Secret of the Oracle Read online

  ‘Nico and I have a secret society,’ said Thrax at once. ‘It has four members so far. Nico, myself and two girls from Corinth. They helped us solve our first case last year. We would like you to become the fifth member.’

  ‘What does your secret society do?’ asked Selene.

  ‘We fight crime wherever we find it,’ I said.

  ‘That’s a very noble cause,’ said Selene. ‘I would be honoured to join.’

  Thrax smiled and pulled a small charm of the Medusa from his chiton. We had bought it at the agora that morning and it looked very much like the ones we had round our necks.

  ‘Our society is called the Medusa League. This is our secret badge.’

  Selene slipped the charm over her neck. ‘I shall wear it proudly and I shall answer your call for help when it comes. Perhaps I will need your help one day too, in which case I’ll send a messenger.’

  Thrax and I said our goodbyes before hurrying back to the city. There was just enough time to have one last look around before we left.

  ‘Hey, Nico,’ said Thrax. ‘Do you realise we’ve never been to visit the stadium up in the hills? Come on, let’s go and have a look at it now. We may never come to Delphi again.’

  We hurried along the Sacred Way and up to the stadium, which was nestled under a cliff. It was deserted and the moonlight shone on the empty stone seats.

  ‘I wish we’d been here for the Pythian Games,’ said Thrax wistfully.

  ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘that would have been amazing. They have a music festival too, although how music carries in such a vast place I’ll never know.’

  ‘These places are specially built to carry sound,’ said Thrax.

  We spent some time exploring the place. Thrax pretended to wrestle with an invisible opponent. I sat on the stone seats, clapping and cheering him on.

  ‘Isn’t he the best?’ I asked invisible spectators sitting on the seats on either side of me. ‘Isn’t he a champ?’

  Thrax bowed his head to receive an imaginary crown, which he tossed up in the air. ‘Come on, Nico. Race you to the gate. Master Ariston will be wondering where we are.’

  We pelted up the steps towards the exit, Thrax running deliberately slowly to let me win. I was almost at the top when I bumped into a tall figure wrapped from head to toe in black. Thrax and I both stopped dead in our tracks as the figure revealed its face.

  It was Abantes.

  His eyes were little pools of anger, shining like burning coals in the falling dark. ‘You think you have destroyed me,’ he hissed. ‘I have lost my position at the temple, my fortune will be taken from me and I will end up in prison if I’m caught. But I am not finished yet. By the breath of Cronus and the gods of darkness, I shall have my revenge on you two and the new Pythia. And I shall rise again, to everlasting fame and fortune.’

  There was movement in the shadows behind him and a second figure slunk out from the trees.

  Belos! He too was wearing black.

  ‘Are you wondering how I managed to get out of prison?’ he laughed. ‘Well, I have a powerful father, with many connections still.’

  Without warning, he leaped on Thrax and a knife flashed in his hands. I looked on, helpless, as they tumbled to the ground and Abantes roared with angry laughter.

  ‘Oh, gods help us,’ I cried. ‘I beg you.’

  The gods must have heard because, in a flash, I remembered something I had packed for the journey to Corinth. I opened my pouch and plunged my hand in.

  ‘Belos,’ I called, ‘look over here!’ And I hurled the contents of my ink bag straight in his face. He screamed as the ground charcoal blinded him and filled his mouth.

  Thrax leaped to his feet. ‘Thank you, Nico.’

  ‘Thank the gods,’ I said. ‘They gave me the idea.’

  We both tore down the hill, leaving Abantes to help a spluttering Belos. Coming closer to the city, we saw flaming torches bobbing in our direction. ‘Whoa...’ called a voice. ‘Are you Nico the scribe and Thrax, Ariston the poet’s slave?’

  ‘We are,’ called back Thrax. ‘But Master Ariston is a playwright now, not a poet.’

  ‘We are city guards,’ said one of the men. ‘The magistrate sent us to fetch you and someone said they saw you heading to the stadium. Master Glykon would like to see you before you leave.’

  ‘City guards? What luck. We’ve just had a run-in with Abantes and his son!’ said Thrax. ‘You need to go after them at once.’

  The city guard looked startled and peered around him. ‘Abantes? Where?’

  ‘On the steps to the stadium,’ I said.

  The guard dispatched some of the men to catch up with Abantes while he took us to the archon’s house. Glykon was waiting for us with a gift. A leather purse packed tight with silver.

  ‘This is payment from the oracle,’ he said. ‘Thank you once again for saving it from ridicule. But I beg you, not a word of this escapade to anyone.’

  ‘I promise, not a word to anyone,’ said Thrax.

  I did not repeat what he said because I knew what I was going to do the moment I got home. I was going to start writing all about our adventure in Delphi. I had no worries about it. After all, Delphi had not been ruined. People who would read or listen to my story would take it as proof that the gods always protect their oracles.

  ‘Ha,’ I said to Thrax as we headed back to Master Ariston. That silver brings you another step closer to freedom.’

  He looked at me with fierceness in his eyes. ‘But I insist on sharing the reward.’

  ‘I will not take an obol from you until you are a freeman like me,’ I said.

  Thrax scowled. ‘At least let me buy you a new tablet.’

  * * *

  The following day, at dawn, Nico saddled Ariana and we joined the stream of pilgrims flowing out of Delphi. We were starting on the road down to Kirrha when Gorgias caught up with us. Milo was with him, his face hidden deep inside his himation.

  ‘I want to thank you,’ he said to Thrax, ‘for bringing my son’s gambling debts to my attention. I shall pay them off as soon as we return to New Sybaris. My son feared I would cut him out of my will if I found out he was a gambler. I shall do no such thing, of course. I will stand by him. He is a good son, despite his failings.’

  ‘And you are a good father. The gods bless you,’ said Master Ariston.

  Gorgias grinned for ear to ear. It was the first time I’d seen him look happy.

  ‘And have you heard the news?’ he said. ‘The city guards arrested the priest Abantes and a boy called Belos for trying to kidnap Selene the goatherd and sell her to mountain bandits. The pair managed to give them the slip, though. The gods only know where the rascals are hiding now.’

  ‘But what about the oracle, Gorgias?’ asked Master Ariston. ‘What advice did she give you about the ring of the harpies?’

  ‘You will hardly believe it,’ said the merchant. ‘I might be a long way from evading the curse of the harpies, but the Pythia’s words fill me with hope.’

  He held up the wax table to show us what the priest in the temple had written on it:

  To find the lost treasure and lift the curse of the harpies, the merchant must enlist the help of a scribe and a slave.

  ‘Well, I never,’ gasped Master Ariston.

  Thrax and I looked at each other with wide grins on our faces. It seemed our next adventure had begun already.

  Bonus Bits!

  Greek Gods and Myths

  Thrax and Nico, the main characters in our story, lived in a period of Greek history known today as Classical Greece. It lasted from around 510 to 323BC. The age when myth and history merged was long gone. People still believed in the ancient gods, though. They prayed and sacrificed to them often and referred to them all the time. Here is a list of the gods and some mythical creatures mentioned in our story.

  Aphrodite goddess of love and beauty. Her special symbol was the evening star. She was also associated with the sea and often depicted in art swimming with dolphins and s
wans, or surrounded by pearls.

  Aphaia goddess who was only worshipped on the island of Aegina. She had a famous temple there. Pregnant mothers prayed to her. She was also associated with the changing seasons. In time, people from outside the island started calling her Athena Aphaia

  Apollo god of music and poetry. A beautiful young man, his symbol was the lyre. When only four days old, Apollo was believed to have killed a serpent-like dragon called the Python.

  Aristaios god of many food-making crafts, including the making of cheese, olive oil, herbal medicines and honey. He also protected beekeepers and shepherds.

  Artemis goddess of hunting, wild animals and untamed places. Her symbols were the bow, the arrow, hunting dogs, the moon and – most famously – the stag. People in the ancient world believed she drove a chariot drawn by deer. Her sacred animals included the bear but also small birds like partridges and quails.

  Athena goddess of many things, including wisdom, mathematics, war and heroes. Her many symbols included the owl, the olive tree, the shield, the spear and a protective amulet with the Medusa’s face on it.

  Cronus god of time and king of the Titans. He was the father of Zeus and also ruled over the Elysian Islands, the home of the blessed dead. His name actually means ‘time’. People were scared of him because they knew that time destroyed everything.

  Dionysus god of wine, the grape harvest, merrymaking and theatre. Many illustrations of him show him as a well-rounded old man but he is sometimes drawn as a younger person too. He was looked after by magical rain nymphs when he was a child.

  Gaia mother of all creation. She was born at the dawn of time. On Greek vases, she was always drawn as a chubby woman full of life and health. In mosaics, she was often shown wearing green, a symbol of growth.

  Gorgons monstrous women with snakes for hair. If you looked at a gorgon you would turn to stone. Medusa is now the most famous of the gorgons.

  Harpies horrible birds with the faces of ugly women. In a famous legend, they tortured King Phineus by continually snatching his food and pooing on the scraps left behind. Jason and the Argonauts saved him by chasing away the harpies.

  Hera the mother goddess. She was married to Zeus, the chief god and was the protector of women, marriage and family. Believed to be a very serious person, she was often depicted on a throne. The peacock, the cow and the lily were some of her many symbols.

  Hermes god of thieves, travellers and athletes. Believed to be quick on his feet and able to slip easily from the mortal world into the mystical one, he acted as a messenger for the other gods. He was also honoured as the god of boundaries between countries and worlds.

  Hestia goddess of the hearth, the family and the home. She was Zeus’s sister. She is usually depicted with a staff or by a large fire.

  Medusa a gorgon, a monster with snakes for hair. If anyone looked into her eyes, they were turned immediately to stone. Medusa had two sisters who were immortal. They could not be killed. The hero Perseus managed to cut off Medusa’s head. He escaped being turned to stone by only looking at the gorgon’s reflection in his shield.

  Pan god of shepherds and hunters. He also protected the forests and the meadows. In art, he was always shown as a man with the horns, tails and legs of a goat. He also had a very thick beard and pointy ears. Pan played the pipes, always hidden from the view of mortals. He liked chasing nymphs.

  Poseidon god of the sea. He was also known as the earth-shaker because he was able to cause earthquakes. He could create islands and springs by striking rocks with his trident. Sailors prayed to him for protection while fishermen left their tridents in his temple when they retired.

  Zeus the chief god on Mount Olympus, he ruled over the other gods with a fiery temper. All the other gods rose to their feet when he was present. His special symbols were the oak, the bull and the thunderbolt, which he loved hurling at his enemies.

  Glossary

  Thrax and Nico use many Greek words in their second adventure. Here is a list of what they mean.

  Adyton a restricted part of a temple that only priests can enter

  Agora a marketplace, also used for public meetings

  Alabastron a perfume jar, sometimes worn around the neck

  Andron a special room where men relaxed and held parties

  Aulos a musical instrument made with two reed pipes

  Chiton a long tunic, often made of wool

  Epiblema a warm shawl, usually worn in cold weather

  Fibula a brooch or a clasp

  Himation a long woollen garment worn over the left shoulder

  Hoplites Greek citizens who also acted as soldiers

  Hydria wide pot used for carrying water

  Khaire ancient Greek word which meant ‘rejoice’. It was used like our ‘hello’

  Kylix a two-handled drinking cup

  Obol a coin

  Omphalos a stone said to represent the belly button of the world

  Peplos a long robe, worn by women

  Petasos a sun hat

  Pythia the priestess of the oracle at Delphi

  Thugater ancient Greek for ‘daughter’

  Tiganites wheat pancakes, usually eaten for breakfast

  Look out for more Ancient Greek Mysteries by Saviour Pirotta, published by Bloomsbury Education.

  Mark of the Cyclops

  Pirates of Poseidon (coming soon)

  Visit www.bloomsbury.com/education

  for more information.

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  First published in 2017

  Copyright © Saviour Pirotta, 2017

  Illustrations copyright © Freya Hartas, 2017

  Saviour Pirotta and Freya Hartas have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author and Illustrator of this work.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  ISBN

  PB: 978 1 4729 4016 2

  ePub: 978 1 4729 4014 8

  ePDF: 978 1 4729 4017 9

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