Sacred History by Euhemerus and its Islands

 

Sacred History is framed as a first-person travelogue narrated by Euhemerus, who claims to be a friend of King Cassander. At the monarch’s request, he sets out on a voyage from Arabia Felix, eventually discovering an archipelago in the Indian Ocean consisting of three islands: Hiera, Panchaea, and a smaller unnamed island dedicated to burials.

On Hiera, the economy is based on the export of frankincense and myrrh to Arab merchants, and the land is divided between the people and a king. The narrative focuses more extensively on Panchaea, a self-sufficient society divided into three social classes: priests and craftsmen; farmers; and soldiers and shepherds. The island operates under a collective economy where priests distribute crops and livestock to the inhabitants, and private property is restricted to homes and gardens.

The primary action takes place at the sanctuary of Zeus Triphylius, a monumental white stone temple featuring a sacred spring called the "Water of the Sun". Inside the temple, Euhemerus finds a golden stele inscribed with the deeds of ancient kings in a script resembling Egyptian hieroglyphs. The stele records the following history:

• Uranus was the world's first king, a benefactor who civilized humanity and studied the movements of the stars.

• Cronus succeeded him, though he became embroiled in a conflict with his brother, Titan, who imprisoned Cronus after learning that Cronus had secretly spared his own sons.

• Zeus, one of those secret sons, arrived from Crete to defeat the Titans and rescue his parents.

• After Cronus later attempted to kill his son due to a prophecy, Zeus overthrew him, forcing Cronus to flee to Latium in Italy, while Zeus became the third ruler of the world.

As king, Zeus circumnavigated the globe five times, establishing laws, prohibiting cannibalism, and dividing the rule of various countries among his friends and relatives. To commemorate his visits, he ordered the construction of temples in his name, such as those for Zeus Ataburius and Zeus Casius. Zeus eventually retired to Mount Olympus on Panchaea, where he spent his time judging inventions and resolving disputes. The narrative ends with Zeus dying of old age in Crete, where he was buried at Knossos with a tombstone reading "ZAN KPONOY" (Zeus, son of Cronus). Hermes is credited with later updating the stele to include the achievements of Artemis and Apollo.