Sunday morning, an hour before noon, I found myself in Syntagma Square in front of the fountain that was a focal point of the bustling square, waiting for the girl that was to be my arranged bride and wife. Intended as a grand public space, the square looked towards the Athenian Boule, housing the Council of 500, which was a smaller council responsible for preparing legislation, organizing meetings, and carrying out some executive functions for the Athenian Government. The backdrop of the square’s understated elegance was filled with a soft murmur in the air of the city, the rhythmic click of footsteps, and the occasional laughter of passersby. The square's green spaces, dotted with colorful flowers and shade trees, also offered a tranquil oasis amidst the bustling city, relaxing me as I patiently waited.
It wasn’t long before a very beautiful and graceful young women with blue eyes and long, straight brunette hair down to her waist, wearing a tight fitting, dark, chocolaty brown mini dress that matched her hair, with thin spaghetti straps, a V-shaped deep neckline accenting her lush chest, and a mini skirt, barely covering the hips, showcasing her perfect gorgeous legs, approached me. I couldn’t help but thinking ‘Holy Crap! Is this supposed to be my wife to be? How am I supposed to resist this? I’ve been completely ambushed! I’m so screwed…’
With a bright, cheerful “Hello Pericles! I’m here. Have you been waiting long?” Pallene made her introduction.
Waving my hand in greeting “Hello Pallene! I just got here. You look totally amazing in that mini dress of yours! I’m glad I brought my sword along with me to fend off any manor of jerks and D-bags I’m going to have to deal with today.”
“Hahaha! That wasn’t my intention, though I like that you appreciate my effort!”
Off in the background, I waved off Pallene’s bodyguard, who I’d noticed earlier and was watching the whole exchange between the two of us. Her hand on the hilt of her sword, and a sharp look in her eye, she only glared at me and then looked off to the side with a “Hrmph” leaving her nose up in the air.
Looking back at Pallene, I said “So, let’s first take a walk through the neighborhoods, down through the shopping district of Plaka, and have lunch together. Then, I’ll take you on a tour of the Acropolis.”
“Sounds lovely” at which point Pallene linked my left arm with her arm.
With that we wended our way out of the square and took a leisurely walk through the charming neighborhoods of Plaka, passing residences and the occasional store fronts, until we reached the end of Adrianou Street, the beginning of a high-end shopping district, known as the central artery of Plaka, boasting a vibrant atmosphere, which ran east and west, bustling with all manor of shops, art galleries, cafes, and restaurants.
The street, too narrow for carriage traffic and obstructed to anything other than foot traffic, was crowded with the wares of the merchants of the various shops displayed out front. The street itself was tiled with large flat, slate like stones set in grout and the store fronts were all bright and vibrant, combined together giving the appearance of an open-air mall.
Pallene would flit from store to store, taking an interest and examining the goods as we worked our way down the street. At one point we found ourselves lingering at a jewelry store where I wound up buying her a set of deep blue lapis lazuli tear drop earrings set in silver, which she promptly wore for our date.
Before long we reached where Adrianou ran into Kidathineon the location of our restaurant for lunch, the Kosmikon, which occupied the corner. The restaurant was in a beige stucco, open aired, white and blue trimmed ornate building with loads of outdoor seating consisting of white chairs and tables covered with blue over white table clothes, giving a classy and chic appearance. Approaching the hostess at a stand outside she seated us at a large table for two in the shade with a view of the people passing by at the crossroads of the two streets.
“Pallene, I think we ought to take our time, and eat a slow lunch. I believe there are some things we should talk about regarding this arranged marriage.”
“Sure, Pericles, what’s on your mind?”
Just then the waitress came up and took our order. I ordered a pitcher of water and a couple tankards of cool beer to refresh us from the long walk here. For appetizers I asked her to bring us Saganaki Croquettes which are golden balls filled with a blend of local cheeses, and served with a sweet tomato marmalade to provide a delightful contrast. We also ordered a large Greek Salad to share with cherry tomatoes, creamy feta mousse, and carob rusks, drizzled with olive oil.
“First of all, I don’t get what Xanthippus, my Father and your Father King Sithon of Thrace are really thinking with an arranged marriage like this. Typically, these things are meant to bring together groups of people politically, but our two nations already have close political relations and a solid basis of ongoing trade. So, I don’t see what there is to be gained.
“Secondly, does your father even want you to get married? Weren’t there many of your potential suitors that died at his hands because of his decree that only whoever beats him in a fight could wed you. I see that as a no-win scenario because if I win, I just killed your father, and if he wins, I’m dead. It’s like this arranged marriage is an invitation to a duel.”
“Well, those suitors my father fought were wanting to marry me so that they could take over rule of the kingdom. When it came down to it, they really weren’t interested in me. As for my father, he has come to realize the mess he has created, because nobody wants to have anything to do with me now. At this point, what my father really wants is for me to birth an heir to the throne so the line of succession isn’t broken.”
“To be frank, I have no desire to rule Thrace because I’m happy right where I am here in Athens. So, if you marry me, we’ll be living here in Athens. Tell him we’ll send him a grandson he can groom to become king when he grows up to be an adult after getting trained here by us.”
“That’s okay with me; I’ve been really enjoying how metropolitan Athens is.” As she popped a croquette in her mouth and followed it with a swig of beer.
“The other thing about this arranged marriage is that I’m also already engaged to Helen of Sparta, which is a political marriage that actually makes sense. You should also know that I have two Mistresses; one of them is my childhood friend Deinomache that I grew up with, and the other Aethusa is the daughter of my Father’s Mistress that lives with me here in Athens. All of these women will serve a purpose in my life, and if you should still be willing to marry me, you will have to be willing to accept them and get along with them.”
“Powerful men having multiple women isn’t such a strange thing Pericles. My father actually has multiple consorts in his harem even though he never remarried after my mother the Queen died. So, I would be surprised and worried if you didn’t have several women. All of that is beside the point. I’ve been given a royal decree by my father to marry you and bear your children as heirs to the throne of Thrace. As a princess of a kingdom, we really don’t get a lot of choice in who we marry due to the politics involved. So be kind to me and treat me well.”
“Pallene, I really dislike the idea of arranged marriages and marrying for political reasons. I believe everyone deserves to be happy in life and should only marry someone they love for the purpose of raising a family. Nobody should be forced to live their life in a relationship where they are unhappy, ignored, and not loved. What I propose is that you become my fiancé for the school year and we’ll treat each other like husband and wife. Meanwhile, we’ll date, spend time together, and we’ll take care of each other’s physical and emotional needs. If by the end of the year you can’t see yourself living your life as my wife, then we’ll part ways as friends and I’ll wish you well. What do you think?”
“Sounds lovely, husband. I think I’ll be happy living my life with you as your wife.”
“Okay, I think it would be a good idea for you to regularly eat lunch at the Academy with me and the other people in my life so you can all get to know each other. It would also be a good idea if I walk you home from the Academy on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons along with my Mistress Deinomache, who I would like to see you become good friends with, as I can ultimately see the two of you working together as the head women of the household at our eventual country estate.
“One more thing; I need to find a noble work wife that I can trust and will work by my side in the family business during the day. I would like you and the other women to help me pick out one that not only can do the job, but also gets along with you and the other women. After all, I want everybody to be happy without a bunch of unnecessary strife and drama.”
“Well, I don’t know a lot of people here yet seeing as this is my first year at the Academy, but I do have a good nose for smelling out toxic women. I’ll do what I can.”
Right then the waitress came up to take our order for the main course of the meal. Along with a carafe of red wine, I ordered Beef Tagliata, consisting of Black Angus tri-tip beef slices served over sweet potato purée, with garlic butter and truffle oil. Pallene, claiming to have a desire for seafood, ordered Kritharoto, a creamy orzo risotto teeming with mussels, shrimps, calamari, and a touch of saffron. While we ate lunch, she told me about growing up in the rural setting of the rice patties and wheat fields of Thrace along with how the crop yields transitioned from large surpluses to starvation inducing meager harvests bordering on a crop failure.
For dessert, we shared the traditional Greek dish Galatopita, which is a milk custard pie infused with vanilla and a hint of cinnamon. Having finished, we asked the waitress for the bill. With a twenty percent tip it came to 92 small bronze coins or a little more than 18 large bronze coins, or 9 small silver. Paying one large silver and two small bronze, the waitress returned me 1 small silver Drachma in change.
Finishing lunch at the Kosmikon, we worked our way down the streets toward the Acropolis, until I stopped in front of a street vendor grilling chicken cabobs. Buying three of them I looked back in the crowd and waved my hand summoning an unseen individual in the crowds behind us. A few seconds passed before a tall, black-haired swordswoman, with hair covering half her face approached us.
“Come here and take these, you need to eat too” handing the kabob skewers to the swordswoman. “If you are going to follow us with the intention of guarding us, you need to stick close enough so if something happens, I can keep you safe as well.”
With consternation, she replied “What?! I’m here to protect the Princess…!” grudgingly accepting the skewers with a hungry glint in her eye.
“Is that so? Well stick closer anyway, but just don’t interfere with the date, and everything will work out.”
With that we headed towards the Acropolis.
We soon reached the Acropolis, meaning ‘High City’, which was a limestone hill with steep sides on all but the western side, and a nearly flat top, that was first and foremost a fortified citadel with cyclopean walls for defense, and secondly the heart of Athens' religious life, with temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses, particularly Athena. At the base was The Peripatas, a circular pathway running along the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, connecting various shrines and sacred areas, particularly on the north slope.
“Wait just a minute guys, let me get resituated here.” Pallene said, pulling out a pair of hiking shoes from her handbag which she traded out for her flats. Then she secured her long, straight brunette hair, that went down to her ass, with a barrette at the top and a round curved hair tie at the bottom.
Happy that I wouldn’t have to carry her on my back after her feet got sore from hiking in the wrong shoes, I continued on our site seeing tour. Pointing out various minor shrines and smaller sanctuaries on the hill as we passed by, we eventually came to the Terrace of the Gods.
Pointing up at the northwestern slope of the rock of the Acropolis, I drew Pallene’s attention to the three cave openings dedicated to the worship of Pan, Zeus and Apollo respectively and described them to her. First, I mentioned that the westerly most cave on the terrace was not actually a shrine but a sculpted cavity, with a carved surface in the form of a podium used for viewing the Panathenaic procession. Secondly, moving easterly, the cave was that of the Apollo Hypoakraios, or Apollo under the High Rocks. In the middle, was the Sanctuary of Zeus Olympios. Lastly, the eastern most cave was dedicated to the god Pan, and was a complex labyrinth of arches and passageways. Pan's and Apollo's caves contained niches where votive offerings could be placed, and Pan’s cave had two votive reliefs, one which depicts the God sitting on a rock playing the pipes while a nymph stands before him, and the other shows Pan amongst other deities.
Then I led Pallene by the hand over to the Klepsydra fountain located under the cave sanctuary of Pan. Hand-carved in intricate detail, the natural stone fountain itself was situated in a stone paved court and had three progressively smaller tiers or basins stacked vertically. Out of the top a natural spring burbled fresh water into the basin, the overflow cascading down through each level, creating a mesmerizing display of flowing water, adding elegance and tranquility to the setting.
“The Klepsydra fountain is inhabited by an attic nymph named Empedo, the tutelary deity of the spring, who has said to have blessed these waters with healing powers. The times she has been spotted she has appeared as a beautiful young woman. Sometimes when you drink from the fountain you can see her face looking back at you.
“Whenever I come this way, I always drink from the fountain, toss a bronze coin in and make a wish. I have yet to have a wish come true, but it helps to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of the fountain and courtyard.”
Holding out a bronze coin “Would you like to make a wish Pallene? And how about your bodyguard, what’s your name Miss?”
“That sounds like fun, and this is my bodyguard Trakikage.”
“I go by the nickname Ran, My Lord, and I’d like to do it too.”
Handing them both a small bronze coin, I said “Call me Pericles, especially in public. Never a good thing to draw too much attention.”
Everyone made their wishes, tossed their coins in and had a drink of water before we continued on The Peripatas pathway to the western slope of the Acropolis.