Dorieus gritted his teeth. “Tanakil is an intelligent and unprejudiced woman. You are exaggerating her age needlessly. For my part I don’t understand how you-yes, and Turms, too-could stoop to touch a low-born girl. You see now what the results are. Tanakil is a refined woman and would never even dream of asking for more than she can get.”
“Be that as it may,” said Mikon, “you are struggling in the golden net although you may not even realize it. I also am ensnared in it. But you, Turms, you are the one I pity. She is merely playing with us to prove her might, but I dare not even think of the dreadful trap that she has set for you who are her chosen one.”
“You are dreaming,” I said arrogantly. “You are exaggerating the power of the goddess. I accept her gifts willingly and enjoy her friendship but I have no intention of submitting to her. There is something wrong with both of you in permitting that frivolous goddess to break your will. In that respect I am stronger than you.”
As soon as the senseless words were spoken I covered my mouth in dismay, for they were a direct challenge to the foam-born.
Unable to advise Mikon, we returned to the others. The girl had become even more obstinate and was threatening to hang herself from the torch by the gate. Then we could explain that to the people and to Krinippos if we could.
Her threats placed us in an uncomfortable position. Finally, wearying of the fruitless discussion, Mikon said, “So be it. I shall take the girl and purchase her as my slave if you will be content with a reasonable price. I cannot pay exorbitantly for I am but a poor itinerant physician.”
The girl’s parents stared at each other in horror and then pounced on Mikon, beating him with their fists.
“Do you think we would sell our own child into slavery?” they cried. “We are free Siculi and the natives of this land!”
“Then what do you want?”
It is unlikely that the girl’s parents had known exactly what they did want upon their arrival, but their thoughts had been clarified by the conversation and the girl’s conduct.
“You must marry her,” they declared. “You have only yourself to blame, for you have bewitched her. We will give the girl the usual dowry and it is larger than you imagine, for we are not as poor as we seem.
Mikon tore his hair. “This is unbearable! It is but a trick of the goddess to keep my mind off supernatural matters. What man with a wife can think of anything but the problems of everyday life?”
The girl’s parents took her hand and thrust it into Mikon’s. “Her name is Ahura,” they said.
As they pronounced the girl’s name in their own language Mikon clutched his head.
“Aura-if that is your name-we can do nothing, for the gods are mocking us. Aura, you will remember, was a fleet-footed girl and one of Artemis’ hunting companions. Dionysus loved her but she did not submit until Aphrodite touched her with madness. The name is an omen, for Dionysus and Aphrodite both had their hand in leading me into this trap.”
I cannot say that the solution made us happy, but nothing else could be done. We celebrated the wedding with song and dance in the Siculian house among the cattle and goats. The dowry was on display for the neighbors to see and the parents had slaughtered, baked, cooked and roasted more than enough for everyone. After they had sacrificed a dove and smeared its blood on the clothes of the bride and groom, in accordance with the Siculian custom, music was played and wine was served. Under its influence I even danced the goat dance and won the deep admiration of those simple farmers.
Before the wedding Mikon had been depressed, saying that he probably would have to buy a house, hang his caduceus on the gate and remain in Himera to practice his profession. But Tanakil would not hear of it. During the wedding Mikon seemed considerably happier, perhaps due to the wine, and he was the first to remind us that it was time to return to Tanakil’s house. Nor did he speak to me of divine matters for a long time thereafter.
6.
When we had won her confidence, Aura took us outside the city to the woods and the mountains where she showed us the sacred springs, trees and rocks of the Siculi.
A stranger would not have been able to distinguish them but Aura explained, “When I touch this sacred stone my limbs prickle; when I place my hand on this tree my hand grows numb; and when I gaze into this spring I seem to fall into a trance.”
As we wandered together I realized that I likewise was beginning to sense our approach to these hallowed spots. If I held Aura’s hand I would suddenly exclaim, “This is the place! That tree, that spring.” How I knew it I cannot explain.
Soon it was no longer necessary for me to hold Aura’s hand, but a mere indication of the direction sufficed. Far ahead of the others I would stop and say, “Here is where I feel the power. This is a sacred place.”
Dionysius had asked me to make friends with the Tyrrhenians who sold iron goods and incomparably beautiful golden jewelry in their own mart. He was anxious to learn more about the sea across which we must sail in order to reach Massilia. But something made me shun those silent, odd-featured men who refused to bargain and chatter like the Greeks and instead competed with the excellence of their wares. Listening to their talk I had the feeling that I had heard the language long ago in a dream and could understand it if only I could cross some unfathomable threshold.
When I questioned the Himerans about the Tyrrhenians and their customs I was told that they were a cruel and pleasure-loving people and so licentious that at banquets even high-born women lay on the couches beside the men. On the seas the Tyrrhenians were formidable opponents and as iron-makers none could surpass them. It was also said that they had invented the anchor as well as the metallic ram on warships. They called themselves the Rasenna but the other peoples on the Italian mainland called them Etruscans.
Unable to explain my own reluctance, I nevertheless decided to visit the Tyrrhenian mart. But already in the yard I felt as though I had stepped into the domain of strange gods. The sky seemed to darken before me and the ground tremble underfoot. Nevertheless I seated myself on the bench which the merchants offered and began to bargain for a beautiful censer on raised legs.
While I was doing so their employer appeared from one of the inner rooms. His oval eyes, straight nose and long face seemed strangely familiar. He asked the others to leave, then smiled and said something to me in his own language. I shook my head and explained in the Himeran jargon that I didn’t understand.
He replied in excellent Greek, “Don’t you really understand or are you merely pretending? Even if you must appear as a Greek you surely realize that if you were to comb your hair like ours, shave your curly beard and don our clothes, you would pass for an Etruscan anywhere.”
Only then did I realize why he seemed so familiar. The oval face, the eyes with a fold at the corner, the straight nose and wide mouth resembled those I had seen in a mirror.
I explained that I was an Ionian refugee from Ephesus and added playfully, “Probably his hairdress and the cut of his clothes make a man. Even the gods of the various peoples can be distinguished more readily by their clothes than by their faces. I have no reason to doubt my Ionian birth but I shall remember your remark. Tell me about the Etruscans whom I resemble and of whom so much bad is said.”
“We have twelve allied cities,” he began, “but each city has its own customs, laws and government. We have twelve smiling gods, twelve birds and twelve compartments in the liver which determine our lives. Our hands have twelve lines and our lives are divided into twelve eras. Will you hear more?”
There was sarcasm in my voice as I replied, “In lonia we also had twelve cities fighting the twelve Persian satrapies, and we defeated the Persians in twelve battles. We also have twelve celestial gods as well as twelve gods of the underworld. But I am not a Pythagorean and will not argue about figures. Instead, tell me something about your customs and conditions.”
“We Etruscans know more than is generally believed,” he replied, “but we also know how to hold our tongue. Thus, I know more about your naval battle and your expeditions than is good for you or your commander. But you have nothing to fear since you have not violated the Etruscan naval might, at least yet. We share the western sea with. our allies the Phoenicians of Carthage, and Etruscan vessels sail in Carthaginian waters as freely as the ships of Carthage in ours. But we are also friendly with the Greeks and have permitted them to settle on our shores. We
