Tuesday 27 August 2024

Are the gods at Olympia watching?

 This is the last section, Part 4, of my Pic&Quote series, from 16 to 22. The quotes are from The Boy in Two Minds and the pictures are mainly photographs taken as research.

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July 09 2024


Pic&Quote 16

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 31.


My #AncientOlympicBoy is now doing his regular running training in the mountains near Olympia in 432 BCE.

< The rider turned in his saddle when he saw Themis. His right hand reached back and the thong of a whip flew out, lashing Themis’ left arm to his waist. He was jerked towards the edge of the cliff as the horse turned and backed.
‘Where’s the other boy?’ shouted the man through his mask. >



This is a research photo 2024 ©Julia M Newsome, of a typical Peloponnesian cliff path. The line of it is visible as it climbs across a high, uneven rockface under a jagged overhang, and is the kind of place where the above encounter could happen.

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July 12 2024


Pic&Quote 17

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 32.


At Olympia, 432 BCE. My #AncientOlympicBoy is sitting alone on a bench close to the temple of Zeus. He was talking to his Uncle Phidias who has just had to hurry away.

 

< Themis felt a shiver down his back and turned to see if he was being watched. There was no one behind him, but, high in the pediment of the temple, Apollo’s still face shone above the battling stone bodies around him. He seemed to be looking down on Themis with his calm, painted eyes. >



Research photo ©Julia M Newsome. Close-up of the head of the marble statue of Apollo, which stood in the middle of the West pediment of the Temple of Zeus from around 460 BCE, now in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

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July 16 2024


Pic&Quote 18

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 32, Book 1 of "The Connection Trilogy: Time travel to Ancient Greece". And this time it’s about Suzanne who is gradually recovering from her head injury.


The #AncientOlympicBoy
 'borrowed' her consciousness to survive, and it’s his life that she lives when she’s unconscious or deeply asleep. She is still in hospital and her school friends visit her regularly, even though she’s usually unresponsive or incomprehensible if she does speak.

Her best friend, Bernie, keeps a diary.


< April 3rd, 2010, Easter Saturday
Suzanne’s asleep as usual. So we’re sitting by her bed chatting, when her voice suddenly says, ‘School trip. Akropolis all fucked up.’
Total shock!
But Laila smiles. ‘Ruined, yes. We spent a morning up there hearing all about it. Remember?’
‘Remember …’ Suzanne says, like she’s not sure what that means. >



Research photo ©Julia M Newsome. The ruins on the Akropolis of Athens in 2024, from the Pnyx. 

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July 19 2024


Pic&Quote 19

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 33.

 

And this time, my #AncientOlympicBoy is inside the Temple of Zeus at Olympia in 432 BCE ...

 

< Flinging up his arms towards the statue, Phidias cried out, ‘I give you Zeus, the Immortal Father, my greatest achievement. It will outlive us all by hundreds of years, a wonder beyond imagining.’

   The god’s eyes flickered. >



The photo is, for once, from Wikipedia's public domain: "Olympian Zeus in the sculptured antique art of Quatremère de Quincy(1815)".

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July 24 2024


Pic&Quote 20

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 36.

 

Outside the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, 432 BCE.

 

< Turning to the Hill of Chronos, Phidias raised his voice. ‘Most beloved and feared of Fathers, are you happy with your new gift? Will you give us a sign?’

   His voice died away. The wind pulled at tunics and cloaks, bent branches and grasses, swished and groaned in the trees. Clouds boiled and shredded above. Time passed. No one moved … >



Research photo ©Brian Donnelly. The north side of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia in 2016, with the Hill of Chronos to the left.

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July 29 2024


Pic&Quote 21

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 37.


With the Olympics in Paris now underway (and the sun coming out there, too, after all that rain!), here is my Pic&Quote 21 from The Boy in Two Minds, Book 1 of "The Connection Trilogy: time travel to Ancient Greece".

 

Themis and his friend/slave, Frog, have just watched a man die.


< ‘What killed him?’ murmured Themis, staring at the distorted body.

   ‘I often saw him take a little piece of food from a dish. He would rearrange things so you would never know’ said Frog in a whisper. ‘Do you think that’s what he could have done here? Taken a bit, started eating it and choked, or … ’

   ‘That dish was meant for me!’ said Themis suddenly. >



Photo by Bibi Saint-Pol, own work, 2007-06-06 Fish plate Louvre K588, room 44, sourced from Wikipedia


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July 30 2024


Pic&Quote 22 - the last one of this series

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 50.

 

It’s autumn, 432 BCE, and Themistokles son of Kallistos is now on his way home with his uncle Phidias and others after all their adventures building the statue, and facing danger at the Games. But have they solved the complex and dangerous family mystery, and have they learned what caused the connection between him and Suzanne Short of 2010? They are returning to Athens on Phidias’ ship, The Dolphin.

 

< The Dolphin moved slowly away from the quay as the sailors pulled in the plank and pushed her back. The sail caught the breeze and filled. As she freed herself from the land, the oars came out on both sides and the Row Master’s mallet began its rhythm. >

  


Research photo ©Julia M Newsome, Monemvasia.

Phidias’ boat would also have been a magnificent private yacht like this (neither a small commercial boat nor a war trireme as on the vases), and would also have sailed past Monemvasia on the way back to Athens from Olympia.

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So, in these last four blog posts, you have 22 quotes and 22 relevant photos from The Boy in Two Minds. I wanted to show some of the research and to exemplify using real places and artefacts in historical fiction. Also to offer you some intriguing moments in the story!


But I have been careful not to include spoilers, so if you are interested and decide to read the whole book, I hope I haven't lessened your pleasure in learning the outcome of Themistokles' endeavours and the unravelling of the mysteries he finds himself involved in.


And, if you ever decide to follow his and Suzanne's stories in Books 2 and 3, you will discover that some of those mysteries can take years to untangle ...


Thank you for reading, and please leave any constructive thoughts you may have in the Comments.


Original artwork by Fliss Watts: flisswtts1.wordpress.com. Instagram: @flisswatts

All photographs ©Julia M Newsome unless otherwise credited.


Birkby Books

The Connection Trilogy by J M Newsome:

1. The Boy in Two Minds 9781838413606 

(first edition was The Boy with Two Heads, 2012, Trifolium Books, now out of print)

2. The Girl in Two Worlds 9781838413620

3. An Ancient Connection 9781838413644


Tuesday 9 July 2024

My Themistokles' Olympia 432 BCE - arrival and settling in

This is Part 3, from 11 to 15, of my Pic&Quote series. The quotes are from The Boy in Two Minds and the pictures are mainly photographs taken as research.

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June 21 2024


Pic&Quote 11

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 19


On board “The Pelican”, moored in a crowded harbour at night.

 

< Themis dozed, but was suddenly awake as the ship rocked. He sat up and made out the ship's dog Beast in the starlight, standing at the rail, growling with teeth bared. 

‘Just the boys, then,’ came a harsh whisper from the quay. ‘We can give you forty drachmas each for them. In silver.’ >




Photo 2016 off the Peloponnese

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June 25 2024


Pic&Quote 12

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 25


In Olympia

 

< Phidias looked mischievously down at Themis. ‘Why, young Themistokles? Are you impatient to have your next meeting with the god Zeus?’

Themis smiled but did not speak. What could he say? That he was afraid that that meeting would be his last day on earth? >





















Photo of Zeus abducting Ganymede, 2000. Archaeological Museum of Olympia, T2, by Zde, via Wikipedia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

Large terracotta (110 cm), 480-470 BC.

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June 29 2024


Pic&Quote 13

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 27


Above Olympia

 

< The view from this high place was glorious in the growing light. Layers of misty grey and blue hills lay between Themis and the pale green sea.

He breathed the scents of the new day, then bent to pick a hyacinth to offer to Artemis – and froze.

Beside the rocks to his right a brown bear swayed on all fours, watching him. >








Photo 2024 ©Julia M Newsome

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July 02 2024


Pic&Quote 14

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 30


Near Olympia


< Their agreed meeting place was a built-up spring on the outskirts of the village where this valley joined that of the Alpheios. Frog was already there, talking to a stout woman who was sitting on a stone bench, spinning.

She was saying, ‘Running alone can be dangerous. There are boys stolen every year by the slavers. You’d best stick together.’ >
























Research photo ©Julia M Newsome

Such springs are still common in rural areas with their stone benches, usually under plane trees.

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July 05 2024


Pic&Quote 15

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 31


In the Temple to Zeus, Olympia


< Themis lay along the beam in the temple roof and watched a huge parcel, wrapped and crated, being brought in through the mighty doors by a team of ten men. He could hear the stamping of the oxen on the temple ramp as the hubbub inside suddenly stilled. >

 






 Research photo ©Brian Donnelly

The present state of the ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus at Olympia in southern Greece, an area of devastating earthquakes throughout history. The one standing column was renovated for the 2004 Olympic Games.

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#Paris2024

The Paris Olympics begin in less than two weeks now. As I'm sure you are aware, there are constant postings and news items about the qualifying rounds in various countries. Lists of the athletes who will participate in each of the 208 countries have now appeared, including 33 Individual Neutral Athletes from Russia and Belarus, countries the International Olympic Committee have suspended because of the invasion of Ukraine violates the Olympic Truce.


This truce, or 'laying down of arms', originates at the ancient Games. The online encyclopaedia, Britannica, says:

"Before every Olympiad ... heralds from Olympia moved around Greece inviting participants and spectators and announcing the truce. Contrary to what many have thought, especially some modern Olympic officials, the Greeks did not cease their wars against one another during the Games or the Olympic truce. Rather, the truce, besides protecting Olympia from invasion, forbade any individual or government to interfere with anyone traveling to and from the Olympics." https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Olympic-Truce-1688469


It would be so much better for the world if, as once believed, conflicts did cease during the Games ... 

And, according to the above web page, the International Olympic Truce Foundation, based in Athens, is working towards this goal. Learn more here.


Thanks for reading this far! The next five Pic&Quotes in my series will appear in my next blog post. So, till next time ...





All photographs ©Julia M Newsome unless otherwise credited.


Birkby Books

The Connection Trilogy by J M Newsome:

1. The Boy in Two Minds 9781838413606 

(first edition was The Boy with Two Heads, 2012, Trifolium Books, now out of print)

2. The Girl in Two Worlds 9781838413620

3. An Ancient Connection 9781838413644

Saturday 6 July 2024

Ancient Athens to Ancient Olympia ...

This is Part 2 of my Pic&Quote series. The quotes are from The Boy in Two Minds and the pictures are mainly photographs taken as research.

You may also be interested in my posting on this blog of Oct 21st 2014 titled "Phidias' workshop - using real places in fiction" which examines another dimension of "on-location" historical research.

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May 31st 2024

Pic&Quote 6

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 11


< So this was the Painted Arcade. This was where the best artists were asked by the City to paint its history. Themis walked over the bridge in a dream.

Panainos came back to take his arm. ‘Come on, fish face. Close your mouth and come and see something wonderful.’ >


Photo 2024

The remains of what may have been the Painted Arcade in the ancient Athenian Agora/market place. Now, Metro Line 1, the Green line, runs through the ruins. 

Not quite so 'wonderful' nowadays!

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June 4th 2024

Pic&Quote 7

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy


From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 12


< Looking along the bridge, Themis saw Straton and his brothers walking towards him.

Efsevios leaned towards Themis' ear. 'Drawing insulting

pictures can get you into a lot of trouble,' he whispered.

'Only if they lie,' said Themis with a grin, stepping back.

'Don't go out alone,' threatened Straton as they turned away. >



Photo 2012

Four figures advance onto the pedestrian crossing at The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece in 2012, exactly where the bridge was in the extract above.

 

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June 7th 2024

Pic&Quote 8

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy


From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 13


< In his dream, Themistokles felt himself picked up as the god leaned forward and he was lifted down and down, past the knee, the sandals, the lion footstool, and at last laid gently on the ground. ‘Come again when you are ready,’ said the voice from far above. >






















Photo 2012 

An artist's impression in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, of the 12 metre high statue of Zeus built by sculptor and architect Phidias (with the help of an army others, perhaps like my Themistokles). The ivory and gold statue stood - or rather, sat! - in the god's temple (completed around twenty years earlier) for hundreds of years. It became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

I know of no account of the statue's actual creation, so I made it important that it was finished in time for the 87th Games in 432 BCE.


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June 7th 2024

Pic&Quote 9

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy


From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 17 


On board “The Pelican”. Themis' uncle Panainos is seasick.


< ‘Of course, everyone in the Peloponnese will be on the lookout for spies ... ’ Then Panainos groaned and sighed as the ship picked up speed. ‘Ergh … Go away, Themis, and let me die in peace.’ >

 


Photo 2018

A model of an ancient trading vessel with one mast and a square sail similar to The Pelican, in The Archaeological Museum, Thessaloniki.


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June 7th 2024

Pic&Quote 10

#AncientOlympicBoy #Paris2024 #TheConnectionTrilogy

 

From The Boy in Two Minds 432 BCE, Chapter 18


On board “The Pelican”


< The black clouds had strung out from the land in a long line, pushed towards them by the northwest wind. Under them, the waves were flattened by curtains of leaden rain.
‘We might just make it!’ shouted the captain. ‘Hold on and pray!’ >




Photo 2019, off the Peloponnese. 

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The next five Pic&Quotes in the series will appear in my next blog post. 


I thought you might also like to see a couple of the reviews of The Boy in Two Minds first edition (2012).

They highlight the relevance of the story to the Paris Olympics 2024:


"This is a story on different levels, from different points of view. It brings ancient Greece to life, especially the OLYMPIC TRAINING [my caps] before the competition." (S K Bracher on Amazon)


"A very clever concept for time travel: the mind of a 21st century girl in the body of a young Greek athlete!” (Caroline Lawrence, author of the million-copy-selling The Roman Mysteries)



Thanks for reading this far, and please let me know whether you are enjoying my Pic&Quotes ...






All photographs ©Julia M Newsome unless otherwise credited.


Birkby Books

The Connection Trilogy by J M Newsome:

1. The Boy in Two Minds 9781838413606 

(first edition was The Boy with Two Heads, 2012, Trifolium Books, now out of print)

2. The Girl in Two Worlds 9781838413620

3. An Ancient Connection 9781838413644