Samos

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The rest of the day was spent in complete silence. Janira looked through the bars at the huge dogs sleeping on the square. They were taking advantage of the shadows of the nearby buildings. Nerisa cried unconsolably thinking what would be of her sister if they were separated. Almices, for his part, did not stop thinking that this could be the last night he spent with her sisters, and regretted having failed them and not being able to help his parents.

It was late in the afternoon when a small group of men approached the cages followed by some of the dogs swatting flies with their tails. They stopped in front of the cage, inspecting its occupants. They spoke that same strange language that the children heard Zamar speak earlier. A strange language, Almices thought. It became more apparent to him that they were previewing the merchandise they would buy the next day. The young man then began to examine those men in turn. There were about eleven or twelve of them, all well-dressed. Their tunics represented their good social and economic standard. Almices imagined their professions: Merchants, princes, powerful people without a doubt. With their diverse expressions, some kind, others treacherous and mean, they studied them with curiosity. What had brought them there to buy slaves? He concluded that both his sisters' fate and his destiny were completely out of their hands.

How strange it was to watch the sunrise from inland. Almices and his sisters had always seen it rise from the sea. The three had an uncomfortable night, closing their eyes for brief periods only to open them again startled by the fear of losing each other. Nerisa had exchanged a few words with a Greek woman who was in the adjoining cage. She explained that they were on the estate of one of the largest slave traders in the region. She had ended up there because her father could not pay off his gambling debts and had given her away for a set time to pay the debt and for her freedom. That was more than a month ago. She also explained to them that once a week they loaded two slave-laden cars and took them to market in Tyre to sell them. Apparently, the supply of slaves at the farm was constant.

The sun was already completely visible when a dozen men approached the cages accompanied by two carts pulled by ox. That morning happened to be the morning market in the city. The children stood up, nervous. Two men approached them. They hugged each other tightly, scared. The men forced them to climb one of the carts. From its wooden sides emerged tall spikes pointing to the sky. Sewn together by other smaller pieces of wood, placed horizontally, they formed a dense net topped by another dense net of smaller pieces of wood, like a roof that made any escape impossible. At the rear, a sturdy door was bolted shut after all the occupants were on board. In a short time both carts were full. Almices counted twelve people in his cart and six in the other. The occupants of the other cart were more or less strong men, all with shackles on hands and feet and all connected by the same chain. They seemed like dangerous men, judging by the measures taken by their custodians, eight heavily armed men escorted that cart. But only two guardians guarded their cart, one sitting in front of the cage and the other on foot behind. Almices then stopped to observe his fellow travellers. His sisters stood beside him, with no space to sit. In front, along with the driver of the cart, five young women who were around twenty years old, with jet black hair, and oily skin, their traits seemed of distant lands. On the other hand, the woman who Nerisa spoke to during the night was pleasing with the custodians that it was a mistake, that she had to wait for her father. Next to her, a couple, and their son, about the age of Almices, were hugging.

They saw the slave master arrive in a lavish cart adorned with brightly coloured fabrics that bore four robust ebony-coloured porters. The trafficker had put on his best attire. He led the entourage. They crossed the square and went south, Almices was surprised to leave behind the path they took with Zamar the day before.

"Where are they taking us, Almices?”

"I suppose to sell us, Janira; but I don't know if in Tyre, we didn’t come this way yesterday.”

"I want to go with you.”

"Now, they will not separate us, we are siblings, you heard what Zamar said.”

"I'm not so sure," Nerisa interrupted.

"Why do you say this, Nerisa? It does not make sense for us to be separated.”

“Sense? Where is the sense in the, Almices? Think about what has happened to us so far, think about what they have done to that woman.” He glanced the woman who was still calling for the man who put her in the cart, insisting that it was a mistake. “I fear the worst, they will sell us separately, I am sure.” Nerisa's eyes reflected a bad omen.

“No, I don't think so.”

"Don't worry now, Janira," Almices stared at Nerisa. “We can do one thing to make sure.” The girls looked at him, waiting. “The truth is, we don't know when or whom they are going to sell us to. It is true that we do not know whether or not they will separate us; whatever happens to us or who buys us, the important thing is that we stay alive and vow not to rest until we meet again.” His sisters’ eyes welled up, about to cry.

"Let's swear it now.” Nerisa grabbed hold of her brother’s and her sister’s hands tightly.

"Yes, that's how we'll find each other.” The little one was now a little livelier.

"Let’s promise each other then.” Almices also took Janira's hand, forming a small circle between the three of them. “Repeat after me: I swear that wherever I am, I will look for my siblings until I find them and regain my freedom. I swear on my parents.” The girls repeated the oath while the other occupants of the cart, except the woman, who had already given up, looked at them not understanding what they were saying. Their language was foreign in these lands. The three children embraced each other affectionately, just as they had done on countless occasions since Almices turned ten. The tears now descended freely down his cheeks.

The entourage continued to move south to border one of the hills and then turned west toward the sea. Soon the city was in sight. Tyre was a city that after its reconstruction had grown along the coast taking advantage of the possibilities of maritime communication provided by its coveted geographical situation. As they approached the southern part of the city, more people were coming and going from their daily chores. They reached the foot of the small wall. Almices was surprised that such a large city had such a low wall. He would later learn that the residents no longer valued the walls. The city, which had long been the safest and most impregnable city in the world, had in fact remained undefeated until one hundred years before when the great Alexander besieged her with his Macedonian hosts and took her, exceeding all expectations. Below the walls, a flurry of people kept coming and going from one side to the other. The convoy arrived there and stopped in front of a very busy wooden raised decking.

The carts stopped next to some shops and the dealer entered one of them. The guards opened the cart gate where the children were and sent them inside one of the shops. It was built with long, dark wooden poles fastened together with strong hemp rope and had thick multi-coloured fabrics as walls. The captives crossed the shop and went out through a rear. There, a series of thick stakes driven into the ground were used for the guards to chain them to. It was a small square hidden from the outside where the carts had been left, away from prying eyes. From there the children could see the deck from behind. A simple staircase connected the ground to the decking. The guards brought the salves from the other cart next to the stakes. As always, they remained heavily guarded.

After a while, the slave master appeared. He was chatting with another elegantly dressed man in a rich, colourful tunic and braided sandals on his feet. They looked closely at the enslaved and continued their conversation. The murmur of people outside was increasing as the sun was climbing in the sky. At mid-morning, the slave owner's companion climbed the stairs to the platform and began to initiate appeals to the people accumulating outside. The guards roughly took the men from the other cart up to the platform. The man in the multi-coloured tunic was offering these men, who remained heavily guarded, flaunting the powerful musculature of one of them or the stature of another.

"They're selling them. They are selling them together.” Nerisa seemed hopeful.

"It's true," Janira said. “They will sell us together.”

The barter continued between the man on the stage and the roaring audience. The children did not understand what they said, but it seemed clear they were haggling. It carried on for quite some time, until at last three of them were brought down by some of the guards, walked past them prodded by the spears of their custodians, and were brought back into the shop.

"They have sold them separately," the boy's words reflected overwhelming gravity and pessimism. His sisters were silent. They hugged again, as if that were the last time.

The sale continued for much of the morning, until it was the children’s turn. The guards brought them up along with the Greek woman and the couple with the child. Everyone remained quiet, fearful of what might happen, with shackles on their feet. Their guards did not seem concerned that they might escape.

From the platform you could see the whole atmosphere of the square. There were many platforms, placed in a semicircle occupying a large space, numerous people wandering among them listening to the traders and looking at the human merchandise on sale. The man in the polychrome tunic began promoting his products to try and get the best sale. The public crowded round, to enjoy the show. Soon the bids began. When the sale was closed, a woman wearing beads released a victory cry, the guards grabbed Janira and took her down. Almices and Nerisa tried to keep her screaming and fighting, several blows to their backs deterred them.

The bidding resumed while the siblings watched helplessly with tears in their eyes as Janira disappeared in the crowd, not even giving them time to say goodbye to their little sister. The trader was increasingly raising his voice to attract the attention of potential buyers, pointing now to one, then to another. Another deal was closed, and the guards took the man while his wife and son cried. There was an uproar among the people. It was as if the public enjoyed watching the slaves suffer.

The seller continued to offer them to passers-by. The auction began again, without the children understanding what was said. This time it was tougher, however the guards finally took Nerisa and the woman she had talked to during the night. Nerisa, unable to articulate words, threw a deep and sad look at her brother, thinking that would be the last time she saw him. She walked down the steps as best she could, her legs barely holding her up, her eyes again filled with tears. Her heart was broken.

Almices felt sunken, he had just lost all his family. He lost all sense of time and before he knew it one of the guards pushed him down the stairs. The young man snapped back to reality and realized that he already had an owner. The guard took both he and the other boy back inside the shop. They both looked frightened, their fate unknown. Apparently, they had been sold to the same owner. A man, whom Almices had not noticed before, stood up to greet four others who entered the shop. He spoke for a moment and one of them approached the boys examining them carefully. Almices recognized him from the previous day, he had a dark complexion, a hooked nose and black hair, about twenty-five years old and a friendly looking. They spoke again and the man took a leather bag out of his robe and paid the other a handful of coins.

With a reassuring smile he turned to the boys, speaking to them in that unknown language. Then, a few lashes on the boy’s backs indicated that the hour of the pleasantries had passed and that it was time to get started. Almices was getting tired of friendly smiles and being hit.

The man marched into the centre of the city, entering through the south gate of the small wall. The other three followed him, pushing, and mocking Almices and the other boy. The city constituted a complicated and chaotic network of streets that twisted and turned without any order. They passed through densely populated neighbourhoods, their inhabitants barely paid attention to the small group. The boys were still walking with shackles on their ankles, which made the march slow. The wounds on Almices' ankles started to bleed again. They passed through stinking streets, some sections flooded with faeces and urine, giving off a strong smell that the boy already considered normal for a big city. Both boys were disoriented, the zigzagging streets had made them lose their sense of direction. They turned one corner and were surprised to see the sea. The alley ended by a narrow opening of the wall, which led to a long avenue bordering the coast. From there they continued northward. In the distance that what was once the original city of Tyre was perfectly visible. Thanks to Alexander the great, it was forever connected to the continent.

The long street, actually a narrow strip of land between the ocean and the wall, was full of people fishing. Almices recognized the tackle that his father and the other men in the village used. The tanned fishermen repaired the nets or prepared the fish in salt to take inland. Some women and children helped with the work. The fishing boats were somewhat different, they had more elongated shapes and most did not have portholes nor were the bows extravagantly decorated, although some of the sterns featured a carved equine figure. The small constructions built between the street and the wall were very fragile and small in sight. Almices thought many of them would house whole families like his. He remembered his mother preparing food next to the window of his house.

The road continued north. As they approached the peninsula that was once the great and impregnable Tyre, small houses gave way to increasingly large warehouses. The fleet of ships docked at the bottom was no longer formed by fishing boats; most of them were cargo vessels, or warships, probably from the same city.

The man turned again toward the wall, in that place slightly further from the coast, and entered through another small door, zigzagging through a few streets to end up in a square full of merchants who exhibited their items on the ground in view of potential buyers. Weavers, cattle ranchers, horticulturists, scribes, fortune tellers, healers, charm sellers; everything one might need could be found in that square. They crossed it through the centre and entered cul-de-sac, which ended up in a small courtyard preceded by a large arch. They headed to a door on the right. A servant greeted the man and opened the door. They entered another inner courtyard, which looked more like an orchard than the inside of a house. Tall palm trees stretched up to the sky and rounded orange trees scattered the courtyard, surrounded by thick, low hedges forming a geometric structure around the trees. The small group stopped under the shade of the palm trees.

In the middle of the courtyard, an old man, now in his forties, gave instructions to a gardener while he looked closely at the leaves of an orange tree. The group waited in the shade, apparently waiting for that man. Time passed slowly while the old man inspected the leaves of the orange trees. The two young men, standing, guarded by their companions, occasionally looked in anger. Almices saw how the other boy had cried when he was taken away from his mother which continued throughout their journey. Now they both looked nervously at the enclosure. The old man approached the small group and looked at them as he headed to the man who had bought them. They began to speak in that language, they glanced from one boy to the other. The old man then addressed them in Greek.

"Good morning, I am Abta, a Tyrian merchant and from today your new owner.” Almices was surprised that the man addressed them in Greek. “I have acquired you because I need strong, young hands for my harbour business and I also need the port people to speak Greek. You are Greeks, are you not?”

"Yes," Almices confirmed, while his partner looked down.

"You must know that I like to call my slaves by the place from which they came. I understand that one of you is from Naxos and the other from Samos. Which of you is Naxos?”

"Me," the other boy muttered glumly.

"Well, then from now on we'll call you Naxos and you, Samos," he concluded looking at Almices. “Now Aylos,” – referring to the man who had bought them, “will explain to you how the order works in my house. You must bear in mind that I am very strict with slaves. At the least trouble, I will sell you or have you executed; yet if you serve me as you should, I may at the end of your days grant you freedom to die as free men. But that depends on you. If you have any skills or if you possess any special virtues, I want to know, anything you think is important can be passed on to Aylos and he will bring it to me. If you do not behave as we hope, you will be punished. If, on the contrary, you exceed my expectations, you will live much better than you could have lived in your places of origin, you will not be short of women and if you want over the years to have a family you will also be allowed, as long as it is with the members of my property.”

The boys did not know how to answer, although their addresser did not expect a response from them either. Abta once again addressed Aylos in the foreign language and then returned to the garden contemplating again the green and lanceolate leaves of his precious orange trees.

* * *

When she was brought down from the platform, Janira did not understand what was going on. She tried to resist, grabbing at the handrails. Once inside the shop, an older woman, over thirty, had her feet shackled and placed a smaller, lighter chain around her neck. She tried to explain to the woman that they were mistaken, that her siblings were still on the platform, but they all spoke that strange language that she did not understand.

The woman nervously left the shop, dragging Janira with her. She was pleased with her new purchase. It had taken her a lot of time and cajoling to convince her husband to buy a slave to take over her chores in the business. Her friends told her that she would never have the chance to acquire a slave to help her and her two daughters in the tavern. They needed more hands without having to pay any wages for this, the most practical solution was to buy a cheap slave. She would have liked to have paid the same for some of the older ones, but her budget was small and had to settle for the little one. The girl would eventually become helpful and she could shape her to her liking. On the other hand, it would not be a problem with her husband, her biggest fear was that he could be unfaithful with anyone, including a slave.

Janira grabbed the chain with her hands to avoid jerking her neck, she knew what shackles on her ankles were capable of, and did not want to imagine what could happen to her neck. They entered the city centre and wandered through the intricate alleys. The journey was not long. Soon they arrived at a two-story building. The woman opened the door and entered the tavern. The little one had never been in one before, but she knew by Telma’s description what the tavern of the village was like, even though she had never stepped foot in it. Her sister had told her that men gathered there to drink and eat and that some even had room to spend the night. It was a large room, with half a dozen extended tables where several guests drank and ate in the midst of the yelling. The girl lowered her head, feeling embarrassed. Her mother always told her to avoid these places, because self-respecting girls should never step foot in one. The ground was full of food scraps and insects scurried in search of it. Janira felt disgusted. She turned her eyes away. On the left, a bar separated the space with the tables and the kitchen area. A large man grabbed some plates of food by dipping his fingers in to hold them better and carry them to one of the tables. Next to him, a girl about twenty years old carried some jugs in one hand to the same table, and swatted flies away with the other hand. The smell of stale food flooded the room. In the background there was a staircase that accessed the upper floor, the woman tightened the chain and led her to the bottom of it; there they went through a door next to the staircase and entered a small backyard, surrounded by high walls belonging to the adjacent houses. A small wooden shed filled with holes between the planks remained with the door open. The woman stopped and spoke in that foreign tongue while pointing to the shed.

Janira deduced that she should be there, in the shed, she did not know what to do or how to please that lady. The woman approached the young girl’s neck and released her from the chain, then left the yard leaving her alone. Janira heard a bolt latch on the other side of the door. She felt his neck and looked around. The courtyard comprised of a small enclosure about ten or fifteen steps wide, its high walls made it impassable. The shed was the only construction; next to it, a small shrub, slightly taller than her, gave the enclosure a little colour. She headed toward the shed. She stopped to see that it was already occupied by a couple of goats. She never liked goats; they had such strange eyes. Almices once told her they were evil beings, but necessary for their milk and cheese. She curled up at the door of the shed, scared of disturbing the animals. If only her mother was here, she would hug her with warm arms. What happened to her siblings? Had they been sold together? She remembered the oath made hours before in the cart, and prayed to the gods, just like her mother had taught her, asking them to be reunited, so they could find each other.

* * *

Nerisa felt her heart shatter as she climbed down the steps on the platform. When they entered the shop, she grabbed her companion in misery. They both looked at the two men who had bid for them. They left the store, removed the shackles, and tied them to the back of a cart loaded with jars and containers. The men climbed into the ox drawn cart and they set off. The girls would have to make the way on foot.

They walked for three long days to the southeast, always on foot, stopping several times a day to rest, taking advantage of the watering holes for the animals that were on the way. They passed several villages and the people they saw were usually indifferent to the girls. In the evening of the third day, the small group faced a small hill and the men smiled looking down the hillside; in front of the group, the western sun lit the sky with its orange glow and flooded a huge field of vines that almost completely surrounded a small group of houses protected by a stone wall. From their location they could see the people inside the enclosure. Animals and people went about their chores waiting for the end of the day. The group took the gentle path down to the enclosure. The two men spoke animatedly, pointing to the vines. Cleanta, as the Greek woman was called, whispered quietly to Nerisa.

“They are talking about the state of their vines, apparently our destiny are those houses there. I suppose we will soon know what the moiras have in store for us.”

“They don't look like bad people," Nerisa replied, surprised by the first words her companion had spoken since they began their journey. I think they need people to work on their land, so much vine must need a lot of attention.”

“You're amazing, Nerisa, you've lost your parents and separated you from your siblings, you've become a slave and your voice is firm and sure.” Cleanta looked at her with admiration.

“Don't think I'm so strong. My father taught us that we always had to behave according to the moment. I do not want to be a slave. I will do everything I can to get out of this situation and return to my siblings. Therefore, there is no point in fighting, I have to wait for the perfect opportunity, and you should do the same.”

"Go back, me? Where to? I am sure my father has sold me to pay off his debts and continue playing, and my mother has done nothing to prevent it. No, Nerisa, I do not have anywhere to go back to. It is all the same to me. When they took us to the cart to sell us, I realized how stupid it had been to think my father would free me. I have no family, just some distant relatives on my mother’s side who live in Rhodes, so I am alone.”

"You're with me," Nerisa said, without any doubt. “My older sister was raped and killed a couple of weeks ago. You are the same age. I want to be your little sister.” Cleanta was in awe of her companion’s determination.

"You're nine years old, but when you speak, you sound older than me. I am surprised by your fortitude.” She seemed to hesitate for a moment. “Okay, I'll be your older sister.” They held hands as the men continued to guide the cart and talk about their subjects, oblivious to the girls’.

They were already a short distance from the grounds when a couple of black dogs crossed the door toward them barking and wagging their tails from side to side. Behind them two boys ran up to the cart.

"Hi, Dad," the children exclaimed in unison, addressing the older one of the two men. Tanned and lively, Nerisa guessed that the little one would be about ten years old and the other about fifteen. Cleanta was translating the conversation in a low voice.

"Hello, children. How has everything been here?” The man smiled as he guided the cart toward the entrance.

"Very well," the older boy answered this time. “The work you ordered is finished and the preparations for the celebration are almost ready.”

"Well, run to your mother and sister while we unhook the ox.” The boys ran toward the big house; the cart was heading to a stable on the left, inside the perimeter of the farm. The grounds were spacious, almost as large as Narisa’s village. There were a dozen buildings inside. The stables must have taken up a third of the space. Two buildings of different heights towered over the complex, located in the centre of the enclosure. They certainly had to be the master’s quarters on the farm. On the right, a group of single-storey houses, more fragile in appearance, appeared to Nerisa as dwellings for the local peasants and slaves.

A peasant opened the stable doors and went inside. The men jumped down and left the ox there. They then left the stable, leaving Nerisa and Cleanta tied to the back of the cart, as if they were part of the vehicle.

“Hi, honey! I’ve missed you.” The older man embraced the woman who had just arrived. A younger woman stood next to them; the other man blushed when she saw her.

“Say hello to your future wife, don't be shy.” The older man addressed his traveling companion, ushering him to approach the young woman.

“Hi Thera, the journey has seemed forever away from here.” The young couple were blushing as they looked into each other's eyes, keeping a safe distance between themselves. A laugh distracted them from their thoughts.

“My daughter, future son-in-law, I have allowed you to bring a gift to celebrate your imminent wedding.” He winked at the other man and turned toward the cart approaching the girls.

“This is one of the perks. Two slaves so that you, my daughter, can devote all your time to your husband and my future grandchildren, and to make you all the things in the house.” Cleanta and Nerisa looked at each other, no translation was necessary. They belonged to the new couple.