Istar of Babylon: A Phantasy

Home > Other > Istar of Babylon: A Phantasy > Page 2
Istar of Babylon: A Phantasy Page 2

by Margaret Horton Potter


  LIBRI PERSONAE

  Book I

  THERON: _A citizen of the Doric town of Selinous in Sicily. The father of Charmides._

  HERAIA: _The wife of Theron, and mother of Charmides._

  PHALARIS: _An athlete; the elder brother of Charmides._

  CHARMIDES: _A young Greek rhapsode, who, hearing a story of the living goddess, Istar of Babylon, becomes inspired with the desire to see and worship her, and sets out from Selinous to journey to Babylon._

  KABIR: _A Phoenician trader, shipwrecked off the harbor of Selinous, with whom Charmides travels as far as Tyre._

  ABDOSIR: _The brother of Kabir, a citizen of Tyre._

  HODO: _A Babylonian trader, head of a caravan travelling between Babylon and Tyre, with whom Charmides goes from Tyre to the Great City._

  ALLARAINE: _The archetype of song; once a companion spirit of Istar of Babylon._

  Book II

  ISTAR: _The archetype of womanhood, made mortal as a punishment for having doubted the mercy of God. She became incarnate in Babylon, and was worshipped there as the famous Babylonian goddess "Istar," though her archetypal name was "Narahmouna."_

  NABONIDUS: _Or "Nabu-Nahid," last native king of Babylon, through his mother a grandson of Nebuchadrezzar. He reigned from B.C. 555-538, when Babylon fell to Cyrus the Great._

  BELSHAZZAR: _Or Belti-shar-uzzur, son of Nabonidus, and governor of Babylon. He was never proclaimed king of Babylon._

  BELITSUM: _The second queen of Nabonidus; a woman of plebeian origin._

  CYRUS: _The Great, conqueror of Media, Persia, and Elam, to whom Babylon fell by treachery._

  CAMBYSES: _The elder son of Cyrus, who, after him, became king of Babylon. He afterwards committed suicide in Egypt, on being accused of the murder of his brother._

  BARDIYA: _The younger son of Cyrus, afterwards murdered by his brother, Cambyses._

  GOBRYAS: _Cyrus' general: the conqueror of Sippar; once governor of Gutium under the king of Babylon._

  LORD RIBATA BIT-SHUMUKIN: _A royal councillor of Nabonidus, a member of the prince's suite, and the intimate companion of Belshazzar: also landlord of the tenement of Ut._

  DANIEL: _The Hebrew prophet, also called Beltishazzar, who, after the death of Nebuchadrezzar, lost his position at court, and at the time of the fall of Babylon was living in a small house in the Jewish quarter._

  AMRAPHEL: _The high-priest of Babylon, and priest of Bel; a traitor to the crown._

  VUL-RAMAN OF BIT-YAKIN: _Priest of Nebo and Nergal, and second in power to Amraphel._

  LUDAR: _President of the college of priests at Sippar, and high-priest of the temple of Shamash. A traitor to the crown._

  NANA-BABILU: _Governor of Sippar. Loyal to Nabonidus._

  BUNANITU: _A Jewess, the head of the historic banking-firm of "Egibi."_

  KALNEA: _A Jew, the son of Bunanitu._

  KABTIYA: _The son of Kalnea, a Jewish boy._

  BELTANI: _A Babylonish widow of the lower class, living in the tenement of Ut. The mother of Ramua and Baba._

  RAMUA: _A flower-girl, the daughter of Beltani, afterwards married to Charmides._

  BABA: _Younger daughter of Beltani, afterwards the slave of Lord Ribata._

  BAZUZU: _Beltani's negro slave._

  ZOR: _Baba's pet goat._

  HODO: _The Babylonish trader._

  CHARMIDES: _The Greek rhapsode._

  ALLARAINE: _The archetype of song._

 

‹ Prev