W/W: Happily Ever After: Berenice and Mesopotamia, Iamblichus' Babyloniaca

 

Happily Ever After for All: Iamblichus’ Babyloniaca

Name: Iamblichus Date:  2nd century CE Region:  Syria [modern Syria] Citation:  Babyloniaca [Preserved in: Name: Photius Date:  810 – 893 CE Region: Constantinople [modern Turkey] Citation:  Library 1.94.76b, 77b

Based on Photius’ summary, Iamblichus’ novel involves two parallel love stories: the relationship between the protagonists Sinonis and Rhodanes, and the relationship between Mesopotamia and the Egyptian princess Berenice. The plot of the novel is overly complicated and convoluted, with high-stakes adventures similar to a modern soap opera.  The climax of the plot occurs when Mesopotamia and her brother Euphrates are captured because of their similarity in looks to the main protagonists.

Then there’s the story of Princess Berenice of Egypt, and her wild and unseemly love affairs, including her “closeness” to Mesopotamia. And when Mesopotamia is captured by [the king’s eunuch] Saca, she is sent back to King Garmos along with her brother Euphrates...

Mesopotamia and her brother (still thought to be Sinonis and Rhodanes) are brought to King Garmos. Soraechus is also brought in, as well as the true Rhodanes. Garmos realizes that Mesopotamia is not Sinonis, and hands her over to his eunuch Zobara to be executed on the banks of the Euphrates river.   But Zobara, smitten by Mesopotamia, saves her and brings her back to Queen Berenice. Now that her father is dead, Berenice is the new Pharoah of Egypt. She marries Mesopotamia, and threatens war against Garmos.

Διάληψις περὶ Βερενίκης, ἥτις ἦν θυγάτηρ τοῦ βασιλέως Αἰγυπτίων, καὶ τῶν ἀγρίων αὐτῆς καὶ ἐκθέσμων ἐρώτων· καὶ ὅπως Μεσοποταμίᾳ τε συνεγίνετο, καὶ ὡς ὕστερον ὑπὸ Σάκα συνελήφθη Μεσοποταμία, καὶ πρὸς Γάρμον ἅμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ Εὐφράτῃ ἀπάγεται...

Narratio deinde instituitur de Berenice Aegyptiorum regis filia, deque immani eius et infando amore, utque ad huius Mesopotamia colloquium ac familiaritatem pervenerit. Capta itaque post haec Mesopotamia a Saca, cum fratre suo Euphrate ad Garmum adducitur...

Ἄγεται πρὸς Γάρμον Εὐφράτης ὡς Ῥοδάνης, καὶ ὡς Σινωνὶς Μεσοποταμία· ἄγεται καὶ Σόραιχος καὶ ὁ ἀληθὴς Ῥοδάνης. Καὶ διαγνοὺς ὁ Γάρμος μὴ εἶναι Σινωνίδα τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν, δίδωσι Ζοβάρᾳ παρὰ ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην καρατομῆσαι ἵνα μή, φησί, καὶ ἑτέρα τις τοῦ τῆς Σινωνίδος ἐπιβατεύσῃ ὀνόματος. Ὁ δὲ Ζοβάρας ἀπὸ πηγῆς ἐρωτικῆς πιὼν καὶ τῷ Μεσοποταμίας ἔρωτι σχεθείς, σῴζει τε ταύτην καὶ πρὸς Βερενίκην Αἰγυπτίων ἤδη, ἅτε τοῦ πατρὸς τελευτήσαντος βασιλεύουσαν, ἐξ ἧς ἦν καὶ ἀφελόμενος, ἄγει· καὶ γάμους Μεσοποταμίας ἡ Βερενίκη ποιεῖται.

Interea Euphrates ad Garmum ducitur, quasi Rhodanes esset, et pro Sinonide Mesopotamia. Ducitur et Soraechus, verusque Rhodanes. Verum cognito Garmus Mesopotamiam non esse veram Sinonida, Zobarae eam tradidit, ad Euphratem fluvium capite truncandam, ne qua, inquit, alia Sinonidis nomen, eius exemplo, falso usurpet. Zobaras tamen Mesopotamiae possessus amore, servavit eam, et ad Berenicen Aegypti, iam patre exstincto, reginam unde ipse olim abductus fuerat, adducit, et Mesopotamiae nuptias Berenice facit. Translated into Latin by Christian Wolff