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Klaudios was a Greek resident of Alexandria, Egypt who lived during the reign of Ptolemy XIII. In 48 BCE, an Egyptian woman, Ebio got him drunk as part of a scheme to forcefully marry him then "tax" him for taking her virginity. Although severely drunk, Klaudios managed to escape to the island of the Lost Crypt where the next day, the Medjay Bayek of Siwa rescued him from crocodiles. Bayek was deceived into believing that he was returning a lost Klaudios to his wife, but as soon as the Greek was brought back to Ebio, the ruse was exposed. After the Medjay defended Klaudios from Ebio's brothers, he was saved from the criminals.
Biography[]
- "She... She got me drunk, married me, and told me I owed her a "virginity tax." Whose virginity?"
- ―Klaudios, explaining the incident to Bayek, 48 BCE[src]
By 48 BCE, Klaudios was a middle-aged man living in Alexandria who was still unmarried, much to the disappointment of his mother. Throughout his life, he was plagued by constant rejections by women he made sexual advances on.[1]
It was in 48 BCE that he traveled from the capital to the town of Yamu to celebrate the annual Festival of Sekhmet. Upon his arrival, however, he was confronted by Ebio who offered him free alcohol all throughout the night. Unable to resist the temptation, Klaudios accepted, only to have the woman spontaneously force him into marriage that very night while he was drunk. Ebio, who despised Greeks with a passion, plotted to coerce money from him for "taking her virginity", calling it a "virginity tax". As reinforcement, she had her two brothers ready to intimidate Klaudios into yielding.[1]
Though drunk, Klaudios was conscious enough to understand his predicament, and he fled across Lake Mareotis, eventually landing at the island of the Lost Crypt. There, atop a broken column almost entirely submerged underwater, he passed out. The next day, he awoke in mortal danger, not from the criminals pursuing him, but from crocodiles which stranded him on the column, eager to devour him. Too delirious to comprehend his peril, he was saved by the timely arrival of Bayek, who had come searching for him on behalf of Ebio who claimed to be Klaudios's wife.[1]
As Bayek sailed them back to Yamu on a felucca, Klaudios struggled to recollect the events of the previous night that had led him to the island. The Medjay's talk of his wife bewildered him further. In his stupor, he had been initially convinced that he had been newly wed and was elated at the thought of surprising his mother with his new bride when he returned home. While he tried to explain his confusion to Bayek, the Medjay was uncomfortable at the prospect of hearing Klaudios talk about his sex life or rather, lack thereof. By the time they approached Yamu's dock, Klaudios had begun to sober thanks to the cool breeze and the calming boat ride.[1]
Klaudios begging Bayek to save his life
It was then, upon suddenly encountering the woman from the previous night waiting for him, that all his memories rushed back. He revealed to Bayek the truth of the whole affair, pleading for him to protect him lest she and her brothers kill him. Sure enough, Ebio, only superficially persisting with the charade, beckoned for her brothers to assault them, but they were swiftly slain by the Medjay. Horrified, the woman fled hysterically into the desert, and Klaudios was freed from further harassment by would-be "virginity tax" collectors.[1]
Personality and traits[]
Klaudios was an awkward, chubby man who was unpopular with women all throughout his life, such that by his middle age, he was not only still unmarried but had never before experienced sexual intercourse. At that point, in 48 BCE, he was balding, and he longed to please his mother by bringing home a wife someday. Despite this yearning, he did not take pleasure in being forced into marriage while drunk by a bandit woman he met one night while visiting Yamu. Not one for combat, he was frightened by Ebio and her brothers and had to resort to trying to escape their clutches. He was to an extent an alcoholic, given that this ordeal was facilitated by his inability to refuse the bandits' offer of free beer throughout the night.[1] Nevertheless, he claimed, whether rhetorically or sincerely, after the incident that he would never drink alcohol ever again.[2]
As a Greek resident of Alexandria, Klaudios had a fascination with exploring the indigenous Egyptian environment and culture outside the city, hence his visit to Yamu for the Festival of Sekhmet. He was intrigued by apparent rumors of crocodiles' ability to speak, and in his drunken stupor, believed he was befriending the crocodiles trying to attack him.[1]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Assassin's Creed: Origins – Hidden Tax
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Origins