benhur

—— The Catacomb 519 at Antioch. To the last he kept a clear head and a good heart, and was successful. One evening, in the year named, he sat in his arm-chair on the terrace of the warehouse. Ben-Hur and Esther, and their three children, were with him. The last of the ships swung at mooring in the current of the river; all the rest had been sold. In the long interval between this and the day of the crucifixion but one sorrow had befallen them: that was when the mother of Ben-Hur died; and then and now their grief would have been greater but for their Christian faith. The ship spoken of had arrived only the day before, bringing intelligence of the persecution of Christians begun by Nero in Rome, and the party on the terrace were talking of the news when Malluch, who was still in their service, approached and delivered a package to Ben-Hur. 'Who brings this?' the latter asked, after reading. 'An Arab.' 'Where is he?' 'He left immediately.' 'Listen,' said Ben-Hur to Simonides. He read then the following letter: 'I, Ilderim, the son of Ilderim the Generous, and sheik of the tribe of Ilderim, to Judah, son of Hur. O'Know, friend of my father's, how my father loved you. Read what is herewith sent, and you will know. His will is my will; therefore what he gave is thine. 'All the Parthians took from him in the great battle in which —they slew him I have retaken this writing, with other things, and vengeance, and all the brood of that Mira who in his time was mother of so many stars. 'Peace be to you and all yours. 'This voice out of the desert is the voice of 'Ilderim, Sheik.' Ben-Hur next unrolled a scrap of papyrus yellow as a withered mulberry leaf. It required the daintiest handling. Proceeding, he read:

520 Ben-Hur 'Ilderim, surnamed the Generous, sheik of the tribe of Ilderim, to the son who succeeds me. O'AH I have, son, shall be thine in the day of thy succession, except that property by Antioch known as the Orchard of Palms; and it shall be to the son of Hur who brought us such glory in the —Circus to him and his for ever. 'Dishonour not thy father. 'Ilderim the Generous, Sheik' 'What say you?' asked Ben-Hur of Simonides. Esther took the papers pleased, and read them to herself. Simon- ides remained silent. His eyes were upon the ship; but he was thinking. At length he spoke. 'Son of Hur/ he said gravely, 'The Lord has been good to you in these later years. You have much to be thankful for. Is it not time to decide finally the meaning of the gift of the great fortune now all in your hand, and growing?' 'I decided that long ago. The fortune was meant for the service of the Giver; not a part, Simonides, but all of it. The question with me has been, How can I make it most useful, in His cause? And of that tell me, I pray you.' Simonides answered, 'The great sums you have given to the Church here in Antioch, I am witness to. Now, instantly almost with this gift of the generous sheik's, comes the news of the persecution of the brethren in Rome. It is the opening of a new field. The light must not go out in the capital.' 'Tell me how I can keep it alive.' 'I will tell you. The Romans, even this Nero, hold two things — —sacred I know of no others they so hold they are the ashes of the dead and all places of burial. If you cannot build temples for the worship of the Lord above ground, then build them below the ground; and to keep them from profanation, carry to them the bodies of all who die in the faith.' Ben-Hur arose excitedly. 'It is a great idea,' he said. 'I will not wait to begin it. Time forbids waiting. The ship that brought the news of the suffering of our brethren shall take me to Rome. I will sail to-morrow' He turned to Malluch.

— The Catacomb 521 ' Get the ship ready, Malluch, and be thou ready to go with me.' 'It is well,' said Simonides. 'And thou, Esther, what sayest thou?' asked Ben-Hur. Esther came to his side, and put her hand on his arm, and answered, O'So wilt thou best serve the Christ. my husband, let me not hinder, but go with thee and help.' * If any of my readers, visiting Rome, will make the short journey to the Catacomb of San Calixto, which is more ancient than that of San Sebastiano, he will see what became of the fortune of Ben- Hur, and give him thanks. Out of that vast tomb Christianity issued to supersede the Caesars. The End

EXPLANATORY NOTES i Count De Gabalis: a fictitious character, ostensibly the author of Le Comte de Gabalis, ou entretiens sur les sciences secretes, but actually the work of the abbe Montfaucon de Villars. This cabbalistic book was published in Paris in 1670 and, a decade later, translated into two English editions. It is not known how or where Wallace came upon this book nor how seriously he regarded its contents. 2 Jean Paul F. Richer, Hesperus: Johan Paul Friedrich Richter (1763- 1825), German novelist, who wrote under the nom de plume Jean Paul. His novel Hesperus was published in 1795. Milton... Hymn: John Milton (1608-74) wrote his poem On the Morning of Christ's Nativity in 1629. 9 table-lands of the desert: the setting for the meeting of the Magi is imagined to take place in the Transjordan approximately 70-100 km. east of Qatrana and about the same distance north of ancient Petra. 16 the groves of Athene: Athens. Gaspar is Greek. 17 in the year of Rome J4j: 6 bc. 18 Theus: Zeus. 23 Balk: Balkh, an ancient city in Northern Afghanistan believed to be the site on which the Zoroastrian religion was founded. 25 Mosche the Hebrew: Moses. Old Iran: the Persian Empire extending from India to Egypt and Ethi- opia in the sixth century bc. Mizraim: Mizraim was the son of Ham (Genesis 10: 6, 13). He is described as the founding father of the Egyptian people, and his name is an eponym for Egypt. 26 the Pali-Putra: this is one of Wallace's obscurities, perhaps because he was in some confusion. Pali is the culture and language of ancient India, but the Palis never attempted the conquest of Egypt. Putra probably refers to Phut, in the Old Testament the land of Put, the Horn of Ethiopia and a culture distinct from that of Ethiopia. There was warfare between the Egyptians and the people of Phut. the bull to Isis, the beetle to Pthah: one of Wallace's errors. The bull is associated with Osiris, husband to Isis, and the beetle sacred to the sun- god Ra or Horus, not Ptah. the sons of the Aryan: an elaboration of Wallace's claim that the ancient kingdoms of India and Egypt were at war. See note on the Pali-Putra above.

Explanatory Notes 523 28 Serapeion: the cult-centre of the Egyptian god Serapis, a fusion of Osiris and the Apis bull. Rhacotis: Wallace's meaning here is unclear. He may have in mind either the 'jagged mountains' of Judaea or Rakkath, a village on the sea of Gnnereth in Naphtali. 30 the Bahr el Abiad: the White Nile. 35 the Comitium: a space near the Forum in Rome used for public assemblies. the flatnens say: priests associated with service to a specific deity. helmets of the legions . . . full of Gallic snow, a reference to Mark Antony's failure to capture Transalpine Gaul from Decimus Brutus in 43 bc. 39 chaffering: bantering, joking (Americanism). A39-40 Jewish king . . . came out a leper, the king is Uzziah. 2 Chron- icles 16: 23. 40 Pompey: Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great). His cam- paign in Palestine (63 bc) led to the capture of the Holy of Holies. Pompey entered this sacred site but did not loot or otherwise disturb the ritual objects there. 41 How are the mighty fallen: 2 Samuel 1: 10 and 23. 42 Rabbi Samuel is a Zealot: the Zealots were a movement founded by Judas of Galilee in ad 6 to resist the incorporation of Judaea into the Roman Empire. Opposition to Rome initially took the form of withholding payment of tribute and taxes, but eventually, in ad 70 became armed revolt, culminating in the defeat of the Zealots at Masada in ad 73. It is Wallace's strategy to contrast Judah's pathway with that of the Zealots. 44 one of the marvellous exploits of David's strong men: this exploit, in which water is taken from a well within the gates of Bethlehem, then held by the Philistines, is described in 2 Samuel 23: 14-16. 47 Sanzio the divine: the painter Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio), 1483-1520. the depths ofCedron: Kidron, a deep rift or valley east of Jerusalem, 2 Samuel 15: 23. 48 shekels: money is important to Ben-Hur to the degree which it defines Judah's wealth and the power of the mercantile-trading system from which the House of Hur and, subsequently, Simonides have gained their economic pre-eminence. It defines the far more finite wealth of the young Roman occupiers of Judaea, and it partly explains Ilderim's standing as a desert chieftain. The only person without wealth who is described in any detail in the novel is Jesus. Wallace's understanding of the currency is notional but is sufficiently exact for the purposes of Ben-Hur. —The principal monetary units mentioned for the Jews shekels.,

524 Explanatory Notes for the Romans the denarius and sesterce; for both Jews and Romans —talents are not absolute amounts, but measures determined by weight. The value of each unit is therefore dependent upon the substance from which it is struck. The shekel was coined in silver or gold; the denarius in gold, silver, or bronze dipped in silver; the sestertius in silver, brass, and bronze; the talent, not coined but measured, in silver or gold. Gold appears to have approximately 4-5 times the value of silver. A shekel weighed approximately half an ounce. The denarius weighed somewhat Aless than half that amount, and a sestertius a quarter of that. talent weighed about 58-60 lb or 26-27 kg- Judah's inheritance of 673 talents (or 18,171 kg.) of gold is probably intended by Wallace to be compared to the annual income ascribed to Solomon (1 Kings 10: 14) of 666 gold talents or the Queen of Sheba's gift (1 Kings 10: 10) of 120 gold talents. 49 lewens: sheds or outbuildings. 52 the Emin and Horites: the Emin, 'the terrible ones', were the inhabitants of Moab, and the fearsome Horites were cave dwellers originally inhabiting Mt Seir. 55 rhamnus: buckthorn, a spiny desert shrub. 56 chazzan . . . Torah . . . sheliach: the Torah is the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament, the chazzan the cantor or singer, and the sheliach the designated reader of scripture. Othe Shema: the first words of the Hebrew prayer, 'Hear, Israel . . .' (Deuteronomy 6: 4). 57 Hesperus: the planet Venus, the Evening Star. A76 Valerius Gratus: a semi-fictional character. Gratus, otherwise unnamed, served briefly as Provincial Governor of Judaea during the reign of Herod. A Valerius Gratus appears on a list of senators during the reign of Claudius. 80 a Messala . . . Brutus . . . Philippi: although the character Messala is fictional, Wallace gives him a historical ancestry. This first Messala is Marcus Valerius Messalla (sic) Corvinus, Consul in 31 bc, who served with Brutus, Antony, and Cassius and, later, Augustus. Marcus Junius Brutus, falling out with Octavian (later Angustus Caesar) and Mark Antony in 42 bc, was defeated at the Battle of Philippi, thus necessitating Messala's change of allegiance. the son of his old client: his son was Messalla Messalinus, Consul in 3 bc, who served in Tiberias' senate. 81 front: forehead. Idumcean: referring to ancient Idumaea, the biblical Edom. An Edomite. 82 Jupiter . . . Ganymede: the god Jupiter, falling in love with the youth Ganymede, transformed himself into an eagle, and carried off the mortal boy to Mount Parnasus. There Ganymede was Jupiter's homosexual

Explanatory Notes 525 partner and cup-bearer. This reference was used to hint at a latent MGMhomosexual attraction between Messala and Judah in the 1959 film of Ben-Hur. 83 mystery, and Delphi: the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in northwestern Greece was one of the ancient world's sites for oracular prophecy. The priestess, Pythia, was regarded as the voice of the god Apollo. 84 Hillel, Simeon, Shammai, Abtalion: two of these men, Shammai and Abtalion, were rabbis (teachers) in Jerusalem towards the end of the 1st century bc, and Hillel, also a rabbi and teacher, was their most famous pupil. Simeon is a seer mentioned in Luke (2: 25-35) where he is said to have recognized and blessed the infant Christ. It is unclear whether Wallace is aware that Simeon is distinct from the three teachers or that it is a part of his strategy to place this seer in the narrative as another character, like the three Magi, who await the coming of the Christ. Alternatively, Simeon's inclusion may be a simple anachronism. Cleopatra . . . arts: Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, was credited with passing on secrets of feminine allure and erotic practices. 85 Cyrenius: the biblical term for the Provincial Governor of Syria. At the time that Messala is speaking, the appointment was held by Lucius Vitellius. 86 the Parcce: Roman chthonian goddesses associated, first, with childbirth, — —later with weaving destinies. Moira Fate is one of these. 87 Perpoll: by Pollux! Dog-Latin, one of Wallace's anachronisms. A more authentic expression is edepol (e + deus + +pollux), by the god Pollux! the Idumcean Antipater: Esau, the son of Jacob, who was said to have founded Edom. 89 fortelesque: in military style. 92 Circean singers: bewitching visions, as Odysseus/Ulysses was bewitched by Circe, probably conflated by Wallace with Ulysses' encounter with the Sirens. 98 the noblest of the Marcii: Marcus Junius Brutus, died 42 bc. razed the Temple . . . took Rome: the Assyrians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the Temple in 597 bc; the Visigoths, led by Alaric II, captured Rome in 410 AD. 99 much pent round of life: circumscribed by custom and obedience to religious observation. A101 Persian was used to punish . . . another Persian . . . the Macedonian: Wallace is confused. The 'punisher' of Israel was Nebuchadnezzar, who besieged and destroyed Jerusalem in 597 bc (the 'Babylonian Captivity'). It was Cyrus, King of Persia, who in 538 bc restored the independence of Israel. The Macedonian is Alexander the Great who, in 320 bc, conquered Syria and Persia. 108 patera: inherited objects.

526 Explanatory Notes Tyrian-dyed: the city of Tyre produced a rich crimson-purple dye from the crushed shells of the murex. So many of these sea creatures had to be harvested to produce a small amount of dye that its cost restricted the wearing of purple to the wealthy and, in Rome, to its imperial rulers. 112 IIlium: Troy 123 nard: spikenard, a perfume or fragrant ointment derived from a lavender- like plant. 124 the duumvir, the command of the Roman naval forces is jointly held by two generals appointed by the Roman Senate for a fixed term. Each appointee is styled a duumvir. Euxine: the Black Sea. 125 the tessera: cubes of ivory used in boardgames. Here, and elsewhere in the novel, the word is used to indicate dice. Sejanus: a Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, Sejanus made his way to power in the reign of Tiberius and succeeded in turning the Emperor against his own offspring. Eventually Sejanus' conspiracy was detected and he was executed in ad 31. Wallace identifies him as a pragmatic, power-seeking schemer, largely as he is depicted by Tacitus and Suetonius. 127 caducei: emblems of the swift messenger-god Mercury, each emblem a pair of serpents wound about a staff topped by spread wings. 129 favour of the blind goddess: Moira, i.e. Fate. See note to p. 86 on Parcae. 132 Druilius: Gaius Druilius, Consul in 260 bc, was known for introducing the tactic of boarding enemy ships by throwing a bridge from the attacking ship onto the enemy's decks. This tactic defeated the Cartha- ginian fleet at Mylae. 133 palcestra: a palaestra was a gymnasium, i.e. a place of exercise, and a school in which young men might learn and practise such skills as wrestling, boxing, and the use of the sword and javelin. 140 cestus: a leather glove, into which lead weights were inserted, worn by Roman boxers. 147 Apicius has set a feast: Apicius was a mythical glutton, and the name was applied to those who over-indulged, most notably to Marcus Gavius in the reign of Tiberias. Roman books on cookery were credited to Apicius' authorship. 151 grided: scraped or grated (Americanism). 159 armilustrium: a Roman festival for the purification of weapons celebrated annually in October. the theatre of Scaurus: the aedile Marcus Aemilius Scarus was reported to have constructed, in 58 bc, a wooden theatre seating 80,000 spectators and famed for its lavishness. According to Pliny, the lowest level was of

Explanatory Notes 527 marble, the intermediate tier of glass, and the upper level of gilded wood. 164 the Grove ofDaphne: this large pleasure garden in the suburbs of Antioch is mentioned by Tacitus {Annals iv. no) as Epidaphne and is elaborately described by Gibbon (ch. XXIII, 1-4) as a place where the virtuous Roman might be tempted and corrupted by the sensual pleasures of the Middle East. Wallace, to some extent following Gibbon's description, softens his condemnatory tone. See Introduction, pp. xviii-xix. 165 the first of the Selucidce: Seleucus Nicator who, as a general in the service of Alexander the Great, conquered Syria in 301 bc and was rewarded by becoming that country's king. As Seleucus I, he founded the Syrian city of Antioch. 167 abandon: frenzy. Wallace italicizes the word to indicate the intensity of Simonides' enterprises. 169 filemot: lacy, ragged. 185 Devadasi: originally a female dancer in the service of a Hindu deity, but extended here to include the Grove of Daphne's female temple-dancers. 189 pranked: showily adorned, decorated. 191 mall-less Temple: see Introduction, pp. xviii-xix. son ofJupiter and Callisto: the demigod Areas. 192 terebinths: Mediterranean pines yielding turpentine. 196 bright bays: horses whose bodies are brown and whose manes are black. Because pale horses would be more visible on screen, the directors of the 1925 and 1959 Ben-Hur films determined that Ilderim should have white horses, but the 1899 stageplay, its accompanying poster, and the 1907 film, true to Wallace's text and still associated with societies which knew and employed horses in their daily lives, used bays. 201 eremitish: hermit-like. 207 the saying of the son of Sirach: from the Apochryphal book of Ecclesi- asticus 3: 8, sometimes called The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach. 209 the Consul Maxentius: this reference is one of Wallace's anachronisms. Maxentius' dates of active political life are ad 306-12. Campaigns against the Parthians during the reign of Tiberius were planned and led by Lucius Vitellius. 218 leben . . . arrack: leben is a mild beverage made from fermented mares' milk. Arrack is a stronger beverage made, in Ilderim's desert society, from the juice of the date palm. 228 lacernce: short hooded cloaks worn over the toga or tunic. 229 Avernus: hell, the underworld. 232 raggedferryman . . . obolus: Charon was the ragged ferryman who carried the souls of the dead across the River Styx. Payment for this service

528 Explanatory Notes was a small coin, an obolus, placed on the body of the corpse by his living mourners. 234 Aristomache: an Athenian courtesan famed for wit and taste. 236 ass of Silenus: Silenus, a reveller in the train of Dionysus /Bacchus, is depicted as so fat and drunken that he has to be borne on an ass's back. 250 the Macedonian: Alexander the Great. See note to p. 101. 251 velaria: Roman amphitheatres were shaded from the strong Mediter- ranean sun by sections of linen or canvas resembling the sails (velaria) of ships. 267 Midas . . . ears: Midas, King of Phrygia, compelled to judge a musical competition in which the god was a contestant, was punished by Apollo, who replaced the king's ears with those of an ass, for judging in favour of another contestant. 269 Ulysses: Ulysses /Odysseus, as he appears in Homer's Iliad, is a skilful adviser and strategist, especially in matters of guile and deception. 278 shallop: a small open boat propelled by oars or sails. 283 Cerberus: the fierce dog guarding the gates to the Underworld. To get past him, it was necessary to throw him a morsel of food. 284 Essouan: Aswan. —285 Athor: Hathor, the Eyptian goddess of love and music and cow of —plenty who nursed and married Horus. Latona: another example of Wallace's confused mythology. Latona is a Roman goddess, the mother of Apollo. colchyte: from Colchis, an ancient kingdom on the eastern shore of the Black Sea holding associations with magic and sorcery (cf. Medea). 286 urceus: a snake emblem signifying protection for the Egyptian pharaohs. Amente: Ament, the Egyptian underworld. 287 Lake Chemmis: a place in the Nile Delta where Isis secretly gave birth to Horus, posthumous son of Osiris. 289 Abaddon: Wallace again confuses his religious mythology. Abaddon is the Hebrew, not the Arab, name for Hell. (Revelation 9: 11.) 302 talents: see note to p. 48, on currency and coinage. 311 stand on the Xystus: a colonnaded building in Jerusalem where the Sanhedrin or supreme council of the Jews met. The promise of the Lord to father Jacob coming out of Padan-Aram: 'And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayst be a multitude of people. And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham' (Genesis 28: 3-4). Padan-Aram is Mesopotamia.

Explanatory Notes 529 To your tents, Israel: a call to armed revolt. (1 Kings 12: 16.) 312 Pontus: a section of northern Asia Minor. 325 lanista: the term for both the academy where gladiators were trained for the public arena and for the gladiators themselves. The term covers those who fought with weapons as well as pugilists and others who took part in unarmed combat. 326 shekel: see note to p. 48 on currency and coinage. 329 Tantmuz: the tenth month of the Hebrew calendar corresponding to June-July. 336 editor, the official responsible for the conduct of games and contests in the Roman arena, fulfilling such functions as starting races, disqualifying competitors for fouling, and ruling on the victors when results were disputed. vomitoria: tunnels or passages in the stadium which allowed crowds to pass in great numbers to and from the events. 343 as through a glass, darkly: from Corinthians 13: 12. 355 impluvium: an ornamental pool in the courtyard of Roman-style dwelling used to catch rainwater and to direct it towards an underground storage cistern. 365 John Hyreanus: a leader of the struggle for Jewish independence in the 2nd century bc. In 137 bc he and his brother Judas attacked the forces of Antiochus VII and defeated them at Kidron. Alone, he continued to oppose the Idumeans, finally defeating them in 112 bc. Hyrcanus is both a model for Judah and the kind of military leader whose fighting is at odds with the teachings of Jesus. 393 gerah: a small coin worth a twentieth of a shekel. 403 a rabbinical ordinance . . . En-rogel: another instance of Wallace's anach- ronisms and literary licence. Rabbinic law, as codified in the Talmud (Mishnah) is unlikely to have pre-dated ad 200. None of the three principal accounts of Solomon, 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and the post- biblical Annals of Solomon, recount this tale. Biblical Jerusalem was troubled by a chronic scarcity of water, and this need may have generated a folk-tale involving King Solomon. However, the Mishnah, which codi- fies elements of the earlier oral tradition, refers to a rose garden in Jerusalem (Ma'serot 2: 5), to fig trees which hang above the gardens of that city (Ma'serot 3: 10), and to the daughters of Jerusalem dancing in vineyards (Ta'anit 4: 8). 421 The greatest of our Egyptian kings: Ramses II, whose image and temple are cut into living rock at Abu-Simbel. 429 the Tishbite: one of the terms for the prophet Elijah. the Lawgiver: the prophet Moses. 430 How the Beautiful Came to the Earth: see Introduction, p. iv.

530 Explanatory Notes Rama . . . Sita: this paragraph continues Wallace's inappropriate min- gling of Indian and Egyptian cultures and religions. 443 / am the resurrection and the life: John n: 25. 479 a Sesostris: a legendary king of Egypt whose identity was compounded from several rulers in the 18th and 19th dynasties. Sesostris was said to have vanquished the entire known world, divided Egypt into provinces, and laid the foundations for civil law. 518 tenth year of Nero s reign: AD 64.

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 9999 03972 812 4 .tbrary *: Road Jo Academy • Brighton. MA Wi^331«>

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS Lew Wallace Ben-Hur Edited with an Introduction and Notes by David Mayer 'That moment Malluch, in the gallery, saw Ben-Hur lean forward over his Arabs, and give them the reins. Out flew the many folded lash in his .' hand; over the backs of the startled steeds it writhed and hissed . . Ben-Hur is better known as a film than as a novel. Cinematic in scope and narrative, it was nevertheless as a book that it first met huge popular success on its publication in 1880. Intended as a moral and inspirational narrative, Judah Ben-Hur's life parallels that of Jesus as he makes a journey of discovery and enlightenment through the Mediterranean world from Jerusalem through Nazareth to the galleys that carry him to shipwreck in the Aegean Aand, finally, Rome. spiritual tale of the quest for love and the recovery of identity and patrimony, the novel also displays a vivid realism based on Wallace's biblical research and knowledge of the Holy Land. Like other 'toga novels' of the period, Ben-Hur reflects the dissent, division, and moral contradiction of America's emerging imperial culture, the 'New Woman' question, the settlement of the Far West, and even trade unionism. Rich in social parallels, Ben-Hur is both a great historical epic and a window on late nineteenth-century literature. • INTRODUCTION • TEXTUAL NOTE • BIBLIOGRAPHY • CHRONOLOGY • EXPLANATORY NOTES Cover illustration: detail from Klaw and Erlanger's poster for the American production of Ben-Hur, 1899. Tracy Keenan Wynn, Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, Colorado. OXPORD ISBN 0-1 9-2831 99-2 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9 780192\"831996 www.oup.com £6.99 RRP $12.95 USA