Vita Volupta

Purity was not Sybian’s strong suit, unless it was purity of intention: to enjoy the earthly delights God had gifted to his people not out of any reward or entitlement, but simply, as she put it, “out of Papa’s love and will.” Even as a young girl growing up in Scilla, more than a millennium after the luxurious, glorious settlement of Sybaris was laid to waste, Sybian developed a reputation as a visionary and a voluptuary. It was said she could squeeze the last ounce of enjoyment out of any situation and her dancing and singing in praise of life were legendary. The visions which came to her at the apex of sexual ecstasy and elation induced by alcohol and herbs, she related to the young who congregated in her garden.
Even though this was during an era when women were still allowed somewhat equal status in the Christian Church, she made many of the church leaders nervous and jealous, especially those who had failed as her lovers.



Her lovers became her unofficial priests and priestesses,though she had no time or interest in adulation; there were many fruits to taste. It was only when the Romans, at the bequest of rival colonies who felt the Sybarites were not contributing enough to the area economy, dammed up the Krathis River and ruined the marvelous gardens and bergamot groves of Sybaris, that she felt called by God to lead the people.