Literature of antiquity and the Middle Ages - Summary - 2019
The story of the love of Herei and Callarii
Charitonos (II c. n e.)
The action of the first of the surviving Greek novels refers to the Vth century. until e - the time of the highest power of the Persian kingdom, the Peloponnesian conflict, the Greco-Persian wars and many other historical events.
The beautiful Callira, the daughter of the famous Syracuse strategist Germocrat (historical face), and the young Hare, fell in love with each other. And while Father Calliory was against this marriage, the party of lovers took ... The People's Assembly of Syracuse (an unusual detail from a modern point of view!) And the wedding took place.
But the happiness of the newlyweds was short-lived. The intrigues of the rejected grandsons (and there were plenty of them in the godly beautiful Callari) led to the fact that the Jealous by nature Harea suspected his wife of treason. The quarrel that ended tragically flashed. For a long time, Kallira's lost consciousness is accepted by his relatives for the deceased and buried alive ... The wealthy burial was tempted by the sea robber, Pharon. Already waking up to that time from the deep faint of Calliroa (a terrible awakening in his own grave!) Falls into captivity to the pirates, who take her to the Asia Minor city of Millet and are sold there for slavery. Her lord - recently a widowed, noble and rich Dionysius ("... the chief man in Miletus and throughout Jononia").
Dionysius is not only rich, but also noble. He passionately falls in love with Callira and asks a beautiful slave to become his wife.
But the captured Syracuse is disgusted with the thought of it, for she still loves only Hareya and, besides, waits for a child.
In this critical situation (the position of the slave that the master wants to do to the mistress) intelligent Calliroa after long vibrations arbitrarily agrees, but under various prepositions of the wisdom asks for a wedding to post ...
Meanwhile, in Syracuse a robbed tomb in which there is no Calliory is found. And her quest for expeditions to Libya, Italy, Ionia ...
And here in the sea a boat with mourning objects - ornaments from a robbed tomb - was detained. Here lies half-dead Feron, the leader of pirates. He was brought to Syracuse, he was tortured under the torture. The people's assembly unanimously condemns him to the death penalty: "For Feron, when he was taken away, there was a large crowd of people. He was crucified before the grave of Callario: from the cross, he watched the sea, on which he was taken prisoner by the daughter of Germocrat ... "
And then from Syracuse to Milete, an embassy headed by Jerei is sent - to liberate Callira from slavery. Having reached the shores of Ionia and descended from the ship, the Hare arrives at the temple of Aphrodite - the culprits and his happiness and misfortune. And then he suddenly sees the image of Callario (brought to the temple in love with Dionysius). The young priestess says: Calliroya became the wife of the Ionian lord and their common mistress.
... Suddenly, a large barbaric detachment attacks a Siracusian peace vessel. Almost all of them died. Only the Shepherd and his faithful friend, Polikhar, were captured and sold into slavery.
All this is not a coincidence of circumstances. Foka, devoted to Dionysius's economist, having seen the Siracusa ship with the embassy, figured out what it threatened to his master. And sent a watchdog to the arrived vessel.
... But Callorya sees her captive husband in a dream. And, unable to hold back further, she tells Dionysius that she had a spouse who probably died.
In the end, economist Fock admits to being committed: the bodies of Syracuse were rolling for a long time on bloody waves. Thinking that her beloved is also dead, Callorya exclaims woefully: "The nasty sea! In Miletus, you have led Hereya to death, and I'm for sale!"
... Delicate and noble Dionysius advises Callrie to arrange the burial of Herei (the Greeks did so for unknown where the dead - built an empty tomb "kenotaf"). And on the high bank near the harbor of Mileta, a grave is built ...
But Callario can not recover and even calm down a bit. Meanwhile, from her celestial beauty, men even fail. This happened, for example, with the Cartesian satrap, Mithridate, who saw Callira while visiting Dionysius.
Namely to Mithridates get into the slavery of the Shepherd and Polycharma. And - a new turn of fate: for the alleged participation in the riot of slaves threatened by crucifixion on the cross. But by the happy coincidence of the circumstances, the faithful Polychar receives the opportunity to speak with Mithridates, and Heraia is taken literally in the last instant from the cross ...
The satrap confirms what they already know: Calliroya is the wife of Dionysius and they even had a son born. But he (like everyone else) does not know that the child is not from the Ionian ruler, but from Herea. It is not known to this unfortunate father who exclaims, turning to the satrap: "I will destroy you, lord, give me back my cross. Forcing me to live after such a report, you torture me even more cruelly than the cross!"
... The helper wrote a letter to Callario, but it falls into the hands of Dionysius. He does not believe that the Haree was alive: this, it seems, the insidious Mithridates wants to confuse the calorie's calm with false news about her husband.
But the circumstances are such that Artaxerxes himself, the great king of Persia, calls Dionysius to Calliray and Mithridates for a just trial ...
So Dionysius and Callariyah go to Babylon to Artaxerxes in the king's pond. In the shortest way, through Mithridates, Armenia rushes.
On the way of the satraps of all the royal provinces, Dionysius and his beautiful companion meet and escorted with honors, a rumor about the unsurpassed beauty of which flies in front of her.
Excited, of course, and Persian beauties. And not without reason. For Artaxerxes himself, at first glance, falls in love with Callira ...
The day of the royal court comes. And Mithridates puts out his main trump card - the living Harea, whom he brought with him. And it turns out that Dionysius wants to marry a brave wife?! Or slave?!
But the king hesitates with the decision, postponing the court session from day to day, as he falls in love with Callira ever more. And his main eunuch reports about this Syracuse. But he pretends that he did not understand, does not believe in the possibility of such sacrilege: with the living queen, Sostra, does the king make such an indecent offer to her ?! No, the eunuch is definitely confused: he misunderstood Artaxerxes.
By the way, it was precisely Sostrat who was entrusted by the king with the charge of Callira and, thanks to the wise and tactical behavior of the latter, women managed to even make friends.
... But the desperate Shepherd was planning to end the bills with life more than once. But every time he rescues the faithful Polycharma.
Meanwhile, the elder eunuch of Artaxerxes is already openly beginning to threaten Callira, who does not agree to respond to the feeling of the great king ...
"But all the calculations and all sorts of kind conversations quickly changed Fate, which was the reason for the development of completely new events. The king received a report that Egypt, who had gathered a huge military force, had fallen from him ... "The army of the Persian king, urging himself out of Babylon, passes the Euphrates and go towards the Egyptians. As part of the Persian army and detachment Dionysius, who wants to win the favor of Artaxerxes on the battlefield.
Calliroya also travels in a large royal suite, while Hare is confident that she has remained in Babylon, and is looking for it there.
But there is no limit to the deceit of the lovers in Kallira men. A person (and forcibly abandoned in Babylon) told Hereya that the king had already given Kalliray the wife of Dionysius a reward for the faithful service. Although this was not the case, the king himself still hoped to win the favor of Syracuse beauty.
... And at that time the Egyptian took the city outside the city. And the descendant of the Shepherd, to whom freedom was restored, gathering a detachment of devoted compatriots, goes over to the Egyptian side. As a result of a brilliant military operation, he takes possession of the impregnable Tire of the Phoenician city ...
Artaxerxes decides to accelerate the movement of his huge army and, in order to move further lightly, leaves the entire retinue with Sostrati (and with her and Kallira) in the fortress on the island of Arad.
And the victorious Egyptian, subdued by military talents of Hareya, appoints him as a suicide, putting in charge of the entire fleet.
... But military luck is changeable. The Persian king throws new and new troops in battle. And all decided a lightning strike detachment Dionysius, who kills the Egyptian and brings his head to Artaxerxes. In reward for this, the king allows him to finally become the husband of Callariy ...
But the warrior in the meantime crushed the Persians to the sea. But neither of them or others know about mutual successes and defeats, and each considers himself a complete winner.
... The Navarre of the Shepherd and his fleet besieged Arad, not knowing that there was his Calliroa. And Aphrodite finally laughed at them: long-suffering spouses are found.
They spend the whole night in hot hugs and tell each other about everything that happened to them during the time of separation. And the Shepherd begins to regret that he has changed the noble (so he believes) to the Persian king. But what to do next ?! And having consulted with companions, the Shepherd makes an optimal decision: to sail home to Syracuse's native land! And to the queen of Sostrate, with all the retinue, the Wizard, with reverence (and with reliable security), sends Artaxerxes on the ship to the king with a letter, where everything explains and thanks for everything. And Callorya writes the words of gratitude to the noble Dionysius, in order to at least somehow comfort him.
... From the shores of the Syracuse harbor, residents are anxiously watching the approach of an unknown fleet. Among the silent observers is the strategist Germocrat.
On the deck of the flagship ship is a luxurious tent, And when his birth finally rises, standing on the pier are suddenly seeing Hareya and Callira!
The joy of already desperate for many months of unknown parents and all fellow citizens is infinite. And the People's Assembly demands that the Hare speaks of everything that they have experienced with Calorie together and singly. His story causes the most discordant feelings present - both tears and joy. But in the end - the joy is more ...
Three hundred Greek soldiers, selflessly fighting under the command of Hareya, receive an honorable right to become Syracuse citizens.
And Harey and Callariy publicly thank the faithful Polycharma for the unlimited devotion and support of the hard trials. The only sad thing is that their son remained in Miletus at Dionysius. But everyone believes: in due course the boy will come to Siracusa with honors.
Calliroya goes to the temple of Aphrodite and, hugging the legs of the goddess and kissing them, says: "Thank you, Aphrodite! You again gave me a chance to see Hereya in Syracuse, where I saw the girl on your own will. Do not grieve on you for the suffering experienced by me, mistress: I was convinced they were Destiny. I pray to you: never divorce me again with Jeremiah, but grant us happily to live together and die for both of us at the same time."