Orestes and Pylades in bed (I)
It is now several years ago that the great Mycenaean King and Basileus Agamemnon received a gift sent by a distant relative, living in Egypt. The pharaoh, Ramses III, frequently exchanges gifts with mighty Aegean kings like Agamemnon, but also with the Trojan king Priamus, as a pact against their foreign enemies, such as the invading Sea people, as well as possible local traitors within the palace walls. The gift Ramses chose on that occasion was a young Nubian prince. Since about three centuries ago Nubia is annexed by Egypt, that exploits its important gold mines, and uses its well-built men as an optimal stock of working slaves. Agamemnon accepted this gift from Ramses, but handed it over to his son Orestes to be used as his personal servant. Following the king's orders, the crown and necklace worn by the Nubian prince at his arrival, made of the finest gold, were transformed by the royal smiths into a solid neck collar, fit for his new role as Orestes' slave. At that...