I know what it is not to cry.
“She had ἀρετή, your daughter.
She was brave, and she loved freedom.
She was happy at Brauron. The night she died,
she set a bear cub free.
That’s what she loved: the bear cub,
my mother, freedom,
and you. She told me about you.
“The night she was born, you had a headache;
your wife shrieked with pain because the child wouldn’t come.
You felt as if your head would split in two —
like Zeus, when his skull was hewn in half
and Athena sprang forth.
Then Melisto was born, and you held her by the window —
it was a moonlit night.
And your pain went away. You remembered the story of Zeus,
and you said to yourself,
This child will be my Athena.
That’s how you loved her.
That’s what she told me.
It was her favorite story,
a secret between you two.”
He raised his head and I met his eyes.
We remembered Melisto.
He unclenched his fist
and stared at the sphinx in his hand.
“Come back!”
EXHIBIT 17
Fragment of marble with manumission inscription, circa 400 BCE.
Stone-carved manumission inscriptions, detailing the terms under which an enslaved person was set free, are abundant in Delphi and Thessaly, but rare in Athens. This does not mean that enslaved people in Athens were never set free, only that physical evidence is lacking. It may be that most Athenian slaves were freed orally, through public announcements at the theatre. The terms of the freedom contract would have been widely known, as the Theatre of Dionysus can seat an audience of seventeen thousand people.
Inscriptions may also have been painted or carved on wooden boards, which have not survived. This unique example of an Athenian inscription was found on a piece of stone (perhaps a stele) that was used to construct an early Christian church.
EXHIBIT 18
Red-figure pyxis (type A), circa 400–375 BCE; attributed to the Horse Painter. Height with lid: 17.2 cm (6¾ inches)
Art historians are generally agreed that this pyxis is the earliest known work of the anonymous artist known as the Horse Painter. The liveliness of the figures, the sharply incised lines, and the dramatic vigor of the scene are typical of this artist, who is best known for his paintings of horses. If this pyxis is indeed his, it is the only surviving example of his work that does not include a horse.
The subject matter of the pyxis poses a riddle. It is highly unusual to see a picture of a boy and girl walking together on a Greek vase. Athenian boys and girls occupied separate spheres and had very little contact with each other. Moreover, the girl child is winged and wears a short chiton. The winged goddess of dawn, Eos, is often figured on Greek vases, but she is drawn as an adult and robed in a long tunic. Scholars have argued at length as to whether the winged girl is Eos, a Nike, a daimon, a harpy, or even a ghost.
The bear is also surprising. Bears are uncommon in Greek art and are seldom portrayed with accuracy. This bear is admirably lifelike: the size, stance, and anatomy suggest that the Horse Painter may have actually seen a living bear. Because of the circular nature of the pyxis, it is not clear whether the children are tracking the bear, or the bear is stalking the children.
When I first began researching this novel, I was shocked by the hardships of Greek life, by the oppression of women and enslaved people. Greek genius has inspired much of Western culture. Why couldn’t those brilliant philosophers and playwrights, sculptors and scientists, have created a more humane society?
Many characters in Amber and Clay voice opinions that are offensive from a twenty-first-century point of view. I let these characters have their say, not because I share their opinions, but because their beliefs and actions are an important part of the story.
GREEK WORDS
I tried not to use too many Greek words in this book, because it’s irksome to have to look things up. However, there were a few Greek words that I couldn’t manage without.
AGORA: The Agora was a large public space in the city. Most of the time I refer to it simply as “the market” or “the marketplace,” but the Agora also included government buildings, temples, and shrines.
AKROPOLIS: The akropolis was the high place in a city, frequently protected by a wall. Often when people talk about the akropolis, they’re referring to the Akropolis in Athens, where the Parthenon was built. However, most Greek cities had an akropolis, a high and fortified place that could be defended against enemies.
ANDRON: This was the space where the males of the household entertained their guests. It was the best-decorated room in the house and located on the ground floor. Often the walls were lined with couches for banquets. Greek males banqueted half lying down, leaning on one elbow.
ἀρετή: This word is also written arete, and is pronounced ah-reh-TEE (Greek) or AH-reh-teh (Greek leaning toward English). It is translated as excellence, virtue, or goodness. Sokrates was very interested in trying to define what ἀρετή was. In our modern Judeo-Christian world, we tend to think of goodness as being nice: kind or merciful to others. For the Greeks, being nice was less central. The idea of human ἀρετή encompassed courage, justice, truthfulness, and self-control.
HIMATION: A himation is an outer garment, often translated as “cloak.” I sometimes refer to himations as cloaks in this story. However, a cloak is often circular or semicircular, hanging from the shoulders. A himation is a rectangular piece of cloth and much longer. It was draped or wrapped around the body in a number of different ways. Greek women sometimes wore himations so that their bodies were completely hidden and their faces were veiled.
I used Greek spellings in this book, because it’s a Greek book. In many cases, the Latin spellings — such as Socrates and Achilles — are more familiar. However, I wanted readers to
