Chapter two – Priest
Before the consaecration the novices had to endure a month of intangibility; this means that for a month we were not allowed to touch anyone – human or animal, not even to kill an insect – for any reason. If the novice succeeded, he or she could be consecrated; the first person who was allowed to touch the novice was the priest who performed this ritual, which meant that from that moment on you belonged to the Lord of your temple on. This period was the most difficult part of my novitiate; at the end I was litterally craving for a human touch but when Stamathia touched me and allowed me to wear my white priestly habit and my blue band I felt happier than ever.
At the temple we dealt with four things: fertility, dreams, trade and travel. Troy's market was really big and merchants came from the Hittite empire and from Greece but even from Egypt and Crete. This travellers usually offered a sacrifice to Hermes to ask him to keep an eye on their business or to thank him for their success, so we were really busy, being only in two. This was intriguing as it gave me the occasion to learn new languages and stories that I later taught to my students.
I also learnt to interpret dreams and believe me, that was very difficult at the beginning, until Hermes explained me something that helped me cope with that.
"Some dreams come from the gods, Aesacus" he told me "but some of them don't and they need to be interpreted."
"And how can I tell whether a dream is sent by the Gods or not, Sir?"
He smiled: "We use to appear in those dreams or to leave our symbols. You will gradually learn all of them"
"And how will I be able to interpret the other dreams?"
"The dream often reflects a fear or a wish that you are not aware of. That you don't want to admit even to yourself, let alone to others. For this reason, people are often reticent to talk abou this and your duty is to make them talk. To make them cope with their wishes and fears. This is not an easy task, Aesacus, it's probably your most difficult task , but I believe you'll perform it very well"
Hermes often went to visit me and he told me story and taught me lessons: many times I thought that he was just telling me a story and later realized that he had given me an advice instead and I loved it.
Slowly, I asked: "So, when I dream that I have to perform a ritual in front of the whole city and that I make a mess…"
"It means that you should learn to calm down…" he answered me with a gentle laugh "There is no reason why you should make a mess, my dear."
We went on talking about dreams for some time, then he had to leave.
Before leaving he turned to me and said cheerfully "Aesacus, as for your dream about you making a mess…"
"Yes, sir?"
"Maybe that's a premonition!" he finished with a wicked smile. Noticing my terrified expression, he quickly added: "Aesacus, I am joking! Don't be so shy, man!" and with another smile he disappeared in the night.
We also had to perform fertility rituals (for humans and animals only, not for earth and plants, that was Demeter's business) and to assess the fertility of people who asked us to. We were also known to cure impotence but believe me, many times the thought of having a god "watching your back" was more effective than anything else and this had nothing to do with us or with Hermes even if he actually was the god of fertility.
As Hermes was also considered an arbiter, sometimes we were consulted to settle arguments, from the silly ones to the most important ones. This has always been my favourite task and the one I was most skilled at. At first this task was only performed by Stamathia, the high priestess, because I was really too young for that, but as soon as I reached twenty years Stamathia said "You can do this better than me, so it's you who should take care of this."
I've always liked the feeling of helping people talk with each other and trying to understand each other: for the most part I didn't actually give advices but I just let people talk and they eventually saw the best by themselves. I think this has helped me developing a deep understanding of people's emotions and thoughts.
The most important event of my many years of priesthood, however, is my friendship with Hermes. At first he was a bit unsettling and even if he tried his best to put me at ease I was too much in awe of him to speak freely. But he was so gentle and easy-going that I quickly learnt to trust him and to open up with him. No matter what, I knew I could have told him anything, ask him every advice I wanted. I rarely sought his advice actually, but when it happened I was never disappointed in him. And we also had (and still have) a sort of camaraderie; we make fun of each other and then decide who is the winner of our verbal banter. I know this sound disrespectful, but Hermes is like this: he doesn't like to keep his priests at a distance and only requires loyalty. And as for this I can say that I am and will always be devoted to him.
-o- -o-
My years in the temple went on quietly. I sometimes believed to be unworthy but I never regretted my decision to become Hermes' priest, not even for a second. Stamathia was a confident yet kind woman and she was a good teacher too.
When I was about thirty, one evening she went to my bedroom while I was about to go to sleep: it was most unsual for her to visit me in the evening unless she had something important to tell me.
"I must tell you something that won't please you" she told me sitting on my bed.
"Well… go on." I told her, worried. In the previous months she had gotten slightly thinner and paler and I thought I knew what she was going to tell me.
"My life is coming to an end… but I believe you already know that." She told me quietly, with a soft smile.
Deep down I knew it but I was too shocked to speak up nonetheless.
"Oh, come on, don't look at me like that! I'm quite old, it's time!" she almost laughed.
"I'm sorry" I murmured.
"You shouldn't be. Listen, soon you'll have to deal with the temple by yourself. I hope sometime Hermes will find you some aid." Actually Hermes didn't find another priest and only years later I would've understood the reason why.
"I think you'll do very well even without me." She went on "You will be the high-priest and you really should wear your priestly habit instead of that civilian clothes of yours!" she added disapprovingly. Indeed I used to wear only my sacred cloak on a normal tunic because the sacred tunic was a very precious one and I feared to spoil it.
"But I'm going to ruin it…" I protested feebly.
"Then get less clumsy!" she barked, and I had to laugh despite the situation.
"Very well, I'll wear my sacred habit."
"You bet you will or I'll tell Hermes to have your guts!"
"I will miss you." I said quickly. I couldn't keep myself.
"We'll met again someday, my dear. Now I need my beauty sleep – like it was actually useful!" she muttered leaving my room and I have to laugh again. I couldn't help but crying a little before falling asleep, though.
The next morning she didn't wake up.
I put her ashes in the temple's orchard, where she wanted them to rest, then wore the sacred habit as she had told me and become the high-priest.
