H. of Halicarnassus: Inspired by Some Things That Might Have Happened, Maybe - Episode 3

In which H. maketh a plan - the Streetes bereft of Menne - the linened Headgarb - the districkt of Administration - the Towne crier bekicked - his Exhortatione to the Peoples

3. It was not the best of plans, though H. had to admit that he had few other options. He needed money; to get money he would need to woo a daughter of the nobility; therefore, he had to put himself in a position where he would be in contact with nobles. That meant he had to increase his profile. As a foreigner (a Greek, no less), this would ordinarily be a difficult thing. The only advantage H. possessed in comparison to the average traveler was his formidable education and his reputation as a writer. For, unlike the hordes of semi-literate merchants and dilettante aristocrats who flooded in from the Ionian communities in Asia Minor, H. was already an established author, at least in his hometown of Halicarnassus. Admittedly, his oeuvre was not exactly magisterial, as it mostly consisted of tawdry reiterations of various myths, to be read at the comedy festivals before the main plays in order to work up the crowd, but his name was nevertheless known to a few men. He was already hard at work documenting the histories of a few of the communities he had visited, these being thus far the vast commercial city of Miletus, the island of Samos, and the great and prosperous city of Ephesus.
Here laid his plan: he would have to turn what he had already recorded to his advantage. He needed to organize a reading of his work, that men of substance, learned men, might notice him and invite him to their houses. Of course, the cities he had visited were well-known to all in this area, as was their history, and so he would need to emphasize the unusual, the fantastic.
With the help of Pigrites, he had sorted through his scribblings and had found suitable material with which to sway his audience. Such material had of course to be stretched into a new shape; his purpose was not to preserve word-for-word the tales told him, but to cast light on the marvelous while preserving the broad outline of the story. This is what would win him friends.
Now he just had to get the attention of the people. Shouting at the market corner had proved useless, for it was impossible to make oneself heard over the general din. It was already past noon, and the sun beat mercilessly on the uncovered streets of Asur. The number of customers dwindled, as they sought relief indoors. H. was anxious, for he wished to have an audience before the sun set. This was ambitious, he realized, but he was focused on making his way into the more exotic lands of southern Asia. He would need to make his name known quickly.
H. made his way slowly up the street, toward the government district. Sweat began to soak his fine blue tunic.
"Pigrites," he said as he walked, "it's hot."
"So it is," he heard from behind him.
"What do you propose to do about this?"
He sensed Pigrites was no longer following him. Stopping, he looked back and saw his slave pulling from his girdle a linen towel, which he soon wrapped with astonishing dexterity into a kind of head-dress, complete with a trailing covering for the neck. Pigrites advanced, holding out the makeshift hat.
"Sit would be wise to wear this."
H. put the hat on his head.
"Much better," he said. He watched as Pigrites made another covering for himself.
They continued on their way. A dozen blocks later, they arrived at the intersection of the market road with the main boulevard of the government district. This too was mostly empty in the heat of the afternoon, save for a few men lounging under the entrance to the archival building. Gaily-garbed spearmen guarded the entrance to the colonnaded satrapal palace, and these too tried their best to find themselves some shade under the sheer patchwork walls of the palace. At the center of the intersection stood a ring of stones, around which were placed several granite obelisks. Into these obelisks iron pegs had been driven, and from the pegs were hung little notices, these carved into wood or else, more ostentatiously, painted on sheepskin stretched over a wooden frame. This was where the residents of Asur came to exchange information, and this was where H. had the best chance of getting word out quickly. Dozing in the shade of an obelisk he found a barker. These were slaves employed by merchants and others to make announcements and to make known official proclamations from the royal throne in Susa. Some were even freelancers, and would shout for as long as they were paid. It was one of the latter that H. now found before him.
H. gave the man a light kick.
The man awoke instantly. He jabbered in Persian, and Pigrites cleared his throat.
"He said 'what do you want?'"
Through Pigrites, H. managed to arrange terms with the barker: for four obols, for the rest of the day the barker would make known to passers-by the time and location of H.'s reading.
"Uh, where are we having the reading, Pigrites?"
Pigrites sighed.
"The common garden is free in the early evening, and remains lit until midnight. I suggest sir entertain the masses there."
H. told Pigrites to tell this to the barker, who thereupon nodded and took his payment.
It was a little cooler now, and people were beginning to creep back onto the streets. Noticing this, the barker took a deep breath and began earning his pay. Pigrites provided translation:
"WISE AND UPRIGHT MEN, GIRD THYSELVES FOR A VOYAGE INTO THE FANTASTIC. A SCHOLAR OF A THOUSAND KNOWINGS COMES TO OUR PROVINCIAL TOWN AND BRINGS TALES HERETOFORE KNOWN ONLY TO THE SPIRITS OF OUR ANCESTORS. HE KNOWS WHY THE ISLAND CITY SANK INTO THE OCEAN. HE KNOWS WHERE FROM COMES THE CHARIOT. HE HAS CONFERRED WITH THE PROPHETS AND UNDONE THE MYSTERY OF THE SUN AND THE STARS AND THE SEASONS. OUR INDULGENT MASTER WILL ENHANCE, ELUCIDATE, EDUCATE FOR FREE, THIS EVENING..."
H. sat a short distance away and watched those who came within earshot of the barker. A few particularly wealthy-looking men stopped and heard the barker out, even asking him a few questions. He watched them confer with their retinues before heading off. He was pleased.