The First Book of Samuel by SAREJESS (epub read online books txt) 📕

spectacular, for it overlooked the Aegean Sea. One could look far out in to the bay and see ships plying to and fro as they came and went bringing goods to the city and leaving the city once more, with their wooden bellies filled with the wines and oil produced by Demetrius and other merchants like him. Samuel was impressed with the way in which this young man did business. Everything had its proper place in the scheme of things. Demetrius was a hard man on servants who tried to steal from him or failed to do their duty.

The villa was well ordered; tall columns graced the entrance and statues of men and women at sporting activities adorned the various rooms. Demetrius led his new friend Samuel across a large room, which seemed to be the place the family spent their evenings, to a small porch which overlooked the bay below. Calling for wine, cheese and bread, Demetrius made his guest comfortable. As they ate the meal, they watched the activity in the bay below. The sounds of the city were dulled by the great height of the building. Occasionally a small boy, Demetrius’ son Samuel assumed would come out and stand next to the chair on which Demetrious sat. On these occasions, Demetrious would break a small piece of bread or cheese off his plate and hand it to the child who would then hurry off eating the food. Samuel thought if that child continues to eat like that he will be a very fat young man. The thought was dismissed by something that Demetrious said. “Pardon me friend but I did not hear what you said, my thoughts were on another matter. Pray continue” said Samuel. “I was saying that the Christians seem to be making great gains on the people of our fair Greece. Why there are so few who now worship Zeus and the other gods it is frightening that a religion can make such an impact. It is a new religion, only a few hundred years old. Now that the Emperor has declared it the religion of the state it makes it so much more difficult for the older religions. I remember when been a Christian was a crime now it is an accepted religion. What is the world coming to? I remember my father used to tell us that as a young boy he watched as Christians were shot with arrows because of their beliefs, but now that sort of thing is long passed. Samuel wondered what Demetrius would say if he knew that the man he was sharing food with had seen the founder of the religion. That still worried him; that he Samuel had seen Jesus die a criminal’s death on a cross, on a rubbish dump outside the city of Jerusalem. “Don’t you think our fair city one of the wonders of this world” continued Demetrious “with the temples and the Acropolis gracing our hill?” “Indeed it is a fair city” replied Samuel, who was for a moment reminded of the splendor of Jerusalem which now laid in ruins, the home to foxes and their young. Ah, the splendor of Jerusalem was of a simple kind; no trashy statues of idols but a city dedicated to the One God JHWH. “I see you are tired my friend I should have shown you to a room so that you could have slept. How foolish of me” said Demetrius, rising, “come friend Samuel, let me take you to a room where you can rest. Once you have rested, we can continue our conversation.

Samuel slept for a few hours rising at sunset to be greeted by Demetrius and his family sitting down to the last meal of the day. Samuel was invited to join them. Demetrius introduced Samuel to his wife Irene and to the four children who sat around a low table. Once the meal was over Demetrius once more led Samuel to the porch where they once more resumed the seats on two low couches. They continued to talk on various matters. “Now Athena goddess of wisdom, she is worthy of our worship” said Demetrious “but you my friend you have not said who you worship I perceive that you are a Jew but you do not observe those things common to Jews. You eat pork yet it is forbidden to you? What kind of a Jew are you then friend Samuel?” asked Demetrius. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence before Samuel pointed out the lights of some vessel gracing the Aegean. Thereafter the conversation continued on other matters.

“Ah, friend Demetrious, the age when I was a practicing Jew is long passed. I lost my faith in an earlier age so as you see me today I travel the world today faithless” said Samuel. There you have my secret it is out” laughed Samuel. Demetrious opened and closed his mouth in disbelief, a man with out faith, a man that neither served a god. “What a strange man” thought Demetrious, as he refilled his wine goblet. The two men talked long into the night. It appeared to Samuel that Demetrious was like most Greeks, fond of debating, reasoning, coming together on various subjects. Demetrious talked on many subjects which interested Samuel. Indeed being around the Greek was a lesson in itself. Listening, Samuel filed away facts that were both of interest and of importance. Learning to listen to men as they spoke had served Samuel well in the past. He allowed Demetrius to talk, occasionally asking a question, or sometimes making a sympathetic noise to move the conversation forward.

Finally Demetrius rose from his couch and said “friend Samuel it has been a long day but now it is time for Morphus calls on all men and now he a waits me so I bid you good night.”

Samuel and Demetrius were having a light breakfast of figs and milk. They were discussing Samuel’s idea of opening an inn. Demetrious was saying you must have a garden with a bit of a view a place to put a statue of one or two of the gods … when their attention was distracted by a young man of about eighteen entering the house. “Greetings father” said the young man in the direction of Demetrius. The young man was handsome well built with a body of a god.

“Ah Theopolis my boy, come here a moment. I want you to meet a new friend of mine, Samuel ben Ezra, a non believing Jew” said Demetrius. Theopolis turned to Samuel as if noticing him for the first time. “Hello I am Theo. So you are a Jew are you sir? Well I have never met a Jew before but I have heard a few things. Can you tell me if they are true sir?” asked the young man. “It depends on what you have heard young man” said Samuel. “Oh you know the usual thing one hears about the mutilation” said Theopolis. “Oh they are all true. Believe me when I say that it has never stopped me from performing” continued Samuel, the men laughed at this joke at Samuel’s expense. “Well I guess since you say they are true I will have to take your word” said Theopolis. Like most Greeks he was surprised that men could disfigure their bodies by cutting it. To Theo, this was the worst thing one could do to one’s body. He, like most Greeks believed in the absolute beauty of the body.

“Have you been training son?” asked Demetrious. “Yes Papa I have and training very hard. I haven't had a drop of wine across my lips in weeks” said the young man, pouring himself a full mug of milk. “And so it should be. You only have a few weeks to go before you will have to set out for the Olympiad so you had better not start drinking wine now. You know we are all depending on you to win.”

“Did I tell you Samuel that Theo is taking part in the Olympic Games? It is a great honor for our family and for Athens if he wins.” Demetrious said this placing his hand on the younger mans shoulder and smiling with pride. “I have heard of the Olympic Games but I have not yet been to the games. Tell me do many people go to the games?” asked Samuel. “Do many people go to the games” said Theo jokingly “oh only the whole of Greece.” “Oh I did not know that the whole nation went. Well maybe this year I will go. Maybe I will see you win for your city. Do you get any prize for taking part?” asked Samuel. “Not really, it is for the glory of Athens that he will take part; a great honor for our family”

Athens 367AD Preparation for a feast
Samuel watched from the terrace as the young man trained. It was obvious that Demetrious had gone to great expense to arrange the best sparring partners and trainers for Theopolis' Olympic bid. The young man had been training hard for some time and now took every new exertion with ease, his breath coming easily as he went over exercises which he had practiced before. Demetrious stood next to Samuel and smiled “Well friend Samuel a great honor awaits us if my son wins for Athens. I am sure that the goddess will favor one of our city's sons.

“Are there not others from Athens that are competing?” asked Samuel. “Yes there are but no one stands as much of a chance as my boy” said Demetrious. “A proud father indeed” thought Samuel. “Have you decided yet what you will do?” asked Demetrious “about your inn I mean?” “Yes I had thought if it is not too much trouble to you if I stayed a while longer and look around for a nice place on the hill, but first I would like to see the Olympics and watch Theopolis make you proud.” “It would be a pleasure my friend” said the wine merchant “maybe we could do some business at the Olympics. There are always stalls and that sort of thing,for people need to eat and drink. We could make quite a bit of money there. You do the food and I will do the wines. People at the games love to spend their drachmas” said Demetrious, rubbing his hands together. “I think you might be on to something there friend Demetrious. Tell me, have you been to many of the games?” asked Samuel. “I have been to about ten of the games over the years, first as a young child, later as competitor and more recently as a spectator.” “Do you and the whole family go and watch the games?” asked Samuel. “Oh we all go” said Demetrious, but married woman are not allowed to watch the games, it is a tradition he ended.

Theopolis finished his practicing and came up the marble stairs to where his father and Samuel were standing. Pouring a vessel of pomegranate juice, he threw the towel he had been using to wipe away the sweat and oil on the floor. Looking at his father he said “So is everything arranged for tonight’s feast?” “Almost” said Demetrious, “there are still a few things to do. Now that you are finished I will get the slaves to start roasting the sheep.” “That should attract the neighbors. I am sure their noses are very sharp. The smell of roasting meat should bring half the hill down to our house” he said smiling. Sometimes Samuel did not quite know what to make of this young man. He seemed at times to have a certain insolence and arrogance in him; a disrespect for his hard working father, all of there thing did not