Apollonius, King of Tyre


 
 
        In Antioch lived a king named Antiochus, who had a beautiful daughter. When she became of marriageable age and suitors began to appear, King Antiochus fell in love with his own daughter and eventually raped her. The daughter’s nurse with difficulty kept the daughter from committing suicide. In the following days the father continued to treat the daughter as his concubine. Meanwhile, he put off any marriage by posing impossible riddles to suitors; the penalty for failure is death. Since she was of outstanding beauty, many suitors perished.
 Finally, a wealthy and handsome young man from Tyre, Apollonius, arrives in Antioch, seeking the hand of the daughter. Antiochus gives him the following riddle to solve:
           In a short while Apollonius is able to figure out the riddle, which, of course, refers to the sexual relationship between the father and the daughter. When Apollonius tells the king the solution — which is also thus a charge of incest — the king simply denies Apollonius has solved the riddle and instead gives him thirty days to come up with the correct solution, and allows him to sail back to Tyre. After Apollonius has left, King Antiochus orders his servant Thaliarchus to follow Apollonius back to Tyre and to kill him there.
         When Apollonius returns to Tyre, he spends some time consulting his  books of wisdom and assures himself he has made no mistake about the riddle. Realizing that King Antiochus is planning to kill him, he loads up his ships with grain, and his own ship  with much wealth and leaves in the dead of night. The next day the citizens of Tyre, realizing that Apollonius has left them, are plunged into grief. When Thaliarchus arrives and learns what has happened, he returns to King Antiochus, who offers a reward of one hundred talents of gold for Apollonius alive, and two hundred talents for him dead. When Apollonius is not immediately found (although many are looking for him) King Antiochus prepares a fleet to go in search of Apollonius.
         Meanwhile, Apollonius arrives in Tarsus and meets an old, poor man whom he at first ignores. But he soon learns from the old man about the price on his head. Apollonius tries to reward the old man, who instead simply leaves, saying friendship is not a matter of money. Apollonius soon meets a local friend, Stranguillio, who tells him that Tarsus is suffering a terrible famine, and all expect to die. Apollonius gives the citizens the grain in his ships in exchange for keeping his presence secret from King Antiochus, which the citizens gladly agree to do. They even set up a bronze statue of him to honor his rescue of the city.
         Some months later Apollonius is persuaded to go to the city of Pentapolis in Cyrene and hid there. He sails away, and at this point the text describes in verse the terrific storm that arises. Only Apollonius, clinging to a piece of timber, survives and makes it to the shore near Pentapolis. Now completely destitute, Apollonius begs help from an old fisherman, who offers him what hospitality he can, even giving him half of his cloak, and sends him into the city. When Apollonius  enters the city, he hears a boy announce that the gymnasium is now open. Apollonius goes there, takes a bath, and watches for someone who might be his equal in sport. Soon the local king, Archistrates, comes in, and Apollonius manages to join him playing a ball game. Apollonius’ marvelous skill pleases the king, who now has a decent partner in his game. After the game Apollonius shows other talents as he skillfully applies ointment to the king and aids him in his bath. Although Apollonius tells the King nothing about his misfortune, the King sends his servants to find out about the helpful stranger, and, when he learns what Apollonius has suffered, invites him to dinner, and provides him with suitable clothing, and gives him a place near his own couch.
         In the course of the banquet the daughter of King Archistrates arrives. We never learn her name. She asks about the stranger, who is evidently in intense grief. The father tells what he knows (not much) and encourages her to speak to him to learn more. She questions him, and Apollonius tells her what has happened, and then falls to crying. The girl cheers Apollonius up by promising that her father will make him rich again. The girl’s generosity makes her father happy, and he orders that her lyre be brought so that she might cheer him up with music. She plays, and all praise her skill except Apollonius. When the King asks about his silence, Apollonius tells him that his daughter has skill, but needs more training. Then, at the King’s invitation, Apollonius puts on a display of consummate musical skill.
         At this point the daughter (whose name we never learn) begins to burn with love for Apollonius. She, in her father’s name, gives him outstanding wealth — two hundred gold talents and much else — and sees to it that her father finds him proper lodging. The next day the daughter gets the king to make Apollonius her music teacher, and Apollonius begins teaching her. But soon her love sickness becomes so severe that she becomes quite sick and is confined to bed. The doctors cannot find out what is wrong.
         Meanwhile three aristocrats come to seek the daughter's hand in marriage. The king tells the men that his daughter is ill, but he will let her decide whom she wants to marry. The three young men write down what they are offering in a dowry and give them to the king, who hands them over to Apollonius to give to the girl. Apollonius hands over the tablets, and the King's daughter is sad to see that the tablets  do not contain an offer of marriage from Apollonius. After some banter with Apollonius, she writes down her answer on a tablet, seals it and sent it via Apollonius back to her father, informing him that it is the shipwrecked one that she wishes to marry. The king, confused, asked the suitors which one of them has been shipwrecked, and soon realizes Apollonius is his daughter's choice, a fact that pleases him also. Apollonius agrees. The couple are wed to general rejoicing, and soon their love for each other becomes profound, as does their happiness.
         Six months later, when his wife is visibly pregnant, Apollonius learns from a sea captain that Antiochus has been struck and killed by lightening by the gods for sleeping with his daughter, and that, furthermore, the riches of Antioch are being reserved for Apollonius himself. In short order, with King’s approval, Apollonius and his wife set out to claim Apollonius' new kingdom. While they are at sea, Apollonius’ wife gives  birth to a daughter, but apparently dies in childbirth. Apollonius becomes mad with grief. The steersman of the ship insists that it is impossible to sail with a corpse on board.  Apollonius has his craftsmen make an elaborate  (and watertight) coffin, into which he puts his wife’s body and 20,000 gold sesterces.
          The coffin is tossed overboard, which comes to rest on the shore near Ephesus. A doctor discovers it and orders the coffin taken to his home. When he opens the coffin, he sees the gold and the note left by Apollonius, asking whoever discovers the body to give it proper burial. When Apollonius' wife is about to be cremated, a student of the doctor notices that she is in fact still alive, although in a coma. With effort the woman is revived. When the doctor learns of her royal origins he adopts her as his daughter. Because the woman has begged to be submitted to nothing unbecoming a married woman, the doctor makes her a chaste priestess of Diana.
         Meanwhile Apollonius, after the loss of his wife, sails to Tarsus and meets his old friend Stranguillio, to whom he entrusts his infant daughter, called Tarsia, and her nurse Lycoris. Apollonius further tells him he will not go to Antioch, or go back to Pentapolis, but will now become a wandering merchant. After giving Stranguillio much wealth Apollonius goes off to an obscure part of Egypt.
         Five years later, Tarsia is sent to school with Philomusia, the daughter of Stranguillio and his wife Dionysias to study the liberal arts, to which Tarsia applies herself with takes to with some skill. When Tarsia becomes fourteen her dying nurse Lycoris reveals the girl's true identity and the story of her father, grandfather, mother, and her mother’s death. Lycoris tells Tarsia that if Stranguillio and his wife Dionysias do not treat her as they promised Apollonius, she should go to the statue that the people of Tarsus set up in Apollonius honor and proclaim her father’s identity, since the people of Tarsus still revere the name of Apollonius. The nurse dies and the daughter  has the old woman buried and mourns her for a year.
         At this time, when Dionysias is going through town with her daughter Philomusia and Tarsia, she becomes madly enraged that people think her daughter is ugly compared to Tarisa, and decides, since the nurse is dead and Apollonius has been gone for fourteen years and is thus probably also dead, she can freely destroy Tarsia and seize her wealth for her own daughter. At home Dionysias summons her servant Theophilus and orders him to kill Tarsia when she goes alone to honor the grave of her nurse, as she does daily, and then to toss the body into the sea. Theophilus goes to the tomb and seizes the girl, but, delaying to allow the girl to make her prayers, his crime is interrupted by pirates, who at that moment show up and take the girl from him. Theophilus, glad that he did not have to kill the girl, goes back and tells Dionysias that he had done her bidding.
         Then Dionysias tells her husband Stranguillio what she has done. Although he is shocked and revolted, Stranguillio goes along with his wife’s plan of deception. They put on mourning, build a grand tomb, and tell the people of Tarsus that Tarsia suddenly died of stomach trouble. The people put a bronze plaque on the empty tomb honoring the girl and her father.
         Meanwhile the pirates take Tarsia to Mytilene and put her up for sale in the slave market. A particularly vile pimp gets into a bidding war for her with Athenagora, the local king, and the pimp finally buys her for over a hundred thousand gold sesterces. Tarsia is taken to the house of the pimp and its statue of Priapus. Despite her pleas the pimp declares that her virginity is now up for sale -- for a half pound of gold. The first customer is Athenagora, who disguises his identity. When Athenagora is alone with Tarsia, her pleas and the story of her misfortunes, persuade him, instead of taking her virginity,to give her forty pieces of gold. He tells her to do the same to other customers as she has done to him. As the day progresses, each customer, instead of having sex with Tarsia, instead listens to her tale of woe and gives her money. This continues for days. Athenagora watches over her and gives money to the slave that attends her.
          While this is happening Apollonius finally returns to Tarsus and to Stranguillio and learns of his daughter’s supposed death. Apollonius is shattered at the news. He orders all the wealth left with his daughter to be taken to the ship, while he goes to his daughter’s tomb and its bronze plaque. Apollonius finds he cannot even cry, and orders his crew to confine him below deck. They set out to sea, intending to go to Tyre, but, due to bad weather, are forced to put into Mytilene, where a festival to Neptune is in progress. Apollonius gives money to the crew so they can enjoy themselves at the festival, but orders that nobody be allowed to see him.
         Apollonius' ship and sailors attract the attention of Athenagora, who, while enjoying the hospitality of Apollonius’ crew on deck, learns why their master has secluded himself. Athenagora, who has learned that their master is called Apollonius, and who has recalled that Tarsia’s father was also called Apollonius, goes below to meet Apollonius, who is now a filthy mess. He is unable to convince Apollonius, who wants to die,  to come into the light.  Athenagora leaves the ship, but soon  has an idea, and orders his slave to bring Tarsia to him. He tells Tarsia she must use all her considerable skills at persuasion. to convince Apollonius to come into the light, and promises her a great reward.
         Tarsia agrees, enters the ship and goes below to the stranger, proclaiming to Apollonius (whose identity she apparently has not been told) that she is not a typical prostitute but a pure virgin, and sings a song (rendered in verse) about her misfortunes and how the stranger should turn his mind to God to find relief from grief.
         Apollonius with difficulty responds to her, promising, if he ever recovers, to help her, and, giving her two hundred gold pieces, he asks her to go away and not come back.
         Tarsia leaves with the gold, but is stopped by Athenagora, who offers her four hundred gold pieces  if she will go back down and persuade the suicidal man to come into the light. Tarsia goes back down, returns the money, and tells Apollonius she will leave if he can solve her riddles. Apollonius agrees. Tarsia tells him several tricky riddles, which he solves. He then gives her another hundred gold pieces, but she, filled now with great pity for the man, empties the coins in his lap and tries to pull Apollonius out of his cabin. He strikes her and bloodies her nose. At this point, the lamenting Tarsia  tells the story of her origins and subsequent history. Apollonius realizes that this is his daughter and rushes to embrace her. When Athenagora later sees him embracing his daughter, he pleads with Apollonius not to give his daughter in marriage to any other man, and tells how he protected her virginity. Apollonius agrees to let him marry her. Then Athenagora reveals Apollonius to the people of Mytilene, and convinces them to honor Apollonius and to burn the pimp alive and give the pimp’s wealth to Tarsia. In turn Apollonius gives the citizens one hundred talents of gold. The citizens  then erect a statue in honor of Apollonius and his daughter. A few days later Athenagora marries Tarsia.
         Soon afterward Apollonius, his daughter and her new husband sail away. In a dream what looks like an angel tells Apollonius to put in at Ephesus and enter the temple of Diana with his daughter and son in-law and recount his life’s misfortunes. Apollonius obeys the dream, puts in at Ephesus and enters the temple where, of course, his wife has been a chaste priestess for these past fourteen years. The wife, not knowing who the rich king is, dresses richly herself to receive him. In the sanctuary Apollonius recounts his life and its misfortunes. Immediately Apollonius' wife (still unnamed) realizes this is her husband and embraces him, and then is shown her now grown-up daughter. The reunion is joyously celebrated by all Ephesus.
         Apollonius and family return to Tarsus where the people confirm his kingship and learn of the evil dealings of Stranguillio and Dionysias, who are then stoned to death and tossed outside the city to remain unburied. After bestowing various benefactions upon Tarsus, Apollonius sails to Pentapolis in Cyrene and to his father-in-law Archistrates and spends a year with him, after which Archistrates dies, leaving his kingdom to his daughter and Apollonius.
         Soon after this Apollonius meets the old fisherman who had given him hospitality when he was first shipwrecked and rewards him magnificently,. as he does Hellenicus, who had kept him informed of the conspiracy of Antiochus. Eventually Apollonius has a son who becomes King of Pentapolis, while Apollonius rules over Antioch and Tyre.  After living with his wife seventy-four years both of them die peacefully in old age.

 

 
 

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This page last updated 11 September 1998 by Jean Alvares