'The Romans,' said Greg, 'the Roman colonists, who crucified Christian Jews and Barabbits, and other unfortunate people in the old days, did not touch pork either, but I certainly do and so did my grandparents.'
Lucette was puzzled by a verb Greg had used. To illustrate it for her, Van joined his ankles, spread both his arms horizontally, and rolled up his eyes.
'When I was a little girl,' said Marina crossly, 'Mesopotamian history was taught practically in the nursery.'
'Not all little girls can learn what they are taught,' observed Ada.
'Are we Mesopotamians?' asked Lucette. (1.14)
 
Several characters in "The Death of Gods. Julian the Apostate", the first part of Merezhkovski's trilogy "Christ and Antichrist", are Mesopotamians. Several chapters of the novel are set in Mesopotamia, "in the Tigris-Euphrates valley" (as Marina puts it elsewhere in Ada). Julian's teacher, the philosopher Yamvlik, is a vegeterian: С ранней юности Ямвлик отвык от мясной пищи и чувствовал к ней отвращение; не понимал, как люди могут есть живое. (Book One, chapter VII)
 
Had I learned to use a scanner, I would have posted the full version of Merezhkovski's photograph (that accompanies many editions of his books) with a big crucifix on the wall above the author's right shoulder. Btw., the photo was probably taken in the spacious flat of the Merezhkovski-Hippius couple in the Muruzi* appartment house in St. Petersburg (Liteynyi, 24). Many years later the poet Joseph Brodsky, the author of "In a Room and a Half ", lived there in much more straitened circumstances. Merezhkovski was nominated many times to the Lebon Prize, but it was Brodsky who received it in 1987.
 
 
the guide will go on demonstrating as he did this very morning in Florence a silly pillar commemorating, he said, the 'elmo' that broke into leaf when they carried stone-heavy-dead St Zeus by it through the gradual, gradual shade (1.3)
 
In "Julian the Apostate" (Book One, chapter VIII) the ivory-and-gold idol of Zeus holding lightnings in his hands is smashed by Christians: Может быть, вы и видели бесов, только, когда разбивали намедни в Газе идола Зевса, то внутри и бесов не было, а такая пакость, что стыдно сказать. С виду - важный, страшный: слоновая кость, золото, в руках молнии. А внутри - паутина, крысы, пыль, ржавые перекладины, рычаги, гвозди, вонючий дёготь и ещё чёрт знает, какая дрянь. Вот вам и боги!
 
Many chapters of "The Resurrection of Gods. Leonardo da Vinci", the second part of Merezhkovski's trilogy, are set in Florence (Leonardo's home city). Tsarevich Alexey's residence, the St. Elmo Fortress near Naples is mentioned in "Antichrist. Peter and Alexey", the third part of Merezhkovski's trilogy.
 
On Antiterra Paris is also known as Lute. Paris-Lutetia is described in "Julian the Apostate":
 
В середине декабря победоносный цезарь возвращался, после долгого похода, на зимние квартиры в излюбленный им маленький городок паризиев, на реке Сене, Лютецию-Париж.
Был вечер. Северное небо удивляло жителей юга странным бледно-зелёным отливом. Только что выпавший снег хрустел под ногами воинов.
Париж-Лютеция, расположенный посерздине реки на маленьком острове, со всех сторон окружен был водой. Два деревянных моста соединяли город с берегами. Дома были особого галло-римского зодчества, со стеклянными обширными сенями, заменявшими открытые портики южных стран. (Book One, chapter XX)
 
*Muruzi + Demon = izumrud + omen/Nemo (izumrud - Russ., emerald)
 
Alexey Sklyarenko
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