D'you know, I did wonder about the lemons. I had a feeling they were one of the (many!) things Alexander is reputed to have introduced into Greece. I am glad you thought this too, and we shall put this down as an anachronism - not good! (But actually I think she teaches classics rather than history) Carpets and tapestries, I just don't know - I suppose I just thought that if they had woven clothes, they could have had woven stuff for the home, though now you mention it, tapestries does sound a bit too much. I see what you mean about the details of everyday items. I thought the 'our goddess', 'our dead' stuff was rather good, it seemed to be the voice of Patroclus coming from an impossible distance - perhaps beyond the grave - right from the start, and addressing himself to all, but you're right, it is vague. About the mother, that is an interesting point, that the blow from the sword hilt might have caused the mental deficiency and therefore it is not hereditary. That never even crossed my mind. I assumed she had been simple from birth and that the scar just showed what kind of a thug she had for a father, who could clout a mentally deficient daughter. It just shows how different readers will interpret things in quite different ways!
I thought the 'our goddess', 'our dead' stuff was rather good, it seemed to be the voice of Patroclus coming from an impossible distance - perhaps beyond the grave - right from the start, and addressing himself to all, but you're right, it is vague. About the mother, that is an interesting point, that the blow from the sword hilt might have caused the mental deficiency and therefore it is not hereditary. That never even crossed my mind. I assumed she had been simple from birth and that the scar just showed what kind of a thug she had for a father, who could clout a mentally deficient daughter. It just shows how different readers will interpret things in quite different ways!
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