The Mysteries
A Novel of Ancient Eleusis
by
David Sheppard
Complete in One Volume
Previously published in two volumes:
Daughter of Darkness
and
The Dadouchos
Copyright 2012 by David Sheppard
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4764-2558-0
ISBN-10: 1-4764-2558-2
Cover Illustration and Map by Richard Sheppard
Book Web site:
https://www.themysteriesofeleusis.com
FOR
All the brave women throughout history
Acknowledgements
The concept of this book is the outgrowth of a conversation I had with a friend of mine several years ago at a coffee shop in Boulder, Colorado. After listening to me talk obsessively about Herodotus, she suggested I write a novel set in ancient Greece. The essence of the story came to me immediately. She also midwifed it through the first draft. My sister-in-law, Nancy Sheppard, read it in episodes as it was written and offered encouragement. The expertise of my editor, Marilyn Mueller, has once again been indispensable. A special thanks to Richard Sheppard for the map and the cover design and illustration.
Author's Note
I am the author of Novelsmithing, The Structural Foundation of Plot, Character, and Narration. I used the methods of Novelsmithing to write The Mysteries. I have researched the time period religiously. Practically all sources are a part of my home library. Anyone interested in the size and content of my library can find it listed at:
https://www.librarything.com/catalog/dshep/yourlibrary
For field research, I visited Greece twice, once for ten weeks in October 1993 and then for sixteen days in October 2009. I took a considerable number of photos and video clips, some of which I've provided for viewing at www.themysteriesofeleusis.com.
My readers may follow me on twitter at user name "SheppardDavid" and on my blog www.novelsmithingblog.com. When I travel, I post at
https://www.palehorseblog.com
Ancient Greece in the 5th Century BC was a collection of separate city-states, loosely bound by a common language and religion. The ancient Greeks called the encompassing geographical area Hellas, and its people the Hellenes. No one called it Greece. I have used both: Greece/Greeks for narration and Hellas/Hellenes for dialogue.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Persia Crosses the Hellespont
Chapter 2: Night Horseman at Eleusis
Chapter 3: The Burning of Brauron
Chapter 4: Flight in Darkness
Chapter 5: The War Council
Chapter 6: Return to Eleusis
Chapter 7: The Oracle from Delphi
Chapter 8: Entering the Underworld
Chapter 9: A Cloud of Spirits
Chapter 10: Evacuation to Salamis
Chapter 11: The Battle of Salamis
Chapter 12: Epilepsy
Chapter 13: Xerxes' Lament
Chapter 14: The Funeral Pyre
Chapter 15: The Isthmus of Corinth
Chapter 16: Halcyon Days at Eleusis
Chapter 17: The Seizure
Chapter 18: The Physician
Chapter 19: Prophecy on the Road
Chapter 20: The Seer of Epidaurus
Chapter 21: Encounter with Asklepios
Chapter 22: The War Machine
Chapter 23: The Burning of Eleusis
Chapter 24: In the Persian Camp
Chapter 25: Contention Among the Ashes
Chapter 26: The Battle of Plataea
Chapter 28: A Mistress for the Dadouchos
Chapter 29: The Vision
Chapter 30: The Council of Generals
Chapter 31: A View of the Fates
Chapter 32: The Broach of Arrogance
Chapter 33: Reading Entrails
Chapter 34: A Call to Courage
Chapter 35: Voyage to a Distant Shore
Chapter 36: Reviewing the Troops
Chapter 37: The Battle of Mykale
Chapter 38: A Final Word to the Generals
Chapter 39: The Newborn
Chapter 40: Journey to the Elysian Fields
Chapter 41: The Funeral
Chapter 42: The Cost of Salvation
Chapter 43: Xerxes' Bridge Cables