Silence and Stillness in Heliodoros’ Aithiopika

Heliodoros' protagonists, Charikleia and Theagenes, become silent or still when facing superior legal or illegal force and/or institutional power (patriarchy, imprisonments, different religious traditions). Women and slaves are disempowered always, and men quickly lose rights and status previously enjoyed. Major and minor characters confront crises in which they are cornered and helpless, but stealthy tactics twisting expected social roles enable them to survive and thrive in captivity or extricate themselves from near-death experiences. This note explores silence and stillness as both emotional reactions and as stratagems for evading and trumping unwanted outcomes such as enslavement, rape, imprisonment, and human sacrifice.