The Last Odyssey (Sigma Force #15) - James Rollins Page 0,49
remained fixed on the artifact, studying the intricate detail of each golden coastline, mountain range, and island. He guessed the blue gemstone of the Mediterranean Sea was lapis lazuli. Forests were depicted in emeralds. The calderas of volcanos were topped by fiery rubies.
Gray leaned closer, mesmerized by its beauty and artistry.
Regardless of its origin and inestimable value, he understood that this map’s true worth lay in its historical and artistic importance. While Da Vinci’s paintings, sketches, and notebooks graced museums around the world, none of the man’s mechanical designs survived, not even his sculptures.
Still, Gray could not comprehend why such a masterpiece had been hidden for centuries. Its importance was beyond measure. He finally tore his gaze away and stared accusingly at Roe.
“What is this doing here?” he asked. “Buried and hidden all this time?”
Roe lifted a hand. “Abbi pazienza. I will explain.”
Gray had little patience left. Men had already died over this mystery, and without answers, many more would likely suffer the same fate. Still, he bit back an angry response and gave the old priest some latitude to continue.
“Pope Leo commissioned Da Vinci to replicate the map found on those Arabic pages. According to its description, the map—when operational—would lead to the gates of Hell.”
“To Tartarus,” Gray said, remembering his earlier discussion with Painter.
Roe nodded. “Esattamente. The Greek version of Hell. Because all of this involves a dark period in Greek history.”
“What do you mean?”
“Included with the design of the map was a chapter from Homer’s Odyssey. The Greek story which tells the tale of the hero Odysseus’s difficult journey home after the Trojan War. The chapter found was the one detailing Odysseus’s voyage to the Underworld.”
Gray opened his mouth, ready for another question, but Roe frowned at him like a scolding teacher.
“The map’s designers were a trio of brilliant scholars, all brothers, who called themselves the Banū Mūsā, or the Sons of Moses. They studied at the House of Wisdom in Baghdad during the ninth century and went on to produce nearly two dozen volumes of scientific works and innumerable mechanical constructs. The basis for their work came from books that they had collected after the fall of Rome, important scientific treatises from across Italy and Greece. To gather that collection, they crossed back and forth across the Mediterranean, proving themselves also to be great sailors and navigators.”
Gray pictured the large double-masted dhow locked in ice.
Was that their ship?
“Their goal was to search the darkest places of history and to preserve what they could find. The brothers became fixated on a particular period when all knowledge came close to being destroyed, a blank spot in the history books, one that to this day remains a mystery.”
“When was that?” Maria asked.
“It was the period recounted in Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey. Because of that, some call it the Homeric Age. But its more apt name is the Greek Dark Ages. It spanned two centuries—from 1100 B.C. to 900 B.C.—and started with a huge war that swept the Mediterranean. The first true world war. By the end of it, three civilizations on three continents fell into ruin.”
Gray knew enough history to fill in those blanks. “The Greek Mycenaeans in Europe. The Hittite Empire of western Asia. And the Egyptians of north Africa.”
Roe nodded. “They all collapsed at the same time. Leading to two centuries of chaos and barbarism. Erasing nearly all gains in civilization’s development. So, is it any wonder the Banū Mūsā brothers, these plunderers of fallen civilizations, took an interest in this era?”
“What did they do?” Maria asked.
“Here I can only imagine. But they were explorers, gatherers of clues. According to notes in the margin of their design, they came to believe that there was a fourth civilization involved in this world war. Even today, scholars are reaching the same conclusion after unearthing new records of that dark time.”
Gray grew more intrigued. “But who were these unknown conquerors?”
“That’s what the Banū Mūsā wanted to know. They scoured the region, searching for clues about this lost civilization, one that defeated everyone else, bringing about the dark ages—and then vanished. The brothers believed that Homer’s stories were an important account. That these fanciful tales were more than myth, but recounted true events.”
Gray knew modern scholars had come to the same realization, accepting that the fictional lands of Homer’s story could be real places. Not just Troy, but many other sites, too. Again, the Banū Mūsā had beaten everyone to this conclusion.