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Flora, wall painting from Stabiae · 1st century AD

Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale, Section 1: The most beautiful boy in Ephesus

Book 1, chapter 1. The romance opens in Ephesus, the great city of Ionia on the coast of Asia Minor.

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Section 1, passage by passage

• 1.1.1 The most beautiful boy in Ephesus. In Ephesus there was a man named Lycomedes, one of the most powerful men…
• 1.1.2 He grows more beautiful every day. This Habrocomes grew more beautiful every day, and along with the beauty of his…
• 1.1.3 Ephesus treats him like a god. All the Ephesians courted him, and so did the people of the rest of…
• 1.1.4 Nothing seems worthy of him. The youth thought highly of himself. He took pride in the achievements of his…
• 1.1.5 He laughs at Eros. If he heard of a handsome boy or a lovely girl, he laughed at…
• 1.1.6 More beautiful than any Eros. If he saw a shrine or a statue of Eros anywhere, he laughed at…
• 1.2.1 Eros arms himself with love drugs. Eros was angered at this, for the god loves to win and has no…
• 1.2.2 The festival of Artemis. The local festival of Artemis was under way, led in procession from the city…
• 1.2.3 A crowd gathers to watch. A great crowd came to watch, many from the city and many from abroad,…
• 1.2.4 The procession files past. Those in the procession went past in a line: first the sacred objects, the…
• 1.2.5 Anthia leads the girls. Anthia, the daughter of Megamedes and Euippe, a local couple, led the ranks of…
• 1.2.6 Anthia dressed as a huntress. And the adornment of her dress added much to her beauty: blond hair, most…
• 1.2.7 The crowd takes her for Artemis. Many times the Ephesians had seen her in the temple grounds and bowed down…
• 1.2.8 All eyes turn to Habrocomes. When the crowd of girls had gone past, no one talked of anything but…
• 1.2.9 Talk of a wedding. Some were already adding this too: what a marriage it would be, Habrocomes and…
• 1.3.1 They see each other at the temple. So when the procession was over, the whole crowd went into the temple to…
• 1.3.2 Anthia takes in his beauty. Anthia too was in a bad way. With her eyes fully and wide open…
• 1.3.3 They find excuses to linger. Then, when they had sacrificed, they went away grieving and blaming the speed of…
• 1.3.4 Love they cannot hold back. When each of them had gone home, they realized then how far into trouble…
• 1.4.1 Habrocomes knows he is beaten. Then Habrocomes seized his hair and tore his clothes. "Alas for my troubles!" he…
• 1.4.2 He tries to rally his pride. "Oh, I am utterly unmanly, and worthless! Will I not hold out now? Will…
• 1.4.3 He resolves to resist Eros. "I must conquer a god who is nothing. The girl is beautiful. But what…
• 1.4.4 He surrenders to Eros. He said this, and the god pressed him harder, and dragged him as he…
• 1.4.5 He begs Eros for Anthia. "You have a suppliant. You, then, save the one who has fled for refuge…
• 1.4.6 Anthia is mad for Habrocomes. Anthia too was in a bad way. No longer able to bear it, she…
• 1.4.7 A girl kept under guard. "And what will be the limit of my desire, and what the end of…
• 1.5.1 Faces before their eyes. Each of them lamented like this all through the night. They had each other's…
• 1.5.2 The signs show on their bodies. Their bodies were worn out from the night just past, their look was downcast,…
• 1.5.3 Habrocomes prays where she can hear. Meanwhile they spent their days in the temple of the goddess and gazed at…
• 1.5.4 Anthia fears the other girls. Anthia felt the same, but she was gripped by a far greater misfortune. Whenever…
• 1.5.5 Habrocomes wastes away. As time went on, the youth could hold out no longer. By now his…
• 1.5.6 Seers and priests for Anthia. Megamedes and Euippe were in the same fear for Anthia. They saw her beauty…
• 1.5.7 The seers blame the gods below. The seers and priests came and sacrificed victims, poured libations of every kind, and…
• 1.5.8 The love burns higher. Lycomedes and his household also sacrificed and prayed a great deal for Habrocomes. But…
• 1.5.9 The fathers send to the oracle. So both of them lay sick, in a very dangerous state, expected to die…
• 1.6.1 Both families ask Apollo for the truth. The shrine of Apollo at Colophon is a short way off: the crossing from…
• 1.6.2 Apollo answers in verse. The god gave his oracles to both in common, in verse. These were the…
• 1.7.1 The fathers puzzle over the oracle. When these oracles were brought to Ephesus, their fathers were immediately at a loss,…
• 1.7.2 A wedding to soften the oracle. So, after long deliberation, they decided to soften the oracle as far as possible…
• 1.7.3 The city feasts before the wedding. The city was already full of people feasting; everything was hung with garlands, and…
• 1.7.4 The lovers make light of the prophecy. When Habrocomes learned of both the oracle and the marriage, he rejoiced greatly that…
• 1.8.1 Torches and the wedding song. So when the time for the wedding came, all-night festivals were held and many…
• 1.8.2 A golden bed under a Babylonian canopy. Their chamber had been prepared like this. A golden bed had been spread with…
• 1.8.3 Ares unarmed, led by Eros. All this was on one side of the canopy. On the other side was…
• 1.9.1 Too shy to speak. The same feeling came over both of them. They could no longer speak to…
• 1.9.2 The night he had longed for. At last Habrocomes recovered himself and embraced Anthia. She wept, her soul sending out…
• 1.9.3 Tears sweeter than nectar. "O girl, sweeter to me than the light, and more fortunate than any woman…
• 1.9.4 Anthia teases Habrocomes. She spoke a few words to him: "Truly, Habrocomes, do I seem beautiful to…
• 1.9.5 The love drink. "But look: catch my tears, and let your beautiful hair drink the love drink.…
• 1.9.6 A kiss from soul to soul. When she had said this, she kissed his whole face, put all his hair…
• 1.9.7 Anthia speaks to his eyes. Kissing his eyes, she said, "O you who have often grieved me, O you…
• 1.9.8 A vow made to the eyes. "So I kiss you many times, and I fit to you my own eyes,…
• 1.9.9 Who loves more. So she spoke, and holding each other they lay down to rest and enjoyed…
• 1.10.1 The morning after the wedding. When day came, they got up much happier and much more cheerful, having fully…
• 1.10.2 Fate has not forgotten. Their whole life was a festival, everything was full of feasting, and already even…
• 1.10.3 The fathers decide to send them away. After a little time had passed, the fathers decided to send them away from…
• 1.10.4 A great ship is loaded. So everything was made ready for their departure: a large ship, and sailors ready…
• 1.10.5 Sacrifices to Artemis before sailing. Before the sailing there were sacrifices to Artemis, prayers from all the people, and…
• 1.10.6 The whole city sees them off. When the day of sailing came, there were many servants and many maids (words…
• 1.10.7 Habrocomes' parents lie on the ground. Meanwhile Lycomedes and Themisto, remembering everything at once, the oracle, their son, the journey…
• 1.10.8 The ship casts off. And now the sailors were shouting, the stern cables were being cast off, the…
• 1.10.9 Shouts between the shore and the ship. There was a great and mingled shouting from those on land and those on…
• 1.10.10 Megamedes pours a libation and prays. Megamedes took a bowl and, pouring a libation, prayed loud enough for those on…
• 1.11.1 Clinging together on the ship. He was still speaking when his tears welled up and stopped him. The parents…
• 1.11.2 A stop at Hera's island. That day they had a fair wind, completed the passage and reached Samos, the…
• 1.11.3 Habrocomes sighs and speaks. They had a fair wind for the voyage, and many words passed between them:…
• 1.11.4 Habrocomes asks for an oath. "But if after all it is fated for us to suffer something, and somehow…
• 1.11.5 Anthia swears by Artemis. When Anthia heard this she cried out loudly and said: "What is this, Habrocomes?…
• 1.11.6 Rhodes comes in sight. This was what Anthia said, and Habrocomes swore too, and their situation made the…
• 1.12.1 The Rhodians take them for gods. So the ship put in at Rhodes, and the sailors went ashore, and Habrocomes…
• 1.12.2 Golden armor for Helios. They prayed to them publicly, offered many sacrifices, and kept their visit as a…
• 1.12.3 The wind drops and the sailors drink. After dedicating this and staying a few days on the island, they took on…
• 1.12.4 Habrocomes dreams of a woman in crimson. Meanwhile a woman stood over Habrocomes, fearsome to look at, more than human in…
• 1.13.1 Phoenician pirates at Rhodes. At Rhodes there happened to be pirates anchored beside them, Phoenicians by race, in…
• 1.13.2 The pirates make their plan. So they decided to attack, to kill those who fought back, and to take…
• 1.13.3 Corymbus, leader of the pirates. The leader of the pirates was called Corymbus: a young man, big to look…
• 1.13.4 The attack comes at midday. When the pirates had made this plan, at first they sailed quietly alongside Habrocomes…
• 1.13.5 The pirates board the ship. When they came close, they leapt onto the ship armed, with their swords drawn.…
• 1.13.6 Habrocomes and Anthia beg for mercy. But Habrocomes and Anthia ran up to Corymbus the pirate and clasped his knees.…
• 1.14.1 Corymbus burns the ship. On hearing this, Corymbus at once ordered those who were doing the killing to…
• 1.14.2 A pitiful sight at sea. It was a pitiful sight: those on the warship were sailing away, and those…
• 1.14.3 Farewells from ship to ship. Those on the ship said, "Where on earth will you be taken, masters? What…
• 1.14.4 The old tutor swims after them. Meanwhile the man who had raised Habrocomes, already old, venerable to look at and…
• 1.14.5 The old man gives himself to the waves. "And where are you going, Habrocomes? Kill me yourself, unhappy as I am, and…
• 1.14.6 Three days to Tyre. For Habrocomes this was the most pitiful thing of all: he stretched out his…
• 1.14.7 Corymbus falls in love with Habrocomes. They did not take them into the city itself, but to an estate nearby…
• 1.15.1 Corymbus holds back at sea. On the voyage it did not seem possible to persuade him. Corymbus saw that…
• 1.15.2 Kind words at Tyre. But when they put in at Tyre, Corymbus waited no longer. At first he…
• 1.15.3 Corymbus confides in Euxinus. Habrocomes thought that Corymbus was looking after him out of pity. Next, Corymbus confided…
• 1.15.4 Euxinus loves Anthia. Euxinus was glad to hear about Corymbus, for he too was in a bad…
• 1.15.5 A gift from Apsyrtus. For he said it was a great shame for men who take risks and…
• 1.15.6 The pirates make a pact. With these words Euxinus easily persuaded Corymbus, who was in love. And so they…
• 1.16.1 They swear to keep their pact. In the meantime they lay disheartened, expecting many things, talking with each other and…
• 1.16.2 The pirates take them aside. Then Corymbus and Euxinus came to them. Telling them that they wanted to say…
• 1.16.3 Euxinus speaks for Corymbus. So Euxinus spoke to Habrocomes on Corymbus' behalf: "Young man, it is natural for…
• 1.16.4 Freedom if he obeys. "Know that you can win back both good fortune and freedom, if you are…
• 1.16.5 Euxinus turns to threats. "Think about where you are. There is no one to help you, this land…
• 1.16.6 Habrocomes asks for time. When he heard this, Habrocomes was at once speechless and could find nothing to…
• 1.16.7 Anthia gives the same answer. Euxinus went away. Corymbus had spoken to Anthia of Euxinus' love, of the necessity…

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