"Elissa" is a historical novel by H. Rider Haggard. It tells the story of a young Greek woman named Elissa, who is sold into slavery and taken to the city of Tyre in ancient Phoenicia. Elissa is purchased by a wealthy merchant named Ithobal, who becomes infatuated with her and takes her as his mistress. Despite her enslavement, Elissa is intelligent and resourceful, and she soon becomes involved in the political intrigue of Tyre, which is under threat from the growing power of the Persian Empire. As tensions rise between Tyre and Persia, Elissa finds herself drawn into a dangerous plot to save the city. With the help of a young Greek soldier named Pythagoras, she embarks on a perilous journey across the Mediterranean to seek the aid of Carthage, Tyre's ally and rival. The novel is richly detailed and features vivid descriptions of ancient cities, landscapes, and customs. It also explores themes of love, loyalty, and the struggle for power in the ancient world. Overall, "Elissa" is a compelling historical adventure that will appeal to fans of Haggard's other works, as well as readers who enjoy epic tales of adventure and romance set in the ancient world.
H. Rider Haggard was born on 22 June, 1856 in Braden ham, situated in the English area of Norfolk. His father, Sir William Meybohm Rider Haggard, was a lawyer, while his mother, Ella Dove ton Haggard, was an author herself. The couple had ten children, out of which Henry was conceived as the eighth. Sir Henry Rider Haggard was an English author who was known for his African thriller novel, 'Lord Solomon's Mines'. His father was a Norfolk advocate but he was denied an honourable men's schooling compared to his siblings due to his physical bluntness. At 19 years old, he started his vocation at the command of his father as an unpaid guide to Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony of Natal. Rider Haggard was married to a Norfolk beneficiary Marianna Louisa Margitson. They had four children named Jack, who died at the age of 10 due to measles, and three girls named Angela, Dorothy, and Lilias. Rider Haggard died at the age of 68 in London. His remains were cremated at St Mary's Church, Ditchingham. A rail route point of the Canadian National Railway in British Columbia has been named after him.
