Book 1
One of the most influential citizens of Ephesus, Lycomedes, and his wife, Themisto, had a son called Habrocomes. As he grew up, he became more and more handsome, as well as accomplished in the practices of Greek culture. All admired him almost as a god, and were sure that he was destined for great things. But Habrocomes was arrogant, despising everyone as beneath him. Now at the age of sixteen he even rejected Eros, and claimed that he was more powerful than the god. Eros became very angry at this, and, although he knew it would be difficult, set out against Habrocomes with all his weapons. A festival of Artemis then was in progress, and at its head was the fourteen year old Anthia, who herself was of almost divine beauty. Habrocomes is leading the ephebes in this procession, and thus they meet and fall into profound love at first sight. Anthia even tries to let Habrocomes see as much as she is able to reveal at that moment of her body. Deeply wounded they go back to their homes. Habrocomes at first tries to resist love, but finally capitulates, begging Eros for forgiveness. But Eros is still determined to exact vengeance. In the following days Habrocomes and Anthia begin to waste away, and their parents, worried, first send for priests and diviners, and finally send a request to the oracle of Apollo at Colophon. The god's response comes back:
Why do you yearn to learn the end of a malady, and its beginning? One disease has both in its grasp, and from that the remedy must be accomplished But for them I see terrible sufferings and toils that are endless, Both will flee over the sea pursued by madness; They will suffer chains at the hands of men who mingle with the waters; And a tomb will be the burial chamber for both, and fire the destroyer; And beside the waters of the river Nile, to Holy Isis The Savior you will afterwards offer rich gifts; But still, after their sufferings a better fate is in store. (Anderson's translation).
When the oracle is brought to their parents, they have no idea what dangers the oracle might be predicting, but they decide to do the best they can and marry the pair and then send them on a trip abroad. The whole city celebrates their marriage, and the lovers themselves have a passionate wedding night, with Anthia taking the initiative. But after the honeymoon the parents, in order to try to mollify the oracle, decide to send the couple away from Ephesus for a while, and they leave with much heartache. They set sail, and first land at Samos, where they sacrifice, and then head toward Rhodes. In their conversations in route Anthia and Habrocomes swear eternal faithfulness to each other. They finally put into Rhodes, and the Rhodians gather, amazed at the couple's beauty, wondering if they are divine, and some even offering worship. The couple in turn dedicate a gold panoply to Helius with the following inscription.
THE STRANGERS OFFERED YOU THESE WEAPONS OF BEATEN GOLD, ANTHIA AND HABROCOMES, CITIZENS OF SACRED EPHESUS.
After a few days they set sail again, and soon the wind becomes slack. The sailors begin to drink, and Habrocomes has a dream which suggests an impending disaster from which only Anthia and he will escape. And, sure enough, we learn that they have been followed from Rhodes by Phoenician pirates under leadership of a certain Corymbus. Taking advantage of the idleness of the crew of the ship the pirates easily seize it. Habrocomes and Anthia fall at Corymbus' feet and plea for their lives. The pirates put the treasure, along with the couple, on their vessel, and set fire to the captured ship, whose crew and passengers are burned to death, except for Habrocomes' old tutor, who jumps overboard, pleading with Habrocomes not to leave him, and finally drowns. The pirates come to shore at their hideout near Tyre, which was commanded by the pirate leader Apsyrtus. By this time Corymbus has fallen in love with Habrocomes. He enlists the help of a fellow pirate Euxinus, who is in love with Anthia. They agree to help each other acquire the object of their passion. In the subsequent interviews, during which the pirates mingle promises with threats, both Anthia and Habrocomes do not reject the proposals, but only ask for time to think matters over.
Book 2
The couple return to their quarters, weep and bemoan their vile prospects, and vow to commit suicide rather than give in. But at this moment the chief Apsyrtus arrives and takes Habrocomes and Anthia as his share of the booty, saving them from Corymbus and Euxinus. Apsyrtus then takes them as slaves to his estate in Tyre. When Apsyrtus goes off on business, his daughter Manto falls in love with Habrocomes, and gets Rhode, Anthia's loyal slave, to talk to Anthia. Rhode tells her of Manto's passion and reminds Anthia of what a barbarian's wrath is like if thwarted. Rhode also enlists the aid of her fellow slave and lover Leucon, who in turn speaks to Habrocomes, who rebukes any suggestion that he give in to Manto, and declares himself ready for any torture that she might devise. But Anthia suggests that Habrocomes in fact give in. Meanwhile, impatient Manto writes a letter, proposing to Habrocomes directly, and, when Habrocomes rejects her, Manto goes to her father, who has just returned with Moeris, the man he intends his daughter to marry, and tells him she has been raped by Habrocomes. Habrocomes is arrested and tortured. While Habrocomes is in the dungeon, Manto gets married to Moeris. Anthia is given to Manto, along with Leucon and Rhode, and they all go to Syria. Anthia sees Habrocomes in prison and they have a wretched farewell. That night in a dream Habrocomes sees his father looking all over the world for him, and sees himself as a horse and looking for his mare. Once in Syria Anthia is given by Manto to Lampon the goatherd to be his wife. But Lampon respects Anthia's virtue like the husband of Electra did in Euripides' Electra, and does not try to have sex with her. Meanwhile in Tyre, Apsyrtus finds out the truth and puts Habrocomes in charge of his wealth. Moeris, Manto's new husband, of course falls in love with Anthia. Manto then orders the goatherd to kill Anthia, but he instead sells her to Cilician merchants. The merchants' vessel is soon shipwrecked, and Anthia is picked up by members of the robber band of one Hippothoos. At this point Habrocomes learns that Anthia has been sold, and leaves the house of Apsyrtus, meets Lampon, and then heads off to Cilicia. Meanwhile, while among Hippothoos' bandits Anthia is nearly sacrificed to Ares, but rescued in nick of time by Perilaus, a leading man of Tarsus. Perilaus, of course, falls in love with Anthia, and pressures her to marry him. Finally Anthia gives in, but, devising some excuse, puts the wedding off for thirty days. Meanwhile Habrocomes, having arrived in Cilicia, meets Hippothoos, who has survived the destruction of his first robber band, and they strike up a semi-loving friendship and agree to help each other. Hippothoos hopes in their travels to learn something of Anthia.
Book 3
Hippothoos travels around, recruiting another robber band. One night Hippothoos tells story of his earlier love, Hyperanthes. Hippothoos is from Thrace and was noble born. He had first deep encounter with love and Hyperanthes at religious festival. But Hyperanthes' father sold his son to a merchant from Alexandria for more than education. Hippothoos followed the two to Alexandria, and finally killed the merchant, and Hyperanthes and he got on a ship to escape, but Hyperanthes was lost in the ensuing shipwreck. Since he could not return home, Hippothoos became a robber and rose rapidly in the rank. Habrocomes then tells his own story of Anthia, and both bewail lost loves. Hippothoos tells him that he has seen Anthia, and promises to help Hippothoos get her back. Meanwhile, Anthia's wedding day approaches. She gets Eudoxos, a doctor of Ephesus, to give her a deadly drug in order to commit suicide. But the drug, which she takes on her wedding day, is merely a sleeping potion, and thus Anthia is entombed alive, wakes up, but is saved by robbers, to whom she declares she has been consecrated to Love and Death. But instead of leaving her to die, the graverobbers take her as a slave and sail to Alexandria, where she is given to slave dealers. Thus Perilaus becomes disconsolate, learning that Anthia's grave has been looted, and in the meanwhile Habrocomes, with Hippothoos, is making inquires about Anthia. Then Habrocomes hears the story of Anthia and Perilaus from an old woman, and how Anthia's body was stolen. He determines to die, but first intends to find Anthia's body. That night he abandons Hippothoos and his brigands (who are besotted with drink) and heads, for no specified reason, for Alexandria. Meanwhile the Indian Psammis has bought Anthia at Alexandria and would have raped her, except that she cleverly tells him she is consecrated to Isis for a year. Before Habrocomes can arrive at Alexandria, his ship (you guessed it) is wrecked and he is captured by herdsmen brigands and sold into slavery for a second time. He is bought by an old retired solider called Araxus, who treats him like a son. But his wife Kyno (= Bitch), who is very ugly, falls in love with Habrocomes and Habrocomes nearly gives in to her, since he realizes that his past virtue did no good. But when Kyno kills her husband, Habrocomes refuses her and she tells the authorities that Habrocomes committed the murder and he is arrested and taken to Alexandria.
Book 4
Meanwhile Hippothoos with a new band is ravaging the countryside, while at the same time looking for Habrocomes. He finally heads toward Egypt and ends up around Coptus. Meanwhile Habrocomes is ordered crucified, but, while on the cross, he prays to the Nile and to the Sun. The wind rises and casts his cross into the Nile, and he is fished out. Habrocomes is then sentenced to be burned at the stake, but the Nile's flood puts out the flames. He is then put back in prison by the prefect, who is determined to find out more. Meanwhile Psammis (who has Anthia) is ready to head off for India. He first stops at Memphis, where Anthia prays to Isis, 'the greatest of goddesses', and asks for her help. While in the vicinity of Coptus they are attacked by Hippothoos' band, who kill Psammis and capture Anthia. But Hippothoos does not recognize Anthia, who tells him that she is an Egyptian called Memphitis. Meanwhile the ruler of Egypt frees Habrocomes and gives him gifts and crucifies Kyno. Habrocomes decides for some unexplained reason to go to Italy. It is not clear if he knows whether Anthia is alive or not. Meanwhile Anchialos, one of Hippothoos' robber band, falls in love with Anthia, and is killed trying to rape her. Hippothoos. enraged, puts Anthia in a pit with wild dogs, so she might be torn apart. But the robber Amphinomos, who is assigned to the pit as a guard, loves and pities her, and feeds the dogs and Anthia, who remains relatively safe in the pit.
Book 5
Meanwhile Habrocomes arrives after a storm at Syracuse. He joins up with an old fisherman, Aigialeus, who treats Habrocomes as his son and tells him his life story. Aigialeus and his now dead wife Thelxinoe were Spartans of high class, and met at religious festival, fell in love and pledged eternal faith. Some god, according to Aigialeus, envied their happiness, for Thelxinoe's father soon engaged her to a certain Androcles. They eloped, disguised as young men, headed for Cornith, and from there sailed to Sicily. They were condemned to death at home. In Sicily they led a poor but happy existence, and not long ago Thelxinoe died. She was not buried, but mummified by Aigialeus, who treats the mummy as if it were the living woman. The love of Aegialeus and Thelxinoe makes Habrocomes, thinking of his own lost love, weep bitterly. For a while Habrocomes continues to work as a fisherman with Aigialeus. Meanwhile Hippothoos' band has become large and he decides to move north to attack larger targets. He believes Anthia is dead. But Amphinomus, who had been helping Anthia, takes her out of the pit after Hippothoos leaves the area, and promises, although in love with her, not to violate her. The dogs by now are tame, and the group stop at Coptus, while Hippothoos' band is ravaging territory to the north. The prefect of Egypt, learning of this great disturbance, gathers a large force and puts it in charge of a relation, Polydius, who at Pelusium fights a huge battle with Hippothoos' band, most of whom are killed. Hippothoos manages to escape after tossing away his weapons, and decide to go to Sicily, due to its reputation for riches. In Egypt Polydius, while searching for other robbers, comes to Coptus and captures Amphinomus and Anthia, who does not tell him her full story. Needless to say, Polydius soon falls deeply in love with Anthia. At Memphis he tries to use force on her, but she escapes to the temple of Isis and pleads for help to the goddess. At this point Polydius comes to the temple and promises Anthia never to use force again. A few days later Anthia goes to the temple of Apis, and after praying to the god, hears a chorus of children in front of the temple sing "Anthia soon will regain her husband Habrocomes." At Alexandria Rhenaea, wife of Polydius, learns of her husband's infatuation and beats Anthia and gives her to her servant Clytus to take to Italy and to sell to a brothelkeeper. Clytus then takes Anthia and sells her to a brothelkeeper in Tarentum and returns to Alexandria. Meanwhile Hippothoos has arrived at Tauromenium in Sicily, while Habrocomes has decided to sail to Italy to look for Anthia. We learn that at Ephesus the parents of Habrocomes and Anthia have committed suicide out of grief. In Syria the couple's former slaves, Leucon and Rhode had inherited the estate of their former master and decided to return to Ephesus but stopped at Rhodes to see if they could learn more of their masters. Back in Italy Anthia is forced to exhibit herself in a house of prostitution, but she manages to save her virtue by feigning an attack of epilepsy. Habrcomes arrives at Nuceria in Italy, and after making inquires about Anthia, goes to work in a quarry, pining for Anthia amid the brutal labor. At Tarentum Anthia dreams she is with Habrocomes again, but some beautiful woman takes him away from her. She awakes, believes Habrocomes has betrayed her, and wishes to kill herself. At Tauromenium Hippothoos manages to marry a rich old woman who soon dies, leaving him her estate. He determines for some reason to sail to Italy, perhaps to try to find Habrocomes, with whom he is determined to share his life and wealth. He sails to Italy with a young lad of aristocratic background called Cleisthenes. At this point the brothelkeeper sells Anthia to Hippothoos, who recognizes Anthia as the girl he had put into the pit to be torn apart by dogs. Hippothoos falls in love with her, and when he is on the point of using force Anthia reveals her real identity to him. Hippothoos then reveals his relationship with Habrocomes and lavishes all care upon Anthia. Meanwhile Habrcomes wearies of his life in Italy and decides to go back to Ephesus. He gets on a ship and first goes to Sicily, where he offers a libation for his dead mentor Aegialeus. He goes from Sicily to Crete and then to Cyprus, where he worships, and then to Rhodes, where he finds lodgings near the harbor. Leucon and Rhode, who were also in Rhodes, had dedicated in the temple of Helius a pillar inscribed with gold to commemorate their masters Anthia and Habrocomes. When Habrocomes comes to the temple and sees the new dedication, he is desolate, since he is still without Anthia. But at that very moment Leucon and Rhode enter the temple and inquire of the young man, whom they do not recognize, why he is weeping over their dedication, and learn it is their former master. Thereupon they take care of him, but mourn the still missing Anthia. By this time Hippothoos has decided to sail to Ephesus with Anthia, and in route stops off at Rhodes. A great festival for Helius is taking place, and when Anthia and Hippothoos enter the temple they see the dedications, but still do not know that Habromes, Leucon and Rhode are in Rhodes. Anthia dedicates a lock of her hair and goes away. Then Leucon and Rhode stop at the temple and see the lock of hair, but fail to find Anthia, and inform Habrocomes of this new development. The next day Anthia goes to the temple without Hippothoos, and Leucon and Rhode come without Habrocomes. Seeing Anthia weeping over the dedication, they gradually realize that it is their lost mistress, to whom with they introduce themselves and tell that Habrocomes is living with them. All the Rhodians and Hippothoos too soon learn that Anthia had been found — all except Habrocomes, who finally learns the news and runs out and meets Anthia near the temple of Isis. Habrocomes and Anthia have an ecstatic reunion and give great thanks to Isis. A great celebration follows, during which all tell their stories and learn how each has overcome all temptation to their bond. Soon afterward Habrocomes and Anthia, Hippothoos and Cleisthenes and Leucon and Rhode sail back to Ephseus. The couple honors Ephesian Artemis, build tombs for their parents, while Hippothoos builds a tomb in Lesbos for his lost Hyperanthes, adopts Cleisthenes as his son, and spends the rest of his life at Ephesus with Habrocomes and Anthia, where their life was one long festival.
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