Dionysus by Eva Pohler

Author:Eva Pohler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Eva Pohler

Chapter Fourteen

Journey to Salamina Island

T

he bus to Perama was smelly and crowded. Dionysus sat close to Philomena, focusing on the sweet scent of her shampoo to block out the body odor and what smelled like boiled cabbage wafting down the aisle.

“Your friend,” she began. “I didn’t get his name.”

“Hermes.”

She raised her brows. “Like the god?”

“Exactly.”

“I bet it’s common here, right?”

Dionysus shrugged. “Yes, I suppose.”

“Anyway, he said you’re somewhat of an expert on Euripides.”

“Not so much an expert. I’ve just known him for a very long time.”

She pulled in her chin and furrowed her brow. “You must have started reading him when you were quite young.”

Dionysus realized his mistake and nodded. “He quickly became my favorite of the ancient Greeks.”

“Is that so?” She squared herself to him. “Me, too. What do you like about his work?”

“I love that he’s political and irreverent and unafraid of mixing things up.”

“Oh, my gods! I literally said almost those exact words to your friend Hermes in the café, just before you arrived.”

He grinned. “No way.”

“Yes!”

“How unnerving. It’s almost as if—” He’d been about to say as if he’d read her mind, but she interrupted him.

“We’re of the same mind!”

He laughed nervously, feeling a little guilty now for having deceived her. She was so sweet. She didn’t deserve such trickery.

The bus hit a bump and jostled them both toward the window. As he had the aisle seat, he fell against her.

“Sorry.” Despite his embarrassment, he’d enjoyed every moment of it, but he settled back onto his side of the seat.

“Oh, it’s quite alright.” She leaned closer to him. He could feel her breath on his face. “Do you think Euripides was an atheist? The scholars disagree on this, but what do you think?”

He was surprised at first by the question. After a moment’s pause, he shook his head. “No. No way.”

“Really? Because he makes such fun of the gods. He shows them to be incompetent. It’s like he has no fear of repercussions. If he believed in them, wouldn’t he fear they would smite him for his irreverence?”

“Are you saying you’re an atheist?” he asked her suddenly.

“Absolutely.”

He didn’t like how confident she was. “What about all that talk of Dionysus being your favorite god?”

“I love what he represents, but, to me, it’s just mythology. It’s not to you?”

“No.”

“I took you for a modern man.”

He tried to hide the irony from his voice when he replied, “I am the very opposite of a modern man.”

“Oh?”

“I believe in the gods. I just don’t like them very much.”

“Why not?”

“They’re too distracted by their own politics and seem disconnected from humankind.”

The bus made a sharp left turn, causing her shoulder to bump against his bicep.

“Now I see why you like Euripides,” she said. “He felt much the same way.”

“Indeed. And still does.”

“What?” She laughed. “Whatever do you mean?”

Dionysus covered his carelessness by saying, “I’m sure his views haven’t changed since his death. Perhaps he’s in Tartarus, arguing with Aristophanes over how he was portrayed in The Frogs.”

“You believe in Hades, too? The Underworld?” Her voice was filled with too much incredulity.

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