Medusa, A Love Story (The Loves of Olympus)

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Medusa, A Love Story (The Loves of Olympus) Page 30

by Sasha Summers


  “Zeus!” Demeter burst into the Council Chamber, her face lined with tears. Never had Poseidon seen the Goddess so undone, so shaken. He rose, waiting to hear what Demeter had to say. “Persephone is gone…taken I fear.”

  Zeus rose swiftly. “Taken? When?”

  “She was in Sicily, collecting her flowers…white lilies.” Demeter took the hand Hera offered, her voice shaking with fear. “And then she was gone… I was not with her, but the nymphs told me they heard her scream.”

  Zeus’ brow furrowed, a dangerous sign, Poseidon knew.

  “Apollo,” Zeus said quickly, “Hermes, find her.”

  The women crowded about Demeter, offering words of comfort.

  Poseidon stood, offering, “I will search as well.”

  But Zeus was distracted, lost in thought.

  “Brother, I will …”

  Zeus shook his head stiffly. “Leave matters be,” he whispered.

  Poseidon turned a questioning gaze upon his brother.

  “Fair Persephone will return to us, in time,” Zeus said, turning from the women and leading Poseidon from the Council Chamber.

  “You know where she is then?”

  Zeus smiled, shrugging. “Perhaps Aphrodite will have another tale to spin before the moon is full. We shall see, brother, we shall see.”

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to Angelyn Schmid, Sandy Williams, Carolyn Williamson, Deidra Alexander, Suzanne Collins and Allison Burke-Collins (aka Shakers) for your tireless support, zeal with a red pen, and ability to talk me out of giving up. Thanks to D.A.R.A. for turning dreamers into writers. Gretchen Craig, your input was invaluable. To Donna O’Brien for loving my novel, Candice Lindstrom for making my book the best it could be and Crescent Moon Press for giving my stories the chance to be discovered.

  Very special thanks to Summer, Emma, Jakob and Kaleb for nurturing my imagination and stories every single day. Your patience and love means more to me than you can ever know.

  Sasha Summers

  Sasha is part gypsy. Her passions have always been storytelling, history, and travel. It's no surprise that her books visit times past, set in places rich with legends and myth. Her first play, 'Greek Gods and Goddesses' (original title, right?), was written for her Girl Scout troupe. She's been writing ever since. She loves getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates, even if she frequently forgets to run the dishwasher or wash socks when she's doing so. Luckily, her four brilliant children and hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.

  Glossary Terms & Reference Index

  Anestheria – a Greek Festival celebrating Dionysus. In the book, aspects were modified to help the storyline.

  Arrephoroi – young girls (7-11 yrs) selected to serve as acolytes in the temples.

  Aspis – circular shield carried by infantryman. Weighing 17-30lbs and one meter across, this shield could protect a soldier from chin to knee. It was typically made from wood and covered in metal/bronze. Held by a handle in its center, the shields could be placed together in an overlapping scale-like pattern (a phalanx) to hold off attackers.

  Athena Polias, the Temple of – Athena’s temple on Acropolis that preceded the Parthenon.

  Basileus – leader of chieftain of a family, the head of the household

  Chiton – men’s tunic of lightweight fabric

  Chlamys – a short cloak, worn by men and women, made from one seamless piece of material

  Doru – a spear, 7-9 feet long, used by the Greek infantrymen

  Ekdromos/Ekdromoi – skilled infantrymen used for special missions or close combat

  Epiblema – a woman’s shawl

  Hedna – gifts given to a girl’s family by her suitor or betrothed

  Himation – thick cloak. Large enough to be used as a blanket or folded into a pillow

  Hoplite – Greek infantrymen

  Kleros – a plot of land passed down through the family. A man cannot marry without having a kleros.

  Linothorax – armor worn by more military leaders or affluent soldiers. Made of thick padded leather, fabric covered in metal scales of metal – depending upon the soldiers ability to pay. Not all soldiers could afford armor.

  Oikos – the household – not the house itself but the property, livestock, family and slaves

  Peplos – a full length tunic worn by women, usually made from one large piece of fabric to be pinned, sewn or draped.

  Peltasts & Psiloi – foot soldiers without extensive training

  Salamis, the Battle of –The straits of Salamis are a narrow water channel. The Greeks did lure the Persians here, trap them and defeat them.

  Shades – souls or ghosts

  Strategoi – ten generals chosen from ten Greek tribes

  Themistocles – Athenian statesman responsible for creating Athens’ fleet of triremes.

  Thermopylae, the Battle of – the battle fought by King Leonidas and his soldiers (Spartans/Spartiates) against the invading Persians. While there is much conjecture as to how many Leonidas had with him (300, 1000, 3000?), he and his troops were significantly outnumbered and still managed to last days against their Persian foe. This battle caused outrage across Greece, building strong anti-Persian sentiment and prompting them to take evasive measures.

  Trireme – a ship, propelled by three rows of oars, possibly 25 or more oars, on each side.

  Xiphos – soldier’s short sword used as a secondary weapon to the spear/doru.

  Levels of the Underworld:

  Elysium or Elysian Fields – reserved for heroes or special mortals, this was ‘Heaven’ to the Greeks.

  Asphodel Fields – Most occupied level of the Underworld, it was neutral – shades that came here had neither good nor bad

  Tartarus – Feared by all, this was ‘Hell’ to the Greeks.

  Rivers into the Underworld:

  River Acheron – River of Woe

  Lethe River – River of Forgetfulness

  The River Styx – River of Hate

  Pyriphlegethon – River of Fire

  Cocytus River – River of Wailing

  Olympian Genealogical Chart

  Table of Contents

  Title page

  PROLOGUE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  Sasha Summers

  Glossary Terms & Reference Index

 

 

 


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