Summary of Heliodorus' Ethiopian Story

Summary of Heliodorus' Ethiopian Story.

Book 1

The romance opens upon a scene of paradox as a robber band comes upon, at the Heracleotic mouth of the Nile, a scene of mass slaughter that apparently happened amid a banquet. There is a richly loaded ship tied up nearby. There is no sight of any hostile forces, nor has anything been plundered. There is another amazing sight. A divinely beautiful young woman with a bow is nursing a badly wounded but nevertheless divinely handsome young man. These, we shall learn later, are the central couple, Theagenes and Charicleia. At first they think she is a goddess, but her passionate grief for the young man proves them wrong. Unable to communicate with the couple, they put them under guard and begin to plunder. But then a second band of brigands comes up, and drives the first group away. The couple are captured a second time, and taken to the village of the Herdsmen, which is described in some detail. The couple are handed over by the bandit chief to the care of a young man. Alone, they bewail their misfortunes, both past and those to come. To their amazement, they learn the young man is a Greek, called Knemon, originally from Athens. Knemon relates to them how his father Aristippos had taken a certain Demainete for his second wife, and how this women had tried to seduce him. When he rejects her, Demainete goes to her husband and claims that Knemon insulted and beat her, for which his father soundly beats him. Then Demainete has her slave woman, Thisbe, seduce Knemon. As part of the plot Thisbe tells Knemon that Demainete is having an affair with another man, and that she can help him catch the adulterers in the act. Knemon agrees, and armed with a dagger, goes to confront the supposed couple and instead surprises his father, who presumes that Knemon was trying to murder him, just as Demainete (who had engineered the whole conspiracy) had predicted. The next day he is taken before the Athenian Assembly, accused by his father, and exiled. He goes to Aegina and, some months later, his friend tells him that Demainete had committed suicide after falling victim to a conspiracy by Thisbe. The trio go to sleep before they hear the conclusion of Knemon's adventures. During the night the robber chief Thyamis has a dream in which he is back at his home in Memphis and there Isis commends Charicleia to him, saying that he shall have her and not have her, shall do her wrong and slay her, but she shall not die. In the morning Thyamis determines that the dream meant he shall have as a wife and enjoy her sexually. Then Thyamis calls an assembly to distribute the spoils, and we learn that Thyamis had once been a priest in Memphis until his post had been usurped by his evil brother. Thyamis claims Charicleia for himself. When he makes the proposal, Charicleia makes up a story about how Theagenes is her brother and how they came to be at the scene of slaughter. She accepts his proposal in order to buy time, first asking that she be allowed to make a rite at a temple of Apollo to purify herself. Thyamis agrees, and prepares to march on Memphis to regain his position there and use that temple. The couple are alone again and Theagenes bewails this apparent betrayal, but Charicleia assures him this was only a expedient. At that moment Thyamis' camp is about to be attacked by a rival robber band, and Thyamis has Charicleia locked in a cave to keep her safe during the upcoming battle. The battle goes badly and soon Thyamis is convinced that he interpreted the dream wrongly. He sets off to the cave with the intent of killing Charicleia so that no other man might have her. He goes back to the cave where, in the dark, he kills a woman who is speaking Greek, whom he assumes is Charicleia. He then goes off to the final defense, and, after a battle, is taken alive by the bandits, whom we learn have been sent by Thyamis' evil brother Petosiris.

Book 2
Meanwhile Theagenes and Knemon have escaped from the burning island of Thyamis' band. Knemon keeps Theagenes, who thinks Charicleia has died, from committing suicide. They go to the cave and discover the dead woman, whom they assume is Charicleia. Theagenes, as he laments her and prepares to commit suicide, hears Charicleia answer his laments. He assumes it is merely her spirit, but Knemon turns over the body and finds out it is -- Thisbe ! -- and faints. They then find Charicleia and the couple have an emotional reunion. After they recover, we learn the rest of Knemon's story. Apparently, Thisbe had taken up with a rich merchant Nausicles, provoking the jealousy of another courtesan, Arsinoe, who goes to the relatives of Demainete, tells them of Thisbe's machinations, and goads them to prosecuting Knemon's father Aristippos for the illegal death of Demainete, and as a result Aristippos is exiled. Meanwhile Thisbe has fled Athens with Nausicles. Afterward Knemon sailed to Egypt to try to find Thisbe in order to clear his father. The trio read the tablet Thisbe had on her, which she had intended to give to Knemon, and we learn that she had been a prisoner of one of the other bandits, although not how she got there. The scene shifts to Thermouthis, a henchman of Thyamis, who is the one who had captured Thisbe after raiding Nausicles' party. During the attack on their camp he had also put Thisbe in the cave for safekeeping, and that is how she had come to be killed by Thyamis. Thermouthis hurries to the cave to recover Thisbe, finds her dead, and concludes that Knemon and Theagenes killed her. Since he is outnumbered, he does not immediately try to kill them, and soon learns that it was Thyamis that killed Thisbe. Worn out with worry, they fall into an exhausted sleep, during which Charicleia dreams of a bloody man cutting out her right eye. She wonders if it means that she will lose Theagenes, but Knemon asserts it means one of her parents has died. They decide to go toward the village of Chemmis, Knemon going with Thermouthis by one route in order to escape from him at some point, and Theagenes and Charicleia by another. Knemon manages finally to escape from Thermouthis, who during the night is killed by a snakebite. The next morning Knemon, as he reaches the Nile near Chemmis finds an old man who looks like a Egyptian priest but wearing Greek clothes, talking to himself by the river. He introduces himself to the old man, whom he finds out is an Egyptian who has suffered great misfortune. When the old man asks to hear Knemon's story, Knemon first demands to hear his, so the old man takes him to the house of his host in Chemmis, where they are given hospitality by the daughter of the master of the house, whose name the reader does not know at first. Sitting down, the old man tells Knemon that he has lost his children, and then, before eating, makes a libation and prayer to the gods, invoking the names of Theagenes and Charicleia. Knemon is stunned to hear their names, and tells the old man they are safe, and then demands the old man reward him with a full account of who they are and how the old man knows them. He agrees, but first insists on eating. Afterward, we learn that his host is none other than Nausicles, who is away looking for the Herdsmen who took Thisbe from him with the help of the Persian satrap Oroondates. Knemon finally gets him back to the main story. We learn that the old man is Calasiris, who had been high priest of Isis in Memphis. He had been the object of the seductive attentions of a courtesan Rhodopis, and, to avoid the possibility of succumbing to her, had exiled himself from Memphis. He had also wanted to avoid seeing the strife of his two sons, which had been predicted. His sons, of course, turn out to be Thyamis and Petrosiris. He leaves Egypt and goes to Delphi where he might take refuge in religous contemplation. When he arrives at Delphi the oracle immediately proclaims that the gods will take him back to Egypt. This welcome impresses the population, who give him a home in the temple, where he served and engaged in philosophic discussions. In the process he meets Charicles, the priest of Pythian Apollo, who tells him his story in hopes that Calasiris might help him. Charicles' only daughter had died in a fire on her wedding night, and his own wife had died shortly thereafter from grief. In sorrow Charicles had met an Ethiopian who offers to sell him some very precious stones by way of introduction, and then offers to give them to him, if he will take care of a white seven year old girl, who had been exposed by her mother as a baby and put into the Ethiopian's care. He had raised her for some years in secret in Ethiopia, but now, as she was daily becoming more stunningly beautiful, he had arranged to be sent as ambassador to Egypt to negotiate with the Persians, and he commits the girl into Charicles' care, and but disappears before Charicles' can learn the full story of her origins. Charicles returns to Delphi and raises the child. But now there is a problem; the girl has become a devout servant of Artemis and wishes to be a perpetual virgin, and uses all manner of clever philosophy to defend her choice. Charicles wants Calasiris to use his Egyptian magic to cast a spell on her to make her want to marry. Calasiris promises to help. At that moment a messenger announces that an embassy has arrived from Thessaly lead by a descendent of Achilles to perform a important ritual sacrifice. Charicles tells Calasiris that he will see his adopted daughter -- Charicleia -- at the rite conducted by the Thessalians. The moment they all arrive at the temple of Apollo, the oracle sings out

One who starts in grace and ends in glory, another goddess born:
Of these I bid you have regard, O Delphi,
Leaving my temple here and cleaving Ocean's swelling tides,
To the black land of the Sun they will travel,
Where they will reap the reward of those whose lives are passed in virtue:
A crown of white on brows of black. (Morgan's translation).

The population, too caught up in the coming festivities, take no note of this oracle, but Calasiris does.

Book 3
After a longish description of the ritual itself for the curious Knemon, Calasiris mentions that the leader of the Thessalians, who claimed to be a direct descendent of Achilles, is Theagenes. Theagenes draws the attention of all, until Charicleia appears, who has a role in the ritual. At first sight they fall in love, as Calasiris alone observes. When Calasiris returned to Charicles' home, he finds Charicleia already disturbed with love, although only he realizes what is the problem. To her worried father however, Calasiris proclaims that Charicleia is suffering under the influence of the Evil Eye, and promises to help all he can. He and Charicles then go to a banquet put on by Theagenes, and Calasiris notes how Theagenes too is sick with love. He is toasted by Theagenes, and that night Apollo and Artemis commend the couple to him and order him to return to Egypt with them. At first light the next morning Theagenes comes to Calasiris, who proclaims Theagenes is in love. The startled young man confesses that he is in a desperate way, and swears to do whatever Calasiris tells him. Then Calasiris goes off to meet Charicles, who has had an alarming dream and who is deeply worried about his daughter's deteriorating condition. Calasiris examines Charicleia, who is in a bad way. Calasiris promises to effect a cure soon and leaves.

Book 4
The following day is the last day of the Pythian games, and Charicleia, despite her sickness, shows up to perform her traditional role, hoping to catch sight of Theagenes. She is to present the palm to the victor in the foot race in full armor, which, of course, Theagenes enters against a champion and wins. The next day Calasiris goes to see Charicles and to try to see the birth tokens of Charicleia. He goes to the house and performs a fake ritual in order to be able to speak with Charicleia, and makes her promise him to reveal the secret of her malady. When Calasiris next sees Theagenes he tells him that Charicleia is in love with him, and persuades him to wait until he figures a way to get Charicleia for him without violence, for many years early Charicles had engaged Charicleia to a relative of his. Next he visits Charicles again, who is happy because he believes that Calasiris has effected the promised cure, for a doctor has proclaimed that Charicleia suffers from love-sickness. But later on, Charicles is again worried after noting Charicleia's hysterical reaction to the man he had planned on her marrying. He again begs Calasiris' help, and it is here that Calasiris gets him to show Charicleia's birth tokens. Reading an inscribed band found among these tokens, he learns that Charicleia is really the child of Persinna, Queen of Ethiopia. She conceived while looking at a picture of Andromeda, and thus Charicleia was born white, save for a small band of black around her arm. Because of this unusual situation Persinna had to pretend the child had died at birth, since otherwise she would have been suspected of adultery. She had commended the child to the fellow from whom Charicles had received Charicleia. Calasiris then goes to the appointed interview with Charicleia, and Calasiris declares that a voice from heaven has told him she is in love with Theagenes. Then Calasiris tells Charicleia the true story of her birth, and further tells her that he has been sent by Persinna to look for her. Calasiris tells her he can find a way for her to return to Ethiopia and marry Theagenes, but she must first agree to marry Alkamenes. She reluctantly agrees . He next meets Charicles again, who has had an alarming dream about his daughter being carried away. Calasiris tells him that the dream meant his daughter is soon to be wed, and tells him to quickly to prepare the marriage ceremony for her and Alkamenes. Then he goes to Theagenes and tells him to be prepared. Then Calasiris fortuitously runs into merchants from Tyre who are about to sail to Egypt, and Calasiris makes plans to sail away with them. He then arranges for Theagenes and his Thessalians to break into Calasiris' house to kidnap Charicleia, who knows in advance of the plan. The abduction accomplished, the Thessalians head back to Thessaly, while Charicleia and Theagenes turn aside and commend their futures to Calasiris. At this point Charicleia makes Theagenes swear a great oath he will not try to have sex with her until they are married. They then wait until evening, while Calasiris goes back to Delphi to make sure the Delphinians go off in a vain pursuit of the Thessalians, as is decided upon in an assembly.

Book 5
Calasiris returns to the couple and takes them down to the Phoenician ship. At this point Knemon breaks off the story, for he has heard a noise outside the house. Nausicles has returned, who declares he has had success, and has recovered Thisbe -- whom Knemon knows is dead! Knemon then goes wandering through the strange house, determined to see if this could really be true. He hears a girl lamenting somewhat ambiguously, in Greek, and he thinks that she is really Thisbe and is plunged into deepest despair; but this is all just another example of the malice of the gods, for the woman is Charicleia. The author explains how Charicleia and Theagenes had disguised themselves as beggars and agreeing on certain signs, had headed toward Chemmis. As they left the cave they encountered another band of attackers, and delayed by an argument about if and how to resist fate, they are captured. These are the Persians who were being used by Nausicles to recover Thisbe. When Nausicles sees Charicleia he shouts, "It's Thisbe," and tells her secretly in Greek to agree to the ruse if she wants to live. So Charicleia is given to Nausicles, and Theagenes becomes the prize of the Persian Mitranes, who intends to send him to the Great King to be a cupbearer. Nausicles now has returned home with Charicleia. The next morning Calasiris and Knemon goes to Nausicles and find out the whole truth, and there is a joyful reunion between Charicleia and Calasiris. With a bit of false magic Knemon presents Nausicles with a precious gem to encourage him to negotiate with Mitranes for Theagenes' release. At an ensuring feast Calasiris tells more of their story. After Calasiris, Theagenes and Charicleia had sailed from Greece, they had stopped at Zakynthos, and spent the winter with an old fisherman. But Charicleia's beauty attracts the attention of the Tyrian merchant they had sailed with, and he tries to get Calasiris to give him to her as wife. Calasiris tries to put him off with false promises, and then learns from his host that one of the local pirates wants to attack the Phoenician sailors and capture both their treasure and Charicleia, with whom he is also madly in love. Calasiris then goes to the Phoenician and tells him that he will let him marry Charicleia, but they must sail away as soon as possible. That night in a dream a old man comes to him in a dream, apparently Odysseus, who chides him for not honoring him and predicting that Calasiris will soon suffer ordeals like his own, while also promising a happy ending for Charicleia. They sail at dawn, and after enduing a storm, make it to Crete. As they leave, they find they are being followed by another ship. Eventually they are overtaken, and it is the pirates they had tried to avoid in Zakynthos. The pirates take the ship. The pirate captain is, of course, in love with Charicleia, and takes her along with Theagenes and Calasiris, whom he thinks are Charicleia's brother and father. Soon afterward a huge storm arises, and with great difficulty they make it to Egypt and the Heracleotic mouth of the Nile. They prepare a great feast, for the pirate captain intends to marry Charicleia that day. Calasiris pretends to go along with the chief's plan, but then goes in secret to the second in command, Peloros, and tells him that Charicleia is really in love with him. This eventually brings about the huge battle whose results we saw at the beginning of the romance. Charicleia had shot a lot a pirates with the bow, and Theagenes killed others with the sword, although he was badly wounded in the final duel with Peloros. But Calasiris had been separated from them when they had been captured by the Herdsmen. Thus Calasiris' story ends and, in both sorrow and joy go to bed.

Book 6
They set off before dawn to Mitranes. In route Knemon tells his story to Calasiris, including how, after he had left Aegina to find Thisbe, but had been captured by pirates and then by the Herdsmen, where he met Charicleia and Theagenes. Soon after Knemon finishes his story, they learn that Mitranes and his Persian army had been attacked by the men of Bessa now commanded by Thyamis, who had seized Theagenes. They return to Chemmis and tell Charicleia the news. Nausicles throws a party, where he announces that he must be off to tend to business. Calasiris must be off to the village of the Herdsmen to search for Theagenes, and Knemon says he must return to Greece, although he offers to escort Calasiris and Charicleia part of the way. But Charicleia, who doesn't quite trust Knemon and realizes that Knemon is in love with Nausicles' daughter, releases him from this obligation. Nausicles then confesses his participation in the affair of Thisbe and promises to testify in Athens and offers Knemon the hand of his daughter. Knemon accepts and the feast turns into a wedding. Charicleia returns to her room and rather hysterically mourns her sufferings and her lack of Theagenes. She is finally consoled by Calasiris. A few days later Calasiris and Charicleia leave Nausicles and Knemon disguised as beggars and head toward Bessa, home of the Thyamis and his Herdsmen. But when they arrive, they find evidence of a great battle; an old women, whose son had died in the battle tells them that Mitranes had attacked the village to try to regain Theagenes, but he and his army had been destroyed. They also learn that Thyamis' army is marching on Memphis, the capital of the region. That night they watch the old woman use magic to reanimate the dead son, who predicts his mother will soon die, and also that Calasiris, if he hurries, can prevent his sons from killing each other in combat, and that Charicleia will have a happy reunion and life with the youth she is searching for. The old woman then tries to attack Calasiris and Charicleia, but ends up impaling herself on a spear by accident.

Book 7
Calasiris and Charicleia head with haste toward Memphis, which has been besieged by the army of Thyamis. The satrap Oroondates was not present, but his wife, Arsake, was, and she is consulted. We learn that she is beautiful, of royal blood, but also lustful and depraved, and had been partially responsible for the banishment of Thyamis; she had fallen in love with him, and made overtures, which were rebuffed. However, the evil brother Petosiris had told her husband of her infatuation, hinting that Thyamis had reciprocated, thus causing Thyamis' exile. He in turn became High Priest of Isis in place of his brother. Arsake now goes to the walls to negotiate with the invaders, and Thyamis and Theagenes step forward and press their claims. Arsake is torn by her old lust for Thyamis and her new lust for Theagenes, and proposes that the brothers fight to determine who is to be high priest in Memphis. Thyamis gladly accepts the challenge, and Petosiris is forced, very unwillingly, to fight. Like Achilles running after Hector, Thyamis runs around the walls of Memphis in pursuit of his brother. At that moment Calasiris, dressed like a beggar, shows up, runs alongside his sons, and finally removes his disguise and makes them realize who he is. They stop and embrace their father, and Charicleia in turn embraces Theagenes, who at first rejects her, because of her appearance, until she tells him the secret word that reveals her identity. Calasiris resumes his office, for a time, although it is clear that Thyamis will soon inherit. Arsake meanwhile is shown clearly obsessed with Theagenes, and her nurse Cybele realizes the old ailment, and promises to help her to get Theagenes. The next morning it is announced that Calasiris had died, just as he had predicted. Arsake arranges for Theagenes and Charicleia to have quarters in the palace. They enter their new quarters, where they are interviewed by Cybele. Theagenes and Charicleia suspect her intentions, so they tell her they are brother and sister who are on a search for their parents who were abducted by pirates, and that they themselves had been robbed, and were befriended by Calasiris. Cybele hurries off to tell her mistress the good news, and locks the couple in their quarters, where Charicleia especially laments their new distress. Meanwhile Achaimenes, the son of Cybele, comes to the door of their quarters and is refused admittance, and assumes that Theagenes is just another of his mother's consorts, but, as he leaves, he remembers that Theagenes looked like the young man that had been captured by Mitranes, and taken from him. Cybele returns to the couple and tells them they must give deep reverence to Arsake when they meet her, and then provides a wondrous meal for them, as is provided for the next few days. Then Theagenes is summoned, alone, to an audience with Arsake. When he enters the lavish throne room he does not abase himself before Arsake. In the subsequent days Arsake presses Cybele to bring Theagenes around, and Cybele constantly (but indirectly) tries to corrupt Theagenes, who, well aware of what is happening, always praises Arsake's generosity, but ignores the less noble appeals. Finally, Cybele propositions him directly, adding threats, and pleading with Charicleia (whom she believes is Theagenes' sister) to help convince him. To buy time Charicleia also encourages Theagenes to comply, and Cybele leaves their quarters. In private Charicleia also urges Theagenes to pretend to begin to comply, if only to buy time, but Theagenes seems intent on outright rejection, and soon afterward Theagenes bluntly rejects the offer. When Cybele reports these bad tidings, she is tossed out of the palace where she meet her son Achaimenes and tells him of the danger she is in due to failing to help Arsake. Achaimenes tells her that, if Arsake will give Charicleia to him, he will bring it about that Arsake can have Theagenes. Arsake grants them an interview and agrees to Achaimenes' conditions, and he tells her that Theagenes was Mitranes' slave and thus is also her slave and cannot deny her what she wants. Encouraged, Arsake sends for Theagenes, who admits he had been Mitranes' captive. She then declares that Theagenes will serve at table, and dismisses him and sends Cybele to Theagenes to insist that he comply with all of her demands. Charicleia and Theagenes confer -- it seems impossible to save them both -- and Theagenes asks for and gets a conference with Arsake, where he tells her that Charicleia is his sister, not his bride -- thus annulling her promise to Achaimenes that she would marry Theagenes' sister to him -- and promising to submit if Arsake keeps Achaimenes from marrying Charicleia, which she now can do. Arsake agrees and dismisses Theagenes. Together again, Theagenes tells Charicleia what he did, hoping that the disappointment of Achaimenes will produce a way out for them. The next day Theagenes, as ordered, waits at table, and performs masterfully. Achaimenes is outraged at the preference shown Theagenes, and is even more incensed when he learns his wedding has been canceled. Achaimenes believes this is simply another trick, that Charicleia is really his sister. Then, devising a new plan, he sets off to find Oroondates (satrap of Memphis and Arsake's husband), who is in Thebes mustering an expedition against the Ethiopians.

Book 8
We find out that Persia and Ethiopia have been quarreling over the possession of the territory around Philai and the nearby emerald mines, and that the King of Ethiopia had just captured Philai without bloodshed through a trick. Oroondates has just learned this when Achaimenes arrives and tells him about Theagenes and Arsake's passions and plots - and also about Charicleia, which arouses a passion in Oroondates. The satrap then sends his chief eunuch Bagoas with fifty horsemen to bring Charicleia and Theagenes to him, while he hurries off to engage the Ethiopians. Meanwhile at Memphis the period of mourning for Calasiris is over and Thyamis tries to figure out where Theagenes and Charicleia are. When he finds they are in the palace, he goes to Arsake, who violently refuses to give them up. Arsake still has not be able to seduce Theagenes, and she is worried about the absence of Achaimenes. Cybele convinces her to use torture to get Theagenes to comply, and he is chained and tossed into prison where he is tortured. When torture does not work, Cybele orders it made more severe, but Theagenes does not bend. Then Cybele convinced Arsake that the only solution is to kill Charicleia, and she volunteers to use poison to do so. Arsake agrees. Theagenes is released from prison, and, when she is at dinner with Cybele a poison cup is prepared, which apparently Cybele drinks by mistake, and, while dying, makes gestures indicating that Charicleia is the murderess. Charicleia is chained and brought before Arsake. Charicleia, thinking that Theagenes is going to die, confesses to the crime and is put in prison. A maid confesses her participation in Cybele's plot, and how she presented the wrong cup, but her witness is suppressed by Arsake. The next morning Charicleia is put on trial and again confesses to the crime, because the night before in prison she and Theagenes had entered into a suicide pact, thinking their situation hopeless. She is ordered to be immediately burned at the stake. The Persians build a bonfire and light it, and Charicleia goes to the pyre of her free will, both proclaiming her innocence and calling upon the gods to punish Arsake. Charicleia then enters the flames, but the flames avoid her; this is because she is wearing one of the jewels left among her birth tokens, the fabulous pantarbe stone. The people of Memphis are convinced that Charicleia is innocent, and Arsake is barely able to recapture the girl and put her back into prison along with Theagenes. That night, as they discuss the implications of what happened, Theagenes insists that this salvation comes from the gods. Both of them suddenly recall dreams in which Calasiris told Charicleia of the power of the pantarbe stone, and told Theagenes of his impending release from Arsake and travel to Ethiopia. After more debate, the couple go to sleep hopeful that the gods will create a way out of their predicament. In the middle of the night Bagoas arrives at the prison with letters from Oroondates takes Charicleia and Theagenes away from the prison on horseback. They travel a long while and then stop to avoid the noonday heat. Toward the evening a messenger comes up telling the company that Arsake committed suicide by hanging rather than face punishment for her crimes. They begin traveling again, but soon have to change course when they learn Oroondates has left Thebes for Syene, which is besieged by the Ethiopians. So they head for Syene. Bogoas' party is soon ambushed and captured by Ethiopian advance troops, aided by their allies the Troglodytai. Charicleia, seeing the Ethiopians, realizes that she is in the hands of destiny. The Ethiopians, after questioning them, decide to take Charicleia and Theagenes back as the first spoils of war.

Book 9
In the meantime Oroondates has made it to Syene, only to be surrounded and besieged by the Ethiopians. Charicleia and Theagenes are brought as prisoners to the Ethiopian King, Hydaspes, who orders them to be kept, to be sacrificed according to Ethiopian law that states that the first enemies captured are to be sacrificed. The couple are to be well treated, with lavish food and golden chains. Then Hydaspes, when his first attempt to assault Syene fails, decides upon an original scheme. He builds a moat and dike around the city, and then fills the moat with water from the near by Nile. The rising waters cause the city walls to begin to collapse, and Oroondates is forced to negotiate by boat with the Ethiopians. The people of Syene surrender and, a few days later, Oroondates, violating the terms of their agreement, sneaks his army out of Syene and makes haste to Elephantine and his main force while the inhabitants of Syene are celebrating rites in honor of the Nile. Soon Hydaspes learns that Oroondates is coming with his main force, which had been left at Elephantine. A battle ensures between the Persians and their allies, and the Ethiopians and their own allies. The Ethiopian forces win decisively, and Oroondates tries to escape on horseback. But he is trapped at the Nile by the Ethiopians, and nearly killed by Achaimenes who wounds him before he himself is killed. He is brought to Hydaspes, who orders him given medical treatment. Then Hydaspes enters Syene in triumph and learns various ethnographical details about the city. The next day Hydaspes rewards various people from his army and orders Charicleia and Theagenes to be brought to him. To Theagenes' amazement, Charicleia decides to delay telling Hydaspes who she really is until they arrive in Ethiopia itself where the Queen can confirm her story. Hydaspes, seeing Charicleia, is amazed, for he had recently had a dream about such a girl being brought to him. When he asks her who her parents are, she announces that they are here! Hydaspes assumes she is merely speaking in riddles, and again orders them to be well taken care of, since they are to be sacrificed in Ethiopia. He finally lets Oroondates return to his satrapy in Memphis.

Book 10
The events at Syene ended, Hydaspes heads back to Meroe in Ethiopia, sending letters ahead to the Gymnosophists (the chief priestly caste of the Ethiopians) and to his wife Persinna, telling of his success and to prepare to celebrate the traditional war sacrifice. Meanwhile Persinna has had a dream presaging the return of Charicleia, although not understanding it as such. When she goes to the Gymnosophists to request their attendance, they also predict, in oracular fashion, that the coming sacrifice will not go as planned, but that a member of the royal house will be restored. The next morning Hydaspes reaches Meroe, and, after making preliminary sacrifices and greetings, he proceeds to the undertaking of the central ritual, the sacrifices to the Sun, Moon and Dionysos, the chief Gods of the Ethiopians. Charicleia and Theagenes are brought forth to be sacrificed, and Persinna feels great pity for them, especially Charicleia. Then the Ethiopians carry out a preliminary test, forcing the prisoners to step on a gold gridiron, which instantly burns all those who have had sexual relations. Theagenes and Charicleia pass the test. The Gymnosophists start to withdraw out of revulsion at the coming human sacrifice. But before they can, Charicleia falls at the feet of Sisimithres, leader of the Gymnosophists and begs his help in proving that she cannot be sacrificed. Charicleia is overjoyed when she hears it was Sisimithres she had spoken to, for he is the one to whom Persinna had given Charicleia as a baby. Then Charicleia declares she cannot be sacrificed, for she is a native Ethiopian. Hydaspes becomes very annoyed at what he considers either insanity or a futile attempt to avoid the sacrifice, but Charicleia declares she is his daughter, and can prove it. She then produces the tokens that Persinna put with her long ago. Persinna is stunned, and, when Hydaspes asks why, she tells him to read the band that was among the tokens, the one that Calasiris had read in Delphi. He and Sisimithres read the band together. Sisimithres confesses that he was the one to whom Persinna had committed the young girl. He mentions the other tokens, and Charicleia produces these too. Hydaspes is still skeptical, and demands an explanation of how Charicleia could possibly be his daughter and be white. Hydaspes explains how Persinna was looking at the picture of Andromeda when she had conceived, and, when they bring the picture out of the royal bedroom, it looks a great deal like Charicleia. Then Charicleia shows the black band around her arm that is an identifying birthmark. Persinna embraces Charicleia in a surfeit of passion, and soon afterward Hydaspes does too. But he is still bound by ancestral law to conduct the sacrifice and declares, with sorrow, he must continue, and he begins to take Charicleia toward the altar. But the people strongly voice their objections, and show they are prepared to use force to prevent the sacrifice, and Hydaspes admits defeat. But he still intends to sacrifice Theagenes, and Charicleia is too modest to come right out and tell her father that he is her fiancee. She then asks, if Theagenes must be sacrificed, she be allowed to do it. Hydaspes says she cannot do so because she has no husband. Charicleia then says that she does have a husband, but is interrupted by Hydaspes before she can more fully explain herself, declaring that she must be half-crazy. Hydaspes takes a break to receive visitors and finds his nephew, Meroebos, is among the guests. He greets him in glorious array, and announces that he intends Meroebos to marry Charicleia. In return for this gift Meroebos presents Hydaspes with a champion wrestler, a huge individual, who challenges all comers to wrestle with him. None are brave enough to come forward, and the Ethiopians are embarrassed. Hydaspes then receives other ambassadors, such as the Seres (= Chinese), the Arab, etc. The last embassy brings as its gift a giraffe, for the Ethiopians an amazingly strange animal. At the sight of this beast one of the bulls about to be sacrificed bolts in terror and starts running around crashing into things. Theagenes jumps into action, and leaps upon a horse and, catching up with the bull, wrestles it to a stop, to the acclamation of the crowd. Meanwhile Persinna notices the nervousness with which Charicleia watches Theagenes' exploits. Charicleia begs Persinna to help save Theagenes, but is prevented from telling her the full story by the noise of the crowd as Theagenes finishes off the bull right in front of Hydaspes. Theagenes is brought before the King, and the people start to shout that he be matched with the wrestling champion. Theagenes agrees, and using his speed and cleverness beats the wrestler fairly quickly. Hydaspes congratulates him, and is astounded as Theagenes asked to be sacrificed by the hand of Charicleia, and is told by Theagenes that Charicleia is in fact married! Charicleia, watching Hydaspes' reaction, proceeds to confide the whole story to Persinna. Meanwhile an embassy comes from Oroondates, whose letter bids Hydaspes release a female captive to him, not only because of his own desire for her, but so that she might be restored to her father, who is part of the embassy. The old man comes forward and examines the female captives, but does not see his daughter, but, when he sees Theagenes, he rushes at him in anger, and declares this is the kidnapper of his daughter. Of course, the old man is Charicles, who tells the story (as far as he knows it) of his daughter's abduction by Theagenes with Calasiris' help. Charicles had come to Egypt and found that Calasiris had died, but had met Thyamis at Memphis who had told him how his daughter had been sent to Meroe. Of course, Charicles hasn't told Hydaspes his daughter's name. When Hydaspes questions Theagenes, Theagenes confesses his guilt, and when Hydaspes tells Theagenes to give back the daughter, Theagenes tells Hydaspes to give back the girl himself, since the girl is Charicleia. And soon Charicleia comes running to fall at Charicles feet. Persinna, who by now learned Characleia's full story, tells Hydaspes that Theagenes is indeed her husband. The public, by some miracle, understands what has been said, and cry their support. Hydaspes turns to Sisimithres to find out what to do, and the Gymnosophist tells them that the gods have shown that they reject human sacrifice. Charicleia and Theagenes are declared as good as married, and Hydaspes and Persinna put their crowns on the couple, making them priest of the Sun and priestess of the Moon, fulfilling the oracle told long ago. Thus they return to Meroe to the applause of all and to the impending marriage of Charicleia and Theagenes.

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This page last updated 30 November 1997 by Jean Alvares �