Just Myrto Read online

  LUMINIS BOOKS

  Published by Luminis Books

  1950 East Greyhound Pass, #18, PMB 280

  Carmel, Indiana, 46033, U.S.A.

  Copyright © Socratic Parenting LLC, 2014

  PUBLISHER’S NOTICE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The “Mind’s Eye” symbol in Chapter 28 was created by the author and registered as the trademark of Socratic Parenting LLC. All rights reserved.

  Hardcover: 978-1-935462-96-5

  Paperback: 978-1-935462-97-2

  Printed in the United States of America

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  Meaningful Books That Entertain

  Advance Praise for Just Myrto:

  “In this very original novel, Laurie Gray gives us a cast of characters to love, a historical setting to inhabit, and just enough philosophy to whet our appetites for more. A page-turning narrative woven with deep and substantial conversations, Just Myrto lingers in the mind long after the book is closed. I especially love the delicacy with which Laurie Gray imagines several central scenes, giving love and sex and death their importance in the story, while allowing Myrto a certain modesty in recounting her feelings about them. A beautiful story, beautifully told.”

  —Helen Frost, author of The Braid, Crossing Stones, and Salt

  “The character of Myrto, as the second wife of Socrates, will surely imprint for good all those who discover her in this delightful book. As a young girl without a dowry, Myrto could easily have fallen between the cracks of ancient Greek society. Instead, when Socrates volunteers to take her as a second wife, Myrto undergoes an initiation, not just into wife- and mother-hood, but also into the life of an independent thinker. She becomes a woman of great spiritual power, especially after the death of her husband, when she chooses how to live without her beloved guide and husband.”

  “What I loved most about this book is how the author resists the temptation of the romantic master narrative. Myrto develops great strength as she learns to think for herself. In fact, I’ve never seen a better depiction of growth in a young woman—from vulnerability and anxiety to confidence and courage.”

  “Socrates and Plato, two of the other chief characters, are finely drawn also. Indeed, Socrates is the catalyst for the amazing growth of his young wife. His refusal to tell her what to do and to think and his probing questions have a transformative effect over time. She even finds a way to understand the famously difficult Xanthippe, Socrates’ first wife.”

  “Along the way the reader picks up many facts of Greek life and history, but the research doesn’t show on the surface. It’s embedded and can be discovered just the way Socrates himself would have approved. Without discovery, learning is mere memorization. With it, learning lives in the place of the gods, the spirit.”

  “I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient Greek culture and in a riveting story of female empowerment.”

  —Shirley Hershey Showalter, author of Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World, former president of Goshen College and former Vice President of the Fetzer Institute

  “I totally enjoyed this book based on real facts of the little-known second wife of Socrates. Laurie uses her imagination and places us in a world that is very different from the one we live in today … what it was like to be an uneducated, unmarried, young woman with seemingly few choices in ancient Athens after her father dies and she is left penniless.”

  “In Myrto’s exchanges with Socrates, Plato and other historical figures, we also learn that we are the wisest when we keep an open mind, ask questions, and listen to others. This was done through the lively and interesting dialog throughout the story.”

  “We grow with Myrto as she learns what is truly important—freedom of thought and the choice it gives you. I think today’s young women need heroines like Myrto, who blossoms from a poor, frightened, insecure girl to an independent, free-thinking woman … and it’s not through kowtowing to other’s expectations, but listening to what is important to your heart, and having the courage to move forward.”

  “Although I am far from being a teenager, I continue to grow and could identify with Myrto’s thirst for knowledge and discovering her own path. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book for teens who love history, want to understand ancient Greek culture, learn about the Socratic Method, and see life through the eyes of an historical figure of ancient times.”

  —DeShawn Wert, YourADDAnswers.com

  “Laurie Gray does an admirable job of weaving the philosophical content of Plato’s dialogues into a compelling story.”

  —Naomi Reshotko, author of Socratic Virtue, and Professor of Philosophy, University of Denver

  “Teens—and adults—interested in ancient Greece from a social and intellectual perspective will find this novel richly rewarding, as will fans of biography and readers who appreciate a ‘human face’ for famous names. In addition, Just Myrto offers intriguing glimpses of women’s lives in ancient Greece, a notoriously male-centered society; this novel should find a place in feminist literature. Laurie Gray has gracefully met several major challenges in writing this unusual book, and her readers will thank her for a horizon-broadening experience.”

  —Ella Marston, author of The Compassionate Warrior and Santa Claus in Baghdad

  Praise for Summer Sanctuary by Laurie Gray, an Indiana Best Book Finalist and Moonbeam Gold Medalist:

  “Skillful writing allows readers to experience Matthew’s struggle with life questions, his own beliefs, his emotional growth, and his actions to help Dinah.”

  —Susan Shaver, Library Media Connection, Starred Review

  “What a big-hearted story, told with affection and humor. I loved spending time with Matthew and his family and with Dinah, the girl who looks in from outside. Like Dinah, young readers will find a place of welcome and comfort, a true sanctuary, in the pages of this book. Like Matthew, they’ll discover something important about friendship and independence.”

  —Helen Frost, Printz Honor Award-winning author of Keesha’s House

  “This is a wonderful book. Any writer wanting to create a work of fiction that is appealing and spiritually fulfilling for teens or young adults would do well to read this before embarking on their journey … This is the type of book a librarian loves to pull off the shelf and hand to a teen reader looking for something that is a fun read with a healthy message. I look forward to more work by this author.”

  —John R. Clark, TCM Reviews

  “Summer Sanctuary is a beautifully written tale that should appeal to all ages. Laurie Gray captures the heart of what it is to be young, and her characters reflect that joy. Designated as an OUTSTANDING BOOK.”

  —Debbie Wiley, Book Illuminations

  “Summer Sanctuary is a delightful, heart-warming and thought-provoking book.”

  —Sahar, Blogcritics

  “Laurie Gray does a magnificent job with character development in Summer Sanctuary. This is a beautifully written tale that should appeal to all ages.”

  —Debbie Wiley Book Reviews

  “This quiet, sweet book about friendship is a rare jewel.”

  —Lyn Seippel, Bookloons

  “Matthew and Dinah’s story is a beautiful and touching one. The story is a well-written one and describes some of the feelings that teenagers have about their family, and about what it means to be a friend.”

  —Monique Burkes, BookPleasures.com

  “Summer Sanctuary is an excellent book from novelist Laurie Gray. Hopefully Gray will conti
nue writing and providing quality literature for adolescents with wholesome themes.”

  —Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher), BookTrends.org

  “Rich in literary allusions and humor, this novel overflows with music, poetry and science, all appealing to and suitable for middle grade readers. The book creates a safe place for tweens and teens to explore and appreciate their own experiences as well as the diverse experiences of others.”

  —Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review

  Praise for Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray:

  “In Maybe I Will, Laurie Gray writes about important topics that teens need to talk about, including sexual assault, friendship, and alcoholism or self-destructive behaviors that result from trauma. Maybe I Will may help some teens know they’re not alone.”

  —Cheryl Rainfield, award-winning author of Scars, Hunted, and Stained

  “Sandy is written so as to be readable as either male or female … and the note it hits at the end is hopeful without being unrealistic. A careful treatment of a difficult topic.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Gray draws from her professional experience with teens in this fast-moving and emotional story.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Author Laurie Gray deals with a difficult topic in a thoughtful, nuanced, and realistic way. A pinch of humor and dash of Shakespeare add flavor to what otherwise might be an overly heavy stew. Maybe I Will belongs on teens’ reading lists and bookshelves alongside classics of its type such as Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Cheryl Rainfield’s Scars.”

  —Mike Mullin, award winning author of Ashfall and Ashen Winter

  “Maybe I Will is a fantastic story that stirs reader emotions and shares a meaningful story. I would recommend it to teenagers who enjoy realistic fiction and books like Speak.”

  —LitPik

  “Maybe I Will is an essential purchase for libraries with young adults requesting books like 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones.”

  —Diane Kelly, PracticallyParadise.org

  “[Her] experience and her talent as a writer enabled Gray to craft characters whose emotions, motivations, and reactions seem realistic and utterly believable. I would definitely recommend Maybe I Will for high school age readers …”

  —Ross Brand, TheTrades.com

  “This is an important book. Parents with pre-teens and/or teenagers—buy this book, read it yourself and then pass it along to them to read. I am a mother of a teenager myself and I know that often teens shut their ears and don’t listen to a lot of the wisdom and advice we have to offer. Encourage them to read Maybe I Will. It covers a lot of vital, important information about sexual assault.”

  —Growing Up Little

  “Maybe I Will should be read by every teenager and required reading in schools. It’s as important as reading April Raintree was for me when I went to school. The nature of the book, and the discussions it can bring up are truly important for a young audience to understand. Read this book with a warning—you will cry, and it will affect you.”

  —Naimeless

  For my Socratic husband and our wondrous child.

  Introduction

  JUST MYRTO IS a work of historical fiction set in Ancient Greece. The main characters were real people who lived in Athens around the turn of the 4th Century B.C.E. Readers may refer to the Glossary at the end of the book for more information on the people, places, literature and mythology referenced in the book.

  Prologue

  I HAVE A favorite dream. In it, my mother is a goddess. I live, eat and play on Mount Olympus with the gods. I have an endless supply of ambrosia to satisfy my hunger, and the nectar flows freely upon the slightest notion of thirst. I ride on Pegasus, the winged horse, with no fear of flying, no fear of falling and no fear of dying because the gods never die.

  In this dream, I am free. I am not just Myrto, daughter of Lysimachus and granddaughter of Aristides the Just. I am an immortal soul, living and breathing eternally. The entire universe is my playground.

  But then it never fails. As I soar through the white clouds, Pegasus vanishes. I feel myself falling. The clouds turn dark, and I disappear in the fog. I awaken to a memory of death and the misery that is my life. I was born into a world where life itself depends upon man’s pleasure and woman’s pain. I am doubly cursed to be both mortal and female.

  Memories of my mother’s death often awaken me at dawn. They drive me out of the house and up the hillside to a place where the virgin goddess Artemis decides the fate of abandoned baby girls. The hill is very near my home in Alopeke. From there I can see across the River Illisus to the wall surrounding Athens. I sit and watch the sun rise upon the temple of Athena in the Acropolis.

  1

  MY MOTHER DIED during the month of Poseidon in the winter of my twelfth year. I had just blossomed from girl to woman. I dedicated the clay toys of my youth to Artemis in anticipation of the wedding that was sure to follow. But there was no wedding for me. Instead, I watched my mother perish giving birth to a stillborn son.

  The moment my mother’s breath stopped, the midwife ripped her apart in haste to free the child. The midwife’s wailing drew my father into the room. Father took my lifeless brother from the midwife and fell to his knees still holding the child. He stayed there, silently clinging to the infant corpse as the midwife cleansed the room of my mother’s blood, washing away the remains of her life.

  I saw no anger on Father’s face. Bewilderment gradually changed to despair as the winds of truth fanned sparks of realization. He named the boy Acheron after the river to Hades, the final resting place of all mortal souls. At the time, I thought he meant to keep the dead child. I wondered which was the greater tragedy—a stillborn son or a live daughter who, having no mother to raise her, very likely would have been abandoned on the hillside. Was Father mourning the loss of a son more than the loss of a wife?

  Father remained in a trance throughout Mother’s burial preparations, funeral and cremation. Then the despair consumed him, eventually subsiding into the ashes of grief. He wanted nothing more than to have me near him as the life slowly drained from his aging body. Other girls my age, all betrothed to marry, left their homes one by one, but I spent each day at Father’s side in the place that had been my mother’s.

  Every morning as I greeted him with a kiss Father would say things like, “Your beauty reminds me daily that the gods have been good to me despite my shortcomings. My father before me lived a life of greatness, but there is no greatness in me. May the greatness of my father, Aristides the Just, pass through my seed to your brothers.”

  There was never any talk of anything being passed on to me or any future for me apart from my father. My only dreams were those that came to me in my deepest sleep. My only hope was in the charity of the man to whom I belonged. As I rubbed olive oil into his leathery skin each day, he would often say, “Forgive me, Myrto. I am old and foolish. Perhaps I find too much pleasure in the fact that I have no dowry for you to marry.”

  In the evenings before dinner he frequently remarked, “You are such a comfort to me, my child. Your unfailing devotion brings me great joy.”

  And so the years of my full bloom passed. My older brother Nikomedes joined the military, and my younger brother Apollodorus became the apprentice of a prominent Athenian physician. Eventually, our oldest brother Aristides returned from battle. I had no life apart from caring for Father and no notion of what might become of me when Father died.

  Shortly after my eighteenth birthday, Father summoned Aristides to his bedside. I remained in the room, though they discussed my future as if I were not there.

  “Aristides,” said Father, “The gods are calling. Apollo has certainly pulled an arrow for me from his quiver and drawn his bow. All that I have, though I know it’s not much, belongs to you to do with as you will. Your marriage is already arran
ged to Charis following her fourteenth birthday. Nikomedes and Apollodorus will find their own way. My only request is that you find a worthy husband for Myrto.”

  “How am I to give her in marriage?” Aristides implored. “Who would take her without a dowry? It would take years to scrimp and save a reasonable sum. By then she’ll be well into her twenties or thirties!”

  “It’s true I have no riches to offer with her,” Father said sadly, shaking his head. “Aristides the Just was a brave soldier and much beloved statesman, but he never accepted wealth in exchange for serving Athens. I have given you his name and done my best to educate you in good citizenship, but I leave you little more than he left me.”

  “Father, what would you have me do?” asked Aristides.

  “I have no answers,” Father admitted. “Talk to Socrates, your boyhood teacher. The Oracle once declared him the wisest man alive. Ask Socrates.”

  And with that Apollo released the arrow that ended our father’s life. I felt the warmth escape his body as I bathed him in rose water. I dressed him in his most festive white tunic and wound a crown of wooden ribbon and ivy around his forehead. I removed an obol from his coin purse and placed it in his mouth to pay the ferryman for the journey across the rivers Styx and Acheron into the Underworld. I prayed that Hermes would deliver Father safely to Hades to be reunited with his own more renowned father, Aristides the Just.

  When Apollodorus arrived later that evening, he and Aristides laid Father out on a couch in the front courtyard. “Face him toward the door to greet the mourners,” instructed Aristides.

  Apollodorus complied. “Don’t forget to set out the purifying water, Myrto,” he said.

  “I will do that now,” I replied. I selected a tall earthen vase and placed it in front of our house. Then I grabbed two large buckets and walked to the river. By sunup the house would be full of mourners dressed in black for the gloomy vigil. Friends and relatives alike would moan and weep loudly as they entered. As they left the house, they would all sprinkle water on themselves to wash death from their bodies.