The Lycian Prince 63 - 64

(October 291 A.D. – 5 months until Anthonius’ nullification [?])

The galley sailed sedately from Alexandria through the Nile delta. Ebana appeared in no hurry to return to his troubled homeland, seemingly enjoying life afloat, especially as he had a beautiful young white catamite to himself. He had naturally been as ecstatic at Anthonius’ return as he had been apoplectic at his disappearance. However, he had been able to elucidate little about the boy’s days away from the ship other than that he had been rescued from his torment and treated for his wounds by unnamed kind Arabs before being returned. The King was not sure what to make of the story but had the lad flogged anyway for allowing himself to be removed from his regal custody. This did not mean that the former Prince was excused carnal duties as his flagellation was not over-severe, the victim had after all apparently returned voluntarily, and the monarch did not mind sodomising a bottom bearing vivid red stripes.

Anthonius’ previous daily routine of work on the oars, lessons and performing dance routines on the stern platform and sexual ones in Ebana’s bed had been resumed, the only interruption being when the ship entered the fresh water of the Nile from the salt sea of the Mare Internum. The boy, a good swimmer, was then required to remove his loincloth and jump overboard to clean barnacles and other matter off the hull of the ship whilst it lay at anchor. The naked lad received no help and it took all day to complete the task using a metal scraper. He was permitted only short respites and was exhausted by the time that he had finished. Although there was no requirement to row and he was excused lessons, the former Prince was still required to entertain the King that night.

The galley called in at many riverside cities of first Lower then Upper Egypt, including Naucratis, Heliopolis, Memphis, Antinopolis, Ptolemais Hermia, Coptos, Thebae and Syene, with Ebana enjoying much local hospitality. The King paid his respects at the Great Pyramids, some of his predecessors having ruled Egypt a thousand years previously. He took a party that included, for show, Anthonius performing servile duties, but the boy thereby saw a second wonder of the ancient world during the voyage to his destiny. As the galley eventually approached the border with Lower Nubia, a royal visit was made to the temple at Abu Simbel.

Nubia suffered one of the harshest climates in the world, the country basically being desert and mountains apart from the area bordering the Nile. However, it used to be mineral rich, possessing many gold mines, until they were depleted over time, and once being a major source of ebony, ivory and incense, much secured from lands even further south.

The ancient capital had been located at Napata beyond the 4th cataract of the Nile, just after the mighty river turns back on itself in a gigantic curve before again finally heading south to its source. Gebel Barkal, sacred mountain of Amun, dominated the metropolis. A great temple to this god was located at the base of the mountain, inside which the deity was supposed to reside. Although Napata remained a holy city, the capital was eventually moved much further down the Nile to Meroe, beyond the 5th cataract, because of the Egyptian threat, the two countries enjoying uneasy relationships and many wars over the centuries. However, Ebana’s immediate predecessor had moved his administration back north to a town close to the Egyptian border in order to facilitate much needed trade with its neighbour and the wider Roman Empire. His successor renamed it Ebania.

Ebania was on the banks of the Nile before the 2nd cataract. It was not as big, populous or splendid as Napata or Meroe, consisting mainly of low mud-brick buildings. However, it had been the centre of the cult of Priapus and consequently one of its two main structures was the huge Priapic temple. The other was Ebana’s half-built pyramid. He would be the last Nubian King to attempt to build a tomb of this kind for himself. Those who succeeded him would, because of the economic hardship that had befallen the country, have to content themselves with tumulus burial sites instead, although most retained the practice of taking sacrificed retainers, horses, camels and donkeys, along with other possessions, with them into the underworld.

The galley would not have been able to reach Meroe, because the Nile through much of Nubia is narrow and possesses many rapids with rocky obstructions, but Ebania, whose status as the capital would not outlive the King, was finally reached in mid-December. It was just seven days before the winter solstice when Anthonius would be expected to participate in a ceremony in the Priapic temple to determine whether he would remain there for life as one of the god’s penalslaves. If he failed to draw the single white ball from the bag containing another 63 red spheres, it would also now be just over three months before he would learn, at the vernal equinox and via the same method, whether he too was to become, without further delay, a nullified eunuch.

Chapter 64 – Ebania

(December 291 A.D. – 3 months until Anthonius’ nullification [?])

A large crowd gathered at the quayside of Ebania to see the magnificent galley, the likes of which they had not seen before. Few of the populace had borne much enthusiasm for their King’s return, being sceptical of the success of his mission. However, after word had spread of the trading arrangements Ebana had secured and the gifts that he had brought back, many had come to the wharf to watch the unloading of the now Nubian vessel. Others preferred to line the main thoroughfare, along which the royal procession would pass from the riverside to the huge sinister Priapic temple, from the steps of which the people had been told that the King would address them later. Meanwhile, the monarch received senior officials, in whom he had entrusted the rule of his country during his absence, onboard ship for audiences in which they would brief him with recent national developments whilst he responded with international news.

Much later, Anthonius was again the last to leave the boat, although this time unbound as there was no possibility of escape. His slavecollar had been removed and he had been washed and groomed extra carefully by the youthful black eunuch before being redressed in the tunic, as well as a fresh loincloth, of a Roman Imperial boy companion. The lad’s standing was to be initially maximised to the people in order to emphasise his trophy status. This was further stressed by his positioning in the triumphal parade, about four paces behind Ebana’s magnificent new steed, another present from Diocletian.

The sun was relentlessly hot overhead as, to now cheering throngs, few of whom had seen white people previously, the cavalcade proceeded slowly from the quayside along the wide road. Anthonius was grateful for the liberal re-application of oil to protect the uncovered parts of his body from the searing sunlight. However, he was also very frightened. Apart from the young slavegirls, who followed him, his was the only white face to be observed amongst thousands of blacks. He could also see, directly in front, the ominous enormous rectangular dark shape of the windowless Priapic temple, where all of the now many nullified eunuchs, whom he had known, had been emasculated. The boy fearfully wondered whether this really was to be his true destiny, to live in that unmanned state for the rest of his life within the edifice that he was gradually approaching.

The building loomed bigger and bigger until Anthonius could clearly make out the massive sacred phallic symbols of Priapus carved in the exterior stonework. Despite the heat, the sight caused the boy to shiver.

The procession eventually arrived in the extensive square in front of the temple, Anthonius’ feelings of terror and doom increasing with every step forward. He saw that a group of men and boys had gathered at the top of the temple steps, around what appeared to be the main entrance. The boy surmised correctly from their attire, long black robes for the adults and similar but sleeveless and shorter garb for the youngsters, all emblazoned with red phalluses, that they were some of the Priapic priests and acolytes.

The people crowded into the square as the parade disbanded, Ebana and his senior cohorts dismounting their horses to climb halfway up the long wide steps. The only people who followed them were Anthonius and the youthful eunuch, the latter guiding the former by his arm. The rest of the cavalcade departed for the royal palace, which was actually nothing more than a large villa. The tremulous former Prince, observing the slavegirls leaving towards their own destinies, wondered when he would see another white person again.

Ebana’s speech, recording the successes of his visit to Rome and the largesse provided by the great Emperor Diocletian, which the populace had seen paraded through the capital, regularly received tumultuous cheers. However, the loudest acclaim came for the further public display on the steps of the temple of the beautiful Anthonius and the announcement that the white boy, Prince of Lycia and young aid to Diocletian, was to be offered, through Roman Imperial generosity, as a penalslave to Priapus at the winter solstice in 7 days.

Word had already been sent to the Highpriest about the new unique offering’s imminent arrival and a couple of his liturgy now came to collect the white benefaction at a nod from their king. The two smirking priests took one of the very scared boy’s arms apiece and led him to the top of the steps. The other smiling liturgy, extremely pleased to see such a delightful new donation to their god, divided to allow the duo and their charge to pass through the large open doorway of the temple.

Anthonius glanced behind to see the square bathed in hot sunlight and full of cheering people. This was in stark contrast to his new environment. Coolness, almost a chill, immediately hit him as he entered the dark of the empty entrance corridor. The boy, cock embarrassingly hard despite his terror, smelt strange fragrances whilst his eyes became accustomed to the gloom, lessened only by wall torches. As he as his escorts advanced deep into the innards of the terrible place, the light and apparent size of the doorway behind rapidly diminished. The lad began to discern smaller phallic carvings before noticing, to his horror, the many dishes containing severed black genitalia in preservative fluid also lining the passageway walls. Although he had been briefed about such display, the former Prince almost fainted at his first sight of the severed organs.

Anthonius did not know that the Priapic Highpriest, who now waited to greet him, had already selected a bowl in which to show off prominently the temple’s first young white genitals.

(To be continued in chapter 65 – ‘Lottery’)