thick-feathered wings swirling down
from the sky through mid-air.
Arriving quickly -– you, Blessed one, with a smile on your unaging face asking again what have I suffered and why am I calling again
And in my wild heart what did I most wish
to happen to me: ”Again whom must I persuade back into the harness of your love?
Sappho, who wrongs you?
For if she flees, soon she’ll pursue, she doesn’t accept gifts, but she’ll give, if not now loving, soon she’ll love even against her will.”
Come to me now again, release me from
this pain, everything my spirit longs to have fulfilled, fulfill, and you be my ally.
The crowd went cheering in ovations to the poetess and the goddess Aphrodite. With the tip of her fingers, Parthenis swapped a tear from the corner of her eyes. “Amazing!” she murmured.
Mnesarchus grabbed her hand and leaned closer to her ear.
“You like it, don’t you?”
“You mean I love it!”
“I knew you would”
“Oh dear, this is just a completely different world,” she asserted without taking her eyes off the scenes around them.
Mnesarchus chuckled quietly. “It is indeed, dear. This is exactly the same impression new comers get during their first visit to this great city.”
“You can feel all this energy pulling you… amazing…” she blurted out in admiration.
Art is what the Athenians lived for and survived on, she remembered her husband informing her back home. It is the source of their happiness and their source of life.
She could not agree more now that she had witnessed the Athenian art expanding across the city in a rhapsody of colors, shapes and sounds.
Their driver ordered the horses and they finally came to a halt. The cart stopped. Mnesarchus helped his wife down with much precaution. She waited for him to supervise the unloading of their luggage. As he retrieved from his pouch some Athenian coins to pay their driver, three young men of poor attire rushed to offer their services in carrying their bags. Mnesarchus looked them in the eye for a moment, assessing their honesty. The instant he nodded in agreement, they hastily grabbed the luggage and followed the couple on their way to the Agora city square.
“Here we are, dear! Fascinating, isn’t it?” Mnesarchus announced with enthusiasm at reaching the famous plaza. “As you can see, this is the heart of the public life of Athens.”
Parthenis held on tightly to his arm to avoid being dragged off by the large crowd in the market place. Packed with fervent customers from different ethnicities, the borough captivated her utmost interest.
“Who are all these people? They don’t all seem to be locals,” she remarked.
“No, dear, they aren’t all locals. Traders and customers seek this place from all the corners of the world.”
“Hmm… Impressive,” she thought out loud.
“See that old man leading a discussion over there?” He discreetly directed her attention to a small group of men intensely absorbed in a debate.
The old man in question carried his long white hair and neat beard with dignity. His white tunic with blue belt and sleeves enhanced his noble appearance.
“Yes, who is he?”
“He is Solon, the wise man of Athens. I bet he is exchanging some of his astute views with these citizens.”
“Views on what, dear?” she asked curiously, “Politics?”
“Yes, and also justice, religion and economy. He is eminent in these fields. The two advisors at his sides are our countrymen, dear. Two notorious Phoenicians, “Thales[6] and …”
“That man looks like my brother… what… is that Pherecydes[7]!” She wondered and yelled in surprise, interrupting him. “My brother Pherecydes!”
Mnesarchus burst out laughing loudly. “Yes, dear, your brother Pherecydes is here!”
She was in dismay, ignoring that her brother stood as the close advisor of the most famous Solon.
My brother is a private advisor of the sage! The surprising revelation reiterated in her mind. Pride overwhelmed her and tears of joy filled her eyes that riveted on her brother. Not only one but two top Phoenician consultants! She thought with pride as she observed both Phoenicians who appeared as magnificent as the High Magistrate with their white tunics trimmed with blue.
“Both Thales and Pherecydes are also the closest friends of Solon,” Mnesarchus explained to her discreetly. “They help him run the politics of this great city, even if on a minor scale.”
Parthenis realized that her husband had been right about the influence of her countrymen in this foreign land. Its socio-political foundation certainly revealed the fingerprints of Phoenician philosophies and the spirit of their Art. She turned a more attentive ear to his explanations.
“Initially, the aristocratic Eupatridae families governed Athens. Then Solon took charge twenty years ago. He is the son of Execestidas; a descendant of ancient Athenian kings.”
“So, he issues from a family high up,” Parthenis concluded.
“Right,” Mnesarchus replied with a nod. “Let’s have a walk around the city square,” he proposed and led her gently by the waist.
“But my love, I want to talk to my brother. I haven’t seen him in two years.” She gave Mnesarchus an insistent look.
“I’m sorry. We can’t do that right now dear. We have to wait until they finish with their discourse.”
The magnificent shrines and public buildings of different structures caught her interest straight away. She stopped for a while in front of the Royal Stoa, known also as the Basileios, and then moved to admire the Council House, or what was called the Old Bouleuterion.
“This is the Heliaia, dear,” Mnesarchus drew her attention to a major rectangular structure. “It is the Supreme Court; the most important civil law court in the country, one of the biggest in the whole known world!”
Erected on a high ground, right there to the southwest corner of the Agora, the Heliaia faced the Old Bouleuterion on the west side. It formed a large square fence with no internal divisions or rooms, nor roof.
She frowned slightly then her eyebrows lifted at him in wonder.
“The hearings take place outdoors, under the sun,” he expounded with a grin. “The Heliaia drew its name from the word congregation or ecclesia, meaning the Assembly; the Principal Assembly for Democracy.”
From their spot, the couple could heed the voice of Solon that resonated strongly throughout the Agora. His words entered every ear, “The aristocratic control on the government: the eupatridae, must end! No more owners controlling the best lands and manipulating the poor by driving them into debt! The mission of this very council aims at subsiding the agony of the poor.”
Parthenis and Mnesarchus veered promptly at the source of such a strong statement. Stunned, Parthenis gawked at her husband whose eyes widened then shrunk in utmost attention.
“Am I wrong, or this is really a…”
“Shush dear,” he interrupted her kindly. “Listen…” he intoned in a whisper.
She did. And how could she not!
“When our farmers are unable to settle their debts, they are forced to become hard laborers!” Solon charged fearlessly. “This means that they become slaves in their own lands. This is unacceptable! We will introduce a new body of law that will be just. Just and fair to all people without exception! Especially in consideration of the poor who are inhumanly abused.”
From the large crowd, voices rose in cheering approval. Mnesarchus grabbed her by the forearm and drew her closer to the stage where history was unfurling. Judging by the diverse attires evidencing different social classes, Parthenis noted that Athenians of wealth mingled with the underprivileged and listened to the sage with the same deference.
“We will redeem all dispossessed lands and all the enslaved citizens shall regain their freedom! The decree will be issued at the end of this pronouncement. Yet, rejoice people of Athens, as I assure
you that the decree is in effect as of this very moment!” Solon proclaimed with fervor.
The crowd roared, applauded and burst out in an amazing display of exaltation. People shook hands and slapped each other’s shoulders in congratulations. Slogans proclaiming Solon as liberator were hailed. Mnesarchus and Parthenis witnessed, in awe, the extraordinary moments of a powerful reform in the Agora of Athens. Parthenis had indeed guessed rightly!
Solon raised his hands to impose silence; yet to quiet down the jubilation of a mass that had long lost hope of improving their situation, was not an easy deed.
Thales climbed higher on the steps and shouted for silence. “My friends, that is not all! Listen!”
A wise man himself, and as highly respected as Solon, people shushed and turned their attention to him to heed what he was about to announce.
“Alternative jobs, like trades and other professions, shall be provided to those unable to work the land and become farmers. The new coined money you’ve seen around lately, have been issued within a better quality and standard, and we have casted them especially for the Athenians.”
“Soon, we will introduce new weights and measures to encourage and develop the trade of our Athenian products through the mercantile world. And we are talking about all our products, including our olive oil, grains, wines, and potteries!”
Applauses resounded and hails stirred the Agora. Awe and admiration brightened the eyes riveted on the wise men, as if this wise trio announcing the great news were life saviors. Parthenis felt the contagious excitement and she joined in clapping for the orators. Her husband laughed in amusement.
Apparently, Thales had more announcements to make for he did not wait for the crowd to shush again. But then he gave the podium to Pherecydes who stepped in and proclaimed loudly, “Fair citizens! The rich among you shall replace the eupatridae. We will organize a survey of yearly earnings that would be fundamentally calculated according to the commercial transactions of our principal products. To achieve that objective, we will divide you into four groups. Political privilege will therefore be approached accordingly. Hence, each one of you is entitled to attend the General Assembly, the Ecclesia, or the Sovereign Body, and to participate in the making of laws and decrees. You will also elect officials and listen to appeals of the most considerable decisions of the courts.”
Impressed, Mnesarchus and Parthenis looked up at the wise men with great respect, as did the crowd. Mnesarchus edged closer to Parthenis to whisper in her ear with emotion, “This is history, my dear. What we are hearing now is the laying of the foundation of one of the most important codes of human life to date. It is indeed an evolution of social structure!”
Parthenis stood still, absorbing the revelation in its entire immensity. She turned then to read in his eyes the confirmation of such extraordinary news. She was speechless. The voice of Solon drew her attention back to his speech.
“The poorest among you may have to work, one year after another, on a new Council of Four Hundred, which will prepare business affairs for the General Assembly. However, the highest positions in the new government will be reserved for the citizens of the top two income groups.”
Solon took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment in which every mind present there awaited in suspense. Nobody dared disturb the silence that reigned. Everybody held their breath in expectation. The seriousness of the moment kept them hostages to the unspoken meditation of the High Magistrate.
Parthenis could have sworn she heard the mass breathing out when Solon reopened his eyes. She sensed the vibrations of their forthcoming trepidation. Solon gazed down at them before his intense look got lost in the horizon.
As if staring into the future, he declared slowly, measuring his words one by one, “My people, today, we place in front of you the foundation of the future democracy.”
The words of Solon, the Athenian statesman, legislator and poet, resounded like a strong pledge. He had spoken of a social structure with a proper place and function for each class within. He had just proposed a solution to some major problems that had been weighing on them for many years; a solution based, not on revolutionary forms, but rather on a global reform, both economic and political.
Mnesarchus whispered to her, “Even in his poems, Solon tackles the socio-economic differences.”
Parthenis edged closer to him and asked in the same tone, “Tell me about it, please.”
“See, he recently wrote these verses:
‘Some wicked men are rich,
Some good are poor;
We will not change our virtue for their store:
Virtue is a thing that none can take away,
But money changes owners all the day.’”
The evening fell on the Agora by the time the wise men bid their farewell. The crowd dispersed with the Athenians rushing to their families. On this third night of the full moon, the news of a major reform would be announced in every home.
Eager to speak to her brother, Parthenis struggled against the current of people in order to make her way through. She finally reached the spot where the wise men had reigned over the crowd a while ago only to face her own disappointment at noticing that Pherecydes had disappeared out of sight without knowing of her presence.
There, near the royal porticoes, some finely carved wooden tablets stood on an axis. Parthenis approached to read the inscription:
New Laws of Athens
On display for all the citizens to see.
- Honor the Gods.
- Be convinced that virtue and integrity are more honorable than the oath.
- Respect your parents.
- Make yourself busy with the serious things in Life.
- Know to obey in order to succeed in leading.
- Do not consult the attractive, but the beautiful.
- Take reason for guidance.
- Do not lie.
- Do not walk with Evil…
Before she managed to read through the remaining laws, the sound of running steps echoed behind her and she veered abruptly. She breathed in relief at seeing her husband. His frown and tightened lips reflected his worry.
“What it is, honey?” she asked in dread.
“Goodness, Parthenis! I’ve been looking for you all around!” he retorted in a suffocated tone.
“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I was just trying to reach my brother.” She smiled and edged closer to caress his chest in reassurance.
But he did not seem to let it go. “Please, Parthenis! What were you thinking of to meander here all alone? Can’t you see the place is deserted and too dark for your own sake? And the baby… have you thought of our baby?”
Parthenis examined her surroundings for the first time. She blushed at her impulsivity, as she was not the kind of woman to take things lightly.
Apparently, Mnesarchus realized her discomfiture. He sighed deeply then took her tenderly by the shoulders and said in a soothing voice, “Come on. Let us call it a night. I admit the day was quite unusual. A good rest will do us both good. The porters have delivered our luggage to the inn already and the comfort of our lodge is waiting for us.”
He walked with her through the narrow streets. The silence in the night took in the sound of their footsteps joined by the tuneful hum he intoned softly to her.
* * *
On the second day, Parthenis walked the city square with graceful confidence at her husband’s side. She ignored the male admiration she drew on her way and kept to her queenly bearing. Despite the warmth of the city, she had thrown a light, purple cape on her shoulders. Her brown silk tunic fell loose on her body without the belt she had discarded due to her advanced pregnancy. A blue ribbon held her black tresses high at the back of her head while some untamed curls spread out on her forehead. A necklace of gold and amber decorated her bosom and matched the bracelet on her forearm nicely.
Mnesarchus, walking proudly by her side, carried one of the most beautiful artifacts his fellow countrymen had ever manufactured; the Roy
al Purple. The couple headed to their meeting with the wealthy buyer.
“Mnesarchus… oh… Parthenis!” A familiar voice shouted with a startling tone from behind them and they both stopped at once.
“Pherecydes!” Parthenis exclaimed gladly at seeing her brother at last, and rushed into his arms.
“What a surprise, Parthenis! I didn’t know you were in Athens.”
“We came yesterday. And I saw you, Pherecydes… with Solon… and…,” Parthenis blurted out her words with excitement. “I had no idea! You have become a sage and a close friend to Solon, the wise man of Athens!”
Pherecydes responded to her excitement with a wide grin.
“Oh Pherecydes, that is indeed a great honor to our family!”
“Parthenis, fair sister, what a joy to see you! It has been a while now!” He hugged her again and snapped a resounding kiss on her forehead. Gazing at her face lifted to him, he asked “So, how is the future boy of our family?”
“Oh, you too?” Parthenis stepped back in surprise. “You also know about the baby boy?”
Pherecydes and Mnesarchus burst out laughing.
“I’ve really missed you, fair sister!”
The family reunion engulfed her with an amazing sense of belonging. Moreover, the fact that her own brother, a wise man himself, had just declared his belief in the prophecy of Delphi, added more validity to her search. She somehow felt confident about the outcome and anticipated her encounter with the famous priestess.
Later that day, Pherecydes accompanied the couple through the lively city. They headed towards the Acropolis where the old city had once stood. Out of love and consideration for the fifth month pregnancy of Parthenis, both men took their time up the long stairway to the huge temple. They constantly urged her to pause and she welcomed those short stops where she rested on the platform along the stairway. The heat would momentarily lessen on her skin, as the gentle fingers of the breeze would touch her hair and caress her cheeks, refreshing her stamina and inciting her to move on.
Pythagoras the Mathemagician Page 4