A puzzle swathed in enigma
Karim Waheed finds himself undertaking a journey of discovery
The Athenian Murders
Jose Carlos Somoza
Abacus
"For everything that exists there are three instruments by which the knowledge of it is necessarily imparted: fourth, there is the knowledge itself, and, as fifth, we must count the thing itself which is known and truly exists. The first is the name, the second the definition, the third the image..." -- Plato, Epistle VII
Post-Peloponnesian War Athens: The mauled corpse of an ephebe (adolescent male) named Tramachus is found on the slopes of Mount Lycabettus. Signs of an attack by wolves are apparent. Heracles Pontor, the "Decipherer of Enigmas" (a detective), is however convinced that Tramachus, an aspiring student at Plato's Academy, has been murdered. Tramachus' tutor at the academy, Diagoras, seeks the help of Heracles to learn more about the ephebe's death. As Diagoras and Heracles investigate, more students of the academy are brutally murdered.
Meanwhile, a second story is emerging in the footnotes. The modern-day translator (who remains unnamed) finds himself in a predicament. The story appears to him to be an example of an ancient literary device called "eidesis". Eidesis is the practice of repeating words or phrases so as to evoke a particular image or idea in the reader's mind. As he continues translating the ancient manuscripts, the translator deduces that the eidetic secret refers to "The Twelve Labours of Heracles". He becomes obsessed with the imagery; characters seem to refer to him directly...should he stop?
The Athenian Murders is the first novel by Spanish author José Carlos Somoza to be published (by Abacus) in English. Originally published in Spain under the title La caverna de las ideas (The Cave of Ideas) in 2000, it was translated into English in 2002 by Sonia Soto. The historical novel/thriller won the 2002 CWA Macallan Gold Dagger.
It seems that the English title of the book had to be dumbed down. Set in ancient Athens, and having to do with Plato's academy, as well as his philosophies, The Cave of Ideas would have been a more apt moniker. The Athenian Murders just sounds watered down and unevocative.
The Athenian Murders is definitely a clever book. It is presented as an authentic Greek text. The translator appears only in footnotes. These are not the usual dry, academic footnotes: they tend to be a bit more chatty and self-involved. The unidentified translator is using the one known version of the text, which was prepared by a Greek scholar named Montalo.
As the original story progresses, the two protagonists set out to investigate the murder of Tramachus. Both Heracles and Diagoras have their agendas. Heracles was once in love with Tramachus' mother Itys, and Diagoras was deeply attached to his pupil. The two -- Heracles and Diagoras -- are contrasting figures, especially in their philosophies. The former has little use for abstractions or ideas: he accepts only what he sees. The latter, being a member of Plato's institution, relies almost entirely on airy abstraction.
Bizarre things start to happen: the text occasionally turns abruptly to the second person, addressing the translator. Another, very different philosophical acquaintance of Heracles, Crantor, recounts a "widely held belief in many places far from Athens: "Everything we do and say is words written in another language on a huge papyrus scroll. And Someone is reading the scroll right now, deciphering our thoughts and actions, and finding hidden keys to the text of our lives. That Someone is known as the Interpreter, or Translator..."
And if that wasn't enough, a prime suspect -- the sculptor Menaechmus -- is working on a piece called ... "The Translator".
The story turns into a gore-fest. More carved up bodies of Plato's students, from reputable families, are discovered. Seductive characters like Yasintra, a hetaera (courtesan) are introduced. There are Dionysian rituals. There is a visit to Plato's academy. Danger lurks from unexpected corners, and slowly an explanation emerges.
Simultaneously the translator goes through his share of maddening episodes. The clues and at times the characters start presenting direct threats. He finds out that Montalo, who worked on the original manuscripts, went insane and was found dead in a way that uncannily resembles Tramachus' murder. On the verge of going unhinged, the translator finds himself in captivity.
About the translator's character, the author Somoza said in an interview, "I had already written the first draft of my novel, in which the action took place in classical Athens. I had seen it as a novel of suspense, with a supposed investigator of that period, Heracles Pontor, and a series of murders to be solved, and that was that. But then it occurred to me that if we imagined that the story had been written back in those days I would need a translator in order to 'read' it, as with any other text in Greek. Just as I thought this, the figure of the Translator -- still ghostly, still sketchy -- was born in my mind.
"And he came to life strongly: he wanted to 'come into' the plot, he wanted to be included, come what may. But what did the Translator of a detective novel, however 'historical' it might be, have to do with anything? It seemed to me that if I included him, my story would turn into something else. It might still be a thriller, and I might even still like it, but it would be another kind of story, much stranger than what I'd first imagined, much stranger than the plots of the other thrillers I'd read..."
And Somoza succeeds with flying colours. Like Russian dolls hidden inside one another, The Athenian Murders is a puzzle swathed in a mystery contained inside an enigma.
Karim Waheed is sub-editor, The Daily Star.
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