Tarzan and the city of gold

In Short

When Tarzan ventures into the uncharted mountain fastnesses of Abyssinia, he rescues a warrior clad in ivory armor and stumbles into the hidden valley of Onthar. There, two rival ancient civilizations—Cathne, the City of Gold, and Athne, the City of Ivory—wage perpetual war using trained lions and combat elephants. Captured by the Cathneans, the jungle lord is thrown into political intrigue, deadly gladiatorial contests, and the dangerous obsessions of a tyrant queen. It has endured as a classic lost-world yarn, combining wild combat with rich fantasy worldbuilding.

The Story

The adventure opens deep in the mountains of Kaffa, where a band of ruthless shifta bandits holds a captive unlike any Tarzan has ever encountered. The prisoner is a young warrior dressed in an extraordinary habergeon of overlapping ivory discs. Intrigued by the man's exotic armor and his captors' unsuccessful demands for the secret route to gold and ivory, Tarzan decides to rescue him.

The captive's name is Valthor. As the two men journey together through a stupendous, impassable mountain system, Tarzan learns Valthor’s language. However, their path ends at a roaring, flooded river in a narrow canyon. Valthor reaches the safety of the opposite bank, but Tarzan is swept away by the brutal current, and Valthor believes his savior has drowned.

Surviving the raging waters, Tarzan washes ashore in the mysterious Valley of Onthar and is promptly captured by the soldiers of Cathne, the City of Gold. Imprisoned in a stone cell, he meets Phobeg, a coarse and simple-minded fighter condemned for accidentally profaning the Cathneans' lion-god, Thoos. Taken to the royal court, Tarzan beholds the magnificent, gold-mosaicked architecture of Cathne and meets its beautiful, unstable ruler, Queen Nemone.

Thrown into the city's arena to fight for his life, Tarzan faces Phobeg. The ape-man overpowers the brute without taking his life, earning both the respect of his foe and the intense interest of Queen Nemone. Taken to the palace as a favored guest, Tarzan navigates a treacherous web of jealousy. The Queen’s self-serving favorite, Erot, along with the high priest and councillors, views the powerful stranger as a threat. Nemone herself grows fiercely obsessed with Tarzan, attempting to force his affection while ruling her city through terror, dark superstitions, and her savage pet lion, Belthar.

Refusing to sacrifice his freedom for a golden cage, Tarzan rejects Nemone’s advances. He earns the friendship of the noble Gemnon, saves the innocent maiden Doria from a horrible fate, and thwarts Erot’s schemes by stuffing the corrupt noble into the very sack meant for Doria’s execution. Eventually, Nemone’s rage turns against Tarzan, and she condemns him to the arena once more, setting her ferocious lion Belthar upon him.

The climax arrives when Tarzan’s loyal companion, Jad-bal-ja the Golden Lion, bounds into the arena to protect his master. In a bloody clash of beasts, Jad-bal-ja snaps Belthar's neck. Shattered by the death of the lion whose life was mystically linked to her own sanity, Queen Nemone drives a dagger into her heart. With the tyrant dead, the people liberate the dungeons and restore the rightful king, leaving Tarzan to give the tragic queen a lonely burial under the African moon before returning to his wild home.

How It Unfolds

Rescuing the ivory warrior Tarzan tracks a band of shifta bandits through the rain-soaked mountains of Kaffa and discovers they are holding a silent warrior clad in armor of ivory discs. Waiting for nightfall, the ape-man stealthily steals the prisoner away from his captors out of sheer curiosity and a sense of primitive justice.

Lost in the mountains Over weeks of grueling travel through rugged canyons, Tarzan learns the language of his companion, Valthor, and crafts weapons for him. Their journey ends abruptly at a raging river, where Tarzan is swept away by the icy torrent, leaving Valthor to grieve his lost friend.

Captured in Cathne Washing ashore exhausted and cold, Tarzan is taken prisoner by the golden-armored guards of Cathne. Thrown into a stone cell, he meets the rough gladiator Phobeg and gets his first look at a civilization that raises lions for war and worship.

Victory in the arena Forced to fight Phobeg before Queen Nemone and thousands of screaming spectators, Tarzan displays unbelievable strength by defeating the brute without killing him. His mercy wins Phobeg’s doglike devotion and captures the dangerous romantic interest of the Queen.

Intrigue in the palace As Nemone tries to woo Tarzan into staying forever, jealous courtiers led by Erot scheme to destroy him. Tarzan uncovers their plots, saves the young noblewoman Doria from being sacrificed, and turns the tables on Erot by trapping him in his own snare.

The final clash of lions Condemned by a spurned Nemone, Tarzan faces her pet lion Belthar in the arena, only for his faithful hound-like ally Jad-bal-ja the Golden Lion to intervene. Jad-bal-ja kills Belthar, prompting the frantic Queen to take her own life as her regime collapses into freedom.

The People

• Tarzan: The lord of the jungle who seeks only the freedom of wild spaces. Caught between foreign tyrants and deadly beasts, his physical prowess, calm detachment, and uncompromising honor allow him to navigate complex royal traps and survive lethal arena trials.
• Valthor: A noble, ivory-armored warrior from the rival city of Athne. He desires to return safely to his homeland and proves his deep loyalty by waiting through the night for Tarzan after they are separated by the swollen river.
• Queen Nemone: The beautiful, unstable ruler of Cathne who governs through fear and dark passions. She wants total obedience and Tarzan’s love, but her warped mind and fierce temper drive her to destruction when her prized lion, Belthar, is killed.
• Phobeg: A coarse, physically powerful gladiator imprisoned for a religious mishap. Initially eager to break Tarzan's neck, his defeat fills him with doglike gratitude and respect for the ape-man's superior strength.
• Gemnon: A refined Cathnean noble who is commanded to host Tarzan. Honest and protective, he aims to navigate court politics safely while guiding his wild guest through the lethally deceptive city.
• Erot: A low-born, arrogant favorite of Queen Nemone who abuses his unearned power. Motivated by spite, lust, and greed, he seeks to eliminate Tarzan and any noble who despises him, only to be outwitted and destroyed by his own villainy.

In Its Own Voice

When Tarzan first observes the band of outlaws in the mountains, he notes their utter lack of honor:

"Hard men were these mounted bandits, cruel criminals without even a vestige of culture such as occasionally leavens the activities of rogues, lessening their ruthlessness."

In the cells beneath Cathne, the giant gladiator Phobeg reveals his bloodthirsty mindset to the unfazed jungle lord:

"'I am going to twist his neck until his spine breaks. I can scarcely wait to get my hands on him; of all the things that I love there is no sensation equal to that of killing a man.'"

Watching the frantic queen pray to a caged beast, Tarzan sees the true misery behind her absolute power:

"There were pathos and tragedy in her voice, and a great pity rose in the breast of the ape-man for this poor Queen who had never known love and who never might because of the warped brain that mistook passion for affection and lust for love."

What It's Really About

Beneath its pulp combat and rapid pacing, the story examines the sharp contrast between primitive freedom and the corrupting nature of absolute rule. Cathne presents a visually stunning society of gold, marble, and grand spectacle, yet it is thoroughly decayed from within by paranoia, religious hypocrisy, and arbitrary tyranny. Nemone’s absolute power brings her no peace; it distorts her mind until she cannot separate genuine affection from forced obedience.

Tarzan serves as an unyielding moral baseline. Free from the corrupting desires for gold, status, or political dominance, he observes the court's blood sport and betrayal with detached pity. The narrative argues that true nobility is found in loyalty, self-restraint, and respect for nature, rather than in royal lineage or golden thrones.

Why Read It Today

This work stands as classic pulp fiction operating at peak momentum. Readers who enjoy lost-world adventures, exotic worldbuilding, and unapologetic action will find themselves swept up in the vivid spectacle of elephant-cavalry rivalries, lion-drawn chariots, and grand gladiatorial combat. Frank Frazetta’s iconic cover art heritage shines through the story's visual flair—from ivory armor to golden palaces bathed in torchlight.

The reading experience is fast, breezy, and unapologetically dramatic. It captures the imaginative escapism of early 20th-century adventure writing, balanced by Burroughs' characteristic straightforward prose.

Modern readers should be prepared for period conventions typical of 1930s pulp literature, including melodramatic characterizations, heightened villainy, and idealized heroism. The dialogue often leans into formal declarations, and the plot relies heavily on fortunate coincidences and sudden twists. Yet, for those seeking pure narrative momentum and high-stakes adventure, the tale delivers an unforgettable trip into a world of lost cities, despotic queens, and wild jungle justice.

<FollowUp label="Want to explore the differences between the lion-worshipping Cathneans and elephant-backed Athneans?" query="Tell me more about the lore, culture, and military tactics of Cathne and Athne in Tarzan and the City of Gold."/>