A haunting as described in a letter by Pliny the Younger – written in the 1st century
Now the following story, which I am going to tell you just as I heard it, is it not more frightening than the former, while quite as thought provoking?
There was in Athens a large and roomy house, which had such a bad reputation that no one lived there. In the dead of the night a noise, resembling the clashing of iron, was frequently heard, which, if you listened more attentively, sounded like the rattling of chains, distant at first, but approaching nearer by degrees: immediately afterwards a spectre appeared in the form of an old man, of extremely emaciated and squalid appearance, with a long beard and dishevelled hair, rattling the chains on his feet and hands. The distressed occupants meanwhile passed their wakeful nights under the most dreadful terror imaginable. This, as it broke their rest, ruined their health and brought on distempers, even leading to death. Even in the day time, though the spirit did not appear, yet the impression remained so strong upon their imaginations that it still seemed before their eyes, and kept them in perpetual fear.
Eventually the house was entirely abandoned to the ghost, being deemed absolutely uninhabitable. However, in hopes that some tenant might be found who was ignorant of its history, a notice was put up advertising it for rent or for sale.
It happened that Athenodorus, the philosopher, came to Athens at this time, and, reading the notice, enquired about the price. The extraordinarily low price raised his suspicions. Nevertheless, when he heard the whole story, so far from being discouraged, he was all the more inclined to rent it, which he did. When it grew towards evening, he ordered a couch to be prepared for him in the front part of the house, and, after calling for a light, together with his pencil and tablets, directed all his people to retire. But that his mind might not, for want of employment, be open to the vain terrors of imaginary noises and spirits, he applied himself to writing with the utmost attention.
The first part of the night passed in entire silence, as usual; at length a clanking of iron and rattling of chains was heard: however, he neither lifted up his eyes nor laid down his pen, but in order to keep calm and collected tried to pass the sounds off to himself as something else. The noise increased and advanced nearer, till it seemed at the door, and at last in the chamber. He looked up and recognized the ghost exactly as it had been described to him: it stood before him, beckoning with its finger, like a person who summons another. Athenodorus in reply made a sign with his hand that it should wait a little, and turned his eyes again upon his papers; the ghost then rattled its chains over the head of the philosopher who, looking up and seeing it beckoning as before, immediately arose and, light in hand, followed it. The ghost slowly stalked along, as if encumbered with its chains, and, turning into the courtyard of the house, suddenly vanished. Athenodorus, being thus deserted, made a mark with some grass and leaves on the spot where the spirit left him.
The next day he gave information to the magistrates, and advised them to order that spot to be dug up. This was accordingly done, and the skeleton of a man in chains was found there; the body, having lain a considerable time in the ground, was putrefied and mouldered away from the fetters. The bones were collected together and publicly buried, and the ghost, having been appeased by the proper ceremonies, haunted the house no more.
