Wednesday morning in homeroom, I went around and asked several people I was friends with and knew well, along with some I didn’t, if they would join me after last bell to reminisce over Summer Vacation at a local Café and bakery I was familiar with, telling them there was also something important I wanted to discuss with them.
At the end of the school day, I met them at the front gates of the Academy and escorted my mistress Deinomache, Glaucus of Corinth and his fiancé Eurynome of Megara, Aspasia of Miletus Ionia, Cleobulina of Rhodes, Aiakes of Samos, and Idomeneus of Knossos Crete to the family coffee shop, bakery and general store in the Agora. The bakery attendant helped me push two tables together in front of one of the windows and we all sat down around it with her leaving us menus.
I told everybody with a smile “Since I asked you all here, I’ll treat you, so everybody order pastries and refreshments on me.” The bakery store attendant came to wait on us, bringing water and cups for everybody. For the table I ordered grilled pita bread and two bowls of fava, made with mashed fava beans, onions, parsley, olive oil, and seasonings.
When the attendant came back with pita bread and fava dip, everybody put in their drink and dessert orders. I went with coffee and cream, along with Spanakopita, a crispy phyllo pastry filled with spinach and delicious feta cheese seasoned with dill and parsley for added flavor.
The girls all ordered Bougatsa, made with layers of phyllo pastry and filled with creamy semolina custard, which is then baked until it is crispy and flakey. They all also uniformly ordered coffee, which they then drowned in cream and saturated with sugar.
Aiakes of Samos ordered the same thing as I did. Idomeneus of Knossos the macho guy that he is, went with black coffee and several Koulouri rings, a crisp-shelled, soft-centered bread ring covered in sesame seeds. Meanwhile Glaucus of Corinth got an order of five Loukoumades, small airy, fried doughnuts drizzled with lashings of honey and sprinkled with cinnamon, the perfect sticky and sweet treat to have with his coffee. I Guess he has a sweet tooth.
With our orders in, I started off the small talk asking “So how did everybody’s Summer go, anything interesting happen?”
Deinomache was the first to respond with “You pretty much know how my Summer went, the best parts I spent with you!”
Replying back “You were the highlight of my Summer too, other than us all going to the beach several times, it was pretty much all work in the family’s agri-businesses. How about the rest of you?”
Eurynome of Megara admitted “Mine wasn’t much different from yours, with me spending a lot of time watching the family’s cattle, but I did get to visit Glaucus in Corinth a couple times.”
Aspasia of Miletus shared “I personally enjoyed going to the harbor to watch the merchant vessels come and go while reading books in the shade, enjoying the sea breeze. I also enjoyed going to the town square and listening to the philosophical discussions of various intellectuals, the most interesting of which was Socrates.”
Cleobulina of Rhodes also chimed in “I also enjoyed going to the harbor to talk to the merchants with my father Cleobulus. Probably the most rewarding thing I did this Summer was writing some poems in hexameter verse.”
To which I responded, “Interesting, I’d love to read those some time.”
Aiakes of Samos, champing at the bit, bragged “I got to go on a pirate hunt with my father Syloson. We came close to almost catching up to one with our trireme when we spotted it on the horizon.” To which everyone exclaimed how exciting that was.
Idomeneus of Knossos along those lines, told everybody about the merchant voyage he took with his uncle through the Cyclades Islands.
Glaucus of Corinth told everybody about how he got worked to death by his father, King Sisyphus, in the government offices and in dealing with merchants, the only bright spot being when Eurynome came to visit him.
After listening to them all talk about their Summer Vacations, I confessed “Hearing all of your tales about your summers, just makes me want to go visit all of those places. The truth is, I’ve never been outside of Attica, and there is a whole wide world out there to see. After graduation I want to go on a merchant voyage through the Cyclades of the Aegean, visit the Ionian coast and travel along the Anatolia and Phoenician coasts all the way to the Kingdom of Typhon, visiting your homelands and Cyprus along the way. It would be a big help to me, if you guys would tell me what trade goods would sell well in your hometowns and what products to buy there that are in demand elsewhere that are typically exported.”
Glaucus started everyone off, talking about his experiences “Well, a lot of textiles, general goods and food stuffs move through Corinth, but what we are famous for is our black-figure pottery as well as our bronze vessels and sculptures. Corinth also imports a lot of metals.”
Eurynome then chimed in “Megara is famous for its richly colored and beautifully designed fabrics and wool, but that’s something you want to have a target market for.”
Aiakes talked about his island’s products “Samian wine, especially the sweet Muscat is highly prized throughout the Mediterranean. Our olive oil is also known for its clarity and texture. Our distinctive red pottery is also widely traded, but the wine and olive oil are the most practical for you to deal with. As for imports, luxury items and raw materials like spices, ivory, and metals from the East would sell well in Samos.”
Aspasia went next “Miletus is known for its textiles, pottery and purple dye, which aren’t practical trade items considering your intentions. We do export figs, but like Athens, we import more grains than we produce in order to feed our people. Since you are going to Phoenicia and Typhon, you should acquire luxury goods including spices, papyrus, ivory, textiles, and fine metalwork, along with exotic materials which can be worked by Greek craftsmen.”
To which I added “Sounds a lot like Athens which also imports luxury goods like glass, rugs, and ivory from Phoenicia and Typhon.”
Cleobulina then started to talk about commerce in Rhodes “We, like Samos, are famous for our wine production and olive oil, both of which are significant exports, transported in amphorae and particularly with Typhon, I might add. As for imports I recommend luxury items and raw materials for our craftsmen such as Iron, copper, tin, gold, and silver.”
Idomeneus reflecting on his knowledge of his homeland and experiences as a merchant commented “Crete exports olives, olive oil, wine, figs and honey, but of particular interest to you would be the cypress wood which we export to Typhon. With all the sheep on the island, you can image that wool and textiles get traded, and we also make a purple dye, but you have to keep in mind that we have a large merchant fleet that takes care of most of that. We also have a lot of fine craftsmen producing products and their pottery is especially highly sought after.”
“For imports, I recommend Ivory and metals such as copper from Cyprus and tin from the far east for making bronze, which you can acquire when you reach Phoenicia, the craftsmen will also be looking for gold and silver. Simply enough, metal is money, and its value goes up and down depending on how much is available nearby. Athenian silver is much more valuable there than it is here, whereas Cyprus copper can be acquired much more cheaply there than it can be here. In many ways, what you plan to do with other products is along the lines of the same concept, selling goods bought cheaply where there is over supply at another place where they are not available for much more. Many merchants have acquired great wealth doing that very thing.”
While we were talking the bakery attendant came around and refreshed all of our coffees, bringing out more grilled pita and another bowl of fava dip. After thanking her, I turned back to my friends and tried to summarize, having listened diligently “From what all of you are saying, in the Cyclades of the Aegean, with my meager means, I should be looking to acquire olives, olive oil, wine, figs and honey for sale enroute. On the return trip, I should be looking to acquire spices, papyrus, ivory, exotic materials craftsmen would use, copper from Cyprus and tin from the far east, and any iron I can buy cheaply. The most interesting comment all of you made was about the value of spices, and I was also surprised nobody brought up trade in perfumes. I’d also like to find some way to bring Cretan Cyprus wood along with me to Typhon next summer. I’m sure the captain will bring Athenian marble as the main trade good and will likely bypass Crete entirely.”
Immediately, all the girls started raving about how well perfumes would sell and extoled me to buy them to trade given the right opportunity.
Once all the hubbub from the girls died down, I brought up the next major topic “I wanted to bring up the main topic of why I asked all of you to join me here this afternoon. Currently all of us trade with each other without governmental taxes, tariffs, restrictions, or fees, and I think we would come to each other’s aid if one of us was beset by an outside influence or force.
“Our bickering and infighting Greek city states are surrounded by much larger kingdoms and even empires who could easily do us in and swallow us up by suddenly besetting upon us with a large enough military force. Or Gods forbid, we could be beset by an event something like the coming of the Sea Peoples who systematically burned down city after city. Alone, none of us would be able to resist, and they would easily take everything that we have: our homes, our livelihoods, our women and children, or even our lives and everyone’s around us. I want to change that reality and form mutual defense alliances and trade pacts where we agree to come to each other’s aid and not tax, tariff or impose access fees on the trade between us. Essentially, this is no different than what we are doing now, but it sends a message that we Greeks are taking steps in forming a nation of our own.”
Idomeneus, being quite sharp on the uptake, queried “Does that mean you are looking to form a Greek nation? Have you run this by the Spartans, Thebans and Macedonians yet?”
Replying honestly, I said “I haven’t even discussed this with my good friend Prince Cleomenes of Sparta, let alone the representatives from Thebes or Macedonia. In my mind, I envision Sparta being the core of the Greek army along with the warriors of the Peloponnese. The Thebans would be the core knights of the calvary supported by the horse lords of Thessaly. As for everybody seated at this table, we represent the dominant naval powers of the Greeks.”
“I’ll admit, this idea of mine is only in its infancy. There are a lot of things to work out in order for Greece to transition from a group of loosely connected squabbling city states and tribal regions all of which have leaders who call themselves their king, to an actual Kingdom with a Feudal Hierarchy. There is obviously a big difference between a small island with maybe a thousand people and one like Samos with a major city and an actual navy. Both of which should have clear differences in terms of expectations and responsibility. Factors like this should play into the determination of where everybody fits within the hierarchy, because when it gets down to it, a kingdom can have only one king.”
Contemplatively, Idomeneus asked “Who do you think should be King of Greece, Pericles?”
Without hesitation, I replied “Somebody who is qualified, with the right vision for the country.”
Pressing the issue, Idomeneus asked “Do you think that someone should be you?”
I simply answered “I wouldn’t be against leading the Greek peoples, but the question is, would anybody follow me? More importantly, Idomeneus, would you follow me as King of Greece?”
Evasively he replied, “I’ll think about it.”
Asking everyone to think through the ideas I had brought forward and telling them I’d appreciate their help and insights in working out the issues we would face, we all then started to break up and head our own ways. I signed the bill for the food and drinks with a generous tip and told the attendant to present it to father’s executive assistant Peitho to get paid.
— ◊ —
When the group broke up and everybody was leaving the café, Aspasia and Cleobulina asked me if I’d walk them back to their dorm. Willingly agreeing, Aspasia wrapped around my left arm and Cleobulina clutched my right arm, leaning against me. Deinomache came along too, following us close behind.
Along the way, Aspasia suddenly propositioned me “Pericles why don’t you marry me and come back to Ionia and rule Miletus as my husband?”
Hearing this, Cleobulina protested “No, Pericles, you should marry me instead, and come back to Rhodes as its ruler and my husband!”
Smiling at the two women arguing over me, I suggested “That’s fine by me. Aspasia, as our class representative you are intelligent, beautiful, charming and sexy, while you Cleobulina as a poet are captivating and very clever with an alluring presence. Why don’t I just marry you both, but you’ll be living here in Athens with me as my wives.”
The two of them immediately protested, with Aspasia complaining “I’m the only heir to the household, I have to go back to succeed my father.”
Taking issue with the whole idea, Cleobulina also objected “I’ve got the same problem, but how would that even work, you marrying the both of us?”
I logically explained “Simple, we would just register our marriage in your home city states. As for your family succession plans, we’ll just have lots of babies. After they grow up and get properly trained here in Athens and graduate from the Academy, they can go and succeed your fathers after they train under him as his protégé.”
Expanding on my explanation, I continued “That is if your fathers put up a proper dowry. If they don’t, I’ll just have to hang on to you both as my concubines and keep all the kids to work in the family business.”
Both of them were a little shocked as they thought through the ramifications of my statements, at which time we arrived at the girl’s dorm and went inside the lobby. Coming to their senses, both girls emphatically declared that their fathers would never accept such an arrangement, and would insist that they both spend the year trying to find a man who would marry them and go back to live in their city states.
Trying a different tack, I wrapped my arm around their backs and pulled their bodies into mine suggesting “Instead of just wasting time trying to find a noble to marry that you can drag back to your home towns, why don’t we become secret lovers and I’ll spend the year trying to impregnate the both of you? Once I get you knocked up, we’ll tell your fathers the way it’s going to be!” and then I gave Aspasia a deep kiss, followed by kissing Cleobulina passionately as well, my hands gently rubbing up and down their backs, holding them close.
“If we did this, what about Deinomache?” Cleobulina asked breathlessly once I released her lips.
Deinomache, who had been listening to the whole conversation, and was leaning back against the Dorm wall, with one shoe up on the plaster and her arms crossed, replied “I’ll come up and watch, and after he fucks you two silly, I’ll take my turn. After all, if you are going to be in a relationship with him, you’re going to have to get used to the concept of sharing.”
While Deinomache was explaining things to Cleobulina, I had gone back to making out with Aspasia who was beginning to accept my romantic overtures. With her showing signs of reciprocating my advances my hand found its way down to her ass cheek which I began caressing. When Deinomache finished her explanation, and I switched back to kissing Cleobulina, Aspasia had pressed her body into mine, her hands on my chest, breathing heavily, and a look that she was completely aroused showing on her face.
When my kiss with Cleobulina ended she pushed herself away from me stating “Gods, I feel like I could get pregnant just being close to you Pericles. I think I need to take some time and think about this as well as write my father before we go any further. You should do the same Aspasia.” Giving it a little thought, Aspasia reluctantly left my embrace and stepped away from me.
Warmly regarding the two I suggested “That’s fine girls, take your time and think about it as much as you want, but in the meantime the two of you should join us for lunch at the Academy daily so we can spend more time together getting to know each other. This afternoon was a lot of fun.” Seeing them off, I thought I heard Aspasia say to Cleobulina “That was my first kiss.” As she touched her fingers to her lips. I’m pretty sure I heard Cleobulina admit that that was her first time too.
As we left, Deinomache commented “That was too bad, I was looking forward to my first foursome. You almost had Aspasia; she probably would have acquiesced if Cleobulina hadn’t stopped her.”
Regarding Deinomache, I concurred “Yeah, I agree. Maybe if I keep pursuing her at the Academy, I can get her alone someplace, like a bathroom, rooftop, or empty classroom, where I can continue my advances until she succumbs to my charms and becomes my lover. I also want to find a way to nail Cleobulina too, but she is probably a tough nut to crack.”
Laughing, Deinomache stated “Once you get her to have sex with you, you’ll have her pretty much wrapped around your finger, and she won’t even want to look at any other guy. To get Cleobulina, booze is probably going to have to be involved. By the way, I want you to do that kind of stuff with me too! Damn, I’m so horny right now having watched you make out with those two girls.”
Laughing along with Deinomache, I admitted “Me too, let’s go back to your place and make love for the rest of the afternoon.”
Agreeing, she replied “Sounds great, but be gentle with me. If you are too rough with me, I’ll get sore and swollen, and we won’t be able to have sex for weeks… You really do need more lovers in your life to take the pressure off my poor pussy.”
That afternoon we went back to Deinomache’s place, and I gently made sweat love to her for the rest of the afternoon, the two of us lying in each other’s embrace passionately sharing our affections. As dinner time approached, I reluctantly got dressed and left Deinomache’s company.