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Flora, wall painting from Stabiae · 1st century AD

Xenophon of Ephesus, An Ephesian Tale, Section 2: The captives weep in their room

Book 2, chapter 1. On a pirate chief's estate near Tyre, Habrocomes and Anthia have each been told that a pirate loves them, and each has asked for time to think.

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• 2.1.1 The captives weep in their room. Euxinus and Corymbus waited together for whatever they would hear, and they hoped to…
• 2.1.2 Habrocomes blames his old pride. "O father," they kept saying, "O mother, O dearest homeland, and household and kin!"…
• 2.1.3 Habrocomes laments his beauty. "Oh, our beauty, so ill-timed for us both! Was I kept chaste until now…
• 2.1.4 He swears by his chastity. "But no, by my chastity, my companion from childhood until now, I would not…
• 2.1.5 Anthia tells what she heard. He said this and wept. And Anthia said: "Alas for our troubles! So soon…
• 2.1.6 Anthia chooses death. "But may I not be so in love with life, nor endure to see…
• 2.2.1 Apsyrtus asks for the captives. And this was what they had decided. Meanwhile Apsyrtus, the leader of the pirate…
• 2.2.2 Corymbus and Euxinus give them up. So he shared out the rest of the goods and property, and all the…
• 2.2.3 Apsyrtus brings them into Tyre. So they went away. Apsyrtus took charge of Habrocomes and Anthia and two slaves,…
• 2.2.4 The crowd takes them for gods. Their procession drew every eye, and everyone marveled at their beauty. Barbarian people who…
• 2.2.5 Kept with care for a good price. He brought them to his house and handed them over to a trusted slave,…
• 2.3.1 Manto falls in love with Habrocomes. This was how things stood with Habrocomes and his companions. A few days later…
• 2.3.2 Manto has no one to tell. Living every day in Habrocomes' company, Manto was captured. She could not contain herself,…
• 2.3.3 Manto turns to Rhode. For this very reason she burned all the more and was in a bad…
• 2.3.4 An oath at the family shrines. So when she found a free moment, she took the girl to the family…
• 2.3.5 Manto threatens Rhode. Then she said, "Know that you are my slave, and know that you will…
• 2.3.6 Rhode decides to tell Leucon. So she thought it best to share what Manto had said with Leucon first.…
• 2.3.7 Rhode breaks the news to Leucon. Then she got him alone and said, "Leucon, we are utterly lost. Now we…
• 2.3.8 Leucon will see to everything. "So think what we must do. To refuse the barbarian woman is dangerous, and…
• 2.4.1 Leucon brings the news. With these words he went to Habrocomes, who, as it happened, had nothing to…
• 2.4.2 Leucon tells him of Manto. "Habrocomes, one of our masters finds you handsome. Apsyrtus' daughter is in a bad…
• 2.4.3 Habrocomes turns on Leucon. When Habrocomes heard this he was at once filled with anger. He stared hard…
• 2.4.4 His soul stays free. "They have power over my body, but my soul I keep free. Let Manto…
• 2.4.5 Anthia begs him to give in. He said this, and Anthia lay speechless under the blow, not even able to…
• 2.4.6 Anthia offers to die. "And I will get out of your way by killing myself. This much I…
• 2.5.1 A love letter from Manto. So they were in this situation. But Manto, since Rhode was taking so long,…
• 2.5.2 Her promise and her threat. "For if you are persuaded, I will persuade my father Apsyrtus to marry me…
• 2.5.3 The letter reaches Habrocomes. She took this letter, sealed it, and gave it to one of her own…
• 2.5.4 Habrocomes writes his refusal. He kept that tablet, and wrote another and gave it to the maid. This…
• 2.5.5 Manto plans her revenge. When Manto received this letter, she fell into a rage beyond control. Mixing everything…
• 2.5.6 Manto falls at her father's knees. Just at this moment Apsyrtus came from Syria, bringing with him from there a…
• 2.5.7 Manto accuses Habrocomes. "For the chaste Habrocomes tried to destroy my virginity, and he plotted against you…
• 2.6.1 Apsyrtus believes his daughter. When Apsyrtus heard this, he believed she was telling the truth and looked no…
• 2.6.2 Apsyrtus will not hear a word. Having said this, he would no longer bear to hear even a word. He…
• 2.6.3 A pitiful sight. It was a pitiful sight. For the (words lost) were ruining his whole body,…
• 2.6.4 A show for the bridegroom. He brought both terrible chains and fire upon him, and above all he used…
• 2.6.5 Anthia pleads for Habrocomes. Meanwhile Anthia fell at the knees of Apsyrtus and begged him for Habrocomes. But…
• 2.7.1 In prison while Manto marries. So Habrocomes was bound and in prison, and a terrible despair came over him,…
• 2.7.2 Anthia visits him in secret. Anthia was all grief, and whenever she could persuade the men in charge of…
• 2.7.3 Anthia is given to Manto. When they were now getting ready to leave for Syria, Apsyrtus sent his daughter…
• 2.7.4 Anthia must go to Syria. So when Anthia learned this, and that she would be taken to Syria with…
• 2.7.5 She swears to stay his. "And you will stay in the prison and die pitifully, and you will not…
• 2.8.1 Habrocomes alone in the prison. At last Anthia went out of the prison, and Habrocomes threw himself on the…
• 2.8.2 A dream of his father and a horse. As he was saying this, sleep took hold of him, and a dream came…
• 2.9.1 Manto reaches Antioch. So Habrocomes was shut up in the prison, while Anthia was being taken to…
• 2.9.2 Manto plans her revenge. At once she ordered some men to put Rhode and Leucon on a ship…
• 2.9.3 Anthia is given to the goatherd. She sent for the goatherd, Lampon by name, handed Anthia over to him and…
• 2.9.4 The goatherd swears an oath. So Anthia was taken to the country to live with the goatherd. When she…
• 2.10.1 Apsyrtus finds Manto's letter. So Anthia was with the goatherd on the farm, mourning Habrocomes all the time.…
• 2.10.2 Apsyrtus makes amends. Habrocomes, who had suffered terrible and pitiful things, fell at Apsyrtus' knees. But Apsyrtus…
• 2.10.3 Habrocomes thinks only of Anthia. So Apsyrtus spoke, and Habrocomes said: "Thank you, master, for learning the truth and…
• 2.10.4 Leucon and Rhode find a kind master. So he lived, managing Apsyrtus' affairs and thinking how and where he would find…
• 2.11.1 Moeris falls in love with Anthia. Anthia stayed with the goatherd for some time. But Moeris, Manto's husband, who came…
• 2.11.2 Manto turns on her rival. The goatherd agreed with Moeris, but out of fear of Manto he went to…
• 2.11.3 Manto orders Anthia killed. For the time being, then, she kept quiet. But when Moeris had gone away…
• 2.11.4 Anthia blames her beauty. He pitied the girl, but out of fear of Manto he went to Anthia…
• 2.11.5 Anthia asks for a burial. "But I beg you, Lampon, goatherd, you who have been pious until now: if…
• 2.11.6 The goatherd is moved to pity. She said this, and the goatherd was moved to pity. He thought what an…
• 2.11.7 Lampon spares Anthia. The goatherd took the girl, but he could not bring himself to murder her,…
• 2.11.8 Anthia prays for the goatherd. In tears she clasped his feet and said: "Gods, and Artemis of my fathers,…
• 2.11.9 Sold to merchants from Cilicia. The goatherd took Anthia and went off to the harbor. He found merchants there,…
• 2.11.10 Shipwreck on the way to Cilicia. The merchants took Anthia aboard their ship, and when night came on they set…
• 2.11.11 Taken by Hippothous' robbers. There was a thick forest in that place. That night, as they wandered in…
• 2.12.1 Manto writes to her father. In the meantime a servant came from Syria, bringing a letter from Manto to…
• 2.12.2 Habrocomes leaves in secret. When Habrocomes learned this, he could no longer bear to stay. So, unnoticed by…
• 2.12.3 Lampon tells him about Anthia. The goatherd told him her name, that it was Anthia, and told him about…
• 2.13.1 The robbers prepare a sacrifice to Ares. Hippothous the robber and his men spent that night feasting, and on the next…
• 2.13.2 How the robbers sacrifice. The sacrifice had to take place in the customary way. The victim to be…
• 2.13.3 A noise in the forest. When everything was ready and they meant to hang the girl, a noise was…
• 2.13.4 Only Hippothous escapes. This Perilaus fell upon the robbers with a large force and killed them all,…
• 2.13.5 Perilaus pities Anthia. Perilaus took Anthia, and when he learned of the misfortune that had awaited her,…
• 2.13.6 Perilaus falls in love. Seeing the girl every day led him to love, and little by little Perilaus…
• 2.13.7 Perilaus offers her everything. So he told Anthia that she would be everything to Perilaus: wife, lady of…
• 2.13.8 Anthia asks for thirty days. At first she held out. But she did not know what she could do…
• 2.14.1 Habrocomes meets the bandit Hippothous. So Anthia was in Tarsus with Perilaus, waiting for the time of the wedding,…
• 2.14.2 Hippothous asks him to share the road. When Hippothous saw him, he ran up, greeted him warmly and asked him to…
• 2.14.3 Hippothous proposes leaving Cilicia. "So let us leave Cilicia and go to Cappadocia and Pontus over there, for…
• 2.14.4 They swear to help each other. "…who are rich." Habrocomes did not speak of his search for Anthia, but he…

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