Summary of Leucippus and Clitophon
Achilles Tatiye
Leucippa and Clitophon
In the Phoenician city of Sidon the author meets a young man who tells him an unusual story of his love.
A native of Tire, the young man Clitophon was already preparing to marry Kadligon – his daughter’s daughter from a second marriage. But here from the city of Byzantium sails his uncle Sostratus. And Clitophon falls in love with his daughter – the beautiful Leucippus. This feeling soon becomes mutual.
Klinius, Clythofont’s cousin, is in love with the beautiful boy Harikla and gives that magnificent horse. But the first horseback riding ends with tragedy: a horse, frightened by something, suddenly carried and turned off the road into the forest. Lost power over the horse Harikle dies, thrown off the saddle. Woe to Clini and the parents of Harikla is boundless…
The plot line of the novel is continually interrupted (or rather, adorned) with beautiful illustrations-inserts-Greek myths
Near the famous Olympia, the flow of Alpheus flows: “The sea combines marriage and Alfea, escorting him to Arethusa.” During the Olympic festivities people gather and throw various gifts at him, he swiftly rides with them directly to his beloved and hastens to give her wedding gifts “.
The mother of Leucippus begins to suspect something and fixes all obstacles to the visits of lovers. Would not approve of this, of course, and the father of Clitophon (he had very different plans and hopes). But the mutual feeling flares up more and more, and the young lovers decide to flee their hometown. They have friends who are like-minded.
“There were six of us: Leucippus, Satyr, I, Klinius and two of his slaves.” We drove along the Sidon road and arrived in Sidon at dawn, without stopping, we moved to Beirut, hoping to find an anchored ship there. We found a ship that was about to
On the way, young people talk about the oddities of love and everyone ardently defends their beliefs, relying on personal experience and legends equally.
But the voyage was not successful: a terrible storm is rising, the ship begins to sink with dozens of passengers and sailors. The tragedy is aggravated also by the fact that the lifeboat turns out to be all the same…
By some miracle clinging to the fragment of the dying vessel, Leucippus and Clitophon are still saved: the wave carries them ashore near the Egyptian city of Pelusium at the eastern sleeve of the Nile: “Happy, we entered the earth, praising the immortal gods.” But they did not forget to mourn Kliniya and Satire, because they found them dead. ” The author describes in detail the streets, temples and, most importantly, paintings and sculptures-the artistic sights of the cities in which his heroes visited. So, on the wall of the temple in Pelusium, the artist Evantei portrayed Andromeda and Perseus with the head of the Gorgon Medusa and the agony of Prometheus, chained to the rock: the eagle pecks his liver, the titanic paints are depicted so realistically that the spectators also suffer through these sufferings. But “Hercules gives hope to the sufferer.” He stands and takes aim from the bow to the Prometheus executioner. Adjusting the arrow to the string, he forcibly directs forward his weapon, pulling it to his chest with his right hand, the muscles of which are strained in an effort to stretch the elastic string. Everything in it is bent, united by a common goal: bow, bowstring, right arm, arrow. “
From Pelusium our heroes swim down the Nile to Alexandria. But fate has prepared a new trial for them: they are captured by robbers, and Leucippus is torn from Clitophon – the girl is going to bring the local god as a ransom sacrifice.
But then the bandits are flinging the armed detachment as quickly as possible: a part of the prisoners (among them Clitophon) is released. Leucippus remained in the hands of the bandits.
The strategist, having evaluated the climatic art of Clitophon, even invites him to dinner. From the hill where they are located, terrible preparations are seen in the camp of bandits: Aevkippu in sacred robes lead to the altar, and a terrible slaughter occurs in front of the numb spectators. Then the girl is put in a coffin and villains leave from the altar.
Under the cover of night darkness, the grief-stricken Clitophon makes his way to an expensive coffin and wants to kill himself, next to the lifeless beloved. But at the very last moment, his friends, Satir and Menelaus (with the latter they made friends during a tragic voyage) stop him in time. It turns out that they also escaped during the shipwreck and… were captured all the same robbers. Those who test the reliability of the young men, instruct them to commit the terrible: sacrifice Leucippus. And they decide, hoping for a good fate. However, not without reason.
They, it turns out, have a fake sword, the blade of which, when pressed lightly, goes into the handle. With the help of this theatrical weapon, friends and “sacrifice” Leucippus, which was previously stupefied with a sleepy potion.
So, the lid of the tomb opens and “Leucippus rose from it.” She rushed to me, we hugged each other and fell to the ground without feeling. ”
Happy friends again together. They are in the army of the strategist, who is waiting for reinforcements to finally deal with the bandits.
Young people are seen regularly, but their connection is purely platonic. Leucippus in a dream came to Artemis and said: “I will be your intercessor.” You will remain virgin until I arrange your marriage and your husband will be none other than Clitophon. ”
In the meantime, Levkipp falls in love with the strategist Kharmid. But with all sorts of tricks and excuses, she manages to avoid his courtship and, especially, rapprochement with an ardent warrior.
And suddenly, Leucippus becomes insane. She rushes in furious at all, and her speech is incoherent. Soon it turns out that Levkilpu was oppressed with a terrible potion. This was done on the idea of a warrior fallen in love with him (again a warrior!) – Foros of Hereea. He then acts as a “savior” and, giving the antidote to the girl and returning her memory, then invites Leucippus and Clitophon to join Foros. And there during the feast robbers, friends of Kherei, kidnapped Leucippus.
The sea chase begins, in which the ship of city authorities takes part on the side of the victims. The kidnappers are about to be overtaken!
And here, in front of the pursuers, the robbers bring Leucippus to the deck and cut off her head, and the decapitated body is thrown into the waves. Confusion and horror on the ships catching up! Meanwhile, the pirates manage to escape.
“… For a long time I mourned the death of my beloved, then I betrayed her body to the funeral and returned to Alexandria.”
Six months passed and the grief gradually became dull: time, as you know, is the best healer.
Suddenly Clinius appeared! He, it turns out, picked up a passing ship at sea and delivered directly to Sidon. He said that Sostrat, the father of Leucippus, had already given his consent to extradite his daughter for Clitophon. But, alas, too late…
Learning that the young man is in Alexandria, his father is going to come there. However, the events again “dictate Aphrodite.” In Cliftofont passionately falls in love with the noble and very effective Ephesian matron Melita. Her husband died during the shipwreck. And Melita hopes that not only her beauty, but the similarity of misfortunes will allow her to get closer to the inconsolable groom of Leucippus. However, Clitophon is still heartbroken, despite the time and efforts of friends, and Melita’s response is very reserved. Matron literally burns with passion, and the young man, under various pretexts, refuses to become her husband and, as such, divide the bed: everything is limited to “permissible caresses.”
And suddenly, capricious fate presents the heroes of the novel with a new surprise: it turns out that Levkippa… is alive! On that terrible day of sea chase pirates, as it turned out only now, beheaded another woman, specially disguised in the tunic of Leucippus, and her body was thrown into the sea, prudently hiding her head.
Leucippus also robbers profitably sold into slavery, and she was in… the estate of Melita (but under the name of Lakena). And the unhappy lovers met again. Although it is impossible for them to be together.
Suddenly Melita’s husband returns – Fersandra. He, it turns out, also did not perish: and he was not destined to drown in the sea depths. And Fersander, naturally, is furious and insulted by the presence in his house of a young and handsome tyrian.
Melita’s assurances that their relations are noble and especially friendly, do not inspire confidence and are angrily rejected. Clitophon is thrown into prison. He was presented with the most incredible accusations (including murder), and a severe trial is being prepared.
Fersander still goes to friends. A crafty steward – an overseer of slaves in the estate – shows him Leucippus, and the insulted husband immediately falls in love with her.
Meanwhile, the court, under the pressure of Fersandra and his supporters, sentenced Clitophon to death. But this was preceded by events, without which such a novel is impossible.
Learning that Leucippus is her slave Laken, Melita at first terribly upset, but then, subdued by the loyalty of Clitophon and touched by the endless sufferings of lovers, she tries to organize their escape. Melita gives Clitophon his clothes, and he, unrecognized, leaves her house. But – another failure: along the way, they grab and expose (both literally and figuratively).
And in Ephesus as a theologian (sacred ambassador) comes at this time Sostrat – the father of Leucippus. And only chance prevents them on the very first day of meeting in the temple of Artemis, the defense of which hopes exhausted girl.
Overcoming all obstacles, despite a lot of false accusations, Leucippus proves his innocence. In the cave of the forest god Pan, there is a wonderful sounding in her honor of the syringa – the seven-barreled reed flute, which attests to the purity of the girl. Equally convincingly confirmed is the nobility of the unhappy Melita. The people, and then the court, take the side of the lovers. A shameful Fersandre fled the city.
Clitophon with his uncle (Sostratus embraced his newly-found daughter!) And his beloved, having undergone so many adventures and trials, returns to Byzantium – his hometown. There they played a long-awaited wedding.
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