then a young man and heir to the estate
according to Athenian law, returns to Alimounda after his military
service to take up the reins in managing his property. Throughout all
these years, Clinius, recognising his unacceptable behaviour back in the
years of the famine, had kept a safe distance from his son, while
longing for the time to come when they could both put the past behind
them. And for this very reason he tolerated Hegisius' disapproval who,
nevertheless, desired a way to be found for father and son to be
reconciled.
And the opportunity presented itself when young Critius confessed to
Hegisius that he had chanced upon an Athenian maiden, Philomila, who had
made such a striking impression on him that he had to meet her again at
all costs.
The only problem was… that Philomila, as chance would have it, was the
daughter of the most powerful political figure in Athens, general Nikia…
a nobleman and political rival of Alcibiades, who was the uncontested
successor to Pericles.
So Critius would have to seek help from his father, who belonged to
Alcibiades’ entourage, if he wanted to harbour hopes of ever seeing
Philomila again just to reassure himself that she loved him in return.
-3-
From this point on the narrative acquires particular interest as it
links the characters, their activities and the political climate of the
period they gave rise to and sustained, attempting to realize the
greatest political utopia of Athens which prevailed in the Western
Mediterranean and in Africa on the pretext of a petition for the
protection of a Sicilian city, Egestas, from Syrracuse, the departing
dominating force in the region.
At first Clinius, trying to make an impression, attempts to persuade his
son to abandon the notion of meeting Nikia's daughter, not only because
the general is a powerful opponent but because his own life would be
put in danger if his intentions were to be made known. He thus
gradually initiates him into his way of life, attending feasts and
associating with women of easy virtue, but when he realizes that he is
not easily persuaded he suggests asking for Alcibiades’ help, to at
least acertain whether Philomila is interested in him.
After all this, Hegisius is quite sure that the youth, whom he loves
like his own son, will have an uncertain future, imitating Clinius’
deeds and following in his father’s footsteps.
Alcibiades, Clinius and all those who follow them will eventually lead
the city to destruction, swept away by the utopian vision of political
domination and power.
Critius will have to become one of them if he is to get close to the
woman he loves.
The ship-owner Clinius had won!
Everything else was simply a question of time.
And as the days go by, the political temperature rises as do the odds
that Athens will be swept into the greatest political and military
impropriety.
When Alcibiades and Clinius meet, the former promises to help arrange a
meeting with Nikia's daughter. He even implies that he would be in
favour of such a union which... would most likely bridge the two
opposing factions, in view of the probable expedition to Sicily...
At the same time, Clinius puts temptation in his way, suggesting that he
live at first hand the planned adventure in Sicily in order to acquire
wealth and glory.
The meeting between the young couple naturally takes place amid a lot of
fuss and Critius will be assured that Philomila loves him too.
The political scene reaches a climax with the conspiracy of Alcibiades'
rivals who are well aware that in the event of the Sicilian Expedition
actually taking place their power would be beyond control. And with the
pretence that drunks had destroyed the heads of the statues of the god
Hermes that graced the road signs, they attempt to convince the Council
that Alcibiades is preparing to take over power through a military coup.
These accusations fall on deaf ears and the Athenians are persuaded by
Alcibiades that they must intervene in Sicily!
Nikia is forced to obey the Council’s decision.
Athens will send help to Egesta so as to confront the attackers from
Syrracuse, an…
impending danger for Athens as well, as in the future… if it wins
power, it might ally itself with Sparta.
The preparations for the Expedition are of gigantic proportions.
The tears of despair of old Hegisius are drowned in the craving for
adventure that has entered the heart of young Critius.
The scenes of the departure of the Athenian fleet for Sicily are
unrivaled.
* * *
-4-
In Sicily the Athenian forces at first had considerable military success
and it seemed that the Syrracuse invaders would eventually be willing
to discuss a treaty.
The utopia that had until now only been dreamed of began to gradually
take shape in view of a great political and military success.
However, Alcibiades had not estimated accurately the extent of the
strength of his political rivals back in Athens.
After the departure of the Athenian fleet for Sicily, his political
rivals had managed to ‘prove’ based on false testimonies from people
under trial that, in fact, Alcibiades was planning the abolition of the
regime and the establishment of tyranny.
They actually succeeded in summoning not only him, but a number of his
colleagues, against whom there was ‘evidence’ of participation in the
conspiracy, back to face trial.
Among those charged is, naturally, the ship-owner Clinius, who is forced
to leave his son Critius behind to fight in Sicily and bear the brunt
of his own father’s choices.
Initially Alcibiades pretends to accept to be tried and boards the ship
which is to follow the ‘Salaminia’, the ship that has been sent by the
Athenians to bring him back.
However, while the two ships are sailing along the Italian coast
Alcibiades’ ship vanishes in the fog and its crew abandon it near
Thourious.
What follows is tragic.
Alcibiades, with a few of his closest friends, boards another ship as an
anonymous traveler and sails across to the Peloponnese. His next step
is to present himself in Sparta and request that the enemies of his city
help Syrracuse… before it is too late.
On realising the extent of Alcibiades' betrayal with what he proposes to
the trustees of Sparta, Clinius cannot help but cry out;
‘You’re a traitor… shame on you! I’ve left my son in Sicily, you
underhanded, malicious monster. I made him take part in this war which
you had planned to win.’
They are forced to leave the place where the meeting was taking place by
the guards.
One of them even offers to arrest Clinius.
Alcibiades signals him to let him go.
When Clinius is released, Lamahos, (Alcibiades’ body-guard) makes a move
to push him away from his master and Clinius, in his despair, pulls out
a dagger with the intention of committing suicide rather than laying a
hand on Alcibiades. And that is when he receives a stab in the chest
from Lamahos.
Life gradually seeps away from Clinius’ body. He struggles in vain to
touch the shadows that have come to lead him to the darkness...
As his corpse is being lifted from the ground, a couple of coins fall
out of his purse.
A beggar leans over to pick them up.
‘What Fortune brings our way is once again scattered to the winds,’ he
murmurs as he hides the coins in his dirty hand.
In the years that followed the war in Sicily became harsh and merciless,
sweeping up in its whirlwind the whole of Greece.
However, the Spartans, following the suggestions of the traitor
Alcibiades, changed the turn of events and as the attackers from
Syrracuse were about to surrender, Nikia’s mistakes and reluctance
combined with the strategic skills of Gylippos and Cleandridas from
Sparta put the Athenians in a terrible position.
-5-
Indeed, in the end, the fleet became trapped in the narrow harbour of
Syrracuse and when they failed to break the iron ring of Syrracuse,
Nikias and the other generals decided to burn it and to withdraw inland
in Sicily.
The tragedy that followed was inconceivable. Those who were not put to
death were led to mining quarries until the very last one died.
Among the few who were saved was the young Critius and members of the
crew of the ship on which they fought to the last in the harbour of
Syrracuse.
This chapter of the narrative is the most thrilling, the plot of which
indicates in the best way possible how strong the will of man is to stay
alive and return to those who are waiting and longing to see him again.
In this way ‘The Charm of Utopia’ goes beyond the narrow limits of a
historical novel as it attempts to understand the nature of man who is
forever lured by the ideals of utopia.
The Charm of Utopia (Sicily 413 BC)
A novel by Michael Kokkinaris
399 pages
Chapter One
Hegisius the Metic (Foreigner)
The only thing that Hegisius managed to catch a glimpse of, was his
master’s tunic, which flowed freely from his shoulders as the horse
leapt over the outer fence.
He made an attempt to catch up with him, but his age weighing him down,
he quickly grew breathless, and weakness brought him to his knees.
“Truth is, I’ll never understand that boy... Never in a thousand
years.” He murmured under his breath.
He then leaned against a tree and gradually made his way towards the
western side of the fence from where he could see Critius galloping away
towards the sea.
Then the rider changed direction to the east and disappeared over the
horizon towards the Coastal Territories (the shore from Phaliro to
Sounio, and from Sounio to Marathona).
Hegisius was left behind awaiting his return, but on assuring himself
that it was all in vain, he determined to go back to the house in the
hope of tidying up the mess that had prevailed since Critius’ return
from Ramnounda
Deep down, however, the old man was quite content.
His master’s homecoming was the best thing that had happened to him in
the last two years.
He loved Critius like his own child.
After all, he himself had raised him.
He had, in a manner of speaking, brought him back to life after the
death of his mother, Ippareti.
As for Clinius, his father “God forbid such a parent”, he muttered and
quickened his step in rage.
When he got home, he started hurling verbal abuse at whoever got in his
way.
“Good-for-nothings, first chance you get you start lazing about.
I know who’s to blame. It’s Critius who spoils you.
I’ll show him...
No more wasting time. Come on, to work, lazy-bones. Work!
The truth was that after the previous evening’s festivities nothing was
where it should be.
From the entrance hall to the cloak-room, all the way through to the
back-yard, everything was upside-down. Cots, cushions, foot-stools,
portable tables.
There were even left-overs... in the incense-burners.
In a moment of rage Hegisius steps on a large cup which had been thrown
onto the floor.
And then he loses his temper and starts kicking whatever he finds in
front of him, cups, wine vessels.
And as the pottery shatters on the walls, the fragments are scattered
all around him, some of them making their way beneath the old man’s
feet.
-2-
One more step... and Hegisius finds himself sprawled flat on the floor,
face down.
And as if that weren’t enough, as he was falling he had tripped over a
tripod on which had been placed a largish pot of soup which... emptied
itself onto his head.
A slave who happened to be nearby tried to get out of the way. But
instead of getting away, he just burst out laughing.
Hegisius, second in charge, with a pot on his head... dripping with
soup!
And even while the slave was expecting him to hit the roof, the old
supervisor himself began to roar with laughter about the whole thing.
As dusk fell, even before the oil-lamps had been lit, Critius’ stately
home had regained its original appearance.
Everything in its proper place... spotless.
And by the time the neighing of Critius’ horse was heard, Hegisius once
again felt the relief brought about by the homecoming of his ‘son’.
* * *
It was getting dark now.
The sea breeze cooled the bodies flushed from the heat of the day.
Here in Alimounda, life carried on as normal. The only problem was that
it was the ‘son’ Critius who gave this life any meaning at all. The
son of the ship-owner Clinius, who had not even once gone to see him
while he was doing his military service at the fortress of Ramounda to
demonstrate his interest as a father.
“All’s well, that ends well” Hegisius muttered to himself and he sent
for his ‘son’ whom he may not have fathered, but he had certainly
brought into the world... back then in the days of the great famine,
when Ippareti was still alive, the only woman he had ever loved in his
life.
* * *
Fortune plays strange tricks on people. It conspires to create unlikely
coincidences to give them a taste of happiness and then curses them to
reminisce about it in vain to the end of their days.
The foreigner Hegisius had had the good fortune not to be sold as a
slave thanks to the ship-owner Clinius who had offered to pay his
debts... in exchange for the service of putting his estate in order.
So, in the space of a few months, everything changed in Alimounda and
only Ippareti, Clinius’ wife, was left in solitude in the total absence
of her husband who preferred the ship-yards of Pireaus and Athenian
banquets.
Until one day Ippareti finally decided to emerge from her personal
apartments so as not to die of boredom.
So one morning, without any warning at all, she requested that Hegisius
prepare the carriage and accompany her to the Agora in Athens.
-3-
The slave who made Ippareti’s wishes known was scolded:
“Your mistress should know that she’s chosen a bad day for me to leave
the estate. Run and tell her that, if it’s alright, we’ll finish the
urgent work on the estate and then we’ll be free to spend as much time
at the market as she wants.”
Hegisius was about to leave, when he saw Ippareti descending from the
upper apartments.
For a split second he was in two minds about what to do.
Should he leave, showing disrespect for his benefactor’s wife, or should
he stay, offering some kind of explanation for his refusal.
Meanwhile, Ippareti was fast approaching, but as Hegisius turned around
to address her, it seems that some god or demon had somehow rendered him
speechless.
The woman’s noble stature, her carefully-styled hair, the garment that
tenderly silhouetted her figure, the scent of her perfume, all literally
took his breath away, and his embarrassment was so obvious that in the
end, Ippareti took pity on him and regretted having put him in such an
awkward position.
Then, with a surreptitious smile, she inquired as to how soon they would
be leaving for Athens.
For the whole duration of the trip Hegisius remained silent.
Every now and then though, seated next to the slave who was driving the
carriage, he would steal a glimpse at her as if to reassure himself
that this woman, who had left him in awe, was actually so beautiful.
Her eyes were the colour of honey translucent in the sunlight. Her hair
was jet black and her complexion as pale as Parian marble, chiseled by a
craftsman from Attica who had once encountered a water nymph in his
dreams.
And when at last they reached Athens, the overseer, despite himself,
found himself following the two women who obviously took great pleasure
in the crowds of the Agora.
And with a scowl on his face he waited to see at what point he could
bear it no longer.
At that moment he hears someone talking to him in a low whisper:
“Hegisius, have we left the estate to go off shopping?”
Hegisius was about to turn around to see who was speaking when the
stranger’s hands grabbed him from the shoulders and pinned him down.
“You’d better watch out... if they see me... you’re finished. Hide me
from Ippareti, because if she suspects anything at all, I’ll throw you
into the sea, a sacrifice to Poseidon.”
“Oh, Master... Clinius... Has it come to this? Hiding from his wife,
who is naive enough to think that he is battling with the waves in
Samos!”
“Look straight ahead, you pitiful slave, because at this very moment...”
“What, Master?”
Hegisius cast an ironic glance in the direction of Clinius, who hid
himself as soon as he saw Ippareti approaching.
When the two of them found themselves together again, Clinius seemed to
be questioning what he had just seen.
“You mean, mate, I’ve got such a beautiful wife and I’ve left you, ‘Mr.
Goat-face’, to take care of her?
Mistake... Big mistake...
-4-
At dusk Clinius’ ship will reach Pireaus, and tomorrow at the break of
day, I’ll be in Alimounda with my little wife...”
* * *
Ship-owner Clinius’ passion for his wife lasted three days and three
nights, as did his drunkenness. And just as it had come to him out of
the blue, so it left him, leaving a child, Critius, to be born nine
months later, an event that prompted Hegisius to remain permanently in
Athens. However, the birth led to complications, and two days later,
Ippareti fell victim to post-natal fever, which would certainly have led
to her death.
Hegisius’ last hope to save his mistress was Tisius, a follower of
Aesculapius (doctor) from Athens, whom he forced to come to Alimounda
virtually against his will.
When they reached Alimounda, Ippareti was still alive. It was the first
time that he had ever felt this way for another human being. From the
day he was born, he had had to struggle to survive. Until now, he had
never shared his life or his innermost thoughts with anyone. And yet,
this woman had won his heart with a single glance.
* * *
Hegisius’ perserverance with saving Ippareti was effective. Tisius
relieved the woman of the afterbirth that had remained in her womb...
and the foreigner Hegisius stayed on at the estate to... look after the
woman he loved, albeit keeping his distance.
Five years pass, and while the little Critius was growing up under the
watchful eye of Hegisius, the clouds of war between Athens and Sparta
were gathering, an omen of the great troubles to come. In this
atmosphere of great expectations that war tends to inspire, the
ship-owner Clinius, essentially showing indifference to his family and
taking advantage of his blood-ties with Pericles, accumulates wealth
from the raids of the Athenian fleet.
And this continues until Archidamus, the king of Sparta, invades Attica,
thus transferring the war to Athens.
Hegisius advises Ippareti to abandon the estate in order to seek refuge
in Athens. Although initially she stubbornly refuses, affected by the
spreading rumours, she is eventually persuaded to go to Athens to see
what the situation is like at first hand.
-5-
Chapter Two
When a city dies.
From the minute Ippareti took her seat in the carriage to the moment
they arrived in Athens, neither of them made a move to break the
silence. This time everything was different. The road was empty, and
the carriage was flanked by a galloping group of armed slaves.
When they entered the city, they stood aghast at what they saw.
Everywhere they looked, there were make-shift shacks full of people...
many people, who would stop the passers-by to ask them whether they had
any news about the invaders.
A little before reaching the Hill of the Muses, Hegisius was forced to
bring the carriage to a halt because the road narrowed abruptly due to
the many shacks which spread from the Theatre of Dionysus and reached
all the way to Pnyca. Terrified, Ippareti seized his arm and pulled
him towards her. Then, like a hunted animal, she started walking
towards the Agora as fast as she could. When they reached the Southern
Arcade it was so crowded that they had to push their way past. Hegisius
lost his calm, and as he was literally being trampled, he grabbed
Ippareti by the shoulders.
“Madam, I don’t understand what more you need to come to a conclusion!
It’s all over. Athens is under siege. Get it into your head and, while
we still have time, let’s get our things together and find shelter
within the city walls to save yourself and your child.”
The woman stared at him with something akin to hate and, before Hegisius
could stop her, she disappeared into the crowd to hear the speech of
Cleonas (Pericles’ main political rival), who was openly blaming
Pericles for his inability to act effectively against the invaders.
The voices of the crowd are getting louder and louder. Ippareti is
sitting in a corner, exhausted, feeling the fear overwhelming her.
So, she had to make the decision to leave Alimounda... Hegisius was
right.
On their way back towards the Hill of the Muses to find the carriage,
they stopped for a while to allow the funeral procession for the dead
who had been brought back after the battle of Phrygia to pass. The
wailing of the women in the following, as well as the sense of the death
of the young men who lay lifeless on the stretchers, made Ippareti
burst inconsolably into tears, all the while held tightly in Hegisius’
embrace.
When the procession had passed, the woman composed herself, and asked
him to forget what had happened.
“You have to understand... you of all people. It was the occasion
and... the fear.
I didn’t have anything else in mind.”
On the road back to Alimounda, Hegisius gazed absent-mindedly towards
the sea, trying to put his thoughts in order.
Today Ippareti had made him realise that he loved her even if he
couldn’t admit it to himself.
For as long as he held her in his arms, he had wished to wipe away the
tears and to kiss those lips that trembled from emotion.
He turned to look at her.
-6-
Her hair had come loose and flowed freely in the wind.
Her eyes were still moist and her face glowed in the light of the sun
which was setting now towards Salamina.
That was it! He loved her, whether he admitted it or not!
* * *
The days that followed, and until the spring when it was decided that
they should finally go to Pireaus, to Siragio on the hill which
overlooks the port of Mounichias to protect themselves from the return
of the Spartans, was a trying time not only for Hegisius but also for
Ippareti, both of whom struggled not to let their feelings show which
would have put them in a difficult position.
So, by springtime, the move to Pireaus had been completed without any
particular problems and the ship-owner Clinius was... assured that
there would be someone to take care of the loot brought back to Pireaus
resulting from his raids.
But when the siege actually began, and large numbers of people gathered
within the city walls, that terrible famine broke out which took its
toll on a major part of the population.
As the scene develops into a living nightmare, and the streets fill with
unburied bodies, Ippareti seeks solace in the person she loves but
cannot admit to doing so.
Ippareti, who had hardly slept the night before, and forgetting the
required courtesies, took Hegisius’ hands in hers and placed them on her
waist.
Then she embraced him and began to weep upon his breast. Unable to pull
away, he began to gently caress her hair.
“Patience, ma’am, Fortune may yet smile upon us.
Yesterday I said a prayer at the Aesculapio... we may still manage to
get away...”
As the shadows of death flitted through her mind, the woman seized
Hegisius by the tunic brushing his face upon her lips.
Then, she murmured under her breath;
“If I die, promise me to save Critius. You didn’t have the strength...
it wasn’t proper for you to show your love to me. At least show it to
my child and I’ll be waiting for you in Hades, to live in the shadows
what we couldn’t live in the light...”
Hegisius grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her violently away.
There was a tone of despair in his voice.
“Ippareti, don’t toy with things that are beyond our control. If I
could follow my heart our days would surely be numbered.
It is in Hades, then, that we shall probably meet again... but not just
yet because you, at least, have a child to raise.
* * *
-7-
Unfortunately, Hegisius’ predictions were proved wrong and a few days
later Ippareti was taken seriously ill.
Even at this crucial moment, Clinius, whose ship happened to be docked
at Mounichia, refused to bring his young son under his protection for
fear of he himself and his crew contracting the disease.
A few hours later, Ippareti took her dying breath in Siragio.
Her face had already taken on that strange shade of pale that was common
to the victims of the famine, and when she heaved her final sigh
Hegisius took her in his arms and mourned for her, letting out an
irrepressible wail that had been choking him for a long time as he had
struggled to contain it.
Critius, who had sensed the loss of his mother, held out his tiny arms
and hugged Hegisius, begging him to protect him from evil.
Quite a while passed after Ippareti’s death and nobody seemed to show
any interest in what had happened, so Hegisius arranged for the
necessary preparations to be made for the deceased woman’s cremation.
The only exception being that he allowed no one to come close to her.
He bathed her body as one bathes a child, with loving care.
He applied perfumes, and wrapped her body in her beautiful garments.
Afterwards, he picked her up in his arms, and having kissed her on the
lips, he placed her on the mound of wood that the slaves had made ready.
And just before dawn, he picked Critius up in his arms, and together
they lit the torch, awaiting the first rays of sunlight.
A couple of steps away stood the few slaves of the estate, sharing in
the bitterness of this man, who had carried such a burden in his life.
They all knew that Hegisius loved Ippareti, just as she had loved him,
but that nothing had come of it...
And when the first rays of sunlight appeared, hand in hand, Critius and
Hegisius lit the funeral pyre for Ippareti’s passage to the place where
only darkness exists... where, as she had promised, she would wait for
Hegisius to live together everything they had not lived in the light of
the sun which gradually began to cast its beams on the country of the
living dead.
* * *
The painful return to the past is now over. Young Critius is the heir
to Ippareti’s estate, according to the laws of Athenian Democracy, and
the elderly supervisor is his trustee, who attempts to persuade the
youth that the time has come to forgive his father, Clinius, and come to
terms with the notion that nobody is perfect in this life.
In his heart of hearts, though, Hegisius fears the son’s reconciliation
with his father because ship-owner Clinius, corrupted as he is living
in the entourage of Alcibiades, could fairly easily influence the young
Critius to choose the same way of life.
From this point on, the reader relives with archaeological and
historical accuracy the developments in the heart of an age when great
expectations were cultivated as to the domination of Athens in the
Western Mediterranean and Africa.
-8-
And, even more importantly, they will identify with the individual
stories of the novel’s heroes who are no different from the people with
whom we live.
It is, nevertheless, of particular significance to stress that the
accuracy of the historical facts coupled with their use in the
development of the novel, together contribute to one of the features of
this type of written work by which the reader draws their own
conclusions about both contemporary life as well as their personal
course in life.
As for the ‘myth’, just before being released from the army, young
Critius meets and falls in love with Philomila, the daughter of the most
powerful man in Athens, general Nicia, the political rival of
Alcibiades and, by the same token, his own father’s as well.
This is essentially what prompts him to seek his father’s counsel so
that he might ask him for his help.
Clinius, wanting to make up for his mistakes, tries to get his son
involved in his way of life, showing off the wealth that he had
obtained chiefly through the political adventurism which he had
exhibited during the war against the Spartans, which had ended in favour
of the Athenians purely by chance.
Critius makes the mistake of trusting him at a time when Alcibiades is
once again making efforts to pressure the Athenian Council into
achieving a utopia of domination in the Western Mediterranean. So when
he confides in his father about his secret with Philomila, the latter at
first attempts to make him forget about her, seducing him with a
stunningly beautiful prostitute. However, when his plan fails he
promises his son that, with the help of Alcibiades, a secret encounter
can be arranged but in order to marry her... he will have to earn
titles and recognition in the forthcoming Sicilian Expedition.
The remainder of the novel is intriguing with an unexpected twist at the
end, which is sealed with the following epigram:
‘ Stranger, we do not weep for unfulfilled dreams,
Which, after all, are but dreams that fade away,
Nor for the youth who perished outside the walls of Syracuse,
For the Syracuses of the mind we mourn,
That will forever charm us without mercy.’
The Charm of Utopia
Introduction
‘The Charm of Utopia’ is a novel which represents the most exciting
period in the history of Athens in the 5th century BC, at the time of
the Sicilian Expedition, the nightmarish end of which marked the decline
of the city that had given birth to Democracy and had constructed the
symbol of world civilization, the Parthenon.
Nevertheless, it is not a historical novel in the narrow sense of the
word, which merely relies on the intense emotions inspired in the reader
by an exhaustive account of events, but an attempt to analyse the charm
that utopia exercises on individuals and on societies. The utopia such
as that of Athenian Democracy which enabled it to believe that it was
the dominant power, ideologically and politically, so as to lead all the
Greek cities and to reserve the right to intervene wherever it was
judged that dangers had been created which might pose a threat to its
security.
And in this atmosphere of utopian ideals, expectations are created by
citizens and politicians alike which drive events to the extreme.
Finally, however, ‘The Charm of Utopia’ is a tender account of people
who distinguish themselves by being able to dream and to love, while all
around them the relentless lure of utopia prevails, driving people to
conflict and wretchedness.
The story begins a few years before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian
War (431 BC), the greatest civil conflict in ancient Greece, and follows
the events until 413 BC with the utopia of Athenian domination in the
Western Mediterranean and Africa coming to a dramatic end.
The Characters
The central characters of the novel are Hegisius the metic (foreigner),
an immigrant who is employed to oversee the estate of Clinius the
ship-owner, the ship-owner’s wife, Ippareti, her son, Critius, and
Philomila, general Nikia's daughter.
Four characters, four different personal histories, every one of them
seeking happiness in their own way in an era when nothing comes easily.
And this is because these people’s lives are determined in the end by
the choices made by other figures who are lured by the utopia of Athens,
which is an overbearing super-power and behaves as such, not hesitating
to set unattainable goals and trying to achieve them.
In this way the personal stories of these people tend to appear
unimportant in the light of the events themselves, the protagonists of
which are the significant political figures of Athens, such as
Alcibiades.
-2-
The Story
A few years before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the ship-owner
Clinius hires Hegisius the foreigner as overseer of his estate in
Alimounda. Clinius belongs to the type of person who takes advantage of
the naval domination of Athens, living a life of adventure and entirely
devoid of political qualms when faced with the prospect of winning.
His wife, Ippareti, is subjected to similar behaviour in their personal
life, receiving nothing but indifference from her husband.
On one of Clinius’ rare visits to the estate, Ippareti becomes pregnant
and nine months later Critius is born. A few days after giving birth,
Ippareti is in danger of dying of post-natal fever and is saved thanks
solely to Hegisius’ insistence on bringing a doctor from Athens who
fortunately cures her.
In the years that follow, though the likelihood of a war with Sparta
increases, Clinius finds no reason to come to Alimounda, whereas
Hegisius cautiously hides his love for Ippareti which deepens day by
day.
Then the Peloponnesian War breaks out and the Spartans invade Attica.
In this climate of uncertainty, Hegisius advises Ippareti to abandon the
estate and to find refuge within the city walls that surround Athens
and Pireaus to save themselves.
Initially Ippareti refuses, but she is eventually persuaded by the turn
of events and finds shelter with her young son in Pireaus, in Siragio,
waiting for the Spartans to invade anew.
When the great famine breaks out with thousands of victims within the
city walls, Ippareti will at last be assured of Hegisius’ love for her,
but it is too late.
Ippareti’s death, coupled with the ship-owner Clinius’ refusal to take
his son under his wing for fear of being infected by disease, ends the
first part of the narrative.
* * *
Many years later, Critius, by then a young man and heir to the estate
according to Athenian law, returns to Alimounda after his military
service to take up the reins in managing his property. Throughout all
these years, Clinius, recognising his unacceptable behaviour back in the
years of the famine, had kept a safe distance from his son, while
longing for the time to come when they could both put the past behind
them. And for this very reason he tolerated Hegisius' disapproval who,
nevertheless, desired a way to be found for father and son to be
reconciled.
And the opportunity presented itself when young Critius confessed to
Hegisius that he had chanced upon an Athenian maiden, Philomila, who had
made such a striking impression on him that he had to meet her again at
all costs.
The only problem was… that Philomila, as chance would have it, was the
daughter of the most powerful political figure in Athens, general Nikia…
a nobleman and political rival of Alcibiades, who was the uncontested
successor to Pericles.
So Critius would have to seek help from his father, who belonged to
Alcibiades’ entourage, if he wanted to harbour hopes of ever seeing
Philomila again just to reassure himself that she loved him in return.
-3-
From this point on the narrative acquires particular interest as it
links the characters, their activities and the political climate of the
period they gave rise to and sustained, attempting to realize the
greatest political utopia of Athens which prevailed in the Western
Mediterranean and in Africa on the pretext of a petition for the
protection of a Sicilian city, Egestas, from Syrracuse, the departing
dominating force in the region.
At first Clinius, trying to make an impression, attempts to persuade his
son to abandon the notion of meeting Nikia's daughter, not only because
the general is a powerful opponent but because his own life would be
put in danger if his intentions were to be made known. He thus
gradually initiates him into his way of life, attending feasts and
associating with women of easy virtue, but when he realizes that he is
not easily persuaded he suggests asking for Alcibiades’ help, to at
least acertain whether Philomila is interested in him.
After all this, Hegisius is quite sure that the youth, whom he loves
like his own son, will have an uncertain future, imitating Clinius’
deeds and following in his father’s footsteps.
Alcibiades, Clinius and all those who follow them will eventually lead
the city to destruction, swept away by the utopian vision of political
domination and power.
Critius will have to become one of them if he is to get close to the
woman he loves.
The ship-owner Clinius had won!
Everything else was simply a question of time.
And as the days go by, the political temperature rises as do the odds
that Athens will be swept into the greatest political and military
impropriety.
When Alcibiades and Clinius meet, the former promises to help arrange a
meeting with Nikia's daughter. He even implies that he would be in
favour of such a union which... would most likely bridge the two
opposing factions, in view of the probable expedition to Sicily...
At the same time, Clinius puts temptation in his way, suggesting that he
live at first hand the planned adventure in Sicily in order to acquire
wealth and glory.
The meeting between the young couple naturally takes place amid a lot of
fuss and Critius will be assured that Philomila loves him too.
The political scene reaches a climax with the conspiracy of Alcibiades'
rivals who are well aware that in the event of the Sicilian Expedition
actually taking place their power would be beyond control. And with the
pretence that drunks had destroyed the heads of the statues of the god
Hermes that graced the road signs, they attempt to convince the Council
that Alcibiades is preparing to take over power through a military coup.
These accusations fall on deaf ears and the Athenians are persuaded by
Alcibiades that they must intervene in Sicily!
Nikia is forced to obey the Council’s decision.
Athens will send help to Egesta so as to confront the attackers from
Syrracuse, an…
impending danger for Athens as well, as in the future… if it wins
power, it might ally itself with Sparta.
The preparations for the Expedition are of gigantic proportions.
The tears of despair of old Hegisius are drowned in the craving for
adventure that has entered the heart of young Critius.
The scenes of the departure of the Athenian fleet for Sicily are
unrivaled.
* * *
-4-
In Sicily the Athenian forces at first had considerable military success
and it seemed that the Syrracuse invaders would eventually be willing
to discuss a treaty.
The utopia that had until now only been dreamed of began to gradually
take shape in view of a great political and military success.
However, Alcibiades had not estimated accurately the extent of the
strength of his political rivals back in Athens.
After the departure of the Athenian fleet for Sicily, his political
rivals had managed to ‘prove’ based on false testimonies from people
under trial that, in fact, Alcibiades was planning the abolition of the
regime and the establishment of tyranny.
They actually succeeded in summoning not only him, but a number of his
colleagues, against whom there was ‘evidence’ of participation in the
conspiracy, back to face trial.
Among those charged is, naturally, the ship-owner Clinius, who is forced
to leave his son Critius behind to fight in Sicily and bear the brunt
of his own father’s choices.
Initially Alcibiades pretends to accept to be tried and boards the ship
which is to follow the ‘Salaminia’, the ship that has been sent by the
Athenians to bring him back.
However, while the two ships are sailing along the Italian coast
Alcibiades’ ship vanishes in the fog and its crew abandon it near
Thourious.
What follows is tragic.
Alcibiades, with a few of his closest friends, boards another ship as an
anonymous traveler and sails across to the Peloponnese. His next step
is to present himself in Sparta and request that the enemies of his city
help Syrracuse… before it is too late.
On realising the extent of Alcibiades' betrayal with what he proposes to
the trustees of Sparta, Clinius cannot help but cry out;
‘You’re a traitor… shame on you! I’ve left my son in Sicily, you
underhanded, malicious monster. I made him take part in this war which
you had planned to win.’
They are forced to leave the place where the meeting was taking place by
the guards.
One of them even offers to arrest Clinius.
Alcibiades signals him to let him go.
When Clinius is released, Lamahos, (Alcibiades’ body-guard) makes a move
to push him away from his master and Clinius, in his despair, pulls out
a dagger with the intention of committing suicide rather than laying a
hand on Alcibiades. And that is when he receives a stab in the chest
from Lamahos.
Life gradually seeps away from Clinius’ body. He struggles in vain to
touch the shadows that have come to lead him to the darkness...
As his corpse is being lifted from the ground, a couple of coins fall
out of his purse.
A beggar leans over to pick them up.
‘What Fortune brings our way is once again scattered to the winds,’ he
murmurs as he hides the coins in his dirty hand.
In the years that followed the war in Sicily became harsh and merciless,
sweeping up in its whirlwind the whole of Greece.
However, the Spartans, following the suggestions of the traitor
Alcibiades, changed the turn of events and as the attackers from
Syrracuse were about to surrender, Nikia’s mistakes and reluctance
combined with the strategic skills of Gylippos and Cleandridas from
Sparta put the Athenians in a terrible position.
-5-
Indeed, in the end, the fleet became trapped in the narrow harbour of
Syrracuse and when they failed to break the iron ring of Syrracuse,
Nikias and the other generals decided to burn it and to withdraw inland
in Sicily.
The tragedy that followed was inconceivable. Those who were not put to
death were led to mining quarries until the very last one died.
Among the few who were saved was the young Critius and members of the
crew of the ship on which they fought to the last in the harbour of
Syrracuse.
This chapter of the narrative is the most thrilling, the plot of which
indicates in the best way possible how strong the will of man is to stay
alive and return to those who are waiting and longing to see him again.
In this way ‘The Charm of Utopia’ goes beyond the narrow limits of a
historical novel as it attempts to understand the nature of man who is
forever lured by the ideals of utopia.
The Charm of Utopia (Sicily 413 BC)
A novel by Michael Kokkinaris
399 pages
Chapter One
Hegisius the Metic (Foreigner)
The only thing that Hegisius managed to catch a glimpse of, was his
master’s tunic, which flowed freely from his shoulders as the horse
leapt over the outer fence.
He made an attempt to catch up with him, but his age weighing him down,
he quickly grew breathless, and weakness brought him to his knees.
“Truth is, I’ll never understand that boy... Never in a thousand
years.” He murmured under his breath.
He then leaned against a tree and gradually made his way towards the
western side of the fence from where he could see Critius galloping away
towards the sea.
Then the rider changed direction to the east and disappeared over the
horizon towards the Coastal Territories (the shore from Phaliro to
Sounio, and from Sounio to Marathona).
Hegisius was left behind awaiting his return, but on assuring himself
that it was all in vain, he determined to go back to the house in the
hope of tidying up the mess that had prevailed since Critius’ return
from Ramnounda
Deep down, however, the old man was quite content.
His master’s homecoming was the best thing that had happened to him in
the last two years.
He loved Critius like his own child.
After all, he himself had raised him.
He had, in a manner of speaking, brought him back to life after the
death of his mother, Ippareti.
As for Clinius, his father “God forbid such a parent”, he muttered and
quickened his step in rage.
When he got home, he started hurling verbal abuse at whoever got in his
way.
“Good-for-nothings, first chance you get you start lazing about.
I know who’s to blame. It’s Critius who spoils you.
I’ll show him...
No more wasting time. Come on, to work, lazy-bones. Work!
The truth was that after the previous evening’s festivities nothing was
where it should be.
From the entrance hall to the cloak-room, all the way through to the
back-yard, everything was upside-down. Cots, cushions, foot-stools,
portable tables.
There were even left-overs... in the incense-burners.
In a moment of rage Hegisius steps on a large cup which had been thrown
onto the floor.
And then he loses his temper and starts kicking whatever he finds in
front of him, cups, wine vessels.
And as the pottery shatters on the walls, the fragments are scattered
all around him, some of them making their way beneath the old man’s
feet.
-2-
One more step... and Hegisius finds himself sprawled flat on the floor,
face down.
And as if that weren’t enough, as he was falling he had tripped over a
tripod on which had been placed a largish pot of soup which... emptied
itself onto his head.
A slave who happened to be nearby tried to get out of the way. But
instead of getting away, he just burst out laughing.
Hegisius, second in charge, with a pot on his head... dripping with
soup!
And even while the slave was expecting him to hit the roof, the old
supervisor himself began to roar with laughter about the whole thing.
As dusk fell, even before the oil-lamps had been lit, Critius’ stately
home had regained its original appearance.
Everything in its proper place... spotless.
And by the time the neighing of Critius’ horse was heard, Hegisius once
again felt the relief brought about by the homecoming of his ‘son’.
* * *
It was getting dark now.
The sea breeze cooled the bodies flushed from the heat of the day.
Here in Alimounda, life carried on as normal. The only problem was that
it was the ‘son’ Critius who gave this life any meaning at all. The
son of the ship-owner Clinius, who had not even once gone to see him
while he was doing his military service at the fortress of Ramounda to
demonstrate his interest as a father.
“All’s well, that ends well” Hegisius muttered to himself and he sent
for his ‘son’ whom he may not have fathered, but he had certainly
brought into the world... back then in the days of the great famine,
when Ippareti was still alive, the only woman he had ever loved in his
life.
* * *
Fortune plays strange tricks on people. It conspires to create unlikely
coincidences to give them a taste of happiness and then curses them to
reminisce about it in vain to the end of their days.
The foreigner Hegisius had had the good fortune not to be sold as a
slave thanks to the ship-owner Clinius who had offered to pay his
debts... in exchange for the service of putting his estate in order.
So, in the space of a few months, everything changed in Alimounda and
only Ippareti, Clinius’ wife, was left in solitude in the total absence
of her husband who preferred the ship-yards of Pireaus and Athenian
banquets.
Until one day Ippareti finally decided to emerge from her personal
apartments so as not to die of boredom.
So one morning, without any warning at all, she requested that Hegisius
prepare the carriage and accompany her to the Agora in Athens.
-3-
The slave who made Ippareti’s wishes known was scolded:
“Your mistress should know that she’s chosen a bad day for me to leave
the estate. Run and tell her that, if it’s alright, we’ll finish the
urgent work on the estate and then we’ll be free to spend as much time
at the market as she wants.”
Hegisius was about to leave, when he saw Ippareti descending from the
upper apartments.
For a split second he was in two minds about what to do.
Should he leave, showing disrespect for his benefactor’s wife, or should
he stay, offering some kind of explanation for his refusal.
Meanwhile, Ippareti was fast approaching, but as Hegisius turned around
to address her, it seems that some god or demon had somehow rendered him
speechless.
The woman’s noble stature, her carefully-styled hair, the garment that
tenderly silhouetted her figure, the scent of her perfume, all literally
took his breath away, and his embarrassment was so obvious that in the
end, Ippareti took pity on him and regretted having put him in such an
awkward position.
Then, with a surreptitious smile, she inquired as to how soon they would
be leaving for Athens.
For the whole duration of the trip Hegisius remained silent.
Every now and then though, seated next to the slave who was driving the
carriage, he would steal a glimpse at her as if to reassure himself
that this woman, who had left him in awe, was actually so beautiful.
Her eyes were the colour of honey translucent in the sunlight. Her hair
was jet black and her complexion as pale as Parian marble, chiseled by a
craftsman from Attica who had once encountered a water nymph in his
dreams.
And when at last they reached Athens, the overseer, despite himself,
found himself following the two women who obviously took great pleasure
in the crowds of the Agora.
And with a scowl on his face he waited to see at what point he could
bear it no longer.
At that moment he hears someone talking to him in a low whisper:
“Hegisius, have we left the estate to go off shopping?”
Hegisius was about to turn around to see who was speaking when the
stranger’s hands grabbed him from the shoulders and pinned him down.
“You’d better watch out... if they see me... you’re finished. Hide me
from Ippareti, because if she suspects anything at all, I’ll throw you
into the sea, a sacrifice to Poseidon.”
“Oh, Master... Clinius... Has it come to this? Hiding from his wife,
who is naive enough to think that he is battling with the waves in
Samos!”
“Look straight ahead, you pitiful slave, because at this very moment...”
“What, Master?”
Hegisius cast an ironic glance in the direction of Clinius, who hid
himself as soon as he saw Ippareti approaching.
When the two of them found themselves together again, Clinius seemed to
be questioning what he had just seen.
“You mean, mate, I’ve got such a beautiful wife and I’ve left you, ‘Mr.
Goat-face’, to take care of her?
Mistake... Big mistake...
-4-
At dusk Clinius’ ship will reach Pireaus, and tomorrow at the break of
day, I’ll be in Alimounda with my little wife...”
* * *
Ship-owner Clinius’ passion for his wife lasted three days and three
nights, as did his drunkenness. And just as it had come to him out of
the blue, so it left him, leaving a child, Critius, to be born nine
months later, an event that prompted Hegisius to remain permanently in
Athens. However, the birth led to complications, and two days later,
Ippareti fell victim to post-natal fever, which would certainly have led
to her death.
Hegisius’ last hope to save his mistress was Tisius, a follower of
Aesculapius (doctor) from Athens, whom he forced to come to Alimounda
virtually against his will.
When they reached Alimounda, Ippareti was still alive. It was the first
time that he had ever felt this way for another human being. From the
day he was born, he had had to struggle to survive. Until now, he had
never shared his life or his innermost thoughts with anyone. And yet,
this woman had won his heart with a single glance.
* * *
Hegisius’ perserverance with saving Ippareti was effective. Tisius
relieved the woman of the afterbirth that had remained in her womb...
and the foreigner Hegisius stayed on at the estate to... look after the
woman he loved, albeit keeping his distance.
Five years pass, and while the little Critius was growing up under the
watchful eye of Hegisius, the clouds of war between Athens and Sparta
were gathering, an omen of the great troubles to come. In this
atmosphere of great expectations that war tends to inspire, the
ship-owner Clinius, essentially showing indifference to his family and
taking advantage of his blood-ties with Pericles, accumulates wealth
from the raids of the Athenian fleet.
And this continues until Archidamus, the king of Sparta, invades Attica,
thus transferring the war to Athens.
Hegisius advises Ippareti to abandon the estate in order to seek refuge
in Athens. Although initially she stubbornly refuses, affected by the
spreading rumours, she is eventually persuaded to go to Athens to see
what the situation is like at first hand.
-5-
Chapter Two
When a city dies.
From the minute Ippareti took her seat in the carriage to the moment
they arrived in Athens, neither of them made a move to break the
silence. This time everything was different. The road was empty, and
the carriage was flanked by a galloping group of armed slaves.
When they entered the city, they stood aghast at what they saw.
Everywhere they looked, there were make-shift shacks full of people...
many people, who would stop the passers-by to ask them whether they had
any news about the invaders.
A little before reaching the Hill of the Muses, Hegisius was forced to
bring the carriage to a halt because the road narrowed abruptly due to
the many shacks which spread from the Theatre of Dionysus and reached
all the way to Pnyca. Terrified, Ippareti seized his arm and pulled
him towards her. Then, like a hunted animal, she started walking
towards the Agora as fast as she could. When they reached the Southern
Arcade it was so crowded that they had to push their way past. Hegisius
lost his calm, and as he was literally being trampled, he grabbed
Ippareti by the shoulders.
“Madam, I don’t understand what more you need to come to a conclusion!
It’s all over. Athens is under siege. Get it into your head and, while
we still have time, let’s get our things together and find shelter
within the city walls to save yourself and your child.”
The woman stared at him with something akin to hate and, before Hegisius
could stop her, she disappeared into the crowd to hear the speech of
Cleonas (Pericles’ main political rival), who was openly blaming
Pericles for his inability to act effectively against the invaders.
The voices of the crowd are getting louder and louder. Ippareti is
sitting in a corner, exhausted, feeling the fear overwhelming her.
So, she had to make the decision to leave Alimounda... Hegisius was
right.
On their way back towards the Hill of the Muses to find the carriage,
they stopped for a while to allow the funeral procession for the dead
who had been brought back after the battle of Phrygia to pass. The
wailing of the women in the following, as well as the sense of the death
of the young men who lay lifeless on the stretchers, made Ippareti
burst inconsolably into tears, all the while held tightly in Hegisius’
embrace.
When the procession had passed, the woman composed herself, and asked
him to forget what had happened.
“You have to understand... you of all people. It was the occasion
and... the fear.
I didn’t have anything else in mind.”
On the road back to Alimounda, Hegisius gazed absent-mindedly towards
the sea, trying to put his thoughts in order.
Today Ippareti had made him realise that he loved her even if he
couldn’t admit it to himself.
For as long as he held her in his arms, he had wished to wipe away the
tears and to kiss those lips that trembled from emotion.
He turned to look at her.
-6-
Her hair had come loose and flowed freely in the wind.
Her eyes were still moist and her face glowed in the light of the sun
which was setting now towards Salamina.
That was it! He loved her, whether he admitted it or not!
* * *
The days that followed, and until the spring when it was decided that
they should finally go to Pireaus, to Siragio on the hill which
overlooks the port of Mounichias to protect themselves from the return
of the Spartans, was a trying time not only for Hegisius but also for
Ippareti, both of whom struggled not to let their feelings show which
would have put them in a difficult position.
So, by springtime, the move to Pireaus had been completed without any
particular problems and the ship-owner Clinius was... assured that
there would be someone to take care of the loot brought back to Pireaus
resulting from his raids.
But when the siege actually began, and large numbers of people gathered
within the city walls, that terrible famine broke out which took its
toll on a major part of the population.
As the scene develops into a living nightmare, and the streets fill with
unburied bodies, Ippareti seeks solace in the person she loves but
cannot admit to doing so.
Ippareti, who had hardly slept the night before, and forgetting the
required courtesies, took Hegisius’ hands in hers and placed them on her
waist.
Then she embraced him and began to weep upon his breast. Unable to pull
away, he began to gently caress her hair.
“Patience, ma’am, Fortune may yet smile upon us.
Yesterday I said a prayer at the Aesculapio... we may still manage to
get away...”
As the shadows of death flitted through her mind, the woman seized
Hegisius by the tunic brushing his face upon her lips.
Then, she murmured under her breath;
“If I die, promise me to save Critius. You didn’t have the strength...
it wasn’t proper for you to show your love to me. At least show it to
my child and I’ll be waiting for you in Hades, to live in the shadows
what we couldn’t live in the light...”
Hegisius grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her violently away.
There was a tone of despair in his voice.
“Ippareti, don’t toy with things that are beyond our control. If I
could follow my heart our days would surely be numbered.
It is in Hades, then, that we shall probably meet again... but not just
yet because you, at least, have a child to raise.
* * *
-7-
Unfortunately, Hegisius’ predictions were proved wrong and a few days
later Ippareti was taken seriously ill.
Even at this crucial moment, Clinius, whose ship happened to be docked
at Mounichia, refused to bring his young son under his protection for
fear of he himself and his crew contracting the disease.
A few hours later, Ippareti took her dying breath in Siragio.
Her face had already taken on that strange shade of pale that was common
to the victims of the famine, and when she heaved her final sigh
Hegisius took her in his arms and mourned for her, letting out an
irrepressible wail that had been choking him for a long time as he had
struggled to contain it.
Critius, who had sensed the loss of his mother, held out his tiny arms
and hugged Hegisius, begging him to protect him from evil.
Quite a while passed after Ippareti’s death and nobody seemed to show
any interest in what had happened, so Hegisius arranged for the
necessary preparations to be made for the deceased woman’s cremation.
The only exception being that he allowed no one to come close to her.
He bathed her body as one bathes a child, with loving care.
He applied perfumes, and wrapped her body in her beautiful garments.
Afterwards, he picked her up in his arms, and having kissed her on the
lips, he placed her on the mound of wood that the slaves had made ready.
And just before dawn, he picked Critius up in his arms, and together
they lit the torch, awaiting the first rays of sunlight.
A couple of steps away stood the few slaves of the estate, sharing in
the bitterness of this man, who had carried such a burden in his life.
They all knew that Hegisius loved Ippareti, just as she had loved him,
but that nothing had come of it...
And when the first rays of sunlight appeared, hand in hand, Critius and
Hegisius lit the funeral pyre for Ippareti’s passage to the place where
only darkness exists... where, as she had promised, she would wait for
Hegisius to live together everything they had not lived in the light of
the sun which gradually began to cast its beams on the country of the
living dead.
* * *
The painful return to the past is now over. Young Critius is the heir
to Ippareti’s estate, according to the laws of Athenian Democracy, and
the elderly supervisor is his trustee, who attempts to persuade the
youth that the time has come to forgive his father, Clinius, and come to
terms with the notion that nobody is perfect in this life.
In his heart of hearts, though, Hegisius fears the son’s reconciliation
with his father because ship-owner Clinius, corrupted as he is living
in the entourage of Alcibiades, could fairly easily influence the young
Critius to choose the same way of life.
From this point on, the reader relives with archaeological and
historical accuracy the developments in the heart of an age when great
expectations were cultivated as to the domination of Athens in the
Western Mediterranean and Africa.
-8-
And, even more importantly, they will identify with the individual
stories of the novel’s heroes who are no different from the people with
whom we live.
It is, nevertheless, of particular significance to stress that the
accuracy of the historical facts coupled with their use in the
development of the novel, together contribute to one of the features of
this type of written work by which the reader draws their own
conclusions about both contemporary life as well as their personal
course in life.
As for the ‘myth’, just before being released from the army, young
Critius meets and falls in love with Philomila, the daughter of the most
powerful man in Athens, general Nicia, the political rival of
Alcibiades and, by the same token, his own father’s as well.
This is essentially what prompts him to seek his father’s counsel so
that he might ask him for his help.
Clinius, wanting to make up for his mistakes, tries to get his son
involved in his way of life, showing off the wealth that he had
obtained chiefly through the political adventurism which he had
exhibited during the war against the Spartans, which had ended in favour
of the Athenians purely by chance.
Critius makes the mistake of trusting him at a time when Alcibiades is
once again making efforts to pressure the Athenian Council into
achieving a utopia of domination in the Western Mediterranean. So when
he confides in his father about his secret with Philomila, the latter at
first attempts to make him forget about her, seducing him with a
stunningly beautiful prostitute. However, when his plan fails he
promises his son that, with the help of Alcibiades, a secret encounter
can be arranged but in order to marry her... he will have to earn
titles and recognition in the forthcoming Sicilian Expedition.
The remainder of the novel is intriguing with an unexpected twist at the
end, which is sealed with the following epigram:
‘ Stranger, we do not weep for unfulfilled dreams,
Which, after all, are but dreams that fade away,
Nor for the youth who perished outside the walls of Syracuse,
For the Syracuses of the mind we mourn,
That will forever charm us without mercy.’
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