Ben-Hur, Part 4, Chapter 1 summary
Part 4, Chapter 1 of 88 · Book 1 · 6 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 1, Ben-Hur approaches Antioch by ship and hears a Hebrew passenger describe Simonides, his father’s former agent, whose wealth attracts suspicion and torture. When Judah asks about the prince’s family, the passenger reports his sentence to the galleys and assumes that his mother and sister are dead, leaving Judah absorbed in thought.
What happens
- In July of the year 29, Ben-Hur travels toward Antioch, keeping most curious passengers at a polite distance.
- Two ships raise yellow flags, prompting a Hebrew passenger to explain their connection to the wealthy merchant Simonides.
- The passenger recounts the ruin of the Hur household and the suspicion that Simonides holds the prince’s missing money.
- He describes Simonides’s torture, physical injuries, and protection through a trading license signed by Tiberius.
- Judah asks about the prince’s family and hears that the widow and daughter probably die in imprisonment.
- Troubled by the account, Judah scarcely notices the river scenery, except when someone points out the Grove of Daphne.
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In this chapter
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What do the yellow flags on Simonides’s ships communicate?
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