HAUNTED HOUSES

Happy Halloween! And do I have a “haunted tale” to tell!

The “haunted” part came to me as we drove through Searsport on our way Down East. There, right on Route 1, was a house, or rather the remains of a house, that once must have been warm and welcoming. The Palladian window on the second story offered proof of owners who cared about architectural style. So, too, did the bow windows on the first floor. I could just imagine countless stories hidden within the walls of the collapsing porch and the second-floor room that may once have been a cozy bedroom. ​

Why did the owners abandon this property and leave “No Trespassing” and “Do Not Enter” signs? Maybe they believed it was “haunted.” If only Athenodorus was here..

To be sure, Athenodorus is not a household name. What is known about him comes mostly from a letter that the Roman writer Pliny the Younger wrote to a friend around 100 AD. It is the details in that letter that, for me, connected the house in Searsport to the ancient Greek philosopher Athenodorus. Should he, or someone like him, ever make it to Searsport, I can imagine him heading straight to the house and taking up residence! Why? …because that is exactly what he did in Athens some 2,000 years ago!

According to Pliny, a ghost so frightened the owners of a grand old house in Athens that they abandoned it. In fact, they were so terrified that they feared selling it. In time, they did put it on the market. They asked a low price, hoping that someone, unaware of the house’s “haunted” nature, might go for a “great deal.” No one did! No one, that is, until Athenodorus came to town. “What a bargain!” he thought and made an offer. “Don’t! It’s haunted!” advised Athenodorus’s friends! But the more they advocated against the purchase, the more determined he was to own the house!

After the purchase was finalized, Athenodorus prepared for his first night in his new home. He asked those who had helped him move to place a couch in the front section of the house, along with a light and his writing materials. He was in the middle of several projects and planned to use his time to complete them. Surely, ghosts were just figments of the imagination!

​Night came, and all was quiet. Athenodorus was certain that the “haunted” tales circulating around Athens were just figments of the imagination. Then, he heard something. He stopped writing and listened—it was footsteps, and they seemed to be coming closer and closer. So, too, did the sound of chains rattling.

“Impossible! I’m dreaming!” he thought. With even greater resolve, he kept his eyes fixed on his work, until the clanking seemed only inches away. He looked up—a ghostlike figure stood before him, beckoning with his finger for Athenodorus to follow him! “No, I’m busy! You are not real!” The figure paid no heed and continued to rattle his chains and beckon Athenodorus to follow him. “OK! Ok! I’ll come! Where are we going?” The ghost said nothing, but walked into the courtyard. Then, without warning, it vanished!

“Oh – so that’s what you want!” thought Athenodorus, “Sure - but let me get some rest first.”

The next morning, Athenodorus went to the Athenian magistrates, told them of the evening’s apparition, and asked the officials to follow him to the spot where the ghost had disappeared. He also suggested that they bring a couple of shovels. Intrigued, the magistrates obliged.

When all were assembled in the courtyard, Athenodorus pointed to the spot where they should begin digging. Within minutes, human bones, bound with chains, were unearthed! Before the magistrates could speak, Athenodorus explained, “This man just wants to enter the realm of the dead and cannot because he was never given a proper burial. I don’t know the reason for the chains, but I do believe he has been wandering about looking for someone to do the honors.” The magistrates immediately made the necessary funeral arrangements. And, never again did the ghost bother Athenodorus or anyone else in Athens!

Perhaps the house in Searsport just needs a “21st-century Athenodorus?” Do you know anyone?

Join me next time when Maine—Window to World trains its lens on another part of the world.

To read past blog entries, go to: ivycloseimages.com/blog-maine-window-to-the-world.html

Comments are welcome: rosalie@ivycloseimages.com