Myth of Darius Sangez
Summary
The legend is about a young Catholic man living in the Romasian Province of Portuzia.
When he was 14 he married a beautiful woman, Valia Pulava (the first reference to Portuzians marrying this young)
But Valia Pulava was kidnapped by the Bevisians when they were 16, and he was determined to have her back.
He travelled to the big city of Dugum (Dugusto) and went to the local proconsul with his situation.
The proconsul, a fat man called Dadus Generaus, who cared deeply about the people, decided to give him arms and a few men to reclaim his wife with. This fat proconsul had a greedy, fat assisent, but he is not yet important.
Together with 4 others Darius went to the Bevisian capital city, Capurum, and sneaked into the royal palace, where his wife was.
While sneaking through the Palace Darius heard his wife, who didn't want the Bevisian king to even touch her and believed her husband was going to save her.
Darius, full of anger, stormed the Bevisian king while he was touching his wife and he and the king had a lovely swordfight, which he won.
He then fled to Portuzia with his wife and men again, while being pursued by the Bevisians.
When he arrived in Portuzia he saw an army of a thousand men ready to kill any Bevisian stupid enough to cross the border.
But this Romasian army wasn't led by the Proconsul, but by his greedy and fat assisent.
He promptly took Darius' wife and left Darius behind. Darius went to the Proconsul only to see he was lying all along.
The only reason he had armed Darius in his quest for love was to steal his wife after he had retrieved her.
The Bevisians wouldn't have any suspicion against him this way.
But Darius challenged the Proconsul to a swordfight over his wife, which he easily won.
The proconsul however didn't hold his promise and had Darius thrown in jail.
The Proconsul's assistent however freed him, as he wanted the woman for himself and thought of Darius as someone he could easily steal from.
Darius however threw the assisent in jail because he was well aware of his intentions.
Now Darius wa free and gathered all the Christians in Dugum, who were chocked to hear of such a scandalous violation of Christian laws, and stormed the Proconsul's palace. They had him flee and Darius finally retrieved his wife.
The Proconsul then sent a plea for help to the (Christian) emperor and told him some Democrats had taken over Dugum.
This emperor, Titus Pulcher II, was a Christian and Saint, but was unaware of the Proconsul's lies.
He gathered an army of 100,000 men and went to Bevisia.
As the massive army gathered at the gates of Dugum Darius secretly went to the emperor and told him the truth.
The emperor then ordered to kill the Proconsul and his assisent, and granted Darius pardon.
The End
Historical Basis
From 50-250 n.C the Bevisian army frequently raided the Romasian countryside and raped local women.
According to imperial administration a young man called Rufus went to the Bevisian capital and reclaimed his wife by paying 10 pieces of gold in 97 n.C.
In 113 n.C a local Christian called Rufus Darcanus Pulcher led an armed Christian uprise for Christian rights. The Romasian overseer of the Ilandian Peninsula granted them pardon.
Spread
The legend is common language in the whole cultural area of Portuzia.
Cultural Reception
The story clearly shows the Portuzian spirit: don't trust the government.
In Literature
There are a lot of poems about the legend, actually the whole legend consists of poems.
In Art
Some scenes were an inspiration for painters:
Darius demands weapons to the Proconsul
- Darius Sangez and the Proconsul of Bevisia, by Eledus Espuci Daran
- Darius Sangez demands weapons to reclaim his spouse, by Giovanni d'Espma
- Darius Sangez and the Greedy Proconsul, by Serafinus Gopta
- The legend of Darius Sangez: Betrayal, by Filipe Duam
- Our hero Darius Sangez, jailed for love, by Gonza di Parmutta
- Sangez in prison, by Eledus Espuci Aran
- Darius Sangez and Emperor Titus II, by Eledus Espuci Aran
- Darius saves Christianity in Durum, by Catare Espuci Fulgo
- Emperor Titus II grants Darius amnesty, by Pinov of Framton
Date of First Recording
In 1406 a monk wrote down the legend of Darius Sangez, but it was told a thousand years before.
Date of Setting
100 n.C
Related Ethnicities
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