Meet the Characters

Mynestra. Mynestra is a young Greek slave whose gift for prophecy has made her valuable to those who own her, and uncertain of who she is apart from it. She is my imagined story behind the unnamed slave girl in Acts 16 who is described as having “a spirit of Python.”

Clement. Clement Florus is a Roman lictor charged with upholding the authority and traditions of Philippi, even as his conscience begins pulling him in another direction. He is a fictional character whose story becomes entwined with Mynestra’s and with the arrival of Paul and his companions. Note: he probably would not have long hair like this, but otherwise, I rather like the image.

Luke (Lukas in the novel). Luke arrives in Philippi as one of Paul’s traveling companions and becomes an important presence in Mynestra’s life. He is the traditionally named author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, and the “we” passages of Acts indicate that the narrator was present during the events in Philippi.

Paul & Silas. Paul and Silas are Jewish followers of Jesus whose arrival in Philippi changes the lives of Mynestra, Clement, and many others. Their preaching, imprisonment, midnight hymns, and miraculous release are recorded in Acts 16.

The Philippian jailer. The Philippian jailer is the Roman official responsible for guarding Paul and Silas when an earthquake opens the prison doors. Acts 16 never gives him a name; in Oracle of Philippi, I call him Caeso and imagine the life surrounding the brief but dramatic account of his conversion.