Book 4

1.1. So Habrocomes was being led to Alexandria to stand trial for having, as it was thought, killed his master Araxus; meanwhile Hippothous and his men set out from Tarsus and went on the road toward Syria, making subject to themselves everything they met. They burned villages and slaughtered many men. And so, going on, they came to Laodicea in Syria, and there stayed, no longer as robbers, but as men who had come to view the city.

1.2. There Hippothous made inquiries whether he might somewhere find Habrocomes; but as he accomplished nothing, they recovered themselves and turned toward Phoenicia, and from there toward Egypt; for they had decided to overrun Egypt.

1.3. Having gathered a great band, they went on the road toward Pelusium, and sailing on the river Nile to Hermoupolis in Egypt and to Schedia, they entered the channel of the river made by Menelaus; they passed by Alexandria, came to Memphis, the holy city of Isis, and from there to Mendes.

1.4. They took with them some of the local people as partners in the band and as guides for the road. Passing through these places, they came to the city of Leontopolis, and after passing through not a few other villages, most of them obscure, they came to Coptos, near Ethiopia.

1.5. There they decided to rob, for there was a great throng of merchants passing through, of those who travelled to Ethiopia and to India; and their band numbered five hundred men. Seizing the heights of Ethiopia, and arranging everything, they decided to rob those who passed.

2.1. When Habrocomes came before the governor of Egypt (for the people of Pelusium had reported to him what had happened, and the murder of Araxus, and that, being a slave, he had dared such things), the governor, learning each thing, and without even inquiring into what had happened, ordered Habrocomes to be led off and fastened to a cross.

2.2. He was dumbstruck by his troubles, but consoled himself for his death by the thought that Anthia too seemed to have died. Those to whom this had been assigned led him to the banks of the Nile; there was a sheer cliff looking out over the stream of the river.

2.3. They set up the cross and fastened him to it, binding his hands and feet with cords; for this is the manner of crucifixion among the people there. Then they left him and went away, supposing that the one fastened up would remain secure.

2.4. But he, looking up at the sun and seeing the stream of the Nile, said, "Most kindly of the gods, you who hold Egypt, through whom both land and sea have been revealed to all men: if I, Habrocomes, am guilty of any wrong, may I perish miserably and undergo a still greater punishment, if any greater there be;

2.5. but if I have been betrayed by a wicked woman, may the stream of the Nile never be defiled by the body of one who perishes unjustly, and may you never look upon such a sight, a man who has done no wrong perishing upon your soil."

2.6. So he prayed, and the god took pity on him: a gust of wind arose suddenly and fell upon the cross, and washed away the earth of the cliff in which the cross had been fixed; Habrocomes fell into the stream and was carried along, neither harmed by the water, nor hindered by his bonds, nor injured by the beasts, but borne onward by the stream.

2.7. Carried along, he came to the mouths of the Nile, and there the guards took him and led him, as a fugitive from punishment, to the man who governed Egypt.

2.8. The governor, angrier still and thinking him wholly wicked, ordered them to make a pyre, lay Habrocomes on it, and burn him. Everything was made ready, and the pyre was beside the mouths of the Nile, and Habrocomes had been laid on it, and the fire set beneath; but just as the flame was about to touch his body, he prayed again briefly, as best he could, that the god would save him from the present evils.

2.9. And thereupon the Nile swelled into waves, the stream fell upon the pyre, and quenched the flame. What had happened was a marvel to those present, and taking Habrocomes they led him to the governor of Egypt, told him what had occurred, and related the help of the Nile.

2.10. The governor marvelled to hear what had happened, and ordered him to be kept in prison, but to be given every care, "until," he said, "we learn who the man is, and why the gods care for him so."

3.1. So Habrocomes was in prison. But Psammis, who had bought Anthia, decided to return home and made all preparations for the journey; he had to travel through Upper Egypt to reach Ethiopia, where the band of Hippothous was.

3.2. Everything was ready—many camels and donkeys and baggage horses; there was a great quantity of gold, much silver, and much clothing; and he took Anthia along too.

3.3. When she, having passed Alexandria, came to Memphis, she prayed to Isis, standing before the temple: "O greatest of the gods, until now I remain pure, accounted yours, and I keep my marriage to Habrocomes undefiled; but from here I am going to the Indians, far from the land of the Ephesians, far from the remains of Habrocomes.

3.4. So either save me, ill-fated as I am, from here, and restore me to Habrocomes while he lives; or, if it is wholly fated that we die apart from one another, grant me this, to remain chaste to the dead man."

3.5. So she prayed, and they went forward on the road. By now they had passed Coptos and were entering the borders of Ethiopia, when Hippothous fell upon them. He killed Psammis himself and many of those with him, took the goods, and made Anthia a captive.

3.6. Gathering the captured goods, he led them to the cave appointed for the storing of their goods; there Anthia too was led. She did not recognize Hippothous, nor did Hippothous recognize Anthia. And whenever he asked her who she was and where she was from, she did not tell the truth, but said she was an Egyptian of the country, named Memphitis.

4.1. So she was with Hippothous in the robbers' cave; meanwhile the governor of Egypt sent for Habrocomes, inquired into his story, learned the tale, pitied his fortune, gave him money, and promised to take him to Ephesus.

4.2. He gave the governor every thanks for his deliverance, but begged to be allowed to search for Anthia. And taking many gifts, he boarded a boat and set sail toward Italy, thinking to learn something there about Anthia. The governor of Egypt, learning the truth about Araxus, sent for Cyno and crucified her.

5.1. While Anthia was in the cave, one of the robbers guarding her fell in love with her, Anchialus by name. This Anchialus was one of those who had come with Hippothous from Syria, a Laodicean by birth, and he was honoured by Hippothous, being young and of great power in the band.

5.2. Having fallen in love with her, at first he made advances in words, as if to win her over, and said he would take her by persuasion and ask for her as a gift from Hippothous.

5.3. She refused everything, and nothing daunted her—not the cave, not bonds, not a robber's threats; she still kept herself for Habrocomes, even though she thought him dead, and often cried out, whenever she could do so unnoticed, "I will remain the wife of Habrocomes alone, even if I must die, even if I must suffer worse than I have suffered."

5.4. This drove Anchialus into greater distress, and the daily sight of Anthia inflamed him with love; no longer able to bear it, he attempted to force Anthia.

5.5. And one night, when Hippothous was not present but was with the others on a raid, he rose up and tried to outrage her. She, in her hopeless plight, drew the sword that lay near and struck Anchialus, and the blow was fatal; for as he was bending wholly toward her to embrace and kiss her, she drove the sword down and struck him in the chest.

5.6. So Anchialus paid a sufficient penalty for his wicked desire; but Anthia fell into fear for what she had done, and pondered many things—at one moment to kill herself (but she still hoped something concerning Habrocomes), at another to flee from the cave (but this was impossible, for the road was not easy for her, nor was there anyone to guide her on the way). So she decided to stay in the cave and bear whatever the divinity might decide.

6.1. That night she stayed, getting no sleep and thinking many things; but when day came, Hippothous and his men returned and saw Anchialus slain and Anthia beside the body, and guessed what had happened; and questioning her, they learned everything.

6.2. So they resolved to be angry at what had been done and to avenge their dead friend; and they planned various things against Anthia—one bidding to kill her and bury her with Anchialus' body, another to crucify her.

6.3. Hippothous was grieved over Anchialus, and planned a greater punishment against Anthia: he ordered them to dig a great, deep pit, and to throw Anthia into it, and two dogs with her, so that by this she might pay a great penalty for what she had dared.

6.4. They did as ordered, and Anthia was led to the pit, and the dogs as well; they were Egyptian dogs, in other respects large and terrible to look upon. When they had been thrown in, they laid great timbers across and filled in the pit (it was a little way from the Nile), and set one of the robbers as guard, Amphinomus by name.

6.5. This Amphinomus had even before been captured by love of Anthia, and now he pitied her the more and felt compassion for her misfortune; and he considered how she might live longer, and how the dogs might do her no harm. Each time he removed some of the timbers laid over the pit, threw down bread and provided water, and by this urged Anthia to take heart.

6.6. And the dogs, being fed, did her no harm, but now became tame and gentle. But Anthia, looking upon herself and considering her present fortune, said, "Alas for my troubles! What a punishment I endure—a pit and a prison, and dogs shut in with me far gentler than the robbers. I suffer the same things, Habrocomes, as you;

6.7. for once you too were in a like fortune, and I left you in Tyre in prison. But if you are still alive, there is nothing dreadful; for perhaps we shall one day have each other again. But if you are already dead, in vain do I strive to live, in vain does this man, whoever he is, pity me in my misfortune." So she spoke, and lamented continually.