Polydoros | |
Fictional Character | |
"Counting Potsherds" POD: 483 BCE; Relevant POD: 480 BCE | |
Type of Appearance: | Direct |
Nationality: | Yaunan citizen of Persia |
Religion: | Greek pantheon |
Date of Birth: | 1st century BC |
Occupation: | Banker |
Polydoros was a young Yaunan (under the age of 30) from a banking family in the seaport town of Peiraieus. He was recommended to Mithredath by Hermippos, the ganzabara of the Yauna province, since he knew both Aramaic and Greek. He knew how to read and write the latter since the inland towns still did business in the old language.
When they first met, Polydoros asked Mithredath if he intended to travel each day to the ruins of Athens or to camp there. On learning it was a two hour walk, Mithredath decided to camp since too much of the day would otherwise be taken up with travel.
They agreed to set out in two days time since Polydoros would be busy the next day with the monthly silver shipment from the Laurion mines. He speculated that if the big lode had been discovered before the Persian conquest, then perhaps the Greeks would have been able to afford to build sufficient ships to defeat them. Mithredath dismissed this as wishful thinking.
Polydoros proved useful to Mithredath's mission, pointing out the Akropolis and later the marketplace. In both locations, he translated Greek inscriptions for Mithredath which helped the latter learn more about the conquest.
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