{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_22381/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_22381","id":"gutenberg_22381","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22381","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Greece","Mythology","Mythology, Classical"],"text":"Produced by Alicia Williams, Keith Edkins and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n_A HAND-BOOK OF MYTHOLOGY._\n\n * * * * *\n\nTHE\n\nMYTHS AND LEGENDS\n\nOF\n\nANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.\n\nBY\n\nE. M. BERENS.\n\n_ILLUSTRATED FROM ANTIQUE SCULPTURES._\n\n[Illustration]\n\nNEW YORK:\n\nMAYNARD, MERRILL, & CO.,\n\n43, 45 AND 47 EAST TENTH STREET.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\n{i}\n\nPREFACE.\n\n * * * * *\n\nThe want of an interesting work on Greek and Roman mythology, suitable for\nthe requirements of both boys and girls, has long been recognized by the\nprincipals of our advanced schools. The study of the classics themselves,\neven where the attainments of the pupil have rendered this feasible, has\nnot been found altogether successful in giving to the student a clear and\nsuccinct idea of the religious beliefs of the ancients, and it has been\nsuggested that a work which would so deal with the subject as to render it\nat once interesting and instructive would be hailed as a valuable\nintroduction to the study of classic authors, and would be found to assist\nmaterially the labours of both master and pupil.\n\nIn endeavouring to supply this want I have sought to place before the\nreader a lifelike picture of the deities of classical times as they were\nconceived and worshipped by the ancients themselves, and thereby to awaken\nin the minds of young students a desire to become more intimately\nacquainted with the noble productions of classical antiquity.\n\nIt has been my aim to render the Legends, which form the second portion of\nthe work, a picture, as it were, of old Greek life; its customs, its\nsuperstitions, and its princely hospitalities, for which reason they are\ngiven at somewhat greater length than is usual in works of the kind.\n\nIn a chapter devoted to the purpose some interesting particulars have been\ncollected respecting the public worship of the ancient Greeks and Romans\n(more especially of the former), to which is subjoined an account of their\nprincipal festivals.\n\nI may add that no pains have been spared in order that, without passing\nover details the omission of which would have {ii} marred the completeness\nof the work, not a single passage should be found which could possibly\noffend the most scrupulous delicacy; and also that I have purposely treated\nthe subject with that reverence which I consider due to every religious\nsystem, however erroneous.\n\nIt is hardly necessary to dwell upon the importance of the study of\nMythology: our poems, our novels, and even our daily journals teem with\nclassical allusions; nor can a visit to our art galleries and museums be\nfully enjoyed without something more than a mere superficial knowledge of a\nsubject which has in all ages inspired painters, sculptors, and poets. It\ntherefore only remains for me to express a hope that my little work may\nprove useful, not only to teachers and scholars, but also to a large class\nof general readers, who, in whiling away a leisure hour, may derive some\npleasure and profit from its perusal.\n\nE. M. BERENS.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\n{iii}\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n PART I.--MYTHS.\n Page\n Introduction, 7\n\n FIRST DYNASTY.\n ORIGIN OF THE WORLD--\n URANUS AND GAEA (Coelus and Terra), 11\n\n SECOND DYNASTY.\n CRONUS (Saturn), 14\n RHEA (Ops), 18\n DIVISION OF THE WORLD, 19\n THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF MAN, 21\n\n THIRD DYNASTY.\n OLYMPIAN DIVINITIES--\n ZEUS (Jupiter), 26\n HERA (Juno), 38\n PALLAS-ATHENE (Minerva), 43\n THEMIS, 48\n HESTIA (Vesta), 48\n DEMETER (Ceres), 50\n APHRODITE (Venus), 58\n HELIOS (Sol), 61\n EOS (Aurora), 67\n PHOEBUS-APOLLO, 68\n HECATE, 85\n SELENE (Luna), 86\n ARTEMIS (Diana), 87\n HEPHAESTUS (Vulcan), 97\n POSEIDON (Neptune), 101\n\n {iv}\n SEA DIVINITIES--\n OCEANUS, 107\n NEREUS, 108\n PROTEUS, 108\n TRITON AND THE TRITONS, 109\n GLAUCUS, 109\n THETIS, 110\n THAUMAS, PHORCYS, AND CETO, 111\n LEUCOTHEA, 111\n THE SIRENS, 112\n ARES (Mars), 112\n NIKE (Victoria), 117\n HERMES (Mercury), 117\n DIONYSUS (Bacchus or Liber), 124\n AIDES (Pluto), 130\n PLUTUS, 137\n\n MINOR DIVINITIES--\n THE HARPIES, 137\n ERINYES, EUMENIDES (Furiae, Dirae), 138\n MOIRAE OR FATES (Parcae), 139\n NEMESIS, 141\n\n NIGHT AND HER CHILDREN--\n NYX (Nox), 142\n THANATOS (Mors), HYPNUS (Somnus), 142\n MORPHEUS, 143\n THE GORGONS, 144\n GRAEAE, 145\n SPHINX, 146\n TYCHE (Fortuna) and ANANKE (Necessitas), 147\n KER, 149\n ATE, 149\n MOMUS, 149\n EROS (Cupid, Amor) and PSYCHE, 150\n HYMEN, 154\n IRIS, 155\n HEBE (Juventas), 156\n GANYMEDES, 157\n {v}\n THE MUSES, 157\n PEGASUS, 162\n THE HESPERIDES, 162\n CHARITES OR GRACES, 163\n HORAE (Seasons), 164\n THE NYMPHS, 165\n THE WINDS, 170\n PAN (Faunus), 171\n THE SATYRS, 174\n PRIAPUS, 175\n ASCLEPIAS (AEsculapius), 176\n\n ROMAN DIVINITIES--\n JANUS, 178\n FLORA, 180\n ROBIGUS, 180\n POMONA, 180\n VERTUMNUS, 181\n PALES, 181\n PICUS, 182\n PICUMNUS AND PILUMNUS, 182\n SILVANUS, 182\n TERMINUS, 182\n CONSUS, 183\n LIBITINA, 183\n LAVERNA, 184\n COMUS, 184\n CAMENAE, 184\n GENII, 185\n MANES, 185\n PENATES, 187\n\n PUBLIC WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS--\n TEMPLES, 188\n STATUES, 190\n ALTARS, 191\n PRIESTS, 191\n SACRIFICES, 192\n ORACLES, 194\n SOOTHSAYERS, 195\n {vi}\n AUGURS, 196\n FESTIVALS, 196\n\n GREEK FESTIVALS--\n ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES, 196\n THESMOPHORIA, 197\n DIONYSIA, 197\n PANATHENAEA, 199\n DAPHNEPHORIA, 200\n\n ROMAN FESTIVALS--\n SATURNALIA, 200\n CEREALIA, 201\n VESTALIA, 201\n\n PART II.--LEGENDS.\n CADMUS, 203\n PERSEUS, 205\n ION, 210\n DAEDALUS AND ICARUS, 211\n THE ARGONAUTS, 213\n PELOPS, 232\n HERACLES, 234\n BELLEROPHON, 256\n THESEUS, 259\n OEDIPUS, 269\n THE SEVEN AGAINST THEBES, 272\n THE EPIGONI, 276\n ALCMAEON AND THE NECKLACE, 277\n THE HERACLIDAE, 280\n THE SIEGE OF TROY, 283\n RETURN OF THE GREEKS FROM TROY, 304\n\n * * * * *\n\n\n{7}\n\nMYTHS AND LEGENDS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.\n\n * * * * *\n\nPART I.--MYTHS.\n\n * * * * *\n\nINTRODUCTION.\n\nBefore entering upon the many strange beliefs of the ancient Greeks, and\nthe extraordinary number of gods they worshipped, we must first consider\nwhat kind of beings these divinities were.\n\nIn appearance, the gods were supposed to resemble mortals, whom, however,\nthey far surpassed in beauty, grandeur, and strength; they were also more\ncommanding in stature, height being considered by the Greeks an attribute\nof beauty in man or woman. They resembled human beings in their feelings\nand habits, intermarrying and having children, and requiring daily\nnourishment to recruit their strength, and refreshing sleep to restore\ntheir energies. Their blood, a bright ethereal fluid called Ichor, never\nengendered disease, and, when shed, had the power of producing new life.\n\nThe Greeks believed that the mental qualifications of their gods were of a\nmuch higher order than those of men, but nevertheless, as we shall see,\nthey were not considered to be exempt from human passions, and we\nfrequently behold them actuated by revenge, deceit, and jealousy. They,\nhowever, always punish the evil-doer, and visit with dire calamities any\nimpious mortal who dares to neglect their worship or despise their rites.\nWe often hear of them visiting mankind and partaking of their hospitality,\nand not unfrequently both gods and goddesses {8} become attached to\nmortals, with whom they unite themselves, the offspring of these unions\nbeing called heroes or demi-gods, who were usually renowned for their great\nstrength and courage. But although there were so many points of resemblance\nbetween gods and men, there remained the one great characteristic\ndistinction, viz., that the gods enjoyed immortality. Still, they were not\ninvulnerable, and we often hear of them being wounded, and suffering in\nconsequence such exquisite torture that they have earnestly prayed to be\ndeprived of their privilege of immortality.\n\nThe gods knew no limitation of time or space, being able to transport\nthemselves to incredible distances with the speed of thought. They\npossessed the power of rendering themselves invisible at will, and could\nassume the forms of men or animals as it suited their convenience. They\ncould also transform human beings into trees, stones, animals, &c., either\nas a punishment for their misdeeds, or as a means of protecting the\nindividual, thus transformed, from impending danger. Their robes were like\nthose worn by mortals, but were perfect in form and much finer in texture.\nTheir weapons also resembled those used by mankind; we hear of spears,\nshields, helmets, bows and arrows, &c., being employed by the gods. Each\ndeity possessed a beautiful chariot, which, drawn by horses or other\nanimals of celestial breed, conveyed them rapidly over land and sea\naccording to their pleasure. Most of these divinities lived on the summit\nof Mount Olympus, each possessing his or her individual habitation, and all\nmeeting together on festive occasions in the council-chamber of the gods,\nwhere their banquets were enlivened by the sweet strains of Apollo's lyre,\nwhilst the beautiful voices of the Muses poured forth their rich melodies\nto his harmonious accompaniment. Magnificent temples were erected to their\nhonour, where they were worshipped with the greatest solemnity; rich gifts\nwere presented to them, and animals, and indeed sometimes human beings,\nwere sacrificed on their altars.\n\nIn the study of Grecian mythology we meet with some {9} curious, and what\nmay at first sight appear unaccountable notions. Thus we hear of terrible\ngiants hurling rocks, upheaving mountains, and raising earthquakes which\nengulf whole armies; these ideas, however, may be accounted for by the\nawful convulsions of nature, which were in operation in pre-historic times.\nAgain, the daily recurring phenomena, which to us, who know them to be the\nresult of certain well-ascertained laws of nature, are so familiar as to\nexcite no remark, were, to the early Greeks, matter of grave speculation,\nand not unfrequently of alarm. For instance, when they heard the awful roar\nof thunder, and saw vivid flashes of lightning, accompanied by black clouds\nand torrents of rain, they believed that the great god of heaven was angry,\nand they trembled at his wrath. If the calm and tranquil sea became\nsuddenly agitated, and the crested billows rose mountains high, dashing\nfuriously against the rocks, and threatening destruction to all within\ntheir reach, the sea-god was supposed to be in a furious rage. When they\nbeheld the sky glowing with the hues of coming day they thought that the\ngoddess of the dawn, with rosy fingers, was drawing aside the dark veil of\nnight, to allow her brother, the sun-god, to enter upon his brilliant\ncareer. Thus personifying all the powers of nature, this very imaginative\nand highly poetical nation beheld a divinity in every tree that grew, in\nevery stream that flowed, in the bright beams of the glorious sun, and the\nclear, cold rays of the silvery moon; for them the whole universe lived and\nbreathed, peopled by a thousand forms of grace and beauty.\n\nThe most important of these divinities may have been something more than\nthe mere creations of an active and poetical imagination. They were\npossibly human beings who had so distinguished themselves in life by their\npreeminence over their fellow-mortals that after death they were deified by\nthe people among whom they lived, and the poets touched with their magic\nwand the details of lives, which, in more prosaic times, would simply have\nbeen recorded as illustrious. {10}\n\nIt is highly probable that the reputed actions of these deified beings were\ncommemorated by bards, who, travelling from one state to another,\ncelebrated their praise in song; it therefore becomes exceedingly\ndifficult, nay almost impossible, to separate bare facts from the\nexaggerations which never fail to accompany oral traditions.\n\nIn order to exemplify this, let us suppose that Orpheus, the son of Apollo,\nso renowned for his extraordinary musical powers, had existed at the\npresent day. We should no doubt have ranked him among the greatest of our\nmusicians, and honoured him as such; but the Greeks, with their vivid\nimagination and poetic license, exaggerated his remarkable gifts, and\nattributed to his music supernatural influence over animate and inanimate\nnature. Thus we hear of wild beasts tamed, of mighty rivers arrested in\ntheir course, and of mountains being moved by the sweet tones of his voice.\nThe theory here advanced may possibly prove useful in the future, in\nsuggesting to the reader the probable basis of many of the extraordinary\naccounts we meet with in the study of classical mythology.\n\nAnd now a few words will be necessary concerning the religious beliefs of\nthe Romans. When the Greeks first settled in Italy they found in the\ncountry they colonized a mythology belonging to the Celtic inhabitants,\nwhich, according to the Greek custom of paying reverence to all gods, known\nor unknown, they readily adopted, selecting and appropriating those\ndivinities which had the greatest affinity to their own, and thus they\nformed a religious belief which naturally bore the impress of its ancient\nGreek source. As the primitive Celts, however, were a less civilized people\nthan the Greeks, their mythology was of a more barbarous character, and\nthis circumstance, combined with the fact that the Romans were not gifted\nwith the vivid imagination of their Greek neighbours, leaves its mark on\nthe Roman mythology, which is far less fertile in fanciful conceits, and\ndeficient in all those fairy-like stories and wonderfully poetic ideas\nwhich so strongly characterize that of the Greeks.\n\n * * * * *\n\n{11}\n\nORIGIN OF THE WORLD.--FIRST DYNASTY.\n\nURANUS AND GAEA. (COELUS AND TERRA.)\n\nThe ancient Greeks had several different theories with regard to the origin\nof the world, but the generally accepted notion was that before this world\ncame into existence, there was in its place a confused mass of shapeless\nelements called Chaos. These elements becoming at length consolidated (by\nwhat means does not appear), resolved themselves into two widely different\nsubstances, the lighter portion of which, soaring on high, formed the sky\nor firmament, and constituted itself into a vast, overarching vault, which\nprotected the firm and solid mass beneath.\n\nThus came into being the two first great primeval deities of the Greeks,\nUranus and Ge or Gaea.\n\nUranus, the more refined deity, represented the light and air of heaven,\npossessing the distinguishing qualities of light, heat, purity, and\nomnipresence, whilst Gaea, the firm, flat,[1] life-sustaining earth, was\nworshipped as the great all-nourishing mother. Her many titles refer to her\nmore or less in this character, and she appears to have been universally\nrevered among the Greeks, there being scarcely a city in Greece which did\nnot contain a temple erected in her honour; indeed Gaea was held in such\nveneration that her name was always invoked whenever the gods took a solemn\noath, made an emphatic declaration, or implored assistance.\n\nUranus, the heaven, was believed to have united himself in marriage with\nGaea, the earth; and a moment's reflection will show what a truly poetical,\nand also what a logical idea this was; for, taken in a figurative sense,\n{12} this union actually does exist. The smiles of heaven produce the\nflowers of earth, whereas his long-continued frowns exercise so depressing\nan influence upon his loving partner, that she no longer decks herself in\nbright and festive robes, but responds with ready sympathy to his\nmelancholy mood.\n\nThe first-born child of Uranus and Gaea was Oceanus,[2] the ocean stream,\nthat vast expanse of ever-flowing water which encircled the earth. Here we\nmeet with another logical though fanciful conclusion, which a very slight\nknowledge of the workings of nature proves to have been just and true. The\nocean is formed from the rains which descend from heaven and the streams\nwhich flow from earth. By making Oceanus therefore the offspring of Uranus\nand Gaea, the ancients, if we take this notion in its literal sense, merely\nassert that the ocean is produced by the combined influence of heaven and\nearth, whilst at the same time their fervid and poetical imagination led\nthem to see in this, as in all manifestations of the powers of nature, an\nactual, tangible divinity.\n\nBut Uranus, the heaven, the embodiment of light, heat, and the breath of\nlife, produced offspring who were of a much less material nature than his\nson Oceanus. These other children of his were supposed to occupy the\nintermediate space which divided him from Gaea. Nearest to Uranus, and just\nbeneath him, came Aether (Ether), a bright creation representing that\nhighly rarified atmosphere which immortals alone could breathe. Then\nfollowed Aer (Air), which was in close proximity to Gaea, and represented,\nas its name implies, the grosser atmosphere surrounding the earth which\nmortals could freely breathe, and without which they would perish. Aether\nand Aer were separated from each other by divinities called Nephelae. These\nwere their restless and wandering sisters, who existed in the form of\nclouds, ever {13} floating between Aether and Aer. Gaea also produced the\nmountains, and Pontus (the sea). She united herself with the latter, and\ntheir offspring were the sea-deities Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and\nEurybia.\n\nCo-existent with Uranus and Gaea were two mighty powers who were also the\noffspring of Chaos. These were Erebus (Darkness) and Nyx (Night), who\nformed a striking contrast to the cheerful light of heaven and the bright\nsmiles of earth. Erebus reigned in that mysterious world below where no ray\nof sunshine, no gleam of daylight, nor vestige of health-giving terrestrial\nlife ever appeared. Nyx, the sister of Erebus, represented Night, and was\nworshipped by the ancients with the greatest solemnity.\n\nUranus was also supposed to have been united to Nyx, but only in his\ncapacity as god of light, he being considered the source and fountain of\nall light, and their children were Eos (Aurora), the Dawn, and Hemera, the\nDaylight. Nyx again, on her side was also doubly united, having been\nmarried at some indefinite period to Erebus.\n\nIn addition to those children of heaven and earth already enumerated,\nUranus and Gaea produced two distinctly different races of beings called\nGiants and Titans. The Giants personified brute strength alone, but the\nTitans united to their great physical power intellectual qualifications\nvariously developed. There were three Giants, Briareus, Cottus, and Gyges,\nwho each possessed a hundred hands and fifty heads, and were known\ncollectively by the name of the Hecatoncheires, which signified\nhundred-handed. These mighty Giants could shake the universe and produce\nearthquakes; it is therefore evident that they represented those active\nsubterranean forces to which allusion has been made in the opening chapter.\nThe Titans were twelve in number; their names were: Oceanus, Ceos, Crios,\nHyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and\nTethys.\n\nNow Uranus, the chaste light of heaven, the essence of all that is bright\nand pleasing, held in abhorrence his {14} crude, rough, and turbulent\noffspring, the Giants, and moreover feared that their great power might\neventually prove hurtful to himself. He therefore hurled them into\nTartarus, that portion of the lower world which served as the subterranean\ndungeon of the gods. In order to avenge the oppression of her children, the\nGiants, Gaea instigated a conspiracy on the part of the Titans against\nUranus, which was carried to a successful issue by her son Cronus. He\nwounded his father, and from the blood of the wound which fell upon the\nearth sprang a race of monstrous beings also called Giants. Assisted by his\nbrother-Titans, Cronus succeeded in dethroning his father, who, enraged at\nhis defeat, cursed his rebellious son, and foretold to him a similar fate.\nCronus now became invested with supreme power, and assigned to his brothers\noffices of distinction, subordinate only to himself. Subsequently, however,\nwhen, secure of his position, he no longer needed their assistance, he\nbasely repaid their former services with treachery, made war upon his\nbrothers and faithful allies, and, assisted by the Giants, completely\ndefeated them, sending such as resisted his all-conquering arm down into\nthe lowest depths of Tartarus.\n\n * * * * *\n\nSECOND DYNASTY.\n\nCRONUS (SATURN).\n\nCronus was the god of time in its sense of eternal duration. He married\nRhea, daughter of Uranus and Gaea, a very important divinity, to whom a\nspecial chapter will be devoted hereafter. Their children were, three sons:\nAides (Pluto), Poseidon (Neptune), Zeus (Jupiter), and three daughters:\nHestia (Vesta), Demeter (Ceres), and Hera (Juno). Cronus, having an uneasy\nconscience, was afraid that his children might one day rise up against his\nauthority, and thus verify the prediction of his father {15} Uranus. In\norder, therefore, to render the prophecy impossible of fulfilment, Cronus\nswallowed each child as soon as it was born,[3] greatly to the sorrow and\nindignation of his wife Rhea. When it came to Zeus, the sixth and last,\nRhea resolved to try and save this one child at least, to love and cherish,\nand appealed to her parents, Uranus and Gaea, for counsel and assistance. By\ntheir advice she wrapped a stone in baby-clothes, and Cronus, in eager\nhaste, swallowed it, without noticing the deception. The child thus saved,\neventually, as we shall see, dethroned his father Cronus, became supreme\ngod in his stead, and was universally venerated as the great national god\nof the Greeks.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAnxious to preserve the secret of his existence from Cronus, Rhea sent the\ninfant Zeus secretly to Crete, where he was nourished, protected, and\neducated. A sacred goat, called Amalthea, supplied the place of his mother,\nby providing him with milk; nymphs, called Melissae, fed him with honey,\nand eagles and doves brought him nectar and ambrosia.[4] He was kept\nconcealed in a cave in the heart of Mount Ida, and the Curetes, or priests\nof Rhea, by beating their shields together, kept up a constant noise at the\nentrance, which drowned the cries of the child and frightened away all\nintruders. Under the watchful care of the Nymphs the infant Zeus throve\nrapidly, developing great physical powers, combined with {16} extraordinary\nwisdom and intelligence. Grown to manhood, he determined to compel his\nfather to restore his brothers and sisters to the light of day, and is said\nto have been assisted in this difficult task by the goddess Metis, who\nartfully persuaded Cronus to drink a potion, which caused him to give back\nthe children he had swallowed. The stone which had counterfeited Zeus was\nplaced at Delphi, where it was long exhibited as a sacred relic.\n\nCronus was so enraged at being circumvented that war between the father and\nson became inevitable. The rival forces ranged themselves on two separate\nhigh mountains in Thessaly; Zeus, with his brothers and sisters, took his\nstand on Mount Olympus, where he was joined by Oceanus, and others of the\nTitans, who had forsaken Cronus on account of his oppressions. Cronus and\nhis brother-Titans took possession of Mount Othrys, and prepared for\nbattle. The struggle was long and fierce, and at length Zeus, finding that\nhe was no nearer victory than before, bethought himself of the existence of\nthe imprisoned Giants, and knowing that they would be able to render him\nmost powerful assistance, he hastened to liberate them. He also called to\nhis aid the Cyclops (sons of Poseidon and Amphitrite),[5] who had only one\neye each in the middle of their foreheads, and were called Brontes\n(Thunder), Steropes (Lightning), and Pyracmon (Fire-anvil). They promptly\nresponded to his summons for help, and brought with them tremendous\nthunderbolts which the Hecatoncheires, with their hundred hands, hurled\ndown upon the enemy, at the same time raising mighty earthquakes, which\nswallowed up and destroyed all who opposed them. Aided by these new and\npowerful allies, Zeus now made a furious onslaught on his enemies, and so\ntremendous was the encounter that all nature is said to have throbbed in\naccord with this mighty effort of the celestial deities. The sea rose\nmountains high, and its angry billows {17} hissed and foamed; the earth\nshook to its foundations, the heavens sent forth rolling thunder, and flash\nafter flash of death-bringing lightning, whilst a blinding mist enveloped\nCronus and his allies.\n\nAnd now the fortunes of war began to turn, and victory smiled on Zeus.\nCronus and his army were completely overthrown, his brothers despatched to\nthe gloomy depths of the lower world, and Cronus himself was banished from\nhis kingdom and deprived for ever of the supreme power, which now became\nvested in his son Zeus. This war was called the Titanomachia, and is most\ngraphically described by the old classic poets.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWith the defeat of Cronus and his banishment from his dominions, his career\nas a ruling Greek divinity entirely ceases. But being, like all the gods,\nimmortal, he was supposed to be still in existence, though possessing no\nlonger either influence or authority, his place being filled to a certain\nextent by his descendant and successor, Zeus.\n\nCronus is often represented as an old man leaning on a scythe, with an\nhour-glass in his hand. The hour-glass symbolizes the fast-fleeting moments\nas they succeed each other unceasingly; the scythe is emblematical of time,\nwhich mows down all before it.\n\nSATURN.\n\nThe Romans, according to their custom of identifying their deities with\nthose of the Greek gods whose attributes were similar to their own,\ndeclared Cronus to be identical with their old agricultural divinity\nSaturn. They believed that after his defeat in the {18} Titanomachia and\nhis banishment from his dominions by Zeus, he took refuge with Janus, king\nof Italy, who received the exiled deity with great kindness, and even\nshared his throne with him. Their united reign became so thoroughly\npeaceful and happy, and was distinguished by such uninterrupted prosperity,\nthat it was called the Golden Age.\n\nSaturn is usually represented bearing a sickle in the one hand and a\nwheat-sheaf in the other.\n\nA temple was erected to him at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, in which\nwere deposited the public treasury and the laws of the state.\n\nRHEA (OPS).\n\nRhea, the wife of Cronus, and mother of Zeus and the other great gods of\nOlympus, personified the earth, and was regarded as the Great Mother and\nunceasing producer of all plant-life. She was also believed to exercise\nunbounded sway over the animal creation, more especially over the lion, the\nnoble king of beasts. Rhea is generally represented wearing a crown of\nturrets or towers and seated on a throne, with lions crouching at her feet.\nShe is sometimes depicted sitting in a chariot, drawn by lions.\n\nThe principal seat of her worship, which was always of a very riotous\ncharacter, was at Crete. At her festivals, which took place at night, the\nwildest music of flutes, cymbals, and drums resounded, whilst joyful shouts\nand cries, accompanied by dancing and loud stamping of feet, filled the\nair.\n\nThis divinity was introduced into Crete by its first colonists from\nPhrygia, in Asia Minor, in which country she was worshipped under the name\nof Cybele. The people of Crete adored her as the Great Mother, more\nespecially in her signification as the sustainer of the vegetable world.\nSeeing, however, that year by year, as winter appears, all her glory\nvanishes, her flowers fade, and her trees become leafless, they poetically\nexpressed this process of nature under the figure of a lost love. She {19}\nwas said to have been tenderly attached to a youth of remarkable beauty,\nnamed Atys, who, to her grief and indignation, proved faithless to her. He\nwas about to unite himself to a nymph called Sagaris, when, in the midst of\nthe wedding feast, the rage of the incensed goddess suddenly burst forth\nupon all present. A panic seized the assembled guests, and Atys, becoming\nafflicted with temporary madness, fled to the mountains and destroyed\nhimself. Cybele, moved with sorrow and regret, instituted a yearly mourning\nfor his loss, when her priests, the Corybantes, with their usual noisy\naccompaniments, marched into the mountains to seek the lost youth. Having\ndiscovered him[6] they gave full vent to their ecstatic delight by\nindulging in the most violent gesticulations, dancing, shouting, and, at\nthe same time, wounding and gashing themselves in a frightful manner.\n\nOPS.\n\nIn Rome the Greek Rhea was identified with Ops, the goddess of plenty, the\nwife of Saturn, who had a variety of appellations. She was called\nMagna-Mater, Mater-Deorum, Berecynthia-Idea, and also Dindymene. This\nlatter title she acquired from three high mountains in Phrygia, whence she\nwas brought to Rome as Cybele during the second Punic war, B.C. 205, in\nobedience to an injunction contained in the Sybilline books. She was\nrepresented as a matron crowned with towers, seated in a chariot drawn by\nlions.\n\n * * * * *\n\nDIVISION OF THE WORLD.\n\nWe will now return to Zeus and his brothers, who, having gained a complete\nvictory over their enemies, began to consider how the world, which they had\n{20} conquered, should be divided between them. At last it was settled by\nlot that Zeus should reign supreme in Heaven, whilst Aides governed the\nLower World, and Poseidon had full command over the Sea, but the supremacy\nof Zeus was recognized in all three kingdoms, in heaven, on earth (in which\nof course the sea was included), and under the earth. Zeus held his court\non the top of Mount Olympus, whose summit was beyond the clouds; the\ndominions of Aides were the gloomy unknown regions below the earth; and\nPoseidon reigned over the sea. It will be seen that the realm of each of\nthese gods was enveloped in mystery. Olympus was shrouded in mists, Hades\nwas wrapt in gloomy darkness, and the sea was, and indeed still is, a\nsource of wonder and deep interest. Hence we see that what to other nations\nwere merely strange phenomena, served this poetical and imaginative people\nas a foundation upon which to build the wonderful stories of their\nmythology.\n\nThe division of the world being now satisfactorily arranged, it would seem\nthat all things ought to have gone on smoothly, but such was not the case.\nTrouble arose in an unlooked-for quarter. The Giants, those hideous\nmonsters (some with legs formed of serpents) who had sprung from the earth\nand the blood of Uranus, declared war against the triumphant deities of\nOlympus, and a struggle ensued, which, in consequence of Gaea having made\nthese children of hers invincible as long as they kept their feet on the\nground, was wearisome and protracted. Their mother's precaution, however,\nwas rendered unavailing by pieces of rock being hurled upon them, which\nthrew them down, and their feet being no longer placed firmly on their\nmother-earth, they were overcome, and this tedious war (which was called\nthe Gigantomachia) at last came to an end. Among the most daring of these\nearth-born giants were Enceladus, Rhoetus, and the valiant Mimas, who, with\nyouthful fire and energy, hurled against heaven great masses of rock and\nburning oak-trees, and defied the lightnings of Zeus. One of the most\npowerful monsters who opposed Zeus in this {21} war was called Typhon or\nTyphoeus. He was the youngest son of Tartarus and Gaea, and had a hundred\nheads, with eyes which struck terror to the beholders, and awe-inspiring\nvoices frightful to hear. This dreadful monster resolved to conquer both\ngods and men, but his plans were at length defeated by Zeus, who, after a\nviolent encounter, succeeded in destroying him with a thunderbolt, but not\nbefore he had so terrified the gods that they had fled for refuge to Egypt,\nwhere they metamorphosed themselves into different animals and thus\nescaped.\n\n * * * * *\n\nTHEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF MAN.\n\nJust as there were several theories concerning the origin of the world, so\nthere were various accounts of the creation of man.\n\nThe first natural belief of the Greek people was that man had sprung from\nthe earth. They saw the tender plants and flowers force their way through\nthe ground in the early spring of the year after the frost of winter had\ndisappeared, and so they naturally concluded that man must also have issued\nfrom the earth in a similar manner. Like the wild plants and flowers, he\nwas supposed to have had no cultivation, and resembled in his habits the\nuntamed beasts of the field, having no habitation except that which nature\nhad provided in the holes of the rocks, and in the dense forests whose\noverarching boughs protected him from the inclemency of the weather.\n\nIn the course of time these primitive human beings became tamed and\ncivilized by the gods and heroes, who taught them to work in metals, to\nbuild houses, and other useful arts of civilization. But the human race\nbecame in the course of time so degenerate that the gods resolved to\ndestroy all mankind by means of a flood; Deucalion {22} (son of Prometheus)\nand his wife Pyrrha, being, on account of their piety, the only mortals\nsaved.\n\nBy the command of his father, Deucalion built a ship, in which he and his\nwife took refuge during the deluge, which lasted for nine days. When the\nwaters abated the ship rested on Mount Othrys in Thessaly, or according to\nsome on Mount Parnassus. Deucalion and his wife now consulted the oracle of\nThemis as to how the human race might be restored. The answer was, that\nthey were to cover their heads, and throw the bones of their mother behind\nthem. For some time they were perplexed as to the meaning of the oracular\ncommand, but at length both agreed that by the bones of their mother were\nmeant the stones of the earth. They accordingly took up stones from the\nmountain side and cast them over their shoulders. From those thrown by\nDeucalion there sprang up men, and from those thrown by Pyrrha, women.\n\nAfter the lapse of time the theory of Autochthony (from _autos_, self, and\n_chthon_, earth) was laid aside. When this belief existed there were no\nreligious teachers whatever; but in course of time temples were raised in\nhonour of the different gods, and priests appointed to offer sacrifices to\nthem and conduct their worship. These priests were looked upon as\nauthorities in all religious matters, and the doctrine they taught was,\nthat man had been created by the gods, and that there had been several\nsuccessive ages of men, which were called the Golden, Silver, Brazen, and\nIron Ages.\n\nLife in the Golden Age was one unceasing round of ever-recurring pleasures\nunmarred by sorrow or care. The favoured mortals living at this happy time\nled pure and joyous lives, thinking no evil, and doing no wrong. The earth\nbrought forth fruits and flowers without toil or labour in plentiful\nluxuriance, and war was unknown. This delightful and god-like existence\nlasted for hundreds of years, and when at length life on earth was ended,\ndeath laid his hand so gently upon them that they passed painlessly away in\na happy dream, and continued their existence as ministering spirits in\nHades, watching over and {23} protecting those they had loved and left\nbehind on earth. The men of the Silver Age[7] were a long time growing up,\nand during their childhood, which lasted a hundred years, they suffered\nfrom ill-health and extreme debility. When they at last became men they\nlived but a short time, for they would not abstain from mutual injury, nor\npay the service due to the gods, and were therefore banished to Hades.\nThere, unlike the beings of the Golden Age, they exercised no beneficent\nsupervision over the dear ones left behind, but wandered about as restless\nspirits, always sighing for the lost pleasures they had enjoyed in life.\n\nThe men of the Brazen Age were quite a different race of beings, being as\nstrong and powerful as those of the Silver Age were weak and enervated.\nEverything which surrounded them was of brass; their arms, their tools,\ntheir dwellings, and all that they made. Their characters seem to have\nresembled the metal in which they delighted; their minds and hearts were\nhard, obdurate, and cruel. They led a life of strife and contention,\nintroduced into the world, which had hitherto known nothing but peace and\ntranquillity, the scourge of war, and were in fact only happy when fighting\nand quarrelling with each other. Hitherto Themis, the goddess of Justice,\nhad been living among mankind, but becoming disheartened at their evil\ndoings, she abandoned the earth, and winged her flight back to heaven. At\nlast the gods became so tired of their evil deeds and continual\ndissensions, that they removed them from the face of the earth, and sent\nthem down to Hades to share the fate of their predecessors.\n\nWe now come to the men of the Iron Age. The earth, no longer teeming with\nfruitfulness, only yielded her increase after much toil and labour. The\ngoddess of Justice having abandoned mankind, no influence remained\nsufficiently powerful to preserve them from every kind of wickedness and\nsin. This condition grew worse as time went on, until at last Zeus in his\nanger let loose the water-courses from above, and drowned every {24}\nindividual of this evil race, except Deucalion and Pyrrha.\n\nThe theory of Hesiod,[8] the oldest of all the Greek poets, was that the\nTitan Prometheus, the son of Iapetus, had formed man out of clay, and that\nAthene had breathed a soul into him. Full of love for the beings he had\ncalled into existence, Prometheus determined to elevate their minds and\nimprove their condition in every way; he therefore taught them astronomy,\nmathematics, the alphabet, how to cure diseases, and the art of divination.\nHe created this race in such great numbers that the gods began to see the\nnecessity of instituting certain fixed laws with regard to the sacrifices\ndue to them, and the worship to which they considered themselves entitled\nfrom mankind in return for the protection which they accorded them. An\nassembly was therefore convened at Mecone in order to settle these points.\nIt was decided that Prometheus, as the advocate of man, should slay an ox,\nwhich should be divided into two equal parts, and that the gods should\nselect one portion which should henceforth, in all future sacrifices, be\nset apart for them. Prometheus so divided the ox that one part consisted of\nthe bones (which formed of course the least valuable portion of the\nanimal), artfully concealed by the white fat; whilst the other contained\nall the edible parts, which he covered with the skin, and on the top of all\nhe laid the stomach.\n\nZeus, pretending to be deceived, chose the heap of bones, but he saw\nthrough the stratagem, and was so angry at the deception practised on him\nby Prometheus that he avenged himself by refusing to mortals the gift of\nfire. {25} Prometheus, however, resolved to brave the anger of the great\nruler of Olympus, and to obtain from heaven the vital spark so necessary\nfor the further progress and comfort of the human race. He accordingly\ncontrived to steal some sparks from the chariot of the sun, which he\nconveyed to earth hidden in a hollow tube. Furious at being again\noutwitted, Zeus determined to be revenged first on mankind, and then on\nPrometheus. To punish the former he commanded Hephaestus (Vulcan) to mould a\nbeautiful woman out of clay, and determined that through her\ninstrumentality trouble and misery should be brought into the world.\n\nThe gods were so charmed with the graceful and artistic creation of\nHephaestus, that they all determined to endow her with some special gift.\nHermes (Mercury) bestowed on her a smooth persuasive tongue, Aphrodite gave\nher beauty and the art of pleasing; the Graces made her fascinating, and\nAthene (Minerva) gifted her with the possession of feminine\naccomplishments. She was called Pandora, which means all-gifted, having\nreceived every attribute necessary to make her charming and irresistible.\nThus beautifully formed and endowed, this exquisite creature, attired by\nthe Graces, and crowned with flowers by the Seasons, was conducted to the\nhouse of Epimetheus[9] by Hermes the messenger of the gods. Now Epimetheus\nhad been warned by his brother not to accept any gift whatever from the\ngods; but he was so fascinated by the beautiful being who suddenly appeared\nbefore him, that he welcomed her to his home, and made her his wife. It was\nnot long, however, before he had cause to regret his weakness.\n\nHe had in his possession a jar of rare workmanship, containing all the\nblessings reserved by the gods for mankind, which he had been expressly\nforbidden to open. But woman's proverbial curiosity could not withstand so\ngreat a temptation, and Pandora determined to solve the mystery at any\ncost. Watching her opportunity she raised the lid, and immediately all the\nblessings which {26} the gods had thus reserved for mankind took wing and\nflew away. But all was not lost. Just as Hope (which lay at the bottom) was\nabout to escape, Pandora hastily closed the lid of the jar, and thus\npreserved to man that never-failing solace which helps him to bear with\ncourage the many ills which assail him.[10]\n\nHaving punished mankind, Zeus determined to execute vengeance on\nPrometheus. He accordingly chained him to a rock in Mount Caucasus, and\nsent an eagle every day to gnaw away his liver, which grew again every\nnight ready for fresh torments. For thirty years Prometheus endured this\nfearful punishment; but at length Zeus relented, and permitted his son\nHeracles (Hercules) to kill the eagle, and the sufferer was released.\n\n * * * * *\n\nTHIRD DYNASTY--OLYMPIAN DIVINITIES.\n\nZEUS[11] (JUPITER).\n\nZeus, the great presiding deity of the universe, the ruler of heaven and\nearth, was regarded by the Greeks, first, as the god of all aerial\nphenomena; secondly, as the personification of the laws of nature; thirdly,\nas lord of state-life; and fourthly, as the father of gods and men.\n\nAs the god of aerial phenomena he could, by shaking his aegis,[12] produce\nstorms, tempests, and intense darkness. At his command the mighty thunder\nrolls, the lightning flashes, and the clouds open and pour forth their\nrefreshing streams to fructify the earth.\n\nAs the personification of the operations of nature, he represents those\ngrand laws of unchanging and harmonious order, by which not only the\nphysical but also {27} the moral world is governed. Hence he is the god of\nregulated time as marked by the changing seasons, and by the regular\nsuccession of day and night, in contradistinction to his father Cronus, who\nrepresents time absolutely, _i.e._ eternity.\n\nAs the lord of state-life, he is the founder of kingly power, the upholder\nof all institutions connected with the state, and the special friend and\npatron of princes, whom he guards and assists with his advice and counsel.\nHe protects the assembly of the people, and, in fact, watches over the\nwelfare of the whole community.\n\nAs the father of the gods, Zeus sees that each deity performs his or her\nindividual duty, punishes their misdeeds, settles their disputes, and acts\ntowards them on all occasions as their all-knowing counsellor and mighty\nfriend.\n\nAs the father of men, he takes a paternal interest in the actions and\nwell-being of mortals. He watches over them with tender solicitude,\nrewarding truth, charity, and uprightness, but severely punishing perjury,\ncruelty, and want of hospitality. Even the poorest and most forlorn\nwanderer finds in him a powerful advocate, for he, by a wise and merciful\ndispensation, ordains that the mighty ones of the earth should succour\ntheir distressed and needy brethren.\n\nThe Greeks believed that the home of this their mighty and all-powerful\ndeity was on the top of Mount Olympus, that high and lofty mountain between\nThessaly and Macedon, whose summit, wrapt in clouds and mist, was hidden\nfrom mortal view. It was supposed that this mysterious region, which even a\nbird could not reach, extended beyond the clouds right into Aether, the\nrealm of the immortal gods. The poets describe this ethereal atmosphere as\nbright, glistening, and refreshing, exercising a peculiar, gladdening\ninfluence over the minds and hearts of those privileged beings permitted to\nshare its delights. Here youth never ages, and the passing years leave no\ntraces on its favoured inhabitants. On the cloud-capped summit of Olympus\nwas the palace of {28} Zeus and Hera, of burnished gold, chased silver, and\ngleaming ivory. Lower down were the homes of the other gods, which, though\nless commanding in position and size, were yet similar to that of Zeus in\ndesign and workmanship, all being the work of the divine artist Hephaestus.\nBelow these were other palaces of silver, ebony, ivory, or burnished brass,\nwhere the Heroes, or Demi-gods, resided.\n\nAs the worship of Zeus formed so important a feature in the religion of the\nGreeks, his statues were necessarily both numerous and magnificent. He is\nusually represented as a man of noble and imposing mien, his countenance\nexpressing all the lofty majesty of the omnipotent ruler of the universe,\ncombined with the gracious, yet serious, benignity of the father and friend\nof mankind. He may be recognized by his rich flowing beard, and the thick\nmasses of hair, which rise straight from the high and intellectual forehead\nand fall to his shoulders in clustering locks. The nose is large and finely\nformed, and the slightly-opened lips impart an air of sympathetic\nkindliness which invites confidence. He is always accompanied by an eagle,\nwhich either surmounts his sceptre, or sits at his feet; he generally bears\nin his uplifted hand a sheaf of thunder-bolts, just ready to be hurled,\nwhilst in the other he holds the lightning. The head is frequently\nencircled with a wreath of oak-leaves.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe most celebrated statue of the Olympian Zeus was that by the famous\nAthenian sculptor Phidias, which was forty feet high, and stood in the\ntemple of Zeus at Olympia. It was formed of ivory and gold, and was {29}\nsuch a masterpiece of art, that it was reckoned among the seven wonders of\nthe world. It represented the god, seated on a throne, holding in his right\nhand a life-sized image of Nike (the goddess of Victory), and in his left a\nroyal sceptre, surmounted by an eagle. It is said that the great sculptor\nhad concentrated all the marvellous powers of his genius on this sublime\nconception, and earnestly entreated Zeus to give him a decided proof that\nhis labours were approved. An answer to his prayer came through the open\nroof of the temple in the shape of a flash of lightning, which Phidias\ninterpreted as a sign that the god of heaven was pleased with his work.\n\nZeus was first worshipped at Dodona in Epirus, where, at the foot of Mount\nTomarus, on the woody shore of Lake Joanina, was his famous oracle, the\nmost ancient in Greece. Here the voice of the eternal and invisible god was\nsupposed to be heard in the rustling leaves of a giant oak, announcing to\nmankind the will of heaven and the destiny of mortals; these revelations\nbeing interpreted to the people by the priests of Zeus, who were called\nSelli. Recent excavations which have been made at this spot have brought to\nlight the ruins of the ancient temple of Zeus, and also, among other\ninteresting relics, some plates of lead, on which are engraved inquiries\nwhich were evidently made by certain individuals who consulted the oracle.\nThese little leaden plates speak to us, as it were, in a curiously homely\nmanner of a by-gone time in the buried past. One person inquires what god\nhe should apply to for health and fortune; another asks for advice\nconcerning his child; and a third, evidently a shepherd, promises a gift to\nthe oracle should a speculation in sheep turn out successfully. Had these\nlittle memorials been of gold instead of lead, they would doubtless have\nshared the fate of the numerous treasures which adorned this and other\ntemples, in the universal pillage which took place when Greece fell into\nthe hands of barbarians.\n\nThough Dodona was the most ancient of his shrines, the great national seat\nof the worship of Zeus was at Olympia in Elis, where there was a\nmagnificent temple {30} dedicated to him, containing the famous colossal\nstatue by Phidias above described. Crowds of devout worshippers flocked to\nthis world-renowned fane from all parts of Greece, not only to pay homage\nto their supreme deity, but also to join in the celebrated games which were\nheld there at intervals of four years. The Olympic games were such a\nthoroughly national institution, that even Greeks who had left their native\ncountry made a point of returning on these occasions, if possible, in order\nto contend with their fellow-countrymen in the various athletic sports\nwhich took place at these festivals.\n\nIt will be seen on reflection that in a country like Greece, which\ncontained so many petty states, often at variance with each other, these\nnational gatherings must have been most valuable as a means of uniting the\nGreeks in one great bond of brotherhood. On these festive occasions the\nwhole nation met together, forgetting for the moment all past differences,\nand uniting in the enjoyment of the same festivities.\n\nIt will doubtless have been remarked that in the representations of Zeus he\nis always accompanied by an eagle. This royal bird was sacred to him,\nprobably from the fact of its being the only creature capable of gazing at\nthe sun without being dazzled, which may have suggested the idea that it\nwas able to contemplate the splendour of divine majesty unshrinkingly.\n\nThe oak-tree, and also the summits of mountains, were sacred to Zeus. His\nsacrifices consisted of white bulls, cows, and goats.\n\nZeus had seven immortal wives, whose names were Metis, Themis, Eurynome,\nDemeter, Mnemosyne, Leto, and Hera.\n\nMETIS, his first wife, was one of the Oceanides or sea-nymphs. She was the\npersonification of prudence and wisdom, a convincing proof of which she\ndisplayed in her successful administration of the potion which caused\nCronus to yield up his children. She was endowed with the gift of prophecy,\nand foretold to Zeus that one of their children would gain ascendency over\n{31} him. In order, therefore, to avert the possibility of the prediction\nbeing fulfilled he swallowed her before any children were born to them.\nFeeling afterwards violent pains in his head, he sent for Hephaestus, and\nordered him to open it with an axe. His command was obeyed, and out sprang,\nwith a loud and martial shout, a beautiful being, clad in armour from head\nto foot. This was Athene (Minerva), goddess of Armed Resistance and Wisdom.\n\nTHEMIS was the goddess of Justice, Law, and Order.\n\nEURYNOME was one of the Oceanides, and the mother of the Charites or\nGraces.\n\nDEMETER,[13] the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, was the goddess of\nAgriculture.\n\nMNEMOSYNE, the daughter of Uranus and Gaea, was the goddess of Memory and\nthe mother of the nine Muses.\n\nLETO (Latona) was the daughter of Coeus and Phoebe. She was gifted with\nwonderful beauty, and was tenderly loved by Zeus, but her lot was far from\nbeing a happy one, for Hera, being extremely jealous of her, persecuted her\nwith inveterate cruelty, and sent the dreadful serpent Python[14] to\nterrify and torment her wherever she went. But Zeus, who had observed with\nthe deepest compassion her weary wanderings and agonized fears, resolved to\ncreate for her some place of refuge, however humble, where she might feel\nherself safe from the venomous attacks of the serpent. He therefore brought\nher to Delos, a floating island in the AEgean Sea, which he made stationary\nby attaching it with chains of adamant to the bottom of the sea. Here she\ngave birth to her twin-children, Apollo and Artemis (Diana), two of the\nmost beautiful of the immortals.\n\nAccording to some versions of the story of Leto, Zeus transformed her into\na quail, in order that she might thus elude the vigilance of Hera, and she\nis said to have {32} resumed her true form when she arrived at the island\nof Delos.\n\nHERA, being the principal wife of Zeus and queen of heaven, a detailed\naccount will be given of her in a special chapter.\n\nIn the union of Zeus with most of his immortal wives we shall find that an\nallegorical meaning is conveyed. His marriage with Metis, who is said to\nhave surpassed both gods and men in knowledge, represents supreme power\nallied to wisdom and prudence. His union with Themis typifies the bond\nwhich exists between divine majesty and justice, law, and order. Eurynome,\nas the mother of the Charites or Graces, supplied the refining and\nharmonizing influences of grace and beauty, whilst the marriage of Zeus\nwith Mnemosyne typifies the union of genius with memory.\n\n * * * * *\n\nIn addition to the seven immortal wives of Zeus, he was also allied to a\nnumber of mortal maidens whom he visited under various disguises, as it was\nsupposed that if he revealed himself in his true form as king of heaven the\nsplendour of his glory would cause instant destruction to mortals. The\nmortal consorts of Zeus have been such a favourite theme with poets,\npainters, and sculptors, that it is necessary to give some account of their\nindividual history. Those best known are Antiope, Leda, Europa, Callisto,\nAlcmene, Semele, Io, and Danae.\n\nANTIOPE, to whom Zeus appeared under the form of a satyr, was the daughter\nof Nicteus, king of Thebes. To escape the anger of her father she fled to\nSicyon, where king Epopeus, enraptured with her wonderful beauty, made her\nhis wife without asking her father's consent. This so enraged Nicteus that\nhe declared war against Epopeus, in order to compel him to restore Antiope.\nAt his death, which took place before he could succeed in his purpose,\nNicteus left his kingdom to his brother Lycus, commanding him, at the same\ntime, to carry on the war, and execute his vengeance. Lycus invaded Sicyon,\ndefeated and killed Epopeus, and brought back {33} Antiope as a prisoner.\nOn the way to Thebes she gave birth to her twin-sons, Amphion and Zethus,\nwho, by the orders of Lycus, were at once exposed on Mount Cithaeron, and\nwould have perished but for the kindness of a shepherd, who took pity on\nthem and preserved their lives. Antiope was, for many years, held captive\nby her uncle Lycus, and compelled to suffer the utmost cruelty at the hands\nof his wife Dirce. But one day her bonds were miraculously loosened, and\nshe flew for shelter and protection to the humble dwelling of her sons on\nMount Cithaeron. During the long period of their mother's captivity the\nbabes had grown into sturdy youths, and, as they listened angrily to the\nstory of her wrongs, they became all impatience to avenge them. Setting off\nat once to Thebes they succeeded in possessing themselves of the town, and\nafter slaying the cruel Lycus they bound Dirce by the hair to the horns of\na wild bull, which dragged her hither and thither until she expired. Her\nmangled body was cast into the fount near Thebes, which still bears her\nname. Amphion became king of Thebes in his uncle's stead. He was a friend\nof the Muses, and devoted to music and poetry. His brother, Zethus, was\nfamous for his skill in archery, and was passionately fond of the chase. It\nis said that when Amphion wished to inclose the town of Thebes with walls\nand towers, he had but to play a sweet melody on the lyre, given to him by\nHermes, and the huge stones began to move, and obediently fitted themselves\ntogether.\n\nThe punishment of Dirce at the hands of Amphion and Zethus forms the\nsubject of the world-renowned marble group in the museum at Naples, known\nby the name of the Farnese Bull.\n\nIn sculpture Amphion is always represented with a lyre; Zethus with a club.\n\nLEDA, whose affections Zeus won under the form of a swan, was the daughter\nof Thestius, king of AEtolia. Her twin-sons, Castor and (Polydeuces or)\nPollux,[15] were {34} renowned for their tender attachment to each other.\nThey were also famous for their physical accomplishments, Castor being the\nmost expert charioteer of his day, and Pollux the first of pugilists. Their\nnames appear both among the hunters of the Calydonian boar-hunt and the\nheroes of the Argonautic expedition. The brothers became attached to the\ndaughters of Leucippus, prince of the Messenians, who had been betrothed by\ntheir father to Idas and Lynceus, sons of Aphareus. Having persuaded\nLeucippus to break his promise, the twins carried off the maidens as their\nbrides. Idas and Lynceus, naturally furious at this proceeding, challenged\nthe Dioscuri to mortal combat, in which Castor perished by the hand of\nIdas, and Lynceus by that of Pollux. Zeus wished to confer the gift of\nimmortality upon Pollux, but he refused to accept it unless allowed to\nshare it with Castor. Zeus gave the desired permission, and the faithful\nbrothers were both allowed to live, but only on alternate days. The\nDioscuri received divine honours throughout Greece, and were worshipped\nwith special reverence at Sparta.\n\nEUROPA was the beautiful daughter of Agenor, king of Phoenicia. She was one\nday gathering flowers with her companions in a meadow near the sea-shore,\nwhen Zeus, charmed with her great beauty, and wishing to win her love,\ntransformed himself into a beautiful white bull, and trotted quietly up to\nthe princess, so as not to alarm her. Surprised at the gentleness of the\nanimal, and admiring its beauty, as it lay placidly on the grass, she\ncaressed it, crowned it with flowers, and, at last, playfully seated\nherself on its back. Hardly had she done so than the disguised god bounded\naway with his lovely burden, and swam across the sea with her to the island\nof Crete.\n\nEuropa was the mother of Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthus. Minos, who became\nking of Crete, was celebrated for his justice and moderation, and after\ndeath he was created one of the judges of the lower world, which office he\nheld in conjunction with his brothers. {35}\n\nCALLISTO, the daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia, was a huntress in the\ntrain of Artemis, devoted to the pleasures of the chase, who had made a vow\nnever to marry; but Zeus, under the form of the huntress-goddess, succeeded\nin obtaining her affections. Hera, being extremely jealous of her, changed\nher into a bear, and caused Artemis (who failed to recognize her attendant\nunder this form) to hunt her in the chase, and put an end to her existence.\nAfter her death she was placed by Zeus among the stars as a constellation,\nunder the name of Arctos, or the bear.\n\nALCMENE, the daughter of Electryon, king of Mycenae, was betrothed to her\ncousin Amphytrion; but, during his absence on a perilous undertaking, Zeus\nassumed his form, and obtained her affections. Heracles (whose\nworld-renowned exploits will be related among the legends) was the son of\nAlcmene and Zeus.\n\nSEMELE, a beautiful princess, the daughter of Cadmus, king of Phoenicia,\nwas greatly beloved by Zeus. Like the unfortunate Callisto, she was hated\nby Hera with jealous malignity, and the haughty queen of heaven determined\nto effect her destruction. Disguising herself, therefore, as Beroe,\nSemele's faithful old nurse, she artfully persuaded her to insist upon Zeus\nvisiting her, as he appeared to Hera, in all his power and glory, well\nknowing that this would cause her instant death. Semele, suspecting no\ntreachery, followed the advice of her supposed nurse; and the next time\nZeus came to her, she earnestly entreated him to grant the favour she was\nabout to ask. Zeus swore by the Styx (which was to the gods an irrevocable\noath) to accede to her request whatsoever it might be. Semele, therefore,\nsecure of gaining her petition, begged of Zeus to appear to her in all the\nglory of his divine power and majesty. As he had sworn to grant whatever\nshe asked of him, he was compelled to comply with her wish; he therefore\nrevealed himself as the mighty lord of the universe, accompanied by thunder\nand lightning, and she was instantly consumed in the flames. {36}\n\nIO, daughter of Inachus, king of Argos, was a priestess of Hera. She was\nvery beautiful, and Zeus, who was much attached to her, transformed her\ninto a white cow, in order to defeat the jealous intrigues of Hera, who,\nhowever, was not to be deceived. Aware of the stratagem, she contrived to\nobtain the animal from Zeus, and placed her under the watchful care of a\nman called Argus-Panoptes, who fastened her to an olive-tree in the grove\nof Hera. He had a hundred eyes, of which, when asleep, he never closed more\nthan two at a time; being thus always on the watch, Hera found him\nextremely useful in keeping guard over Io. Hermes, however, by the command\nof Zeus, succeeded in putting all his eyes to sleep with the sound of his\nmagic lyre, and then, taking advantage of his helpless condition, slew him.\nThe story goes, that in commemoration of the services which Argus had\nrendered her, Hera placed his eyes on the tail of a peacock, as a lasting\nmemorial of her gratitude. Ever fertile in resource, Hera now sent a gadfly\nto worry and torment the unfortunate Io incessantly, and she wandered all\nover the world in hopes of escaping from her tormentor. At length she\nreached Egypt, where she found rest and freedom from the persecutions of\nher enemy. On the banks of the Nile she resumed her original form and gave\nbirth to a son called Epaphus, who afterwards became king of Egypt, and\nbuilt the famous city of Memphis.\n\nDANAE.--Zeus appeared to Danae under the form of a shower of gold. (Further\ndetails concerning her will be found in the legend of Perseus.)\n\n * * * * *\n\nThe Greeks supposed that the divine ruler of the Universe occasionally\nassumed a human form, and descended from his celestial abode, in order to\nvisit mankind and observe their proceedings, his aim being generally either\nto punish the guilty, or to reward the deserving.\n\nOn one occasion Zeus, accompanied by Hermes, made a journey through\nPhrygia, seeking hospitality and shelter wherever they went. But nowhere\ndid they receive a {37} kindly welcome till they came to the humble cottage\nof an old man and his wife called Philemon and Baucis, who entertained them\nwith the greatest kindness, setting before them what frugal fare their\nhumble means permitted, and bidding them welcome with unaffected\ncordiality. Observing in the course of their simple repast that the wine\nbowl was miraculously replenished, the aged couple became convinced of the\ndivine nature of their guests. The gods now informed them that on account\nof its wickedness their native place was doomed to destruction, and told\nthem to climb the neighbouring hill with them, which overlooked the village\nwhere they dwelt. What was their dismay on beholding at their feet, in\nplace of the spot where they had passed so many happy years together,\nnothing but a watery plain, the only house to be seen being their own\nlittle cottage, which suddenly changed itself into a temple before their\neyes. Zeus now asked the worthy pair to name any wish they particularly\ndesired and it should be granted. They accordingly begged that they might\nserve the gods in the temple below, and end life together.\n\nTheir wish was granted, for, after spending the remainder of their lives in\nthe worship of the gods, they both died at the same instant, and were\ntransformed by Zeus into trees, remaining for ever side by side.\n\nUpon another occasion Zeus, wishing to ascertain for himself the truth of\nthe reports concerning the atrocious wickedness of mankind, made a journey\nthrough Arcadia. Being recognized by the Arcadians as king of heaven, he\nwas received by them with becoming respect and veneration; but Lycaon,\ntheir king, who had rendered himself infamous by the gross impiety of\nhimself and his sons, doubted the divinity of Zeus, ridiculed his people\nfor being so easily duped, and, according to his custom of killing all\nstrangers who ventured to trust his hospitality, resolved to murder him.\nBefore executing this wicked design, however, he decided to put Zeus to the\ntest, and having killed a boy for the purpose, placed before him a dish\ncontaining human flesh. But Zeus was {38} not to be deceived. He beheld the\nrevolting dish with horror and loathing, and angrily upsetting the table\nupon which it was placed, turned Lycaon into a wolf, and destroyed all his\nfifty sons by lightning, except Nyctimus, who was saved by the intervention\nof Gaea.\n\nJUPITER.\n\nThe Roman Jupiter, who is so frequently confounded with the Greek Zeus, is\nidentical with him only as being the head of the Olympic gods, and the\npresiding deity over Life, Light, and Aerial Phenomena. Jupiter is lord of\nlife in its widest and most comprehensive signification, having absolute\npower over life and death, in which respect he differed from the Greek\nZeus, who was to a certain extent controlled by the all-potent sway of the\nMoirae or Fates. Zeus, as we have seen, often condescends to visit mankind,\neither as a mortal, or under various disguises, whereas Jupiter always\nremains essentially the supreme god of heaven, and never appears upon\nearth.\n\nThe most celebrated temple of Jupiter was that on the Capitoline Hill in\nthe city of Rome, where he was worshipped under the names of\nJupiter-Optimus-Maximus, Capitolinus, and Tarpeius.\n\nThe Romans represented him seated on a throne of ivory, holding in his\nright hand a sheaf of thunderbolts, and in his left a sceptre, whilst an\neagle stands beside his throne.\n\nHERA (JUNO).\n\nHera, the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea, was born at Samos, or,\naccording to some accounts, at Argos, and was reared by the sea-divinities\nOceanus and Tethys, who were models of conjugal fidelity.[16] She was the\n{39} principal wife of Zeus, and, as queen of heaven, participated in the\nhonours paid to him, but her dominion only extended over the air (the lower\naerial regions). Hera appears to be the sublime embodiment of strict\nmatronly virtue, and is on that account the protectress of purity and\nmarried women. Faultless herself in her fidelity as a wife, she is\nessentially the type of the sanctity of the marriage tie, and holds in\nabhorrence any violation of its obligations. So strongly was she imbued\nwith this hatred of any immorality, that, finding herself so often called\nupon to punish the failings of both gods and men in this respect, she\nbecame jealous, harsh, and vindictive. Her exalted position as the wife of\nthe supreme deity, combined with her extreme beauty, caused her to become\nexceedingly vain, and she consequently resented with great severity any\ninfringement on her rights as queen of heaven, or any apparent slight on\nher personal appearance.\n\nThe following story will signally illustrate how ready she was to resent\nany slight offered to her.\n\nAt the marriage of the sea-nymph Thetis with a mortal called Peleus, all\nthe gods and goddesses were present, except Eris (the goddess of Discord).\nIndignant at not being invited, she determined to cause dissension in the\nassembly, and for this purpose threw into the midst of the guests a golden\napple with the inscription on it \"For the Fairest.\" Now, as all the\ngoddesses were extremely beautiful, each claimed the apple; but at length,\nthe rest having relinquished their pretensions, the number of candidates\nwas reduced to three, Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite, who agreed to appeal to\nParis for a settlement of this delicate question, he being noted for the\nwisdom he had displayed in his judgment upon several occasions. Paris was\nthe son of Priam, king of Troy, who, ignorant of his noble birth, was at\nthis time feeding his flocks on Mount Ida, in Phrygia. Hermes, as messenger\nof the gods, conducted the three rival beauties to the young shepherd, and\nwith breathless anxiety they awaited his decision. Each fair candidate\nendeavoured {40} to secure his favour by the most tempting offers. Hera\npromised him extensive dominions; Athene, martial fame and glory; and\nAphrodite, the loveliest woman in the world. But whether he really\nconsidered Aphrodite the fairest of the three, or preferred a beautiful\nwife to fame and power, we cannot tell; all we know is that to her he\nawarded the golden apple, and she became ever after universally\nacknowledged as the goddess of beauty. Hera, having fully expected that\nParis would give her the preference, was so indignant that she never\nforgave him, and not only persecuted him, but all the family of Priam,\nwhose dreadful sufferings and misfortunes during the Trojan war were\nattributed to her influence. In fact, she carried her animosity to such an\nextent that it was often the cause of domestic disagreements between\nherself and Zeus, who espoused the cause of the Trojans.\n\nAmong the many stories of these frequent quarrels there is one connected\nwith Heracles, the favourite son of Zeus, which is as follows:--Hera having\nraised a storm at sea in order to drive him out of his course, Zeus became\nso angry that he hung her in the clouds by a golden chain, and attached\nheavy anvils to her feet. Her son Hephaestus tried to release his mother\nfrom her humiliating position, for which Zeus threw him out of heaven, and\nhis leg was broken by the fall.\n\nHera, being deeply offended with Zeus, determined to separate herself from\nhim for ever, and she accordingly left him and took up her abode in Euboea.\nSurprised and grieved at this unlooked-for desertion, Zeus resolved to\nleave no means untried to win her back again. In this emergency he\nconsulted Cithaeron, king of Platea, who was famed for his great wisdom and\nsubtlety. Cithaeron advised him to dress up an image in bridal attire and\nplace it in a chariot, announcing that this was Platea, his future wife.\nThe artifice succeeded. Hera, incensed at the idea of a rival, flew to meet\nthe procession in great anger, and seizing the supposed bride, she\nfuriously attacked her and dragged off her nuptial attire. Her delight on\ndiscovering the deception was so great that a {41} reconciliation took\nplace, and, committing the image to the flames, with joyful laughter she\nseated herself in its place and returned to Olympus.\n\nHera was the mother of Ares (Mars), Hephaestus, Hebe, and Eileithyia. Ares\nwas the god of War; Hephaestus, of Fire; Hebe, of Youth; and Eileithyia\npresided over the birth of mortals.\n\nHera dearly loved Greece, and indeed always watched over and protected\nGreek interests, her beloved and favourite cities being Argos, Samos,\nSparta, and Mycenae.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHer principal temples were at Argos and Samos. From a remote period she was\ngreatly venerated at Olympia, and her temple there, which stood in the\nAltis or sacred grove, was five hundred years older than that of Zeus on\nthe same spot. Some interesting excavations which are now going on there\nhave brought to light the remains of the ancient edifice, which contains\namong other treasures of antiquity several beautiful statues, the work of\nthe famous sculptors of ancient Greece. At first this temple was built of\nwood, then of stone, and the one lately discovered was formed of\nconglomerate of shells.\n\nIn the Altis races were run by young maidens in honour of Hera, and the\nfleetest of foot received in token of her victory an olive-wreath and a\npiece of the flesh of the sacrifices. These races, like the Olympic Games,\nwere celebrated at intervals of four years, and were called Herae. A\nbeautiful robe, woven by sixteen women chosen from the sixteen cities of\nElis, was always offered to Hera on these {42} occasions, and choral songs\nand sacred dances formed part of the ceremonies.\n\nHera is usually represented seated on a throne, holding a pomegranate in\none hand and a sceptre surmounted by a cuckoo in the other. She appears as\na calm, dignified matron of majestic beauty, robed in a tunic and mantle,\nher forehead is broad and intellectual, her eyes large and fully opened,\nand her arms dazzlingly white and finely moulded.\n\nThe finest statue of this divinity was that by Polycletus at Argos.\n\nHer attributes are the diadem, veil, sceptre, and peacock.\n\nThe first day of every month a ewe-lamb and sow were sacrificed to Hera.\nThe hawk, goose, and more particularly the peacock[17] were sacred to her.\nFlocks of these beautiful birds generally surround her throne and draw her\nchariot, Iris, the Rainbow, being seated behind her.\n\nHer favourite flowers were the dittany, poppy, and lily.\n\nJUNO.\n\nJuno, the Roman divinity supposed to be identical with the Greek Hera,\ndiffered from her in the most salient points, for whereas Hera invariably\nappears as the haughty, unbending queen of heaven, Juno, on the other hand,\nis revered and beloved as the type of a matron and housewife. She was\nworshipped in Rome under various titles, most of which point to her\nvocation as the protectress of married women. Juno was believed to watch\nover and guard the life of every woman from her birth to her death. The\nprincipal temples dedicated to her were in Rome, one being erected on the\nAventine, and the other on the Capitoline Hill. She had also a temple on\nthe Arx, in which she was worshipped as Juno Moneta, or the {43} warning\ngoddess. Adjacent to this shrine was the public mint.[18] On the 1st of\nMarch a grand annual festival, called the Matronalia, was celebrated in her\nhonour by all the married women of Rome, and this religious institution was\naccompanied with much solemnity.[19]\n\nPALLAS-ATHENE (MINERVA).\n\nPallas-Athene, goddess of Wisdom and Armed Resistance, was a purely Greek\ndivinity; that is to say, no other nation possessed a corresponding\nconception. She was supposed, as already related, to have issued from the\nhead of Zeus himself, clad in armour from head to foot. The miraculous\nadvent of this maiden goddess is beautifully described by Homer in one of\nhis hymns: snow-capped Olympus shook to its foundation; the glad earth\nre-echoed her martial shout; the billowy sea became agitated; and Helios,\nthe sun-god, arrested his fiery steeds in their headlong course to welcome\nthis wonderful emanation from the godhead. Athene was at once admitted into\nthe assembly of the gods, and henceforth took her place as the most\nfaithful and sagacious of all her father's counsellors. This brave,\ndauntless maiden, so exactly the essence of all that is noble in the\ncharacter of \"the father of gods and men,\" remained throughout chaste in\nword and deed, and kind at heart, without exhibiting any of those failings\nwhich somewhat mar the nobler features in the character of Zeus. This\ndirect emanation from his own self, justly his favourite child, his better\nand purer counterpart, received from him several important prerogatives.\nShe was permitted to hurl the thunderbolts, to prolong the life of man, and\nto bestow the gift of prophecy; in fact Athene was the only divinity whose\nauthority was equal to that of Zeus himself, and when he had ceased to\nvisit the earth in person {44} she was empowered by him to act as his\ndeputy. It was her especial duty to protect the state and all peaceful\nassociations of mankind, which she possessed the power of defending when\noccasion required. She encouraged the maintenance of law and order, and\ndefended the right on all occasions, for which reason, in the Trojan war\nshe espouses the cause of the Greeks and exerts all her influence on their\nbehalf. The Areopagus, a court of justice where religious causes and\nmurders were tried, was believed to have been instituted by her, and when\nboth sides happened to have an equal number of votes she gave the\ncasting-vote in favour of the accused. She was the patroness of learning,\nscience, and art, more particularly where these contributed directly\ntowards the welfare of nations. She presided over all inventions connected\nwith agriculture, invented the plough, and taught mankind how to use oxen\nfor farming purposes. She also instructed mankind in the use of numbers,\ntrumpets, chariots, &c., and presided over the building of the Argo,[20]\nthereby encouraging the useful art of navigation. She also taught the\nGreeks how to build the wooden horse by means of which the destruction of\nTroy was effected.\n\nThe safety of cities depended on her care, for which reason her temples\nwere generally built on the citadels, and she was supposed to watch over\nthe defence of the walls, fortifications, harbours, &c. A divinity who so\nfaithfully guarded the best interests of the state, by not only protecting\nit from the attacks of enemies, but also by developing its chief resources\nof wealth and prosperity, was worthily chosen as the presiding deity of the\nstate, and in this character as an essentially political goddess she was\ncalled Athene-Polias.\n\nThe fact of Athene having been born clad in armour, which merely signified\nthat her virtue and purity were unassailable, has given rise to the\nerroneous supposition that she was the presiding goddess of war; but a\ndeeper {45} study of her character in all its bearings proves that, in\ncontradistinction to her brother Ares, the god of war, who loved strife for\nits own sake, she only takes up arms to protect the innocent and deserving\nagainst tyrannical oppression. It is true that in the Iliad we frequently\nsee her on the battlefield fighting valiantly, and protecting her favourite\nheroes; but this is always at the command of Zeus, who even supplies her\nwith arms for the purpose, as it is supposed that she possessed none of her\nown. A marked feature in the representations of this deity is the aegis,\nthat wonderful shield given to her by her father as a further means of\ndefence, which, when in danger, she swung so swiftly round and round that\nit kept at a distance all antagonistic influences; hence her name Pallas,\nfrom _pallo_, I swing. In the centre of this shield, which was covered with\ndragon's scales, bordered with serpents, and which she sometimes wore as a\nbreastplate, was the awe-inspiring head of the Medusa, which had the effect\nof turning to stone all beholders.\n\nIn addition to the many functions which she exercised in connection with\nthe state, Athene presided over the two chief departments of feminine\nindustry, spinning and weaving. In the latter art she herself displayed\nunrivalled ability and exquisite taste. She wove her own robe and that of\nHera, which last she is said to have embroidered very richly; she also gave\nJason a cloak wrought by herself, when he set forth in quest of the Golden\nFleece. Being on one occasion challenged to a contest in this\naccomplishment by a mortal maiden named Arachne, whom she had instructed in\nthe art of weaving, she accepted the challenge and was completely\nvanquished by her pupil. Angry at her defeat, she struck the unfortunate\nmaiden on the forehead with the shuttle which she held in her hand; and\nArachne, being of a sensitive nature, was so hurt by this indignity that\nshe hung herself in despair, and was changed by Athene into a spider. This\ngoddess is said to have invented the flute,[21] upon {46} which she played\nwith considerable talent, until one day, being laughed at by the assembled\ngods and goddesses for the contortions which her countenance assumed during\nthese musical efforts, she hastily ran to a fountain in order to convince\nherself whether she deserved their ridicule. Finding to her intense disgust\nthat such was indeed the fact, she threw the flute away, and never raised\nit to her lips again.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAthene is usually represented fully draped; she has a serious and\nthoughtful aspect, as though replete with earnestness and wisdom; the\nbeautiful oval contour of her countenance is adorned by the luxuriance of\nher wealth of hair, which is drawn back from the temples and hangs down in\ncareless grace; she looks the embodiment of strength, grandeur, and\nmajesty; whilst her broad shoulders and small hips give her a slightly\nmasculine appearance.\n\nWhen represented as the war-goddess she appears clad in armour, with a\nhelmet on her head, from which waves a large plume; she carries the aegis on\nher arm, and in her hand a golden staff, which possessed the property of\nendowing her chosen favourites with youth and dignity.\n\nAthene was universally worshipped throughout Greece, but was regarded with\nspecial veneration by the Athenians, she being the guardian deity of\nAthens. Her most celebrated temple was the Parthenon, which stood on the\n{47} Acropolis at Athens, and contained her world-renowned statue by\nPhidias, which ranks second only to that of Zeus by the same great artist.\nThis colossal statue was 39 feet high, and was composed of ivory and gold;\nits majestic beauty formed the chief attraction of the temple. It\nrepresented her standing erect, bearing her spear and shield; in her hand\nshe held an image of Nike, and at her feet there lay a serpent.\n\nThe tree sacred to her was the olive, which she herself produced in a\ncontest with Poseidon. The olive-tree thus called into existence was\npreserved in the temple of Erectheus, on the Acropolis, and is said to have\npossessed such marvellous vitality, that when the Persians burned it after\nsacking the town it immediately burst forth into new shoots.\n\nThe principal festival held in honour of this divinity was the Panathenaea.\n\nThe owl, cock, and serpent were the animals sacred to her, and her\nsacrifices were rams, bulls, and cows.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nMINERVA.\n\nThe Minerva of the Romans was identified with the Pallas-Athene of the\nGreeks. Like her she presides over learning and all useful arts, and is the\npatroness of the feminine accomplishments of sewing, spinning, weaving, &c.\nSchools were under her especial care, and schoolboys, therefore, had\nholidays during her festivals (the Greater Quinquatria), when they always\nbrought a gift to their master, called the Minerval.\n\nIt is worthy of notice that the only three divinities {48} worshipped in\nthe Capitol were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, and in their joint honour the\nLudi Maximi or great games were held.\n\nTHEMIS.\n\nThemis, who has already been alluded to as the wife of Zeus, was the\ndaughter of Cronus and Rhea, and personified those divine laws of justice\nand order by means of which the well-being and morality of communities are\nregulated. She presided over the assemblies of the people and the laws of\nhospitality. To her was intrusted the office of convoking the assembly of\nthe gods, and she was also mistress of ritual and ceremony. On account of\nher great wisdom Zeus himself frequently sought her counsel and acted upon\nher advice. Themis was a prophetic divinity, and had an oracle near the\nriver Cephissus in Boeotia.\n\nShe is usually represented as being in the full maturity of womanhood, of\nfair aspect, and wearing a flowing garment, which drapes her noble,\nmajestic form; in her right hand she holds the sword of justice, and in her\nleft the scales, which indicate the impartiality with which every cause is\ncarefully weighed by her, her eyes being bandaged so that the personality\nof the individual should carry no weight with respect to the verdict.\n\nThis divinity is sometimes identified with Tyche, sometimes with Ananke.\n\nThemis, like so many other Greek divinities, takes the place of a more\nancient deity of the same name who was a daughter of Uranus and Gaea. This\nelder Themis inherited from her mother the gift of prophecy, and when she\nbecame merged into her younger representative she transmitted to her this\nprophetic power.\n\nHESTIA (Vesta).\n\nHestia was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was the goddess of Fire in\nits first application to the wants of mankind, hence she was essentially\nthe presiding deity {49} of the domestic hearth and the guardian spirit of\nman, and it was her pure and benign influence which was supposed to protect\nthe sanctity of domestic life.\n\nNow in these early ages the hearth was regarded as the most important and\nmost sacred portion of the dwelling, probably because the protection of the\nfire was an important consideration, for if once permitted to become\nextinct, re-ignition was attended with extreme difficulty. In fact, the\nhearth was held so sacred that it constituted the sanctum of the family,\nfor which reason it was always erected in the centre of every house. It was\na few feet in height and was built of stone; the fire was placed on the top\nof it, and served the double purpose of preparing the daily meals, and\nconsuming the family sacrifices. Round this domestic hearth or altar were\ngathered the various members of the family, the head of the house occupying\nthe place of honour nearest the hearth. Here prayers were said and\nsacrifices offered, and here also every kind and loving feeling was\nfostered, which even extended to the hunted and guilty stranger, who, if he\nonce succeeded in touching this sacred altar, was safe from pursuit and\npunishment, and was henceforth placed under the protection of the family.\nAny crime committed within the sacred precincts of the domestic hearth was\ninvariably visited by death.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIn Grecian cities there was a common hall, called the Prytaneum, in which\nthe members of the government had their meals at the expense of the state,\nand here too was the Hestia, or public hearth, with its fire, by means of\nwhich those meals were prepared. It was customary for emigrants to take\nwith them a portion of this sacred fire, which they jealously guarded and\nbrought with them to their new home, where it served as a connecting link\nbetween the young Greek colony and the mother country. Hestia is generally\nrepresented standing, and in accordance with the dignity and sanctity of\nher character, always appears fully draped. Her countenance is\ndistinguished by a serene gravity of expression. {50}\n\nVESTA.\n\nVesta occupies a distinguished place among the earlier divinities of the\nRomans. Her temple in Rome, containing as it were the hearthstone of the\nnation, stood close beside the palace of Numa Pompilius.\n\nOn her altar burned the never-ceasing fire, which was tended by her\npriestesses, the Vestal Virgins.[22]\n\nThe temple of Vesta was circular in form, and contained that sacred and\nhighly prized treasure the Palladium of Troy.[23]\n\nThe great festival in honour of Vesta, called the Vestalia, was celebrated\non the 9th of June.\n\nDEMETER (Ceres).\n\nDemeter (from _Ge-meter_, earth-mother) was the daughter of Cronus and\nRhea.[24] She represented that portion of Gaea (the whole solid earth) which\nwe call the earth's crust, and which produces all vegetation. As goddess of\nagriculture, field-fruits, plenty, and productiveness, she was the\nsustainer of material life, and was therefore a divinity of great\nimportance. When ancient Gaea lost, with Uranus, her position as a ruling\ndivinity, she abdicated her sway in favour of her daughter Rhea, who\nhenceforth inherited the powers which her mother had previously possessed,\nreceiving in her place the honour and worship of mankind. In a very old\npoem Gaea is accordingly described as retiring to a cavern in the bowels\n{51} of the earth, where she sits in the lap of her daughter, slumbering,\nmoaning, and nodding for ever and ever.\n\nIt is necessary to keep clearly in view the distinctive difference between\nthe three great earth-goddesses Gaea, Rhea, and Demeter. Gaea represents the\nearth as a whole, with its mighty subterranean forces; Rhea is that\nproductive power which causes vegetation to spring forth, thus sustaining\nmen and animals; Demeter, by presiding over agriculture, directs and\nutilizes Rhea's productive powers. But in later times, when Rhea, like\nother ancient divinities, loses her importance as a ruling deity, Demeter\nassumes all her functions and attributes, and then becomes the goddess of\nthe life-producing and life-maintaining earth-crust. We must bear in mind\nthe fact that man in his primitive state knew neither how to sow nor how to\ntill the ground; when, therefore, he had exhausted the pastures which\nsurrounded him he was compelled to seek others which were as yet unreaped;\nthus, roaming constantly from one place to another, settled habitations,\nand consequently civilizing influences, were impossible. Demeter, however,\nby introducing a knowledge of agriculture, put an end, at once and for\never, to that nomadic life which was now no longer necessary.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe favour of Demeter was believed to bring mankind rich harvests and\nfruitful crops, whereas her displeasure caused blight, drought, and famine.\nThe island of Sicily was supposed to be under her especial protection, and\nthere she was regarded with particular veneration, the Sicilians naturally\nattributing the wonderful fertility of their country to the partiality of\nthe goddess.\n\nDemeter is usually represented as a woman of noble {52} bearing and\nmajestic appearance, tall, matronly, and dignified, with beautiful golden\nhair, which falls in rippling curls over her stately shoulders, the yellow\nlocks being emblematical of the ripened ears of corn. Sometimes she appears\nseated in a chariot drawn by winged dragons, at others she stands erect,\nher figure drawn up to its full height, and always fully draped; she bears\na sheaf of wheat-ears in one hand and a lighted torch in the other. The\nwheat-ears are not unfrequently replaced by a bunch of poppies, with which\nher brows are also garlanded, though sometimes she merely wears a simple\nriband in her hair.\n\nDemeter, as the wife of Zeus, became the mother of Persephone (Proserpine),\nto whom she was so tenderly attached that her whole life was bound up in\nher, and she knew no happiness except in her society. One day, however,\nwhilst Persephone was gathering flowers in a meadow, attended by the\nocean-nymphs, she saw to her surprise a beautiful narcissus, from the stem\nof which sprang forth a hundred blossoms. Drawing near to examine this\nlovely flower, whose exquisite scent perfumed the air, she stooped down to\ngather it, suspecting no evil, when a yawning abyss opened at her feet, and\nAides, the grim ruler of the lower world, appeared from its depths, seated\nin his dazzling chariot drawn by four black horses. Regardless of her tears\nand the shrieks of her female attendants, Aides seized the terrified\nmaiden, and bore her away to the gloomy realms over which he reigned in\nmelancholy grandeur. Helios, the all-seeing sun-god, and Hecate, a\nmysterious and very ancient divinity, alone heard her cries for aid, but\nwere powerless to help her. When Demeter became conscious of her loss her\ngrief was intense, and she refused to be comforted. She knew not where to\nseek for her child, but feeling that repose and inaction were impossible,\nshe set out on her weary search, taking with her two torches which she\nlighted in the flames of Mount Etna to guide her on her way. For nine long\ndays and nights she wandered on, inquiring of every one she met for tidings\nof her child. {53} But all was in vain! Neither gods nor men could give her\nthe comfort which her soul so hungered for. At last, on the tenth day, the\ndisconsolate mother met Hecate, who informed her that she had heard her\ndaughter's cries, but knew not who it was that had borne her away. By\nHecate's advice Demeter consulted Helios, whose all-seeing eye nothing\nescapes, and from him she learnt that it was Zeus himself who had permitted\nAides to seize Persephone, and transport her to the lower world in order\nthat she might become his wife. Indignant with Zeus for having given his\nsanction to the abduction of his daughter, and filled with the bitterest\nsorrow, she abandoned her home in Olympus, and refused all heavenly food.\nDisguising herself as an old woman, she descended upon earth, and commenced\na weary pilgrimage among mankind. One evening she arrived at a place called\nEleusis, in Attica, and sat down to rest herself near a well beneath the\nshade of an olive-tree. The youthful daughters of Celeus, the king of the\ncountry, came with their pails of brass to draw water from this well, and\nseeing that the tired wayfarer appeared faint and dispirited, they spoke\nkindly to her, asking who she was, and whence she came. Demeter replied\nthat she had made her escape from pirates, who had captured her, and added\nthat she would feel grateful for a home with any worthy family, whom she\nwould be willing to serve in a menial capacity. The princesses, on hearing\nthis, begged Demeter to have a moment's patience while they returned home\nand consulted their mother, Metaneira. They soon brought the joyful\nintelligence that she was desirous of securing her services as nurse to her\ninfant son Demophoon, or Triptolemus. When Demeter arrived at the house a\nradiant light suddenly illumined her, which circumstance so overawed\nMetaneira that she treated the unknown stranger with the greatest respect,\nand hospitably offered her food and drink. But Demeter, still grief-worn\nand dejected, refused her friendly offers, and held herself apart from the\nsocial board. At length, however, the maid-servant Iambe succeeded, by\nmeans {54} of playful jests and merriment, in somewhat dispelling the grief\nof the sorrowing mother, causing her at times to smile in spite of herself,\nand even inducing her to partake of a mixture of barley-meal, mint, and\nwater, which was prepared according to the directions of the goddess\nherself. Time passed on, and the young child throve amazingly under the\ncare of his kind and judicious nurse, who, however, gave him no food, but\nanointed him daily with ambrosia, and every night laid him secretly in the\nfire in order to render him immortal and exempt from old age. But,\nunfortunately, this benevolent design on the part of Demeter was frustrated\nby Metaneira herself, whose curiosity, one night, impelled her to watch the\nproceedings of the mysterious being who nursed her child. When to her\nhorror she beheld her son placed in the flames, she shrieked aloud.\nDemeter, incensed at this untimely interruption, instantly withdrew the\nchild, and throwing him on the ground, revealed herself in her true\ncharacter. The bent and aged form had vanished, and in its place there\nstood a bright and beauteous being, whose golden locks streamed over her\nshoulders in richest luxuriance, her whole aspect bespeaking dignity and\nmajesty. She told the awe-struck Metaneira that she was the goddess\nDemeter, and had intended to make her son immortal, but that her fatal\ncuriosity had rendered this impossible, adding, however, that the child,\nhaving slept in her arms, and been nursed on her lap, should ever command\nthe respect and esteem of mankind. She then desired that a temple and altar\nshould be erected to her on a neighbouring hill by the people of Eleusis,\npromising that she herself would direct them how to perform the sacred\nrites and ceremonies, which should be observed in her honour. With these\nwords she took her departure never to return.\n\nObedient to her commands, Celeus called together a meeting of his people,\nand built the temple on the spot which the goddess had indicated. It was\nsoon completed, and Demeter took up her abode in it, but her heart was\nstill sad for the loss of her daughter, and the whole world felt the\ninfluence of her grief and dejection. This was {55} indeed a terrible year\nfor mankind. Demeter no longer smiled on the earth she was wont to bless,\nand though the husbandman sowed the grain, and the groaning oxen ploughed\nthe fields, no harvest rewarded their labour. All was barren, dreary\ndesolation. The world was threatened with famine, and the gods with the\nloss of their accustomed honours and sacrifices; it became evident,\ntherefore, to Zeus himself that some measures must be adopted to appease\nthe anger of the goddess. He accordingly despatched Iris and many of the\nother gods and goddesses to implore Demeter to return to Olympus; but all\ntheir prayers were fruitless. The incensed goddess swore that until her\ndaughter was restored to her she would not allow the grain to spring forth\nfrom the earth. At length Zeus sent Hermes, his faithful messenger, to the\nlower world with a petition to Aides, urgently entreating him to restore\nPersephone to the arms of her disconsolate mother. When he arrived in the\ngloomy realms of Aides, Hermes found him seated on a throne with the\nbeautiful Persephone beside him, sorrowfully bewailing her unhappy fate. On\nlearning his errand, Aides consented to resign Persephone, who joyfully\nprepared to follow the messenger of the gods to the abode of life and\nlight. Before taking leave of her husband, he presented to her a few seeds\nof pomegranate, which in her excitement she thoughtlessly swallowed, and\nthis simple act, as the sequel will show, materially affected her whole\nfuture life. The meeting between mother and child was one of unmixed\nrapture, and for the moment all the past was forgotten. The loving mother's\nhappiness would now have been complete had not Aides asserted his rights.\nThese were, that if any immortal had tasted food in his realms they were\nbound to remain there for ever. Of course the ruler of the lower world had\nto prove this assertion. This, however, he found no difficulty in doing, as\nAscalaphus, the son of Acheron and Orphne, was his witness to the fact.[25]\nZeus, pitying the disappointment of Demeter at finding {56} her hopes thus\nblighted, succeeded in effecting a compromise by inducing his brother Aides\nto allow Persephone to spend six months of the year with the gods above,\nwhilst during the other six she was to be the joyless companion of her grim\nlord below. Accompanied by her daughter, the beautiful Persephone, Demeter\nnow resumed her long-abandoned dwelling in Olympus; the sympathetic earth\nresponded gaily to her bright smiles, the corn at once sprang forth from\nthe ground in fullest plenty, the trees, which late were sered and bare,\nnow donned their brightest emerald robes, and the flowers, so long\nimprisoned in the hard, dry soil, filled the whole air with their fragrant\nperfume. Thus ends this charming story, which was a favourite theme with\nall the classic authors.\n\nIt is very possible that the poets who first created this graceful myth\nmerely intended it as an allegory to illustrate the change of seasons; in\nthe course of time, however, a literal meaning became attached to this and\nsimilar poetical fancies, and thus the people of Greece came to regard as\nan article of religious belief what, in the first instance, was nothing\nmore than a poetic simile.\n\nIn the temple erected to Demeter at Eleusis, the famous Eleusinian\nMysteries were instituted by the goddess herself. It is exceedingly\ndifficult, as in the case of all secret societies, to discover anything\nwith certainty concerning these sacred rites. The most plausible\nsupposition is that the doctrines taught by the priests to the favoured few\nwhom they initiated, were religious truths which were deemed unfit for the\nuninstructed mind of the multitude. For instance, it is supposed that the\nmyth of Demeter and Persephone was explained by the teachers of the\nMysteries to signify the temporary loss which mother earth sustains every\nyear when the icy breath of winter robs her of her flowers and fruits and\ngrain.\n\nIt is believed that in later times a still deeper meaning was conveyed by\nthis beautiful myth, viz., the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. The\ngrain, which, as it were, remains dead for a time in the dark earth, only\n{57} to rise one day dressed in a newer and lovelier garb, was supposed to\nsymbolize the soul, which, after death, frees itself from corruption, to\nlive again under a better and purer form.\n\nWhen Demeter instituted the Eleusinian Mysteries, Celeus and his family\nwere the first to be initiated, Celeus himself being appointed high-priest.\nHis son Triptolemus and his daughters, who acted as priestesses, assisted\nhim in the duties of his sacred office. The Mysteries were celebrated by\nthe Athenians every five years, and were, for a long time, their exclusive\nprivilege. They took place by torchlight, and were conducted with the\ngreatest solemnity.\n\nIn order to spread abroad the blessings which agriculture confers, Demeter\npresented Triptolemus with her chariot drawn by winged dragons, and, giving\nhim some grains of corn, desired him to journey through the world, teaching\nmankind the arts of agriculture and husbandry.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nDemeter exercised great severity towards those who incurred her\ndispleasure. We find examples of this in the stories of Stellio and\nEresicthon. Stellio was a youth who ridiculed the goddess for the eagerness\nwith which she was eating a bowl of porridge, when weary and faint in the\nvain search for her daughter. Resolved that he should never again have an\nopportunity of thus offending, she angrily threw into his face the\nremainder of the food, and changed him into a spotted lizard.\n\nEresicthon, son of Triopas, had drawn upon himself the anger of Demeter by\ncutting down her sacred groves, for which she punished him with a constant\nand insatiable hunger. He sold all his possessions in order to satisfy his\ncravings, and was forced at last to devour his own limbs. His daughter\nMetra, who was devotedly attached to him, possessed the power of\ntransforming herself into a variety of different animals. By this means she\ncontrived to support her father, who sold her again and again each time she\nassumed a different form, and thus he dragged on a pitiful existence. {58}\n\nCERES.\n\nThe Roman Ceres is actually the Greek Demeter under another name, her\nattributes, worship, festivals, &c., being precisely identical.\n\nThe Romans were indebted to Sicily for this divinity, her worship having\nbeen introduced by the Greek colonists who settled there.\n\nThe Cerealia, or festivals in honour of Ceres, commenced on the 12th of\nApril, and lasted several days.\n\nAPHRODITE (VENUS).\n\nAphrodite (from _aphros_, sea-foam, and _dite_, issued), the daughter of\nZeus and a sea-nymph called Dione, was the goddess of Love and Beauty.\n\nDione, being a sea-nymph, gave birth to her daughter beneath the waves; but\nthe child of the heaven-inhabiting Zeus was forced to ascend from the\nocean-depths and mount to the snow-capped summits of Olympus, in order to\nbreathe that ethereal and most refined atmosphere which pertains to the\ncelestial gods.\n\nAphrodite was the mother of Eros (Cupid), the god of Love, also of AEneas,\nthe great Trojan hero and the head of that Greek colony which settled in\nItaly, and from which arose the city of Rome. As a mother Aphrodite claims\nour sympathy for the tenderness she exhibits towards her children. Homer\ntells us in his Iliad, how, when AEneas was wounded in battle, she came to\nhis assistance, regardless of personal danger, and was herself severely\nwounded in attempting to save his life. {59}\n\nAphrodite was tenderly attached to a lovely youth, called Adonis, whose\nexquisite beauty has become proverbial. He was a motherless babe, and\nAphrodite, taking pity on him, placed him in a chest and intrusted him to\nthe care of Persephone, who became so fond of the beautiful youth that she\nrefused to part with him. Zeus, being appealed to by the rival\nfoster-mothers, decided that Adonis should spend four months of every year\nwith Persephone, four with Aphrodite, whilst during the remaining four\nmonths he should be left to his own devices. He became, however, so\nattached to Aphrodite that he voluntarily devoted to her the time at his\nown disposal. Adonis was killed, during the chase, by a wild boar, to the\ngreat grief of Aphrodite, who bemoaned his loss so persistently that Aides,\nmoved with pity, permitted him to pass six months of every year with her,\nwhilst the remaining half of the year was spent by him in the lower world.\n\nAphrodite possessed a magic girdle (the famous _cestus_) which she\nfrequently lent to unhappy maidens suffering from the pangs of unrequited\nlove, as it was endowed with the power of inspiring affection for the\nwearer, whom it invested with every attribute of grace, beauty, and\nfascination.\n\nHer usual attendants are the Charites or Graces (Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and\nThalia), who are represented undraped and intertwined in a loving embrace.\n\nIn Hesiod's _Theogony_ she is supposed to belong to the more ancient\ndivinities, and, whilst those of later date are represented as having\ndescended one from another, and all more or less from Zeus, Aphrodite has a\nvariously-accounted-for, yet independent origin.\n\nThe most poetical version of her birth is that when Uranus was wounded by\nhis son Cronus, his blood mingled with the foam of the sea, whereupon the\nbubbling waters at once assumed a rosy tint, and from their depths arose,\nin all the surpassing glory of her loveliness, Aphrodite, goddess of love\nand beauty! Shaking her long, fair tresses, the water-drops rolled down\ninto the beautiful {60} sea-shell in which she stood, and became\ntransformed into pure glistening pearls. Wafted by the soft and balmy\nbreezes, she floated on to Cythera, and was thence transported to the\nisland of Cyprus. Lightly she stepped on shore, and under the gentle\npressure of her delicate foot the dry and rigid sand became transformed\ninto a verdant meadow, where every varied shade of colour and every sweet\nodour charmed the senses. The whole island of Cyprus became clothed with\nverdure, and greeted this fairest of all created beings with a glad smile\nof friendly welcome. Here she was received by the Seasons, who decked her\nwith garments of immortal fabric, encircling her fair brow with a wreath of\npurest gold, whilst from her ears depended costly rings, and a glittering\nchain embraced her swan-like throat. And now, arrayed in all the panoply of\nher irresistible charms, the nymphs escort her to the dazzling halls of\nOlympus, where she is received with ecstatic enthusiasm by the admiring\ngods and goddesses. The gods all vied with each other in aspiring to the\nhonour of her hand, but Hephaestus became the envied possessor of this\nlovely being, who, however, proved as faithless as she was beautiful, and\ncaused her husband much unhappiness, owing to the preference she showed at\nvarious times for some of the other gods and also for mortal men.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe celebrated Venus of Milo, now in the Louvre, is an exquisite statue of\nthis divinity. The head is beautifully formed; the rich waves of hair\ndescend on her rather low but broad forehead and are caught up gracefully\nin a small knot at the back of the head; the expression of the face is most\nbewitching, and bespeaks the perfect {61} joyousness of a happy nature\ncombined with the dignity of a goddess; the drapery falls in careless folds\nfrom the waist downwards, and her whole attitude is the embodiment of all\nthat is graceful and lovely in womanhood. She is of medium height, and the\nform is perfect in its symmetry and faultless proportions.\n\nAphrodite is also frequently represented in the act of confining her\ndripping locks in a knot, whilst her attendant nymphs envelop her in a\ngauzy veil.\n\nThe animals sacred to her were the dove, swan, swallow, and sparrow. Her\nfavourite plants were the myrtle, apple-tree, rose, and poppy.\n\nThe worship of Aphrodite is supposed to have been introduced into Greece\nfrom Central Asia. There is no doubt that she was originally identical with\nthe famous Astarte, the Ashtoreth of the Bible, against whose idolatrous\nworship and infamous rites the prophets of old hurled forth their sublime\nand powerful anathemas.\n\nVENUS.\n\nThe Venus of the Romans was identified with the Aphrodite of the Greeks.\nThe worship of this divinity was only established in Rome in comparatively\nlater times. Annual festivals, called Veneralia, were held in her honour,\nand the month of April, when flowers and plants spring forth afresh, was\nsacred to her. She was worshipped as Venus Cloacina (or the Purifier), and\nas Venus Myrtea (or the myrtle goddess), an epithet derived from the\nmyrtle, the emblem of Love.\n\nHELIOS (SOL).\n\nThe worship of Helios was introduced into Greece from Asia. According to\nthe earliest conceptions of the Greeks he was not only the sun-god, but\nalso the personification of life and all life-giving power, for light is\nwell known to be an indispensable condition of all healthy terrestrial\nlife. The worship of the sun was originally very widely spread, {62} not\nonly among the early Greeks themselves, but also among other primitive\nnations. To us the sun is simply the orb of light, which, high above our\nheads, performs each day the functions assigned to it by a mighty and\ninvisible Power; we can, therefore, form but a faint idea of the impression\nwhich it produced upon the spirit of a people whose intellect was still in\nits infancy, and who believed, with child-like simplicity, that every power\nof nature was a divinity, which, according as its character was baleful or\nbeneficent, worked for the destruction or benefit of the human race.\n\nHelios, who was the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, is described as\nrising every morning in the east, preceded by his sister Eos (the Dawn),\nwho, with her rosy fingers, paints the tips of the mountains, and draws\naside that misty veil through which her brother is about to appear. When he\nhas burst forth in all the glorious light of day, Eos disappears, and\nHelios now drives his flame-darting chariot along the accustomed track.\nThis chariot, which is of burnished gold, is drawn by four fire-breathing\nsteeds, behind which the young god stands erect with flashing eyes, his\nhead surrounded with rays, holding in one hand the reins of those fiery\ncoursers which in all hands save his are unmanageable. When towards evening\nhe descends the curve[26] in order to cool his burning forehead in the\nwaters of the deep sea, he is followed closely by his sister Selene (the\nMoon), who is now prepared to take charge of the world, and illumine with\nher silver crescent the dusky night. Helios meanwhile rests from his\nlabours, and, reclining softly on the cool fragrant couch prepared for him\nby the sea-nymphs, recruits himself for another life-giving, joy-inspiring,\nand beauteous day.\n\nIt may appear strange that, although the Greeks considered the earth to be\na flat circle, no explanation is given of the fact that Helios sinks down\nin the far {63} west regularly every evening, and yet reappears as\nregularly every morning in the east. Whether he was supposed to pass\nthrough Tartarus, and thus regain the opposite extremity through the bowels\nof the earth, or whether they thought he possessed any other means of\nmaking this transit, there is not a line in either Homer or Hesiod to\nprove. In later times, however, the poets invented the graceful fiction,\nthat when Helios had finished his course, and reached the western side of\nthe curve, a winged-boat, or cup, which had been made for him by Hephaestus,\nawaited him there, and conveyed him rapidly, with his glorious equipage, to\nthe east, where he recommenced his bright and glowing career.\n\nThis divinity was invoked as a witness when a solemn oath was taken, as it\nwas believed that nothing escaped his all-seeing eye, and it was this fact\nwhich enabled him to inform Demeter of the fate of her daughter, as already\nrelated. He was supposed to possess flocks and herds in various localities,\nwhich may possibly be intended to represent the days and nights of the\nyear, or the stars of heaven.\n\nHelios is said to have loved Clytie, a daughter of Oceanus, who ardently\nreturned his affection; but in the course of time the fickle sun-god\ntransferred his devotion to Leucothea, the daughter of Orchamus, king of\nthe eastern countries, which so angered the forsaken Clytie that she\ninformed Orchamus of his daughter's attachment, and he punished her by\ninhumanly burying her alive. Helios, overcome with grief, endeavoured, by\nevery means in his power, to recall her to life. At last, finding all his\nefforts unavailing, he sprinkled her grave with heavenly nectar, and\nimmediately there sprang forth from the spot a shoot of frankincense, which\nspread around its aromatic perfume.\n\nThe jealous Clytie gained nothing by her cruel conduct, for the sun-god\ncame to her no more. Inconsolable at his loss, she threw herself upon the\nground, and refused all sustenance. For nine long days she turned her face\ntowards the glorious god of day, as he moved along the {64} heavens, till\nat length her limbs became rooted in the ground, and she was transformed\ninto a flower, which ever turns towards the sun.\n\nHelios married Perse, daughter of Oceanus, and their children were, Aetes,\nking of Colchis (celebrated in the legend of the Argonauts as the possessor\nof the Golden Fleece), and Circe, the renowned sorceress.\n\nHelios had another son named Phaethon, whose mother was Clymene, one of the\nOceanides. The youth was very beautiful, and a great favourite with\nAphrodite, who intrusted him with the care of one of her temples, which\nflattering proof of her regard caused him to become vain and presumptuous.\nHis friend Epaphus, son of Zeus and Io, endeavoured to check his youthful\nvanity by pretending to disbelieve his assertion that the sun-god was his\nfather. Phaethon, full of resentment, and eager to be able to refute the\ncalumny, hastened to his mother Clymene, and besought her to tell him\nwhether Helios was really his father. Moved by his entreaties, and at the\nsame time angry at the reproach of Epaphus, Clymene pointed to the glorious\nsun, then shining down upon them, and assured her son that in that bright\norb he beheld the author of his being, adding that if he had still any\ndoubt, he might visit the radiant dwelling of the great god of light and\ninquire for himself. Overjoyed at his mother's reassuring words, and\nfollowing the directions she gave him, Phaethon quickly wended his way to\nhis father's palace.\n\nAs he entered the palace of the sun-god the dazzling rays almost blinded\nhim, and prevented him from approaching the throne on which his father was\nseated, surrounded by the Hours, Days, Months, Years, and Seasons. Helios,\nwho with his all-seeing eye had watched him from afar, removed his crown of\nglittering rays, and bade him not to be afraid, but to draw near to his\nfather. Encouraged by this kind reception, Phaethon entreated him to bestow\nupon him such a proof of his love, that all the world might be convinced\nthat he was indeed his son; whereupon Helios desired him to ask any favour\nhe pleased, {65} and swore by the Styx that it should be granted. The\nimpetuous youth immediately requested permission to drive the chariot of\nthe sun for one whole day. His father listened horror-struck to this\npresumptuous demand, and by representing the many dangers which would beset\nhis path, endeavoured to dissuade him from so perilous an undertaking; but\nhis son, deaf to all advice, pressed his point with such pertinacity, that\nHelios was reluctantly compelled to lead him to the chariot. Phaethon\npaused for a moment to admire the beauty of the glittering equipage, the\ngift of the god of fire, who had formed it of gold, and ornamented it with\nprecious stones, which reflected the rays of the sun. And now Helios,\nseeing his sister, the Dawn, opening her doors in the rosy east, ordered\nthe Hours to yoke the horses. The goddesses speedily obeyed the command,\nand the father then anointed the face of his son with a sacred balm, to\nenable him to endure the burning flames which issued from the nostrils of\nthe steeds, and sorrowfully placing his crown of rays upon his head,\ndesired him to ascend the chariot.\n\nThe eager youth joyfully took his place and grasped the coveted reins, but\nno sooner did the fiery coursers of the sun feel the inexperienced hand\nwhich attempted to guide them, than they became restive and unmanageable.\nWildly they rushed out of their accustomed track, now soaring so high as to\nthreaten the heavens with destruction, now descending so low as nearly to\nset the earth on fire. At last the unfortunate charioteer, blinded with the\nglare, and terrified at the awful devastation he had caused, dropped the\nreins from his trembling hands. Mountains and forests were in flames,\nrivers and streams were dried up, and a general conflagration was imminent.\nThe scorched earth now called on Zeus for help, who hurled his thunderbolt\nat Phaethon, and with a flash of lightning brought the fiery steeds to a\nstandstill. The lifeless body of the youth fell headlong into the river\nEridanus,[27] where it was received and buried by the {66} nymphs of the\nstream. His sisters mourned so long for him that they were transformed by\nZeus into poplars, and the tears they shed, falling into the waters, became\ndrops of clear, transparent amber. Cycnus, the faithful friend of the\nunhappy Phaethon, felt such overwhelming grief at his terrible fate, that\nhe pined and wasted away. The gods, moved with compassion, transformed him\ninto a swan, which for ever brooded over the fatal spot where the waters\nhad closed over the head of his unfortunate friend.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe chief seat of the worship of Helios was the island of Rhodes, which\naccording to the following myth was his especial territory. At the time of\nthe Titanomachia, when the gods were dividing the world by lot, Helios\nhappened to be absent, and consequently received no share. He, therefore,\ncomplained to Zeus, who proposed to have a new allotment, but this Helios\nwould not allow, saying, that as he pursued his daily journey, his\npenetrating eye had beheld a lovely, fertile island lying beneath the waves\nof the ocean, and that if the immortals would swear to give him the\nundisturbed possession of this spot, he would be content to accept it as\nhis share of the universe. The gods took the oath, whereupon the island of\nRhodes immediately raised itself above the surface of the waters.\n\nThe famous Colossus of Rhodes, which was one of the seven wonders of the\nworld, was erected in honour of Helios. This wonderful statue was 105 feet\nhigh, and was formed entirely of brass; it formed the entrance to the\nharbour at Rhodes, and the largest vessel could easily sail between the\nlegs, which stood on moles, each side of the harbour. Though so gigantic,\nit was perfectly proportioned in every part. Some idea of {67} its size may\nbe gained from the fact that very few people were able to span the thumb of\nthis statue with their arms. In the interior of the Colossus was a winding\nstaircase leading to the top, from the summit of which, by means of a\ntelescope, the coast of Syria, and also the shores of Egypt, are said to\nhave been visible.[28]\n\nEOS (AURORA).\n\nEos, the Dawn, like her brother Helios, whose advent she always announced,\nwas also deified by the early Greeks. She too had her own chariot, which\nshe drove across the vast horizon both morning and night, before and after\nthe sun-god. Hence she is not merely the personification of the rosy morn,\nbut also of twilight, for which reason her palace is placed in the west, on\nthe island AEaea. The abode of Eos is a magnificent structure, surrounded by\nflowery meads and velvety lawns, where nymphs and other immortal beings,\nwind in and out in the mazy figures of the dance, whilst the music of a\nsweetly-tuned melody accompanies their graceful, gliding movements.\n\nEos is described by the poets as a beautiful maiden with rosy arms and\nfingers, and large wings, whose plumage is of an ever-changing hue; she\nbears a star on her forehead, and a torch in her hand. Wrapping round her\nthe rich folds of her violet-tinged mantle, she leaves her couch before the\nbreak of day, and herself yokes her two horses, Lampetus and Phaethon, to\nher glorious chariot. She then hastens with active cheerfulness to open the\ngates of heaven, in order to herald the approach of her brother, the god of\nday, whilst the tender plants and flowers, revived by the morning dew, lift\ntheir heads to welcome her as she passes.\n\n{68}\n\nEos first married the Titan Astraeus,[29] and their children were Heosphorus\n(Hesperus), the evening star, and the winds. She afterwards became united\nto Tithonus, son of Laomedon, king of Troy, who had won her affection by\nhis unrivalled beauty; and Eos, unhappy at the thought of their being ever\nseparated by death, obtained for him from Zeus the gift of immortality,\nforgetting, however, to add to it that of eternal youth. The consequence\nwas that when, in the course of time, Tithonus grew old and decrepid, and\nlost all the beauty which had won her admiration, Eos became disgusted with\nhis infirmities, and at last shut him up in a chamber, where soon little\nelse was left of him but his voice, which had now sunk into a weak, feeble\nquaver. According to some of the later poets, he became so weary of his\ncheerless and miserable existence, that he entreated to be allowed to die.\nThis was, however, impossible; but Eos, pitying his unhappy condition,\nexerted her divine power, and changed him into a grasshopper, which is, as\nit were, all voice, and whose monotonous, ceaseless chirpings may not\ninaptly be compared to the meaningless babble of extreme old age.\n\nPHOEBUS-APOLLO.\n\nPhoebus-Apollo, the god of Light, Prophecy, Music, Poetry, and the Arts and\nSciences, is by far the noblest conception within the whole range of Greek\nmythology, and his worship, which not only extended to all the states of\nGreece, but also to Asia Minor and to every Greek colony throughout the\nworld, stands out among the most ancient and strongly-marked features of\nGrecian history, and exerted a more decided influence over the Greek\nnation, than that of any other deity, not excepting Zeus himself.\n\nApollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, and was born beneath the shade of a\npalm tree which grew at the foot {69} of Mount Cynthus, on the barren and\nrocky island of Delos. The poets tell us that the earth smiled when the\nyoung god first beheld the light of day, and that Delos became so proud and\nexultant at the honour thus conferred upon her, that she covered herself\nwith golden flowers; swans surrounded the island, and the Delian nymphs\ncelebrated his birth with songs of joy.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe unhappy Leto, driven to Delos by the relentless persecutions of Hera,\nwas not long permitted to enjoy her haven of refuge. Being still tormented\nby her enemy, the young mother was once more obliged to fly; she therefore\nresigned the charge of her new-born babe to the goddess Themis, who\ncarefully wrapped the helpless infant in swaddling-clothes, and fed him\nwith nectar and ambrosia; but he had no sooner partaken of the heavenly\nfood than, to the amazement of the goddess, he burst asunder the bands\nwhich confined his infant limbs, and springing to his feet, appeared before\nher as a full-grown youth of divine strength and beauty. He now demanded a\nlyre and a bow, declaring that henceforth he would announce to mankind the\nwill of his father Zeus. \"The golden lyre,\" said he, \"shall be my friend,\nthe bent bow my delight, and in oracles will I foretell the dark future.\"\nWith these words he ascended to Olympus, where he was received with joyful\nacclamations into the assembly of the celestial gods, who acknowledged him\nas the most beautiful and glorious of all the sons of Zeus.\n\nPhoebus-Apollo was the god of light in a twofold {70} signification: first,\nas representing the great orb of day which illumines the world; and\nsecondly, as the heavenly light which animates the soul of man. He\ninherited his function as sun-god from Helios, with whom, in later times,\nhe was so completely identified, that the personality of the one became\ngradually merged in that of the other. We, accordingly, find Helios\nfrequently confounded with Apollo, myths belonging to the former attributed\nto the latter; and with some tribes--the Ionic, for instance--so complete\nis this identification, that Apollo is called by them Helios-Apollo.\n\nAs the divinity whose power is developed in the broad light of day, he\nbrings joy and delight to nature, and health and prosperity to man. By the\ninfluence of his warm and gentle rays he disperses the noxious vapours of\nthe night, assists the grain to ripen and the flowers to bloom.\n\nBut although, as god of the sun, he is a life-giving and life-preserving\npower, who, by his genial influence, dispels the cold of winter, he is, at\nthe same time, the god who, by means of his fiercely darting rays, could\nspread disease and send sudden death to men and animals; and it is to this\nphase of his character that we must look for the explanation of his being\nconsidered, in conjunction with his twin-sister, Artemis (as moon-goddess),\na divinity of death. The brother and sister share this function between\nthem, he taking man and she woman as her aim, and those especially who died\nin the bloom of youth, or at an advanced age, were believed to have been\nkilled by their gentle arrows. But Apollo did not always send an easy\ndeath. We see in the _Iliad_ how, when angry with the Greeks, the \"god of\nthe silver bow\" strode down from Olympus, with his quiver full of\ndeath-bringing darts, and sent a raging pestilence into their camp. For\nnine days he let fly his fatal arrows, first on animals and then on men,\ntill the air became darkened with the smoke from the funeral pyres.\n\nIn his character as god of light, Phoebus-Apollo is the protecting deity of\nshepherds, because it is he who warms {71} the fields and meadows, and\ngives rich pastures to the flocks, thereby gladdening the heart of the\nherdsman.\n\nAs the temperate heat of the sun exercises so invigorating an effect on man\nand animals, and promotes the growth of those medicinal herbs and vegetable\nproductions necessary for the cure of diseases, Phoebus-Apollo was supposed\nto possess the power of restoring life and health; hence he was regarded as\nthe god of healing; but this feature in his character we shall find more\nparticularly developed in his son Asclepius (AEsculapius), the veritable god\nof the healing art.\n\nPursuing our analysis of the various phases in the character of\nPhoebus-Apollo, we find that with the first beams of his genial light, all\nnature awakens to renewed life, and the woods re-echo with the jubilant\nsound of the untaught lays, warbled by thousands of feathered choristers.\nHence, by a natural inference, he is the god of music, and as, according to\nthe belief of the ancients, the inspirations of genius were inseparably\nconnected with the glorious light of heaven, he is also the god of poetry,\nand acts as the special patron of the arts and sciences. Apollo is himself\nthe heavenly musician among the Olympic gods, whose banquets are gladdened\nby the wondrous strains which he produces from his favourite instrument,\nthe seven-stringed lyre. In the cultus of Apollo, music formed a\ndistinguishing feature. All sacred dances, and even the sacrifices in his\nhonour, were performed to the sound of musical instruments; and it is, in a\ngreat measure, owing to the influence which the music in his worship\nexercised on the Greek nation, that Apollo came to be regarded as the\nleader of the nine Muses, the legitimate divinities of poetry and song. In\nthis character he is called Musagetes, and is always represented robed in a\nlong flowing garment; his lyre, to the tones of which he appears to be\nsinging, is suspended by a band across the chest; his head is encircled by\na wreath of laurel, and his long hair, streaming down over his shoulders,\ngives him a somewhat effeminate appearance.\n\nAnd now we must view the glorious god of light under {72} another, and (as\nfar as regards his influence over the Greek nation) a much more important\naspect; for, in historical times, all the other functions and attributes of\nApollo sink into comparative insignificance before the great power which he\nexercised as god of prophecy. It is true that all Greek gods were endowed,\nto a certain extent, with the faculty of foretelling future events; but\nApollo, as sun-god, was the concentration of all prophetic power, as it was\nsupposed that nothing escaped his all-seeing eye, which penetrated the most\nhidden recesses, and laid bare the secrets which lay concealed behind the\ndark veil of the future.\n\nWe have seen that when Apollo assumed his god-like form, he took his place\namong the immortals; but he had not long enjoyed the rapturous delights of\nOlympus, before he felt within him an ardent desire to fulfil his great\nmission of interpreting to mankind the will of his mighty father. He\naccordingly descended to earth, and travelled through many countries,\nseeking a fitting site upon which to establish an oracle. At length he\nreached the southern side of the rocky heights of Parnassus, beneath which\nlay the harbour of Crissa. Here, under the overhanging cliff, he found a\nsecluded spot, where, from the most ancient times, there had existed an\noracle, in which Gaea herself had revealed the future to man, and which, in\nDeucalion's time, she had resigned to Themis. It was guarded by the huge\nserpent Python, the scourge of the surrounding neighbourhood, and the\nterror alike of men and cattle. The young god, full of confidence in his\nunerring aim, attacked and slew the monster with his arrows, thus freeing\nland and people from their mighty enemy.\n\nThe grateful inhabitants, anxious to do honour to their deliverer, flocked\nround Apollo, who proceeded to mark out a plan for a temple, and, with the\nassistance of numbers of eager volunteers, a suitable edifice was soon\nerected. It now became necessary to choose ministers, who would offer up\nsacrifices, interpret his prophecies to the people, and take charge of the\ntemple. Looking round, he saw in the far distance a vessel bound from Crete\nto the {73} Peloponnesus, and determined to avail himself of her crew for\nhis service. Assuming the shape of an enormous dolphin, he agitated the\nwaters to such a degree, that the ship was tossed violently to and fro, to\nthe great alarm of the mariners; at the same time he raised a mighty wind,\nwhich drove the ship into the harbour of Crissa, where she ran aground. The\nterrified sailors dared not set foot on shore; but Apollo, under the form\nof a vigorous youth, stepped down to the vessel, revealed himself in his\ntrue character, and informed them that it was he who had driven them to\nCrissa, in order that they might become his priests, and serve him in his\ntemple. Arrived at the sacred fane, he instructed them how to perform the\nservices in his honour, and desired them to worship him under the name of\nApollo-Delphinios, because he had first appeared to them under the form of\na dolphin. Thus was established the far-famed oracle of Delphi, the only\ninstitution of the kind which was not exclusively national, for it was\nconsulted by Lydians, Phrygians, Etruscans, Romans, &c., and, in fact, was\nheld in the highest repute all over the world. In obedience to its decrees,\nthe laws of Lycurgus were introduced, and the earliest Greek colonies\nfounded. No cities were built without first consulting the Delphic oracle,\nfor it was believed that Apollo took special delight in the founding of\ncities, the first stone of which he laid in person; nor was any enterprise\never undertaken, without inquiring at this sacred fane as to its probable\nsuccess.\n\nBut that which brought Apollo more closely home to the hearts of the\npeople, and raised the whole moral tone of the Greek nation, was the\nbelief, gradually developed with the intelligence of the people, that he\nwas the god who accepted repentance as an atonement for sin, who pardoned\nthe contrite sinner, and who acted as the special protector of those, who,\nlike Orestes, had committed a crime, which required long years of\nexpiation.\n\nApollo is represented by the poets as being eternally young; his\ncountenance, glowing with joyous life, is the embodiment of immortal\nbeauty; his eyes are of a deep {74} blue; his forehead low, but broad and\nintellectual; his hair, which falls over his shoulders in long waving\nlocks, is of a golden, or warm chestnut hue. He is crowned with laurel, and\nwears a purple robe; in his hand he bears his silver bow, which is unbent\nwhen he smiles, but ready for use when he menaces evil-doers.\n\nBut Apollo, the eternally beautiful youth, the perfection of all that is\ngraceful and refined, rarely seems to have been happy in his love; either\nhis advances met with a repulse, or his union with the object of his\naffection was attended with fatal consequences.\n\nHis first love was Daphne (daughter of Peneus, the river-god), who was so\naverse to marriage that she entreated her father to allow her to lead a\nlife of celibacy, and devote herself to the chase, which she loved to the\nexclusion of all other pursuits. But one day, soon after his victory over\nthe Python, Apollo happened to see Eros bending his bow, and proud of his\nown superior strength and skill, he laughed at the efforts of the little\narcher, saying that such a weapon was more suited to the one who had just\nkilled the terrible serpent. Eros angrily replied that his arrow should\npierce the heart of the mocker himself, and flying off to the summit of\nMount Parnassus, he drew from his quiver two darts of different\nworkmanship--one of gold, which had the effect of inspiring love; the other\nof lead, which created aversion. Taking aim at Apollo, he pierced his\nbreast with the golden shaft, whilst the leaden one he discharged into the\nbosom of the beautiful Daphne. The son of Leto instantly felt the most\nardent affection for the nymph, who, on her part, evinced the greatest\ndislike towards her divine lover, and, at his approach, fled from him like\na hunted deer. He called upon her in the most endearing accents to stay,\nbut she still sped on, until at length, becoming faint with fatigue, and\nfearing that she was about to succumb, she called upon the gods to come to\nher aid. Hardly had she uttered her prayer before a heavy torpor seized her\nlimbs, and just as Apollo threw out his arms to embrace her, she became\ntransformed {75} into a laurel-bush. He sorrowfully crowned his head with\nits leaves, and declared, that in memory of his love, it should henceforth\nremain evergreen, and be held sacred to him.\n\nHe next sought the love of Marpessa, the daughter of Evenus; but though her\nfather approved his suit, the maiden preferred a youth named Idas, who\ncontrived to carry her off in a winged chariot which he had procured from\nPoseidon. Apollo pursued the fugitives, whom he quickly overtook, and\nforcibly seizing the bride, refused to resign her. Zeus then interfered,\nand declared that Marpessa herself must decide which of her lovers should\nclaim her as his wife. After due reflection she accepted Idas as her\nhusband, judiciously concluding that although the attractions of the divine\nApollo were superior to those of her lover, it would be wiser to unite\nherself to a mortal, who, growing old with herself, would be less likely to\nforsake her, when advancing years should rob her of her charms.\n\nCassandra, daughter of Priam, king of Troy, was another object of the love\nof Apollo. She feigned to return his affection, and promised to marry him,\nprovided he would confer upon her the gift of prophecy; but having received\nthe boon she desired, the treacherous maiden refused to comply with the\nconditions upon which it had been granted. Incensed at her breach of faith,\nApollo, unable to recall the gift he had bestowed, rendered it useless by\ncausing her predictions to fail in obtaining credence. Cassandra became\nfamous in history for her prophetic powers, but her prophecies were never\nbelieved. For instance, she warned her brother Paris that if he brought\nback a wife from Greece he would cause the destruction of his father's\nhouse and kingdom; she also warned the Trojans not to admit the wooden\nhorse within the walls of the city, and foretold to Agamemnon all the\ndisasters which afterwards befell him.\n\nApollo afterwards married Coronis, a nymph of Larissa, and thought himself\nhappy in the possession of her faithful love; but once more he was doomed\nto {76} disappointment, for one day his favourite bird, the crow, flew to\nhim with the intelligence that his wife had transferred her affections to a\nyouth of Haemonia. Apollo, burning with rage, instantly destroyed her with\none of his death-bringing darts. Too late he repented of his rashness, for\nshe had been tenderly beloved by him, and he would fain have recalled her\nto life; but, although he exerted all his healing powers, his efforts were\nin vain. He punished the crow for its garrulity by changing the colour of\nits plumage from pure white to intense black, and forbade it to fly any\nlonger among the other birds.\n\nCoronis left an infant son named Asclepius, who afterwards became god of\nmedicine. His powers were so extraordinary that he could not only cure the\nsick, but could even restore the dead to life. At last Aides complained to\nZeus that the number of shades conducted to his dominions was daily\ndecreasing, and the great ruler of Olympus, fearing that mankind, thus\nprotected against sickness and death, would be able to defy the gods\nthemselves, killed Asclepius with one of his thunderbolts. The loss of his\nhighly gifted son so exasperated Apollo that, being unable to vent his\nanger on Zeus, he destroyed the Cyclops, who had forged the fatal\nthunderbolts. For this offence, Apollo would have been banished by Zeus to\nTartarus, but at the earnest intercession of Leto he partially relented,\nand contented himself with depriving him of all power and dignity, and\nimposing on him a temporary servitude in the house of Admetus, king of\nThessaly. Apollo faithfully served his royal master for nine years in the\nhumble capacity of a shepherd, and was treated by him with every kindness\nand consideration. During the period of his service the king sought the\nhand of Alcestis, the beautiful daughter of Pelias, son of Poseidon; but\nher father declared that he would only resign her to the suitor who should\nsucceed in yoking a lion and a wild boar to his chariot. By the aid of his\ndivine herdsman, Admetus accomplished this difficult task, and gained his\nbride. Nor was this the only favour which the king received from the exiled\ngod, for Apollo obtained from {77} the Fates the gift of immortality for\nhis benefactor, on condition that when his last hour approached, some\nmember of his own family should be willing to die in his stead. When the\nfatal hour arrived, and Admetus felt that he was at the point of death, he\nimplored his aged parents to yield to him their few remaining days. But\n\"life is sweet\" even to old age, and they both refused to make the\nsacrifice demanded of them. Alcestis, however, who had secretly devoted\nherself to death for her husband, was seized with a mortal sickness, which\nkept pace with his rapid recovery. The devoted wife breathed her last in\nthe arms of Admetus, and he had just consigned her to the tomb, when\nHeracles chanced to come to the palace. Admetus held the rites of\nhospitality so sacred, that he at first kept silence with regard to his\ngreat bereavement; but as soon as his friend heard what had occurred, he\nbravely descended into the tomb, and when death came to claim his prey, he\nexerted his marvellous strength, and held him in his arms, until he\npromised to restore the beautiful and heroic queen to the bosom of her\nfamily.\n\nWhilst pursuing the peaceful life of a shepherd, Apollo formed a strong\nfriendship with two youths named Hyacinthus and Cyparissus, but the great\nfavour shown to them by the god did not suffice to shield them from\nmisfortune. The former was one day throwing the discus with Apollo, when,\nrunning too eagerly to take up the one thrown by the god, he was struck on\nthe head with it and killed on the spot. Apollo was overcome with grief at\nthe sad end of his young favourite, but being unable to restore him to\nlife, he changed him into the flower called after him the Hyacinth.\nCyparissus had the misfortune to kill by accident one of Apollo's favourite\nstags, which so preyed on his mind that he gradually pined away, and died\nof a broken heart. He was transformed by the god into a cypress-tree, which\nowes its name to this story.\n\nAfter these sad occurrences Apollo quitted Thessaly and repaired to\nPhrygia, in Asia Minor, where he met Poseidon, who, like himself, was in\nexile, and condemned {78} to a temporary servitude on earth. The two gods\nnow entered the service of Laomedon, king of Troy, Apollo undertaking to\ntend his flocks, and Poseidon to build the walls of the city. But Apollo\nalso contributed his assistance in the erection of those wonderful walls,\nand, by the aid of his marvellous musical powers, the labours of his\nfellow-worker, Poseidon, were rendered so light and easy that his otherwise\narduous task advanced with astonishing celerity; for, as the master-hand of\nthe god of music grasped the chords of his lyre,[30] the huge blocks of\nstone moved of their own accord, adjusting themselves with the utmost\nnicety into the places designed for them.\n\nBut though Apollo was so renowned in the art of music, there were two\nindividuals who had the effrontery to consider themselves equal to him in\nthis respect, and, accordingly, each challenged him to compete with them in\na musical contest. These were Marsyas and Pan. Marsyas was a satyr, who,\nhaving picked up the flute which Athene had thrown away in disgust,\ndiscovered, to his great delight and astonishment, that, in consequence of\nits having touched the lips of a goddess, it played of itself in the most\ncharming manner. Marsyas, who was a great lover of music, and much beloved\non this account by all the elf-like denizens of the woods and glens, was so\nintoxicated with joy at this discovery, that he foolishly challenged Apollo\nto compete with him in a musical contest. The challenge being accepted, the\nMuses were chosen umpires, and it was decided that the unsuccessful\ncandidate should suffer the punishment of being flayed alive. For a long\ntime the merits of both claimants remained so equally balanced, that it was\nimpossible to award the palm of victory to either, seeing which, Apollo,\nresolved to conquer, added the sweet tones of his melodious voice to the\nstrains of his lyre, {79} and this at once turned the scale in his favour.\nThe unhappy Marsyas being defeated, had to undergo the terrible penalty,\nand his untimely fate was universally lamented; indeed the Satyrs and\nDryads, his companions, wept so incessantly at his fate, that their tears,\nuniting together, formed a river in Phrygia which is still known by the\nname of Marsyas.\n\nThe result of the contest with Pan was by no means of so serious a\ncharacter. The god of shepherds having affirmed that he could play more\nskilfully on his flute of seven reeds (the syrinx or Pan's pipe), than\nApollo on his world-renowned lyre, a contest ensued, in which Apollo was\npronounced the victor by all the judges appointed to decide between the\nrival candidates. Midas, king of Phrygia, alone demurred at this decision,\nhaving the bad taste to prefer the uncouth tones of the Pan's pipe to the\nrefined melodies of Apollo's lyre. Incensed at the obstinacy and stupidity\nof the Phrygian king, Apollo punished him by giving him the ears of an ass.\nMidas, horrified at being thus disfigured, determined to hide his disgrace\nfrom his subjects by means of a cap; his barber, however, could not be kept\nin ignorance of the fact, and was therefore bribed with rich gifts never to\nreveal it. Finding, however, that he could not keep the secret any longer,\nhe dug a hole in the ground into which he whispered it; then closing up the\naperture he returned home, feeling greatly relieved at having thus eased\nhis mind of its burden. But after all, this very humiliating secret was\nrevealed to the world, for some reeds which sprung up from the spot\nmurmured incessantly, as they waved to and fro in the wind: \"King Midas has\nthe ears of an ass.\"\n\nIn the sad and beautiful story of Niobe, daughter of Tantalus, and wife of\nAmphion, king of Thebes, we have another instance of the severe punishments\nmeted out by Apollo to those who in any way incurred his displeasure. Niobe\nwas the proud mother of seven sons and seven daughters, and exulting in the\nnumber of her children, she, upon one occasion, ridiculed the worship of\nLeto, {80} because she had but one son and daughter, and desired the\nThebans, for the future, to give to her the honours and sacrifices which\nthey had hitherto offered to the mother of Apollo and Artemis. The\nsacrilegious words had scarcely passed her lips before Apollo called upon\nhis sister Artemis to assist him in avenging the insult offered to their\nmother, and soon their invisible arrows sped through the air. Apollo slew\nall the sons, and Artemis had already slain all the daughters save one, the\nyoungest and best beloved, whom Niobe clasped in her arms, when the\nagonized mother implored the enraged deities to leave her, at least, one\nout of all her beautiful children; but, even as she prayed, the deadly\narrow reached the heart of this child also. Meanwhile the unhappy father,\nunable to bear the loss of his children, had destroyed himself, and his\ndead body lay beside the lifeless corpse of his favourite son. Widowed and\nchildless, the heart-broken mother sat among her dead, and the gods, in\npity for her unutterable woe, turned her into a stone, which they\ntransferred to Siphylus, her native Phrygian mountain, where it still\ncontinues to shed tears.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe punishment of Niobe forms the subject of a magnificent marble group,\nwhich was found at Rome in the year 1553, and is now in the gallery of\nUffizi, at Florence.\n\nThe renowned singer Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope, the muse of\nepic poetry, and, as might be expected with parents so highly gifted, was\nendowed with most distinguished intellectual qualifications. He was a poet,\na teacher of the religious doctrines known as the Orphic mysteries, and a\ngreat musician, having inherited from his father an extraordinary genius\nfor music. {81} When he sang to the sweet tones of his lyre, he charmed all\nnature, and summoned round him the wild beasts of the forests, who, under\nthe influence of his music, became tame and gentle as lambs. The madly\nrushing torrents stopped their rapid course, and the very mountains and\ntrees moved from their places at the sound of his entrancing melodies.\n\nOrpheus became united to a lovely nymph named Eurydice, the daughter of the\nsea-god Nereus, whom he fondly loved. She was no less attached to him, and\ntheir married life was full of joy and happiness. But it was only\nshort-lived; for Aristaeus,[31] the half-brother of Orpheus, having fallen\nin love with the beautiful Eurydice, forcibly endeavoured to take her from\nher husband, and as she fled across some fields to elude his pursuit, she\nwas bitten in the foot by a venomous snake, which lay concealed in the long\ngrass. Eurydice died of the wound, and her sorrowing husband filled the\ngroves and valleys with his piteous and unceasing lamentations.\n\nHis longing to behold her once more became at last so unconquerable, that\nhe determined to brave the horrors of the lower world, in order to entreat\nAides to restore to him his beloved wife. Armed only with his golden lyre,\nthe gift of Apollo, he descended into the gloomy depths of Hades, where his\nheavenly music arrested for a while the torments of the unhappy sufferers.\nThe stone of Sisyphus remained motionless; Tantalus forgot his perpetual\nthirst; the wheel of Ixion ceased to revolve; and even the Furies shed\ntears, and withheld for a time their persecutions. Undismayed at the scenes\nof horror and suffering which met his view on every side, he pursued his\nway until he arrived at the palace of Aides. Presenting himself before the\nthrone on which sat the stony-hearted king and his consort Persephone,\nOrpheus recounted his woes to the sound of his lyre. Moved to pity by his\nsweet strains, they listened to his {82} melancholy story, and consented to\nrelease Eurydice on condition that he should not look upon her until they\nreached the upper world. Orpheus gladly promised to comply with this\ninjunction, and, followed by Eurydice, ascended the steep and gloomy path\nwhich led to the realms of life and light. All went well until he was just\nabout to pass the extreme limits of Hades, when, forgetting for the moment\nthe hard condition, he turned to convince himself that his beloved wife was\nreally behind him. The glance was fatal, and destroyed all his hopes of\nhappiness; for, as he yearningly stretched out his arms to embrace her, she\nwas caught back, and vanished from his sight for ever. The grief of Orpheus\nat this second loss was even more intense than before, and he now avoided\nall human society. In vain did the nymphs, his once chosen companions,\nendeavour to win him back to his accustomed haunts; their power to charm\nwas gone, and music was now his sole consolation. He wandered forth alone,\nchoosing the wildest and most secluded paths, and the hills and vales\nresounded with his pathetic melodies. At last he happened to cross the path\nof some Thracian women, who were performing the wild rites of Dionysus\n(Bacchus), and in their mad fury at his refusing to join them, they\nfuriously attacked him, and tore him in pieces. In pity for his unhappy\nfate, the Muses collected his remains, which they buried at the foot of\nMount Olympus, and the nightingale warbled a funeral dirge over his grave.\nHis head was thrown into the river Hebrus, and as it floated down the\nstream, the lips still continued to murmur the beloved name of Eurydice.\n\nThe chief seat of the worship of Apollo was at Delphi, and here was the\nmost magnificent of all his temples, the foundation of which reaches far\nbeyond all historical knowledge, and which contained immense riches, the\nofferings of kings and private persons, who had received favourable replies\nfrom the oracle. The Greeks believed Delphi to be the central point of the\nearth, because two eagles sent forth by Zeus, one from the east, the other\n{83} from the west, were said to have arrived there at the same moment.\n\nThe Pythian games, celebrated in honour of the victory of Apollo over the\nPython, took place at Delphi every four years. At the first celebration of\nthese games, gods, goddesses, and heroes contended for the prizes, which\nwere at first of gold or silver, but consisted, in later times, of simple\nlaurel wreaths.\n\nOn account of its being the place of his birth, the whole island of Delos\nwas consecrated to Apollo, where he was worshipped with great solemnity;\nthe greatest care was taken to preserve the sanctity of the spot, for which\nreason no one was suffered to be buried there. At the foot of Mount Cynthus\nwas a splendid temple of Apollo which possessed an oracle, and was enriched\nwith magnificent offerings from all parts of Greece. Even foreign nations\nheld this island sacred, for when the Persians passed it on their way to\nattack Greece, they not only sailed by, leaving it uninjured, but sent rich\npresents to the temple. Games, called Delia, instituted by Theseus, were\ncelebrated at Delos every four years.\n\nA festival termed the Gymnopedaea was held at Sparta in honour of Apollo, in\nwhich boys sang the praises of the gods, and of the three hundred\nLacedaemonians who fell at the battle of Thermopylae.\n\nWolves and hawks were sacrificed to Apollo, and the birds sacred to him\nwere the hawk, raven, and swan.\n\nROMAN APOLLO.\n\nThe worship of Apollo never occupied the all-important position in Rome\nwhich it held in Greece, nor was it introduced till a comparatively late\nperiod. There was no sanctuary erected to this divinity until B.C. 430,\nwhen the Romans, in order to avert a plague, built a temple in his honour;\nbut we do not find the worship of Apollo becoming in any way prominent\nuntil the time of Augustus, who, having called upon this god for aid before\nthe famous battle of Actium, ascribed the victory which he {84} gained, to\nhis influence, and accordingly erected a temple there, which he enriched\nwith a portion of the spoil.\n\nAugustus afterwards built another temple in honour of Apollo, on the\nPalatine Hill, in which at the foot of his statue, were deposited two gilt\nchests, containing the Sibylline oracles. These oracles were collected to\nreplace the Sibylline books originally preserved in the temple of Jupiter,\nwhich were destroyed when that edifice was burned.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe Sibyls were maidens who had received the gift of prophecy, and the\nprivilege of living to an incredible age. One of these Sibyls (known as the\nCumaean) appeared to Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, offering\nfor sale nine books, which she informed him had been written by herself.\nNot knowing who she was, Tarquin refused to buy them, upon which she burned\nthree, and returned with six, demanding the same price as before. Being\nagain driven away as an impostor, she again retired and burned three more,\nreturning with the remaining three, for which she still asked the same\nprice as at first. Tarquin, amazed at her inconsistency, now consulted the\nAugurs, who blamed him for not having bought the nine books when they were\nfirst offered to him, and desired him to secure the remaining three, at\nwhatever price they were to be had. He, accordingly, purchased the volumes,\nwhich were found to contain predictions of great importance to the Romans.\nAfter the disposal of the books, the Sibyl vanished, and was seen no more.\n\nThe most beautiful and renowned of all the statues of Apollo now in\nexistence, is that known as the Apollo Belvedere, which was found in 1503\namong the ruins of {85} ancient Antium. It was purchased by Pope Julius\nII., who removed it to the Belvedere of the Vatican, from whence it takes\nits name, and where it has been, for more than three hundred years, the\nadmiration of the world. When Rome was taken, and plundered by the French,\nthis celebrated statue was transported to Paris, and placed in the museum\nthere, but in 1815 it was restored to its former place in the Vatican. The\nattitude of the figure, which is more than seven feet high, is inimitable\nin its freedom, grace, and majesty. The forehead is noble and intellectual,\nand the whole countenance so exquisite in its beauty, that one pauses\nspell-bound to gaze on so perfect a conception. The god has a very youthful\nappearance, as is usual in all his representations, and with the exception\nof a short mantle which falls from his shoulders, is unclothed. He stands\nagainst the trunk of a tree, up which a serpent is creeping, and his left\narm is outstretched, as though about to punish.\n\nHECATE.\n\nHecate would appear to have been originally a moon-goddess worshipped by\nthe Thracians. She became confounded, and eventually identified with Selene\nand Persephone, and is one of those divinities of whom the ancients had\nvarious conflicting accounts.\n\nHecate was the daughter of Perses and \"gold-wreathed\" Astraea (the starry\nnight[32]), and her sway extended over earth, heaven, and hell, for which\nreason she is represented in works of art as a triple divinity, having\nthree female bodies, all young and beautiful, and united together.\n\nIn later times, when this divinity becomes identified with Persephone, she\nis supposed to inhabit the lower world as a malignant deity, and\nhenceforward it is the gloomy, awe-inspiring side of her character which\nalone {86} develops itself. She now presides over all practices connected\nwith witchcraft and enchantments, haunts sepulchres, and the point where\ntwo roads cross, and lonely spots where murders have been committed. She\nwas supposed to be connected with the appearance of ghosts and spectres, to\npossess unlimited influence over the powers of the lower world, and to be\nable to lay to rest unearthly apparitions by her magic spells and\nincantations.\n\nHecate appears as a gigantic woman, bearing a torch and a sword. Her feet\nand hair are formed of snakes, and her passage is accompanied by voices of\nthunder, weird shrieks and yells, and the deep baying and howling of dogs.\n\nHer favour was propitiated by offerings and sacrifices, principally\nconsisting of black lambs. Her festivals were celebrated at night, by\ntorchlight, when these animals were offered to her, accompanied by many\npeculiar ceremonies. These ceremonies were carried out with the minutest\nattention to details, as it was believed that the omission of the slightest\nparticular would afford to her ministers, the evil spirits of the lower\nworld, who hovered round the worshippers, an opportunity for entering among\nthem, and exerting their baneful influence. At the end of every month food\nwas placed wherever two roads met, in readiness for her and other malignant\ndivinities.\n\nIn studying the peculiar characteristics which Hecate assumes when she\nusurps the place of Persephone, the rightful mistress of the lower world,\nwe are reminded of the various superstitions with regard to spectres,\nwitchcraft, &c., which have, even down to our own times, exerted so\npowerful an influence over the minds of the ignorant, and which would\nappear to owe their origin to a remote pagan source.\n\nSELENE (LUNA).\n\nJust as Helios personified the sun, so his sister Selene represented the\nmoon, and was supposed to drive her {87} chariot across the sky whilst her\nbrother was reposing after the toils of the day.\n\nWhen the shades of evening began to enfold the earth, the two milk-white\nsteeds of Selene rose out of the mysterious depths of Oceanus. Seated in a\nsilvery chariot, and accompanied by her daughter Herse, the goddess of the\ndew, appeared the mild and gentle queen of the night, with a crescent on\nher fair brow, a gauzy veil flowing behind, and a lighted torch in her\nhand.\n\nSelene greatly admired a beautiful young shepherd named Endymion, to whom\nZeus had accorded the privilege of eternal youth, combined with the faculty\nof sleeping whenever he desired, and as long as he wished. Seeing this\nlovely youth fast asleep on Mount Latmus, Selene was so struck with his\nbeauty, that she came down every night from heaven to watch over and\nprotect him.\n\nARTEMIS (DIANA).\n\nArtemis was worshipped by the Greeks under various appellations, to each of\nwhich belonged special characteristics. Thus she is known as the Arcadian,\nEphesian and Brauronian Artemis, and also as Selene-Artemis, and in order\nfully to comprehend the worship of this divinity, we must consider her\nunder each aspect.\n\nARCADIAN ARTEMIS.\n\nThe Arcadian Artemis (the real Artemis of the Greeks) was the daughter of\nZeus and Leto, and twin-sister of Apollo. She was the goddess of Hunting\nand Chastity, and having obtained from her father permission to lead a life\nof celibacy, she ever remained a maiden-divinity. Artemis is the feminine\ncounterpart of her brother, the glorious god of Light, and, like him,\nthough she deals out destruction and sudden death to men and animals, she\nis also able to alleviate suffering and cure diseases. Like Apollo also,\nshe is skilled in the use of the bow, but in a far more eminent degree, for\nin the character of Artemis, who devoted herself to the chase with\npassionate {88} ardour, this becomes an all-distinguishing feature. Armed\nwith her bow and quiver, and attended by her train of huntresses, who were\nnymphs of the woods and springs, she roamed over the mountains in pursuit\nof her favourite exercise, destroying in her course the wild animals of the\nforest. When the chase was ended, Artemis and her maidens loved to assemble\nin a shady grove, or on the banks of a favourite stream, where they joined\nin the merry song, or graceful dance, and made the hills resound with their\njoyous shouts.\n\nAs the type of purity and chastity, Artemis was especially venerated by\nyoung maidens, who, before marrying, sacrificed their hair to her. She was\nalso the patroness of those vowed to celibacy, and punished severely any\ninfringement of their obligation.\n\nThe huntress-goddess is represented as being a head taller than her\nattendant nymphs, and always appears as a youthful and slender maiden. Her\nfeatures are beautiful, but wanting in gentleness of expression; her hair\nis gathered negligently into a knot at the back of her well-shaped head;\nand her figure, though somewhat masculine, is most graceful in its attitude\nand proportions. The short robe she wears, leaves her limbs free for the\nexercise of the chase, her devotion to which is indicated by the quiver\nwhich is slung over her shoulder, and the bow which she bears in her hand.\n\nThere are many famous statues of this divinity; but the most celebrated is\nthat known as the Diana of Versailles, now in the Louvre, which forms a not\nunworthy companion to the Apollo-Belvedere of the Vatican. In this statue,\nthe goddess appears in the act of rescuing a hunted deer from its pursuers,\non whom she is turning with angry mien. One hand is laid protectingly on\nthe head of the stag, whilst with the other she draws an arrow from the\nquiver which hangs over her shoulder.\n\nHer attributes are the bow, quiver, and spear. The animals sacred to her\nare the hind, dog, bear, and wild boar.\n\nArtemis promptly resented any disregard or neglect of {89} her worship; a\nremarkable instance of this is shown in the story of the Calydonian\nboar-hunt, which is as follows:--\n\n[Illustration]\n\nOeneus, king of Calydon in AEtolia, had incurred the displeasure of Artemis\nby neglecting to include her in a general sacrifice to the gods which he\nhad offered up, out of gratitude for a bountiful harvest. The goddess,\nenraged at this neglect, sent a wild boar of extraordinary size and\nprodigious strength, which destroyed the sprouting grain, laid waste the\nfields, and threatened the inhabitants with famine and death. At this\njuncture, Meleager, the brave son of Oeneus, returned from the Argonautic\nexpedition, and finding his country ravaged by this dreadful scourge,\nentreated the assistance of all the celebrated heroes of the age to join\nhim in hunting the ferocious monster. Among the most famous of those who\nresponded to his call were Jason, Castor and Pollux, Idas and Lynceus,\nPeleus, Telamon, Admetus, Perithous, and Theseus. The brothers of Althea,\nwife of Oeneus, joined the hunters, and Meleager also enlisted into his\nservice the fleet-footed huntress Atalanta.\n\nThe father of this maiden was Schoeneus, an Arcadian, who, disappointed at\nthe birth of a daughter when he had particularly desired a son, had exposed\nher on the Parthenian Hill, where he left her to perish. Here she was\nnursed by a she-bear, and at last found by some hunters, who reared her,\nand gave her the name of Atalanta. As the maiden grew up, she became an\nardent {90} lover of the chase, and was alike distinguished for her beauty\nand courage. Though often wooed, she led a life of strict celibacy, an\noracle having predicted that inevitable misfortune awaited her, should she\ngive herself in marriage to any of her numerous suitors.\n\nMany of the heroes objected to hunt in company with a maiden; but Meleager,\nwho loved Atalanta, overcame their opposition, and the valiant band set out\non their expedition. Atalanta was the first to wound the boar with her\nspear, but not before two of the heroes had met their death from his fierce\ntusks. After a long and desperate encounter, Meleager succeeded in killing\nthe monster, and presented the head and hide to Atalanta, as trophies of\nthe victory. The uncles of Meleager, however, forcibly took the hide from\nthe maiden, claiming their right to the spoil as next of kin, if Meleager\nresigned it. Artemis, whose anger was still unappeased, caused a violent\nquarrel to arise between uncles and nephew, and, in the struggle which\nensued, Meleager killed his mother's brothers, and then restored the hide\nto Atalanta. When Althea beheld the dead bodies of the slain heroes, her\ngrief and anger knew no bounds. She swore to revenge the death of her\nbrothers on her own son, and unfortunately for him, the instrument of\nvengeance lay ready to her hand.\n\nAt the birth of Meleager, the Moirae, or Fates, entered the house of\nOeneus, and pointing to a piece of wood then burning on the hearth,\ndeclared that as soon as it was consumed the babe would surely die. On\nhearing this, Althea seized the brand, laid it up carefully in a chest, and\nhenceforth preserved it as her most precious possession. But now, love for\nher son giving place to the resentment she felt against the murderer of her\nbrothers, she threw the fatal brand into the devouring flames. As it\nconsumed, the vigour of Meleager wasted away, and when it was reduced to\nashes, he expired. Repenting too late the terrible effects of her rash\ndeed, Althea, in remorse and despair, took away her own life.\n\nThe news of the courage and intrepidity displayed by {91} Atalanta in the\nfamous boar-hunt, being carried to the ears of her father, caused him to\nacknowledge his long-lost child. Urged by him to choose one of her numerous\nsuitors, she consented to do so, but made it a condition that he alone, who\ncould outstrip her in the race, should become her husband, whilst those she\ndefeated should be put to death by her, with the lance which she bore in\nher hand. Thus many suitors had perished, for the maiden was unequalled for\nswiftness of foot, but at last a beautiful youth, named Hippomenes, who had\nvainly endeavoured to win her love by his assiduous attentions in the\nchase, ventured to enter the fatal lists. Knowing that only by stratagem\ncould he hope to be successful, he obtained, by the help of Aphrodite,\nthree golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, which he threw down\nat intervals during his course. Atalanta, secure of victory, stooped to\npick up the tempting fruit, and, in the meantime, Hippomenes arrived at the\ngoal. He became the husband of the lovely Atalanta, but forgot, in his\nnewly found happiness, the gratitude which he owed to Aphrodite, and the\ngoddess withdrew her favour from the pair. Not long after, the prediction\nwhich foretold misfortune to Atalanta, in the event of her marriage, was\nverified, for she and her husband, having strayed unsanctioned into a\nsacred grove of Zeus, were both transformed into lions.\n\nThe trophies of the ever-memorable boar-hunt had been carried by Atalanta\ninto Arcadia, and, for many centuries, the identical hide and enormous\ntusks of the Calydonian boar hung in the temple of Athene at Tegea. The\ntusks were afterwards conveyed to Rome, and shown there among other\ncuriosities.\n\nA forcible instance of the manner in which Artemis resented any intrusion\non her retirement, is seen in the fate which befell the famous hunter\nActaeon, who happening one day to see Artemis and her attendants bathing,\nimprudently ventured to approach the spot. The goddess, incensed at his\naudacity, sprinkled him with water, and transformed him into a stag,\nwhereupon he was torn in pieces and devoured by his own dogs. {92}\n\nEPHESIAN ARTEMIS.\n\nThe Ephesian Artemis, known to us as \"Diana of the Ephesians,\" was a very\nancient Asiatic divinity of Persian origin called Metra,[33] whose worship\nthe Greek colonists found already established, when they first settled in\nAsia Minor, and whom they identified with their own Greek Artemis, though\nshe really possessed but one single attribute in common with their home\ndeity.\n\nMetra was a twofold divinity, and represented, in one phase of her\ncharacter, all-pervading love; in the other she was the light of heaven;\nand as Artemis, in her character as Selene, was the only Greek female\ndivinity who represented celestial light, the Greek settlers, according to\ntheir custom of fusing foreign deities into their own, seized at once upon\nthis point of resemblance, and decided that Metra should henceforth be\nregarded as identical with Artemis.\n\nIn her character as the love which pervades all nature, and penetrates\neverywhere, they believed her also to be present in the mysterious Realm of\nShades, where she exercised her benign sway, replacing to a certain extent\nthat ancient divinity Hecate, and partly usurping also the place of\nPersephone, as mistress of the lower world. Thus they believed that it was\nshe who permitted the spirits of the departed to revisit the earth, in\norder to communicate with those they loved, and to give them timely warning\nof coming evil. In fact, this great, mighty, and omnipresent power of love,\nas embodied in the Ephesian Artemis, was believed by the great thinkers of\nold, to be the ruling spirit of the universe, and it was to her influence,\nthat all the mysterious and beneficent workings of nature were ascribed.\n\nThere was a magnificent temple erected to this divinity at Ephesus (a city\nof Asia Minor), which was ranked among the seven wonders of the world, and\nwas unequalled in beauty and grandeur. The interior of this {93} edifice\nwas adorned with statues and paintings, and contained one hundred and\ntwenty-seven columns, sixty feet in height, each column having been placed\nthere by a different king. The wealth deposited in this temple was\nenormous, and the goddess was here worshipped with particular awe and\nsolemnity. In the interior of the edifice stood a statue of her, formed of\nebony, with lions on her arms and turrets on her head, whilst a number of\nbreasts indicated the fruitfulness of the earth and of nature. Ctesiphon\nwas the principal architect of this world-renowned structure, which,\nhowever, was not entirely completed till two hundred and twenty years after\nthe foundation-stone was laid. But the labour of centuries was destroyed in\na single night; for a man called Herostratus, seized with the insane desire\nof making his name famous to all succeeding generations, set fire to it and\ncompletely destroyed it.[34] So great was the indignation and sorrow of the\nEphesians at this calamity, that they enacted a law, forbidding the\nincendiary's name to be mentioned, thereby however, defeating their own\nobject, for thus the name of Herostratus has been handed down to posterity,\nand will live as long as the memory of the famous temple of Ephesus.\n\nBRAURONIAN ARTEMIS.\n\nIn ancient times, the country which we now call the Crimea, was known by\nthe name of the Taurica Chersonnesus. It was colonized by Greek settlers,\nwho, finding that the Scythian inhabitants had a native divinity somewhat\nresembling their own Artemis, identified her with the huntress-goddess of\nthe mother-country. The worship of this Taurian Artemis was attended with\nthe most barbarous practices, for, in accordance with a law which she had\nenacted, all strangers, whether male or female, landing, or shipwrecked on\nher shores, were sacrificed upon her altars. It is supposed that this\ndecree was {94} issued by the Taurian goddess of Chastity, to protect the\npurity of her followers, by keeping them apart from foreign influences.\n\nThe interesting story of Iphigenia, a priestess in the temple of Artemis at\nTauris, forms the subject of one of Schiller's most beautiful plays. The\ncircumstances occurred at the commencement of the Trojan war, and are as\nfollows:--The fleet, collected by the Greeks for the siege of Troy, had\nassembled at Aulis, in Boeotia, and was about to set sail, when Agamemnon,\nthe commander-in-chief, had the misfortune to kill accidentally a stag\nwhich was grazing in a grove, sacred to Artemis. The offended goddess sent\ncontinuous calms that delayed the departure of the fleet, and Calchas, the\nsoothsayer, who had accompanied the expedition, declared that nothing less\nthan the sacrifice of Agamemnon's favorite daughter, Iphigenia, would\nappease the wrath of the goddess. At these words, the heroic heart of the\nbrave leader sank within him, and he declared that rather than consent to\nso fearful an alternative, he would give up his share in the expedition and\nreturn to Argos. In this dilemma Odysseus and other great generals called a\ncouncil to discuss the matter, and, after much deliberation, it was decided\nthat private feeling must yield to the welfare of the state. For a long\ntime the unhappy Agamemnon turned a deaf ear to their arguments, but at\nlast they succeeded in persuading him that it was his duty to make the\nsacrifice. He, accordingly, despatched a messenger to his wife,\nClytemnaestra, begging her to send Iphigenia to him, alleging as a pretext\nthat the great hero Achilles desired to make her his wife. Rejoicing at the\nbrilliant destiny which awaited her beautiful daughter, the fond mother at\nonce obeyed the command, and sent her to Aulis. When the maiden arrived at\nher destination, and discovered, to her horror, the dreadful fate which\nawaited her, she threw herself in an agony of grief at her father's feet,\nand with sobs and tears entreated him to have mercy on her, and to spare\nher young life. But alas! her doom was sealed, and her now repentant and\n{95} heart-broken father was powerless to avert it. The unfortunate victim\nwas bound to the altar, and already the fatal knife was raised to deal the\ndeath-blow, when suddenly Iphigenia disappeared from view, and in her place\non the altar, lay a beautiful deer ready to be sacrificed. It was Artemis\nherself, who, pitying the youth and beauty of her victim, caused her to be\nconveyed in a cloud to Taurica, where she became one of her priestesses,\nand intrusted with the charge of her temple; a dignity, however, which\nnecessitated the offering of those human sacrifices presented to Artemis.\n\nMany years passed away, during which time the long and wearisome siege of\nTroy had come to an end, and the brave Agamemnon had returned home to meet\ndeath at the hands of his wife and Aegisthus. But his daughter, Iphigenia,\nwas still an exile from her native country, and continued to perform the\nterrible duties which her office involved. She had long given up all hopes\nof ever being restored to her friends, when one day two Greek strangers\nlanded on Taurica's inhospitable shores. These were Orestes and Pylades,\nwhose romantic attachment to each other has made their names synonymous for\ndevoted self-sacrificing friendship. Orestes was Iphigenia's brother, and\nPylades her cousin, and their object in undertaking an expedition fraught\nwith so much peril, was to obtain the statue of the Taurian Artemis.\nOrestes, having incurred the anger of the Furies for avenging the murder of\nhis father Agamemnon, was pursued by them wherever he went, until at last\nhe was informed by the oracle of Delphi that, in order to pacify them, he\nmust convey the image of the Taurian Artemis from Tauris to Attica. This he\nat once resolved to do, and accompanied by his faithful friend Pylades, who\ninsisted on sharing the dangers of the undertaking, he set out for Taurica.\nBut the unfortunate youths had hardly stepped on shore before they were\nseized by the natives, who, as usual, conveyed them for sacrifice to the\ntemple of Artemis. Iphigenia, discovering that they were Greeks, though\nunaware of their near relationship to herself, thought the {96} opportunity\na favourable one for sending tidings of her existence to her native\ncountry, and, accordingly, requested one of the strangers to be the bearer\nof a letter from her to her family. A magnanimous dispute now arose between\nthe friends, and each besought the other to accept the precious privilege\nof life and freedom. Pylades, at length overcome by the urgent entreaties\nof Orestes, agreed to be the bearer of the missive, but on looking more\nclosely at the superscription, he observed, to his intense surprise, that\nit was addressed to Orestes. Hereupon an explanation followed; the brother\nand sister recognized each other, amid joyful tears and loving embraces,\nand assisted by her friends and kinsmen, Iphigenia escaped with them from a\ncountry where she had spent so many unhappy days, and witnessed so many\nscenes of horror and anguish.\n\nThe fugitives, having contrived to obtain the image of the Taurian Artemis,\ncarried it with them to Brauron in Attica. This divinity was henceforth\nknown as the Brauronian Artemis, and the rites which had rendered her\nworship so infamous in Taurica were now introduced into Greece, and human\nvictims bled freely under the sacrificial knife, both in Athens and Sparta.\nThe revolting practice of offering human sacrifices to her, was continued\nuntil the time of Lycurgus, the great Spartan lawgiver, who put an end to\nit by substituting in its place one, which was hardly less barbarous,\nnamely, the scourging of youths, who were whipped on the altars of the\nBrauronian Artemis in the most cruel manner; sometimes indeed they expired\nunder the lash, in which case their mothers, far from lamenting their fate,\nare said to have rejoiced, considering this an honourable death for their\nsons.\n\nSELENE-ARTEMIS.\n\nHitherto we have seen Artemis only in the various phases of her terrestrial\ncharacter; but just as her brother Apollo drew into himself by degrees the\nattributes of that more ancient divinity Helios, the sun-god, so, in like\nmanner, she came to be identified in later times {97} with Selene, the\nmoon-goddess, in which character she is always represented as wearing on\nher forehead a glittering crescent, whilst a flowing veil, bespangled with\nstars, reaches to her feet, and a long robe completely envelops her.\n\nDIANA.\n\nThe Diana of the Romans was identified with the Greek Artemis, with whom\nshe shares that peculiar tripartite character, which so strongly marks the\nindividuality of the Greek goddess. In heaven she was Luna (the moon), on\nearth Diana (the huntress-goddess), and in the lower world Proserpine; but,\nunlike the Ephesian Artemis, Diana, in her character as Proserpine, carries\nwith her into the lower world no element of love or sympathy; she is, on\nthe contrary, characterized by practices altogether hostile to man, such as\nthe exercise of witchcraft, evil charms, and other antagonistic influences,\nand is, in fact, the Greek Hecate, in her later development.\n\nThe statues of Diana were generally erected at a point where three roads\nmet, for which reason she is called Trivia (from _tri_, three, and _via_,\nway).\n\nA temple was dedicated to her on the Aventine hill by Servius Tullius, who\nis said to have first introduced the worship of this divinity into Rome.\n\nThe Nemoralia, or Grove Festivals, were celebrated in her honour on the\n13th of August, on the Lacus Nemorensis, or forest-buried lake, near\nAricia. The priest who officiated in her temple on this spot, was always a\nfugitive slave, who had gained his office by murdering his predecessor, and\nhence was constantly armed, in order that he might thus be prepared to\nencounter a new aspirant.\n\nHEPHAESTUS (VULCAN).\n\nHephaestus, the son of Zeus and Hera, was the god of fire in its beneficial\naspect, and the presiding deity over all workmanship accomplished by means\nof this useful element. He was universally honoured, not only as the {98}\ngod of all mechanical arts, but also as a house and hearth divinity, who\nexercised a beneficial influence on civilized society in general. Unlike\nthe other Greek divinities, he was ugly and deformed, being awkward in his\nmovements, and limping in his gait. This latter defect originated, as we\nhave already seen, in the wrath of his father Zeus, who hurled him down\nfrom heaven[35] in consequence of his taking the part of Hera, in one of\nthe domestic disagreements, which so frequently arose between this royal\npair. Hephaestus was a whole day falling from Olympus to the earth, where he\nat length alighted on the island of Lemnos. The inhabitants of the country,\nseeing him descending through the air, received him in their arms; but in\nspite of their care, his leg was broken by the fall, and he remained ever\nafterwards lame in one foot. Grateful for the kindness of the Lemnians, he\nhenceforth took up his abode in their island, and there built for himself a\nsuperb palace, and forges for the pursuit of his avocation. He instructed\nthe people how to work in metals, and also taught them other valuable and\nuseful arts.\n\nIt is said that the first work of Hephaestus was a most ingenious throne of\ngold, with secret springs, which he presented to Hera. It was arranged in\nsuch a manner that, once seated, she found herself unable to move, and\nthough all the gods endeavoured to extricate her, their efforts were\nunavailing. Hephaestus thus revenged himself on his mother for the cruelty\nshe had always displayed towards him, on account of his want of comeliness\nand grace. Dionysus, the wine god, contrived, however, to intoxicate\nHephaestus, and then induced him to return to Olympus, where, after having\nreleased the {99} queen of heaven from her very undignified position, he\nbecame reconciled to his parents.\n\nHe now built for himself a glorious palace on Olympus, of shining gold, and\nmade for the other deities those magnificent edifices which they inhabited.\nHe was assisted in his various and exquisitely skilful works of art, by two\nfemale statues of pure gold, formed by his own hand, which possessed the\npower of motion, and always accompanied him wherever he went. With the\nassistance of the Cyclops, he forged for Zeus his wonderful thunderbolts,\nthus investing his mighty father with a new power of terrible import. Zeus\ntestified his appreciation of this precious gift, by bestowing upon\nHephaestus the beautiful Aphrodite in marriage,[36] but this was a\nquestionable boon; for the lovely Aphrodite, who was the personification of\nall grace and beauty, felt no affection for her ungainly and unattractive\nspouse, and amused herself by ridiculing his awkward movements and\nunsightly person. On one occasion especially, when Hephaestus good-naturedly\ntook upon himself the office of cup-bearer to the gods, his hobbling gait\nand extreme awkwardness created the greatest mirth amongst the celestials,\nin which his disloyal partner was the first to join, with unconcealed\nmerriment.\n\nAphrodite greatly preferred Ares to her husband, and this preference\nnaturally gave rise to much jealousy on the part of Hephaestus, and caused\nthem great unhappiness.\n\nHephaestus appears to have been an indispensable member of the Olympic\nAssembly, where he plays the part of smith, armourer, chariot-builder, &c.\nAs already mentioned, he constructed the palaces where the gods resided,\nfashioned the golden shoes with which they trod the air or water, built for\nthem their wonderful chariots, and shod with brass the horses of celestial\nbreed, which conveyed these glittering equipages over land and sea. He also\nmade the tripods which moved of themselves in and out of the celestial\nhalls, formed for Zeus the {100} far-famed aegis, and erected the\nmagnificent palace of the sun. He also created the brazen-footed bulls of\nAetes, which breathed flames from their nostrils, sent forth clouds of\nsmoke, and filled the air with their roaring.\n\nAmong his most renowned works of art for the use of mortals were: the\narmour of Achilles and AEneas, the beautiful necklace of Harmonia, and the\ncrown of Ariadne; but his masterpiece was Pandora, of whom a detailed\naccount has already been given.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThere was a temple on Mount Etna erected in his honour, which none but the\npure and virtuous were permitted to enter. The entrance to this temple was\nguarded by dogs, which possessed the extraordinary faculty of being able to\ndiscriminate between the righteous and the unrighteous, fawning upon and\ncaressing the good, whilst they rushed upon all evil-doers and drove them\naway.\n\nHephaestus is usually represented as a powerful, brawny, and very muscular\nman of middle height and mature age; his strong uplifted arm is raised in\nthe act of striking the anvil with a hammer, which he holds in one hand,\nwhilst with the other he is turning a thunderbolt, which an eagle beside\nhim is waiting to carry to Zeus. The principal seat of his worship was the\nisland of Lemnos, where he was regarded with peculiar veneration.\n\nVULCAN.\n\nThe Roman Vulcan was merely an importation from Greece, which never at any\ntime took firm root in Rome, nor entered largely into the actual life and\nsympathies of the nation, his worship being unattended by the devotional\nfeeling and enthusiasm which characterized the religious rites of the other\ndeities. He still, however, retained in Rome his {101} Greek attributes as\ngod of fire, and unrivalled master of the art of working in metals, and was\nranked among the twelve great gods of Olympus, whose gilded statues were\narranged consecutively along the Forum. His Roman name, Vulcan, would seem\nto indicate a connection with the first great metal-working artificer of\nBiblical history, Tubal-Cain.\n\nPOSEIDON (NEPTUNE).\n\nPoseidon was the son of Kronos and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus. He was\ngod of the sea, more particularly of the Mediterranean, and, like the\nelement over which he presided, was of a variable disposition, now\nviolently agitated, and now calm and placid, for which reason he is\nsometimes represented by the poets as quiet and composed, and at others as\ndisturbed and angry.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIn the earliest ages of Greek mythology, he merely symbolized the watery\nelement; but in later times, as navigation and intercourse with other\nnations engendered greater traffic by sea, Poseidon gained in importance,\nand came to be regarded as a distinct divinity, holding indisputable\ndominion over the sea, and over all sea-divinities, who acknowledged him as\ntheir sovereign ruler. He possessed the power of causing at will, mighty\nand destructive tempests, in which the billows rise mountains high, the\nwind becomes a hurricane, land and sea being enveloped in thick mists,\nwhilst destruction assails the unfortunate mariners exposed to their fury.\nOn the other hand, his alone was the power of stilling the angry {102}\nwaves, of soothing the troubled waters, and granting safe voyages to\nmariners. For this reason, Poseidon was always invoked and propitiated by a\nlibation before a voyage was undertaken, and sacrifices and thanksgivings\nwere gratefully offered to him after a safe and prosperous journey by sea.\n\nThe symbol of his power was the fisherman's fork or trident,[37] by means\nof which he produced earthquakes, raised up islands from the bottom of the\nsea, and caused wells to spring forth out of the earth.\n\nPoseidon was essentially the presiding deity over fishermen, and was on\nthat account, more particularly worshipped and revered in countries\nbordering on the sea-coast, where fish naturally formed a staple commodity\nof trade. He was supposed to vent his displeasure by sending disastrous\ninundations, which completely destroyed whole countries, and were usually\naccompanied by terrible marine monsters, who swallowed up and devoured\nthose whom the floods had spared. It is probable that these sea-monsters\nare the poetical figures which represent the demons of hunger and famine,\nnecessarily accompanying a general inundation.\n\nPoseidon is generally represented as resembling his brother Zeus in\nfeatures, height, and general aspect; but we miss in the countenance of the\nsea-god the kindness and benignity which so pleasingly distinguish his\nmighty brother. The eyes are bright and piercing, and the contour of the\nface somewhat sharper in its outline than that of Zeus, thus corresponding,\nas it were, with his more angry and violent nature. His hair waves in dark,\ndisorderly masses over his shoulders; his chest is broad, and his frame\npowerful and stalwart; he wears a short, curling beard, and a band round\nhis head. He usually appears standing erect in a graceful shell-chariot,\ndrawn by hippocamps, or sea-horses, with golden manes and brazen hoofs, who\nbound over the dancing waves with such wonderful swiftness, that the\nchariot scarcely touches {103} the water. The monsters of the deep,\nacknowledging their mighty lord, gambol playfully around him, whilst the\nsea joyfully smooths a path for the passage of its all-powerful ruler.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe inhabited a beautiful palace at the bottom of the sea at AEgea in Euboea,\nand also possessed a royal residence on Mount Olympus, which, however, he\nonly visited when his presence was required at the council of the gods.\n\nHis wonderful palace beneath the waters was of vast extent; in its lofty\nand capacious halls thousands of his followers could assemble. The exterior\nof the building was of bright gold, which the continual wash of the waters\npreserved untarnished; in the interior, lofty and graceful columns\nsupported the gleaming dome. Everywhere fountains of glistening, silvery\nwater played; everywhere groves and arbours of feathery-leaved sea-plants\nappeared, whilst rocks of pure crystal glistened with all the varied\ncolours of the rainbow. Some of the paths were strewn with white sparkling\nsand, interspersed with jewels, pearls, and amber. This delightful abode\nwas surrounded on all sides by wide fields, where there were whole groves\nof dark purple coralline, and tufts of beautiful scarlet-leaved plants, and\nsea-anemones of every tint. Here grew bright, pinky sea-weeds, mosses of\nall hues and shades, and tall grasses, which, growing upwards, formed\nemerald caves and grottoes such as the Nereides love, whilst fish of\nvarious kinds playfully darted in and out, in the full enjoyment of their\nnative element. Nor was illumination wanting in this fairy-like region,\nwhich at night was lit up by the glow-worms of the deep.\n\nBut although Poseidon ruled with absolute power over the ocean and its\ninhabitants, he nevertheless bowed submissively to the will of the great\nruler of Olympus, and appeared at all times desirous of conciliating him.\nWe {104} find him coming to his aid when emergency demanded, and frequently\nrendering him valuable assistance against his opponents. At the time when\nZeus was harassed by the attacks of the Giants, he proved himself a most\npowerful ally, engaging in single combat with a hideous giant named\nPolybotes, whom he followed over the sea, and at last succeeded in\ndestroying, by hurling upon him the island of Cos.\n\nThese amicable relations between the brothers were, however, sometimes\ninterrupted. Thus, for instance, upon one occasion Poseidon joined Hera and\nAthene in a secret conspiracy to seize upon the ruler of heaven, place him\nin fetters, and deprive him of the sovereign power. The conspiracy being\ndiscovered, Hera, as the chief instigator of this sacrilegious attempt on\nthe divine person of Zeus, was severely chastised, and even beaten, by her\nenraged spouse, as a punishment for her rebellion and treachery, whilst\nPoseidon was condemned, for the space of a whole year, to forego his\ndominion over the sea, and it was at this time that, in conjunction with\nApollo, he built for Laomedon the walls of Troy.\n\nPoseidon married a sea-nymph named Amphitrite, whom he wooed under the form\nof a dolphin. She afterwards became jealous of a beautiful maiden called\nScylla, who was beloved by Poseidon, and in order to revenge herself she\nthrew some herbs into a well where Scylla was bathing, which had the effect\nof metamorphosing her into a monster of terrible aspect, having twelve\nfeet, six heads with six long necks, and a voice which resembled the bark\nof a dog. This awful monster is said to have inhabited a cave at a very\ngreat height in the famous rock which still bears her name,[38] and was\nsupposed to swoop down from her rocky eminence upon every ship that passed,\nand with each of her six heads to secure a victim.\n\nAmphitrite is often represented assisting Poseidon in attaching the\nsea-horses to his chariot.\n\n{105}\n\nThe Cyclops, who have been already alluded to in the history of Cronus,\nwere the sons of Poseidon and Amphitrite. They were a wild race of gigantic\ngrowth, similar in their nature to the earth-born Giants, and had only one\neye each in the middle of their foreheads. They led a lawless life,\npossessing neither social manners nor fear of the gods, and were the\nworkmen of Hephaestus, whose workshop was supposed to be in the heart of the\nvolcanic mountain AEtna.\n\nHere we have another striking instance of the manner in which the Greeks\npersonified the powers of nature, which they saw in active operation around\nthem. They beheld with awe, mingled with astonishment, the fire, stones,\nand ashes which poured forth from the summit of this and other volcanic\nmountains, and, with their vivacity of imagination, found a solution of the\nmystery in the supposition, that the god of Fire must be busy at work with\nhis men in the depths of the earth, and that the mighty flames which they\nbeheld, issued in this manner from his subterranean forge.\n\nThe chief representative of the Cyclops was the man-eating monster\nPolyphemus, described by Homer as having been blinded and outwitted at last\nby Odysseus. This monster fell in love with a beautiful nymph called\nGalatea; but, as may be supposed, his addresses were not acceptable to the\nfair maiden, who rejected them in favour of a youth named Acis, upon which\nPolyphemus, with his usual barbarity, destroyed the life of his rival by\nthrowing upon him a gigantic rock. The blood of the murdered Acis, gushing\nout of the rock, formed a stream which still bears his name.\n\nTriton, Rhoda,[39] and Benthesicyme were also children of Poseidon and\nAmphitrite.\n\nThe sea-god was the father of two giant sons called Otus and Ephialtes.[40]\nWhen only nine years old they {106} were said to be twenty-seven cubits[41]\nin height and nine in breadth. These youthful giants were as rebellious as\nthey were powerful, even presuming to threaten the gods themselves with\nhostilities. During the war of the Gigantomachia, they endeavoured to scale\nheaven by piling mighty mountains one upon another. Already had they\nsucceeded in placing Mount Ossa on Olympus and Pelion on Ossa, when this\nimpious project was frustrated by Apollo, who destroyed them with his\narrows. It was supposed that had not their lives been thus cut off before\nreaching maturity, their sacrilegious designs would have been carried into\neffect.\n\nPelias and Neleus were also sons of Poseidon. Their mother Tyro was\nattached to the river-god Enipeus, whose form Poseidon assumed, and thus\nwon her love. Pelias became afterwards famous in the story of the\nArgonauts, and Neleus was the father of Nestor, who was distinguished in\nthe Trojan War.\n\nThe Greeks believed that it was to Poseidon they were indebted for the\nexistence of the horse, which he is said to have produced in the following\nmanner: Athene and Poseidon both claiming the right to name Cecropia (the\nancient name of Athens), a violent dispute arose, which was finally settled\nby an assembly of the Olympian gods, who decided that whichever of the\ncontending parties presented mankind with the most useful gift, should\nobtain the privilege of naming the city. Upon this Poseidon struck the\nground with his trident, and the horse sprang forth in all his untamed\nstrength and graceful beauty. From the spot which Athene touched with her\nwand, issued the olive-tree, whereupon the gods unanimously awarded to her\nthe victory, declaring her gift to be the emblem of peace and plenty,\nwhilst that of Poseidon was thought to be the symbol of war and {107}\nbloodshed. Athene accordingly called the city Athens, after herself, and it\nhas ever since retained this name.\n\nPoseidon tamed the horse for the use of mankind, and was believed to have\ntaught men the art of managing horses by the bridle. The Isthmian games (so\nnamed because they were held on the Isthmus of Corinth), in which horse and\nchariot races were a distinguishing feature, were instituted in honour of\nPoseidon.\n\nHe was more especially worshipped in the Peloponnesus, though universally\nrevered throughout Greece and in the south of Italy. His sacrifices were\ngenerally black and white bulls, also wild boars and rams. His usual\nattributes are the trident, horse, and dolphin.\n\nIn some parts of Greece this divinity was identified with the sea-god\nNereus, for which reason the Nereides, or daughters of Nereus, are\nrepresented as accompanying him.\n\nNEPTUNE.\n\nThe Romans worshipped Poseidon under the name of Neptune, and invested him\nwith all the attributes which belong to the Greek divinity.\n\nThe Roman commanders never undertook any naval expedition without\npropitiating Neptune by a sacrifice.\n\nHis temple at Rome was in the Campus Martius, and the festivals\ncommemorated in his honour were called Neptunalia.\n\n * * * * *\n\nSEA DIVINITIES.\n\nOCEANUS.\n\nOceanus was the son of Uranus and Gaea. He was the personification of the\never-flowing stream, which, according to the primitive notions of the early\nGreeks, encircled the world, and from which sprang all the rivers and\nstreams that watered the earth. He was married to Tethys, one of the\nTitans, and was the father of a {108} numerous progeny called the\nOceanides, who are said to have been three thousand in number. He alone, of\nall the Titans, refrained from taking part against Zeus in the\nTitanomachia, and was, on that account, the only one of the primeval\ndivinities permitted to retain his dominion under the new dynasty.\n\nNEREUS.\n\nNereus appears to have been the personification of the sea in its calm and\nplacid moods, and was, after Poseidon, the most important of the\nsea-deities. He is represented as a kind and benevolent old man, possessing\nthe gift of prophecy, and presiding more particularly over the AEgean Sea,\nof which he was considered to be the protecting spirit. There he dwelt with\nhis wife Doris and their fifty blooming daughters, the Nereides, beneath\nthe waves in a beautiful grotto-palace, and was ever ready to assist\ndistressed mariners in the hour of danger.\n\nPROTEUS.\n\nProteus, more familiarly known as \"The Old Man of the Sea,\" was a son of\nPoseidon, and gifted with prophetic power. But he had an invincible\nobjection to being consulted in his capacity as seer, and those who wished\nhim to foretell events, watched for the hour of noon, when he was in the\nhabit of coming up to the island of Pharos,[42] with Poseidon's flock of\nseals, which he tended at the bottom of the sea. Surrounded by these\ncreatures of the deep, he used to slumber beneath the grateful shade of the\nrocks. This was the favourable moment to seize the prophet, who, in order\nto avoid importunities, would change himself into an infinite variety of\nforms. But patience gained the day; for if he were only held long enough,\nhe became wearied at last, and, resuming his true form, gave the\ninformation desired, after which he dived down again to the bottom of the\nsea, accompanied by the animals he tended.\n\n{109}\n\n[Illustration]\n\nTRITON and the TRITONS.\n\nTriton was the only son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, but he possessed little\ninfluence, being altogether a minor divinity. He is usually represented as\npreceding his father and acting as his trumpeter, using a conch-shell for\nthis purpose. He lived with his parents in their beautiful golden palace\nbeneath the sea at AEgea, and his favourite pastime was to ride over the\nbillows on horses or sea-monsters. Triton is always represented as half\nman, half fish, the body below the waist terminating in the tail of a\ndolphin. We frequently find mention of Tritons who are either the offspring\nor kindred of Triton.\n\nGLAUCUS.\n\nGlaucus is said to have become a sea-divinity in the following manner.\nWhile angling one day, he observed that the fish he caught and threw on the\nbank, at once nibbled at the grass and then leaped back into the water. His\ncuriosity was naturally excited, and he proceeded to gratify it by taking\nup a few blades and tasting them. No sooner was this done than, obeying an\nirresistible impulse, he precipitated himself into the deep, and became a\nsea-god.\n\nLike most sea-divinities he was gifted with prophetic power, and each year\nvisited all the islands and coasts with a train of marine monsters,\nforetelling all kinds of evil. Hence fishermen dreaded his approach, and\nendeavoured, by prayer and fasting, to avert the misfortunes which he\nprophesied. He is often represented floating on the billows, his body\ncovered with mussels, sea-weed, and shells, wearing a full beard and long\nflowing hair, and bitterly bewailing his immortality.\n\n{110}\n\nTHETIS.\n\nThe silver-footed, fair-haired Thetis, who plays an important part in the\nmythology of Greece, was the daughter of Nereus, or, as some assert, of\nPoseidon. Her grace and beauty were so remarkable that Zeus and Poseidon\nboth sought an alliance with her; but, as it had been foretold that a son\nof hers would gain supremacy over his father, they relinquished their\nintentions, and she became the wife of Peleus, son of AEacus. Like Proteus,\nThetis possessed the power of transforming herself into a variety of\ndifferent shapes, and when wooed by Peleus she exerted this power in order\nto elude him. But, knowing that persistence would eventually succeed, he\nheld her fast until she assumed her true form. Their nuptials were\ncelebrated with the utmost pomp and magnificence, and were honoured by the\npresence of all the gods and goddesses, with the exception of Eris. How the\ngoddess of discord resented her exclusion from the marriage festivities has\nalready been shown.\n\nThetis ever retained great influence over the mighty lord of heaven, which,\nas we shall see hereafter, she used in favour of her renowned son,\nAchilles, in the Trojan War.\n\nWhen Halcyone plunged into the sea in despair after the shipwreck and death\nof her husband King Ceyx, Thetis transformed both husband and wife into the\nbirds called kingfishers (halcyones), which, with the tender affection\nwhich characterized the unfortunate couple, always fly in pairs. The idea\nof the ancients was that these birds brought forth their young in nests,\nwhich float on the surface of the sea in calm weather, before and after the\nshortest day, when Thetis was said to keep the waters smooth and tranquil\nfor their especial benefit; hence the term \"halcyon-days,\" which signifies\na period of rest and untroubled felicity.\n\n{111}\n\nTHAUMAS, PHORCYS, and CETO.\n\nThe early Greeks, with their extraordinary power of personifying all and\nevery attribute of Nature, gave a distinct personality to those mighty\nwonders of the deep, which, in all ages, have afforded matter of\nspeculation to educated and uneducated alike. Among these personifications\nwe find Thaumas, Phorcys, and their sister Ceto, who were the offspring of\nPontus.\n\nThaumas (whose name signifies Wonder) typifies that peculiar, translucent\ncondition of the surface of the sea when it reflects, mirror-like, various\nimages, and appears to hold in its transparent embrace the flaming stars\nand illuminated cities, which are so frequently reflected on its glassy\nbosom.\n\nThaumas married the lovely Electra (whose name signifies the sparkling\nlight produced by electricity), daughter of Oceanus. Her amber-coloured\nhair was of such rare beauty that none of her fair-haired sisters could\ncompare with her, and when she wept, her tears, being too precious to be\nlost, formed drops of shining amber.\n\nPhorcys and Ceto personified more especially the hidden perils and terrors\nof the ocean. They were the parents of the Gorgons, the Graea, and the\nDragon which guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nLEUCOTHEA.\n\nLeucothea was originally a mortal named Ino, daughter of Cadmus, king of\nThebes. She married Athamas, king of Orchomenus, who, incensed at her\nunnatural conduct to her step-children,[43] pursued her and her son to the\nsea-shore, when, seeing no hope of escape, she flung herself with her child\ninto the deep. They were kindly received by the Nereides, and became\nsea-divinities under the name of Leucothea and Palaemon.\n\n{112}\n\nTHE SIRENS.\n\nThe Sirens would appear to have been personifications of those numerous\nrocks and unseen dangers, which abound on the S.W. coast of Italy. They\nwere sea-nymphs, with the upper part of the body that of a maiden and the\nlower that of a sea-bird, having wings attached to their shoulders, and\nwere endowed with such wonderful voices, that their sweet songs are said to\nhave lured mariners to destruction.\n\nARES (MARS).\n\nAres, the son of Zeus and Hera, was the god of war, who gloried in strife\nfor its own sake; he loved the tumult and havoc of the battlefield, and\ndelighted in slaughter and extermination; in fact he presents no benevolent\naspect which could possibly react favourably upon human life.\n\nEpic poets, in particular, represent the god of battles as a wild\nungovernable warrior, who passes through the armies like a whirlwind,\nhurling to the ground the brave and cowardly alike; destroying chariots and\nhelmets, and triumphing over the terrible desolation which he produces.\n\nIn all the myths concerning Ares, his sister Athene ever appears in\nopposition to him, endeavouring by every means in her power to defeat his\nbloodthirsty designs. Thus she assists the divine hero Diomedes at the\nsiege of Troy, to overcome Ares in battle, and so well does he profit by\nher timely aid, that he succeeds in wounding the sanguinary war-god, who\nmakes his exit from the field, roaring like ten thousand bulls.\n\n{113}\n\nAres appears to have been an object of aversion to all the gods of Olympus,\nAphrodite alone excepted. As the son of Hera, he had inherited from his\nmother the strongest feelings of independence and contradiction, and as he\ntook delight in upsetting that peaceful course of state-life which it was\npre-eminently the care of Zeus to establish, he was naturally disliked and\neven hated by him.\n\nWhen wounded by Diomedes, as above related, he complains to his father, but\nreceives no sympathy from the otherwise kindly and beneficent ruler of\nOlympus, who thus angrily addresses him: \"Do not trouble me with thy\ncomplaints, thou who art of all the gods of Olympus most hateful to me, for\nthou delightest in nought save war and strife. The very spirit of thy\nmother lives in thee, and wert thou not my son, long ago wouldst thou have\nlain deeper down in the bowels of the earth than the son of Uranus.\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAres, upon one occasion, incurred the anger of Poseidon by slaying his son\nHalirrhothios, who had insulted Alcippe, the daughter of the war-god. For\nthis deed, Poseidon summoned Ares to appear before the tribunal of the\nOlympic gods, which was held upon a hill in Athens. Ares was acquitted, and\nthis event is supposed to have given rise to the name Areopagus (or Hill of\nAres), which afterwards became so famous as a court of justice. In the\nGigantomachia, Ares was defeated by the Aloidae, the two giant-sons of\nPoseidon, who put him in chains, and kept him in prison for thirteen\nmonths.\n\nAres is represented as a man of youthful appearance; his tall muscular form\ncombines great strength with wonderful agility. In his right hand he bears\na sword or a mighty lance, while on the left arm he carries his round\nshield (see next page). His demoniacal surroundings are Terror and\nFear;[44] Enyo, the goddess of the war-cry; Keidomos, the demon of the\nnoise of battles; and Eris (Contention), his twin-sister and companion, who\nalways {114} precedes his chariot when he rushes to the fight, the latter\nbeing evidently a simile of the poets to express the fact that war follows\ncontention.\n\nEris is represented as a woman of florid complexion, with dishevelled hair,\nand her whole appearance angry and menacing. In one hand she brandishes a\nponiard and a hissing adder, whilst in the other she carries a burning\ntorch. Her dress is torn and disorderly, and her hair intertwined with\nvenomous snakes. This divinity was never invoked by mortals, except when\nthey desired her assistance for the accomplishment of evil purposes.\n\nMARS.\n\nThe Roman divinity most closely resembling the Greek Ares, and identified\nwith him, was called Mars, Mamers, and Marspiter or Father Mars.\n\nThe earliest Italian tribes, who were mostly engaged in the pursuit of\nhusbandry, regarded this deity more especially as the god of spring, who\nvanquished the powers of winter, and encouraged the peaceful arts of\nagriculture. But with the Romans, who were an essentially warlike nation,\nMars gradually loses his peaceful character, and, as god of war, attains,\nafter Jupiter, the highest position among the Olympic gods. The Romans\nlooked upon him as their special protector, and declared him to have been\nthe father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of their city. But although\nhe was especially {115} worshipped in Rome as god of war, he still\ncontinued to preside over agriculture, and was also the protecting deity\nwho watched over the welfare of the state.\n\nAs the god who strode with warlike step to the battlefield, he was called\nGradivus (from _gradus_, a step), it being popularly believed by the Romans\nthat he himself marched before them to battle, and acted as their invisible\nprotector. As the presiding deity over agriculture, he was styled Sylvanus,\nwhilst in his character as guardian of the state, he bore the name of\nQuirinus.[45]\n\nThe priests of Mars were twelve in number, and were called Salii, or the\ndancers, from the fact that sacred dances, in full armour, formed an\nimportant item in their peculiar ceremonial. This religious order, the\nmembers of which were always chosen from the noblest families in Rome, was\nfirst instituted by Numa Pompilius, who intrusted to their special charge\nthe Anciliae, or sacred shields. It is said that one morning, when Numa was\nimploring the protection of Jupiter for the newly-founded city of Rome, the\ngod of heaven, as though in answer to his prayer, sent down an oblong\nbrazen shield, and, as it fell at the feet of the king, a voice was heard\nannouncing that on its preservation depended the future safety and\nprosperity of Rome. In order, therefore, to lessen the chances of this\nsacred treasure being abstracted, Numa caused eleven more to be made\nexactly like it, which were then given into the care of the Salii.\n\nThe assistance and protection of the god of war was always solemnly invoked\nbefore the departure of a Roman army for the field of battle, and any\nreverses of fortune were invariably ascribed to his anger, which was\naccordingly propitiated by means of extraordinary sin-offerings and\nprayers.\n\nIn Rome a field, called the Campus Martius, was dedicated to Mars. It was a\nlarge, open space, in which armies were collected and reviewed, general\nassemblies of {116} the people held, and the young nobility trained to\nmartial exercises.\n\nThe most celebrated and magnificent of the numerous temples built by the\nRomans in honour of this deity was the one erected by Augustus in the\nForum, to commemorate the overthrow of the murderers of Caesar.\n\nOf all existing statues of Mars the most renowned is that in the Villa\nLudovisi at Rome, in which he is represented as a powerful, muscular man in\nthe full vigour of youth. The attitude is that of thoughtful repose, but\nthe short, curly hair, dilated nostrils, and strongly marked features leave\nno doubt as to the force and turbulence of his character. At his feet, the\nsculptor has placed the little god of love, who looks up all undaunted at\nthe mighty war-god, as though mischievously conscious that this unusually\nquiet mood is attributable to his influence.\n\nReligious festivals in honour of Mars were generally held in the month of\nMarch; but he had also a festival on the Ides of October, when\nchariot-races took place, after which, the right-hand horse of the team\nwhich had drawn the victorious chariot, was sacrificed to him. In ancient\ntimes, human sacrifices, more especially prisoners of war, were offered to\nhim; but, at a later period, this cruel practice was discontinued.\n\nThe attributes of this divinity are the helmet, shield, and spear. The\nanimals consecrated to him were the wolf, horse, vulture, and woodpecker.\n\nIntimately associated with Mars in his character as god of war, was a\ngoddess called BELLONA, who was evidently the female divinity of battle\nwith one or other of the primitive nations of Italy (most probably the\nSabines), and is usually seen accompanying Mars, whose war-chariot she\nguides. Bellona appears on the battle-field, inspired with mad rage,\ncruelty, and the love of extermination. She is in full armour, her hair is\ndishevelled, and she bears a scourge in one hand, and a lance in the other.\n\nA temple was erected to her on the Campus Martius. Before the entrance to\nthis edifice stood a pillar, over which a spear was thrown when war was\npublicly declared. {117}\n\nNIKE (VICTORIA).\n\nNike, the goddess of victory, was the daughter of the Titan Pallas, and of\nStyx, the presiding nymph of the river of that name in the lower world.\n\nIn her statues, Nike somewhat resembles Athene, but may easily be\nrecognized by her large, graceful wings and flowing drapery, which is\nnegligently fastened on the right shoulder, and only partially conceals her\nlovely form. In her left hand, she holds aloft a crown of laurel, and in\nthe right, a palm-branch. In ancient sculpture, Nike is usually represented\nin connection with colossal statues of Zeus or Pallas-Athene, in which case\nshe is life-sized, and stands on a ball, held in the open palm of the deity\nshe accompanies. Sometimes she is represented engaged in inscribing the\nvictory of a conqueror on his shield, her right foot being slightly raised\nand placed on a ball.\n\nA celebrated temple was erected to this divinity on the Acropolis at\nAthens, which is still to be seen, and is in excellent preservation.\n\nVICTORIA.\n\nUnder the name of Victoria, Nike was highly honoured by the Romans, with\nwhom love of conquest was an all-absorbing characteristic. There were\nseveral sanctuaries in Rome dedicated to her, the principal of which was on\nthe Capitol, where it was the custom of generals, after success had\nattended their arms, to erect statues of the goddess in commemoration of\ntheir victories. The most magnificent of these statues, was that raised by\nAugustus after the battle of Actium. A festival was celebrated in honour of\nNike on the 12th of April.\n\nHERMES (MERCURY).\n\nHermes was the swift-footed messenger, and trusted ambassador of all the\ngods, and conductor of shades to Hades. He presided over the rearing and\neducation of {118} the young, and encouraged gymnastic exercises and\nathletic pursuits, for which reason, all gymnasiums and wrestling schools\nthroughout Greece were adorned with his statues. He is said to have\ninvented the alphabet, and to have taught the art of interpreting foreign\nlanguages, and his versatility, sagacity, and cunning were so\nextraordinary, that Zeus invariably chose him as his attendant, when,\ndisguised as a mortal, he journeyed on earth.\n\nHermes was worshipped as god of eloquence, most probably from the fact\nthat, in his office as ambassador, this faculty was indispensable to the\nsuccessful issue of the negotiations with which he was intrusted. He was\nregarded as the god who granted increase and prosperity to flocks and\nherds, and, on this account, was worshipped with special veneration by\nherdsmen.\n\nIn ancient times, trade was conducted chiefly by means of the exchange of\ncattle. Hermes, therefore, as god of herdsmen, came to be regarded as the\nprotector of merchants, and, as ready wit and adroitness are valuable\nqualities both in buying and selling, he was also looked upon as the patron\nof artifice and cunning. Indeed, so deeply was this notion rooted in the\nminds of the Greek people, that he was popularly believed to be also god of\nthieves, and of all persons who live by their wits.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAs the patron of commerce, Hermes was naturally supposed to be the promoter\nof intercourse among nations; hence, he is essentially the god of\ntravellers, over whose safety he presided, and he severely punished those\nwho refused assistance to the lost or weary wayfarer. He was also guardian\nof streets and roads, and his statues, called Hermae (which were pillars of\nstone surmounted by a head of Hermes), were placed at cross-roads, and\nfrequently in streets and public squares.\n\nBeing the god of all undertakings in which gain was a feature, he was\nworshipped as the giver of wealth and {119} good luck, and any unexpected\nstroke of fortune was attributed to his influence. He also presided over\nthe game of dice, in which he is said to have been instructed by Apollo.\n\nHermes was the son of Zeus and Maia, the eldest and most beautiful of the\nseven Pleiades (daughters of Atlas), and was born in a cave of Mount\nCyllene in Arcadia. As a mere babe, he exhibited an extraordinary faculty\nfor cunning and dissimulation; in fact, he was a thief from his cradle,\nfor, not many hours after his birth, we find him creeping stealthily out of\nthe cave in which he was born, in order to steal some oxen belonging to his\nbrother Apollo, who was at this time feeding the flocks of Admetus. But he\nhad not proceeded very far on his expedition before he found a tortoise,\nwhich he killed, and, stretching seven strings across the empty shell,\ninvented a lyre, upon which he at once began to play with exquisite skill.\nWhen he had sufficiently amused himself with the instrument, he placed it\nin his cradle, and then resumed his journey to Pieria, where the cattle of\nAdmetus were grazing. Arriving at sunset at his destination, he succeeded\nin separating fifty oxen from his brother's herd, which he now drove before\nhim, taking the precaution to cover his feet with sandals made of twigs of\nmyrtle, in order to escape detection. But the little rogue was not\nunobserved, for the theft had been witnessed by an old shepherd named\nBattus, who was tending the flocks of Neleus, king of Pylos (father of\nNestor). Hermes, frightened at being discovered, bribed him with the finest\ncow in the herd not to betray him, and Battus promised to keep the secret.\nBut Hermes, astute as he was dishonest, determined to test the shepherd's\nintegrity. Feigning to go away, he assumed the form of Admetus, and then\nreturning to the spot offered the old man two of his best oxen if he would\ndisclose the author of the theft. The ruse succeeded, for the avaricious\nshepherd, unable to resist the tempting bait, gave the desired information,\nupon which Hermes, exerting his divine power, changed him into a lump of\ntouchstone, as a {120} punishment for his treachery and avarice. Hermes now\nkilled two of the oxen, which he sacrificed to himself and the other gods,\nconcealing the remainder in the cave. He then carefully extinguished the\nfire, and, after throwing his twig shoes into the river Alpheus, returned\nto Cyllene.\n\nApollo, by means of his all-seeing power, soon discovered who it was that\nhad robbed him, and hastening to Cyllene, demanded restitution of his\nproperty. On his complaining to Maia of her son's conduct, she pointed to\nthe innocent babe then lying, apparently fast asleep, in his cradle,\nwhereupon, Apollo angrily aroused the pretended sleeper, and charged him\nwith the theft; but the child stoutly denied all knowledge of it, and so\ncleverly did he play his part, that he even inquired in the most naive\nmanner what sort of animals cows were. Apollo threatened to throw him into\nTartarus if he would not confess the truth, but all to no purpose. At last,\nhe seized the babe in his arms, and brought him into the presence of his\naugust father, who was seated in the council chamber of the gods. Zeus\nlistened to the charge made by Apollo, and then sternly desired Hermes to\nsay where he had hidden the cattle. The child, who was still in\nswaddling-clothes, looked up bravely into his father's face and said, \"Now,\ndo I look capable of driving away a herd of cattle; I, who was only born\nyesterday, and whose feet are much too soft and tender to tread in rough\nplaces? Until this moment, I lay in sweet sleep on my mother's bosom, and\nhave never even crossed the threshold of our dwelling. You know well that I\nam not guilty; but, if you wish, I will affirm it by the most solemn\noaths.\" As the child stood before him, looking the picture of innocence,\nZeus could not refrain from smiling at his cleverness and cunning, but,\nbeing perfectly aware of his guilt, he commanded him to conduct Apollo to\nthe cave where he had concealed the herd, and Hermes, seeing that further\nsubterfuge was useless, unhesitatingly obeyed. But when the divine shepherd\nwas about to drive his cattle back into Pieria, Hermes, as though by\nchance, touched the chords of his {121} lyre. Hitherto Apollo had heard\nnothing but the music of his own three-stringed lyre and the syrinx, or\nPan's pipe, and, as he listened entranced to the delightful strains of this\nnew instrument, his longing to possess it became so great, that he gladly\noffered the oxen in exchange, promising at the same time, to give Hermes\nfull dominion over flocks and herds, as well as over horses, and all the\nwild animals of the woods and forests. The offer was accepted, and, a\nreconciliation being thus effected between the brothers, Hermes became\nhenceforth god of herdsmen, whilst Apollo devoted himself enthusiastically\nto the art of music.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThey now proceeded together to Olympus, where Apollo introduced Hermes as\nhis chosen friend and companion, and, having made him swear by the Styx,\nthat he would never steal his lyre or bow, nor invade his sanctuary at\nDelphi, he presented him with the Caduceus, or golden wand. This wand was\nsurmounted by wings, and on presenting it to Hermes, Apollo informed him\nthat it possessed the faculty of uniting in love, all beings divided by\nhate. Wishing to prove the truth of this assertion, Hermes threw it down\nbetween two snakes which were fighting, whereupon the angry combatants\nclasped each other in a loving embrace, and curling round the staff,\nremained ever after permanently attached to it. The wand itself typified\npower; the serpents, wisdom; and the wings, despatch--all qualities\ncharacteristic of a trustworthy ambassador.\n\nThe young god was now presented by his father with a winged silver cap\n(Petasus), and also with silver wings for his feet (Talaria), and was\nforthwith appointed herald of the gods, and conductor of shades to Hades,\nwhich office had hitherto been filled by Aides.\n\nAs messenger of the gods, we find him employed on all occasions requiring\nspecial skill, tact, or despatch. Thus he conducts Hera, Athene, and\nAphrodite to Paris, leads Priam to Achilles to demand the body of Hector,\n{122} binds Prometheus to Mount Caucasus, secures Ixion to the eternally\nrevolving wheel, destroys Argus, the hundred-eyed guardian of Io, &c. &c.\n\nAs conductor of shades, Hermes was always invoked by the dying to grant\nthem a safe and speedy passage across the Styx. He also possessed the power\nof bringing back departed spirits to the upper world, and was, therefore,\nthe mediator between the living and the dead.\n\nThe poets relate many amusing stories of the youthful tricks played by this\nmischief-loving god upon the other immortals. For instance, he had the\naudacity to extract the Medusa's head from the shield of Athene, which he\nplayfully attached to the back of Hephaestus; he also stole the girdle of\nAphrodite; deprived Artemis of her arrows, and Ares of his spear, but these\nacts were always performed with such graceful dexterity, combined with such\nperfect good humour, that even the gods and goddesses he thus provoked,\nwere fain to pardon him, and he became a universal favourite with them all.\n\nIt is said that Hermes was one day flying over Athens, when, looking down\ninto the city, he beheld a number of maidens returning in solemn procession\nfrom the temple of Pallas-Athene. Foremost among them was Herse, the\nbeautiful daughter of king Cecrops, and Hermes was so struck with her\nexceeding loveliness that he determined to seek an interview with her. He\naccordingly presented himself at the royal palace, and begged her sister\nAgraulos to favour his suit; but, being of an avaricious turn of mind, she\nrefused to do so without the payment of an enormous sum of money. It did\nnot take the messenger of the gods long to obtain the means of fulfilling\nthis condition, and he soon returned with a well-filled purse. But\nmeanwhile Athene, to punish the cupidity of Agraulos, had caused the demon\nof envy to take possession of her, and the consequence was, that, being\nunable to contemplate the happiness of her sister, she sat down before the\ndoor, and resolutely refused to allow Hermes to enter. He tried every\npersuasion and blandishment in his power, but she still remained obstinate.\nAt last, his patience {123} being exhausted, he changed her into a mass of\nblack stone, and, the obstacle to his wishes being removed, he succeeded in\npersuading Herse to become his wife.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIn his statues, Hermes is represented as a beardless youth, with broad\nchest and graceful but muscular limbs; the face is handsome and\nintelligent, and a genial smile of kindly benevolence plays round the\ndelicately chiselled lips.\n\nAs messenger of the gods he wears the Petasus and Talaria, and bears in his\nhand the Caduceus or herald's staff.\n\nAs god of eloquence, he is often represented with chains of gold hanging\nfrom his lips, whilst, as the patron of merchants, he bears a purse in his\nhand.\n\nThe wonderful excavations in Olympia, to which allusion has already been\nmade, have brought to light an exquisite marble group of Hermes and the\ninfant Bacchus, by Praxiteles. In this great work of art, Hermes is\nrepresented as a young and handsome man, who is looking down kindly and\naffectionately at the child resting on his arm, but unfortunately nothing\nremains of the infant save the right hand, which is laid lovingly on the\nshoulder of his protector.\n\nThe sacrifices to Hermes consisted of incense, honey, cakes, pigs, and\nespecially lambs and young goats. As god of eloquence, the tongues of\nanimals were sacrificed to him.\n\nMERCURY.\n\nMercury was the Roman god of commerce and gain. We find mention of a temple\nhaving been erected to him {124} near the Circus Maximus as early as B.C.\n495; and he had also a temple and a sacred fount near the Porta Capena.\nMagic powers were ascribed to the latter, and on the festival of Mercury,\nwhich took place on the 25th of May, it was the custom for merchants to\nsprinkle themselves and their merchandise with this holy water, in order to\ninsure large profits from their wares.\n\nThe Fetiales (Roman priests whose duty it was to act as guardians of the\npublic faith) refused to recognize the identity of Mercury with Hermes, and\nordered him to be represented with a sacred branch as the emblem of peace,\ninstead of the Caduceus. In later times, however, he was completely\nidentified with the Greek Hermes.\n\nDIONYSUS (BACCHUS).\n\nDionysus, also called Bacchus (from _bacca_, berry), was the god of wine,\nand the personification of the blessings of Nature in general.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe worship of this divinity, which is supposed to have been introduced\ninto Greece from Asia (in all probability from India), first took root in\nThrace, whence it gradually spread into other parts of Greece.\n\nDionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, and was snatched by Zeus from the\ndevouring flames in which his mother perished, when he appeared to her in\nall the splendour of his divine glory. The motherless child was intrusted\nto the charge of Hermes, who conveyed him to Semele's sister, Ino. But\nHera, still implacable in her vengeance, visited Athamas, the husband of\nIno, with madness, {125} and the child's life being no longer safe, he was\ntransferred to the fostering care of the nymphs of Mount Nysa. An aged\nsatyr named Silenus, the son of Pan, took upon himself the office of\nguardian and preceptor to the young god, who, in his turn, became much\nattached to his kind tutor; hence we see Silenus always figuring as one of\nthe chief personages in the various expeditions of the wine-god.\n\nDionysus passed an innocent and uneventful childhood, roaming through the\nwoods and forests, surrounded by nymphs, satyrs, and shepherds. During one\nof these rambles, he found a fruit growing wild, of a most refreshing and\ncooling nature. This was the vine, from which he subsequently learnt to\nextract a juice which formed a most exhilarating beverage. After his\ncompanions had partaken freely of it, they felt their whole being pervaded\nby an unwonted sense of pleasurable excitement, and gave full vent to their\noverflowing exuberance, by shouting, singing, and dancing. Their numbers\nwere soon swelled by a crowd, eager to taste a beverage productive of such\nextraordinary results, and anxious to join in the worship of a divinity to\nwhom they were indebted for this new enjoyment. Dionysus, on his part,\nseeing how agreeably his discovery had affected his immediate followers,\nresolved to extend the boon to mankind in general. He saw that wine, used\nin moderation, would enable man to enjoy a happier, and more sociable\nexistence, and that, under its invigorating influence, the sorrowful might,\nfor a while, forget their grief and the sick their pain. He accordingly\ngathered round him his zealous followers, and they set forth on their\ntravels, planting the vine and teaching its cultivation wherever they went.\n\nWe now behold Dionysus at the head of a large army composed of men, women,\nfauns, and satyrs, all bearing in their hands the Thyrsus (a staff entwined\nwith vine-branches surmounted by a fir-cone), and clashing together cymbals\nand other musical instruments. Seated in a chariot drawn by panthers, and\naccompanied by thousands of enthusiastic followers, Dionysus made a\ntriumphal {126} progress through Syria, Egypt, Arabia, India, &c.,\nconquering all before him, founding cities, and establishing on every side\na more civilized and sociable mode of life among the inhabitants of the\nvarious countries through which he passed.\n\nWhen Dionysus returned to Greece from his Eastern expedition, he\nencountered great opposition from Lycurgus, king of Thrace, and Pentheus,\nking of Thebes. The former, highly disapproving of the wild revels which\nattended the worship of the wine-god, drove away his attendants, the nymphs\nof Nysa, from that sacred mountain, and so effectually intimidated\nDionysus, that he precipitated himself into the sea, where he was received\ninto the arms of the ocean-nymph, Thetis. But the impious king bitterly\nexpiated his sacrilegious conduct. He was punished with the loss of his\nreason, and, during one of his mad paroxysms, killed his own son Dryas,\nwhom he mistook for a vine.\n\nPentheus, king of Thebes, seeing his subjects so completely infatuated by\nthe riotous worship of this new divinity, and fearing the demoralizing\neffects of the unseemly nocturnal orgies held in honour of the wine-god,\nstrictly prohibited his people from taking any part in the wild\nBacchanalian revels. Anxious to save him from the consequences of his\nimpiety, Dionysus appeared to him under the form of a youth in the king's\ntrain, and earnestly warned him to desist from his denunciations. But the\nwell-meant admonition failed in its purpose, for Pentheus only became more\nincensed at this interference, and, commanding Dionysus to be cast into\nprison, caused the most cruel preparations to be made for his immediate\nexecution. But the god soon freed himself from his ignoble confinement, for\nscarcely had his jailers departed, ere the prison-doors opened of\nthemselves, and, bursting asunder his iron chains, he escaped to rejoin his\ndevoted followers.\n\nMeanwhile, the mother of the king and her sisters, inspired with\nBacchanalian fury, had repaired to Mount Cithaeron, in order to join the\nworshippers of the {127} wine-god in those dreadful orgies which were\nsolemnized exclusively by women, and at which no man was allowed to be\npresent. Enraged at finding his commands thus openly disregarded by the\nmembers of his own family, Pentheus resolved to witness for himself the\nexcesses of which he had heard such terrible reports, and for this purpose,\nconcealed himself behind a tree on Mount Cithaeron; but his hiding-place\nbeing discovered, he was dragged out by the half-maddened crew of\nBacchantes and, horrible to relate, he was torn in pieces by his own mother\nAgave and her two sisters.\n\nAn incident which occurred to Dionysus on one of his travels has been a\nfavourite subject with the classic poets. One day, as some Tyrrhenian\npirates approached the shores of Greece, they beheld Dionysus, in the form\nof a beautiful youth, attired in radiant garments. Thinking to secure a\nrich prize, they seized him, bound him, and conveyed him on board their\nvessel, resolved to carry him with them to Asia and there sell him as a\nslave. But the fetters dropped from his limbs, and the pilot, who was the\nfirst to perceive the miracle, called upon his companions to restore the\nyouth carefully to the spot whence they had taken him, assuring them that\nhe was a god, and that adverse winds and storms would, in all probability,\nresult from their impious conduct. But, refusing to part with their\nprisoner, they set sail for the open sea. Suddenly, to the alarm of all on\nboard, the ship stood still, masts and sails were covered with clustering\nvines and wreaths of ivy-leaves, streams of fragrant wine inundated the\nvessel, and heavenly strains of music were heard around. The terrified\ncrew, too late repentant, crowded round the pilot for protection, and\nentreated him to steer for the shore. But the hour of retribution had\narrived. Dionysus assumed the form of a lion, whilst beside him appeared a\nbear, which, with a terrific roar, rushed upon the captain and tore him in\npieces; the sailors, in an agony of terror, leaped overboard, and were\nchanged into dolphins. The discreet and pious steersman was alone permitted\nto escape the fate of his companions, {128} and to him Dionysus, who had\nresumed his true form, addressed words of kind and affectionate\nencouragement, and announced his name and dignity. They now set sail, and\nDionysus desired the pilot to land him at the island of Naxos, where he\nfound the lovely Ariadne, daughter of Minos, king of Crete. She had been\nabandoned by Theseus on this lonely spot, and, when Dionysus now beheld\nher, was lying fast asleep on a rock, worn out with sorrow and weeping.\nWrapt in admiration, the god stood gazing at the beautiful vision before\nhim, and when she at length unclosed her eyes, he revealed himself to her,\nand, in gentle tones, sought to banish her grief. Grateful for his kind\nsympathy, coming as it did at a moment when she had deemed herself forsaken\nand friendless, she gradually regained her former serenity, and, yielding\nto his entreaties, consented to become his wife.\n\nDionysus, having established his worship in various parts of the world,\ndescended to the realm of shades in search of his ill-fated mother, whom he\nconducted to Olympus, where, under the name of Thyone, she was admitted\ninto the assembly of the immortal gods.\n\nAmong the most noted worshippers of Dionysus was Midas,[46] the wealthy\nking of Phrygia, the same who, as already related, gave judgment against\nApollo. Upon one occasion Silenus, the preceptor and friend of Dionysus,\nbeing in an intoxicated condition, strayed into the rose-gardens of this\nmonarch, where he was found by some of the king's attendants, who bound him\nwith roses and conducted him to the presence of their royal master. Midas\ntreated the aged satyr with the greatest consideration, and, after\nentertaining him hospitably for ten days, led him back to Dionysus, who was\nso grateful for the kind attention shown to his old friend, that he offered\nto grant Midas any favour he chose to demand; whereupon the avaricious\nmonarch, not content with his boundless wealth, and still thirsting for\nmore, desired that everything he touched might turn to gold. The request\nwas {129} complied with in so literal a sense, that the now wretched Midas\nbitterly repented his folly and cupidity, for, when the pangs of hunger\nassailed him, and he essayed to appease his cravings, the food became gold\nere he could swallow it; as he raised the cup of wine to his parched lips,\nthe sparkling draught was changed into the metal he had so coveted, and\nwhen at length, wearied and faint, he stretched his aching frame on his\nhitherto luxurious couch, this also was transformed into the substance\nwhich had now become the curse of his existence. The despairing king at\nlast implored the god to take back the fatal gift, and Dionysus, pitying\nhis unhappy plight, desired him to bathe in the river Pactolus, a small\nstream in Lydia, in order to lose the power which had become the bane of\nhis life. Midas joyfully obeying the injunction, was at once freed from the\nconsequences of his avaricious demand, and from this time forth the sands\nof the river Pactolus have ever contained grains of gold.\n\nRepresentations of Dionysus are of two kinds. According to the earliest\nconceptions, he appears as a grave and dignified man in the prime of life;\nhis countenance is earnest, thoughtful, and benevolent; he wears a full\nbeard, and is draped from head to foot in the garb of an Eastern monarch.\nBut the sculptors of a later period represent him as a youth of singular\nbeauty, though of somewhat effeminate appearance; the expression of the\ncountenance is gentle and winning; the limbs are supple and gracefully\nmoulded; and the hair, which is adorned by a wreath of vine or ivy leaves,\nfalls over the shoulders in long curls. In one hand he bears the Thyrsus,\nand in the other a drinking-cup with two handles, these being his\ndistinguishing attributes. He is often represented riding on a panther, or\nseated in a chariot drawn by lions, tigers, panthers, or lynxes.\n\nBeing the god of wine, which is calculated to promote sociability, he\nrarely appears alone, but is usually accompanied by Bacchantes, satyrs, and\nmountain-nymphs.\n\nThe finest modern representation of Ariadne is that by Danneker, at\nFrankfort-on-the-Maine. In this statue she {130} appears riding on a\npanther; the beautiful upturned face inclines slightly over the left\nshoulder; the features are regular and finely cut, and a wreath of\nivy-leaves encircles the well-shaped head. With her right hand she\ngracefully clasps the folds of drapery which fall away negligently from her\nrounded form, whilst the other rests lightly and caressingly on the head of\nthe animal.\n\nDionysus was regarded as the patron of the drama, and at the state festival\nof the Dionysia, which was celebrated with great pomp in the city of\nAthens, dramatic entertainments took place in his honour, for which all the\nrenowned Greek dramatists of antiquity composed their immortal tragedies\nand comedies.\n\nHe was also a prophetic divinity, and possessed oracles, the principal of\nwhich was that on Mount Rhodope in Thrace.\n\nThe tiger, lynx, panther, dolphin, serpent, and ass were sacred to this\ngod. His favourite plants were the vine, ivy, laurel, and asphodel. His\nsacrifices consisted of goats, probably on account of their being\ndestructive to vineyards.\n\nBACCHUS OR LIBER.\n\nThe Romans had a divinity called Liber who presided over vegetation, and\nwas, on this account, identified with the Greek Dionysus, and worshipped\nunder the name of Bacchus.\n\nThe festival of Liber, called the Liberalia, was celebrated on the 17th of\nMarch.\n\nAIDES (PLUTO).\n\nAides, Aidoneus, or Hades, was the son of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest\nbrother of Zeus and Poseidon. He was the ruler of that subterranean region\ncalled Erebus, which was inhabited by the shades or spirits of the dead,\nand also by those dethroned and exiled deities who had been vanquished by\nZeus and his allies. Aides, the grim and gloomy monarch of this lower\nworld, was the {131} successor of Erebus, that ancient primeval divinity\nafter whom these realms were called.\n\nThe early Greeks regarded Aides in the light of their greatest foe, and\nHomer tells us that he was \"of all the gods the most detested,\" being in\ntheir eyes the grim robber who stole from them their nearest and dearest,\nand eventually deprived each of them of their share in terrestrial\nexistence. His name was so feared that it was never mentioned by mortals,\nwho, when they invoked him, struck the earth with their hands, and in\nsacrificing to him turned away their faces.\n\nThe belief of the people with regard to a future state was, in the Homeric\nage, a sad and cheerless one. It was supposed that when a mortal ceased to\nexist, his spirit tenanted the shadowy outline of the human form it had\nquitted. These shadows, or shades as they were called, were driven by Aides\ninto his dominions, where they passed their time, some in brooding over the\nvicissitudes of fortune which they had experienced on earth, others in\nregretting the lost pleasures they had enjoyed in life, but all in a\ncondition of semi-consciousness, from which the intellect could only be\nroused to full activity by drinking of the blood of the sacrifices offered\nto their shades by living friends, which, for a time, endowed them with\ntheir former mental vigour. The only beings supposed to enjoy any happiness\nin a future state were the heroes, whose acts of daring and deeds of\nprowess had, during their life, reflected honour on the land of their\nbirth; and even these, according to Homer, pined after their career of\nearthly activity. He tells us that when Odysseus visited the lower world at\nthe command of Circe, and held communion with the shades of the heroes of\nthe Trojan war, Achilles assured him that he would rather be the poorest\nday-labourer on earth than reign supreme over the realm of shades.\n\nThe early Greek poets offer but scanty allusions to Erebus. Homer appears\npurposely to envelop these realms in vagueness and mystery, in order,\nprobably, to heighten the sensation of awe inseparably connected with {132}\nthe lower world. In the Odyssey he describes the entrance to Erebus as\nbeing beyond the furthermost edge of Oceanus, in the far west, where dwelt\nthe Cimmerians, enveloped in eternal mists and darkness.\n\nIn later times, however, in consequence of extended intercourse with\nforeign nations, new ideas became gradually introduced, and we find\nEgyptian theories with regard to a future state taking root in Greece,\nwhich become eventually the religious belief of the whole nation. It is now\nthat the poets and philosophers, and more especially the teachers of the\nEleusinian Mysteries, begin to inculcate the doctrine of the future reward\nand punishment of good and bad deeds. Aides, who had hitherto been regarded\nas the dread enemy of mankind, who delights in his grim office, and keeps\nthe shades imprisoned in his dominions after withdrawing them from the joys\nof existence, now receives them with hospitality and friendship, and Hermes\nreplaces him as conductor of shades to Hades. Under this new aspect Aides\nusurps the functions of a totally different divinity called Plutus (the god\nof riches), and is henceforth regarded as the giver of wealth to mankind,\nin the shape of those precious metals which lie concealed in the bowels of\nthe earth.\n\nThe later poets mention various entrances to Erebus, which were for the\nmost part caves and fissures. There was one in the mountain of Taenarum,\nanother in Thesprotia, and a third, the most celebrated of all, in Italy,\nnear the pestiferous Lake Avernus, over which it is said no bird could fly,\nso noxious were its exhalations.\n\nIn the dominions of Aides there were four great rivers, three of which had\nto be crossed by all the shades. These three were Acheron (sorrow), Cocytus\n(lamentation), and Styx (intense darkness), the sacred stream which flowed\nnine times round these realms.\n\nThe shades were ferried over the Styx by the grim, unshaven old boatman\nCharon, who, however, only took those whose bodies had received funereal\nrites on earth, and who had brought with them his indispensable toll, which\nwas a small coin or obolus, usually placed under the {133} tongue of a dead\nperson for this purpose. If these conditions had not been fulfilled, the\nunhappy shades were left behind to wander up and down the banks for a\nhundred years as restless spirits.\n\nOn the opposite bank of the Styx was the tribunal of Minos, the supreme\njudge, before whom all shades had to appear, and who, after hearing full\nconfession of their actions whilst on earth, pronounced the sentence of\nhappiness or misery to which their deeds had entitled them. This tribunal\nwas guarded by the terrible triple-headed dog Cerberus, who, with his three\nnecks bristling with snakes, lay at full length on the ground;--a\nformidable sentinel, who permitted all shades to enter, but none to return.\n\nThe happy spirits, destined to enjoy the delights of Elysium, passed out on\nthe right, and proceeded to the golden palace where Aides and Persephone\nheld their royal court, from whom they received a kindly greeting, ere they\nset out for the Elysian Fields which lay beyond.[47] This blissful region\nwas replete with all that could charm the senses or please the imagination;\nthe air was balmy and fragrant, rippling brooks flowed peacefully through\nthe smiling meadows, which glowed with the varied hues of a thousand\nflowers, whilst the groves resounded with the joyous songs of birds. The\noccupations and amusements of the happy shades were of the same nature as\nthose which they had delighted in whilst on earth. Here the warrior found\nhis horses, chariots, and arms, the musician his lyre, and the hunter his\nquiver and bow.\n\nIn a secluded vale of Elysium there flowed a gentle, silent stream, called\nLethe (oblivion), whose waters had the effect of dispelling care, and\nproducing utter forgetfulness of former events. According to the\nPythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of souls, it was supposed that\nafter the shades had inhabited Elysium for a thousand years they were\ndestined to animate other bodies on {134} earth, and before leaving Elysium\nthey drank of the river Lethe, in order that they might enter upon their\nnew career without any remembrance of the past.\n\nThe guilty souls, after leaving the presence of Minos, were conducted to\nthe great judgment-hall of Hades, whose massive walls of solid adamant were\nsurrounded by the river Phlegethon, the waves of which rolled flames of\nfire, and lit up, with their lurid glare, these awful realms. In the\ninterior sat the dread judge Rhadamanthus, who declared to each comer the\nprecise torments which awaited him in Tartarus. The wretched sinners were\nthen seized by the Furies, who scourged them with their whips, and dragged\nthem along to the great gate, which closed the opening to Tartarus, into\nwhose awful depths they were hurled, to suffer endless torture.\n\nTartarus was a vast and gloomy expanse, as far below Hades as the earth is\ndistant from the skies. There the Titans, fallen from their high estate,\ndragged out a dreary and monotonous existence; there also were Otus and\nEphialtes, those giant sons of Poseidon, who, with impious hands, had\nattempted to scale Olympus and dethrone its mighty ruler. Principal among\nthe sufferers in this abode of gloom were Tityus, Tantalus, Sisyphus,\nIxion, and the Danaides.\n\nTITYUS, one of the earth-born giants, had insulted Hera on her way to\nPeitho, for which offence Zeus flung him into Tartarus, where he suffered\ndreadful torture, inflicted by two vultures, which perpetually gnawed his\nliver.\n\nTANTALUS was a wise and wealthy king of Lydia, with whom the gods\nthemselves condescended to associate; he was even permitted to sit at table\nwith Zeus, who delighted in his conversation, and listened with interest to\nthe wisdom of his observations. Tantalus, however, elated at these\ndistinguished marks of divine favour, presumed upon his position, and used\nunbecoming language to Zeus himself; he also stole nectar and ambrosia from\nthe table of the gods, with which he regaled his friends; but his greatest\ncrime consisted in killing his own son, {135} Pelops, and serving him up at\none of the banquets to the gods, in order to test their omniscience. For\nthese heinous offences he was condemned by Zeus to eternal punishment in\nTartarus, where, tortured with an ever-burning thirst, he was plunged up to\nthe chin in water, which, as he stooped to drink, always receded from his\nparched lips. Tall trees, with spreading branches laden with delicious\nfruits, hung temptingly over his head; but no sooner did he raise himself\nto grasp them, than a wind arose, and carried them beyond his reach.\n\nSISYPHUS was a great tyrant who, according to some accounts, barbarously\nmurdered all travellers who came into his dominions, by hurling upon them\nenormous pieces of rock. In punishment for his crimes he was condemned to\nroll incessantly a huge block of stone up a steep hill, which, as soon as\nit reached the summit, always rolled back again to the plain below.\n\nIXION was a king of Thessaly to whom Zeus accorded the privilege of joining\nthe festive banquets of the gods; but, taking advantage of his exalted\nposition, he presumed to aspire to the favour of Hera, which so greatly\nincensed Zeus, that he struck him with his thunderbolts, and commanded\nHermes to throw him into Tartarus, and bind him to an ever-revolving wheel.\n\nThe DANAIDES were the fifty daughters of Danaus, king of Argos, who had\nmarried their fifty cousins, the sons of AEgyptus. By the command of their\nfather, who had been warned by an oracle that his son-in-law would cause\nhis death, they all killed their husbands in one night, Hypermnestra alone\nexcepted. Their punishment in the lower world was to fill with water a\nvessel full of holes,--a never-ending and useless task.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nAides is usually represented as a man of mature years and stern majestic\nmien, bearing a striking resemblance to his brother Zeus; but the gloomy\nand inexorable expression of the face contrasts forcibly with that peculiar\nbenignity which so characterizes the countenance of the mighty ruler of\nheaven. He is seated on a throne of ebony, with his queen, the grave and\nsad Persephone, {136} beside him, and wears a full beard, and long flowing\nblack hair, which hangs straight down over his forehead; in his hand he\neither bears a two-pronged fork or the keys of the lower world, and at his\nfeet sits Cerberus. He is sometimes seen in a chariot of gold, drawn by\nfour black horses, and wearing on his head a helmet made for him by the\nCyclops, which rendered the wearer invisible. This helmet he frequently\nlent to mortals and immortals.\n\nAides, who was universally worshipped throughout Greece, had temples\nerected to his honour in Elis, Olympia, and also at Athens.\n\nHis sacrifices, which took place at night, consisted of black sheep, and\nthe blood, instead of being sprinkled on the altars or received in vessels,\nas at other sacrifices, was permitted to run down into a trench, dug for\nthis purpose. The officiating priests wore black robes, and were crowned\nwith cypress.\n\nThe narcissus, maiden-hair, and cypress were sacred to this divinity.\n\nPLUTO.\n\nBefore the introduction into Rome of the religion and literature of Greece,\nthe Romans had no belief in a realm of future happiness or misery,\ncorresponding to the Greek Hades; hence they had no god of the lower world\nidentical with Aides. They supposed that there was, in the centre of the\nearth, a vast, gloomy, and impenetrably dark cavity called Orcus, which\nformed a place of eternal rest for the dead. But with the introduction of\nGreek mythology, the Roman Orcus became the Greek Hades, and {137} all the\nGreek notions with regard to a future state now obtained with the Romans,\nwho worshipped Aides under the name of Pluto, his other appellations being\nDis (from _dives_, rich) and Orcus from the dominions over which he ruled.\nIn Rome there were no temples erected to this divinity.\n\nPLUTUS.\n\nPlutus, the son of Demeter and a mortal called Iasion, was the god of\nwealth, and is represented as being lame when he makes his appearance, and\nwinged when he takes his departure. He was supposed to be both blind and\nfoolish, because he bestows his gifts without discrimination, and\nfrequently upon the most unworthy objects.\n\nPlutus was believed to have his abode in the bowels of the earth, which was\nprobably the reason why, in later times, Aides became confounded with this\ndivinity.\n\n * * * * *\n\nMINOR DIVINITIES.\n\nTHE HARPIES.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe Harpies, who, like the Furies, were employed by the gods as instruments\nfor the punishment of the guilty, were three female divinities, daughters\nof Thaumas and Electra, called Aello, Ocypete, and Celaeno.\n\nThey were represented with the head of a fair-haired maiden and the body of\na vulture, and were perpetually devoured by the pangs of insatiable hunger,\nwhich caused them to torment their victims by robbing them of their food;\nthis they either devoured with great {138} gluttony, or defiled in such a\nmanner as to render it unfit to be eaten.\n\nTheir wonderfully rapid flight far surpassed that of birds, or even of the\nwinds themselves. If any mortal suddenly and unaccountably disappeared, the\nHarpies were believed to have carried him off. Thus they were supposed to\nhave borne away the daughters of King Pandareos to act as servants to the\nErinyes.\n\nThe Harpies would appear to be personifications of sudden tempests, which,\nwith ruthless violence, sweep over whole districts, carrying off or\ninjuring all before them.\n\nERINYES, EUMENIDES (FURIAE, DIRAE).\n\nThe Erinyes or Furies were female divinities who personified the torturing\npangs of an evil conscience, and the remorse which inevitably follows\nwrong-doing.\n\nTheir names were Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, and their origin was\nvariously accounted for. According to Hesiod, they sprang from the blood of\nUranus, when wounded by Cronus, and were hence supposed to be the\nembodiment of all the terrible imprecations, which the defeated deity\ncalled down upon the head of his rebellious son. According to other\naccounts they were the daughters of Night.\n\nTheir place of abode was the lower world, where they were employed by Aides\nand Persephone to chastise and torment those shades who, during their\nearthly career, had committed crimes, and had not been reconciled to the\ngods before descending to Hades.\n\nBut their sphere of action was not confined to the realm of shades, for\nthey appeared upon earth as the avenging deities who relentlessly pursued\nand punished murderers, perjurers, those who had failed in duty to their\nparents, in hospitality to strangers, or in the respect due to old age.\nNothing escaped the piercing glance of these terrible divinities, from whom\nflight was unavailing, for no corner of the earth was so remote as {139} to\nbe beyond their reach, nor did any mortal dare to offer to their victims an\nasylum from their persecutions.\n\nThe Furies are frequently represented with wings; their bodies are black,\nblood drips from their eyes, and snakes twine in their hair. In their hands\nthey bear either a dagger, scourge, torch, or serpent.\n\nWhen they pursued Orestes they constantly held up a mirror to his horrified\ngaze, in which he beheld the face of his murdered mother.\n\nThese divinities were also called Eumenides, which signifies the\n\"well-meaning\" or \"soothed goddesses;\" This appellation was given to them\nbecause they were so feared and dreaded that people dared not call them by\ntheir proper title, and hoped by this means to propitiate their wrath.\n\nIn later times the Furies came to be regarded as salutary agencies, who, by\nseverely punishing sin, upheld the cause of morality and social order, and\nthus contributed to the welfare of mankind. They now lose their\nawe-inspiring aspect, and are represented, more especially in Athens, as\nearnest maidens, dressed, like Artemis, in short tunics suitable for the\nchase, but still retaining, in their hands, the wand of office in the form\nof a snake.\n\nTheir sacrifices consisted of black sheep and a libation composed of a\nmixture of honey and water, called Nephalia. A celebrated temple was\nerected to the Eumenides at Athens, near the Areopagus.\n\nMOIRAE OR FATES (PARCAE).\n\nThe ancients believed that the duration of human existence and the\ndestinies of mortals were regulated by three sister-goddesses, called\nClotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, who were the daughters of Zeus and Themis.\n\nThe power which they wielded over the fate of man was significantly\nindicated under the figure of a thread, which they spun out for the life of\neach human being from his birth to the grave. This occupation they divided\nbetween them. Clotho wound the flax round the distaff, {140} ready for her\nsister Lachesis, who span out the thread of life, which Atropos, with her\nscissors, relentlessly snapt asunder, when the career of an individual was\nabout to terminate.\n\nHomer speaks of one Moira only, the daughter of Night, who represents the\nmoral force by which the universe is governed, and to whom both mortals and\nimmortals were forced to submit, Zeus himself being powerless to avert her\ndecrees; but in later times this conception of one inexorable,\nall-conquering fate became amplified by the poets into that above\ndescribed, and the Moirae are henceforth the special presiding deities over\nthe life and death of mortals.\n\nThe Moirae are represented by the poets as stern, inexorable female\ndivinities, aged, hideous, and also lame, which is evidently meant to\nindicate the slow and halting march of destiny, which they controlled.\nPainters and sculptors, on the other hand, depicted them as beautiful\nmaidens of a grave but kindly aspect.\n\nThere is a charming representation of Lachesis, which depicts her in all\nthe grace of youth and beauty. She is sitting spinning, and at her feet lie\ntwo masks, one comic, the other tragic, as though to convey the idea, that,\nto a divinity of fate, the brightest and saddest scenes of earthly\nexistence are alike indifferent, and that she quietly and steadily pursues\nher occupation, regardless of human weal or woe.\n\nWhen represented at the feet of Aides in the lower world they are clad in\ndark robes; but when they appear in Olympus they wear bright garments,\nbespangled with stars, and are seated on radiant thrones, with crowns on\ntheir heads.\n\nIt was considered the function of the Moirae to indicate to the Furies the\nprecise torture which the wicked should undergo for their crimes.\n\nThey were regarded as prophetic divinities, and had sanctuaries in many\nparts of Greece.\n\nThe Moirae are mentioned as assisting the Charites to conduct Persephone to\nthe upper world at her periodical {141} reunion with her mother Demeter.\nThey also appear in company with Eileithyia, goddess of birth.\n\nNEMESIS.\n\nNemesis, the daughter of Nyx, represents that power which adjusts the\nbalance of human affairs, by awarding to each individual the fate which his\nactions deserve. She rewards, humble, unacknowledged merit, punishes crime,\ndeprives the worthless of undeserved good fortune, humiliates the proud and\noverbearing, and visits all evil on the wrong-doer; thus maintaining that\nproper balance of things, which the Greeks recognized as a necessary\ncondition of all civilized life. But though Nemesis, in her original\ncharacter, was the distributor of rewards as well as punishments, the world\nwas so full of sin, that she found but little occupation in her first\ncapacity, and hence became finally regarded as the avenging goddess only.\n\nWe have seen a striking instance of the manner in which this divinity\npunishes the proud and arrogant in the history of Niobe. Apollo and Artemis\nwere merely the instruments for avenging the insult offered to their\nmother; but it was Nemesis who prompted the deed, and presided over its\nexecution.\n\nHomer makes no mention of Nemesis; it is therefore evident that she was a\nconception of later times, when higher views of morality had obtained among\nthe Greek nation.\n\nNemesis is represented as a beautiful woman of thoughtful and benign aspect\nand regal bearing; a diadem crowns her majestic brow, and she bears in her\nhand a rudder, balance, and cubit;--fitting emblems of the manner in which\nshe guides, weighs, and measures all human events. She is also sometimes\nseen with a wheel, to symbolize the rapidity with which she executes\njustice. As the avenger of evil she appears winged, bearing in her hand\neither a scourge or a sword, and seated in a chariot drawn by griffins.\n{142}\n\nNemesis is frequently called Adrastia, and also Rhamnusia, from Rhamnus in\nAttica, the chief seat of her worship, which contained a celebrated statue\nof the goddess.\n\nNemesis was worshipped by the Romans, (who invoked her on the Capitol), as\na divinity who possessed the power of averting the pernicious consequences\nof envy.\n\nNIGHT AND HER CHILDREN.\nDEATH, SLEEP, AND DREAMS.\n\nNYX (NOX).\n\nNyx, the daughter of Chaos, being the personification of Night, was,\naccording to the poetic ideas of the Greeks, considered to be the mother of\neverything mysterious and inexplicable, such as death, sleep, dreams, &c.\nShe became united to Erebus, and their children were Aether and Hemera (Air\nand Daylight), evidently a simile of the poets, to indicate that darkness\nalways precedes light.\n\nNyx inhabited a palace in the dark regions of the lower world, and is\nrepresented as a beautiful woman, seated in a chariot, drawn by two black\nhorses. She is clothed in dark robes, wears a long veil, and is accompanied\nby the stars, which follow in her train.\n\nTHANATOS (MORS) AND HYPNUS (SOMNUS).\n\nThanatos (Death) and his twin-brother Hypnus (Sleep) were the children of\nNyx.\n\nTheir dwelling was in the realm of shades, and when they appear among\nmortals, Thanatos is feared and hated as the enemy of mankind, whose hard\nheart knows no pity, whilst his brother Hypnus is universally loved and\nwelcomed as their kindest and most beneficent friend.\n\nBut though the ancients regarded Thanatos as a gloomy and mournful\ndivinity, they did not represent him with any exterior repulsiveness. On\nthe contrary, he appears as a beautiful youth, who holds in his hand an\ninverted {143} torch, emblematical of the light of life being extinguished,\nwhilst his disengaged arm is thrown lovingly round the shoulder of his\nbrother Hypnus.\n\nHypnus is sometimes depicted standing erect with closed eyes; at others he\nis in a recumbent position beside his brother Thanatos, and usually bears a\npoppy-stalk in his hand.\n\nA most interesting description of the abode of Hypnus is given by Ovid in\nhis Metamorphoses. He tells us how the god of Sleep dwelt in a\nmountain-cave near the realm of the Cimmerians, which the sun never pierced\nwith his rays. No sound disturbed the stillness, no song of birds, not a\nbranch moved, and no human voice broke the profound silence which reigned\neverywhere. From the lowermost rocks of the cave issued the river Lethe,\nand one might almost have supposed that its course was arrested, were it\nnot for the low, monotonous hum of the water, which invited slumber. The\nentrance was partially hidden by numberless white and red poppies, which\nMother Night had gathered and planted there, and from the juice of which\nshe extracts drowsiness, which she scatters in liquid drops all over the\nearth, as soon as the sun-god has sunk to rest. In the centre of the cave\nstands a couch of blackest ebony, with a bed of down, over which is laid a\ncoverlet of sable hue. Here the god himself reposes, surrounded by\ninnumerable forms. These are idle dreams, more numerous than the sands of\nthe sea. Chief among them is Morpheus, that changeful god, who may assume\nany shape or form he pleases. Nor can the god of Sleep resist his own\npower; for though he may rouse himself for a while, he soon succumbs to the\ndrowsy influences which surround him.\n\nMORPHEUS.\n\nMorpheus, the son of Hypnus, was the god of Dreams.\n\nHe is always represented winged, and appears sometimes as a youth,\nsometimes as an old man. In his hand he bears a cluster of poppies, and as\nhe steps with {144} noiseless footsteps over the earth, he gently scatters\nthe seeds of this sleep-producing plant over the eyes of weary mortals.\n\nHomer describes the House of Dreams as having two gates: one, whence issue\nall deceptive and flattering visions, being formed of ivory; the other,\nthrough which proceed those dreams which are fulfilled, of horn.\n\nTHE GORGONS.\n\nThe Gorgons, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, were the three daughters of\nPhorcys and Ceto, and were the personification of those benumbing, and, as\nit were, petrifying sensations, which result from sudden and extreme fear.\n\nThey were frightful winged monsters, whose bodies were covered with scales;\nhissing, wriggling snakes clustered round their heads instead of hair;\ntheir hands were of brass; their teeth resembled the tusks of a wild boar;\nand their whole aspect was so appalling, that they are said to have turned\ninto stone all who beheld them.\n\nThese terrible sisters were supposed to dwell in that remote and mysterious\nregion in the far West, beyond the sacred stream of Oceanus.\n\nThe Gorgons were the servants of Aides, who made use of them to terrify and\noverawe those shades, doomed to be kept in a constant state of unrest as a\npunishment for their misdeeds, whilst the Furies, on their part, scourged\nthem with their whips and tortured them incessantly.\n\nThe most celebrated of the three sisters was Medusa, who alone was mortal.\nShe was originally a golden-haired and very beautiful maiden, who, as a\npriestess of Athene, was devoted to a life of celibacy; but, being wooed by\nPoseidon, whom she loved in return, she forgot her vows, and became united\nto him in marriage. For this offence she was punished by the goddess in a\nmost terrible manner. Each wavy lock of the beautiful hair which had so\ncharmed her husband, was changed into a {145} venomous snake; her once\ngentle, love-inspiring eyes now became blood-shot, furious orbs, which\nexcited fear and disgust in the mind of the beholder; whilst her former\nroseate hue and milk-white skin assumed a loathsome greenish tinge. Seeing\nherself thus transformed into so repulsive an object, Medusa fled from her\nhome, never to return. Wandering about, abhorred, dreaded, and shunned by\nall the world, she now developed into a character, worthy of her outward\nappearance. In her despair she fled to Africa, where, as she passed\nrestlessly from place to place, infant snakes dropped from her hair, and\nthus, according to the belief of the ancients, that country became the\nhotbed of these venomous reptiles. With the curse of Athene upon her, she\nturned into stone whomsoever she gazed upon, till at last, after a life of\nnameless misery, deliverance came to her in the shape of death, at the\nhands of Perseus.\n\nIt is well to observe that when the Gorgons are spoken of in the singular,\nit is Medusa who is alluded to.\n\nMedusa was the mother of Pegasus and Chrysaor, father of the three-headed,\nwinged giant Geryones, who was slain by Heracles.\n\nGRAEAE.\n\nThe Graeae, who acted as servants to their sisters the Gorgons, were also\nthree in number; their names were Pephredo, Enyo, and Dino.\n\nIn their original conception they were merely personifications of kindly\nand venerable old age, possessing all its benevolent attributes without its\nnatural infirmities. They were old and gray from their birth, and so they\never remained. In later times, however, they came to be regarded as\nmisshapen females, decrepid, and hideously ugly, having only one eye, one\ntooth, and one gray wig between them, which they lent to each other, when\none of them wished to appear before the world.\n\nWhen Perseus entered upon his expedition to slay the Medusa, he repaired to\nthe abode of the Graeae, in the far {146} west, to inquire the way to the\nGorgons, and on their refusing to give any information, he deprived them of\ntheir one eye, tooth, and wig, and did not restore them until he received\nthe necessary directions.\n\nSPHINX.\n\nThe Sphinx was an ancient Egyptian divinity, who personified wisdom, and\nthe fertility of nature. She is represented as a lion-couchant, with the\nhead and bust of a woman, and wears a peculiar sort of hood, which\ncompletely envelops her head, and falls down on either side of the face.\n\nTransplanted into Greece, this sublime and mysterious Egyptian deity\ndegenerates into an insignificant, and yet malignant power, and though she\nalso deals in mysteries, they are, as we shall see, of a totally different\ncharacter, and altogether inimical to human life.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe Sphinx is represented, according to Greek genealogy, as the offspring\nof Typhon and Echidna.[48] Hera, being upon one occasion displeased with\nthe Thebans, sent them this awful monster, as a punishment for their\noffences. Taking her seat on a rocky eminence near the city of Thebes,\ncommanding a pass which the Thebans were compelled to traverse in their\nusual way of business, she propounded to all comers a riddle, and if they\nfailed to solve it, she tore them in pieces.\n\nDuring the reign of King Creon, so many people had fallen a sacrifice to\nthis monster, that he determined to use every effort to rid the country of\nso terrible a scourge. On consulting the oracle of Delphi, he was informed\nthat the only way to destroy the Sphinx was to solve one of her riddles,\nwhen she would immediately precipitate herself from the rock on which she\nwas seated.\n\nCreon, accordingly, made a public declaration to the effect, that whoever\ncould give the true interpretation of a riddle propounded by the monster,\nshould obtain the crown, and the hand of his sister Jocaste. Oedipus\noffered {147} himself as a candidate, and proceeding to the spot where she\nkept guard, received from her the following riddle for solution: \"What\ncreature goes in the morning on four legs, at noon on two, and in the\nevening on three?\" Oedipus replied, that it must be man, who during his\ninfancy creeps on all fours, in his prime walks erect on two legs, and when\nold age has enfeebled his powers, calls a staff to his assistance, and thus\nhas, as it were, three legs.\n\nThe Sphinx no sooner heard this reply, which was the correct solution of\nher riddle, than she flung herself over the precipice, and perished in the\nabyss below.\n\nThe Greek Sphinx may be recognized by having wings and by being of smaller\ndimensions than the Egyptian Sphinx.\n\nTYCHE (FORTUNA) AND ANANKE (NECESSITAS).\n\nTYCHE (FORTUNA).\n\nTyche personified that peculiar combination of circumstances which we call\nluck or fortune, and was considered to be the source of all unexpected\nevents in human life, whether good or evil. If a person succeeded in all he\nundertook without possessing any special merit of his own, Tyche was\nsupposed to have smiled on his birth. If, on the other hand, undeserved\nill-luck followed him through life, and all his efforts resulted in\nfailure, it was ascribed to her adverse influence.\n\nThis goddess of Fortune is variously represented. Sometimes she is depicted\nbearing in her hand two rudders, with one of which she steers the bark of\nthe fortunate, and with the other that of the unfortunate among mortals. In\nlater times she appears blindfolded, and stands on a ball or wheel,\nindicative of the fickleness and ever-revolving {148} changes of fortune.\nShe frequently bears the sceptre and cornucopia[49] or horn of plenty, and\nis usually winged. In her temple at Thebes, she is represented holding the\ninfant Plutus in her arms, to symbolize her power over riches and\nprosperity.\n\nTyche was worshipped in various parts of Greece, but more particularly by\nthe Athenians, who believed in her special predilection for their city.\n\nFORTUNA.\n\nTyche was worshipped in Rome under the name of Fortuna, and held a position\nof much greater importance among the Romans than the Greeks.\n\nIn later times Fortuna is never represented either winged or standing on a\nball; she merely bears the cornucopia. It is evident, therefore, that she\nhad come to be regarded as the goddess of good luck only, who brings\nblessings to man, and not, as with the Greeks, as the personification of\nthe fluctuations of fortune.\n\nIn addition to Fortuna, the Romans worshipped Felicitas as the giver of\npositive good fortune.\n\nANANKE (NECESSITAS).\n\nAs Ananke, Tyche assumes quite another character, and becomes the\nembodiment of those immutable laws of nature, by which certain causes\nproduce certain inevitable results.\n\nIn a statue of this divinity at Athens she was represented with hands of\nbronze, and surrounded with nails and hammers. The hands of bronze probably\nindicated the irresistible power of the inevitable, and the hammer and\nchains the fetters which she forged for man.\n\nAnanke was worshipped in Rome under the name of Necessitas.\n\n{149}\n\nKER.\n\nIn addition to the Moirae, who presided over the life of mortals, there was\nanother divinity, called Ker, appointed for each human being at the moment\nof his birth. The Ker belonging to an individual was believed to develop\nwith his growth, either for good or evil; and when the ultimate fate of a\nmortal was about to be decided, his Ker was weighed in the balance, and,\naccording to the preponderance of its worth or worthlessness, life or death\nwas awarded to the human being in question. It becomes evident, therefore,\nthat according to the belief of the early Greeks, each individual had it in\nhis power, to a certain extent, to shorten or prolong his own existence.\n\nThe Keres, who are frequently mentioned by Homer, were the goddesses who\ndelighted in the slaughter of the battle-field.\n\nATE.\n\nAte, the daughter of Zeus and Eris, was a divinity who delighted in evil.\n\nHaving instigated Hera to deprive Heracles of his birthright, her father\nseized her by the hair of her head, and hurled her from Olympus, forbidding\nher, under the most solemn imprecations, ever to return. Henceforth she\nwandered among mankind, sowing dissension, working mischief, and luring men\nto all actions inimical to their welfare and happiness. Hence, when a\nreconciliation took place between friends who had quarrelled, Ate was\nblamed as the original cause of disagreement.\n\nMOMUS.\n\nMomus, the son of Nyx, was the god of raillery and ridicule, who delighted\nto criticise, with bitter sarcasm, the actions of gods and men, and\ncontrived to discover in all things some defect or blemish. Thus when\nPrometheus created the first man, Momus considered his work incomplete\nbecause there was no aperture in the breast through which his inmost\nthoughts might be read. He {150} also found fault with a house built by\nAthene because, being unprovided with the means of locomotion, it could\nnever be removed from an unhealthy locality. Aphrodite alone defied his\ncriticism, for, to his great chagrin, he could find no fault with her\nperfect form.[50]\n\nIn what manner the ancients represented this god is unknown. In modern art\nhe is depicted like a king's jester, with a fool's cap and bells.\n\nEROS (CUPID, AMOR) AND PSYCHE.\n\nAccording to Hesiod's Theogony, Eros, the divine spirit of Love, sprang\nforth from Chaos, while all was still in confusion, and by his beneficent\npower reduced to order and harmony the shapeless, conflicting elements,\nwhich, under his influence, began to assume distinct forms. This ancient\nEros is represented as a full-grown and very beautiful youth, crowned with\nflowers, and leaning on a shepherd's crook.\n\nIn the course of time, this beautiful conception gradually faded away, and\nthough occasional mention still continues to be made of the Eros of Chaos,\nhe is replaced by the son of Aphrodite, the popular, mischief-loving little\ngod of Love, so familiar to us all.\n\nIn one of the myths concerning Eros, Aphrodite is described as complaining\nto Themis, that her son, though so beautiful, did not appear to increase in\nstature; whereupon Themis suggested that his small proportions were\nprobably attributable to the fact of his being always alone, and advised\nhis mother to let him have a companion. Aphrodite accordingly gave him, as\na playfellow, his younger brother Anteros (requited love), and soon had the\ngratification of seeing the little Eros begin to grow and thrive; but,\ncurious to relate, this desirable result only continued as long as the\nbrothers remained together, for the moment they were separated, Eros shrank\nonce more to his original size.\n\n{151}\n\nBy degrees the conception of Eros became multiplied and we hear of little\nlove-gods (Amors), who appear under the most charming and diversified\nforms. These love-gods, who afforded to artists inexhaustible subjects for\nthe exercise of their imagination, are represented as being engaged in\nvarious occupations, such as hunting, fishing, rowing, driving chariots,\nand even busying themselves in mechanical labour.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPerhaps no myth is more charming and interesting than that of Eros and\nPsyche, which is as follows:--Psyche, the youngest of three princesses, was\nso transcendently beautiful that Aphrodite herself became jealous of her,\nand no mortal dared to aspire to the honour of her hand. As her sisters,\nwho were by no means equal to her in attractions, were married, and Psyche\nstill remained unwedded, her father consulted the oracle of Delphi, and, in\nobedience to the divine response, caused her to be dressed as though for\nthe grave, and conducted to the edge of a yawning precipice. No sooner was\nshe alone than she felt herself lifted up, and wafted away by the gentle\nwest wind Zephyrus, who transported her to a verdant meadow, in the midst\nof which stood a stately palace, surrounded by groves and fountains.\n\nHere dwelt Eros, the god of Love, in whose arms Zephyrus deposited his\nlovely burden. Eros, himself unseen, wooed her in the softest accents of\naffection; but warned her, as she valued his love, not to endeavour to\nbehold his form. For some time Psyche was obedient to the injunction of her\nimmortal spouse, and made no effort to gratify her natural curiosity; but,\nunfortunately, in the midst of her happiness she was seized with an\nunconquerable longing for the society of her {152} sisters, and, in\naccordance with her desire, they were conducted by Zephyrus to her\nfairy-like abode. Filled with envy at the sight of her felicity, they\npoisoned her mind against her husband, and telling her that her unseen\nlover was a frightful monster, they gave her a sharp dagger, which they\npersuaded her to use for the purpose of delivering herself from his power.\n\nAfter the departure of her sisters, Psyche resolved to take the first\nopportunity of following their malicious counsel. She accordingly rose in\nthe dead of night, and taking a lamp in one hand and a dagger in the other,\nstealthily approached the couch where Eros was reposing, when, instead of\nthe frightful monster she had expected to see, the beauteous form of the\ngod of Love greeted her view. Overcome with surprise and admiration, Psyche\nstooped down to gaze more closely on his lovely features, when, from the\nlamp which she held in her trembling hand, there fell a drop of burning oil\nupon the shoulder of the sleeping god, who instantly awoke, and seeing\nPsyche standing over him with the instrument of death in her hand,\nsorrowfully reproached her for her treacherous designs, and, spreading out\nhis wings, flew away.\n\nIn despair at having lost her lover, the unhappy Psyche endeavoured to put\nan end to her existence by throwing herself into the nearest river; but\ninstead of closing over her, the waters bore her gently to the opposite\nbank, where Pan (the god of shepherds) received her, and consoled her with\nthe hope of becoming eventually reconciled to her husband.\n\nMeanwhile her wicked sisters, in expectation of meeting with the same good\nfortune which had befallen Psyche, placed themselves on the edge of the\nrock, but were both precipitated into the chasm below.\n\nPsyche herself, filled with a restless yearning for her lost love, wandered\nall over the world in search of him. At length she appealed to Aphrodite to\ntake compassion on her; but the goddess of Beauty, still jealous of her\ncharms, imposed upon her the hardest tasks, the accomplishment of which\noften appeared impossible. In these {153} she was always assisted by\ninvisible, beneficent beings, sent to her by Eros, who still loved her, and\ncontinued to watch over her welfare.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPsyche had to undergo a long and severe penance before she became worthy to\nregain the happiness, which she had so foolishly trifled away. At last\nAphrodite commanded her to descend into the under world, and obtain from\nPersephone a box containing all the charms of beauty. Psyche's courage now\nfailed her, for she concluded that death must of necessity precede her\nentrance into the realm of shades. About to abandon herself to despair, she\nheard a voice which warned her of every danger to be avoided on her\nperilous journey, and instructed her with regard to certain precautions to\nbe observed. These were as follows:--not to omit to provide herself with\nthe ferryman's toll for Charon, and the cake to pacify Cerberus, also to\nrefrain from taking any part in the banquets of Aides and Persephone, and,\nabove all things, to bring the box of beauty charms unopened to Aphrodite.\nIn conclusion, the voice assured her, that compliance with the above\nconditions would insure for her a safe return to the realms of light. But,\nalas, Psyche, who had implicitly followed all injunctions, could not\nwithstand the temptation of the last condition; and, hardly had she quitted\nthe lower world, when, unable to resist the curiosity which devoured her,\nshe raised the lid of the box with eager expectation. But, instead of the\nwondrous charms of beauty which she expected to behold, there issued from\nthe casket a dense black vapour, which had the effect of throwing her into\na death-like sleep, out of which Eros, who had long hovered round her\nunseen, at length awoke her with the point of one of his golden arrows. He\ngently reproached her with this second proof of her curiosity and folly,\nand then, having persuaded Aphrodite to be reconciled to his beloved, he\ninduced Zeus to admit her among the immortal gods.\n\nTheir reunion was celebrated amidst the rejoicings of all the Olympian\ndeities. The Graces shed perfume on {154} their path, the Hours sprinkled\nroses over the sky, Apollo added the music of his lyre, and the Muses\nunited their voices in a glad chorus of delight.\n\nThis myth would appear to be an allegory, which signifies that the soul,\nbefore it can be reunited to its original divine essence, must be purified\nby the chastening sorrows and sufferings of its earthly career.[51]\n\nEros is represented as a lovely boy, with rounded limbs, and a merry,\nroguish expression. He has golden wings, and a quiver slung over his\nshoulder, which contained his magical and unerring arrows; in one hand he\nbears his golden bow, and in the other a torch.\n\nHe is also frequently depicted riding on a lion, dolphin, or eagle, or\nseated in a chariot drawn by stags or wild boars, undoubtedly emblematical\nof the power of love as the subduer of all nature, even of the wild\nanimals.\n\nIn Rome, Eros was worshipped under the name of Amor or Cupid.\n\nHYMEN.\n\nHymen or Hymenaeus, the son of Apollo and the muse Urania, was the god who\npresided over marriage and nuptial solemnities, and was hence invoked at\nall marriage festivities.\n\nThere is a myth concerning this divinity, which tells us that Hymen was a\nbeautiful youth of very poor parents, who fell in love with a wealthy\nmaiden, so far above him in rank, that he dared not cherish the hope of\never becoming united to her. Still he missed no opportunity of seeing her,\nand, upon one occasion, disguised himself as {155} a girl, and joined a\ntroop of maidens, who, in company with his beloved, were proceeding from\nAthens to Eleusis, in order to attend a festival of Demeter. On their way\nthither they were surprised by pirates, who carried them off to a desert\nisland, where the ruffians, after drinking deeply, fell into a heavy sleep.\nHymen, seizing the opportunity, slew them all, and then set sail for\nAthens, where he found the parents of the maidens in the greatest distress\nat their unaccountable disappearance. He comforted them with the assurance\nthat their children should be restored to them, provided they would promise\nto give him in marriage the maiden he loved. The condition being gladly\ncomplied with, he at once returned to the island, and brought back the\nmaidens in safety to Athens, whereupon he became united to the object of\nhis love; and their union proved so remarkably happy, that henceforth the\nname of Hymen became synonymous with conjugal felicity.\n\nIRIS (THE RAINBOW).\n\nIris, the daughter of Thaumas and Electra, personified the rainbow, and was\nthe special attendant and messenger of the queen of heaven, whose commands\nshe executed with singular tact, intelligence, and swiftness.\n\nMost primitive nations have regarded the rainbow as a bridge of\ncommunication between heaven and earth, and this is doubtless the reason\nwhy Iris, who represented that beautiful phenomenon of nature, should have\nbeen invested by the Greeks with the office of communicating between gods\nand men.\n\nIris is usually represented seated behind the chariot of Hera, ready to do\nthe bidding of her royal mistress. She appears under the form of a slender\nmaiden of great beauty, robed in an airy fabric of variegated hues,\nresembling mother-of-pearl; her sandals are bright as burnished silver, she\nhas golden wings, and wherever she appears, a radiance of light, and a\nsweet odour, as of delicate spring flowers, pervades the air. {156}\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHEBE (JUVENTAS).\n\nHebe was the personification of eternal youth under its most attractive and\njoyous aspect.\n\nShe was the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and though of such distinguished\nrank, is nevertheless represented as cup-bearer to the gods; a forcible\nexemplification of the old patriarchal custom, in accordance with which the\ndaughters of the house, even when of the highest lineage, personally\nassisted in serving the guests.\n\nHebe is represented as a comely, modest maiden, small, of a beautifully\nrounded contour, with nut-brown tresses and sparkling eyes. She is often\ndepicted pouring out nectar from an upraised vessel, or bearing in her hand\na shallow dish, supposed to contain ambrosia, the ever youth-renewing food\nof the immortals.\n\nIn consequence of an act of awkwardness, which caused her to slip while\nserving the gods, Hebe was deprived of her office, which was henceforth\ndelegated to Ganymedes, son of Tros.\n\nHebe afterwards became the bride of Heracles, when, after his apotheosis,\nhe was received among the immortals.\n\nJUVENTAS.\n\nJuventas was the Roman divinity identified with Hebe, whose attributes,\nhowever, were regarded by the Romans as applying more particularly to the\nimperishable vigour and immortal glory of the state.\n\nIn Rome, several temples were erected in honour of this goddess. {157}\n\nGANYMEDES.\n\nGanymedes, the youngest son of Tros, king of Troy, was one day drawing\nwater from a well on Mount Ida, when he was observed by Zeus, who, struck\nwith his wonderful beauty, sent his eagle to transport him to Olympus,\nwhere he was endowed with immortality, and appointed cup-bearer to the\ngods.\n\nGanymedes is represented as a youth of exquisite beauty, with short golden\nlocks, delicately chiselled features, beaming blue eyes, and pouting lips.\n\nTHE MUSES.\n\nOf all the Olympic deities, none occupy a more distinguished position than\nthe Muses, the nine beautiful daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne.\n\nIn their original signification, they presided merely over music, song, and\ndance; but with the progress of civilization the arts and sciences claimed\ntheir special presiding divinities, and we see these graceful creations, in\nlater times, sharing among them various functions, such as poetry,\nastronomy, &c.\n\nThe Muses were honoured alike by mortals and immortals. In Olympus, where\nApollo acted as their leader, no banquet or festivity was considered\ncomplete without their joy-inspiring presence, and on earth no social\ngathering was celebrated without libations being poured out to them; nor\nwas any task involving intellectual effort ever undertaken, without\nearnestly supplicating their assistance. They endowed their chosen\nfavourites with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding; they bestowed upon\nthe orator the gift of eloquence, inspired the poet with his noblest\nthoughts, and the musician with his sweetest harmonies.\n\nLike so many of the Greek divinities, however, the refined conception of\nthe Muses is somewhat marred by the acerbity with which they punished any\neffort on the part {158} of mortals to rival them in their divine powers.\nAn instance of this is seen in the case of Thamyris, a Thracian bard, who\npresumed to invite them to a trial of skill in music. Having vanquished\nhim, they not only afflicted him with blindness, but deprived him also of\nthe power of song.\n\nAnother example of the manner in which the gods punished presumption and\nvanity is seen in the story of the daughters of King Pierus. Proud of the\nperfection to which they had brought their skill in music, they presumed to\nchallenge the Muses themselves in the art over which they specially\npresided. The contest took place on Mount Helicon, and it is said that when\nthe mortal maidens commenced their song, the sky became dark and misty,\nwhereas when the Muses raised their heavenly voices, all nature seemed to\nrejoice, and Mount Helicon itself moved with exultation. The Pierides were\nsignally defeated, and were transformed by the Muses into singing birds, as\na punishment for having dared to challenge comparison with the immortals.\n\nUndeterred by the above example, the Sirens also entered into a similar\ncontest. The songs of the Muses were loyal and true, whilst those of the\nSirens were the false and deceptive strains with which so many unfortunate\nmariners had been lured to their death. The Sirens were defeated by the\nMuses, and as a mark of humiliation, were deprived of the feathers with\nwhich their bodies were adorned.\n\nThe oldest seat of the worship of the Muses was Pieria in Thrace, where\nthey were supposed to have first seen the light of day. Pieria is a\ndistrict on one of the sloping declivities of Mount Olympus, whence a\nnumber of rivulets, as they flow towards the plains beneath, produce those\nsweet, soothing sounds, which may possibly have suggested this spot as a\nfitting home for the presiding divinities of song.\n\nThey dwelt on the summits of Mounts Helicon, Parnassus, and Pindus, and\nloved to haunt the springs and fountains which gushed forth amidst these\nrocky {159} heights, all of which were sacred to them and to poetic\ninspiration. Aganippe and Hippocrene on Mount Helicon, and the Castalian\nspring on Mount Parnassus, were sacred to the Muses. The latter flowed\nbetween two lofty rocks above the city of Delphi, and in ancient times its\nwaters were introduced into a square stone basin, where they were retained\nfor the use of the Pythia and the priests of Apollo.\n\n[Illustration: CALLIOPE.]\n\nThe libations to these divinities consisted of water, milk, and honey, but\nnever of wine.\n\nTheir names and functions are as follows:--\n\nCALLIOPE, the most honoured of the Muses, presided over heroic song and\nepic poetry, and is represented with a pencil in her hand, and a slate upon\nher knee.\n\nCLIO, the muse of History, holds in her hand a roll of parchment, and wears\na wreath of laurel.\n\nMELPOMENE, the muse of Tragedy, bears a tragic mask.\n\nTHALIA, the muse of Comedy, carries in her right hand a shepherd's crook,\nand has a comic mask beside her.\n\nPOLYHYMNIA, the muse of Sacred Hymns, is crowned with a wreath of laurel.\nShe is always represented in a thoughtful attitude, and entirely enveloped\nin rich folds of drapery.\n\nTERPSICHORE, the muse of Dance and Roundelay, is represented in the act of\nplaying on a seven-stringed lyre.\n\nURANIA, the muse of Astronomy, stands erect, and bears in her left hand a\ncelestial globe.\n\nEUTERPE, the muse of Harmony, is represented bearing a musical instrument,\nusually a flute.\n\nERATO, the muse of Love and hymeneal songs, wears a wreath of laurel, and\nis striking the chords of a lyre. {160}\n\n[Illustration: CLIO.]\n\n[Illustration: TERPSICHORE.]\n\n[Illustration: EUTERPE.]\n\n[Illustration: ERATO.]\n\nWith regard to the origin of the Muses, it is said that they were created\nby Zeus in answer to a request on the part of the victorious deities, after\nthe war with the {161} Titans, that some special divinities should be\ncalled into existence, in order to commemorate in song the glorious deeds\nof the Olympian gods.\n\n[Illustration: URANIA.]\n\n[Illustration: MELPOMENE.]\n\n[Illustration: THALIA.]\n\n[Illustration: POLYHYMNIA.]\n\n{162}\n\nPEGASUS.\n\nPegasus was a beautiful winged horse who sprang from the body of Medusa\nwhen she was slain by the hero Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae.\nSpreading out his wings he immediately flew to the top of Mount Olympus,\nwhere he was received with delight and admiration by all the immortals. A\nplace in his palace was assigned to him by Zeus, who employed him to carry\nhis thunder and lightning. Pegasus permitted none but the gods to mount\nhim, except in the case of Bellerophon, whom, at the command of Athene, he\ncarried aloft, in order that he might slay the Chimaera with his arrows.\n\nThe later poets represent Pegasus as being at the service of the Muses, and\nfor this reason he is more celebrated in modern times than in antiquity. He\nwould appear to represent that poetical inspiration, which tends to develop\nman's higher nature, and causes the mind to soar heavenwards. The only\nmention by the ancients of Pegasus in connection with the Muses, is the\nstory of his having produced with his hoofs, the famous fountain\nHippocrene.\n\nIt is said that during their contest with the Pierides, the Muses played\nand sang on the summit of Mount Helicon with such extraordinary power and\nsweetness, that heaven and earth stood still to listen, whilst the mountain\nraised itself in joyous ecstasy towards the abode of the celestial gods.\nPoseidon, seeing his special function thus interfered with, sent Pegasus to\ncheck the boldness of the mountain, in daring to move without his\npermission. When Pegasus reached the summit, he stamped the ground with his\nhoofs, and out gushed the waters of Hippocrene, afterwards so renowned as\nthe sacred fount, whence the Muses quaffed their richest draughts of\ninspiration.\n\nTHE HESPERIDES.\n\nThe Hesperides, the daughters of Atlas, dwelt in an island in the far west,\nwhence they derived their name. {163}\n\nThey were appointed by Hera to act as guardians to a tree bearing golden\napples, which had been presented to her by Gaea on the occasion of her\nmarriage with Zeus.\n\nIt is said that the Hesperides, being unable to withstand the temptation of\ntasting the golden fruit confided to their care, were deprived of their\noffice, which was henceforth delegated to the terrible dragon Ladon, who\nnow became the ever-watchful sentinel of these precious treasures.\n\nThe names of the Hesperides were Aegle, Arethusa, and Hesperia.\n\nCHARITES (GRATIAE) GRACES.\n\nAll those gentler attributes which beautify and refine human existence were\npersonified by the Greeks under the form of three lovely sisters,\nEuphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia, the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome (or,\naccording to later writers, of Dionysus and Aphrodite).\n\nThey are represented as beautiful, slender maidens in the full bloom of\nyouth, with hands and arms lovingly intertwined, and are either undraped,\nor wear a fleecy, transparent garment of an ethereal fabric.\n\nThey portray every gentle emotion of the heart, which vents itself in\nfriendship and benevolence, and were believed to preside over those\nqualities which constitute grace, modesty, unconscious beauty, gentleness,\nkindliness, innocent joy, purity of mind and body, and eternal youth.\n\nThey not only possessed the most perfect beauty themselves, but also\nconferred this gift upon others. All the enjoyments of life were enhanced\nby their presence, and were deemed incomplete without them; and wherever\njoy or pleasure, grace and gaiety reigned, there they were supposed to be\npresent.\n\nTemples and altars were everywhere erected in their honour, and people of\nall ages and of every rank in life entreated their favour. Incense was\nburnt daily upon their altars, and at every banquet they were invoked,\n{164} and a libation poured out to them, as they not only heightened all\nenjoyment, but also by their refining influence moderated the exciting\neffects of wine.\n\nMusic, eloquence, poetry, and art, though the direct work of the Muses,\nreceived at the hands of the Graces an additional touch of refinement and\nbeauty; for which reason they are always regarded as the friends of the\nMuses, with whom they lived on Mount Olympus.\n\nTheir special function was to act, in conjunction with the Seasons, as\nattendants upon Aphrodite, whom they adorned with wreaths of flowers, and\nshe emerges from their hands like the Queen of Spring, perfumed with the\nodour of roses and violets, and all sweet-scented blossoms.\n\nThe Graces are frequently seen in attendance on other divinities; thus they\ncarry music for Apollo, myrtles for Aphrodite, &c., and frequently\naccompany the Muses, Eros, or Dionysus.\n\nHORAE (SEASONS).\n\nClosely allied to the Graces were the Horae, or Seasons, who were also\nrepresented as three beautiful maidens, daughters of Zeus and Themis. Their\nnames were Eunomia, Dice, and Irene.\n\nIt may appear strange that these divinities, presiding over the seasons,\nshould be but three in number, but this is quite in accordance with the\nnotions of the ancient Greeks, who only recognized spring, summer, and\nautumn as seasons; nature being supposed to be wrapt in death or slumber,\nduring that cheerless and unproductive portion of the year which we call\nwinter. In some parts of Greece there were but two Horae, Thallo, goddess of\nthe bloom, and Carpo, of the corn and fruit-bearing season.\n\nThe Horae are always regarded as friendly towards mankind, and totally\ndevoid of guile or subtlety; they are represented as joyous, but gentle\nmaidens, crowned with flowers, and holding each other by the hand in a\nround dance. When they are depicted separately as personifications of the\ndifferent seasons, the Hora {165} representing spring appears laden with\nflowers, that of summer bears a sheaf of corn, whilst the personification\nof autumn has her hands filled with clusters of grapes and other fruits.\nThey also appear in company with the Graces in the train of Aphrodite, and\nare seen with Apollo and the Muses.\n\nThey are inseparably connected with all that is good and beautiful in\nnature, and as the regular alternation of the seasons, like all her other\noperations, demands the most perfect order and regularity, the Horae, being\nthe daughters of Themis, came to be regarded as the representatives of\norder, and the just administration of human affairs in civilized\ncommunities. Each of these graceful maidens took upon herself a separate\nfunction: Eunomia presided more especially over state life, Dice guarded\nthe interests of individuals, whilst Irene, the gayest and brightest of the\nthree sisters, was the light-hearted companion of Dionysus.\n\nThe Horae were also the deities of the fast-fleeting hours, and thus\npresided over the smaller, as well as the larger divisions of time. In this\ncapacity they assist every morning in yoking the celestial horses to the\nglorious chariot of the sun, which they again help to unyoke when he sinks\nto rest.\n\nIn their original conception they were personifications of the clouds, and\nare described as opening and closing the gates of heaven, and causing\nfruits and flowers to spring forth, when they pour down upon them their\nrefreshing and life-giving streams.\n\nTHE NYMPHS.\n\nThe graceful beings called the Nymphs were the presiding deities of the\nwoods, grottoes, streams, meadows, &c.\n\nThese divinities were supposed to be beautiful maidens of fairy-like form,\nand robed in more or less shadowy garments. They were held in the greatest\nveneration, though, being minor divinities, they had no temples {166}\ndedicated to them, but were worshipped in caves or grottoes, with libations\nof milk, honey, oil, &c.\n\nThey may be divided into three distinct classes, viz., water, mountain, and\ntree or wood nymphs.\n\nWATER NYMPHS.\n\nOCEANIDES, NEREIDES, AND NAIADES.\n\nThe worship of water-deities is common to most primitive nations. The\nstreams, springs, and fountains of a country bear the same relation to it\nwhich the blood, coursing through the numberless arteries of a human being,\nbears to the body; both represent the living, moving, life-awakening\nelement, without which existence would be impossible. Hence we find among\nmost nations a deep feeling of attachment to the streams and waters of\ntheir native land, the remembrance of which, when absent in foreign climes,\nis always treasured with peculiar fondness. Thus among the early Greeks,\neach tribe came to regard the rivers and springs of its individual state as\nbeneficent powers, which brought blessing and prosperity to the country. It\nis probable also that the charm which ever accompanies the sound of running\nwater exercised its power over their imagination. They heard with delight\nthe gentle whisper of the fountain, lulling the senses with its low,\nrippling tones; the soft purling of the brook as it rushes over the\npebbles, or the mighty voice of the waterfall as it dashes on in its\nheadlong course; and the beings which they pictured to themselves as\npresiding over all these charming sights and sounds of nature,\ncorresponded, in their graceful appearance, with the scenes with which they\nwere associated.\n\nOCEANIDES.\n\nThe OCEANIDES, or Ocean Nymphs, were the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys,\nand, like most sea divinities, were endowed with the gift of prophecy.\n\nThey are personifications of those delicate vapour-like {167} exhalations,\nwhich, in warm climates, are emitted from the surface of the sea, more\nespecially at sunset, and are impelled forwards by the evening breeze. They\nare accordingly represented as misty, shadowy beings, with graceful swaying\nforms, and robed in pale blue, gauze-like fabrics.\n\nTHE NEREIDES.\n\nThe NEREIDES were the daughters of Nereus and Doris, and were nymphs of the\nMediterranean Sea.\n\nThey are similar in appearance to the Oceanides, but their beauty is of a\nless shadowy order, and is more like that of mortals. They wear a flowing,\npale green robe; their liquid eyes resemble, in their clear depths, the\nlucid waters of the sea they inhabit; their hair floats carelessly over\ntheir shoulders, and assumes the greenish tint of the water itself, which,\nfar from deteriorating from their beauty, greatly adds to its effect. The\nNereides either accompany the chariot of the mighty ruler of the sea, or\nfollow in his train.\n\nWe are told by the poets that the lonely mariner watches the Nereides with\nsilent awe and wondering delight, as they rise from their grotto-palaces in\nthe deep, and dance, in joyful groups, over the sleeping waves. Some, with\narms entwined, follow with their movements the melodies which seem to hover\nover the sea, whilst others scatter liquid gems around, these being\nemblematical of the phosphorescent light, so frequently observed at night\nby the traveller in southern waters.\n\nThe best known of the Nereides were Thetis, the wife of Peleus, Amphitrite,\nthe spouse of Poseidon, and Galatea, the beloved of Acis.\n\nTHE NAIADES.\n\nThe NAIADES were the nymphs of fresh-water springs, lakes, brooks, rivers,\n&c.\n\nAs the trees, plants, and flowers owed their nourishment to their genial,\nfostering care, these divinities were {168} regarded by the Greeks as\nspecial benefactors to mankind. Like all the nymphs, they possessed the\ngift of prophecy, for which reason many of the springs and fountains over\nwhich they presided were believed to inspire mortals who drank of their\nwaters with the power of foretelling future events. The Naiades are\nintimately connected in idea with those flowers which are called after them\nNymphae, or water-lilies, whose broad, green leaves and yellow cups float\nupon the surface of the water, as though proudly conscious of their own\ngrace and beauty.\n\nWe often hear of the Naiades forming alliances with mortals, and also of\ntheir being wooed by the sylvan deities of the woods and dales.\n\nDRYADES, OR TREE NYMPHS.\n\nThe tree nymphs partook of the distinguishing characteristics of the\nparticular tree to whose life they were wedded, and were known collectively\nby the name of the Dryades.\n\nThe HAMADRYADES, or oak nymphs, represent in their peculiar individuality\nthe quiet, self-reliant power which appears to belong essentially to the\ngrand and lordly king of the forest.\n\nThe BIRCH NYMPH is a melancholy maiden with floating hair, resembling the\nbranches of the pale and fragile-looking tree which she inhabits.\n\nThe BEECH NYMPH is strong and sturdy, full of life and joyousness, and\nappears to give promise of faithful love and undisturbed repose, whilst her\nrosy cheeks, deep brown eyes, and graceful form bespeak health, vigour, and\nvitality.\n\nThe nymph of the LINDEN TREE is represented as a little coy maiden, whose\nshort silver-gray dress reaches a little below the knee, and displays to\nadvantage her delicately formed limbs. The sweet face, which is partly\naverted, reveals a pair of large blue eyes, which appear to look at you\nwith wondering surprise and shy mistrust; {169} her pale, golden hair is\nbound by the faintest streak of rose-coloured ribbon.\n\nThe tree nymph, being wedded to the life of the tree she inhabited, ceased\nto exist when it was either felled, or so injured as to wither away and\ndie.\n\nNYMPHS OF THE VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS.\n\nNAPAEAE AND OREADES.\n\nThe Napaeae were the kind and gentle nymphs of the valleys and glens who\nappear in the train of Artemis. They are represented as lovely maidens with\nshort tunics, which, reaching only to the knee, do not impede their swift\nand graceful movements in the exercise of the chase. Their pale brown\ntresses are fastened in a knot at the back of the head, whence a few stray\ncurls escape over their shoulders. The Napaeae are shy as the fawns, and\nquite as frolicsome.\n\nThe OREADES, or mountain nymphs, who are the principal and constant\ncompanions of Artemis, are tall, graceful maidens, attired as huntresses.\nThey are ardent followers of the chase, and spare neither the gentle deer\nnor the timid hare, nor indeed any animal they meet with in their rapid\ncourse. Wherever their wild hunt goes the shy Napaeae are represented as\nhiding behind the leaves, whilst their favourites, the fawns, kneel\ntremblingly beside them, looking up beseechingly for protection from the\nwild huntresses; and even the bold Satyrs dart away at their approach, and\nseek safety in flight.\n\nThere is a myth connected with one of these mountain nymphs, the\nunfortunate Echo. She became enamoured of a beautiful youth named\nNarcissus, son of the river-god Cephissus, who, however, failed to return\nher love, which so grieved her that she gradually pined away, becoming a\nmere shadow of her former self, till, at length, nothing remained of her\nexcept her voice, which henceforth gave back, with unerring fidelity, every\nsound that was uttered in the hills and dales. Narcissus himself {170} also\nmet with an unhappy fate, for Aphrodite punished him by causing him to fall\nin love with his own image, which he beheld in a neighbouring fountain,\nwhereupon, consumed with unrequited love, he wasted away, and was changed\ninto the flower which bears his name.\n\nThe LIMONIADES, or meadow nymphs, resemble the Naiades, and are usually\nrepresented dancing hand in hand in a circle.\n\nThe HYADES, who in appearance are somewhat similar to the Oceanides, are\ncloudy divinities, and, from the fact of their being invariably accompanied\nby rain, are represented as incessantly weeping.\n\nThe MELIADES were the nymphs who presided over fruit-trees.\n\nBefore concluding this subject, attention should be drawn to the fact that,\nin more modern times, this beautiful idea of animating all nature in detail\nreappears under the various local traditions extant in different countries.\nThus do the Oceanides and Nereides live again in the mermaids, whose\nexistence is still believed in by mariners, whilst the flower and meadow\nnymphs assume the shape of those tiny elves and fairies, who were formerly\nbelieved to hold their midnight revels in every wood and on every common;\nindeed, even at the present day, the Irish peasantry, especially in the\nwest, firmly believe in the existence of the fairies, or \"good people,\" as\nthey are called.\n\nTHE WINDS.\n\nAccording to the oldest accounts, AEolus was a king of the AEolian Islands,\nto whom Zeus gave the command of the winds, which he kept shut up in a deep\ncave, and which he freed at his pleasure, or at the command of the gods.\n\nIn later times the above belief underwent a change, and the winds came to\nbe regarded as distinct divinities, whose aspect accorded with the\nrespective winds with which they were identified. They were depicted as\n{171} winged youths in full vigour in the act of flying through the air.\n\nThe principal winds were: Boreas (the north wind), Eurus (the east wind),\nZephyrus (the west wind), and Notus (the south wind), who were said to be\nthe children of Eos and Astraeus.\n\nThere are no myths of interest connected with these divinities. Zephyrus\nwas united to Chloris (Flora), the goddess of flowers. Of Boreas it is\nrelated that while flying over the river Ilissus, he beheld on the banks\nOreithyia, the charming daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens, whom he\ncarried off to his native Thrace, and there made her his bride. Boreas and\nOreithyia were the parents of Zetes and Calais, afterwards famous in the\nexpedition of the Argonauts.\n\nThere was an altar erected at Athens in honour of Boreas, in commemoration\nof his having destroyed the Persian fleet sent to attack the Greeks.\n\nOn the Acropolis at Athens there was a celebrated octagonal temple, built\nby Pericles, which was dedicated to the winds, and on its sides were their\nvarious representations. The ruins of this temple are still to be seen.\n\nPAN (FAUNUS).\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPan was the god of fertility, and the special patron of shepherds and\nhuntsmen; he presided over all rural occupations, was chief of the Satyrs,\nand head of all rural divinities.\n\nAccording to the common belief, he was the son of Hermes and a wood nymph,\nand came into the world with horns sprouting from his forehead, a goat's\nbeard and a crooked nose, pointed ears, and the tail and feet of a goat,\nand presented altogether so repulsive {172} an appearance that, at the\nsight of him, his mother fled in dismay.\n\nHermes, however, took up his curious little offspring, wrapt him in a hare\nskin, and carried him in his arms to Olympus. The grotesque form and merry\nantics of the little stranger made him a great favourite with all the\nimmortals, especially Dionysus; and they bestowed upon him the name of Pan\n(all), because he had delighted them _all_.\n\nHis favourite haunts were grottoes, and his delight was to wander in\nuncontrolled freedom over rocks and mountains, following his various\npursuits, ever cheerful, and usually very noisy. He was a great lover of\nmusic, singing, dancing, and all pursuits which enhance the pleasures of\nlife; and hence, in spite of his repulsive appearance, we see him\nsurrounded with nymphs of the forests and dales, who love to dance round\nhim to the cheerful music of his pipe, the syrinx. The myth concerning the\norigin of Pan's pipe is as follows:--Pan became enamoured of a beautiful\nnymph, called Syrinx, who, appalled at his terrible appearance, fled from\nthe pertinacious attentions of her unwelcome suitor. He pursued her to the\nbanks of the river Ladon, when, seeing his near approach, and feeling\nescape impossible, she called on the gods for assistance, who, in answer to\nher prayer, transformed her into a reed, just as Pan was about to seize\nher. Whilst the love-sick Pan was sighing and lamenting his unfortunate\nfate, the winds gently swayed the reeds, and produced a murmuring sound as\nof one complaining. Charmed with the soothing tones, he endeavoured to\nreproduce them himself, and after cutting seven of the reeds of unequal\nlength, he joined them together, and succeeded in producing the pipe, which\nhe called the syrinx, in memory of his lost love.\n\nPan was regarded by shepherds as their most valiant protector, who defended\ntheir flocks from the attacks of wolves. The shepherds of these early\ntimes, having no penfolds, were in the habit of gathering together their\nflocks in mountain caves, to protect them against the {173} inclemency of\nthe weather, and also to secure them at night against the attacks of wild\nanimals; these caves, therefore, which were very numerous in the mountain\ndistricts of Arcadia, Boeotia, &c., were all consecrated to Pan.\n\nAs it is customary in all tropical climates to repose during the heat of\nthe day, Pan is represented as greatly enjoying his afternoon sleep in the\ncool shelter of a tree or cave, and also as being highly displeased at any\nsound which disturbed his slumbers, for which reason the shepherds were\nalways particularly careful to keep unbroken silence during these hours,\nwhilst they themselves indulged in a quiet siesta.\n\nPan was equally beloved by huntsmen, being himself a great lover of the\nwoods, which afforded to his cheerful and active disposition full scope,\nand in which he loved to range at will. He was regarded as the patron of\nthe chase, and the rural sportsmen, returning from an unsuccessful day's\nsport, beat, in token of their displeasure, the wooden image of Pan, which\nalways occupied a prominent place in their dwellings.\n\nAll sudden and unaccountable sounds which startle travellers in lonely\nspots, were attributed to Pan, who possessed a frightful and most\ndiscordant voice; hence the term _pan_ic terror, to indicate sudden fear.\nThe Athenians ascribed their victory at Marathon to the alarm which he\ncreated among the Persians by his terrible voice.\n\nPan was gifted with the power of prophecy, which he is said to have\nimparted to Apollo, and he possessed a well-known and very ancient oracle\nin Arcadia, in which state he was more especially worshipped.\n\nThe artists of later times have somewhat toned down the original very\nunattractive conception of Pan, as above described, and merely represent\nhim as a young man, hardened by the exposure to all weathers which a rural\nlife involves, and bearing in his hand the shepherd's crook and\nsyrinx--these being his usual attributes--whilst small horns project from\nhis forehead. He is either undraped, or wears merely the light cloak called\nthe chlamys.\n\nThe usual offerings to Pan were milk and honey in {174} shepherds' bowls.\nCows, lambs, and rams were also sacrificed to him.\n\nAfter the introduction of Pan into the worship of Dionysus, we hear of a\nnumber of little Pans (Panisci), who are sometimes confounded with the\nSatyrs.\n\nFAUNUS.\n\nThe Romans had an old Italian divinity called Faunus, who, as the god of\nshepherds, was identified with the Greek Pan, and represented in a similar\nmanner.\n\nFaunus is frequently called Inuus or the fertilizer, and Lupercus or the\none who wards off wolves. Like Pan, he possessed the gift of prophecy, and\nwas the presiding spirit of the woods and fields; he also shared with his\nGreek prototype the faculty of alarming travellers in solitary places. Bad\ndreams and evil apparitions were attributed to Faunus, and he was believed\nto enter houses stealthily at night for this purpose.\n\nFauna was the wife of Faunus, and participated in his functions.\n\nTHE SATYRS.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe Satyrs were a race of woodland spirits, who evidently personified the\nfree, wild, and untrammelled life of the forest. Their appearance was both\ngrotesque and repulsive; they had flat broad noses, pointed ears, and\nlittle horns sprouting from their foreheads, a rough shaggy skin, and small\ngoat's tails. They led a life of pleasure and self-indulgence, followed the\nchase, revelled in every description of wild music and dancing, were\nterrible wine-bibbers, and addicted to the deep slumbers which follow heavy\npotations. They were no less dreaded by mortals than by the gentle woodland\nnymphs, who always avoided their coarse rough sports.\n\nThe Satyrs were conspicuous figures in the train of Dionysus, and, as we\nhave seen, Silenus their chief was tutor to the wine god. The older Satyrs\nwere called Silens, and are represented in antique sculpture, as more\nnearly approaching the human form.\n\n{175}\n\nIn addition to the ordinary Satyrs, artists delighted in depicting little\nSatyrs, young imps, frolicking about the woods in a marvellous variety of\ndroll attitudes. These little fellows greatly resemble their friends and\ncompanions, the Panisci.\n\nIn rural districts it was customary for the shepherds and peasants who\nattended the festivals of Dionysus, to dress themselves in the skins of\ngoats and other animals, and, under this disguise, they permitted\nthemselves all kinds of playful tricks and excesses, to which circumstance\nthe conception of the Satyrs is by some authorities attributed.\n\nIn Rome the old Italian wood-divinities, the FAUNS, who had goats' feet and\nall other characteristics of the Satyrs greatly exaggerated, were\nidentified with them.\n\nPRIAPUS.\n\nPriapus, the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, was regarded as the god of\nfruitfulness, the protector of flocks, sheep, goats, bees, the fruit of the\nvine, and all garden produce.\n\nHis statues, which were set up in gardens and vineyards, acted not only as\nobjects of worship, but also as scarecrows, the appearance of this god\nbeing especially repulsive and unsightly. These statues were formed of wood\nor stone, and from the hips downwards were merely rude columns. They\nrepresent him as having a red and very ugly face; he bears in his hand a\npruning knife, and his head is crowned with a wreath of vine and laurel. He\nusually carries fruit in his garments or a cornucopia in his hand, always,\nhowever, retaining his singularly revolting aspect. It is said that Hera,\nwishing {176} to punish Aphrodite, sent her this misshapen and unsightly\nson, and that when he was born, his mother was so horrified at the sight of\nhim, that she ordered him to be exposed on the mountains, where he was\nfound by some shepherds, who, taking pity on him, saved his life.\n\nThis divinity was chiefly worshipped at Lampsacus, his birthplace. Asses\nwere sacrificed to him, and he received the first-fruits of the fields and\ngardens, with a libation of milk and honey.\n\nThe worship of Priapus was introduced into Rome at the same time as that of\nAphrodite, and was identified with a native Italian divinity named Mutunus.\n\nASCLEPIAS (AESCULAPIUS).\n\nAsclepias, the god of the healing art, was the son of Apollo and the nymph\nCoronis. He was educated by the noble Centaur Chiron, who instructed him in\nall knowledge, but more especially in that of the properties of herbs.\nAsclepias searched out the hidden powers of plants, and discovered cures\nfor the various diseases which afflict the human body. He brought his art\nto such perfection, that he not only succeeded in warding off death, but\nalso restored the dead to life. It was popularly believed that he was\nmaterially assisted in his wonderful cures by the blood of the Medusa,\ngiven to him by Pallas-Athene.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIt is well to observe that the shrines of this divinity, which were usually\nbuilt in healthy places, on hills outside the town, or near wells which\nwere believed to have healing powers, offered at the same time means of\ncure for the sick and suffering, thus combining religious with sanitary\ninfluences. It was the custom for the sufferer to sleep in the temple,\nwhen, if he had been earnest in his devotions, Asclepias appeared to him in\na dream, and revealed the means to be employed for the cure of his malady.\nOn the walls of these temples were hung tablets, inscribed by the different\npilgrims with the particulars of their maladies, the remedies practised,\nand the cures {177} worked by the god:--a custom undoubtedly productive of\nmost beneficial results.\n\nGroves, temples, and altars were dedicated to Asclepias in many parts of\nGreece, but Epidaurus, the chief seat of his worship,--where, indeed, it is\nsaid to have originated,--contained his principal temple, which served at\nthe same time as a hospital.\n\nThe statue of Asclepias in the temple at Epidaurus was formed of ivory and\ngold, and represented him as an old man with a full beard, leaning on a\nstaff round which a serpent is climbing. The serpent was the distinguishing\nsymbol of this divinity, partly because these reptiles were greatly used by\nthe ancients in the cure of diseases, and partly also because all the\nprudence and wisdom of the serpent were deemed indispensable to the\njudicious physician.\n\nHis usual attributes are a staff, a bowl, a bunch of herbs, a pineapple, a\ndog, and a serpent.\n\nHis children inherited, for the most part, the distinguished talents of\ntheir father. Two of his sons, Machaon and Podalirius, accompanied\nAgamemnon to the Trojan war, in which expedition they became renowned, not\nonly as military heroes, but also as skilful physicians.\n\nTheir sisters, HYGEIA (health), and PANACEA (all-healing), had temples\ndedicated to them, and received divine honours. The function of Hygeia was\nto maintain the health of the community, which great blessing was supposed\nto be brought by her as a direct and beneficent gift from the gods.\n\nAESCULAPIUS.\n\nThe worship of AEsculapius was introduced into Rome from Epidaurus, whence\nthe statue of the god of healing {178} was brought at the time of a great\npestilence. Grateful for their deliverance from this plague, the Romans\nerected a temple in his honour, on an island near the mouth of the Tiber.\n\n * * * * *\n\nROMAN DIVINITIES.\n\nJANUS.\n\nFrom the earliest ages Janus was regarded by the Romans with the utmost\naffection and veneration, as a divinity who ranked only second to Jupiter\nhimself, and through whom all prayers and petitions were transmitted to the\nother gods.\n\nHe was believed to preside over the beginnings of all things, hence it was\nhe who inaugurated the years, months, and seasons, and in course of time\ncame to be considered as specially protecting the beginnings of all human\nenterprises. The great importance which the Romans attached to an\nauspicious commencement, as contributing to the ultimate success of an\nenterprise, accounts for the high estimation in which Janus was held as the\ngod of beginnings.\n\nThis divinity would appear to have been the ancient sun-god of the Italian\ntribes, in which capacity he opens and closes the gates of heaven every\nmorning and evening. Hence he was regarded as the door-keeper of heaven,\nand also as the presiding deity over all gates, entrances, &c., on earth.\n\nThe fact of his being the god of city gates, which were called Jani after\nhim, is ascribed, however, to the following myth:--After the abduction of\ntheir women by the Romans, the Sabines, in revenge, invaded the Roman\nstate, and were already about to enter the gates of the city, when suddenly\na hot sulphur spring, which was believed to have been sent by Janus for\ntheir special preservation, gushed forth from the earth, and arrested the\nprogress of the enemy.\n\n{179}\n\nIn his character as guardian of gates and doors, he was also regarded as a\nprotecting deity of the home, for which reason little shrines were erected\nto him over the doors of houses, which contained an image of the god,\nhaving two faces.\n\nJanus possessed no temples in the ordinary acceptation of the word, but all\nthe gates of cities were dedicated to him. Close to the Forum of Rome stood\nthe so-called temple of Janus, which, however, was merely an arched\npassage, closed by massive gates. This temple was open only in time of war,\nas it was supposed that the god had then taken his departure with the Roman\narmy, over whose welfare he personally presided. It is worthy of notice, as\nan evidence of the many wars in which the Romans were engaged, that the\ngates of this sanctuary were only closed three times during 700 years.\n\nAs the god who ushers in the new year, the first month was called after\nhim, and on the 1st of January his most important festival was celebrated,\non which occasion all entrances of public and private buildings were\ndecorated with laurel branches and garlands of flowers.\n\nHis sacrifices, consisting of cakes, wine, and barley, were offered to him\nat the beginning of every month; and before sacrificing to the other gods\nhis name was always invoked, and a libation poured out to him.\n\nJanus is usually represented with two faces; in his special function as\ndoor-keeper of heaven he stands erect, bearing a key in one hand, and a rod\nor sceptre in the other.\n\nIt is supposed that Janus was the most ancient king of Italy, who, during\nhis life, governed his subjects with such wisdom and moderation that, in\ngratitude for the benefits conferred upon them, his people deified him\nafter death and placed him in the foremost rank among their divinities. We\nhave already seen in the history of Cronus that Saturn, who was identified\nwith the Greek Cronus (god of time), was the friend and colleague of Janus.\nAnxious to prove his gratitude to his benefactor, Cronus endowed him with\nthe knowledge of past and future {180} events, which enabled him to adopt\nthe wisest measures for the welfare of his subjects, and it is on this\naccount that Janus is represented with two faces looking in opposite\ndirections, the one to the past, the other to the future.\n\nFLORA.\n\nFlora was the goddess of flowers, and was regarded as a beneficent power,\nwho watched over and protected the early blossoms.\n\nShe was held in the highest estimation by the Romans, and a festival,\ncalled the Floralia, was celebrated in her honour from the 28th of April to\nthe 1st of May. This festival was a season of universal merriment, in which\nflowers were used profusely in adorning houses, streets, &c., and were worn\nby young girls in their hair.\n\nFlora, who typified the season of Spring, is generally represented as a\nlovely maiden, garlanded with flowers.\n\nROBIGUS.\n\nIn opposition to Flora we find an antagonistic divinity, called Robigus, a\nworker of evil, who delighted in the destruction of the tender herbs by\nmildew, and whose wrath could only be averted by prayers and sacrifices,\nwhen he was invoked under the title of Averuncus, or the Avertor.\n\nThe festival of Robigus (the Robigalia) was celebrated on the 25th of\nApril.\n\nPOMONA.\n\nPomona was the goddess of orchards and fruit-trees, who, according to Ovid,\ncares not for woods or streams, but loves her gardens and the boughs that\nbear the thriving fruit.\n\nPomona, who typifies Autumn, is represented as a lovely maiden, laden with\nbranches of fruit-trees.\n\n{181}\n\nVERTUMNUS.\n\nVertumnus was the god of garden and field produce. He personifies the\nchange of seasons, and that process of transformation in nature by means of\nwhich the leaf-buds become developed into blossoms, and the blossoms into\nfruit.\n\nThe change of seasons is symbolized in a myth which represents Vertumnus as\nmetamorphosing himself into a variety of different forms in order to gain\nthe affection of Pomona, who so loved her vocation that she abjured all\nthoughts of marriage. He first appears to her as a ploughman, typifying\nSpring; then as a reaper, to represent Summer; afterwards as a\nvine-gatherer, to indicate Autumn; and finally as a gray-haired old woman,\nsymbolical of the snows of Winter; but it was not until he assumed his true\nform, that of a beautiful youth, that he succeeded in his suit.\n\nVertumnus is generally represented crowned with wheat-sheaves, and bearing\nin his hand a cornucopia.\n\nPALES.\n\nPales, a very ancient Italian divinity, is represented sometimes as a male,\nsometimes as a female power.\n\nAs a male divinity he is more particularly the god of shepherds and flocks.\n\nAs a female deity, Pales presides over husbandry and the fruitfulness of\nherds. Her festivals, the Palilia, were celebrated on the 21st of April,\nthe day on which the city of Rome was founded. During this festival it was\ncustomary for shepherds to ignite a mass of straw, through which they\nrushed with their flocks, believing that this ordeal would purify them from\nsin.\n\nThe name Palatine, which originally signified a pastoral colony, is derived\nfrom this divinity. Her offerings were cakes and milk.\n\n{182}\n\nPICUS.\n\nPicus, the son of Saturn and father of Faunus, was a woodland divinity,\ngifted with prophetic powers.\n\nAn ancient myth relates that Picus was a beautiful youth, united to a nymph\ncalled Canens. The sorceress Circe, infatuated by his beauty, endeavoured\nto secure his love, but he rejected her advances, and she, in revenge,\nchanged him into a woodpecker, under which form he still retained his\npowers of prophecy.\n\nPicus is represented as a youth, with a woodpecker perched upon his head,\nwhich bird became henceforth regarded as possessed of the power of\nprophecy.\n\nPICUMNUS AND PILUMNUS.\n\nPicumnus and Pilumnus were two household divinities of the Romans, who were\nthe special presiding deities of new-born infants.\n\nSILVANUS.\n\nSilvanus was a woodland divinity, who, like Faunus, greatly resembled the\nGreek Pan. He was the presiding deity of plantations and forests, and\nspecially protected the boundaries of fields.\n\nSilvanus is represented as a hale old man, carrying a cypress-tree, for,\naccording to Roman mythology, the transformation of the youth Cyparissus\ninto the tree which bears his name was attributed to him.\n\nHis sacrifices consisted of milk, meat, wine, grapes, wheat-ears, and pigs.\n\nTERMINUS.\n\nTerminus was the god who presided over all boundaries and landmarks.\n\nHe was originally represented by a simple block of stone, which in later\ntimes became surmounted by a {183} head of this divinity. Numa Pompilius,\nthe great benefactor of his people, anxious to inculcate respect for the\nrights of property, specially enjoined the erection of these blocks of\nstone, as a durable monument to mark the line dividing one property from\nanother. He also caused altars to be raised to Terminus, and instituted his\nfestival (the Terminalia), which was celebrated on the 23rd of February.\n\nUpon one occasion, when Tarquin wished to remove the altars of several\ndeities, in order to build a new temple, it is said that Terminus and\nJuventas alone objected to being displaced. This obstinate refusal on their\npart was interpreted as a good omen, signifying that the city of Rome would\nnever lose her boundaries, and would remain ever young and vigorous.\n\nCONSUS.\n\nConsus was the god of secret counsel.\n\nThe Romans believed that when an idea developed itself spontaneously within\nthe mind of an individual, it was Consus who had prompted the suggestion.\nThis applied, however, more particularly to plans which resulted\nsatisfactorily.\n\nAn altar was erected to this divinity on the Circus Maximus, which was kept\nalways covered, except during his festival, the Consualia, which was\ncelebrated on the 18th of August.\n\nLIBITINA.\n\nLibitina was the goddess who presided over funerals. This divinity was\nidentified with Venus, possibly because the ancients considered that the\npower of love extended even to the realms of death.\n\nHer temple in Rome, which was erected by Servius Tullius, contained all the\nrequisites for funerals, and these could either be bought or hired there. A\nregister of all deaths which occurred in the city of Rome was kept in {184}\nthis temple, and in order to ascertain the rate of mortality, a piece of\nmoney was paid by command of Servius Tullius, on the demise of each person.\n\nLAVERNA.\n\nLaverna was the presiding goddess of thieves, and of all artifice and\nfraud. There was an altar erected to her near the Porta Lavernalis, which\nwas called after her, and she possessed a sacred grove on the Via Salavia.\n\nCOMUS.\n\nComus was the presiding genius of banquets, festive scenes, revelry, and\nall joyous pleasures and reckless gaiety.\n\nHe is represented as a young man crowned with flowers, his face heated and\nflushed with wine, leaning against a post in a half-sleepy and drunken\nattitude, with a torch falling from his hand.\n\nTHE CAMENAE.\n\nThe Camenae were prophetic nymphs held in high veneration by the ancient\nItalians. They were four in number, the best known of whom are Carmenta and\nEgeria.\n\nCarmenta was celebrated as being the mother of Evander, who led an Arcadian\ncolony into Italy, and founded a town on the river Tiber, which became\nafterwards incorporated with the city of Rome. Evander is said to have been\nthe first who introduced Greek art and civilization into Italy, and also\nthe worship of Greek divinities.\n\nA temple was erected to Carmenta on the Capitoline Hill, and a festival,\ncalled the Carmentalia, was celebrated in her honour on the 11th of\nJanuary.\n\nEgeria is said to have initiated Numa Pompilius in the forms of religious\nworship, which he introduced among his people. She was regarded as the\ngiver of {185} life, and was therefore invoked by women before the birth of\ntheir children.\n\nThe Camenae are frequently identified by Roman writers with the Muses.\n\nGENII.\n\nA comforting and assuring belief existed among the Romans, that each\nindividual was accompanied through life, from the hour of his birth to that\nof his death, by a protecting spirit, called his genius, who prompted him\nto good and noble deeds, and acted towards him as a guardian angel,\ncomforting him in sorrow, and guiding him throughout his earthly career.\n\nIn the course of time a second genius was believed to exist, of an evil\nnature, who, as the instigator of all wrong-doing, was ever at war with the\nbeneficent genius; and on the issue of the conflict between these\nantagonistic influences, depended the fate of the individual. The genii\nwere depicted as winged beings, greatly resembling our modern\nrepresentations of guardian angels.\n\nEvery state, town, or city, (as well as every man), possessed its special\ngenius. The sacrifices to the genii consisted of wine, cakes, and incense,\nwhich were offered to them on birthdays.\n\nThe genius which guided a woman was called, after the queen of heaven,\nJuno.\n\nAmong the Greeks, beings called Daemons were regarded as exercising similar\nfunctions to those of the Roman genii. They were believed to be the spirits\nof the righteous race which existed in the Golden Age, who watched over\nmankind, carrying their prayers to the gods, and the gifts of the gods to\nthem.\n\nMANES.\n\nLEMURES (LARVAE) AND LARES.\n\nThe Manes were the spirits of the departed, and were of two kinds, viz.,\nLemures (or Larvae) and Lares. {186}\n\nThe Lemures were those Manes who haunted their former abodes on earth as\nevil spirits, appearing at night under awful forms and hideous shapes,\ngreatly to the alarm of their friends and relatives. They were so feared\nthat a festival, called the Lemuralia, was celebrated in order to\npropitiate them.\n\nIt appears extremely probable that the superstitions with regard to ghosts,\nhaunted houses, &c., which exist even at the present day, owe their origin\nto this very ancient pagan source.\n\nThe Lares Familiares were a much more pleasing conception. They were the\nspirits of the ancestors of each family, who exercised after death a\nprotecting power over the well-being and prosperity of the family to which\nthey had in life belonged. The place of honour beside the hearth was\noccupied by the statue of the Lar of the house, who was supposed to have\nbeen the founder of the family. This statue was the object of profound\nveneration, and was honoured on all occasions by every member of the\nfamily; a portion of each meal was laid before it, and it was believed to\ntake an active part in all family affairs and domestic events, whether of a\nsad or joyful nature. Before starting on any expedition the master of the\nhouse saluted the statue of the Lar, and, on his return, a solemn\nthanksgiving was offered to this, the presiding deity of his hearth and\nhome, in grateful acknowledgment of his protection; whereupon the statue\nwas crowned with garlands of flowers, these being the favourite offerings\nto the Lares on all occasions of especial family rejoicing.\n\nThe first act of a bride on entering her new abode was to do homage to the\nLar, in the belief that he would exercise over her a protecting influence\nand shield her from evil.\n\nIn addition to those above enumerated there were also public Lares, who\nwere guardians of the state, highroads, country, and sea. Their temples\nwere always open for any pious worshipper to enter, and on their altars\npublic sacrifices were offered for the welfare of the state or city. {187}\n\nPENATES.\n\nThe Penates were deities selected by each family, and frequently by its\nindividual members, as a special protector. Various causes led to this\nselection. If, for instance, a child were born on the festival of Vesta, it\nwas thought that that deity would henceforward act as its special guardian.\nIf a youth possessed great business talents he adopted Mercury as his\ntutelary deity; should he, on the other hand, develop a passion for music,\nApollo was selected as his patron god, and so forth. These became regarded\nas the special divinities of the household, small images of them adorned\nthe surroundings of the hearth, and honours similar to those paid to the\nLares were accorded to them.\n\nJust as there were public Lares so there were public Penates, which were\nworshipped by the Roman people under the form of two youthful warriors,\nwho, in later times, were regarded as identical with Castor and Pollux.\nThey are generally represented on horseback, with conical caps on their\nheads, and bearing long spears in their hands.\n\n{188}\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPUBLIC WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS.\n\nTEMPLES.\n\nIn very remote times the Greeks had no shrines or sanctuaries devoted to\npublic worship, but performed their devotions beneath the vast and\nboundless canopy of heaven, in the great temple of nature itself. Believing\nthat their divinities throned above the clouds, pious worshippers naturally\nsought the highest available points, in order to place themselves in the\nclosest communion possible with their gods; hence the summits of high\nmountains were selected for devotional purposes, and the more exalted the\nrank and importance of the divinity invoked, the more elevated was the site\nselected for his or her worship. But the inconvenience attending this mode\nof worship gradually suggested the idea of erecting edifices which would\nafford means of shelter from the inclemency of the weather.\n\nThese structures were, in the first instance, of the most simple form, and\nwithout decoration; but when, with the progress of civilization, the Greeks\nbecame a {189} wealthy and powerful people, temples were built and adorned\nwith the greatest splendour and magnificence, talent, labour, and wealth\nbeing lavished unsparingly on their erection and decoration; indeed so\nmassively were they constructed, that some of them have, to a certain\nextent, withstood the ravages of time. The city of Athens especially\ncontains numerous remains of these buildings of antiquity. On the Acropolis\nwe may still behold, among other monuments of ancient art, the temple of\nAthene-Polias, and that of Theseus, the latter of which is the most entire\nancient edifice in the world. In the island of Delos, also, are to be seen\nthe ruins of the temples of Apollo and Artemis, both of which are in a\nwonderful state of preservation. These ruins are most valuable, being\nsufficiently complete to enable us to study, by their aid, the plan and\ncharacter of the original structure.\n\nAmong the Lacedaemonians, however, we find no vestiges of these stately\ntemples, for they were specially enjoined by a law of Lycurgus to serve the\ngods with as little outlay as possible. When the great lawgiver was asked\nthe reason of this injunction, he replied that the Lacedaemonians, being a\npoor nation, might otherwise abstain altogether from the observance of\ntheir religious duties, and wisely added that magnificent edifices and\ncostly sacrifices were not so pleasing to the gods, as the true piety and\nunfeigned devotion of their worshippers.\n\nThe most ancient temples known to us served a double purpose: they were not\nonly consecrated to the service of the gods, but were at the same time\nvenerable monuments in honour of the dead. Thus, for instance, the temple\nof Pallas-Athene, in the tower of the city of Larissa, served as the\nsepulchre of Acrisius, and the Acropolis at Athens received the ashes of\nCecrops, founder of the city.\n\nA temple was frequently dedicated to two or more gods, and was always built\nafter the manner considered most acceptable to the particular divinities to\nwhom it was consecrated; for just as trees, birds, and animals of {190}\nevery description were held to be sacred to certain deities, so almost\nevery god had a form of building peculiar to himself, which was deemed more\nacceptable to him than any other. Thus the Doric style of architecture was\nsacred to Zeus, Ares, and Heracles; the Ionic to Apollo, Artemis, and\nDionysus; and the Corinthian to Hestia.\n\nIn the porch of the temple stood a vessel of stone or brass, containing\nholy water (which had been consecrated by putting into it a burning torch,\ntaken from the altar), with which all those admitted to take part in the\nsacrifices were besprinkled. In the inmost recess of the sanctuary was the\nmost holy place, into which none but the priests were suffered to enter.\n\nTemples in the country were usually surrounded with groves of trees. The\nsolitude of these shady retreats naturally tended to inspire the worshipper\nwith awe and reverence, added to which the delightful shade and coolness\nafforded by tall leafy trees is peculiarly grateful in hot countries.\nIndeed so general did this custom of building temples in groves become,\nthat all places devoted to sacred purposes, even where no trees existed,\nwere called groves. That this practice must be of very remote antiquity is\nproved by the Biblical injunction, having for its object the separation of\nthe Jews from all idolatrous practices: \"Thou shalt not plant thee a grove\nof trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God.\"\n\nSTATUES.\n\nThe Greeks worshipped their gods without any visible representations of\nthem until the time of Cecrops. The most ancient of these representations\nconsisted of square blocks of stone, upon which the name of the deity\nintended to be represented was engraved. The first attempts at sculpture\nwere rude stocks, with a head at one end and a shapeless trunk at the\nother, tapering slightly down to the feet, which, however, were not\ndivided, the limbs being in no way defined. But the artists of later times\ndevoted all their genius to the {191} successful production of the highest\nideals of their gods, some of which are preserved to this day, and are\nregarded as examples of purest art.\n\nOn a pedestal in the centre of the edifice stood the statue of the divinity\nto whom the temple was dedicated, surrounded by images of other gods, all\nof which were fenced off by rails.\n\nALTARS.\n\nThe altar in a Greek temple, which stood in the centre of the building and\nin front of the statue of the presiding deity, was generally of a circular\nform, and constructed of stone. It was customary to engrave upon it the\nname or distinguishing symbol of the divinity to whom it was dedicated; and\nit was held so sacred that if any malefactor fled to it his life was safe\nfrom his pursuers, and it was considered one of the greatest acts of\nsacrilege to force him from this asylum.\n\nThe most ancient altars were adorned with horns, which in former times were\nemblems of power and dignity, as wealth, and consequently importance,\nconsisted among most primitive nations in flocks and herds.\n\nIn addition to those erected in places of public worship, altars were\nfrequently raised in groves, on highways, or in the market-places of\ncities.\n\nThe gods of the lower world had no altars whatever, ditches or trenches\nbeing dug for the reception of the blood of the sacrifices offered to them.\n\nPRIESTS.\n\nIn ancient times the priests were recognized as a special social caste, and\nwere distinguished not only by their sacerdotal vestments, but also by\ntheir piety, wisdom, and blameless life. They were the chosen mediators\nbetween gods and men, and offered prayers and sacrifices in the name of the\npeople, whom they also instructed as to what vows, gifts, and offerings\nwould be most acceptable to the gods.\n\n{192}\n\nEvery deity had a different order of priests consecrated to his worship,\nand in every place a high-priest was appointed, whose duty it was to\nsuperintend the rest of his order, and also to carry out the more sacred\nrites and religious observances.\n\nPriests and priestesses were permitted to marry, but not a second time;\nsome, however, voluntarily adopted a life of celibacy.\n\nSACRIFICES.\n\nThere is no doubt that a feeling of gratitude to the gods for their\nprotecting care, and the abundance with which they were believed to bless\nmankind, has induced men of all nations and in all countries to feel a\ndesire to sacrifice to their divinities some portion of the gifts so\ngenerously lavished upon them.\n\nAmong the Greeks, sacrifices were of various kinds. They consisted of\n_free-will offerings_, _propitiatory offerings_, &c.\n\n_Free-will offerings_ were grateful acknowledgments for benefits received,\nand usually consisted of the first-fruits of the field, or the finest of\nthe flocks and herds, which were required to be without spot or blemish.\n\n_Propitiatory offerings_ were brought with the object of appeasing the\nanger of the gods.\n\nIn addition to those above enumerated, sacrifices were made, either with a\nview of obtaining success in an enterprise about to be undertaken, or in\nfulfilment of a vow, or at the command of an oracle.\n\nEvery sacrifice was accompanied by salt and also by a libation, which\nusually consisted of wine, the cup being always filled to the brim,\nindicating that the offering was made without stint. When sacrificing to\nthe infernal gods the cup containing the libation was filled with blood.\n\nThe animals offered to the Olympian divinities were white, whilst those to\nthe gods of the lower world were black. When a man offered a special\nsacrifice for himself or his family it partook of the nature of his {193}\noccupation; thus a shepherd brought a sheep, a vine-grower his grapes, and\nso forth. But in the case of public sacrifices, the supposed individuality\nof the deity was always consulted. For instance, to Demeter a sow was\noffered, because that animal is apt to root up the seed-corn; to Dionysus a\ngoat, on account of its being destructive to vineyards, &c.\n\nThe value of offerings depended greatly upon the position of the\nindividual; it being regarded as a contempt of the gods for a rich man to\nbring a sordid offering, whilst from a poor man the smallest oblation was\nconsidered acceptable.\n\nHecatombs consisted of a hundred animals, and were offered by entire\ncommunities, or by wealthy individuals who either desired, or had obtained\nsome special favour from the gods.\n\nWhen a sacrifice was to be offered, a fire was kindled on the altar, into\nwhich wine and frankincense were poured, in order to increase the flame. In\nvery ancient times, the victim was laid upon the altar and burned whole;\nbut after the time of Prometheus portions only of the shoulders, thighs,\nentrails, &c., were sacrificed, the remainder becoming the perquisites of\nthe priests.\n\nThe officiating priests wore a crown composed of the leaves of the tree\nsacred to the deity they invoked. Thus when sacrificing to Apollo the\ncrowns were of laurel; when to Heracles, of poplar. This practice of\nwearing crowns was, at a later period, adopted by the general public at\nbanquets and other festivities.\n\nOn occasions of special solemnity the horns of the victim were overlaid\nwith gold, and the altars decked with flowers and sacred herbs.\n\nThe mode of conducting the sacrifices was as follows:--All things being\nprepared, a salt cake, the sacrificial knife, and the crowns, were placed\nin a small basket, and carried to the sanctuary by a young maiden,\nwhereupon the victim was conducted into the temple, frequently to the\naccompaniment of music. If a small animal, it was driven loose to the\naltar; if a large one, it was led by a {194} long trailing rope, in order\nto indicate that it was not an unwilling sacrifice.\n\nWhen all were assembled, the priest, after walking in solemn state round\nthe altar, besprinkled it with a mixture of meal and holy water, after\nwhich he also besprinkled the assembled worshippers, and exhorted them to\njoin with him in prayer. The service being ended, the priest first tasted\nthe libation, and after causing the congregation to do the like, poured the\nremainder between the horns of the victim, after which frankincense was\nstrewn upon the altar, and a portion of the meal and water poured upon the\nanimal, which was then killed. If by any chance the victim escaped the\nstroke, or became in any way restless, it was regarded as an evil omen; if,\non the contrary, it expired without a struggle, it was considered\nauspicious.\n\nAt the sacrifices to the aerial divinities music was added, whilst dances\nwere performed round the altar, and sacred hymns sung. These hymns were\ngenerally composed in honour of the gods, and contained an account of their\nfamous actions, their clemency and beneficence, and the gifts conferred by\nthem on mankind. In conclusion, the gods were invoked for a continuance of\ntheir favour, and when the service was ended a feast was held.\n\nORACLES.\n\nThe desire to penetrate the dark veil of futurity, and thereby to avert, if\npossible, threatened danger, has animated mankind in all ages of the world.\nProphetic knowledge was sought by the Greeks at the mouth of oracles, whose\npredictions were interpreted to the people by priests, specially appointed\nfor the purpose.\n\nThe most famous of these institutions was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi,\nwhich was held in general repute all over the world. People flocked from\nfar and near to consult this wonderful mouth-piece of the gods, one month\nin the year being specially set apart for the purpose.\n\n{195}\n\nThe priestess who delivered the oracles was called the Pythia, after the\nserpent Python, which was killed by Apollo. Having first bathed in the\nwaters of the Castalian spring, she was conducted into the temple by the\npriests, and was seated on a sort of three-legged stool or table, called a\ntripod, which was placed over the mouth of a cave whence issued sulphurous\nvapours. Here she gradually became affected in a remarkable manner, and\nfell into an ecstatic condition, in which she uttered wild and\nextraordinary phrases, which were held to be the utterance of Apollo\nhimself; these the priests interpreted to the people, but in most cases in\nso ambiguous a manner that the fulfilment of the prediction could not\neasily be disputed. During the ceremony, clouds of incense filled the\ntemple, and hid the priestess from the view of the uninitiated, and at its\nconclusion she was reconducted, in a fainting condition, to her cell.\n\nThe following is a striking instance of the ambiguity of oracular\npredictions:--Croesus, the rich king of Lydia, before going to war with\nCyrus, king of Persia, consulted an oracle as to the probable success of\nthe expedition. The reply he received was, that if he crossed a certain\nriver he would destroy a great empire. Interpreting the response as being\nfavourable to his design, Croesus crossed the river, and encountered the\nPersian king, by whom he was entirely defeated; and his own empire being\ndestroyed, the prediction of the oracle was said to have been fulfilled.\n\nSOOTHSAYERS (AUGURS).\n\nIn addition to the manifestation of the will of the gods by means of\noracles, the Greeks also believed that certain men, called soothsayers,\nwere gifted with the power of foretelling future events from dreams, from\nobserving the flight of birds, the entrails of sacrificed animals, and even\nthe direction of the flames and smoke from the altar, &c. {196}\n\nAUGURS.\n\nThe Roman soothsayers were called augurs, and played an important part in\nthe history of the Romans, as no enterprise was ever undertaken without\nfirst consulting them with regard to its ultimate success.\n\nFESTIVALS.\n\nFestivals were instituted as seasons of rest, rejoicing, and thanksgiving,\nand also as anniversaries to commemorate events of national importance. The\nmost ancient festivals were those held after the ingathering of the harvest\nor vintage, and were celebrated with rejoicings and merry-makings, which\nlasted many days, during which time the first-fruits of the fields were\noffered to the gods, accompanied by prayers and thanksgiving.\n\nThe festivals held in cities in honour of special divinities, or in\ncommemoration of particular events, were conducted with an elaborate\nceremonial. Gorgeous processions, games, chariot races, &c., were\nconspicuous features on these occasions, and dramatic performances,\nrepresenting particular episodes in the lives of the gods and heroes,\nfrequently took place.\n\nWe subjoin a few of the most interesting of the Greek and Roman festivals.\n\n * * * * *\n\nGREEK FESTIVALS.\n\nELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES.\n\nOne of the most ancient and important among the festivals observed by the\nGreeks was that of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which was celebrated in honour\nof Demeter and Persephone. The name was derived from Eleusis, a town in\nAttica, where the Mysteries were first introduced by the goddess herself.\nThey were divided into the {197} Greater and Lesser Mysteries, and,\naccording to the general account, were held every five years. The Greater,\nwhich were celebrated in honour of Demeter, and lasted nine days, were held\nin autumn; the Lesser, dedicated to Persephone (who at these festivals was\naffectionately called Cora, or the maiden), were held in spring.\n\nIt is supposed that the secrets taught to the initiated by the priests--the\nexpounders of the Mysteries--were moral meanings, elucidated from the myths\nconcerning Demeter and Persephone; but the most important belief inculcated\nwas the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. That the lessons taught\nwere of the highest moral character is universally admitted. \"The souls of\nthose who participated in them were filled with the sweetest hopes both as\nto this and the future world;\" and it was a common saying among the\nAthenians: \"In the Mysteries no one is sad.\"\n\nThe initiation into these solemn rites (which was originally the exclusive\nprivilege of the Athenians) was accompanied with awe-inspiring ceremonies;\nand secrecy was so strictly enjoined that its violation was punished by\ndeath. At the conclusion of the initiation great rejoicings took place,\nchariot-races, wrestling matches, &c., were held, and solemn sacrifices\noffered.\n\nThe initiation into the Lesser Mysteries served as a preparation for the\nGreater.\n\nTHESMOPHORIA.\n\nThe Thesmophoria was another festival held in honour of Demeter, in her\ncharacter as presiding over marriage and social institutions resulting from\nthe spread of agriculture.\n\nThis festival was celebrated exclusively by women.\n\nDIONYSIA.\n\nA joyous spring festival was held in honour of Dionysus, in the month of\nMarch, and lasted several days.\n\n{198}\n\nThis festival, which was called the Greater Dionysia, was celebrated with\nparticular splendour at Athens, when strangers flocked from all parts of\nthe world to take part in the ceremonies. The city was gaily decorated, the\nhouses were garlanded with ivy-leaves, crowds perambulated the streets,\neverything wore its holiday garb, and wine was freely indulged in.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIn the processions which took place during these festivities, the statue of\nDionysus was carried, and men and women, crowned with ivy and bearing the\nthyrsus, were dressed in every description of grotesque costume, and played\non drums, pipes, flutes, cymbals, &c. Some representing Silenus rode on\nasses, others wearing fawn-skins appeared as Pan or the Satyrs, and the\nwhole multitude sang paeans in honour of the wine-god. Public shows, games,\nand sports took place, and the entire city was full of revelry.\n\nWhat lent additional interest to these festivals was the custom of\nintroducing new comedies and tragedies to the public, representations of\nwhich were given, and prizes awarded to those which elicited the greatest\nadmiration.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe Lesser Dionysia were vintage festivals, celebrated in rural districts\nin the month of November, and were characterized by drinking, feasting, and\njoviality of all kinds.\n\nIn connection with some of the festivals in honour of Dionysus were certain\nmystic observances, into which only women, called Menades or Bacchantes,\nwere initiated. Clad in fawn-skins, they assembled by night on the mountain\nsides, {199} some carrying blazing torches, others thyrsi, and all animated\nwith religious enthusiasm and frenzy. They shouted, clapped their hands,\ndanced wildly, and worked themselves up to such a pitch of excitement and\nfury that in their mad frenzy they tore in pieces the animal brought as a\nsacrifice to Dionysus.\n\nUnder the name of Bacchanalia, these mystic rites were introduced into\nRome, where men also were allowed to participate in them; but they were\nattended with such frightful excesses that the state authorities at length\ninterfered and prohibited them.\n\nPANATHENAEA.\n\nThe Panathenaea was a famous festival celebrated in Athens in honour of\nAthene-Polias, the guardian of the state. There were two festivals of this\nname, the Lesser and the Greater Panathenaea. The former was held annually,\nand the latter, which lasted several days, was celebrated every fourth\nyear.\n\nFor the Greater Panathenaea a garment, embroidered with gold, called the\nPeplus, was specially woven by Athenian maidens, on which was represented\nthe victory gained by Athene over the Giants. This garment was suspended to\nthe mast of a ship which stood outside the city; and during the festival,\nwhich was characterized by a grand procession, the ship (with the Peplus on\nits mast) was impelled forward by means of invisible machinery, and formed\nthe most conspicuous feature of the pageant. The whole population, bearing\nolive branches in their hands, took part in the procession; and amidst\nmusic and rejoicings this imposing pageant wended its way to the temple of\nAthene-Polias, where the Peplus was deposited on the statue of the goddess.\n\nAt this festival, Homer's poems were declaimed aloud, and poets also\nintroduced their own works to the public. Musical contests, foot and horse\nraces, and wrestling matches were held, and dances were performed by boys\nin armour.\n\n{200}\n\nMen who had deserved well of their country were presented at the festival\nwith a crown of gold, and the name of the person so distinguished was\nannounced publicly by a herald.\n\nThe victors in the races and athletic games received, as a prize, a vase of\noil, supposed to have been extracted from the fruit of the sacred\nolive-tree of Athene.\n\nDAPHNEPHORIA.\n\nThe Daphnephoria was celebrated at Thebes in honour of Apollo every ninth\nyear.\n\nThe distinguishing feature of this festival was a procession to the temple\nof Apollo, in which a young priest (the Daphnephorus) of noble descent,\nsplendidly attired and wearing a crown of gold, was preceded by a youth,\ncarrying an emblematical representation of the sun, moon, stars, and days\nof the year, and followed by beautiful maidens bearing laurel branches, and\nsinging hymns in honour of the god.\n\n * * * * *\n\nROMAN FESTIVALS.\n\nSATURNALIA.\n\nThe Saturnalia, a national festival held in December in honour of Saturn,\nwas celebrated after the ingathering of the harvest, and lasted several\ndays.\n\nIt was a time of universal rejoicing, cessation from labour, and\nmerry-making. School children had holidays, friends sent presents to each\nother, the law-courts were closed, and no business was transacted.\n\nCrowds of people from the surrounding country flocked to Rome for this\nfestival attired in every variety of masquerade dress; practical jokes were\ngiven and received with the utmost good humour, shouts of exultation filled\n{201} the air, all classes abandoned themselves to enjoyment, and\nunrestrained hilarity reigned supreme. Social distinctions were for a time\nsuspended, or even reversed; and so heartily was the spirit of this\nfestival entered into, that masters waited upon their slaves at banquets\nwhich they provided for them; the slaves being dressed upon these occasions\nin the garments of their masters.\n\nThere appears little doubt that the modern Carnival is a survival of the\nancient Saturnalia.\n\nCEREALIA.\n\nThis festival was celebrated in honour of Ceres. It was solemnized\nexclusively by women, who, dressed in white garments, wandered about with\ntorches in their hands, to represent the search of the goddess for her\ndaughter Proserpine.\n\nDuring this festival, games were celebrated in the Circus Maximus, to which\nnone were admitted unless clothed in white.\n\nVESTALIA.\n\nThe Vestalia was a festival held in honour of Vesta on the 9th of June, and\nwas celebrated exclusively by women, who walked barefooted in procession to\nthe temple of the goddess.\n\nThe priestesses of Vesta, called Vestales or Vestal Virgins, played a\nconspicuous part in these festivals. They were six in number, and were\nchosen--between the ages of six and ten--from the noblest families in Rome.\nTheir term of office was thirty years. During the first ten years, they\nwere initiated in their religious duties, during the second ten they\nperformed them, and during the third they instructed novices. Their chief\nduty was to watch and feed the ever-burning flame on the altar of Vesta,\nthe extinction of which was regarded as a national calamity of ominous\nimport.\n\n{202}\n\nGreat honours and privileges were accorded to them; the best seats were\nreserved for their use at all public spectacles, and even the consuls and\npraetors made way for them to pass. If they met a criminal on his way to\nexecution they had the power to pardon him, provided it could be proved\nthat the meeting was accidental.\n\nThe Vestales were vowed to chastity, a violation of which was visited by\nthe frightful punishment of being buried alive.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\n{203}\n\nPART II.--LEGENDS.\n\nCADMUS.\n\nThe following is the legendary account of the founding of Thebes:--\n\nAfter the abduction of his daughter Europa by Zeus, Agenor, king of\nPhoenicia, unable to reconcile himself to her loss, despatched his son\nCadmus in search of her, desiring him not to return without his sister.\n\nFor many years Cadmus pursued his search through various countries, but\nwithout success. Not daring to return home without her, he consulted the\noracle of Apollo at Delphi; and the reply was that he must desist from his\ntask, and take upon himself a new duty, _i.e._ that of founding a city, the\nsite of which would be indicated to him by a heifer which had never borne\nthe yoke, and which would lie down on the spot whereon the city was to be\nbuilt.\n\nScarcely had Cadmus left the sacred fane, when he observed a heifer who\nbore no marks of servitude on her neck, walking slowly in front of him. He\nfollowed the animal for a considerable distance, until at length, on the\nsite where Thebes afterwards stood, she looked towards heaven and, gently\nlowing, lay down in the long grass. Grateful for this mark of divine\nfavour, Cadmus resolved to offer up the animal as a sacrifice, and\naccordingly sent his followers to fetch water for the libation from a\nneighbouring spring. This spring, which was sacred to Ares, was situated in\na wood, and guarded by a fierce dragon, who, at the approach of the\nretainers of Cadmus, suddenly pounced upon them and killed them.\n\nAfter waiting some time for the return of his servants {204} Cadmus grew\nimpatient, and hastily arming himself with his lance and spear, set out to\nseek them. On reaching the spot, the mangled remains of his unfortunate\nfollowers met his view, and near them he beheld the frightful monster,\ndripping with the blood of his victims. Seizing a huge rock, the hero\nhurled it with all his might upon the dragon; but protected by his tough\nblack skin and steely scales as by a coat of mail, he remained unhurt.\nCadmus now tried his lance, and with more success, for it pierced the side\nof the beast, who, furious with pain, sprang at his adversary, when Cadmus,\nleaping aside, succeeded in fixing the point of his spear within his jaws,\nwhich final stroke put an end to the encounter.\n\nWhile Cadmus stood surveying his vanquished foe Pallas-Athene appeared to\nhim, and commanded him to sow the teeth of the dead dragon in the ground.\nHe obeyed; and out of the furrows there arose a band of armed men, who at\nonce commenced to fight with each other, until all except five were killed.\nThese last surviving warriors made peace with each other, and it was with\ntheir assistance that Cadmus now built the famous city of Thebes. In later\ntimes the noblest Theban families proudly claimed their descent from these\nmighty earth-born warriors.\n\nAres was furious with rage when he discovered that Cadmus had slain his\ndragon, and would have killed him had not Zeus interfered, and induced him\nto mitigate his punishment to that of servitude for the term of eight\nyears. At the end of that time the god of war became reconciled to Cadmus,\nand, in token of his forgiveness, bestowed upon him the hand of his\ndaughter Harmonia in marriage. Their nuptials were almost as celebrated as\nthose of Peleus and Thetis. All the gods honoured them with their presence,\nand offered rich gifts and congratulations. Cadmus himself presented his\nlovely bride with a splendid necklace fashioned by Hephaestus, which,\nhowever, after the death of Harmonia, always proved fatal to its possessor.\n\nThe children of Cadmus and Harmonia were one son, {205} Polydorus, and four\ndaughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, and Agave.\n\nFor many years the founder of Thebes reigned happily, but at length a\nconspiracy was formed against him, and he was deprived of his throne by his\ngrandson Pentheus. Accompanied by his faithful wife Harmonia, he retired\ninto Illyria, and after death they were both changed by Zeus into serpents,\nand transferred to Elysium.\n\nPERSEUS.\n\nPerseus, one of the most renowned of the legendary heroes of antiquity, was\nthe son of Zeus and Danae, daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos.\n\nAn oracle having foretold to Acrisius that a son of Danae would be the\ncause of his death, he imprisoned her in a tower of brass in order to keep\nher secluded from the world. Zeus, however, descended through the roof of\nthe tower in the form of a shower of gold, and the lovely Danae became his\nbride.\n\nFor four years Acrisius remained in ignorance of this union, but one\nevening as he chanced to pass by the brazen chamber, he heard the cry of a\nyoung child proceeding from within, which led to the discovery of his\ndaughter's marriage with Zeus. Enraged at finding all his precautions\nunavailing, Acrisius commanded the mother and child to be placed in a chest\nand thrown into the sea.\n\nBut it was not the will of Zeus that they should perish. He directed\nPoseidon to calm the troubled waters, and caused the chest to float safely\nto the island of Seriphus. Dictys, brother of Polydectes, king of the\nisland, was fishing on the sea-shore when he saw the chest stranded on the\nbeach; and pitying the helpless condition of its unhappy occupants, he\nconducted them to the palace of the king, where they were treated with the\ngreatest kindness.\n\nPolydectes eventually became united to Danae, and {206} bestowed upon\nPerseus an education befitting a hero. When he saw his stepson develop into\na noble and manly youth he endeavoured to instil into his mind a desire to\nsignalize himself by the achievement of some great and heroic deed, and\nafter mature deliberation it was decided that the slaying of the Gorgon,\nMedusa, would bring him the greatest renown.\n\nFor the successful accomplishment of his object it was necessary for him to\nbe provided with a pair of winged sandals, a magic wallet, and the helmet\nof Aides, which rendered the wearer invisible, all of which were in the\nkeeping of the Nymphs, the place of whose abode was known only to the Graeae.\nPerseus started on his expedition, and, guided by Hermes and Pallas-Athene,\narrived, after a long journey, in the far-off region, on the borders of\nOceanus, where dwelt the Graeae, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. He at once\napplied to them for the necessary information, and on their refusing to\ngrant it he deprived them of their single eye and tooth, which he only\nrestored to them when they gave him full directions with regard to his\nroute. He then proceeded to the abode of the Nymphs, from whom he obtained\nthe objects indispensable for his purpose.\n\nEquipped with the magic helmet and wallet, and armed with a sickle, the\ngift of Hermes, he attached to his feet the winged sandals, and flew to the\nabode of the Gorgons, whom he found fast asleep. Now as Perseus had been\nwarned by his celestial guides that whoever looked upon these weird sisters\nwould be transformed into stone, he stood with averted face before the\nsleepers, and caught on his bright metal shield their triple image. Then,\nguided by Pallas-Athene, he cut off the head of the Medusa, which he placed\nin his wallet. No sooner had he done so than from the headless trunk there\nsprang forth the winged steed Pegasus, and Chrysaor, the father of the\nwinged giant Geryon. He now hastened to elude the pursuit of the two\nsurviving sisters, who, aroused from their slumbers, eagerly rushed to\navenge the death of their sister.\n\n{207}\n\nHis invisible helmet and winged sandals here stood him in good stead; for\nthe former concealed him from the view of the Gorgons, whilst the latter\nbore him swiftly over land and sea, far beyond the reach of pursuit. In\npassing over the burning plains of Libya the drops of blood from the head\nof the Medusa oozed through the wallet, and falling on the hot sands below\nproduced a brood of many-coloured snakes, which spread all over the\ncountry.\n\nPerseus continued his flight until he reached the kingdom of Atlas, of whom\nhe begged rest and shelter. But as this king possessed a valuable orchard,\nin which every tree bore golden fruit, he was fearful lest the slayer of\nthe Medusa might destroy the dragon which guarded it, and then rob him of\nhis treasures. He therefore refused to grant the hospitality which the hero\ndemanded, whereupon Perseus, exasperated at the churlish repulse, produced\nfrom his wallet the head of the Medusa, and holding it towards the king,\ntransformed him into a stony mountain. Beard and hair erected themselves\ninto forests; shoulders, hands, and limbs became huge rocks, and the head\ngrew up into a craggy peak which reached into the clouds.\n\nPerseus then resumed his travels. His winged sandals bore him over deserts\nand mountains, until he arrived at AEthiopia, the kingdom of King Cepheus.\nHere he found the country inundated with disastrous floods, towns and\nvillages destroyed, and everywhere signs of desolation and ruin. On a\nprojecting cliff close to the shore he beheld a lovely maiden chained to a\nrock. This was Andromeda, the king's daughter. Her mother Cassiopea, having\nboasted that her beauty surpassed that of the Nereides, the angry\nsea-nymphs appealed to Poseidon to avenge their wrongs, whereupon the\nsea-god devastated the country with a terrible inundation, which brought\nwith it a huge monster who devoured all that came in his way.\n\nIn their distress the unfortunate AEthiopians applied to the oracle of\nJupiter-Ammon, in the Libyan desert, {208} and obtained the response, that\nonly by the sacrifice of the king's daughter to the monster could the\ncountry and people be saved.\n\nCepheus, who was tenderly attached to his child, at first refused to listen\nto this dreadful proposal; but overcome at length by the prayers and\nsolicitations of his unhappy subjects, the heart-broken father gave up his\nchild for the welfare of his country. Andromeda was accordingly chained to\na rock on the sea-shore to serve as a prey to the monster, whilst her\nunhappy parents bewailed her sad fate on the beach below.\n\nOn being informed of the meaning of this tragic scene, Perseus proposed to\nCepheus to slay the dragon, on condition that the lovely victim should\nbecome his bride. Overjoyed at the prospect of Andromeda's release, the\nking gladly acceded to the stipulation, and Perseus hastened to the rock,\nto breathe words of hope and comfort to the trembling maiden. Then assuming\nonce more the helmet of Aides, he mounted into the air, and awaited the\napproach of the monster.\n\nPresently the sea opened, and the shark's head of the gigantic beast of the\ndeep raised itself above the waves. Lashing his tail furiously from side to\nside, he leaped forward to seize his victim; but the gallant hero, watching\nhis opportunity, suddenly darted down, and producing the head of the Medusa\nfrom his wallet, held it before the eyes of the dragon, whose hideous body\nbecame gradually transformed into a huge black rock, which remained for\never a silent witness of the miraculous deliverance of Andromeda. Perseus\nthen led the maiden to her now happy parents, who, anxious to evince their\ngratitude to her deliverer ordered immediate preparations to be made for\nthe nuptial feast. But the young hero was not to bear away his lovely bride\nuncontested; for in the midst of the banquet, Phineus, the king's brother,\nto whom Andromeda had previously been betrothed, returned to claim his\nbride. Followed by a band of armed warriors he forced his way into the\nhall, and a desperate encounter took place between the rivals, {209} which\nmight have terminated fatally for Perseus, had he not suddenly bethought\nhimself of the Medusa's head. Calling to his friends to avert their faces,\nhe drew it from his wallet, and held it before Phineus and his formidable\nbody-guard, whereupon they all stiffened into stone.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nPerseus now took leave of the AEthiopian king, and, accompanied by his\nbeautiful bride, returned to Seriphus, where a joyful meeting took place\nbetween Danae and her son. He then sent a messenger to his grandfather,\ninforming him that he intended returning to Argos; but Acrisius, fearing\nthe fulfilment of the oracular prediction, fled for protection to his\nfriend Teutemias, king of Larissa. Anxious to induce the aged monarch to\nreturn to Argos, Perseus followed him thither. But here a strange fatality\noccurred. Whilst taking part in some funereal games, celebrated in honour\nof the king's father, Perseus, by an unfortunate throw of the discus,\naccidentally struck his grandfather, and thereby was the innocent cause of\nhis death.\n\nAfter celebrating the funereal rites of Acrisius with due solemnity,\nPerseus returned to Argos; but feeling loath to occupy the throne of one\nwhose death he had caused, he exchanged kingdoms with Megapenthes, king of\nTiryns, and in course of time founded the cities of Mycenae and Midea.\n\nThe head of the Medusa he presented to his divine patroness, Pallas-Athene,\nwho placed it in the centre of her shield.\n\nMany great heroes were descended from Perseus and Andromeda, foremost among\nwhom was Heracles, whose mother, Alcmene, was their granddaughter.\n\nHeroic honours were paid to Perseus, not only {210} throughout Argos, but\nalso at Athens and in the island of Seriphus.\n\nION.\n\nIon was the son of Creusa (the beauteous daughter of Erechtheus, king of\nAthens) and the sun-god Phoebus-Apollo, to whom she was united without the\nknowledge of her father.\n\nFearing the anger of Erechtheus, Creusa placed her new-born babe in a\nlittle wicker basket, and hanging some golden charms round his neck,\ninvoked for him the protection of the gods, and concealed him in a lonely\ncave. Apollo, pitying his deserted child, sent Hermes to convey him to\nDelphi, where he deposited his charge on the steps of the temple. Next\nmorning the Delphic priestess discovered the infant, and was so charmed by\nhis engaging appearance that she adopted him as her own son. The young\nchild was carefully tended and reared by his kind foster-mother, and was\nbrought up in the service of the temple, where he was intrusted with some\nof the minor duties of the holy edifice.\n\nAnd now to return to Creusa. During a war with the Euboeans, in which the\nlatter were signally defeated, Xuthus, son of AEolus, greatly distinguished\nhimself on the side of the Athenians, and as a reward for his valuable\nservices, the hand of Creusa, the king's daughter, was bestowed upon him in\nmarriage. Their union, however, was not blest with children, and as this\nwas a source of great grief to both of them, they repaired to Delphi in\norder to consult the oracle. The response was, that Xuthus should regard\nthe first person who met him on leaving the sanctuary as his son. Now it\nhappened that Ion, the young guardian of the temple, was the first to greet\nhis view, and when Xuthus beheld the beautiful youth, he gladly welcomed\nhim as his son, declaring that the gods had sent him to be a blessing and\ncomfort to his old age. Creusa, however, who concluded that the youth was\nthe offspring of a secret marriage on the part of her husband, was filled\nwith suspicion and jealousy; {211} when an old servant, observing her\ngrief, begged her to be comforted, assuring her that the cause of her\ndistress should be speedily removed.\n\nWhen, upon the occasion of the public adoption of his son, Xuthus gave a\ngrand banquet, the old servant of Creusa contrived to mix a strong poison\nin the wine of the unsuspecting Ion. But the youth--according to the pious\ncustom of the ancients, of offering a libation to the gods before partaking\nof any repast--poured upon the ground a portion of the wine before putting\nit to his lips, when suddenly, as if by a miracle, a dove flew into the\nbanquet-hall, and sipped of the wine of the libation; whereupon the poor\nlittle creature began to quiver in every limb, and in a few moments\nexpired.\n\nIon's suspicions at once fell upon the obsequious servant of Creusa, who\nwith such officious attention had filled his cup. He violently seized the\nold man, and accused him of his murderous intentions. Unprepared for this\nsudden attack he admitted his guilt, but pointed to the wife of Xuthus as\nthe instigator of the crime. Ion was about to avenge himself upon Creusa,\nwhen, by means of the divine intervention of Apollo, his foster-mother, the\nDelphic priestess appeared on the scene, and explained the true\nrelationship which existed between Creusa and Ion. In order to set all\ndoubts at rest, she produced the charms which she had found round the neck\nof the infant, and also the wicker basket in which he had been conveyed to\nDelphi.\n\nMother and son now became reconciled to each other, and Creusa revealed to\nIon the secret of his divine origin. The priestess of Delphi foretold that\nhe would become the father of a great nation, called after him the Ionians,\nand also that Xuthus and Creusa would have a son called Dorus, who would be\nthe progenitor of the Dorian people, both of which predictions were in due\ntime verified.\n\nDAEDALUS and ICARUS.\n\nDaedalus, a descendant of Erechtheus, was an Athenian architect, sculptor,\nand mechanician. He was the first {212} to introduce the art of sculpture\nin its higher development, for before his time statues were merely rude\nrepresentations, having the limbs altogether undefined.\n\nBut great as was his genius, still greater was his vanity, and he could\nbrook no rival. Now his nephew and pupil, Talus, exhibited great talent,\nhaving invented both the saw and the compass, and Daedalus, fearing lest he\nmight overshadow his own fame, secretly killed him by throwing him down\nfrom the citadel of Pallas-Athene. The murder being discovered, Daedalus was\nsummoned before the court of the Areopagus and condemned to death; but he\nmade his escape to the island of Crete, where he was received by king Minos\nin a manner worthy of his great reputation.\n\nDaedalus constructed for the king the world-renowned labyrinth, which was an\nimmense building, full of intricate passages, intersecting each other in\nsuch a manner, that even Daedalus himself is said, upon one occasion, to\nhave nearly lost his way in it; and it was in this building the king placed\nthe Minotaur, a monster with the head and shoulders of a bull and the body\nof a man.\n\nIn the course of time the great artist became weary of his long exile, more\nespecially as the king, under the guise of friendship, kept him almost a\nprisoner. He therefore resolved to make his escape, and for this purpose\ningeniously contrived wings for himself and his young son Icarus, whom he\ndiligently trained how to use them. Having awaited a favourable\nopportunity, father and son commenced their flight, and were well on their\nway when Icarus, pleased with the novel sensation, forgot altogether his\nfather's oft-repeated injunction not to approach too near the sun. The\nconsequence was that the wax, by means of which his wings were attached,\nmelted, and he fell into the sea and was drowned. The body of the\nunfortunate Icarus was washed up by the tide, and was buried by the\nbereaved father on an island which he called after his son, Icaria.\n\nAfter this sad event, Daedalus winged his flight to the island of Sicily,\nwhere he met with a kind welcome from {213} king Cocalus, for whom he\nconstructed several important public works. But no sooner did Minos receive\nthe intelligence that his great architect had found an asylum with Cocalus\nthan he sailed over to Sicily with a large army, and sent messengers to the\nSicilian king demanding the surrender of his guest. Cocalus feigned\ncompliance and invited Minos to his palace, where he was treacherously put\nto death in a warm bath. The body of their king was brought to Agrigent by\nthe Cretans, where it was buried with great pomp, and over his tomb a\ntemple to Aphrodite was erected.\n\nDaedalus passed the remainder of his life tranquilly in the island of\nSicily, where he occupied himself in the construction of various beautiful\nworks of art.\n\nTHE ARGONAUTS.\n\nAeson, king of Iolcus, was forced to fly from his dominions, which had been\nusurped by his younger brother, Pelias, and with difficulty succeeded in\nsaving the life of his young son, Jason, who was at that time only ten\nyears of age. He intrusted him to the care of the Centaur Chiron, by whom\nhe was carefully trained in company with other noble youths, who, like\nhimself, afterwards signalized themselves by their bravery and heroic\nexploits. For ten years Jason remained in the cave of the Centaur, by whom\nhe was instructed in all useful and warlike arts. But as he approached\nmanhood he became filled with an unconquerable desire to regain his\npaternal inheritance. He therefore took leave of his kind friend and\npreceptor, and set out for Iolcus to demand from his uncle Pelias the\nkingdom which he had so unjustly usurped.\n\nIn the course of his journey he came to a broad and foaming river, on the\nbanks of which he perceived an old woman, who implored him to help her\nacross. At first he hesitated, knowing that even alone he would find some\ndifficulty in stemming the fierce torrent; but, {214} pitying her forlorn\ncondition, he raised her in his arms, and succeeded, with a great effort,\nin reaching the opposite shore. But as soon as her feet had touched the\nearth she became transformed into a beautiful woman, who, looking kindly at\nthe bewildered youth, informed him that she was the goddess Hera, and that\nshe would henceforth guide and protect him throughout his career. She then\ndisappeared, and, full of hope and courage at this divine manifestation,\nJason pursued his journey. He now perceived that in crossing the river he\nhad lost one of his sandals, but as it could not be recovered he was\nobliged to proceed without it.\n\nOn his arrival at Iolcus he found his uncle in the market-place, offering\nup a public sacrifice to Poseidon. When the king had concluded his\noffering, his eye fell upon the distinguished stranger, whose manly beauty\nand heroic bearing had already attracted the attention of his people.\nObserving that one foot was unshod, he was reminded of an oracular\nprediction which foretold to him the loss of his kingdom by a man wearing\nonly one sandal. He, however, disguised his fears, conversed kindly with\nthe youth, and drew from him his name and errand. Then pretending to be\nhighly pleased with his nephew, Pelias entertained him sumptuously for five\ndays, during which time all was festivity and rejoicing. On the sixth,\nJason appeared before his uncle, and with manly firmness demanded from him\nthe throne and kingdom which were his by right. Pelias, dissembling his\ntrue feelings, smilingly consented to grant his request, provided that, in\nreturn, Jason would undertake an expedition for him, which his advanced age\nprevented him from accomplishing himself. He informed his nephew that the\nshade of Phryxus had appeared to him in his dreams, and entreated him to\nbring back from Colchis his mortal remains and the Golden Fleece; and added\nthat if Jason succeeded in obtaining for him these sacred relics, throne,\nkingdom, and sceptre should be his.\n\n{215}\n\nSTORY OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.\n\nAthamas, king of Boeotia, had married Nephele, a cloud-nymph, and their\nchildren were Helle and Phryxus. The restless and wandering nature of\nNephele, however, soon wearied her husband, who, being a mortal, had little\nsympathy with his ethereal consort; so he divorced her, and married the\nbeautiful but wicked Ino (sister of Semele), who hated her step-children,\nand even planned their destruction. But the watchful Nephele contrived to\ncircumvent her cruel designs, and succeeded in getting the children out of\nthe palace. She then placed them both on the back of a winged ram, with a\nfleece of pure gold, which had been given to her by Hermes; and on this\nwonderful animal brother and sister rode through the air over land and sea;\nbut on the way Helle, becoming seized with giddiness, fell into the sea\n(called after her the Hellespont) and was drowned.\n\nPhryxus arrived safely at Colchis, where he was hospitably received by king\nAetes, who gave him one of his daughters in marriage. In gratitude to Zeus\nfor the protection accorded him during his flight, Phryxus sacrificed to\nhim the golden ram, whilst the fleece he presented to Aetes, who nailed it\nup in the Grove of Ares, and dedicated it to the god of War. An oracle\nhaving declared that the life of Aetes depended on the safe-keeping of the\nfleece, he carefully guarded the entrance to the grove by placing before it\nan immense dragon, which never slept.\n\nBUILDING AND LAUNCH OF THE ARGO.--We will now return to Jason, who eagerly\nundertook the perilous expedition proposed to him by his uncle, who, well\naware of the dangers attending such an enterprise, hoped by this means to\nrid himself for ever of the unwelcome intruder.\n\nJason accordingly began to arrange his plans without delay, and invited the\nyoung heroes whose friendship he {216} had formed whilst under the care of\nChiron, to join him in the perilous expedition. None refused the\ninvitation, all feeling honoured at being allowed the privilege of taking\npart in so noble and heroic an undertaking.\n\nJason now applied to Argos, one of the cleverest ship-builders of his time,\nwho, under the guidance of Pallas-Athene, built for him a splendid\nfifty-oared galley, which was called the Argo, after the builder. In the\nupper deck of the vessel the goddess had imbedded a board from the speaking\noak of the oracle of Zeus at Dodona, which ever retained its powers of\nprophecy. The exterior of the ship was ornamented with magnificent\ncarvings, and the whole vessel was so strongly built that it defied the\npower of the winds and waves, and was, nevertheless, so light that the\nheroes, when necessary, were able to carry it on their shoulders. When the\nvessel was completed, the Argonauts (so called after their ship) assembled,\nand their places were distributed by lot.\n\nJason was appointed commander-in-chief of the expedition, Tiphys acted as\nsteersman, Lynceus as pilot. In the bow of the vessel sat the renowned hero\nHeracles; in the stern, Peleus (father of Achilles) and Telamon (the father\nof Ajax the Great). In the inner space were Castor and Pollux, Neleus (the\nfather of Nestor), Admetus (the husband of Alcestes), Meleager (the slayer\nof the Calydonian boar), Orpheus (the renowned singer), Menoctius (the\nfather of Patroclus), Theseus (afterwards king of Athens) and his friend\nPirithoeus (the son of Ixion), Hylas (the adopted son of Heracles), Euphemus\n(the son of Poseidon), Oileus (father of Ajax the Lesser), Zetes and Calais\n(the winged sons of Boreas), Idmon the Seer (the son of Apollo), Mopsus\n(the Thessalian prophet), &c. &c.\n\nBefore their departure Jason offered a solemn sacrifice to Poseidon and all\nthe other sea-deities; he also invoked the protection of Zeus and the\nFates, and then, Mopsus having taken the auguries, and found them\nauspicious, the heroes stepped on board. And now a favourable breeze having\nsprung up, they take their allotted places, {217} the anchor is weighed,\nand the ship glides like a bird out of the harbour into the waters of the\ngreat sea.\n\nARRIVAL AT LEMNOS.--The Argo, with her brave crew of fifty heroes, was soon\nout of sight, and the sea-breeze only wafted to the shore a faint echo of\nthe sweet strains of Orpheus.\n\nFor a time all went smoothly, but the vessel was soon driven, by stress of\nweather, to take refuge in a harbour in the island of Lemnos. This island\nwas inhabited by women only, who, the year before, in a fit of mad\njealousy, had killed all the male population of the island, with the\nexception of the father of their queen, Hypsipyle. As the protection of\ntheir island now devolved upon themselves they were always on the look-out\nfor danger. When, therefore, they sighted the Argo from afar they armed\nthemselves and rushed to the shore, determined to repel any invasion of\ntheir territory.\n\nOn arriving in port the Argonauts, astonished at beholding an armed crowd\nof women, despatched a herald in one of their boats, bearing the staff of\npeace and friendship. Hypsipyle, the queen, proposed that food and presents\nshould be sent to the strangers, in order to prevent their landing; but her\nold nurse, who stood beside her, suggested that this would be a good\nopportunity to provide themselves with noble husbands, who would act as\ntheir defenders, and thus put an end to their constant fears. Hypsipyle\nlistened attentively to the advice of her nurse, and after some\nconsultation, decided to invite the strangers into the city. Robed in his\npurple mantle, the gift of Pallas-Athene, Jason, accompanied by some of his\ncompanions, stepped on shore, where he was met by a deputation consisting\nof the most beautiful of the Lemnian women, and, as commander of the\nexpedition, was invited into the palace of the queen.\n\nWhen he appeared before Hypsipyle, she was so struck with his godlike and\nheroic presence that she presented him with her father's sceptre, and\ninvited him to seat himself on the throne beside her. Jason thereupon {218}\ntook up his residence in the royal castle, whilst his companions scattered\nthemselves through the town, spending their time in feasting and pleasure.\nHeracles, with a few chosen comrades, alone remained on board.\n\nFrom day to day their departure was delayed, and the Argonauts, in their\nnew life of dissipation, had almost forgotten the object of the expedition,\nwhen Heracles suddenly appeared amongst them, and at last recalled them to\na sense of their duty.\n\nGIANTS AND DOLIONES.--The Argonauts now pursued their voyage, till contrary\nwinds drove them towards an island, inhabited by the Doliones, whose king\nCyzicus received them with great kindness and hospitality. The Doliones\nwere descendants of Poseidon, who protected them against the frequent\nattacks of their fierce and formidable neighbours, the earth-born\nGiants--monsters with six arms.\n\nWhilst his companions were attending a banquet given by king Cyzicus,\nHeracles, who, as usual, had remained behind to guard the ship, observed\nthat these Giants were busy blocking up the harbour with huge rocks. He at\nonce realized the danger, and, attacking them with his arrows, succeeded in\nconsiderably thinning their numbers; then, assisted by the heroes, who at\nlength came to his aid, he effectually destroyed the remainder.\n\nThe Argo now steered out of the harbour and set sail; but in consequence of\na severe storm which arose at night, was driven back once more to the\nshores of the kindly Doliones. Unfortunately, however, owing to the\ndarkness of the night, the inhabitants failed to recognize their former\nguests, and, mistaking them for enemies, commenced to attack them. Those\nwho had so recently parted as friends were now engaged in mortal combat,\nand in the battle which ensued, Jason himself pierced to the heart his\nfriend king Cyzicus; whereupon the Doliones, being deprived of their\nleader, fled to their city and closed the gates. When morning dawned, and\nboth sides perceived their error, they were filled with {219} the deepest\nsorrow and remorse; and for three days the heroes remained with the\nDoliones, celebrating the funereal rites of the slain, with every\ndemonstration of mourning and solemnity.\n\nHERACLES LEFT BEHIND.--The Argonauts once more set sail, and after a stormy\nvoyage arrived at Mysia, where they were hospitably received by the\ninhabitants, who spread before them plentiful banquets and sumptuously\nregaled them.\n\nWhile his friends were feasting, Heracles, who had declined to join them,\nwent into the forest to seek a fir-tree which he required for an oar, and\nwas missed by his adopted son Hylas, who set out to seek him. When the\nyouth arrived at a spring, in the most secluded part of the forest, the\nnymph of the fountain was so struck by his beauty that she drew him down\nbeneath the waters, and he was seen no more. Polyphemus, one of the heroes,\nwho happened to be also in the forest, heard his cry for help, and on\nmeeting Heracles informed him of the circumstance. They at once set out in\nsearch of the missing youth, no traces of whom were to be found, and whilst\nthey were engaged looking for him, the Argo set sail and left them behind.\n\nThe ship had proceeded some distance before the absence of Heracles was\nobserved. Some of the heroes were in favour of returning for him, others\nwished to proceed on their journey, when, in the midst of the dispute, the\nsea-god Glaucus arose from the waves, and informed them that it was the\nwill of Zeus that Heracles, having another mission to perform, should\nremain behind. The Argonauts continued their voyage without their\ncompanions; Heracles returned to Argos, whilst Polyphemus remained with the\nMysians, where he founded a city and became its king.\n\nCONTEST WITH AMYCUS.--Next morning the Argo touched at the country of the\nBebrycians, whose king Amycus was a famous pugilist, and permitted no\nstrangers to leave his shores without matching their {220} strength with\nhis. When the heroes, therefore, demanded permission to land, they were\ninformed that they could only do so provided that one of their number\nshould engage in a boxing-match with the king. Pollux, who was the best\npugilist in Greece, was selected as their champion, and a contest took\nplace, which, after a tremendous struggle, proved fatal to Amycus, who had\nhitherto been victorious in all similar encounters.\n\nPHINEUS AND THE HARPIES.--They now proceeded towards Bithynia, where\nreigned the blind old prophet-king Phineus, son of Agenor. Phineus had been\npunished by the gods with premature old age and blindness for having abused\nthe gift of prophecy. He was also tormented by the Harpies, who swooped\ndown upon his food, which they either devoured or so defiled as to render\nit unfit to be eaten. This poor old man, trembling with the weakness of\nage, and faint with hunger, appeared before the Argonauts, and implored\ntheir assistance against his fiendish tormentors, whereupon Zetes and\nCalais, the winged sons of Boreas, recognizing in him the husband of their\nsister Cleopatra, affectionately embraced him, and promised to rescue him\nfrom his painful position.\n\nThe heroes prepared a banquet on the sea-shore, to which they invited\nPhineus; but no sooner had he taken his place, than the Harpies appeared\nand devoured all the viands. Zetes and Calais now rose up into the air,\ndrove the Harpies away, and were pursuing them with drawn swords, when\nIris, the swift-footed messenger of the gods, appeared, and desired them to\ndesist from their work of vengeance, promising that Phineus should be no\nlonger molested.\n\nFreed at length from his tormentors the old man sat down and enjoyed a\nplentiful repast with his kind friends the Argonauts, who now informed him\nof the object of their voyage. In gratitude for his deliverance Phineus\ngave them much useful information concerning their journey, and not only\nwarned them of the manifold {221} dangers awaiting them, but also\ninstructed them how they might be overcome.\n\nPASSAGE OF THE SYMPLEGADES.--After a fortnight's sojourn in Bithynia the\nArgonauts once more set sail, but had not proceeded far on their course,\nwhen they heard a fearful and tremendous crash. This was caused by the\nmeeting of two great rocky islands, called the Symplegades, which floated\nabout in the sea, and constantly met and separated.\n\nBefore leaving Bithynia, the blind old seer, Phineus, had informed them\nthat they would be compelled to pass between these terrible rocks, and he\ninstructed them how to do so with safety. As they now approached the scene\nof danger they remembered his advice, and acted upon it. Typhus, the\nsteersman, stood at the helm, whilst Euphemus held in his hand a dove ready\nto be let loose; for Phineus had told them that if the dove ventured to fly\nthrough, they might safely follow. Euphemus now despatched the bird, which\npassed swiftly through the islands, yet not without losing some of the\nfeathers of her tail, so speedily did they reunite. Seizing the moment when\nthe rocks once more separated, the Argonauts worked at their oars with all\ntheir might, and achieved the perilous passage in safety.\n\nAfter the miraculous passage of the Argo, the Symplegades became\npermanently united, and attached to the bottom of the sea.\n\nTHE STYMPHALIDES.--The Argo pursued her course along the southern coast of\nthe Pontus, and arrived at the island of Aretias, which was inhabited by\nbirds, who, as they flew through the air, discharged from their wings\nfeathers sharp as arrows.\n\nAs the ship was gliding along, Oileus was wounded by one of these birds,\nwhereupon the Argonauts held a council, and by the advice of Amphidamas, an\nexperienced hero, all put on their helmets, and held up their glittering\nshields, uttering, at the same time, such fearful cries that {222} the\nbirds flew away in terror, and the Argonauts were enabled to land with\nsafety on the island.\n\nHere they found four shipwrecked youths, who proved to be the sons of\nPhryxus, and were greeted by Jason as his cousins. On ascertaining the\nobject of the expedition they volunteered to accompany the Argo, and to\nshow the heroes the way to Colchis. They also informed them that the Golden\nFleece was guarded by a fearful dragon, that king Aetes was extremely\ncruel, and, as the son of Apollo, was possessed of superhuman strength.\n\nARRIVAL AT COLCHIS.--Taking with them the four new-comers they journeyed\non, and soon came in sight of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus, when,\ntowards evening, the loud flapping of wings was heard overhead. It was the\ngiant eagle of Prometheus on his way to torture the noble and\nlong-suffering Titan, whose fearful groans soon afterwards fell upon their\nears. That night they reached their journey's end, and anchored in the\nsmooth waters of the river Phases. On the left bank of this river they\nbeheld Ceuta, the capital of Colchis; and on their right a wide field, and\nthe sacred grove of Ares, where the Golden Fleece, suspended from a\nmagnificent oak-tree, was glittering in the sun. Jason now filled a golden\ncup with wine, and offered a libation to mother-earth, the gods of the\ncountry, and the shades of those of the heroes who had died on the voyage.\n\nNext morning a council was held, in which it was decided, that before\nresorting to forcible measures kind and conciliatory overtures should first\nbe made to king Aetes in order to induce him to resign the Golden Fleece.\nIt was arranged that Jason, with a few chosen companions, should proceed to\nthe royal castle, leaving the remainder of the crew to guard the Argo.\nAccompanied, therefore, by Telamon and Augeas, and the four sons of\nPhryxus, he set out for the palace.\n\nWhen they arrived in sight of the castle they were struck by the vastness\nand massiveness of the building, at the entrance to which sparkling\nfountains played in {223} the midst of luxuriant and park-like gardens.\nHere the king's daughters, Chalciope and Medea, who were walking in the\ngrounds of the palace, met them. The former, to her great joy, recognized\nin the youths who accompanied the hero her own long-lost sons, whom she had\nmourned as dead, whilst the young and lovely Medea was struck with the\nnoble and manly form of Jason.\n\nThe news of the return of the sons of Phryxus soon spread through the\npalace, and brought Aetes himself to the scene, whereupon the strangers\nwere presented to him, and were invited to a banquet which the king ordered\nto be prepared in their honour. All the most beautiful ladies of the court\nwere present at this entertainment; but in the eyes of Jason none could\ncompare with the king's daughter, the young and lovely Medea.\n\nWhen the banquet was ended, Jason related to the king his various\nadventures, and also the object of his expedition, with the circumstances\nwhich had led to his undertaking it. Aetes listened, in silent indignation,\nto this recital, and then burst out into a torrent of invectives against\nthe Argonauts and his grand-children, declaring that the Fleece was his\nrightful property, and that on no consideration would he consent to\nrelinquish it. Jason, however, with mild and persuasive words, contrived so\nfar to conciliate him, that he was induced to promise that if the heroes\ncould succeed in demonstrating their divine origin by the performance of\nsome task requiring superhuman power, the Fleece should be theirs.\n\nThe task proposed by Aetes to Jason was that he should yoke the two\nbrazen-footed, fire-breathing oxen of the king (which had been made for him\nby Hephaestus) to his ponderous iron plough. Having done this he must till\nwith them the stony field of Ares, and then sow in the furrows the\npoisonous teeth of a dragon, from which armed men would arise. These he\nmust destroy to a man, or he himself would perish at their hands.\n\nWhen Jason heard what was expected of him, his heart for a moment sank\nwithin him; but he determined, nevertheless, not to flinch from his task,\nbut to trust to the {224} assistance of the gods, and to his own courage\nand energy.\n\nJASON PLOUGHS THE FIELD OF ARES.--Accompanied by his two friends, Telamon\nand Augeas, and also by Argus, the son of Chalciope, Jason returned to the\nvessel for the purpose of holding a consultation as to the best means of\naccomplishing these perilous feats.\n\nArgus explained to Jason all the difficulties of the superhuman task which\nlay before him, and pronounced it as his opinion that the only means by\nwhich success was possible was to enlist the assistance of the Princess\nMedea, who was a priestess of Hecate, and a great enchantress. His\nsuggestion meeting with approval, he returned to the palace, and by the aid\nof his mother an interview was arranged between Jason and Medea, which took\nplace, at an early hour next morning, in the temple of Hecate.\n\nA confession of mutual attachment took place, and Medea, trembling for her\nlover's safety, presented him with a magic salve, which possessed the\nproperty of rendering any person anointed with it invulnerable for the\nspace of one day against fire and steel, and invincible against any\nadversary however powerful. With this salve she instructed him to anoint\nhis spear and shield on the day of his great undertaking. She further added\nthat when, after having ploughed the field and sown the teeth, armed men\nshould arise from the furrows, he must on no account lose heart, but\nremember to throw among them a huge rock, over the possession of which they\nwould fight among themselves, and their attention being thus diverted he\nwould find it an easy task to destroy them. Overwhelmed with gratitude,\nJason thanked her, in the most earnest manner, for her wise counsel and\ntimely aid; at the same time he offered her his hand, and promised her he\nwould not return to Greece without taking her with him as his wife.\n\nNext morning Aetes, in all the pomp of state, surrounded by his family and\nthe members of his court, {225} repaired to a spot whence a full view of\nthe approaching spectacle could be obtained. Soon Jason appeared in the\nfield of Ares, looking as noble and majestic as the god of war himself. In\na distant part of the field the brazen yokes and the massive plough met his\nview, but as yet the dread animals themselves were nowhere to be seen. He\nwas about to go in quest of them, when they suddenly rushed out from a\nsubterranean cave, breathing flames of fire, and enveloped in a thick\nsmoke.\n\nThe friends of Jason trembled; but the undaunted hero, relying on the magic\npowers with which he was imbued by Medea, seized the oxen, one after the\nother, by the horns, and forced them to the yoke. Near the plough was a\nhelmet full of dragon's teeth, which he sowed as he ploughed the field,\nwhilst with sharp pricks from his lance he compelled the monstrous\ncreatures to draw the plough over the stony ground, which was thus speedily\ntilled.\n\nWhile Jason was engaged sowing the dragon's teeth in the deep furrows of\nthe field, he kept a cautious look-out lest the germinating giant brood\nmight grow too quickly for him, and as soon as the four acres of land had\nbeen tilled he unyoked the oxen, and succeeded in frightening them so\neffectually with his weapons, that they rushed back in terror to their\nsubterranean stables. Meanwhile armed men had sprung up out of the furrows,\nand the whole field now bristled with lances; but Jason, remembering the\ninstructions of Medea, seized an immense rock and hurled it into the midst\nof these earth-born warriors, who immediately began to attack each other.\nJason then rushed furiously upon them, and after a terrible struggle not\none of the giants remained alive.\n\nFurious at seeing his murderous schemes thus defeated, Aetes not only\nperfidiously refused to give Jason the Fleece which he had so bravely\nearned, but, in his anger, determined to destroy all the Argonauts, and to\nburn their vessel.\n\nJASON SECURES THE GOLDEN FLEECE.--Becoming aware of the treacherous designs\nof her father, Medea at {226} once took measures to baffle them. In the\ndarkness of night she went on board the Argo, and warned the heroes of\ntheir approaching danger. She then advised Jason to accompany her without\nloss of time to the sacred grove, in order to possess himself of the\nlong-coveted treasure. They set out together, and Medea, followed by Jason,\nled the way, and advanced boldly into the grove. The tall oak-tree was soon\ndiscovered, from the topmost boughs of which hung the beautiful Golden\nFleece. At the foot of this tree, keeping his ever-wakeful watch, lay the\ndreadful, sleepless dragon, who at sight of them bounded forward, opening\nhis huge jaws.\n\nMedea now called into play her magic powers, and quietly approaching the\nmonster, threw over him a few drops of a potion, which soon took effect,\nand sent him into a deep sleep; whereupon Jason, seizing the opportunity,\nclimbed the tree and secured the Fleece. Their perilous task being now\naccomplished, Jason and Medea quitted the grove, and hastened on board the\nArgo, which immediately put to sea.\n\nMURDER OF ABSYRTUS.--Meanwhile Aetes, having discovered the loss of his\ndaughter and the Golden Fleece, despatched a large fleet, under the command\nof his son Absyrtus, in pursuit of the fugitives. After some days' sail\nthey arrived at an island at the mouth of the river Ister, where they found\nthe Argo at anchor, and surrounded her with their numerous ships. They then\ndespatched a herald on board of her, demanding the surrender of Medea and\nthe Fleece.\n\nMedea now consulted Jason, and, with his consent, carried out the following\nstratagem. She sent a message to her brother Absyrtus, to the effect that\nshe had been carried off against her will, and promised that if he would\nmeet her, in the darkness of night, in the temple of Artemis, she would\nassist him in regaining possession of the Golden Fleece. Relying on the\ngood faith of his sister, Absyrtus fell into the snare, and duly appeared\nat the appointed trysting-place; and whilst Medea kept her {227} brother\nengaged in conversation, Jason rushed forward and slew him. Then, according\nto a preconcerted signal, he held aloft a lighted torch, whereupon the\nArgonauts attacked the Colchians, put them to flight, and entirely defeated\nthem.\n\nThe Argonauts now returned to their ship, when the prophetic board from the\nDodonean oak thus addressed them: \"The cruel murder of Absyrtus was\nwitnessed by the Erinyes, and you will not escape the wrath of Zeus until\nthe goddess Circe has purified you from your crime. Let Castor and Pollux\npray to the gods that you may be enabled to find the abode of the\nsorceress.\" In obedience to the voice, the twin-brothers invoked divine\nassistance, and the heroes set out in search of the isle of Circe.\n\nTHEY ARRIVE AT THE ISLAND OF CIRCE.--The good ship Argo sped on her way,\nand, after passing safely through the foaming waters of the river Eridanus,\nat length arrived in the harbour of the island of Circe, where she cast\nanchor.\n\nCommanding his companions to remain on board, Jason landed with Medea, and\nconducted her to the palace of the sorceress. The goddess of charms and\nmagic arts received them kindly, and invited them to be seated; but instead\nof doing so they assumed a supplicating attitude, and humbly besought her\nprotection. They then informed her of the dreadful crime which they had\ncommitted, and implored her to purify them from it. This Circe promised to\ndo. She forthwith commanded her attendant Naiads to kindle the fire on the\naltar, and to prepare everything necessary for the performance of the\nmystic rites, after which a dog was sacrificed, and the sacred cakes were\nburned. Having thus duly purified the criminals, she severely reprimanded\nthem for the horrible murder of which they had been guilty; whereupon\nMedea, with veiled head, and weeping bitterly, was reconducted by Jason to\nthe Argo.\n\nFURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE ARGONAUTS.--Having left the island of Circe they\nwere wafted by gentle {228} zephyrs towards the abode of the Sirens, whose\nenticing strains soon fell upon their ears. The Argonauts, powerfully\naffected by the melody, were making ready to land, when Orpheus perceived\nthe danger, and, to the accompaniment of his magic lyre, commenced one of\nhis enchanting songs, which so completely absorbed his listeners that they\npassed the island in safety; but not before Butes, one of their number,\nlured by the seductive music of the Sirens, had sprung from the vessel into\nthe waves below. Aphrodite, however, in pity for his youth, landed him\ngently on the island of Libibaon before the Sirens could reach him, and\nthere he remained for many years.\n\nAnd now the Argonauts approached new dangers, for on one side of them\nseethed and foamed the whirlpool of Charybdis, whilst on the other towered\nthe mighty rock whence the monster Scylla swooped down upon unfortunate\nmariners; but here the goddess Hera came to their assistance, and sent to\nthem the sea-nymph Thetis, who guided them safely through these dangerous\nstraits.\n\nThe Argo next arrived at the island of the Phaeaces, where they were\nhospitably entertained by King Alcinous and his queen Arete. But the\nbanquet prepared for them by their kind host was unexpectedly interrupted\nby the appearance of a large army of Colchians, sent by Aetes to demand the\nrestoration of his daughter.\n\nMedea threw herself at the feet of the queen, and implored her to save her\nfrom the anger of her father, and Arete, in her kindness of heart, promised\nher her protection. Next morning, in an assembly of the people at which the\nColchians were invited to be present, the latter were informed that as\nMedea was the lawful wife of Jason they could not consent to deliver her\nup; whereupon the Colchians, seeing that the resolution of the king was not\nto be shaken, and fearing to face the anger of Aetes should they return to\nColchis without her, sought permission of Alcinous to settle in his\nkingdom, which request was accorded them.\n\n{229}\n\nAfter these events the Argonauts once more set sail, and steered for\nIolcus; but, in the course of a terrible and fearful night, a mighty storm\narose, and in the morning they found themselves stranded on the treacherous\nquicksands of Syrtes, on the shores of Libya. Here all was a waste and\nbarren desert, untenanted by any living creature, save the venomous snakes\nwhich had sprung from the blood of the Medusa when borne by Perseus over\nthese arid plains.\n\nThey had already passed several days in this abode of desolation, beneath\nthe rays of the scorching sun, and had abandoned themselves to the deepest\ndespair, when the Libyan queen, who was a prophetess of divine origin,\nappeared to Jason, and informed him that a sea-horse would be sent by the\ngods to act as his guide.\n\nScarcely had she departed when a gigantic hippocamp was seen in the\ndistance, making its way towards the Argo. Jason now related to his\ncompanions the particulars of his interview with the Libyan prophetess, and\nafter some deliberation it was decided to carry the Argo on their\nshoulders, and to follow wherever the sea-horse should lead them. They then\ncommenced a long and weary journey through the desert, and at last, after\ntwelve days of severe toil and terrible suffering, the welcome sight of the\nsea greeted their view. In gratitude for having been saved from their\nmanifold dangers they offered up sacrifices to the gods, and launched their\nship once more into the deep waters of the ocean.\n\nARRIVAL AT CRETE.--With heartfelt joy and gladness they proceeded on their\nhomeward voyage, and after some days arrived at the island of Crete, where\nthey purposed to furnish themselves with fresh provisions and water. Their\nlanding, however, was opposed by a terrible giant who guarded the island\nagainst all intruders. This giant, whose name was Talus, was the last of\nthe Brazen race, and being formed of brass, was invulnerable, except in his\nright ankle, where there was a sinew of flesh and a vein of blood. As he\nsaw the Argo {230} nearing the coast, he hurled huge rocks at her, which\nwould inevitably have sunk the vessel had not the crew beat a hasty\nretreat. Although sadly in want of food and water, the Argonauts had\ndecided to proceed on their journey rather than face so powerful an\nopponent, when Medea came forward and assured them that if they would trust\nto her she would destroy the giant.\n\nEnveloped in the folds of a rich purple mantle, she stepped on deck, and\nafter invoking the aid of the Fates, uttered a magic incantation, which had\nthe effect of throwing Talus into a deep sleep. He stretched himself at\nfull length upon the ground, and in doing so grazed his vulnerable ankle\nagainst the point of a sharp rock, whereupon a mighty stream of blood\ngushed forth from the wound. Awakened by the pain, he tried to rise, but in\nvain, and with a mighty groan of anguish the giant fell dead, and his\nenormous body rolled heavily over into the deep. The heroes being now able\nto land, provisioned their vessel, after which they resumed their homeward\nvoyage.\n\nARRIVAL AT IOLCUS.--After a terrible night of storm and darkness they\npassed the island of AEgina, and at length reached in safety the port of\nIolcus, where the recital of their numerous adventures and hair-breadth\nescapes was listened to with wondering admiration by their\nfellow-countrymen.\n\nThe Argo was consecrated to Poseidon, and was carefully preserved for many\ngenerations till no vestige of it remained, when it was placed in the\nheavens as a brilliant constellation.\n\nOn his arrival at Iolcus, Jason conducted his beautiful bride to the palace\nof his uncle Pelias, taking with him the Golden Fleece, for the sake of\nwhich this perilous expedition had been undertaken. But the old king, who\nhad never expected that Jason would return alive, basely refused to fulfil\nhis part of the compact, and declined to abdicate the throne.\n\n{231}\n\nIndignant at the wrongs of her husband, Medea avenged them in a most\nshocking manner. She made friends with the daughters of the king, and\nfeigned great interest in all their concerns. Having gained their\nconfidence, she informed them, that among her numerous magic arts, she\npossessed the power of restoring to the aged all the vigour and strength of\nyouth, and in order to give them a convincing proof of the truth of her\nassertion, she cut up an old ram, which she boiled in a cauldron,\nwhereupon, after uttering various mystic incantations, there came forth\nfrom the vessel a beautiful young lamb. She then assured them, that in a\nsimilar manner they could restore to their old father his former youthful\nframe and vigour. The fond and credulous daughters of Pelias lent an all\ntoo willing ear to the wicked sorceress, and thus the old king perished at\nthe hands of his innocent children.\n\nDEATH OF JASON.--Medea and Jason now fled to Corinth, where at length they\nfound, for a time, peace and tranquillity, their happiness being completed\nby the birth of three children.\n\nAs time passed on, however, and Medea began to lose the beauty which had\nwon the love of her husband, he grew weary of her, and became attracted by\nthe youthful charms of Glauce, the beautiful daughter of Creon, king of\nCorinth. Jason had obtained her father's consent to their union, and the\nwedding-day was already fixed, before he disclosed to Medea the treachery\nwhich he meditated against her. He used all his persuasive powers in order\nto induce her to consent to his union with Glauce, assuring her that his\naffection had in no way diminished, but that for the sake of the advantages\nwhich would thereby accrue to their children, he had decided on forming\nthis alliance with the royal house. Though justly enraged at his deceitful\nconduct, Medea dissembled her wrath, and, feigning to be satisfied with\nthis explanation, sent, as a wedding-gift to her rival, a magnificent robe\nof cloth-of-gold. This robe was imbued with a deadly {232} poison which\npenetrated to the flesh and bone of the wearer, and burned them as though\nwith a consuming fire. Pleased with the beauty and costliness of the\ngarment, the unsuspecting Glauce lost no time in donning it; but no sooner\nhad she done so than the fell poison began to take effect. In vain she\ntried to tear the robe away; it defied all efforts to be removed, and after\nhorrible and protracted sufferings, she expired.\n\nMaddened at the loss of her husband's love Medea next put to death her\nthree sons, and when Jason, thirsting for revenge, left the chamber of his\ndead bride, and flew to his own house in search of Medea, the ghastly\nspectacle of his murdered children met his view. He rushed frantically to\nseek the murderess, but nowhere could she be found. At length, hearing a\nsound above his head, he looked up, and beheld Medea gliding through the\nair in a golden chariot drawn by dragons.\n\nIn a fit of despair Jason threw himself on his own sword, and perished on\nthe threshold of his desolate and deserted home.\n\nPELOPS.\n\nPelops, the son of the cruel Tantalus, was a pious and virtuous prince.\nAfter his father was banished into Tartarus, a war ensued between Pelops\nand the king of Troy, in which the former was vanquished and forced to fly\nfrom his dominions in Phrygia. He emigrated into Greece, where, at the\ncourt of Oenomaus, king of Elis, he beheld Hippodamia, the king's daughter,\nwhose beauty won his heart. But an oracle having foretold to Oenomaus that\nhe would die on the day of his daughter's marriage, he threw every obstacle\nin the way of her suitors, and declared that he would only give her to him\nwho succeeded in vanquishing him in a chariot race, but that all\nunsuccessful competitors should suffer death at his hands.\n\nThe conditions of the contest were as follows:--The race was to be run from\na given point at Pisa to the altar of Poseidon at Corinth; the suitor was\nallowed to start {233} on his course whilst Oenomaus performed his\nsacrifice to Zeus, and only on its completion did the king mount his\nchariot, guided by the skilful Myrtilus, and drawn by his two famous\nhorses, Phylla and Harpinna, who surpassed in swiftness the winds\nthemselves. In this manner many a gallant young prince had perished; for\nalthough a considerable start was given to all competitors, still Oenomaus,\nwith his swift team, always overtook them before they reached the goal, and\nkilled them with his spear. But the love of Pelops for Hippodamia overcame\nall fears, and, undeterred by the terrible fate of his predecessors, he\nannounced himself to Oenomaus as a suitor for the hand of his daughter.\n\nOn the eve of the race, Pelops repaired to the sea-shore and earnestly\nimplored Poseidon to assist him in his perilous undertaking. The sea-god\nheard his prayer, and sent him out of the deep a chariot drawn by two\nwinged horses.\n\nWhen Pelops appeared on the course, the king at once recognized the horses\nof Poseidon; but, nothing daunted, he relied on his own supernatural team,\nand the contest was allowed to proceed.\n\nWhilst the king was offering his sacrifice to Zeus Pelops set out on the\nrace, and had nearly reached the goal, when, turning round, he beheld\nOenomaus, spear in hand, who, with his magic steeds, had nearly overtaken\nhim. But in this emergency Poseidon came to the aid of the son of Tantalus.\nHe caused the wheels of the royal chariot to fly off, whereupon the king\nwas thrown out violently, and killed on the spot, just as Pelops arrived at\nthe altar of Poseidon.\n\nAs the hero was about to return to Pisa to claim his bride, he beheld, in\nthe distance, flames issuing from the royal castle, which at that instant\nhad been struck by lightning. With his winged horses he flew to rescue his\nlovely bride, and succeeded in extricating her uninjured from the burning\nbuilding. They soon afterwards became united, and Pelops reigned in Pisa\nfor many years in great splendour.\n\n{234}\n\nHERACLES (HERCULES).\n\nHeracles, the most renowned hero of antiquity, was the son of Zeus and\nAlcmene, and the great grandson of Perseus.\n\nAt the time of his birth Alcmene was living at Thebes with her husband\nAmphitryon, and thus the infant Heracles was born in the palace of his\nstepfather.\n\nAware of the animosity with which Hera persecuted all those who rivalled\nher in the affections of Zeus, Alcmene, fearful lest this hatred should be\nvisited on her innocent child, intrusted him, soon after his birth, to the\ncare of a faithful servant, with instructions to expose him in a certain\nfield, and there leave him, feeling assured that the divine offspring of\nZeus would not long remain without the protection of the gods.\n\nSoon after the child had been thus abandoned, Hera and Pallas-Athene\nhappened to pass by the field, and were attracted by its cries. Athene\npityingly took up the infant in her arms, and prevailed upon the queen of\nheaven to put it to her breast; but no sooner had she done so, than the\nchild, causing her pain, she angrily threw him to the ground, and left the\nspot. Athene, moved with compassion, carried him to Alcmene, and entreated\nher kind offices on behalf of the poor little foundling. Alcmene at once\nrecognized her child, and joyfully accepted the charge.\n\nSoon afterwards Hera, to her extreme annoyance, discovered whom she had\nnursed, and became filled with jealous rage. She now sent two venomous\nsnakes into the chamber of Alcmene, which crept, unperceived by the nurses,\nto the cradle of the sleeping child. He awoke with a cry, and grasping a\nsnake in each hand, strangled them both. Alcmene and her attendants, whom\nthe cry of the child had awakened, rushed to the cradle, where, to their\nastonishment and terror, they beheld the two reptiles dead in the hands of\nthe infant Heracles. Amphitryon was also attracted to the chamber by the\n{235} commotion, and when he beheld this astounding proof of supernatural\nstrength, he declared that the child must have been sent to him as a\nspecial gift from Zeus. He accordingly consulted the famous seer Tiresias,\nwho now informed him of the divine origin of his stepson, and\nprognosticated for him a great and distinguished future.\n\nWhen Amphitryon heard the noble destiny which awaited the child intrusted\nto his care, he resolved to educate him in a manner worthy of his future\ncareer. At a suitable age he himself taught him how to guide a chariot;\nEurytus, how to handle the bow; Autolycus, dexterity in wrestling and\nboxing; and Castor, the art of armed warfare; whilst Linus, the son of\nApollo, instructed him in music and letters.\n\nHeracles was an apt pupil; but undue harshness was intolerable to his high\nspirit, and old Linus, who was not the gentlest of teachers, one day\ncorrected him with blows, whereupon the boy angrily took up his lyre, and,\nwith one stroke of his powerful arm, killed his tutor on the spot.\n\nApprehensive lest the ungovernable temper of the youth might again involve\nhim in similar acts of violence, Amphitryon sent him into the country,\nwhere he placed him under the charge of one of his most trusted herdsmen.\nHere, as he grew up to manhood, his extraordinary stature and strength\nbecame the wonder and admiration of all beholders. His aim, whether with\nspear, lance, or bow, was unerring, and at the age of eighteen he was\nconsidered to be the strongest as well as the most beautiful youth in all\nGreece.\n\nTHE CHOICE OF HERACLES.--Heracles felt that the time had now arrived when\nit became necessary to decide for himself how to make use of the\nextraordinary powers with which he had been endowed by the gods; and in\norder to meditate in solitude on this all-important subject, he repaired to\na lonely and secluded spot in the heart of the forest.\n\nHere two females of great beauty appeared to him. {236} One was Vice, the\nother Virtue. The former was full of artificial wiles and fascinating arts,\nher face painted and her dress gaudy and attractive; whilst the latter was\nof noble bearing and modest mien, her robes of spotless purity.\n\nVice stepped forward and thus addressed him: \"If you will walk in my paths,\nand make me your friend, your life shall be one round of pleasure and\nenjoyment. You shall taste of every delight which can be procured on earth;\nthe choicest viands, the most delicious wines, the most luxuriant of\ncouches shall be ever at your disposal; and all this without any exertion\non your part, either physical or mental.\"\n\nVirtue now spoke in her turn: \"If you will follow me and be my friend, I\npromise you the reward of a good conscience, and the love and respect of\nyour fellowmen. I cannot undertake to smooth your path with roses, or to\ngive you a life of idleness and pleasure; for you must know that the gods\ngrant no good and desirable thing that is not earned by labour; and as you\nsow, so must you reap.\"\n\nHeracles listened patiently and attentively to both speakers, and then,\nafter mature deliberation, decided to follow in the paths of virtue, and\nhenceforth to honour the gods, and to devote his life to the service of his\ncountry.\n\nFull of these noble resolves he sought once more his rural home, where he\nwas informed that on Mount Cithaeron, at the foot of which the herds of\nAmphitryon were grazing, a ferocious lion had fixed his lair, and was\ncommitting such frightful ravages among the flocks and herds that he had\nbecome the scourge and terror of the whole neighbourhood. Heracles at once\narmed himself and ascended the mountain, where he soon caught sight of the\nlion, and rushing at him with his sword succeeded in killing him. The hide\nof the animal he wore ever afterwards over his shoulders, and the head\nserved him as a helmet.\n\nAs he was returning from this, his first exploit, he met {237} the heralds\nof Erginus, king of the Minyans, who were proceeding to Thebes to demand\ntheir annual tribute of 100 oxen. Indignant at this humiliation of his\nnative city, Heracles mutilated the heralds, and sent them back, with ropes\nround their necks, to their royal master.\n\nErginus was so incensed at the ill-treatment of his messengers that he\ncollected an army and appeared before the gates of Thebes, demanding the\nsurrender of Heracles. Creon, who was at this time king of Thebes, fearing\nthe consequences of a refusal, was about to yield, when the hero, with the\nassistance of Amphitryon and a band of brave youths, advanced against the\nMinyans.\n\nHeracles took possession of a narrow defile through which the enemy were\ncompelled to pass, and as they entered the pass the Thebans fell upon them,\nkilled their king Erginus, and completely routed them. In this engagement\nAmphitryon, the kind friend and foster-father of Heracles, lost his life.\nThe hero now advanced upon Orchomenus, the capital of the Minyans, where he\nburned the royal castle and sacked the town.\n\nAfter this signal victory all Greece rang with the fame of the young hero,\nand Creon, in gratitude for his great services, bestowed upon him his\ndaughter Megara in marriage. The Olympian gods testified their appreciation\nof his valour by sending him presents; Hermes gave him a sword,\nPhoebus-Apollo a bundle of arrows, Hephaestus a golden quiver, and Athene a\ncoat of leather.\n\nHERACLES AND EURYSTHEUS.--And now it will be necessary to retrace our\nsteps. Just before the birth of Heracles, Zeus, in an assembly of the gods,\nexultingly declared that the child who should be born on that day to the\nhouse of Perseus should rule over all his race. When Hera heard her lord's\nboastful announcement she knew well that it was for the child of the hated\nAlcmene that this brilliant destiny was designed; and in order to rob the\nson of her rival of his rights, she called to her aid the goddess\nEilithyia, who retarded the birth of {238} Heracles, and caused his cousin\nEurystheus (another grandson of Perseus) to precede him into the world. And\nthus, as the word of the mighty Zeus was irrevocable, Heracles became the\nsubject and servant of his cousin Eurystheus.\n\nWhen, after his splendid victory over Erginus, the fame of Heracles spread\nthroughout Greece, Eurystheus (who had become king of Mycenae), jealous of\nthe reputation of the young hero, asserted his rights, and commanded him to\nundertake for him various difficult tasks. But the proud spirit of the hero\nrebelled against this humiliation, and he was about to refuse compliance,\nwhen Zeus appeared to him and desired him not to rebel against the Fates.\nHeracles now repaired to Delphi in order to consult the oracle, and\nreceived the answer that after performing ten tasks for his cousin\nEurystheus his servitude would be at an end.\n\nSoon afterwards Heracles fell into a state of the deepest melancholy, and\nthrough the influence of his inveterate enemy, the goddess Hera, this\ndespondency developed into raving madness, in which condition he killed his\nown children. When he at length regained his reason he was so horrified and\ngrieved at what he had done, that he shut himself up in his chamber and\navoided all intercourse with men. But in his loneliness and seclusion the\nconviction that work would be the best means of procuring oblivion of the\npast decided him to enter, without delay, upon the tasks appointed him by\nEurystheus.\n\n1. THE NEMEAN LION.--His first task was to bring to Eurystheus the skin of\nthe much-dreaded Nemean lion, which ravaged the territory between Cleone\nand Nemea, and whose hide was invulnerable against any mortal weapon.\n\nHeracles proceeded to the forest of Nemea, where, having discovered the\nlion's lair, he attempted to pierce him with his arrows; but finding these\nof no avail he felled him to the ground with his club, and before the\nanimal had time to recover from the terrible blow, {239} Heracles seized\nhim by the neck and, with a mighty effort, succeeded in strangling him. He\nthen made himself a coat of mail of the skin, and a new helmet of the head\nof the animal. Thus attired, he so alarmed Eurystheus by appearing suddenly\nbefore him, that the king concealed himself in his palace, and henceforth\nforbade Heracles to enter his presence, but commanded him to receive his\nbehests, for the future, through his messenger Copreus.\n\n2. THE HYDRA.--His second task was to slay the Hydra, a monster serpent\n(the offspring of Typhon and Echidna), bristling with nine heads, one of\nwhich was immortal. This monster infested the neighbourhood of Lerna, where\nshe committed great depredations among the herds.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHeracles, accompanied by his nephew Iolaus, set out in a chariot for the\nmarsh of Lerna, in the slimy waters of which he found her. He commenced the\nattack by assailing her with his fierce arrows, in order to force her to\nleave her lair, from which she at length emerged, and sought refuge in a\nwood on a neighbouring hill. Heracles now rushed forward and endeavoured to\ncrush her heads by means of well-directed blows from his tremendous club;\nbut no sooner was one head destroyed than it was immediately replaced by\ntwo others. He next seized the monster in his powerful grasp; but at this\njuncture a giant crab came to the assistance of the Hydra and commenced\nbiting the feet of her assailant. Heracles destroyed this new adversary\nwith his club, and now called upon his nephew to come to his aid. At his\ncommand Iolaus set fire to the neighbouring trees, {240} and, with a\nburning branch, seared the necks of the monster as Heracles cut them off,\nthus effectually preventing the growth of more. Heracles next struck off\nthe immortal head, which he buried by the road-side, and placed over it a\nheavy stone. Into the poisonous blood of the monster he then dipped his\narrows, which ever afterwards rendered wounds inflicted by them incurable.\n\n3. THE HORNED HIND.--The third labour of Heracles was to bring the horned\nhind Cerunitis alive to Mycenae. This animal, which was sacred to Artemis,\nhad golden antlers and hoofs of brass.\n\nNot wishing to wound the hind Heracles patiently pursued her through many\ncountries for a whole year, and overtook her at last on the banks of the\nriver Ladon; but even there he was compelled, in order to secure her, to\nwound her with one of his arrows, after which he lifted her on his\nshoulders and carried her through Arcadia. On his way he met Artemis with\nher brother Phoebus-Apollo, when the goddess angrily reproved him for\nwounding her favourite hind; but Heracles succeeded in appeasing her\ndispleasure, whereupon she permitted him to take the animal alive to\nMycenae.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n4. THE ERYMANTIAN BOAR.--The fourth task imposed upon Heracles by\nEurystheus was to bring alive to Mycenae the Erymantian boar, which had laid\nwaste the region of Erymantia, and was the scourge of the surrounding\nneighbourhood.\n\nOn his way thither he craved food and shelter of a Centaur named Pholus,\nwho received him with generous hospitality, setting before him a good and\nplentiful repast. When Heracles expressed his surprise that at such a\nwell-furnished board {241} wine should be wanting, his host explained that\nthe wine-cellar was the common property of all the Centaurs, and that it\nwas against the rules for a cask to be broached, except all were present to\npartake of it. By dint of persuasion, however, Heracles prevailed on his\nkind host to make an exception in his favour; but the powerful, luscious\nodour of the good old wine soon spread over the mountains, and brought\nlarge numbers of Centaurs to the spot, all armed with huge rocks and\nfir-trees. Heracles drove them back with fire-brands, and then, following\nup his victory, pursued them with his arrows as far as Malea, where they\ntook refuge in the cave of the kind old Centaur Chiron. Unfortunately,\nhowever, as Heracles was shooting at them with his poisoned darts, one of\nthese pierced the knee of Chiron. When Heracles discovered that it was the\nfriend of his early days that he had wounded, he was overcome with sorrow\nand regret. He at once extracted the arrow, and anointed the wound with a\nsalve, the virtue of which had been taught him by Chiron himself. But all\nhis efforts were unavailing. The wound, imbued with the deadly poison of\nthe Hydra, was incurable, and so great was the agony of Chiron that, at the\nintercession of Heracles, death was sent him by the gods; for otherwise,\nbeing immortal, he would have been doomed to endless suffering.\n\nPholus, who had so kindly entertained Heracles, also perished by means of\none of these arrows, which he had extracted from the body of a dead\nCentaur. While he was quietly examining it, astonished that so small and\ninsignificant an object should be productive of such serious results, the\narrow fell upon his foot and fatally wounded him. Full of grief at this\nuntoward event, Heracles buried him with due honours, and then set out to\nchase the boar.\n\nWith loud shouts and terrible cries he first drove him out of the thickets\ninto the deep snow-drifts which covered the summit of the mountain, and\nthen, having at length wearied him with his incessant pursuit, he captured\nthe exhausted animal, bound him with a rope, and brought him alive to\nMycenae.\n\n{242}\n\n5. CLEANSING THE STABLES OF AUGEAS.--After slaying the Erymantian boar\nEurystheus commanded Heracles to cleanse in one day the stables of Augeas.\n\nAugeas was a king of Elis who was very rich in herds. Three thousand of his\ncattle he kept near the royal palace in an inclosure where the refuse had\naccumulated for many years. When Heracles presented himself before the\nking, and offered to cleanse his stables in one day, provided he should\nreceive in return a tenth part of the herds, Augeas, thinking the feat\nimpossible, accepted his offer in the presence of his son Phyleus.\n\nNear the palace were the two rivers Peneus and Alpheus, the streams of\nwhich Heracles conducted into the stables by means of a trench which he dug\nfor this purpose, and as the waters rushed through the shed, they swept\naway with them the whole mass of accumulated filth.\n\nBut when Augeas heard that this was one of the labours imposed by\nEurystheus, he refused the promised guerdon. Heracles brought the matter\nbefore a court, and called Phyleus as a witness to the justice of his\nclaim, whereupon Augeas, without waiting for the delivery of the verdict,\nangrily banished Heracles and his son from his dominions.\n\n6. THE STYMPHALIDES.--The sixth task was to chase away the Stymphalides,\nwhich were immense birds of prey who, as we have seen (in the legend of the\nArgonauts), shot from their wings feathers sharp as arrows. The home of\nthese birds was on the shore of the lake Stymphalis, in Arcadia (after\nwhich they were called), where they caused great destruction among men and\ncattle.\n\nOn approaching the lake, Heracles observed great numbers of them; and,\nwhile hesitating how to commence the attack, he suddenly felt a hand on his\nshoulder. Looking round he beheld the majestic form of Pallas-Athene, who\nheld in her hand a gigantic pair of brazen clappers made by Hephaestus, with\nwhich she {243} presented him; whereupon he ascended to the summit of a\nneighbouring hill, and commenced to rattle them violently. The shrill noise\nof these instruments was so intolerable to the birds that they rose into\nthe air in terror, upon which he aimed at them with his arrows, destroying\nthem in great numbers, whilst such as escaped his darts flew away, never to\nreturn.\n\n7. THE CRETAN BULL.--The seventh labour of Heracles was to capture the\nCretan bull.\n\nMinos, king of Crete, having vowed to sacrifice to Poseidon any animal\nwhich should first appear out of the sea, the god caused a magnificent bull\nto emerge from the waves in order to test the sincerity of the Cretan king,\nwho, in making this vow, had alleged that he possessed no animal, among his\nown herds, worthy the acceptance of the mighty sea-god. Charmed with the\nsplendid animal sent by Poseidon, and eager to possess it, Minos placed it\namong his herds, and substituted as a sacrifice one of his own bulls.\nHereupon Poseidon, in order to punish the cupidity of Minos, caused the\nanimal to become mad, and commit such great havoc in the island as to\nendanger the safety of the inhabitants. When Heracles, therefore, arrived\nin Crete for the purpose of capturing the bull, Minos, far from opposing\nhis design, gladly gave him permission to do so.\n\nThe hero not only succeeded in securing the animal, but tamed him so\neffectually that he rode on his back right across the sea as far as the\nPeloponnesus. He now delivered him up to Eurystheus, who at once set him at\nliberty, after which he became as ferocious and wild as before, roamed all\nover Greece into Arcadia, and was eventually killed by Theseus on the\nplains of Marathon.\n\n8. THE MARES OF DIOMEDES.--The eighth labour of Heracles was to bring to\nEurystheus the mares of Diomedes, a son of Ares, and king of the\nBistonians, a warlike Thracian tribe. This king possessed a breed of wild\nhorses of tremendous size and strength, whose food consisted of human\nflesh, and all strangers who had the {244} misfortune to enter the country\nwere made prisoners and flung before the horses, who devoured them.\n\nWhen Heracles arrived he first captured the cruel Diomedes himself, and\nthen threw him before his own mares, who, after devouring their master,\nbecame perfectly tame and tractable. They were then led by Heracles to the\nsea-shore, when the Bistonians, enraged at the loss of their king, rushed\nafter the hero and attacked him. He now gave the animals in charge of his\nfriend Abderus, and made such a furious onslaught on his assailants that\nthey turned and fled.\n\nBut on his return from this encounter he found, to his great grief, that\nthe mares had torn his friend in pieces and devoured him. After celebrating\ndue funereal rites to the unfortunate Abderus, Heracles built a city in his\nhonour, which he named after him. He then returned to Tiryns, where he\ndelivered up the mares to Eurystheus, who set them loose on Mount Olympus,\nwhere they became the prey of wild beasts.\n\nIt was after the performance of this task that Heracles joined the\nArgonauts in their expedition to gain possession of the Golden Fleece, and\nwas left behind at Chios, as already narrated. During his wanderings he\nundertook his ninth labour, which was to bring to Eurystheus the girdle of\nHippolyte, queen of the Amazons.\n\n9. THE GIRDLE OF HIPPOLYTE.--The Amazons, who dwelt on the shores of the\nBlack Sea, near the river Thermodon, were a nation of warlike women,\nrenowned for their strength, courage, and great skill in horsemanship.\nTheir queen, Hippolyte, had received from her father, Ares, a beautiful\ngirdle, which she always wore as a sign of her royal power and authority,\nand it was this girdle which Heracles was required to place in the hands of\nEurystheus, who designed it as a gift for his daughter Admete.\n\nForeseeing that this would be a task of no ordinary difficulty the hero\ncalled to his aid a select band of brave companions, with whom he embarked\nfor the Amazonian {245} town Themiscyra. Here they were met by queen\nHippolyte, who was so impressed by the extraordinary stature and noble\nbearing of Heracles that, on learning his errand, she at once consented to\npresent him with the coveted girdle. But Hera, his implacable enemy,\nassuming the form of an Amazon, spread the report in the town that a\nstranger was about to carry off their queen. The Amazons at once flew to\narms and mounted their horses, whereupon a battle ensued, in which many of\ntheir bravest warriors were killed or wounded. Among the latter was their\nmost skilful leader, Melanippe, whom Heracles afterwards restored to\nHippolyte, receiving the girdle in exchange.\n\nOn his voyage home the hero stopped at Troy, where a new adventure awaited\nhim.\n\nDuring the time that Apollo and Poseidon were condemned by Zeus to a\ntemporary servitude on earth, they built for king Laomedon the famous walls\nof Troy, afterwards so renowned in history; but when their work was\ncompleted the king treacherously refused to give them the reward due to\nthem. The incensed deities now combined to punish the offender. Apollo sent\na pestilence which decimated the people, and Poseidon a flood, which bore\nwith it a marine monster, who swallowed in his huge jaws all that came\nwithin his reach.\n\nIn his distress Laomedon consulted an oracle, and was informed that only by\nthe sacrifice of his own daughter Hesione could the anger of the gods be\nappeased. Yielding at length to the urgent appeals of his people he\nconsented to make the sacrifice, and on the arrival of Heracles the maiden\nwas already chained to a rock in readiness to be devoured by the monster.\n\nWhen Laomedon beheld the renowned hero, whose marvellous feats of strength\nand courage had become the wonder and admiration of all mankind, he\nearnestly implored him to save his daughter from her impending fate, and to\nrid the country of the monster, holding out to him as a reward the horses\nwhich Zeus had presented to {246} his grandfather Tros in compensation for\nrobbing him of his son Ganymede.\n\nHeracles unhesitatingly accepted the offer, and when the monster appeared,\nopening his terrible jaws to receive his prey, the hero, sword in hand,\nattacked and slew him. But the perfidious monarch once more broke faith,\nand Heracles, vowing future vengeance, departed for Mycenae, where he\npresented the girdle to Eurystheus.\n\n10. THE OXEN OF GERYONES.--The tenth labour of Heracles was the capture of\nthe magnificent oxen belonging to the giant Geryon or Geryones, who dwelt\non the island of Erythia in the bay of Gadria (Cadiz). This giant, who was\nthe son of Chrysaor, had three bodies with three heads, six hands, and six\nfeet. He possessed a herd of splendid cattle, which were famous for their\nsize, beauty, and rich red colour. They were guarded by another giant named\nEurytion, and a two-headed dog called Orthrus, the offspring of Typhon and\nEchidna.\n\nIn choosing for him a task so replete with danger, Eurystheus was in hopes\nthat he might rid himself for ever of his hated cousin. But the indomitable\ncourage of the hero rose with the prospect of this difficult and dangerous\nundertaking.\n\nAfter a long and wearisome journey he at last arrived at the western coast\nof Africa, where, as a monument of his perilous expedition, he erected the\nfamous \"Pillars of Hercules,\" one of which he placed on each side of the\nStraits of Gibraltar. Here he found the intense heat so insufferable that\nhe angrily raised his bow towards heaven, and threatened to shoot the\nsun-god. But Helios, far from being incensed at his audacity, was so struck\nwith admiration at his daring that he lent to him the golden boat with\nwhich he accomplished his nocturnal transit from West to East, and thus\nHeracles crossed over safely to the island of Erythia.\n\nNo sooner had he landed than Eurytion, accompanied by his savage dog\nOrthrus, fiercely attacked him; but Heracles, with a superhuman effort,\nslew the dog and {247} then his master. Hereupon he collected the herd, and\nwas proceeding to the sea-shore when Geryones himself met him, and a\ndesperate encounter took place, in which the giant perished.\n\nHeracles then drove the cattle into the sea, and seizing one of the oxen by\nthe horns, swam with them over to the opposite coast of Iberia (Spain).\nThen driving his magnificent prize before him through Gaul, Italy, Illyria,\nand Thrace, he at length arrived, after many perilous adventures and\nhair-breadth escapes, at Mycenae, where he delivered them up to Eurystheus,\nwho sacrificed them to Hera.\n\nHeracles had now executed his ten tasks, which had been accomplished in the\nspace of eight years; but Eurystheus refused to include the slaying of the\nHydra and the cleansing of the stables of Augeas among the number, alleging\nas a reason that the one had been performed by the assistance of Iolaus,\nand that the other had been executed for hire. He therefore insisted on\nHeracles substituting two more labours in their place.\n\n11. THE APPLES OF THE HESPERIDES.--The eleventh task imposed by Eurystheus\nwas to bring him the golden apples of the Hesperides, which grew on a tree\npresented by Gaea to Hera, on the occasion of her marriage with Zeus. This\nsacred tree was guarded by four maidens, daughters of Night, called the\nHesperides, who were assisted in their task by a terrible hundred-headed\ndragon. This dragon never slept, and out of its hundred throats came a\nconstant hissing sound, which effectually warned off all intruders. But\nwhat rendered the undertaking still more difficult was the complete\nignorance of the hero as to the locality of the garden, and he was forced,\nin consequence, to make many fruitless journeys and to undergo many trials\nbefore he could find it.\n\nHe first travelled through Thessaly and arrived at the river Echedorus,\nwhere he met the giant Cycnus, the son of Ares and Pyrene, who challenged\nhim to single combat. In this encounter Heracles completely vanquished\n{248} his opponent, who was killed in the contest; but now a mightier\nadversary appeared on the scene, for the war-god himself came to avenge his\nson. A terrible struggle ensued, which had lasted some time, when Zeus\ninterfered between the brothers, and put an end to the strife by hurling a\nthunderbolt between them. Heracles proceeded on his journey, and reached\nthe banks of the river Eridanus, where dwelt the Nymphs, daughters of Zeus\nand Themis. On seeking advice from them as to his route, they directed him\nto the old sea-god Nereus, who alone knew the way to the Garden of the\nHesperides. Heracles found him asleep, and seizing the opportunity, held\nhim so firmly in his powerful grasp that he could not possibly escape, so\nthat notwithstanding his various metamorphoses he was at last compelled to\ngive the information required. The hero then crossed over to Libya, where\nhe engaged in a wrestling-match with king Anteos, son of Poseidon and Gaea,\nwhich terminated fatally for his antagonist.\n\nFrom thence he proceeded to Egypt, where reigned Busiris, another son of\nPoseidon, who (acting on the advice given by an oracle during a time of\ngreat scarcity) sacrificed all strangers to Zeus. When Heracles arrived he\nwas seized and dragged to the altar; but the powerful demi-god burst\nasunder his bonds, and then slew Busiris and his son.\n\nResuming his journey he now wandered on through Arabia until he arrived at\nMount Caucasus, where Prometheus groaned in unceasing agony. It was at this\ntime that Heracles (as already related) shot the eagle which had so long\ntortured the noble and devoted friend of mankind. Full of gratitude for his\ndeliverance, Prometheus instructed him how to find his way to that remote\nregion in the far West where Atlas supported the heavens on his shoulders,\nnear which lay the Garden of the Hesperides. He also warned Heracles not to\nattempt to secure the precious fruit himself, but to assume for a time the\nduties of Atlas, and to despatch him for the apples. {249}\n\nOn arriving at his destination Heracles followed the advice of Prometheus.\nAtlas, who willingly entered into the arrangement, contrived to put the\ndragon to sleep, and then, having cunningly outwitted the Hesperides,\ncarried off three of the golden apples, which he now brought to Heracles.\nBut when the latter was prepared to relinquish his burden, Atlas, having\nonce tasted the delights of freedom, declined to resume his post, and\nannounced his intention of being himself the bearer of the apples to\nEurystheus, leaving Heracles to fill his place. To this proposal the hero\nfeigned assent, merely begging that Atlas would be kind enough to support\nthe heavens for a few moments whilst he contrived a pad for his head. Atlas\ngood-naturedly threw down the apples and once more resumed his load, upon\nwhich Heracles bade him adieu, and departed.\n\nWhen Heracles conveyed the golden apples to Eurystheus the latter presented\nthem to the hero, whereupon Heracles placed the sacred fruit on the altar\nof Pallas-Athene, who restored them to the garden of the Hesperides.\n\n12. CERBERUS.--The twelfth and last labour which Eurystheus imposed on\nHeracles was to bring up Cerberus from the lower world, believing that all\nhis heroic powers would be unavailing in the Realm of Shades, and that in\nthis, his last and most perilous undertaking, the hero must at length\nsuccumb and perish.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCerberus was a monster dog with three heads, out of whose awful jaws\ndripped poison; the hair of his head and back was formed of venomous\nsnakes, and his body terminated in the tail of a dragon.\n\nAfter being initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries, and {250} obtaining\nfrom the priests certain information necessary for the accomplishment of\nhis task, Heracles set out for Taenarum in Lacolia, where there was an\nopening which led to the under-world. Conducted by Hermes, he commenced his\ndescent into the awful gulf, where myriads of shades soon began to appear,\nall of whom fled in terror at his approach, Meleager and Medusa alone\nexcepted. About to strike the latter with his sword, Hermes interfered and\nstayed his hand, reminding him that she was but a shadow, and that\nconsequently no weapon could avail against her.\n\nArrived before the gates of Hades he found Theseus and Pirithoeus, who had\nbeen fixed to an enchanted rock by Aides for their presumption in\nendeavouring to carry off Persephone. When they saw Heracles they implored\nhim to set them free. The hero succeeded in delivering Theseus, but when he\nendeavoured to liberate Pirithoeus, the earth shook so violently beneath him\nthat he was compelled to relinquish his task.\n\nProceeding further Heracles recognized Ascalaphus, who, as we have seen in\nthe history of Demeter, had revealed the fact that Persephone had swallowed\nthe seeds of a pomegranate offered to her by her husband, which bound her\nto Aides for ever. Ascalaphus was groaning beneath a huge rock which\nDemeter in her anger had hurled upon him, and which Heracles now removed,\nreleasing the sufferer.\n\nBefore the gates of his palace stood Aides the mighty ruler of the lower\nworld, and barred his entrance; but Heracles, aiming at him with one of his\nunerring darts, shot him in the shoulder, so that for the first time the\ngod experienced the agony of mortal suffering. Heracles then demanded of\nhim permission to take Cerberus to the upper-world, and to this Aides\nconsented on condition that he should secure him unarmed. Protected by his\nbreastplate and lion's skin Heracles went in search of the monster, whom he\nfound at the mouth of the river Acheron. Undismayed by the hideous barking\nwhich proceeded from his three heads, he seized the {251} throat with one\nhand and the legs with the other, and although the dragon which served him\nas a tail bit him severely, he did not relinquish his grasp. In this manner\nhe conducted him to the upper-world, through an opening near Troezen in\nArgolia.\n\nWhen Eurystheus beheld Cerberus he stood aghast, and despairing of ever\ngetting rid of his hated rival, he returned the hell-hound to the hero, who\nrestored him to Aides, and with this last task the subjection of Heracles\nto Eurystheus terminated.\n\nMURDER OF IPHITUS.--Free at last Heracles now returned to Thebes; and it\nbeing impossible for him to live happily with Megara in consequence of his\nhaving murdered her children he, with her own consent, gave her in marriage\nto his nephew Iolaus. Heracles himself sought the hand of Iole, daughter of\nEurytus, king of Oechalia, who had instructed him when a boy in the use of\nthe bow. Hearing that this king had promised to give his daughter to him\nwho could surpass himself and his three sons in shooting with the bow,\nHeracles lost no time in presenting himself as a competitor. He soon proved\nthat he was no unworthy pupil of Eurytus, for he signally defeated all his\nopponents. But although the king treated him with marked respect and honour\nhe refused, nevertheless, to give him the hand of his daughter, fearing for\nher a similar fate to that which had befallen Megara. Iphitus, the eldest\nson of Eurytus, alone espoused the cause of Heracles, and essayed to induce\nhis father to give his consent to the marriage; but all to no purpose, and\nat length, stung to the quick at his rejection, the hero angrily took his\ndeparture.\n\nSoon afterwards the oxen of the king were stolen by the notorious thief\nAutolycus, and Heracles was suspected by Eurytus of having committed the\ntheft. But Iphitus loyally defended his absent friend, and proposed to seek\nout Heracles, and with his assistance to go in search of the missing\ncattle. {252}\n\nThe hero warmly welcomed his staunch young friend, and entered cordially\ninto his plan. They at once set out on their expedition; but their search\nproved altogether unsuccessful. When they approached the city of Tiryns\nthey mounted a tower in hopes of discovering the missing herd in the\nsurrounding country; but as they stood on the topmost summit of the\nbuilding, Heracles became suddenly seized with one of his former attacks of\nmadness, and mistaking his friend Iphitus for an enemy, hurled him down\ninto the plain below, and he was killed on the spot.\n\nHeracles now set forth on a weary pilgrimage, begging in vain that some one\nwould purify him from the murder of Iphitus. It was during these wanderings\nthat he arrived at the palace of his friend Admetus, whose beautiful and\nheroic wife (Alcestes) he restored to her husband after a terrible struggle\nwith Death, as already related.\n\nSoon after this event Heracles was struck with a fearful disease, and\nbetook himself to the temple of Delphi, hoping to obtain from the oracle\nthe means of relief. The priestess, however, refused him a response on the\nground of his having murdered Iphitus, whereupon the angry hero seized upon\nthe tripod, which he carried off, declaring that he would construct an\noracle for himself. Apollo, who witnessed the sacrilege, came down to\ndefend his sanctuary, and a violent struggle ensued. Zeus once more\ninterfered, and, flashing his lightnings between his two favourite sons,\nended the combat. The Pythia now vouchsafed an answer to the prayer of the\nhero, and commanded him, in expiation of his crime, to allow himself to be\nsold by Hermes for three years as a slave, the purchase-money to be given\nto Eurytus in compensation for the loss of his son.\n\nHERACLES BECOMES THE SLAVE OF OMPHALE.--Heracles bowed in submission to the\ndivine will, and was conducted by Hermes to Omphale, queen of Lydia. The\nthree talents which she paid for him were given {253} to Eurytus, who,\nhowever, declined to accept the money, which was handed over to the\nchildren of Iphitus.\n\nHeracles now regained his former vigour. He rid the territory of Omphale of\nthe robbers which infested it and performed for her various other services\nrequiring strength and courage. It was about this time that he took part in\nthe Calydonian boar-hunt, details of which have already been given.\n\nWhen Omphale learned that her slave was none other than the renowned\nHeracles himself she at once gave him his liberty, and offered him her hand\nand kingdom. In her palace Heracles abandoned himself to all the enervating\nluxuries of an oriental life, and so completely was the great hero\nenthralled by the fascination which his mistress exercised over him, that\nwhilst she playfully donned his lion's skin and helmet, he, attired in\nfemale garments, sat at her feet spinning wool, and beguiling the time by\nthe relation of his past adventures.\n\nBut when at length, his term of bondage having expired, he became master of\nhis own actions, the manly and energetic spirit of the hero reasserted\nitself, and tearing himself away from the palace of the Maeonian queen, he\ndetermined to carry out the revenge he had so long meditated against the\ntreacherous Laomedon and the faithless Augeas.\n\nHERACLES EXECUTES VENGEANCE ON LAOMEDON AND AUGEAS.--Gathering round him\nsome of his old brave companions-in-arms, Heracles collected a fleet of\nvessels and set sail for Troy, where he landed, took the city by storm, and\nkilled Laomedon, who thus met at length the retribution he had so richly\ndeserved.\n\nTo Telamon, one of his bravest followers, he gave Hesione, the daughter of\nthe king, in marriage. When Heracles gave her permission to release one of\nthe prisoners of war she chose her own brother Podarces, whereupon she was\ninformed that as he was already a prisoner of war she would be compelled to\nransom him. {254} On hearing this Hesione took off her golden diadem, which\nshe joyfully handed to the hero. Owing to this circumstance Podarces\nhenceforth bore the name of Priamus (or Priam), which signifies the\n\"ransomed one.\"\n\nHeracles now marched against Augeas to execute his vengeance on him also\nfor his perfidious conduct. He stormed the city of Elis and put to death\nAugeas and his sons, sparing only his brave advocate and staunch defender\nPhyleus, on whom he bestowed the vacant throne of his father.\n\nHERACLES AND DEIANEIRA.--Heracles now proceeded to Calydon, where he wooed\nthe beautiful Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus, king of AEtolia; but he\nencountered a formidable rival in Achelous, the river-god, and it was\nagreed that their claims should be decided by single combat. Trusting to\nhis power of assuming various forms at will, Achelous felt confident of\nsuccess; but this availed him nothing, for having at last transformed\nhimself into a bull, his mighty adversary broke off one of his horns, and\ncompelled him to acknowledge himself defeated.\n\nAfter passing three happy years with Deianeira an unfortunate accident\noccurred, which for a time marred their felicity. Heracles was one day\npresent at a banquet given by Oeneus, when, by a sudden swing of his hand,\nhe had the misfortune to strike on the head a youth of noble birth, who,\naccording to the custom of the ancients, was serving the guests at table,\nand so violent was the blow that it caused his death. The father of the\nunfortunate youth, who had witnessed the occurrence, saw that it was the\nresult of accident, and therefore absolved the hero from blame. But\nHeracles resolved to act according to the law of the land, banished himself\nfrom the country, and bidding farewell to his father-in-law, set out for\nTrachin to visit his friend King Ceyx, taking with him his wife Deianeira,\nand his young son Hyllus.\n\nIn the course of their journey they arrived at the river Evenus, over which\nthe Centaur Nessus was in the habit {255} of carrying travellers for hire.\nHeracles, with his little son in his arms, forded the stream unaided,\nintrusting his wife to the care of the Centaur, who, charmed with the\nbeauty of his fair burden, attempted to carry her off. But her cries were\nheard by her husband, who without hesitation shot Nessus through the heart\nwith one of his poisoned arrows. Now the dying Centaur was thirsting for\nrevenge. He called Deianeira to his side, and directed her to secure some\nof the blood which flowed from his wound, assuring her that if, when in\ndanger of losing her husband's affection, she used it in the manner\nindicated by him, it would act as a charm, and prevent her from being\nsupplanted by a rival. Heracles and Deianeira now pursued their journey,\nand after several adventures at length arrived at their destination.\n\nDEATH OF HERACLES.--The last expedition undertaken by the great hero was\nagainst Eurytus, king of Oechalia, to revenge himself upon this king and\nhis sons for having refused to bestow upon him the hand of Iole, after\nhaving fairly won the maiden. Having collected a large army Heracles set\nout for Euboea in order to besiege Oechalia, its capital. Success crowned\nhis arms. He stormed the citadel, slew the king and his three sons, reduced\nthe town to ashes, and carried away captive the young and beautiful Iole.\n\nReturning from his victorious expedition, Heracles halted at Cenoeus in\norder to offer a sacrifice to Zeus, and sent to Deianeira to Trachin for a\nsacrificial robe. Deianeira having been informed that the fair Iole was in\nthe train of Heracles was fearful lest her youthful charms might supplant\nher in the affection of her husband, and calling to mind the advice of the\ndying Centaur, she determined to test the efficacy of the love-charm which\nhe had given to her. Taking out the phial which she had carefully\npreserved, she imbued the robe with a portion of the liquid which it\ncontained, and then sent it to Heracles.\n\nThe victorious hero clothed himself with the garment, {256} and was about\nto perform the sacrifice, when the hot flames rising from the altar heated\nthe poison with which it was imbued, and soon every fibre of his body was\npenetrated by the deadly venom. The unfortunate hero, suffering the most\nfearful tortures, endeavoured to tear off the robe, but it adhered so\nclosely to the skin that all his efforts to remove it only increased his\nagonies.\n\nIn this pitiable condition he was conveyed to Trachin, where Deianeira, on\nbeholding the terrible suffering of which she was the innocent cause, was\novercome with grief and remorse, and hanged herself in despair. The dying\nhero called his son Hyllus to his side, and desired him to make Iole his\nwife, and then ordering his followers to erect a funeral pyre, he mounted\nit and implored the by-standers to set fire to it, and thus in mercy to\nterminate his insufferable torments. But no one had the courage to obey\nhim, until at last his friend and companion Philoctetes, yielding to his\npiteous appeal, lighted the pile, and received in return the bow and arrows\nof the hero.\n\nSoon flames on flames ascended, and amidst vivid flashes of lightning,\naccompanied by awful peals of thunder, Pallas-Athene descended in a cloud,\nand bore her favourite hero in a chariot to Olympus.\n\nHeracles became admitted among the immortals; and Hera, in token of her\nreconciliation, bestowed upon him the hand of her beautiful daughter Hebe,\nthe goddess of eternal youth.\n\nBELLEROPHON.\n\nBellerophon, or Bellerophontes, was the son of Glaucus, king of Corinth,\nand grandson of Sisyphus. In consequence of an unpremeditated murder\nBellerophon fled to Tiryns, where he was kindly received by King Proetus,\nwho purified him from his crime. Antea, the wife of Proetus, was so charmed\nwith the comely youth that she fell in love with him; but Bellerophon did\nnot return her affection, and she, in revenge, slandered him to the king by\na gross misrepresentation of the facts. {257}\n\nThe first impulse of Proetus, when informed of the conduct of Bellerophon,\nwas to kill him; but the youth, with his gentle and winning manners, had so\nendeared himself to his host that he felt it impossible to take his life\nwith his own hands. He therefore sent him to his father-in-law, Iobates,\nking of Lycia, with a kind of letter or tablet which contained mysterious\nsigns, indicating his desire that the bearer of the missive should be put\nto death. But the gods watched over the true and loyal youth, and inclined\nthe heart of Iobates, who was an amiable prince, towards his guest. Judging\nby his appearance that he was of noble birth, he entertained him, according\nto the hospitable custom of the Greeks, in the most princely manner for\nnine days, and not until the morning of the tenth did he inquire his name\nand errand.\n\nBellerophon now presented to him the letter intrusted to him by Proetus.\nIobates, who had become greatly attached to the youth, was horror-struck at\nits contents. Nevertheless he concluded that Proetus must have good reasons\nfor his conduct, and that probably Bellerophon had committed a crime which\ndeserved death. But as he could not make up his mind to murder the guest he\nhad grown to esteem, he decided to despatch him upon dangerous enterprises,\nin which he would in all probability lose his life.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe first sent him to kill the Chimaera, a monster which was at this time\ndevastating the country. The fore part of its body was that of a lion, the\ncentre of a goat, and the hind part of a dragon; whilst out of its jaws\nissued flames of fire.\n\nBefore starting on this difficult task Bellerophon invoked the protection\nof the gods, and in answer to his prayer they despatched to his aid the\nimmortal-winged horse Pegasus, the offspring of Poseidon and Medusa. But\nthe divine animal would not suffer himself to be {258} caught, and at last,\nworn out with his fruitless exertions, Bellerophon fell into a deep sleep\nbeside the sacred spring Pirene. Here Pallas-Athene appeared to him in a\ndream, and presented him with a magic bridle for the purpose of capturing\nthe divine steed. On awaking Bellerophon instinctively put out his hand to\ngrasp it, when, to his amazement, there lay beside him the bridle of his\ndream, whilst Pegasus was quietly drinking at the fountain close by.\nSeizing him by the mane Bellerophon threw the bridle over his head, and\nsucceeded in mounting him without further difficulty; then rising with him\ninto the air he slew the Chimaera with his arrows.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIobates next sent him on an expedition against the Solymans, a fierce\nneighbouring tribe with whom he was at enmity. Bellerophon succeeded in\nvanquishing them, and was then despatched against the much-dreaded Amazons;\nbut greatly to the astonishment of Iobates the hero again returned\nvictorious.\n\nFinally, Iobates placed a number of the bravest Lycians in ambush for the\npurpose of destroying him, but not one returned alive, for Bellerophon\nbravely defended himself and slew them all. Convinced at length that\nBellerophon, far from deserving death, was the special favourite of the\ngods, who had evidently protected him throughout his perilous exploits, the\nking now ceased his persecutions.\n\nIobates admitted him to a share in the government, and gave him his\ndaughter in marriage. But Bellerophon having attained the summit of earthly\nprosperity became intoxicated with pride and vanity, and incurred the\ndispleasure of the gods by endeavouring to mount to heaven on his winged\nhorse, for the purpose of gratifying his idle curiosity. Zeus punished him\nfor his impiety by sending {259} a gadfly to sting the horse, who became so\nrestive that he threw his rider, who was precipitated to the earth. Filled\nwith remorse at having offended the gods Bellerophon fell a prey to the\ndeepest melancholy, and wandered about for the remainder of his life in the\nloneliest and most desolate places.\n\nAfter death he was honoured in Corinth as a hero, and an altar was erected\nto him in the grove of Poseidon.\n\nTHESEUS.\n\nAegeus, king of Athens, being twice married, and having no children, was so\ndesirous of an heir to his throne that he made a pilgrimage to Delphi in\norder to consult the oracle. But the response being ambiguous, he repaired\nto Troezen to consult his wise friend Pittheus, who reigned over that city,\nby whose advice he contracted a secret marriage with his friend's daughter\nAethra.\n\nAfter passing some time with his bride, Aegeus prepared to take his\ndeparture for his own dominions; but before doing so he led Aethra to the\nsea-shore, where, after depositing his sword and sandals under a huge rock,\nhe thus addressed her: \"Should the gods bless our union with a son, do not\nreveal to him the name and rank of his father until he is old enough to\npossess the strength requisite for moving this stone. Then send him to my\npalace at Athens bearing these tokens of his identity.\"\n\nA son was born to Aethra, whom she called Theseus, and who was carefully\ntrained and educated by his grandfather Pittheus. When he had developed\ninto a strong and manly youth his mother conducted him to the spot where\nthe rock had been placed by Aegeus, and at her command he rolled away the\nstone, and took possession of the sword and sandals which had lain there\nfor sixteen years, and which she now desired him to convey to his father\nAegeus, king of Athens.\n\nHis mother and grandfather were anxious that the youth should travel by the\nsafe sea route, the road between Troezen and Athens being at this time\ninfested {260} with robbers of great ferocity and enormous strength. But\nfeeling within himself the spirit of a hero, Theseus resolved to emulate\nthe deeds of Heracles, with whose fame all Greece resounded, and therefore\nchose the more dangerous journey by land, as calculated to afford him an\nopportunity of distinguishing himself by feats of valour.\n\nHis first adventure occurred at Epidaurus, where he met Periphetes, a son\nof Hephaestus, who was armed with an iron club, with which he killed all\ntravellers. Having received from his grandfather a full description of this\nsavage, Theseus at once recognized him, and rushing upon him with his\nsword, succeeded after a desperate encounter in killing him. He\nappropriated the club as a trophy of his victory, and proceeded on his\njourney without hinderance until he arrived at the Isthmus of Corinth.\n\nHere the people warned him to beware of Sinnis the robber, who forced all\ntravellers to bend with him one of the branches of a tall pine-tree. Having\ndragged it to the ground, the cruel Sinnis suddenly released his hold,\nwhereupon the bough rebounding high up into the air, the unfortunate victim\nwas dashed to the ground and killed. When Theseus beheld Sinnis advancing\ntowards him he steadily awaited his approach; then seizing his powerful\nclub, he killed the inhuman wretch with one blow.\n\nPassing through the woody district of Crommyon Theseus next slew a wild and\ndangerous sow which had long ravaged the country.\n\nHe then continued his journey and approached the borders of Megara, where,\non a narrow path overhanging the sea, dwelt the wicked Scyron, another\nterror to travellers. It was his custom to compel all strangers who passed\nhis abode to wash his feet, during which operation he kicked them over the\nrock into the sea. Theseus boldly attacked the giant, overcame him, and\nthen flung his body over the cliff where so many of his victims had\nperished.\n\nTheseus now journeyed on to Eleusis, where he found {261} another adversary\nin the person of King Cercyon, who forced all comers to wrestle with him,\nand killed those whom he vanquished; but Theseus overcame the mighty\nwrestler and slew him.\n\nNear Eleusis, on the banks of the river Cephissus, Theseus met with a new\nadventure. Here lived the giant Damastes, called Procrustes or the\nStretcher, who had two iron beds, one being long and the other short, into\nwhich he forced all strangers; In the short one he placed the tall men,\nwhose limbs he cut to the size of the bed, whilst to the short ones he\nassigned the large bed, stretching them out to fit it; and thus he left his\nvictims to expire in the most cruel torments. Theseus freed the country\nfrom this inhuman monster by serving him as he had done his unfortunate\nvictims.\n\nThe hero now continued his journey, and at length reached Athens without\nmeeting with any further adventures. When he arrived at his destination he\nfound his father a helpless tool in the hands of the sorceress Medea, whom\nhe had married after her departure from Corinth. Knowing, by means of her\nsupernatural powers, that Theseus was the king's son, and fearing that her\ninfluence might be weakened by his presence, she poisoned the mind of the\nold king against the stranger, whom she represented as being a spy. It was\naccordingly arranged that Theseus should be invited to a banquet, and a\nstrong poison mixed with his wine.\n\nNow Theseus had resolved to reveal himself at this feast to the father whom\nhe yearned to embrace. Before tasting the wine he put his plan into\nexecution, and drew out his sword so that the eyes of the king might rest\nupon it. When Aegeus beheld once more the well-known weapon which he had so\noften wielded, he knew that it was his son who stood before him. He warmly\nembraced him, presented him as his heir to his courtiers and subjects, and\nthen, no longer able to endure the sight of Medea, he banished her for ever\nfrom his dominions.\n\nWhen Theseus was acknowledged as the rightful heir to the throne he was\nopposed by the fifty sons of Pallas, {262} the king's brother, who had\nconfidently expected that on the demise of the old king the government of\nthe country would devolve upon them. They therefore resolved to put Theseus\nto death; but their plans becoming known to him, he surprised them as they\nlay in ambush awaiting his approach, and destroyed them all.\n\nFearing, however, lest the Athenians might entertain a prejudice against\nhim on account of his extermination of their fellow-citizens, the\nPallantids, Theseus resolved to perform some signal service for the state,\nwhich should gain for him the hearts of the people. He accordingly decided\nto rid the country of the famous bull of Marathon, which had become a\nterror to the cultivators of the land. He captured the animal and brought\nhim in chains to Athens, where, after publicly exhibiting him to the\nastonished multitude, he solemnly sacrificed him to Apollo.\n\nThe next enterprise undertaken by Theseus far surpassed all his other feats\nof heroic daring, and secured to him the universal admiration and gratitude\nof his fellow-citizens. This was the slaying of the Minotaur, which put an\nend for ever to the shameful tribute of seven youths and seven maidens\nwhich was exacted from the Athenians every nine years.\n\nThe origin of this barbarous tribute was as follows: Androgeos, the\nyouthful son of Minos, king of Crete, having been treacherously murdered by\nthe Athenians, his father, anxious to avenge the death of his son, declared\nwar against their king Aegeus, and conquered Athens and the villages in its\nvicinity. The conqueror henceforth compelled the Athenians to send to him\nevery nine years a tribute of seven youths and seven maidens of the noblest\nfamilies of the land, who became the prey of the Minotaur, a monster,\nhalf-man, half-bull, whose lair was in the wonderful labyrinth, constructed\nby Daedalus for the Cretan king.\n\nWhen Theseus informed his father of his heroic determination, he was\noverwhelmed with grief, and endeavoured, by every means in his power, to\nshake his son's resolution, but, confident of success, Theseus assured his\n{263} father that he would slay the Minotaur and return home victorious.\n\nIt was customary for the vessel bearing its unhappy freight of human\nvictims to use on this voyage black sails only; but Theseus promised his\nfather that, should he return in safety, he would hoist white ones in their\nplace.\n\nBefore leaving Athens Theseus, by the advice of an oracle, chose Aphrodite\nas his guardian and protectress, and accordingly offered up a sacrifice to\nher. When he arrived in the presence of king Minos, the goddess of Love\ninspired Ariadne, the beautiful daughter of the king, with an ardent\nattachment for the noble young hero. During a secret interview, in which a\nmutual confession of affection took place, Ariadne furnished him with a\nsharp sword and a clue of thread, the end of which she desired him to\nfasten at the entrance to the labyrinth and to continue to unwind it till\nhe reached the lair of the Minotaur. Full of hope as to the successful\nissue of his undertaking, Theseus took leave of the kind maiden, after\nexpressing his gratitude for her timely aid.\n\nAt the head of his companions he was now conducted by Minos to the entrance\nof the labyrinth. Strictly adhering to the injunctions of the fair Ariadne\nhe succeeded in finding the Minotaur, whom, after a fierce and violent\nstruggle, he defeated and killed; then carefully feeling his way, by means\nof the clue of thread, he led his companions safely out of the labyrinth.\nThey then fled to their ship, taking with them the lovely maiden to whose\naffection for their deliverer they owed their safety.\n\nArrived at the island of Naxos, Theseus had a dream, in which Dionysus, the\nwine-god, appeared to him, and informed him that the Fates had decreed that\nAriadne should be his bride, at the same time menacing the hero with all\nkinds of misfortunes should he refuse to resign her. Now Theseus, having\nbeen taught from his youth to reverence the gods, feared to disobey the\nwishes of Dionysus. He accordingly took a sad farewell of the {264}\nbeautiful maiden who so tenderly loved him, and left her on the lonely\nisland, where she was found and wooed by the wine-god.\n\nTheseus and his companions felt keenly the loss of their benefactress, and\nin their grief at parting with her, forgot that the ship still bore the\nblack sails with which she had left the Attic coast. As she neared the port\nof Athens, Aegeus, who was anxiously awaiting the return of his son on the\nbeach, caught sight of the vessel with its black sails, and concluding that\nhis gallant son had perished, threw himself in despair into the sea.\n\nWith the unanimous approval of the Athenians, Theseus now ascended the\nvacant throne, and soon proved himself to be not only a valiant hero but\nalso a wise prince and prudent legislator. Athens was at this time but a\nsmall city surrounded by a number of villages, each of which possessed its\nown separate form of government; but by means of kind and conciliatory\nmeasures Theseus induced the heads of these different communities to resign\ntheir sovereignty, and to intrust the administration of public affairs to a\ncourt which should sit constantly at Athens, and exercise jurisdiction over\nall the inhabitants of Attica. The result of these judicious measures was,\nthat the Athenians became a united and powerful people, and that numbers of\nstrangers and foreigners flocked to Athens, which became a flourishing\nmaritime port and a commercial centre of great importance.\n\nTheseus renewed the Isthmian Games, and also instituted numerous festivals,\nthe principal of which was the Panathenaea, held in honour of Athene-Polias.\n\nIt is related that Theseus upon one occasion arrived during a voyage at the\nAmazonian coast. Anxious to ascertain the object of his visit, the Amazons\nsent Hippolyte, one of their number, with presents to the stranger; but no\nsooner did the fair herald set foot on board his vessel than Theseus set\nsail and carried her off to Athens, where he made her his queen. Enraged at\nthis indignity the Amazons determined to be revenged. Some time afterwards,\nwhen the whole affair would {265} appear to have been forgotten, they\nseized the opportunity when the city of Athens was in a defenceless\ncondition and landed an army in Attica. So sudden was their attack that\nthey had penetrated into the very heart of the city before the Athenians\ncould organize their forces; but Theseus expeditiously collected his troops\nand commenced such a furious onslaught upon the invaders that, after a\ndesperate encounter, they were driven from the city. Peace was then\nconcluded, whereupon the Amazons evacuated the country. During this\nengagement Hippolyte, forgetful of her origin, fought valiantly by the side\nof her husband against her own kinsfolk, and perished on the field of\nbattle.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nIt was soon after this sad event that Theseus joined the world-renowned\nCalydonian Boar-hunt, in which he took a leading part. He also formed one\nof the brave band who shared in the perils of the Argonautic expedition.\n\nThe remarkable friendship which existed between Theseus and Pirithoeus\noriginated under such peculiar circumstances that it is worthy of mention.\n\nHearing upon one occasion that his herds, pasturing in the plains of\nMarathon, had been carried off by Pirithoeus, Theseus collected together an\narmed force and sallied forth to punish the plunderer. But, when the two\nheroes met face to face, both were seized with an impulse of sympathetic\nadmiration for each other. Pirithoeus, holding out his hand in token of\npeace, exclaimed, \"What satisfaction shall I render thee, oh Theseus? Be\nthou thyself the judge.\" Theseus seized the proffered hand and replied, \"I\nask nought save thy {266} friendship;\" whereupon the heroes embraced each\nother and swore eternal fidelity.\n\nWhen, soon afterwards, Pirithoeus became united to Hippodamia, a Thessalian\nprincess, he invited Theseus to the wedding-feast, which was also attended,\namong other guests, by a large number of Centaurs, who were friends of\nPirithoeus. Towards the end of the banquet Eurytion, a young Centaur, heated\nand flushed with wine, seized the lovely bride and sought by force to carry\nher off. The other Centaurs, following his example, each endeavoured to\ncapture a maiden. Pirithoeus and his followers, aided by Theseus, who\nrendered most valuable assistance, attacked the Centaurs, and after a\nviolent hand-to-hand struggle in which many perished, forced them to\nrelinquish their prey.\n\nAfter the death of Hippolyte Theseus sought the hand of Phaedra, the sister\nof his former bride Ariadne, to whom he became united. For some years they\nlived happily together, and their union was blessed by the birth of two\nsons. During this time Hippolytus, the son of the Amazonian queen, had been\nabsent from home, having been placed under the care of the king's uncles in\norder to be educated. When, having grown to manhood, he now returned to his\nfather's palace, his young stepmother, Phaedra, fell violently in love with\nhim; but Hippolytus failed to return her affection, and treated her with\ncontempt and indifference. Filled with rage and despair at his coldness\nPhaedra put an end to her existence; and when she was discovered by her\nhusband she held in her hand a letter, accusing Hippolytus of being the\ncause of her death, and of having conspired against the honour of the king.\n\nNow Poseidon had upon one occasion promised to grant Theseus whatever\nrequest he should demand; he therefore called upon the sea-god to destroy\nHippolytus, whom he cursed in the most solemn manner. The father's awful\nmalediction fell but too soon upon his innocent son; for, as the latter was\ndriving his chariot along the sea-shore, between Troezen and Athens, a\n{267} monster, sent by Poseidon, rose out of the deep, and so frightened\nthe horses that they became altogether unmanageable. As they rushed on in\ntheir mad career the chariot was dashed to pieces, and the unfortunate\nyouth, whose feet had become entangled in the reins, was dragged along\nuntil life was nearly extinct.\n\nIn this condition he was found by the unhappy Theseus, who, having\nascertained the true facts of the case from an old servant of Phaedra, had\nhastened to prevent the catastrophe. But he arrived too late, and was only\nable to soothe the last moments of his dying son by acknowledging the sad\nmistake which he had committed, and declaring his firm belief in his honour\nand innocence.\n\nAfter these events Theseus was persuaded by his friend Pirithoeus, who had\nalso about this time lost his young wife, Hippodamia, to join him in a\njourney through Greece, with the object of carrying off by force the most\nbeautiful maidens whom they should chance to meet.\n\nArrived at Sparta they beheld, in the temple of Artemis, Helen, the\ndaughter of Zeus and Leda, who was engaged in performing sacred dances in\nhonour of the goddess. Although the maiden was only nine years old the fame\nof her beauty, which was destined to play so important a part in the\nhistory of Greece, had already spread far and wide. Theseus and Pirithoeus\nforcibly abducted her, and then having cast lots for her, she fell to\nTheseus, who placed her under the charge of his mother AEthra.\n\nPirithoeus now requested Theseus to assist him in his ambitious scheme of\ndescending to the lower world and carrying off Persephone, the queen of\nHades. Though fully alive to the perils of the undertaking Theseus would\nnot forsake his friend, and together they sought the gloomy realm of\nShades. But Aides had been forewarned of their approach, and scarcely had\nthe two friends set foot within his dominions when, by his orders, they\nwere seized, bound with chains, and secured to an enchanted rock at the\nentrance of Hades. Here the two {268} friends languished for many years,\nuntil Heracles passed by in his search for Cerberus, when he released\nTheseus; but in obedience to an injunction of the gods, left Pirithoeus to\nendure for ever the punishment of his too daring ambition.\n\nWhile Theseus was imprisoned in the under world Castor and Pollux, the\nbrothers of Helen, invaded Athens, and demanded the restoration of their\nyoung sister. Seeing his country threatened with the horrors of warfare, an\nAthenian citizen named Academus, who knew of Helen's place of concealment,\nrepaired to the camp of the Dioscuri, and informed them where they would\nfind her. AEthra at once resigned her charge, whereupon the brothers took\nleave of Athens, and, accompanied by Helen, returned to their native\ncountry.\n\nBut the prolonged absence of Theseus gave rise to other troubles of a more\nserious character. Thinking the opportunity favourable for a revolt, a\nfaction, headed by Menesthius, a descendant of Erechtheus, arrogated to\nthemselves supreme power, and seized the reins of government.\n\nReturned to Athens, Theseus at once took active measures to quell the\ninsubordination which existed on all sides. He expelled Menesthius from\noffice, rigorously punished the ringleaders of the revolt, and placed\nhimself once more upon the throne. But his hold upon the people was gone.\nHis former services were all forgotten, and, finding at length that\ndissensions and revolts were rife, he voluntarily abdicated the throne, and\nretired to his estates in the island of Scyros. Here Lycomedes, king of the\nisland, feigned to receive him with the utmost friendship; but being, as it\nis supposed, in league with Menesthius, he led the old king to the summit\nof a high rock, under pretence of showing him his estates, and\ntreacherously killed him by pushing him over the cliff.\n\nMany centuries after his death, by the command of the oracle of Delphi,\nCimon, the father of Miltiades, at the conclusion of the Persian war,\nbrought the remains of Theseus, the great benefactor of Athens, to that\ncity, {269} and in his honour a temple was erected, which exists to the\npresent day, and serves as a museum of art.\n\nOEDIPUS.\n\nLaius, king of Thebes, the son of Labdacus, and a direct descendant of\nCadmus, was married to Jocaste, the daughter of a noble Theban. An oracle\nhaving foretold that he would perish by the hand of his own son, he\ndetermined to destroy the infant to whom Jocaste had just given birth. With\nthe consent of his wife, whose affection for her husband overcame her love\nfor her child, he pierced the feet of the babe, bound them together, and\nhanded the infant over to a servant, with instructions to expose him on\nMount Cithaeron to perish. But instead of obeying this cruel command, the\nservant intrusted him to a shepherd who was tending the flocks of Polybus,\nking of Corinth, and then returned to Laius and Jocaste, and informed them\nthat their orders had been obeyed. The parents were satisfied with the\nintelligence, and quieted their conscience by the reflection that they had\nthus prevented their son from committing the crime of parricide.\n\nMeanwhile the shepherd of king Polybus had unbound the feet of the infant,\nand in consequence of their being much swollen he called him Oedipus, or\nSwollen-foot. He then carried him to the king, his master, who, pitying the\npoor little waif, enlisted for him the kind offices of his wife, Merope.\nOedipus was adopted by the king and queen as their own son, and grew up in\nthe belief that they were his parents, until one day a Corinthian noble\ntaunted him at a banquet with not being the son of the king. Stung at this\nreproach the youth appealed to Merope, but receiving an equivocal, though\nkindly answer, he repaired to Delphi to consult the oracle. The Pythia\nvouchsafed no reply to his inquiry, but informed him, to his horror, that\nhe was fated to kill his father and to marry his own mother.\n\nFilled with dismay, for he was tenderly attached to Polybus and Merope,\nOedipus determined not to return {270} to Corinth, and took instead the\nroad leading to Boeotia. On his way a chariot passed him, in which sat an\nold man with two servants, who rudely pushed the pedestrian out of the\npath. In the scuffle which ensued Oedipus struck the old man with his heavy\nstick, and he fell back dead on the seat of the chariot. Struck with dismay\nat the unpremeditated murder which he had committed, the youth fled, and\nleft the spot without learning that the old man whom he had killed was his\nfather, Laius, king of Thebes.\n\nNot long after this occurrence the Sphinx (full details of whom have\nalready been given) was sent by the goddess Hera as a punishment to the\nThebans. Stationed on a rocky height just outside the city, she propounded\nto the passers by riddles which she had been taught by the Muses, and\nwhoever failed to solve them was torn in pieces and devoured by the\nmonster, and in this manner great numbers of the inhabitants of Thebes had\nperished.\n\nNow on the death of the old king Laius, Creon, the brother of the widowed\nqueen, had seized the reins of government and mounted the vacant throne;\nand when at length his own son fell a victim to the Sphinx, he resolved at\nall costs to rid the country of this fearful scourge. He accordingly issued\na proclamation, that the kingdom and the hand of his sister Jocaste should\nbe awarded to him who should succeed in solving one of the riddles of the\nSphinx, it having been foretold by an oracle that only then would the\ncountry be freed from the monster.\n\nJust as this proclamation was being made in the streets of Thebes Oedipus,\nwith his pilgrim's staff in his hand, entered the city. Tempted by the\nprospect of so magnificent a reward he repaired to the rock, and boldly\nrequested the Sphinx to propound to him one of her riddles. She proposed to\nhim one which she deemed impossible of solution, but Oedipus at once solved\nit; whereupon the Sphinx, full of rage and despair, precipitated herself\ninto the abyss and perished. Oedipus {271} received the promised reward. He\nbecame king of Thebes and the husband of Jocaste, the widow of his father,\nking Laius.\n\nFor many years Oedipus enjoyed the greatest happiness and tranquillity.\nFour children were born to him--two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, and two\ndaughters, Antigone and Ismene. But at last the gods afflicted the country\nwith a grievous pestilence, which made terrible havoc among the people. In\ntheir distress they entreated the help of the king, who was regarded by his\nsubjects as a special favourite of the gods. Oedipus consulted an oracle,\nand the response was that the pestilence would continue to rage until the\nland was purified of the blood of king Laius, whose murderer was living\nunpunished at Thebes.\n\nThe king now invoked the most solemn imprecations on the head of the\nmurderer, and offered a reward for any information concerning him. He then\nsent for the blind old seer Tiresias, and implored him, by means of his\nprophetic powers, to reveal to him the author of the crime. Tiresias at\nfirst hesitated, but yielding to the earnest solicitations of the king, the\nold prophet thus addressed him: \"Thou thyself art the murderer of the old\nking Laius, who was thy father; and thou art wedded to his widow, thine own\nmother.\" In order to convince Oedipus of the truth of his words, he brought\nforward the old servant who had exposed him as a babe on Mount Cithaeron,\nand the shepherd who had conveyed him to king Polybus. Horrified at this\nawful revelation Oedipus, in a fit of despair, deprived himself of sight,\nand the unfortunate Jocaste, unable to survive her disgrace, hanged\nherself.\n\nAccompanied by his faithful and devoted daughter Antigone, Oedipus quitted\nThebes and became a miserable and homeless outcast, begging his bread from\nplace to place. At length, after a long and painful pilgrimage, he found a\nplace of refuge in the grove of the Eumenides (at Colonus, near Athens),\nwhere his last moments were soothed and tended by the care and devotion of\nthe faithful Antigone.\n\n{272}\n\nTHE SEVEN AGAINST THEBES.\n\nAfter the voluntary abdication of Oedipus, his two sons, Eteocles and\nPolynices, took possession of the crown and reigned over the city of\nThebes. But Eteocles, being an ambitious prince, soon seized the reins of\ngovernment himself, and expelled his brother from the throne.\n\nPolynices now repaired to Argos, where he arrived in the dead of night.\nOutside the gates of the royal palace he encountered Tydeus, the son of\nOeneus, king of Calydon. Having accidentally killed a relative in the\nchase, Tydeus was also a fugitive; but being mistaken by Polynices in the\ndarkness for an enemy, a quarrel ensued, which might have ended fatally,\nhad not king Adrastus, aroused by the clamour, appeared on the scene and\nparted the combatants.\n\nBy the light of the torches borne by his attendants Adrastus observed, to\nhis surprise, that on the shield of Polynices a lion was depicted, and on\nthat of Tydeus a boar. The former bore this insignia in honour of the\nrenowned hero Heracles, the latter in memory of the famous Calydonian\nboar-hunt. This circumstance reminded the king of an extraordinary oracular\nprediction concerning his two beautiful daughters, Argia and Deipyle, which\nwas to the effect that he would give them in marriage to a lion and a boar.\nHailing with delight what he regarded as an auspicious solution of the\nmysterious prophecy, he invited the strangers into his palace; and when he\nheard their history, and had convinced himself that they were of noble\nbirth, he bestowed upon Polynices his beautiful daughter Argia, and upon\nTydeus the fair Deipyle, promising at the same time that he would assist\nboth his sons-in-law to regain their rightful patrimony.\n\nThe first care of Adrastus was to aid Polynices in regaining possession of\nhis lawful share in the government of Thebes. He accordingly invited the\nmost powerful chiefs in his kingdom to join in the expedition, {273} all of\nwhom readily obeyed the call with the exception of the king's\nbrother-in-law, Amphiaraus, the seer. As he foresaw a disastrous\ntermination to the enterprise, and knew that not one of the heroes, save\nAdrastus himself, would return alive, he earnestly dissuaded the king from\ncarrying out his project, and declined to take any part in the undertaking.\nBut Adrastus, seconded by Polynices and Tydeus, was obstinately bent on the\nachievement of his purpose, and Amphiaraus, in order to escape from their\nimportunities, concealed himself in a hiding-place known only to his wife\nEriphyle.\n\nNow on the occasion of the marriage of Amphiaraus it had been agreed, that\nif he ever differed in opinion with the king, his wife should decide the\nquestion. As the presence of Amphiaraus was indispensable to the success of\nthe undertaking, and, moreover, as Adrastus would not enter upon it without\n\"the eye of the army,\" as he called his brother-in-law, Polynices, bent on\nsecuring his services, determined to bribe Eriphyle to use her influence\nwith her husband and to decide the question in accordance with his wishes.\nHe bethought himself of the beautiful necklace of Harmonia, wife of Cadmus,\nwhich he had brought with him in his flight from Thebes. Without loss of\ntime he presented himself before the wife of Amphiaraus, and held up to her\nadmiring gaze the glittering bauble, promising that if she revealed the\nhiding-place of her husband and induced him to join the expedition, the\nnecklace should be hers. Eriphyle, unable to withstand the tempting bait,\naccepted the bribe, and thus Amphiaraus was compelled to join the army. But\nbefore leaving his home he extorted a solemn promise from his son Alcmaeon\nthat, should he perish on the field of battle, he would avenge his death on\nhis mother, the perfidious Eriphyle.\n\nSeven leaders were now chosen, each at the head of a separate detachment of\ntroops. These were Adrastus the king, his two brothers Hippomedon and\nParthenopaeus, Capaneus his nephew, Polynices and Tydeus, and Amphiaraus.\n\n{274}\n\nWhen the army was collected they set out for Nemea, which was at this time\ngoverned by king Lycurgus. Here the Argives, being short of water, halted\non the outskirts of a forest in order to search for a spring, when they saw\na majestic and beautiful woman seated on the trunk of a tree, nursing an\ninfant. They concluded from her noble and queenly appearance that she must\nbe a goddess, but were informed by her that she was Hypsipile, queen of the\nLemnians, who had been carried away captive by pirates, and sold as a slave\nto king Lycurgus, and that she was now acting as nurse to his infant son.\nWhen the warriors told her that they were in search of water, she laid the\nchild down in the grass, and led them to a secret spring in the forest,\nwith which she alone was acquainted. But on their return they found, to\ntheir grief, that the unfortunate babe had been killed during their\nabsence, by a serpent. They slew the reptile, and then collecting the\nremains of the infant, they buried them with funereal honours and proceeded\non their way.\n\nThe warlike host now appeared before the walls of Thebes, and each leader\nplaced himself before one of the seven gates of the city in readiness for\nthe attack. Eteocles, in conjunction with Creon, had made due preparations\nto repel the invaders, and had stationed troops, under the command of\ntrusty leaders, to guard each of the gates. Then, according to the practice\nof the ancients of consulting soothsayers before entering upon any\nundertaking, the blind old seer Tiresias was sent for, who, after carefully\ntaking the auguries from the flight of birds, declared that all efforts to\ndefend the city would prove unavailing, unless the youngest descendant of\nthe house of Cadmus would offer himself as a voluntary sacrifice for the\ngood of the state.\n\nWhen Creon heard the words of the seer his first thought was of his\nfavourite son Menoeceus, the youngest scion of the royal house, who was\npresent at the interview. He therefore earnestly implored him to leave the\ncity, and to repair for safety to Delphi. But the gallant youth heroically\nresolved to sacrifice his life for the {275} benefit of his country, and\nafter taking leave of his old father, mounted the city walls, and plunging\na dagger into his heart, perished in the sight of the contending hosts.\n\nAdrastus now gave his troops the word of command to storm the city, and\nthey rushed forward to the attack with great valour. The battle raged long\nand furiously, and after heavy losses on both sides the Argives were routed\nand put to flight.\n\nAfter the lapse of some days they reorganized their forces, and again\nappeared before the gates of Thebes, when Eteocles, grieved to think that\nthere should be such a terrible loss of life on his account, sent a herald\ninto the opposite camp, with a proposition that the fate of the campaign\nshould be decided by single combat between himself and his brother\nPolynices. The challenge was readily accepted, and in the duel which took\nplace outside the city walls, in the sight of the rival forces, Eteocles\nand Polynices were both fatally wounded and expired on the field of battle.\n\nBoth sides now claimed the day, and the result was that hostilities\nrecommenced, and soon the battle raged with greater fury than ever. But\nvictory at last declared itself for the Thebans. In their flight the\nArgives lost all their leaders, Adrastus excepted, who owed his safety to\nthe fleetness of his horse Arion.\n\nBy the death of the brothers, Creon became once more king of Thebes, and in\norder to show his abhorrence of the conduct of Polynices in fighting\nagainst his country, he strictly forbade any one to bury either his remains\nor those of his allies. But the faithful Antigone, who had returned to\nThebes on the death of her father, could not endure that the body of her\nbrother should remain unburied. She therefore bravely disregarded the\norders of the king, and endeavoured to give sepulture to the remains of\nPolynices.\n\nWhen Creon discovered that his commands had been set at defiance, he\ninhumanly condemned the devoted maiden to be entombed alive in a\nsubterranean vault. {276} But retribution was at hand. His son, Haemon, who\nwas betrothed to Antigone, having contrived to effect an entrance into the\nvault, was horrified to find that Antigone had hanged herself by her veil.\nFeeling that life without her would be intolerable, he threw himself in\ndespair on his own sword, and after solemnly invoking the malediction of\nthe gods on the head of his father, expired beside the dead body of his\nbetrothed.\n\nHardly had the news of the tragic fate of his son reached the king, before\nanother messenger appeared, bearing the tidings that his wife Eurydice, on\nhearing of the death of Haemon, had put an end to her existence, and thus\nthe king found himself in his old age both widowed and childless.\n\nNor did he succeed in the execution of his vindictive designs; for\nAdrastus, who, after his flight from Thebes, had taken refuge at Athens,\ninduced Theseus to lead an army against the Thebans, to compel them to\nrestore the dead bodies of the Argive warriors to their friends, in order\nthat they might perform due funereal rites in honour of the slain. This\nundertaking was successfully accomplished, and the remains of the fallen\nheroes were interred with due honours.\n\nTHE EPIGONI.\n\nTen years after these events the sons of the slain heroes, who were called\nEpigoni, or descendants, resolved to avenge the death of their fathers, and\nwith this object entered upon a new expedition against the city of Thebes.\n\nBy the advice of the Delphic oracle the command was intrusted to Alcmaeon,\nthe son of Amphiaraus; but remembering the injunction of his father he\nhesitated to accept this post before executing vengeance on his mother\nEriphyle. Thersander, however, the son of Polynices, adopting similar\ntactics to those of his father, bribed Eriphyle with the beautiful veil of\nHarmonia, bequeathed to him by Polynices, to induce her son {277} Alcmaeon\nand his brother Amphilochus to join in this second war against Thebes.\n\nNow the mother of Alcmaeon was gifted with that rare fascination which\nrenders its possessor irresistible to all who may chance to come within its\ninfluence; nor was her own son able to withstand her blandishments.\nYielding therefore to her wily representations he accepted the command of\nthe troops, and at the head of a large and powerful army advanced upon\nThebes.\n\nBefore the gates of the city Alcmaeon encountered the Thebans under the\ncommand of Laodamas, the son of Eteocles. A fierce battle ensued, in which\nthe Theban leader, after performing prodigies of valour, perished by the\nhand of Alcmaeon.\n\nAfter losing their chief and the flower of their army, the Thebans\nretreated behind the city walls, and the enemy now pressed them hard on\nevery side. In their distress they appealed to the blind old seer Tiresias,\nwho was over a hundred years old. With trembling lips and in broken\naccents, he informed them that they could only save their lives by\nabandoning their native city with their wives and families. Upon this they\ndespatched ambassadors into the enemy's camp; and whilst these were\nprotracting negotiations during the night, the Thebans, with their wives\nand children, evacuated the city. Next morning the Argives entered Thebes\nand plundered it, placing Thersander, the son of Polynices (who was a\ndescendant of Cadmus), on the throne which his father had so vainly\ncontested.\n\nALCMAEON AND THE NECKLACE.\n\nWhen Alcmaeon returned from his expedition against the Thebans he determined\nto fulfil the last injunction of his father Amphiaraus, who had desired him\nto be revenged on his mother Eriphyle for her perfidy in accepting a bribe\nto betray him. This resolution was further strengthened by the discovery\nthat his unprincipled mother had urged him also to join the expedition\n{278} in return for the much-coveted veil of Harmonia. He therefore put her\nto death; and taking with him the ill-fated necklace and veil, abandoned\nfor ever the home of his fathers.\n\nBut the gods, who could not suffer so unnatural a crime to go unpunished,\nafflicted him with madness, and sent one of the Furies to pursue him\nunceasingly. In this unhappy condition he wandered about from place to\nplace, until at last having reached Psophis in Arcadia, Phegeus, king of\nthe country, not only purified him of his crime, but also bestowed upon him\nthe hand of his daughter Arsinoe, to whom Alcmaeon presented the necklace\nand veil, which had already been the cause of so much unhappiness.\n\nThough now released from his mental affliction, the curse which hung over\nhim was not entirely removed, and on his account the country of his\nadoption was visited with a severe drought. On consulting the oracle of\nDelphi he was informed that any land which offered him shelter would be\ncursed by the gods, and that the malediction would continue to follow him\ntill he came to a country which was not in existence at the time he had\nmurdered his mother. Bereft of hope, and resolved no longer to cast the\nshadow of his dark fate over those he loved, Alcmaeon took a tender leave of\nhis wife and little son, and became once more an outcast and wanderer.\n\nArrived after a long and painful pilgrimage at the river Achelous, he\ndiscovered, to his unspeakable joy, a beautiful and fertile island, which\nhad but lately emerged from beneath the water. Here he took up his abode;\nand in this haven of rest he was at length freed from his sufferings, and\nfinally purified of his crime by the river-god Achelous. But in his\nnew-found home where prosperity smiled upon him, Alcmaeon soon forgot the\nloving wife and child he had left behind, and wooed Calirrhoe, the\nbeautiful daughter of the river-god, who became united to him in marriage.\n\nFor many years Alcmaeon and Calirrhoe lived happily together, and two sons\nwere born to them. But {279} unfortunately for the peace of her husband,\nthe daughter of Achelous had heard of the celebrated necklace and veil of\nHarmonia, and became seized with a violent desire to become the possessor\nof these precious treasures.\n\nNow the necklace and veil were in the safe-keeping of Arsinoe; but as\nAlcmaeon had carefully concealed the fact of his former marriage from his\nyoung wife, he informed her, when no longer able to combat her\nimportunities, that he had concealed them in a cave in his native country,\nand promised to hasten thither and procure them for her. He accordingly\ntook leave of Calirrhoe and his children, and proceeded to Psophis, where\nhe presented himself before his deserted wife and her father, king Phegeus.\nTo them he excused his absence by the fact of his having suffered from a\nfresh attack of madness, and added that an oracle had foretold to him that\nhis malady would only be cured when he had deposited the necklace and veil\nof Harmonia in the temple of Apollo at Delphi. Arsinoe, deceived by his\nartful representations, unhesitatingly restored to him his bridal gifts,\nwhereupon Alcmaeon set out on his homeward journey, well satisfied with the\nsuccessful issue of his expedition.\n\nBut the fatal necklace and veil were doomed to bring ruin and disaster to\nall who possessed them. During his sojourn at the court of king Phegeus,\none of the servants who had accompanied Alcmaeon betrayed the secret of his\nunion with the daughter of the river-god; and when the king informed his\nsons of his treacherous conduct, they determined to avenge the wrongs of\ntheir sister Arsinoe. They accordingly concealed themselves at a point of\nthe road which Alcmaeon was compelled to pass, and as he neared the spot\nthey suddenly emerged from their place of ambush, fell upon him and\ndespatched him.\n\nWhen Arsinoe, who still loved her faithless husband, heard of the murder,\nshe bitterly reproached her brothers for the crime which they had\nperpetrated, at which they were so incensed, that they placed her in a\nchest, and conveyed her to Agapenor, son of Ancaeus, at Tegea. {280} Here\nthey accused her of the murder of which they themselves were guilty, and\nshe suffered a painful death.\n\nCalirrhoe, on learning the sad fate of Alcmaeon, implored Zeus that her\ninfant sons might grow at once to manhood, and avenge the death of their\nfather. The ruler of Olympus heard the petition of the bereaved wife, and,\nin answer to her prayer, the children of yesterday became transformed into\nbearded men, full of strength and courage, and thirsting for revenge.\n\nHastening to Tegea, they there encountered the sons of Phegeus, who were\nabout to repair to Delphi, in order to deposit the necklace and veil in the\nsanctuary of Apollo; and before the brothers had time to defend themselves,\nthe stalwart sons of Calirrhoe rushed upon them and slew them. They then\nproceeded to Psophis, where they killed king Phegeus and his wife, after\nwhich they returned to their mother with the necklace and veil, which, by\nthe command of her father Achelous, were deposited as sacred offerings in\nthe temple of Apollo at Delphi.\n\nTHE HERACLIDAE.\n\nAfter the apotheosis of Heracles, his children were so cruelly persecuted\nby Eurystheus, that they fled for protection to king Ceyx at Trachin,\naccompanied by the aged Iolaus, the nephew and life-long friend of their\nfather, who constituted himself their guide and protector. But on\nEurystheus demanding the surrender of the fugitives, the Heraclidae, knowing\nthat the small force at the disposal of king Ceyx would be altogether\ninadequate to protect them against the powerful king of Argos, abandoned\nhis territory, and sought refuge at Athens, where they were hospitably\nreceived by king Demophoon, the son of the great hero Theseus. He warmly\nespoused their cause, and determined to protect them at all costs against\nEurystheus, who had despatched a numerous force in pursuit of them.\n\nWhen the Athenians had made all necessary preparations to repel the\ninvaders, an oracle announced that the {281} sacrifice of a maiden of noble\nbirth was necessary to ensure to them victory; whereupon Macaria, the\nbeautiful daughter of Heracles and Deianira, magnanimously offered herself\nas a sacrifice, and, surrounded by the noblest matrons and maidens of\nAthens, voluntarily devoted herself to death.\n\nWhile these events were transpiring in Athens, Hyllus, the eldest son of\nHeracles and Deianira, had advanced with a large army to the assistance of\nhis brothers, and having sent a messenger to the king announcing his\narrival, Demophoon, with his army, joined his forces.\n\nIn the thick of the battle which ensued, Iolaus, following a sudden\nimpulse, borrowed the chariot of Hyllus, and earnestly entreated Zeus and\nHebe to restore to him, for this one day only, the vigour and strength of\nhis youth. His prayer was heard. A thick cloud descended from heaven and\nenveloped the chariot, and when it disappeared, Iolaus, in the full\nplenitude of manly vigour, stood revealed before the astonished gaze of the\ncombatants. He then led on his valiant band of warriors, and soon the enemy\nwas in headlong flight; and Eurystheus, who was taken prisoner, was put to\ndeath by the command of king Demophoon.\n\nAfter gratefully acknowledging the timely aid of the Athenians, Hyllus,\naccompanied by the faithful Iolaus and his brothers, took leave of king\nDemophoon, and proceeded to invade the Peloponnesus, which they regarded as\ntheir lawful patrimony; for, according to the will of Zeus, it should have\nbeen the rightful possession of their father, the great hero Heracles, had\nnot Hera maliciously defeated his plans by causing his cousin Eurystheus to\nprecede him into the world.\n\nFor the space of twelve months the Heraclidae contrived to maintain\nthemselves in the Peloponnesus; but at the expiration of that time a\npestilence broke out, which spread over the entire peninsula, and compelled\nthe Heraclidae to evacuate the country and return to Attica, where for a\ntime they settled.\n\nAfter the lapse of three years Hyllus resolved on {282} making another\neffort to obtain his paternal inheritance. Before setting out on the\nexpedition, however, he consulted the oracle of Delphi, and the response\nwas, that he must wait for the third fruit before the enterprise would\nprove successful. Interpreting this ambiguous reply to signify the third\nsummer, Hyllus controlled his impatience for three years, when, having\ncollected a powerful army, he once more entered the Peloponnesus.\n\nAt the isthmus of Corinth he was opposed by Atreus, the son of Pelops, who\nat the death of Eurystheus had inherited the kingdom. In order to save\nbloodshed, Hyllus offered to decide his claims by single combat, the\nconditions being, that if he were victorious, he and his brothers should\nobtain undisputed possession of their rights; but if defeated, the\nHeraclidae were to desist for fifty years from attempting to press their\nclaim.\n\nThe challenge was accepted by Echemon, king of Tegea, and Hyllus lost his\nlife in the encounter, whereupon the sons of Heracles, in virtue of their\nagreement, abandoned the Peloponnesus and retired to Marathon.\n\nHyllus was succeeded by his son Cleodaeus, who, at the expiration of the\nappointed time, collected a large army and invaded the Peloponnesus; but he\nwas not more successful than his father had been, and perished there with\nall his forces.\n\nTwenty years later his son Aristomachus consulted an oracle, which promised\nhim victory if he went by way of the defile. The Heraclidae once more set\nout, but were again defeated, and Aristomachus shared the fate of his\nfather and grandfather, and fell on the field of battle.\n\nWhen, at the expiration of thirty years, the sons of Aristomachus, Temenus,\nCresphontes, and Aristodemus again consulted the oracle, the answer was\nstill the same; but this time the following explanation accompanied the\nresponse: the third fruit signified the third generation, to which they\nthemselves belonged, and not the third fruit of the earth; and by the\ndefile was indicated, not the isthmus of Corinth, but the straits on the\nright of the isthmus.\n\n{283}\n\nTemenus lost no time in collecting an army and building ships of war; but\njust as all was ready and the fleet about to sail, Aristodemus, the\nyoungest of the brothers, was struck by lightning. To add to their\nmisfortunes, Hippolytes, a descendant of Heracles, who had joined in the\nexpedition, killed a soothsayer whom he mistook for a spy, and the gods, in\ntheir displeasure, sent violent tempests, by means of which the entire\nfleet was destroyed, whilst famine and pestilence decimated the ranks of\nthe army.\n\nThe oracle, on being again consulted, advised that Hippolytes, being the\noffender, should be banished from the country for ten years, and that the\ncommand of the troops should be delegated to a man having three eyes. A\nsearch was at once instituted by the Heraclidae for a man answering to this\ndescription, who was found at length in the person of Oxylus, a descendant\nof the AEtolian race of kings. In obedience to the command of the oracle,\nHippolytes was banished, an army and fleet once more equipped, and Oxylus\nelected commander-in-chief.\n\nAnd now success at length crowned the efforts of the long-suffering\ndescendants of the great hero. They obtained possession of the\nPeloponnesus, which was divided among them by lot. Argos fell to Temenus,\nLacedaemon to Aristodemus, and Messene to Cresphontes. In gratitude for the\nservices of their able leader, Oxylus, the kingdom of Elis, was conferred\nupon him by the Heraclidae.\n\nTHE SIEGE OF TROY.\n\nTroy or Ilion was the capital of a kingdom in Asia Minor, situated near the\nHellespont, and founded by Ilus, son of Tros. At the time of the famous\nTrojan war this city was under the government of Priam, a direct descendant\nof Ilus. Priam was married to Hecuba, daughter of Dymas, king of Thrace;\nand among the most celebrated of their children were the renowned and {284}\nvaliant Hector, the prophetess Cassandra, and Paris, the cause of the\nTrojan war.\n\nBefore the birth of her second son Paris, Hecuba dreamt that she had given\nbirth to a flaming brand, which was interpreted by AEsacus the seer (a son\nof Priam by a former marriage) to signify that she would bear a son who\nwould cause the destruction of the city of Troy. Anxious to prevent the\nfulfilment of the prophecy, Hecuba caused her new-born babe to be exposed\non Mount Ida to perish; but being found by some kind-hearted shepherds, the\nchild was reared by them, and grew up unconscious of his noble birth.\n\nAs the boy approached manhood he became remarkable, not only for his\nwonderful beauty of form and feature, but also for his strength and\ncourage, which he exercised in defending the flocks from the attacks of\nrobbers and wild beasts; hence he was called Alexander, or helper of men.\nIt was about this time that he settled the famous dispute concerning the\ngolden apple, thrown by the goddess of Discord into the assembly of the\ngods. As we have already seen, he gave his decision in favour of Aphrodite;\nthus creating for himself two implacable enemies, for Hera and Athene never\nforgave the slight.\n\nParis became united to a beautiful nymph named Oenone, with whom he lived\nhappily in the seclusion and tranquillity of a pastoral life; but to her\ndeep grief this peaceful existence was not fated to be of long duration.\n\nHearing that some funereal games were about to be held in Troy in honour of\na departed relative of the king, Paris resolved to visit the capital and\ntake part in them himself. There he so greatly distinguished himself in a\ncontest with his unknown brothers, Hector and Deiphobus, that the proud\nyoung princes, enraged that an obscure shepherd should snatch from them the\nprize of victory, were about to create a disturbance, when Cassandra, who\nhad been a spectator of the proceedings, stepped forward, and announced to\nthem that the humble peasant who had so signally defeated them was their\nown {285} brother Paris. He was then conducted to the presence of his\nparents, who joyfully acknowledged him as their child; and amidst the\nfestivities and rejoicings in honour of their new-found son the ominous\nprediction of the past was forgotten.\n\nAs a proof of his confidence, the king now intrusted Paris with a somewhat\ndelicate mission. As we have already seen in the Legend of Heracles, that\ngreat hero conquered Troy, and after killing king Laomedon, carried away\ncaptive his beautiful daughter Hesione, whom he bestowed in marriage on his\nfriend Telamon. But although she became princess of Salamis, and lived\nhappily with her husband, her brother Priam never ceased to regret her\nloss, and the indignity which had been passed upon his house; and it was\nnow proposed that Paris should be equipped with a numerous fleet, and\nproceed to Greece in order to demand the restoration of the king's sister.\n\nBefore setting out on this expedition, Paris was warned by Cassandra\nagainst bringing home a wife from Greece, and she predicted that if he\ndisregarded her injunction he would bring inevitable ruin upon the city of\nTroy, and destruction to the house of Priam.\n\nUnder the command of Paris the fleet set sail, and arrived safely in\nGreece. Here the young Trojan prince first beheld Helen, the daughter of\nZeus and Leda, and sister of the Dioscuri, who was the wife of Menelaus,\nking of Sparta, and the loveliest woman of her time. The most renowned\nheroes in Greece had sought the honour of her hand; but her stepfather,\nTyndareus, king of Sparta, fearing that if he bestowed her in marriage on\none of her numerous lovers he would make enemies of the rest, made it a\nstipulation that all suitors should solemnly swear to assist and defend the\nsuccessful candidate, with all the means at their command, in any feud\nwhich might hereafter arise in connection with the marriage. He at length\nconferred the hand of Helen upon Menelaus, a warlike prince, devoted to\nmartial exercises and the pleasures of the chase, to whom he resigned his\nthrone and kingdom.\n\n{286}\n\nWhen Paris arrived at Sparta, and sought hospitality at the royal palace,\nhe was kindly received by king Menelaus. At the banquet given in his\nhonour, he charmed both host and hostess by his graceful manner and varied\naccomplishments, and specially ingratiated himself with the fair Helen, to\nwhom he presented some rare and chaste trinkets of Asiatic manufacture.\n\nWhilst Paris was still a guest at the court of the king of Sparta, the\nlatter received an invitation from his friend Idomeneus, king of Crete, to\njoin him in a hunting expedition; and Menelaus, being of an unsuspicious\nand easy temperament, accepted the invitation, leaving to Helen the duty of\nentertaining the distinguished stranger. Captivated by her surpassing\nloveliness, the Trojan prince forgot every sense of honour and duty, and\nresolved to rob his absent host of his beautiful wife. He accordingly\ncollected his followers, and with their assistance stormed the royal\ncastle, possessed himself of the rich treasures which it contained, and\nsucceeded in carrying off its beautiful, and not altogether unwilling\nmistress.\n\nThey at once set sail, but were driven by stress of weather to the island\nof Crania, where they cast anchor; and it was not until some years had\nelapsed, during which time home and country were forgotten, that Paris and\nHelen proceeded to Troy.\n\nPREPARATIONS FOR THE WAR.--When Menelaus heard of the violation of his\nhearth and home he proceeded to Pylos, accompanied by his brother\nAgamemnon, in order to consult the wise old king Nestor, who was renowned\nfor his great experience and state-craft. On hearing the facts of the case\nNestor expressed it as his opinion that only by means of the combined\nefforts of all the states of Greece could Menelaus hope to regain Helen in\ndefiance of so powerful a kingdom as that of Troy.\n\nMenelaus and Agamemnon now raised the war-cry, which was unanimously\nresponded to from one end of Greece to the other. Many of those who\nvolunteered {287} their services were former suitors of the fair Helen, and\nwere therefore bound by their oath to support the cause of Menelaus; others\njoined from pure love of adventure, but one and all were deeply impressed\nwith the disgrace which would attach to their country should such a crime\nbe suffered to go unpunished. Thus a powerful army was collected in which\nfew names of note were missing.\n\nOnly in the case of two great heroes, Odysseus (Ulysses) and Achilles, did\nMenelaus experience any difficulty.\n\nOdysseus, famed for his wisdom and great astuteness, was at this time\nliving happily in Ithaca with his fair young wife Penelope and his little\nson Telemachus, and was loath to leave his happy home for a perilous\nforeign expedition of uncertain duration. When therefore his services were\nsolicited he feigned madness; but the shrewd Palamedes, a distinguished\nhero in the suite of Menelaus, detected and exposed the ruse, and thus\nOdysseus was forced to join in the war. But he never forgave the\ninterference of Palamedes, and, as we shall see, eventually revenged\nhimself upon him in a most cruel manner.\n\nAchilles was the son of Peleus and the sea-goddess Thetis, who is said to\nhave dipped her son, when a babe, in the river Styx, and thereby rendered\nhim invulnerable, except in the right heel, by which she held him. When the\nboy was nine years old it was foretold to Thetis that he would either enjoy\na long life of inglorious ease and inactivity, or that after a brief career\nof victory he would die the death of a hero. Naturally desirous of\nprolonging the life of her son, the fond mother devoutly hoped that the\nformer fate might be allotted to him. With this view she conveyed him to\nthe island of Scyros, in the AEgean Sea, where, disguised as a girl, he was\nbrought up among the daughters of Lycomedes, king of the country.\n\nNow that the presence of Achilles was required, owing to an oracular\nprediction that Troy could not be taken without him, Menelaus consulted\nCalchas the soothsayer, who revealed to him the place of his concealment.\nOdysseus was accordingly despatched to Scyros, where, by {288} means of a\nclever device, he soon discovered which among the maidens was the object of\nhis search. Disguising himself as a merchant, Odysseus obtained an\nintroduction to the royal palace, where he offered to the king's daughters\nvarious trinkets for sale. The girls, with one exception, all examined his\nwares with unfeigned interest. Observing this circumstance Odysseus\nshrewdly concluded that the one who held aloof must be none other than the\nyoung Achilles himself. But in order further to test the correctness of his\ndeduction, he now exhibited a beautiful set of warlike accoutrements,\nwhilst, at a given signal, stirring strains of martial music were heard\noutside; whereupon Achilles, fired with warlike ardour, seized the weapons,\nand thus revealed his identity. He now joined the cause of the Greeks,\naccompanied at the request of his father by his kinsman Patroclus, and\ncontributed to the expedition a large force of Thessalian troops, or\nMyrmidons, as they were called, and also fifty ships.\n\nFor ten long years Agamemnon and the other chiefs devoted all their energy\nand means in preparing for the expedition against Troy. But during these\nwarlike preparations an attempt at a peaceful solution of the difficulty\nwas not neglected. An embassy consisting of Menelaus, Odysseus, &c., was\ndespatched to king Priam demanding the surrender of Helen; but though the\nembassy was received with the utmost pomp and ceremony, the demand was\nnevertheless rejected; upon which the ambassadors returned to Greece, and\nthe order was given for the fleet to assemble at Aulis, in Boeotia.\n\nNever before in the annals of Greece had so large an army been collected. A\nhundred thousand warriors were assembled at Aulis, and in its bay floated\nover a thousand ships, ready to convey them to the Trojan coast. The\ncommand of this mighty host was intrusted to Agamemnon, king of Argos, the\nmost powerful of all the Greek princes.\n\nBefore the fleet set sail solemn sacrifices were offered to the gods on the\nsea-shore, when suddenly a serpent was seen to ascend a plane-tree, in\nwhich was a sparrow's {289} nest containing nine young ones. The reptile\nfirst devoured the young birds and then their mother, after which it was\nturned by Zeus into stone. Calchas the soothsayer, on being consulted,\ninterpreted the miracle to signify that the war with Troy would last for\nnine years, and that only in the tenth would the city be taken.\n\nDEPARTURE OF THE GREEK FLEET.--The fleet then set sail; but mistaking the\nMysian coast for that of Troy, they landed troops and commenced to ravage\nthe country. Telephus, king of the Mysians, who was a son of the great hero\nHeracles, opposed them with a large army, and succeeded in driving them\nback to their ships, but was himself wounded in the engagement by the spear\nof Achilles. Patroclus, who fought valiantly by the side of his kinsman,\nwas also wounded in this battle; but Achilles, who was a pupil of Chiron,\ncarefully bound up the wound, which he succeeded in healing; and from this\nincident dates the celebrated friendship which ever after existed between\nthe two heroes, who even in death remained united.\n\nThe Greeks now returned to Aulis. Meanwhile, the wound of Telephus proving\nincurable, he consulted an oracle, and the response was, that he alone who\nhad inflicted the wound possessed the power of curing it. Telephus\naccordingly proceeded to the Greek camp, where he was healed by Achilles,\nand, at the solicitation of Odysseus, consented to act as guide in the\nvoyage to Troy.\n\nJust as the expedition was about to start for the second time, Agamemnon\nhad the misfortune to kill a hind sacred to Artemis, who, in her anger,\nsent continuous calms, which prevented the fleet from setting sail. Calchas\non being consulted announced that the sacrifice of Iphigenia, the daughter\nof Agamemnon, would alone appease the incensed goddess. How Agamemnon at\nlength overcame his feelings as a father, and how Iphigenia was saved by\nArtemis herself, has been already related in a previous chapter.\n\nA fair wind having at length sprung up, the fleet {290} once more set sail.\nThey first stopped at the island of Tenedos, where the famous archer\nPhiloctetes--who possessed the bow and arrows of Heracles, given to him by\nthe dying hero--was bitten in the foot by a venomous snake. So unbearable\nwas the odour emitted by the wound, that, at the suggestion of Odysseus,\nPhiloctetes was conveyed to the island of Lesbos, where, to his great\nchagrin, he was abandoned to his fate, and the fleet proceeded on their\njourney to Troy.\n\nCOMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES.--Having received early intelligence of the\nimpending invasion of their country, the Trojans sought the assistance of\nthe neighbouring states, who all gallantly responded to their call for\nhelp, and thus ample preparations were made to receive the enemy. King\nPriam being himself too advanced in years for active service, the command\nof the army devolved upon his eldest son, the brave and valiant Hector.\n\nAt the approach of the Greek fleet the Trojans appeared on the coast in\norder to prevent their landing. But great hesitation prevailed among the\ntroops as to who should be the first to set foot on the enemy's soil, it\nhaving been predicted that whoever did so would fall a sacrifice to the\nFates. Protesilaus of Phylace, however, nobly disregarding the ominous\nprediction, leaped on shore, and fell by the hand of Hector.\n\nThe Greeks then succeeded in effecting a landing, and in the engagement\nwhich ensued the Trojans were signally defeated, and driven to seek safety\nbehind the walls of their city. With Achilles at their head the Greeks now\nmade a desperate attempt to take the city by storm, but were repulsed with\nterrible losses. After this defeat the invaders, foreseeing a long and\nwearisome campaign, drew up their ships on land, erected tents, huts, &c.,\nand formed an intrenched camp on the coast.\n\nBetween the Greek camp and the city of Troy was a plain watered by the\nrivers Scamander and Simois, and it was on this plain, afterwards so\nrenowned in history, {291} that the ever memorable battles between the\nGreeks and Trojans were fought.\n\nThe impossibility of taking the city by storm was now recognized by the\nleaders of the Greek forces. The Trojans, on their side, being less\nnumerous than the enemy, dared not venture on a great battle in the open\nfield; hence the war dragged on for many weary years without any decisive\nengagement taking place.\n\nIt was about this time that Odysseus carried out his long meditated revenge\nagainst Palamedes. Palamedes was one of the wisest, most energetic, and\nmost upright of all the Greek heroes, and it was in consequence of his\nunflagging zeal and wonderful eloquence that most of the chiefs had been\ninduced to join the expedition. But the very qualities which endeared him\nto the hearts of his countrymen rendered him hateful in the eyes of his\nimplacable enemy, Odysseus, who never forgave his having detected his\nscheme to avoid joining the army.\n\nIn order to effect the ruin of Palamedes, Odysseus concealed in his tent a\nvast sum of money. He next wrote a letter, purporting to be from king Priam\nto Palamedes, in which the former thanked the Greek hero effusively for the\nvaluable information received from him, referring at the same time to a\nlarge sum of money which he had sent to him as a reward. This letter, which\nwas found upon the person of a Phrygian prisoner, was read aloud in a\ncouncil of the Greek princes. Palamedes was arraigned before the chiefs of\nthe army and accused of betraying his country to the enemy, whereupon a\nsearch was instituted, and a large sum of money being found in his tent, he\nwas pronounced guilty and sentenced to be stoned to death. Though fully\naware of the base treachery practised against him, Palamedes offered not a\nword in self-defence, knowing but too well that, in the face of such\ndamning evidence, the attempt to prove his innocence would be vain.\n\nDEFECTION OF ACHILLES.--During the first year of the campaign the Greeks\nravaged the surrounding country, {292} and pillaged the neighbouring\nvillages. Upon one of these foraging expeditions the city of Pedasus was\nsacked, and Agamemnon, as commander-in-chief, received as his share of the\nspoil the beautiful Chryseis, daughter of Chryses, the priest of Apollo;\nwhilst to Achilles was allotted another captive, the fair Briseis. The\nfollowing day Chryses, anxious to ransom his daughter, repaired to the\nGreek camp; but Agamemnon refused to accede to his proposal, and with rude\nand insulting words drove the old man away. Full of grief at the loss of\nhis child Chryses called upon Apollo for vengeance on her captor. His\nprayer was heard, and the god sent a dreadful pestilence which raged for\nten days in the camp of the Greeks. Achilles at length called together a\ncouncil, and inquired of Calchas the soothsayer how to arrest this terrible\nvisitation of the gods. The seer replied that Apollo, incensed at the\ninsult offered to his priest, had sent the plague, and that only by the\nsurrender of Chryseis could his anger be appeased.\n\nOn hearing this Agamemnon agreed to resign the maiden; but being already\nembittered against Calchas for his prediction with regard to his own\ndaughter Iphigenia, he now heaped insults upon the soothsayer and accused\nhim of plotting against his interests. Achilles espoused the cause of\nCalchas, and a violent dispute arose, in which the son of Thetis would have\nkilled his chief but for the timely interference of Pallas-Athene, who\nsuddenly appeared beside him, unseen by the rest, and recalled him to a\nsense of the duty he owed to his commander. Agamemnon revenged himself on\nAchilles by depriving him of his beautiful captive, the fair Briseis, who\nhad become so attached to her kind and noble captor that she wept bitterly\non being removed from his charge. Achilles, now fairly disgusted with the\nungenerous conduct of his chief, withdrew himself to his tent, and\nobstinately declined to take further part in the war.\n\nHeart-sore and dejected he repaired to the sea-shore, and there invoked the\npresence of his divine mother. In answer to his prayer Thetis emerged from\nbeneath {293} the waves, and comforted her gallant son with the assurance\nthat she would entreat the mighty Zeus to avenge his wrongs by giving\nvictory to the Trojans, so that the Greeks might learn to realize the great\nloss which they had sustained by his withdrawal from the army. The Trojans\nbeing informed by one of their spies of the defection of Achilles, became\nemboldened by the absence of this brave and intrepid leader, whom they\nfeared above all the other Greek heroes; they accordingly sallied forth,\nand made a bold and eminently successful attack upon the Greeks, who,\nalthough they most bravely and obstinately defended their position, were\ncompletely routed, and driven back to their intrenchments, Agamemnon and\nmost of the other Greek leaders being wounded in the engagement.\n\nEncouraged by this marked and signal success the Trojans now commenced to\nbesiege the Greeks in their own camp. At this juncture Agamemnon, seeing\nthe danger which threatened the army, sunk for the moment all personal\ngrievances, and despatched an embassy to Achilles consisting of many noble\nand distinguished chiefs, urgently entreating him to come to the assistance\nof his countrymen in this their hour of peril; promising that not only\nshould the fair Briseis be restored to him, but also that the hand of his\nown daughter should be bestowed on him in marriage, with seven towns as her\ndowry. But the obstinate determination of the proud hero was not to be\nmoved; and though he listened courteously to the arguments and\nrepresentations of the messengers of Agamemnon, his resolution to take no\nfurther part in the war remained unshaken.\n\nIn one of the engagements which took place soon afterwards, the Trojans,\nunder the command of Hector, penetrated into the heart of the Greek camp,\nand had already commenced to burn their ships, when Patroclus, seeing the\ndistress of his countrymen, earnestly besought Achilles to send him to the\nrescue at the head of the Myrmidons. The better nature of the hero\nprevailed, and he not only intrusted to his friend the command of {294} his\nbrave band of warriors, but lent him also his own suit of armour.\n\nPatroclus having mounted the war-chariot of the hero, Achilles lifted on\nhigh a golden goblet and poured out a libation of wine to the gods,\naccompanied by an earnest petition for victory, and the safe return of his\nbeloved comrade. As a parting injunction he warned Patroclus against\nadvancing too far into the territory of the enemy, and entreated him to be\ncontent with rescuing the galleys.\n\nAt the head of the Myrmidons Patroclus now made a desperate attack upon the\nenemy, who, thinking that the invincible Achilles was himself in command of\nhis battalions, became disheartened, and were put to flight. Patroclus\nfollowed up his victory and pursued the Trojans as far as the walls of\ntheir city, altogether forgetting in the excitement of battle the\ninjunction of his friend Achilles. But his temerity cost the young hero his\nlife, for he now encountered the mighty Hector himself, and fell by his\nhands. Hector stripped the armour from his dead foe, and would have dragged\nthe body into the city had not Menelaus and Ajax the Greater rushed\nforward, and after a long and fierce struggle succeeded in rescuing it from\ndesecration.\n\nDEATH OF HECTOR.--And now came the mournful task of informing Achilles of\nthe fate of his friend. He wept bitterly over the dead body of his comrade,\nand solemnly vowed that the funereal rites should not be solemnized in his\nhonour until he had slain Hector with his own hands, and captured twelve\nTrojans to be immolated on his funeral pyre. All other considerations\nvanished before the burning desire to avenge the death of his friend; and\nAchilles, now thoroughly aroused from his apathy, became reconciled to\nAgamemnon, and rejoined the Greek army. At the request of the goddess\nThetis, Hephaestus forged for him a new suit of armour, which far surpassed\nin magnificence that of all the other heroes.\n\nThus gloriously arrayed he was soon seen striding {295} along, calling the\nGreeks to arms. He now led the troops against the enemy, who were defeated\nand put to flight until, near the gates of the city, Achilles and Hector\nencountered each other. But here, for the first time throughout his whole\ncareer, the courage of the Trojan hero deserted him. At the near approach\nof his redoubtable antagonist he turned and fled for his life. Achilles\npursued him; and thrice round the walls of the city was the terrible race\nrun, in sight of the old king and queen, who had mounted the walls to watch\nthe battle. Hector endeavoured, during each course, to reach the city\ngates, so that his comrades might open them to admit him or cover him with\ntheir missiles; but his adversary, seeing his design, forced him into the\nopen plain, at the same time calling to his friends to hurl no spear upon\nhis foe, but to leave to him the vengeance he had so long panted for. At\nlength, wearied with the hot pursuit, Hector made a stand and challenged\nhis foe to single combat. A desperate encounter took place, in which Hector\nsuccumbed to his powerful adversary at the Scaean gate; and with his last\ndying breath the Trojan hero foretold to his conqueror that he himself\nwould soon perish on the same spot.\n\nThe infuriated victor bound the lifeless corse of his fallen foe to his\nchariot, and dragged it three times round the city walls and thence to the\nGreek camp. Overwhelmed with horror at this terrible scene the aged parents\nof Hector uttered such heart-rending cries of anguish that they reached the\nears of Andromache, his faithful wife, who, rushing to the walls, beheld\nthe dead body of her husband, bound to the conqueror's car.\n\nAchilles now solemnized the funereal rites in honour of his friend\nPatroclus. The dead body of the hero was borne to the funeral pile by the\nMyrmidons in full panoply. His dogs and horses were then slain to accompany\nhim, in case he should need them in the realm of shades; after which\nAchilles, in fulfilment of his savage vow, slaughtered twelve brave Trojan\ncaptives, who were {296} laid on the funeral pyre, which was now lighted.\nWhen all was consumed the bones of Patroclus were carefully collected and\ninclosed in a golden urn. Then followed the funereal games, which consisted\nof chariot-races, fighting with the cestus (a sort of boxing-glove),\nwrestling matches, foot-races, and single combats with shield and spear, in\nall of which the most distinguished heroes took part, and contended for the\nprizes.\n\nPENTHESILEA.--After the death of Hector, their great hope and bulwark, the\nTrojans did not venture beyond the walls of their city. But soon their\nhopes were revived by the appearance of a powerful army of Amazons under\nthe command of their queen Penthesilea, a daughter of Ares, whose great\nambition was to measure swords with the renowned Achilles himself, and to\navenge the death of the valiant Hector.\n\nHostilities now recommenced in the open plain. Penthesilea led the Trojan\nhost; the Greeks on their side being under the command of Achilles and\nAjax. Whilst the latter succeeded in putting the enemy to flight, Achilles\nwas challenged by Penthesilea to single combat. With heroic courage she\nwent forth to the fight; but even the strongest men failed before the power\nof the great Achilles, and though a daughter of Ares, Penthesilea was but a\nwoman. With generous chivalry the hero endeavoured to spare the brave and\nbeautiful maiden-warrior, and only when his own life was in imminent danger\ndid he make a serious effort to vanquish his enemy, when Penthesilea shared\nthe fate of all who ventured to oppose the spear of Achilles, and fell by\nhis hand.\n\nFeeling herself fatally wounded, she remembered the desecration of the dead\nbody of Hector, and earnestly entreated the forbearance of the hero. But\nthe petition was hardly necessary, for Achilles, full of compassion for his\nbrave but unfortunate adversary, lifted her gently from the ground, and she\nexpired in his arms.\n\nOn beholding the dead body of their leader in the {297} possession of\nAchilles, the Amazons and Trojans prepared for a fresh attack in order to\nwrest it from his hands; but observing their purpose, Achilles stepped\nforward and loudly called upon them to halt. Then in a few well-chosen\nwords he praised the great valour and intrepidity of the fallen queen, and\nexpressed his willingness to resign the body at once.\n\nThe chivalrous conduct of Achilles was fully appreciated by both Greeks and\nTrojans. Thersites alone, a base and cowardly wretch, attributed unworthy\nmotives to the gracious proceedings of the hero; and, not content with\nthese insinuations, he savagely pierced with his lance the dead body of the\nAmazonian queen; whereupon Achilles, with one blow of his powerful arm,\nfelled him to the ground, and killed him on the spot.\n\nThe well-merited death of Thersites excited no commiseration, but his\nkinsman Diomedes came forward and claimed compensation for the murder of\nhis relative; and as Agamemnon, who, as commander-in-chief, might easily\nhave settled the difficulty, refrained from interfering, the proud nature\nof Achilles resented the implied condemnation of his conduct, and he once\nmore abandoned the Greek army and took ship for Lesbos. Odysseus, however,\nfollowed him to the island, and, with his usual tact, succeeded in inducing\nthe hero to return to the camp.\n\nDEATH OF ACHILLES.--A new ally of the Trojans now appeared on the field in\nthe person of Memnon, the AEthiopian, a son of Eos and Tithonus, who brought\nwith him a powerful reinforcement of negroes. Memnon was the first opponent\nwho had yet encountered Achilles on an equal footing; for like the great\nhero himself he was the son of a goddess, and possessed also, like\nAchilles, a suit of armour made for him by Hephaestus.\n\nBefore the heroes encountered each other in single combat, the two\ngoddesses, Thetis and Eos, hastened to Olympus to intercede with its mighty\nruler for the life of their sons. Resolved even in this instance not to act\nin opposition to the Moirae, Zeus seized the golden scales {298} in which he\nweighed the lot of mortals, and placed in it the respective fates of the\ntwo heroes, whereupon that of Memnon weighed down the balance, thus\nportending his death.\n\nEos abandoned Olympus in despair. Arrived on the battlefield she beheld the\nlifeless body of her son, who, after a long and brave defence, had at\nlength succumbed to the all-conquering arm of Achilles. At her command her\nchildren, the Winds, flew down to the plain, and seizing the body of the\nslain hero conveyed it through the air safe from the desecration of the\nenemy.\n\nThe triumph of Achilles was not of long duration. Intoxicated with success\nhe attempted, at the head of the Greek army, to storm the city of Troy,\nwhen Paris, by the aid of Phoebus-Apollo, aimed a well-directed dart at the\nhero, which pierced his vulnerable heel, and he fell to the ground fatally\nwounded before the Scaean gate. But though face to face with death, the\nintrepid hero, raising himself from the ground, still performed prodigies\nof valour, and not until his tottering limbs refused their office was the\nenemy aware that the wound was mortal.\n\nBy the combined efforts of Ajax and Odysseus the body of Achilles was\nwrested from the enemy after a long and terrible fight, and conveyed to the\nGreek camp. Weeping bitterly over the untimely fate of her gallant son,\nThetis came to embrace him for the last time, and mingled her regrets and\nlamentations with those of the whole Greek army. The funeral pyre was then\nlighted, and the voices of the Muses were heard chanting his funeral dirge.\nWhen, according to the custom of the ancients, the body had been burned on\nthe pyre, the bones of the hero were collected, inclosed in a golden urn,\nand deposited beside the remains of his beloved friend Patroclus.\n\nIn the funereal games celebrated in honour of the fallen hero, the property\nof her son was offered by Thetis as the prize of victory. But it was\nunanimously agreed that the beautiful suit of armour made by Hephaestus\nshould be awarded to him who had contributed the most to the {299} rescue\nof the body from the hands of the enemy. Popular opinion unanimously\ndecided in favour of Odysseus, which verdict was confirmed by the Trojan\nprisoners who were present at the engagement. Unable to endure the slight,\nthe unfortunate Ajax lost his reason, and in this condition put an end to\nhis existence.\n\nFINAL MEASURES.--Thus were the Greeks deprived at one and the same time of\ntheir bravest and most powerful leader, and of him also who approached the\nnearest to this distinction. For a time operations were at a standstill,\nuntil Odysseus at length, contrived by means of a cleverly-arranged ambush\nto capture Helenus, the son of Priam. Like his sister Cassandra, Helenus\npossessed the gift of prophecy, and the unfortunate youth was now coerced\nby Odysseus into using this gift against the welfare of his native city.\n\nThe Greeks learned from the Trojan prince that three conditions were\nindispensable to the conquest of Troy:--In the first place the son of\nAchilles must fight in their ranks; secondly, the arrows of Heracles must\nbe used against the enemy; and thirdly, they must obtain possession of the\nwooden image of Pallas-Athene, the famous Palladium of Troy.\n\nThe first condition was easily fulfilled. Ever ready to serve the interests\nof the community, Odysseus repaired to the island of Scyros, where he found\nNeoptolemus, the son of Achilles. Having succeeded in arousing the ambition\nof the fiery youth, he generously resigned to him the magnificent armour of\nhis father, and then conveyed him to the Greek camp, where he immediately\ndistinguished himself in single combat with Eurypylus, the son of Telephus,\nwho had come to the aid of the Trojans.\n\nTo procure the poison-dipped arrows of Heracles was a matter of greater\ndifficulty. They were still in the possession of the much-aggrieved\nPhiloctetes, who had remained in the island of Lemnos, his wound still\nunhealed, suffering the most abject misery. But the {300} judicious zeal of\nthe indefatigable and ever-active Odysseus, who was accompanied in this\nundertaking by Diomedes, at length gained the day, and he induced\nPhiloctetes to accompany him to the camp, where the skilful leech Machaon,\nthe son of Asclepias, healed him of his wound.\n\nPhiloctetes became reconciled to Agamemnon, and in an engagement which took\nplace soon after, he mortally wounded Paris, the son of Priam. But though\npierced by the fatal arrow of the demi-god, death did not immediately\nensue; and Paris, calling to mind the prediction of an oracle, that his\ndeserted wife Oenone could alone cure him if wounded, caused himself to be\ntransported to her abode on Mount Ida, where he implored her by the memory\nof their past love to save his life. But mindful only of her wrongs, Oenone\ncrushed out of her heart every womanly feeling of pity and compassion, and\nsternly bade him depart. Soon, however, all her former affection for her\nhusband awoke within her. With frantic haste she followed him; but on her\narrival in the city she found the dead body of Paris already laid on the\nlighted funeral pile, and, in her remorse and despair, Oenone threw herself\non the lifeless form of her husband and perished in the flames.\n\nThe Trojans were now shut up within their walls and closely besieged; but\nthe third and most difficult condition being still unfulfilled, all efforts\nto take the city were unavailing. In this emergency the wise and devoted\nOdysseus came once more to the aid of his comrades. Having disfigured\nhimself with self-inflicted wounds, he assumed the disguise of a wretched\nold mendicant, and then crept stealthily into the city in order to discover\nwhere the Palladium was preserved. He succeeded in his object, and was\nrecognized by no one save the fair Helen, who after the death of Paris had\nbeen given in marriage to his brother Deiphobus. But since death had robbed\nher of her lover, the heart of the Greek princess had turned yearningly\ntowards her native country and her husband Menelaus, and Odysseus now found\nin her a most unlooked-for ally. On his return to the camp {301} Odysseus\ncalled to his aid the valiant Diomedes, and with his assistance the\nperilous task of abstracting the Palladium from its sacred precincts was,\nafter some difficulty, effected.\n\nThe conditions of conquest being now fulfilled, a council was called to\ndecide on final proceedings. Epeios, a Greek sculptor, who had accompanied\nthe expedition, was desired to construct a colossal wooden horse large\nenough to contain a number of able and distinguished heroes. On its\ncompletion a band of warriors concealed themselves within, whereupon the\nGreek army broke up their camp, and then set fire to it, as though, wearied\nof the long and tedious ten years' siege, they had abandoned the enterprise\nas hopeless.\n\nAccompanied by Agamemnon and the sage Nestor, the fleet set sail for the\nisland of Tenedos, where they cast anchor, anxiously awaiting the torch\nsignal to hasten back to the Trojan coast.\n\nDESTRUCTION OF TROY.--When the Trojans saw the enemy depart, and the Greek\ncamp in flames, they believed themselves safe at last, and streamed in\ngreat numbers out of the town in order to view the site where the Greeks\nhad so long encamped. Here they found the gigantic wooden horse, which they\nexamined with wondering curiosity, various opinions being expressed with\nregard to its utility. Some supposed it to be an engine of war, and were in\nfavour of destroying it, others regarded it as a sacred idol, and proposed\nthat it should be brought into the city. Two circumstances which now\noccurred induced the Trojans to incline towards the latter opinion.\n\nChief among those who suspected a treacherous design in this huge\ncontrivance was Laocoon, a priest of Apollo, who, in company with his two\nyoung sons, had issued from the city with the Trojans in order to offer a\nsacrifice to the gods. With all the eloquence at his command he urged his\ncountrymen not to place confidence in any gift of the Greeks, and even went\nso far as to pierce the {302} side of the horse with a spear which he took\nfrom a warrior beside him, whereupon the arms of the heroes were heard to\nrattle. The hearts of the brave men concealed inside the horse quailed\nwithin them, and they had already given themselves up for lost, when\nPallas-Athene, who ever watched over the cause of the Greeks, now came to\ntheir aid, and a miracle occurred in order to blind and deceive the devoted\nTrojans;--for the fall of Troy was decreed by the gods.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nWhilst Laocoon with his two sons stood prepared to perform the sacrifice,\ntwo enormous serpents suddenly rose out of the sea, and made direct for the\naltar. They entwined themselves first round the tender limbs of the\nhelpless youths, and then encircled their father who rushed to their\nassistance, and thus all three were destroyed in sight of the horrified\nmultitude. The Trojans naturally interpreted the fate of Laocoon and his\nsons to be a punishment sent by Zeus for his sacrilege against the wooden\nhorse, and were now fully convinced that it must be consecrated to the\ngods.\n\nThe crafty Odysseus had left behind his trusty friend Sinon with full\ninstructions as to his course of action. Assuming the role assigned to him,\nhe now approached king Priam with fettered hands and piteous entreaties,\nalleging that the Greeks, in obedience to the command of an oracle, had\nattempted to immolate him as a sacrifice; but that he had contrived to\nescape from their hands, and now sought protection from the king.\n\nThe kind-hearted monarch, believing his story, released {303} his bonds,\nassured him of his favour, and then begged him to explain the true meaning\nof the wooden horse. Sinon willingly complied. He informed the king that\nPallas-Athene, who had hitherto been the hope and stay of the Greeks\nthroughout the war, was so deeply offended at the removal of her sacred\nimage, the Palladium, from her temple in Troy, that she had withdrawn her\nprotection from the Greeks, and refused all further aid till it was\nrestored to its rightful place. Hence the Greeks had returned home in order\nto seek fresh instructions from an oracle. But before leaving, Calchas the\nseer had advised their building this gigantic wooden horse as a tribute to\nthe offended goddess, hoping thereby to appease her just anger. He further\nexplained that it had been constructed of such colossal proportions in\norder to prevent its being brought into the city, so that the favour of\nPallas-Athene might not be transferred to the Trojans.\n\nHardly had the crafty Sinon ceased speaking when the Trojans, with one\naccord, urged that the wooden horse should be brought into their city\nwithout delay. The gates being too low to admit its entrance, a breach was\nmade in the walls, and the horse was conveyed in triumph into the very\nheart of Troy; whereupon the Trojans, overjoyed at what they deemed the\nsuccessful issue of the campaign, abandoned themselves to feasting and\nrioting.\n\nAmidst the universal rejoicing the unhappy Cassandra, foreseeing the result\nof the admission of the wooden horse into the city, was seen rushing\nthrough the streets with wild gestures and dishevelled hair, warning her\npeople against the dangers which awaited them. But her eloquent words fell\non deaf ears; for it was ever the fate of the unfortunate prophetess that\nher predictions should find no credence.\n\nWhen, after the day's excitement, the Trojans had retired to rest, and all\nwas hushed and silent, Sinon, in the dead of night, released the heroes\nfrom their voluntary imprisonment. The signal was then given to the Greek\nfleet lying off Tenedos, and the whole army in unbroken silence once more\nlanded on the Trojan coast. {304}\n\nTo enter the city was now an easy matter, and a fearful slaughter ensued.\nAroused from their slumbers, the Trojans, under the command of their\nbravest leaders, made a gallant defence, but were easily overcome. All\ntheir most valiant heroes fell in the fight, and soon the whole city was\nwrapt in flames.\n\nPriam fell by the hand of Neoptolemus, who killed him as he lay prostrate\nbefore the altar of Zeus, praying for divine assistance in this awful hour\nof peril. The unfortunate Andromache with her young son Astyanax had taken\nrefuge on the summit of a tower, where she was discovered by the victors,\nwho, fearing lest the son of Hector might one day rise against them to\navenge the death of his father, tore him from her arms and hurled him over\nthe battlements.\n\nAEneas alone, the son of Aphrodite, the beloved of gods and men, escaped the\nuniversal carnage with his son and his old father Anchises, whom he carried\non his shoulders out of the city. He first sought refuge on Mount Ida, and\nafterwards fled to Italy, where he became the ancestral hero of the Roman\npeople.\n\nMenelaus now sought Helen in the royal palace, who, being immortal, still\nretained all her former beauty and fascination. A reconciliation took\nplace, and she accompanied her husband on his homeward voyage. Andromache,\nthe widow of the brave Hector, was given in marriage to Neoptolemus,\nCassandra fell to the share of Agamemnon, and Hecuba, the gray-haired and\nwidowed queen, was made prisoner by Odysseus.\n\nThe boundless treasures of the wealthy Trojan king fell into the hands of\nthe Greek heroes, who, after having levelled the city of Troy to the\nground, prepared for their homeward voyage.\n\nRETURN OF THE GREEKS FROM TROY.\n\nDuring the sacking of the city of Troy the Greeks, in the hour of victory,\ncommitted many acts of desecration and cruelty, which called down upon them\nthe wrath of the {305} gods, for which reason their homeward voyage was\nbeset with manifold dangers and disasters, and many perished before they\nreached their native land.\n\nNestor, Diomedes, Philoctetes, and Neoptolemus were among those who arrived\nsafely in Greece after a prosperous voyage. The vessel which carried\nMenelaus and Helen was driven by violent tempests to the coast of Egypt,\nand only after many years of weary wanderings and vicissitudes did they\nsucceed in reaching their home at Sparta.\n\nAjax the Lesser having offended Pallas-Athene by desecrating her temple on\nthe night of the destruction of Troy, was shipwrecked off Cape Caphareus.\nHe succeeded, however, in clinging to a rock, and his life might have been\nspared but for his impious boast that he needed not the help of the gods.\nNo sooner had he uttered the sacrilegious words than Poseidon, enraged at\nhis audacity, split with his trident the rock to which the hero was\nclinging, and the unfortunate Ajax was overwhelmed by the waves.\n\nFATE OF AGAMEMNON.--The homeward voyage of Agamemnon was tolerably\nuneventful and prosperous; but on his arrival at Mycenae misfortune and ruin\nawaited him.\n\nHis wife Clytemnestra, in revenge for the sacrifice of her beloved daughter\nIphigenia, had formed a secret alliance during his absence with AEgisthus,\nthe son of Thyestes, and on the return of Agamemnon they both conspired to\ncompass his destruction. Clytemnestra feigned the greatest joy on beholding\nher husband, and in spite of the urgent warnings of Cassandra, who was now\na captive in his train, he received her protestations of affection with the\nmost trusting confidence. In her well-assumed anxiety for the comfort of\nthe weary traveller, she prepared a warm bath for his refreshment, and at a\ngiven signal from the treacherous queen, AEgisthus, who was concealed in an\nadjoining chamber, rushed upon the defenceless hero and slew him. {306}\n\nDuring the massacre of the retainers of Agamemnon which followed, his\ndaughter Electra, with great presence of mind, contrived to save her young\nbrother Orestes. He fled for refuge to his uncle Strophius, king of Phocis,\nwho educated him with his own son Pylades, and an ardent friendship sprung\nup between the youths, which, from its constancy and disinterestedness, has\nbecome proverbial.\n\nAs Orestes grew up to manhood, his one great all-absorbing desire was to\navenge the death of his father. Accompanied by his faithful friend Pylades,\nhe repaired in disguise to Mycenae, where AEgisthus and Clytemnestra reigned\nconjointly over the kingdom of Argos. In order to disarm suspicion he had\ntaken the precaution to despatch a messenger to Clytemnestra, purporting to\nbe sent by king Strophius, to announce to her the untimely death of her son\nOrestes through an accident during a chariot-race at Delphi.\n\nArrived at Mycenae, he found his sister Electra so overwhelmed with grief at\nthe news of her brother's death that to her he revealed his identity. When\nhe heard from her lips how cruelly she had been treated by her mother, and\nhow joyfully the news of his demise had been received, his long pent-up\npassion completely overpowered him, and rushing into the presence of the\nking and queen, he first pierced Clytemnestra to the heart, and afterwards\nher guilty partner.\n\nBut the crime of murdering his own mother was not long unavenged by the\ngods. Hardly was the fatal act committed when the Furies appeared and\nunceasingly pursued the unfortunate Orestes wherever he went. In this\nwretched plight he sought refuge in the temple of Delphi, where he\nearnestly besought Apollo to release him from his cruel tormentors. The god\ncommanded him, in expiation of his crime, to repair to Taurica-Chersonnesus\nand convey the statue of Artemis from thence to the kingdom of Attica, an\nexpedition fraught with extreme peril. We have already seen in a former\nchapter how Orestes escaped the fate which befell all strangers {307} who\nlanded on the Taurian coast, and how, with the aid of his sister Iphigenia,\nthe priestess of the temple, he succeeded in conveying the statue of the\ngoddess to his native country.\n\nBut the Furies did not so easily relinquish their prey, and only by means\nof the interposition of the just and powerful goddess Pallas-Athene was\nOrestes finally liberated from their persecution. His peace of mind being\nat length restored, Orestes assumed the government of the kingdom of Argos,\nand became united to the beautiful Hermione, daughter of Helen and\nMenelaus. On his faithful friend Pylades he bestowed the hand of his\nbeloved sister, the good and faithful Electra.\n\nHOMEWARD VOYAGE OF ODYSSEUS.--With his twelve ships laden with enormous\ntreasures, captured during the sacking of Troy, Odysseus set sail with a\nlight heart for his rocky island home of Ithaca. At length the happy hour\nhad arrived which for ten long years the hero had so anxiously awaited, and\nhe little dreamt that ten more must elapse before he would be permitted by\nthe Fates to clasp to his heart his beloved wife and child.\n\nDuring his homeward voyage his little fleet was driven by stress of weather\nto a land whose inhabitants subsisted entirely on a curious plant called\nthe lotus, which was sweet as honey to the taste, but had the effect of\ncausing utter oblivion of home and country, and of creating an irresistible\nlonging to remain for ever in the land of the lotus-eaters. Odysseus and\nhis companions were hospitably received by the inhabitants, who regaled\nthem freely with their peculiar and very delicious food; after partaking of\nwhich, however, the comrades of the hero refused to leave the country, and\nit was only by sheer force that he at length succeeded in bringing them\nback to their ships.\n\nPOLYPHEMUS.--Continuing their journey, they next arrived at the country of\nthe Cyclops, a race of giants remarkable for having only one eye, which was\nplaced in the centre of their foreheads. Here Odysseus, whose love of\nadventure overcame more prudent considerations, {308} left his fleet safely\nanchored in the bay of a neighbouring island, and with twelve chosen\ncompanions set out to explore the country.\n\nNear the shore they found a vast cave, into which they boldly entered. In\nthe interior they saw to their surprise huge piles of cheese and great\npails of milk ranged round the walls. After partaking freely of these\nprovisions his companions endeavoured to persuade Odysseus to return to the\nship; but the hero being curious to make the acquaintance of the owner of\nthis extraordinary abode, ordered them to remain and await his pleasure.\n\nTowards evening a fierce giant made his appearance, bearing an enormous\nload of wood upon his shoulders, and driving before him a large flock of\nsheep. This was Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon, the owner of the cave.\nAfter all his sheep had entered, the giant rolled before the entrance to\nthe cave an enormous rock, which the combined strength of a hundred men\nwould have been powerless to move.\n\nHaving kindled a fire of great logs of pine-wood he was about to prepare\nhis supper when the flames revealed to him, in a corner of the cavern, its\nnew occupants, who now came forward and informed him that they were\nshipwrecked mariners, and claimed his hospitality in the name of Zeus. But\nthe fierce monster railed at the great ruler of Olympus--for the lawless\nCyclops knew no fear of the gods--and hardly vouchsafed a reply to the\ndemand of the hero. To the consternation of Odysseus the giant seized two\nof his companions, and, after dashing them to the ground, consumed their\nremains, washing down the ghastly meal with huge draughts of milk. He then\nstretched his gigantic limbs on the ground, and soon fell fast asleep\nbeside the fire.\n\nThinking the opportunity a favourable one to rid himself and his companions\nof their terrible enemy, Odysseus drew his sword, and, creeping stealthily\nforward, was about to slay the giant when he suddenly remembered that the\naperture of the cave was effectually closed by the immense rock, which\nrendered egress impossible. He {309} therefore wisely determined to wait\nuntil the following day, and set his wits to work in the meantime to devise\na scheme by which he and his companions might make their escape.\n\nWhen, early next morning, the giant awoke, two more unfortunate companions\nof the hero were seized by him and devoured; after which Polyphemus\nleisurely drove out his flock, taking care to secure the entrance of the\ncave as before.\n\nNext evening the giant devoured two more of his victims, and when he had\nfinished his revolting meal Odysseus stepped forward and presented him with\na large measure of wine which he had brought with him from his ship in a\ngoat's skin. Delighted with the delicious beverage the giant inquired the\nname of the donor. Odysseus replied that his name was Noman, whereupon\nPolyphemus, graciously announced that he would evince his gratitude by\neating him the last.\n\nThe monster, thoroughly overcome with the powerful old liquor, soon fell\ninto a heavy sleep, and Odysseus lost no time in putting his plans into\nexecution. He had cut during the day a large piece of the giant's own\nolive-staff, which he now heated in the fire, and, aided by his companions,\nthrust it into the eye-ball of Polyphemus, and in this manner effectually\nblinded him.\n\nThe giant made the cave resound with his howls of pain and rage. His cries\nbeing heard by his brother Cyclops, who lived in caves not far distant from\nhis own, they soon came trooping over the hills from all sides, and\nassailed the door of the cave with inquiries concerning the cause of his\ncries and groans. But as his only reply was, \"Noman has injured me,\" they\nconcluded that he had been playing them a trick, and therefore abandoned\nhim to his fate.\n\nThe blinded giant now groped vainly round his cave in hopes of laying hands\non some of his tormentors; but wearied at length of these fruitless\nexertions he rolled away the rock which closed the aperture, thinking that\nhis victims would rush out with the sheep, when it would {310} be an easy\nmatter to capture them. But in the meantime Odysseus had not been idle, and\nthe subtlety of the hero was now brought into play, and proved more than a\nmatch for the giant's strength. The sheep were very large, and Odysseus,\nwith bands of willow taken from the bed of Polyphemus, had cleverly linked\nthem together three abreast, and under each centre one had secured one of\nhis comrades. After providing for the safety of his companions, Odysseus\nhimself selected the finest ram of the flock, and, by clinging to the wool\nof the animal, made his escape. As the sheep passed out of the cave the\ngiant felt carefully among them for his victims, but not finding them on\nthe backs of the animals he let them pass, and thus they all escaped.\n\nThey now hastened on board their vessel, and Odysseus, thinking himself at\na safe distance, shouted out his real name and mockingly defied the giant;\nwhereupon Polyphemus seized a huge rock, and, following the direction of\nthe voice, hurled it towards the ship, which narrowly escaped destruction.\nHe then called upon his father Poseidon to avenge him, entreating him to\ncurse Odysseus with a long and tedious voyage, to destroy all his ships and\nall his companions, and to make his return as late, as unhappy, and as\ndesolate as possible.\n\nFURTHER ADVENTURES.--After sailing about over unknown seas for some time\nthe hero and his followers cast anchor at the island of AEolus, king of the\nWinds, who welcomed them cordially, and sumptuously entertained them for a\nwhole month.\n\nWhen they took their leave he gave Odysseus the skin of an ox, into which\nhe had placed all the contrary winds in order to insure to them a safe and\nspeedy voyage, and then, having cautioned him on no account to open it,\ncaused the gentle Zephyrus to blow so that he might waft them to the shores\nof Greece.\n\nOn the evening of the tenth day after their departure they arrived in sight\nof the watch-fires of Ithaca. But here, unfortunately, Odysseus, being\ncompletely wearied {311} out, fell asleep, and his comrades, thinking AEolus\nhad given him a treasure in the bag which he so sedulously guarded, seized\nthis opportunity of opening it, whereupon all the adverse winds rushed out,\nand drove them back to the AEolian island. This time, however, AEolus did not\nwelcome them as before, but dismissed them with bitter reproaches and\nupbraidings for their disregard of his injunctions.\n\nAfter a six days' voyage they at length sighted land. Observing what\nappeared to be the smoke from a large town, Odysseus despatched a herald,\naccompanied by two of his comrades, in order to procure provisions. When\nthey arrived in the city they discovered to their consternation that they\nhad set foot in the land of the Laestrygones, a race of fierce and gigantic\ncannibals, governed by their king Antiphates. The unfortunate herald was\nseized and killed by the king; but his two companions, who took to flight,\nsucceeded in reaching their ship in safety, and urgently entreated their\nchief to put to sea without delay.\n\nBut Antiphates and his fellow-giants pursued the fugitives to the\nsea-shore, where they now appeared in large numbers. They seized huge\nrocks, which they hurled upon the fleet, sinking eleven of the ships with\nall hands, on board; the vessel under the immediate command of Odysseus\nbeing the only one which escaped destruction. In this ship, with his few\nremaining followers, Odysseus now set sail, but was driven by adverse winds\nto an island called AEaea.\n\nCIRCE.--The hero and his companions were in sore need of provisions, but,\nwarned by previous disasters, Odysseus resolved that only a certain number\nof the ship's crew should be despatched to reconnoitre the country; and on\nlots being drawn by Odysseus and Eurylochus, it fell to the share of the\nlatter to fill the office of conductor to the little band selected for this\npurpose.\n\nThey soon came to a magnificent marble palace, which was situated in a\ncharming and fertile valley. Here {312} dwelt a beautiful enchantress\ncalled Circe, daughter of the sun-god and the sea-nymph Perse. The entrance\nto her abode was guarded by wolves and lions, who, however, to the great\nsurprise of the strangers, were tame and harmless as lambs. These were, in\nfact, human beings who, by the wicked arts of the sorceress, had been thus\ntransformed. From within they heard the enchanting voice of the goddess,\nwho was singing a sweet melody as she sat at her work, weaving a web such\nas immortals alone could produce. She graciously invited them to enter, and\nall save the prudent and cautious Eurylochus accepted the invitation.\n\nAs they trod the wide and spacious halls of tesselated marble objects of\nwealth and beauty met their view on all sides. The soft and luxuriant\ncouches on which she bade them be seated were studded with silver, and the\nbanquet which she provided for their refreshment was served in vessels of\npure gold. But while her unsuspecting guests were abandoning themselves to\nthe pleasures of the table the wicked enchantress was secretly working\ntheir ruin; for the wine-cup which was presented to them was drugged with a\npotent draught, after partaking of which the sorceress touched them with\nher magic wand, and they were immediately transformed into swine, still,\nhowever, retaining their human senses.\n\nWhen Odysseus heard from Eurylochus of the terrible fate which had befallen\nhis companions he set out, regardless of personal danger, resolved to make\nan effort to rescue them. On his way to the palace of the sorceress he met\na fair youth bearing a wand of gold, who revealed himself to him as Hermes,\nthe divine messenger of the gods. He gently reproached the hero for his\ntemerity in venturing to enter the abode of Circe unprovided with an\nantidote against her spells, and presented him with a peculiar herb called\nMoly, assuring him that it would inevitably counteract the baneful arts of\nthe fell enchantress. Hermes warned Odysseus that Circe would offer him a\ndraught of drugged wine with the intention of transforming him as she had\ndone his companions. He bade him drink the wine, the effect of {313} which\nwould be completely nullified by the herb which he had given him, and then\nrush boldly at the sorceress as though he would take her life, whereupon\nher power over him would cease, she would recognize her master, and grant\nhim whatever he might desire.\n\nCirce received the hero with all the grace and fascination at her command,\nand presented him with a draught of wine in a golden goblet. This he\nreadily accepted, trusting to the efficacy of the antidote. Then, in\nobedience to the injunction of Hermes, he drew his sword from its scabbard\nand rushed upon the sorceress as though he would slay her.\n\nWhen Circe found that her fell purpose was for the first time frustrated,\nand that a mortal had dared to attack her, she knew that it must be the\ngreat Odysseus who stood before her, whose visit to her abode had been\nforetold to her by Hermes. At his solicitation she restored to his\ncompanions their human form, promising at the same time that henceforth the\nhero and his comrades should be free from her enchantments.\n\nBut all warnings and past experience were forgotten by Odysseus when Circe\ncommenced to exercise upon him her fascinations and blandishments. At her\nrequest his companions took up their abode in the island, and he himself\nbecame the guest and slave of the enchantress for a whole year; and it was\nonly at the earnest admonition of his friends that he was at length induced\nto free himself from her toils.\n\nCirce had become so attached to the gallant hero that it cost her a great\neffort to part with him, but having vowed not to exercise her magic spells\nagainst him she was powerless to detain him further. The goddess now warned\nhim that his future would be beset with many dangers, and commanded him to\nconsult the blind old seer Tiresias,[52] in the realm of Hades, concerning\nhis future destiny. She then loaded his ship with provisions for the\nvoyage, and reluctantly bade him farewell.\n\n{314}\n\nTHE REALM OF SHADES.--Though somewhat appalled at the prospect of seeking\nthe weird and gloomy realms inhabited by the spirits of the dead, Odysseus\nnevertheless obeyed the command of the goddess, who gave him full\ndirections with regard to his course, and also certain injunctions which it\nwas important that he should carry out with strict attention to detail.\n\nHe accordingly set sail with his companions for the dark and gloomy land of\nthe Cimmerians, which lay at the furthermost end of the world, beyond the\ngreat stream Oceanus. Favoured by gentle breezes they soon reached their\ndestination in the far west. On arriving at the spot indicated by Circe,\nwhere the turbid waters of the rivers Acheron and Cocytus mingled at the\nentrance to the lower world, Odysseus landed, unattended by his companions.\n\nHaving dug a trench to receive the blood of the sacrifices he now offered a\nblack ram and ewe to the powers of darkness, whereupon crowds of shades\nrose up from the yawning gulf, clustering round him, eager to quaff the\nblood of the sacrifice, which would restore to them for a time their mental\nvigour. But mindful of the injunction of Circe, Odysseus brandished his\nsword, and suffered none to approach until Tiresias had appeared. The great\nprophet now came slowly forward leaning on his golden staff, and after\ndrinking of the sacrifice proceeded to impart to Odysseus the hidden\nsecrets of his future fate. Tiresias also warned him of the numerous perils\nwhich would assail him, not only during his homeward voyage but also on his\nreturn to Ithaca, and then instructed him how to avoid them.\n\nMeanwhile numbers of other shades had quaffed the sense-awakening draught\nof the sacrifice, among whom Odysseus recognized to his dismay his\ntenderly-loved mother Anticlea. From her he learned that she had died of\ngrief at her son's protracted absence, and that his aged father Laertes was\nwearing his life away in vain and anxious longings for his return. He also\nconversed with the ill-fated Agamemnon, Patroclus, and Achilles. The latter\n{315} bemoaned his shadowy and unreal existence, and plaintively assured\nhis former companion-in-arms that rather would he be the poorest\nday-labourer on earth than reign supreme as king over the realm of shades.\nAjax alone, who still brooded over his wrongs, held aloof, refusing to\nconverse with Odysseus, and sullenly retired when the hero addressed him.\n\nBut at last so many shades came swarming round him that the courage of\nOdysseus failed him, and he fled in terror back to his ship. Having\nrejoined his companions they once more put to sea, and proceeded on their\nhomeward voyage.\n\nTHE SIRENS.--After some days' sail their course led them past the island of\nthe Sirens.\n\nNow Circe had warned Odysseus on no account to listen to the seductive\nmelodies of these treacherous nymphs; for that all who gave ear to their\nenticing strains felt an unconquerable desire to leap overboard and join\nthem, when they either perished at their hands, or were engulfed by the\nwaves.\n\nIn order that his crew should not hear the song of the Sirens, Odysseus had\nfilled their ears with melted wax; but the hero himself so dearly loved\nadventure that he could not resist the temptation of braving this new\ndanger. By his own desire, therefore, he was lashed to the mast, and his\ncomrades had strict orders on no account to release him until they were out\nof sight of the island, no matter how he might implore them to set him\nfree.\n\nAs they neared the fatal shore they beheld the Sirens seated side by side\non the verdant slopes of their island; and as their sweet and alluring\nstrains fell upon his ear the hero became so powerfully affected by them,\nthat, forgetful of all danger, he entreated his comrades to release him;\nbut the sailors, obedient to their orders, refused to unbind him until the\nenchanted island had disappeared from view. The danger past, the hero\ngratefully acknowledged the firmness of his followers, which had been the\nmeans of saving his life. {316}\n\nTHE ISLAND OF HELIOS.--They now approached the terrible dangers of Scylla\nand Charybdis, between which Circe had desired them to pass. As Odysseus\nsteered the vessel beneath the great rock, Scylla swooped down and seized\nsix of his crew from the deck, and the cries of her wretched victims long\nrang in his ears. At length they reached the island of Trinacria (Sicily),\nwhereon the sun-god pastured his flocks and herds, and Odysseus, calling to\nmind the warning of Tiresias to avoid this sacred island, would fain have\nsteered the vessel past and left the country unexplored. But his crew\nbecame mutinous, and insisted on landing. Odysseus was therefore obliged to\nyield, but before allowing them to set foot on shore he made them take an\noath not to touch the sacred herds of Helios, and to be ready to sail again\non the following morning.\n\nIt happened, unfortunately, however, that stress of weather compelled them\nto remain a whole month at Trinacria, and the store of wine and food given\nto them by Circe at parting being completely exhausted, they were obliged\nto subsist on what fish and birds the island afforded. Frequently there was\nnot sufficient to satisfy their hunger, and one evening when Odysseus, worn\nout with anxiety and fatigue, had fallen asleep, Eurylochus persuaded the\nhungry men to break their vows and kill some of the sacred oxen.\n\nDreadful was the anger of Helios, who caused the hides of the slaughtered\nanimals to creep and the joints on the spits to bellow like living cattle,\nand threatened that unless Zeus punished the impious crew he would withdraw\nhis light from the heavens and shine only in Hades. Anxious to appease the\nenraged deity Zeus assured him that his cause should be avenged. When,\ntherefore, after feasting for seven days Odysseus and his companions again\nset sail, the ruler of Olympus caused a terrible storm to overtake them,\nduring which the ship was struck with lightning and went to pieces. All the\ncrew were drowned except Odysseus, who, clinging to a mast, floated about\nin the open sea for nine days, when, after once more {317} escaping being\nsucked in by the whirlpool of Charybdis, he was cast ashore on the island\nof Ogygia.\n\nCALYPSO.--Ogygia was an island covered with dense forests, where, in the\nmidst of a grove of cypress and poplar, stood the charming grotto-palace of\nthe nymph Calypso, daughter of the Titan Atlas. The entrance to the grotto\nwas entwined with a leafy trellis-work of vine-branches, from which\ndepended clusters of purple and golden grapes; the plashing of fountains\ngave a delicious sense of coolness to the air, which was filled with the\nsongs of birds, and the ground was carpeted with violets and mosses.\n\nCalypso cordially welcomed the forlorn and shipwrecked hero, and hospitably\nministered to his wants. In the course of time she became so greatly\nattached to him that she offered him immortality and eternal youth if he\nwould consent to remain with her for ever. But the heart of Odysseus turned\nyearningly towards his beloved wife Penelope and his young son. He\ntherefore refused the boon, and earnestly entreated the gods to permit him\nto revisit his home. But the curse of Poseidon still followed the\nunfortunate hero, and for seven long years he was detained on the island by\nCalypso, sorely against his will.\n\nAt length Pallas-Athene interceded with her mighty father on his behalf,\nand Zeus, yielding to her request, forthwith despatched the fleet-footed\nHermes to Calypso, commanding her to permit Odysseus to depart and to\nprovide him with the means of transport.\n\nThe goddess, though loath to part with her guest, dared not disobey the\ncommands of the mighty Zeus. She therefore instructed the hero how to\nconstruct a raft, for which she herself wove the sails. Odysseus now bade\nher farewell, and alone and unaided embarked on the frail little craft for\nhis native land.\n\nNAUSICAA.--For seventeen days Odysseus contrived to pilot the raft\nskilfully through all the perils of the deep, directing his course\naccording to the directions {318} of Calypso, and guided by the stars of\nheaven. On the eighteenth day he joyfully hailed the distant outline of the\nPhaeacian coast, and began to look forward hopefully to temporary rest and\nshelter. But Poseidon, still enraged with the hero who had blinded and\ninsulted his son, caused an awful tempest to arise, during which the raft\nwas swamped by the waves, and Odysseus only saved himself by clinging for\nbare life to a portion of the wreck.\n\nFor two days and nights he floated about, drifted hither and thither by the\nangry billows, till at last, after many a narrow escape of his life, the\nsea-goddess Leucothea came to his aid, and he was cast ashore on the coast\nof Scheria, the island of the luxurious Phaeaces. Worn out with the\nhardships and dangers he had passed through he crept into a thicket for\nsecurity, and, lying down on a bed of dried leaves, soon fell fast asleep.\n\nIt chanced that Nausicaa, the beautiful daughter of king Alcinous and his\nqueen Arete, had come down to the shore, accompanied by her maidens, to\nwash the linen which was destined to form part of her marriage portion.\nWhen they had finished their task they bathed and sat down to a repast,\nafter which they amused themselves with singing and playing at ball.\n\nTheir joyous shouts at last awoke Odysseus, who, rising from his hiding\nplace, suddenly found himself in the midst of the happy group. Alarmed at\nhis wild aspect the attendants of Nausicaa fled in terror; but the\nprincess, pitying the forlorn condition of the stranger, addressed him with\nkind and sympathetic words. After hearing from him the account of his\nshipwreck and the terrible hardships he had undergone, Nausicaa called back\nher attendants, reproached them for their want of courtesy, and bade them\nsupply the wanderer with food, drink, and suitable raiment. Odysseus then\nleft the maidens to resume their games, whilst he bathed and clothed\nhimself with the garments with which they had furnished him. Athene now\nappeared to the hero and endowed him with a commanding and magnificent\nstature, and with more than mortal beauty. When he reappeared, the young\n{319} princess was struck with admiration, and requested the hero to visit\nthe palace of her father. She then desired her attendants to yoke the mules\nto the wagons and prepare to return home.\n\nOdysseus was cordially received by the king and queen, who entertained him\nwith magnificent hospitality, and in return for their kindness the hero\nrelated to them the history of his long and eventful voyage, and the many\nextraordinary adventures and miraculous escapes which had befallen him\nsince his departure from the coast of Ilion.\n\nWhen he at last took leave of his royal entertainers Alcinous loaded him\nwith rich gifts, and ordered him to be conveyed in one of his own ships to\nIthaca.\n\nARRIVAL AT ITHACA.--The voyage was a short and prosperous one. By the\ndirection of king Alcinous rich furs had been laid on deck for the comfort\nof his guest, on which the hero, leaving the guidance of the ship to the\nPhaeacian sailors, soon fell into a deep sleep. When next morning the vessel\narrived in the harbour of Ithaca the sailors, concluding that so unusually\nprofound a slumber must be sent by the gods, conveyed him on shore without\ndisturbing him, where they gently placed him beneath the cool shade of an\nolive-tree.\n\nWhen Odysseus awoke he knew not where he was, for his ever-watchful\nprotectress Pallas-Athene had enveloped him in a thick cloud in order to\nconceal him from view. She now appeared to him in the disguise of a\nshepherd, and informed him that he was in his native land; that his father\nLaertes, bent with sorrow and old age, had withdrawn from the court; that\nhis son Telemachus had grown to manhood, and was gone to seek for tidings\nof his father; and that his wife Penelope was harassed by the importunities\nof numerous suitors, who had taken possession of his home and devoured his\nsubstance. In order to gain time Penelope had promised to marry one of her\nlovers as soon as she had finished weaving a robe for the aged Laertes; but\nby secretly undoing at night {320} what she had done in the day she\neffectually retarded the completion of the work, and thus deferred her\nfinal reply. Just as Odysseus had set foot in Ithaca the angry suitors had\ndiscovered her stratagem, and had become in consequence more clamorous than\never. When the hero heard that this was indeed his native land, which,\nafter an absence of twenty years, the gods had at length permitted him to\nbehold once more, he threw himself on the ground, and kissed it in an\necstacy of joy.\n\nThe goddess, who had meanwhile revealed her identity to Odysseus, now\nassisted him to conceal in a neighbouring cave the valuable gifts of the\nPhaeacian king. Then seating herself beside him she consulted with him as to\nthe best means of ridding his palace of its shameless occupants.\n\nIn order to prevent his being recognized she caused him to assume the form\nof an aged mendicant. His limbs became decrepid, his brown locks vanished,\nhis eyes grew dim and bleared, and the regal robes given to him by king\nAlcinous were replaced by a tattered garb of dingy hue, which hung loosely\nround his shrunken form. Athene then desired him to seek shelter in the hut\nof Eumaeus his own swine-herd.\n\nEumaeus received the old beggar hospitably, kindly ministered to his wants,\nand even confided to him his distress at the long continued absence of his\nbeloved old master, and his regrets at being compelled by the unruly\ninvaders of his house, to slaughter for their use all the finest and\nfattest of the herd.\n\nIt chanced that the following morning Telemachus returned from his long and\nfruitless search for his father, and going first to the hut of Eumaeus,\nheard from him the story of the seeming beggar whom he promised to\nbefriend. Athene now urged Odysseus to make himself known to his son; and\nat her touch his beggar's rags disappeared, and he stood before Telemachus\narrayed in royal robes and in the full strength and vigour of manhood. So\nimposing was the appearance of the hero that at first the young prince\nthought he must be a god; but when {321} he was convinced that it was\nindeed his beloved father, whose prolonged absence had caused him so much\ngrief, he fell upon his neck and embraced him with every expression of\ndutiful affection.\n\nOdysseus charged Telemachus to keep his return a secret, and concerted with\nhim a plan whereby they might rid themselves of the detested suitors. In\norder to carry it into effect Telemachus was to induce his mother to\npromise her hand to the one who could conquer in shooting with the famous\nbow of Odysseus, which the hero had left behind when he went to Troy,\ndeeming it too precious a treasure to be taken with him. Odysseus now\nresumed his beggar's dress and appearance and accompanied his son to the\npalace, before the door of which lay his faithful dog Argo, who, though\nworn and feeble with age and neglect, instantly recognized his master. In\nhis delight the poor animal made a last effort to welcome him; but his\nstrength was exhausted, and he expired at his feet.\n\nWhen Odysseus entered his ancestral halls he was mocked and reviled by the\nriotous suitors, and Antinous, the most shameless of them all, ridiculed\nhis abject appearance, and insolently bade him depart; but Penelope hearing\nof their cruel conduct, was touched with compassion, and desired her\nmaidens to bring the poor mendicant into her presence. She spoke kindly to\nhim, inquiring who he was and whence he came. He told her that he was the\nbrother of the king of Crete, in whose palace he had seen Odysseus, who was\nabout starting for Ithaca, and had declared his intention of arriving there\nbefore the year was out. The queen, overjoyed at the happy tidings, ordered\nher maidens to prepare a bed for the stranger, and to treat him as an\nhonoured guest. She then desired the old nurse Euryclea to provide him with\nsuitable raiment and to attend to all his wants.\n\nAs the old servant was bathing his feet her eyes fell upon a scar which\nOdysseus had received in his youth from the tusks of a wild boar; and\ninstantly recognizing the beloved master whom she had nursed as a babe, she\n{322} would have cried aloud in her joy, but the hero placing his hand upon\nher mouth, implored her not to betray him.\n\nThe next day was a festival of Apollo, and the suitors in honour of the\noccasion feasted with more than their accustomed revelry. After the banquet\nwas over Penelope, taking down the great bow of Odysseus from its place,\nentered the hall and declared that whosoever of her lovers could bend it\nand send an arrow through twelve rings (a feat which she had often seen\nOdysseus perform) should be chosen by her as her husband.\n\nAll the suitors tried their skill, but in vain; not one possessed the\nstrength required to draw the bow. Odysseus now stepped forward and asked\npermission to be allowed to try, but the haughty nobles mocked at his\naudacity, and would not have permitted it had not Telemachus interfered.\nThe pretended beggar took up the bow, and with the greatest ease sent an\narrow whizzing through the rings; then turning to Antinous, who was just\nraising a goblet of wine to his lips, he pierced him to the heart. At this\nthe suitors sprang to their feet and looked round for their arms; but in\nobedience to the instructions of Odysseus Telemachus had previously removed\nthem. He and his father now attacked the riotous revellers, and after a\ndesperate encounter not one of the whole crew remained alive.\n\nThe joyful intelligence of the return of Odysseus being conveyed to\nPenelope she descended to the hall, but refused to recognize, in the aged\nbeggar, her gallant husband; whereupon he retired to the bath, from which\nhe emerged in all the vigour and beauty with which Athene had endowed him\nat the court of Alcinous. But Penelope, still incredulous, determined to\nput him to a sure test. She therefore commanded in his hearing that his own\nbed should be brought from his chamber. Now the foot of this bed had been\nfashioned by Odysseus himself out of the stem of an olive-tree which was\nstill rooted in the ground, and round it he had built the walls of the\nchamber. Knowing therefore that the bed could not be moved, he exclaimed\nthat the errand was useless, for that no {323} mortal could stir it from\nits place. Then Penelope knew that it must be Odysseus himself who stood\nbefore her, and a most touching and affectionate meeting took place between\nthe long-separated husband and wife.\n\nThe following day the hero set out to seek his old father Laertes, whom he\nfound on one of his estates in the country engaged in digging up a young\nolive-tree. The poor old man, who was dressed in the humble garb of a\nlabourer, bore the traces of deep grief on his furrowed countenance, and so\nshocked was his son at the change in his appearance that for a moment he\nturned aside to conceal his tears.\n\nWhen Odysseus revealed himself to his father as the son whom he had so long\nmourned as lost, the joy of the poor old man was almost greater than he\ncould bear. With loving care Odysseus led him into the house, where at\nlength, for the first time since the departure of his son, Laertes once\nmore resumed his regal robes, and piously thanked the gods for this great\nand unlooked-for happiness.\n\nBut not yet was the hero permitted to enjoy his well-earned repose, for the\nfriends and relatives of the suitors now rose in rebellion against him and\npursued him to the abode of his father. The struggle, however, was but a\nshort one. After a brief contest negotiations of a peaceful nature were\nentered into between Odysseus and his subjects. Recognizing the justice of\nhis cause, they became reconciled to their chief, who for many years\ncontinued to reign over them.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\n{325}\n\nPRONOUNCING INDEX.\n\n * * * * *\n\n[_Note._--The system of pronunciation here followed is the English system,\nbecause it is the one at present most used among English-speaking peoples.\nIn it the letters have substantially their English sound. Upon the\ncontinent of Europe the pronunciation of Latin and Greek is in like manner\nmade to correspond in each nation to the pronunciation of its own language,\nand thus there is much diversity among the continental systems, though they\nresemble each other more closely than they do the English. In England and\nAmerica also the continental methods of pronunciation have been extensively\nused. Thus AEneas may be pronounced A-na'-ahss; Aides ah-ee'-daze. Since the\ntrue, the ancient, pronunciation has been lost, and, as many contend,\ncannot be even substantially recovered, it is a matter of individual\npreference what system shall be followed.]\n\n A.\n\n Abderus (ab-dee'-rus), 244.\n Absyrtus (ab-sir'-tus), 226.\n Academus (ak-[)a]-dee'-mus), 268.\n Achelous (ak-e-lo'-us), 254, 278.\n Acheron (ak'-e-ron), 132, 250.\n Achilles ([)a]-kil'-leez), 131, 291, 287, 297.\n Acis ([=a]'-sis), 105, 167.\n Acrisius ([)a]-crish'-e-us), 189, 205, 209.\n Acropolis ([)a]-crop'-o-lis), 189.\n Actaeon (ak-tee'-on), 91.\n Admete (ad-mee'-te), 244.\n Admetus (ad-mee'-tus), 76, 119, 216.\n Adonis ([)a]-don'-iss), 59.\n Adrastia (ad-ras-ti'-ah), 142.\n Adrastus ([)a]-dras'-tus), 272.\n AEacus (ee'-[)a]-cus), 34.\n AEaea (ee-ee'-ah), island of, 67.\n AEgean Sea (ee-gee'-an), 287.\n [53]AEgeus (ee'-juce), 259, 262, 264.\n AEgina (ee-ji'-nah), island of, 230.\n AEgis (ee'-jiss), 26.\n AEgisthus (ee-jiss'-thus, _th_ as in _both_), 305.\n AEgle (egg'-le), 163.\n AEgyptus (ee-jip'-tus), 135.\n Aello ([)a]-el'-lo), 137.\n AEneas (ee-nee'-ass), 304.\n AEolus (ee'-o-lus), 170, 210.\n Aer ([=a]'-er), 12.\n AEsacus (es'-a-cus), 284.\n AEsculapius (es-cu-la'-pe-us), 177.\n AEson (ee'-son), 213.\n AEetes (ee-ee'-teez), 215, 222.\n AEther (ee'-ther), 12.\n AEthiopia (e-thi-o'-pe-ah), 207.\n AEthra (ee'-thrah), 259, 267, 288.\n AEtna, Mount (et'-nah), 100.\n Agamemnon (ag-[)a]-mem'-non), 94, 286, 305.\n Agave ([)a]-ga'-ve), 127, 205.\n Agenor ([)a]-jee'-nor), 203.\n Ages, 22.\n Aglaia (ag-lay'-yah), 163.\n Agraulos ([)a]-graw'-l[)o]s), 122.\n Agrigent (ag'-ri-jent), 213.\n Aides (a-i'-deez), 52, 130, 250.\n --helmet of 206, 208.\n Aidoneus (a-i-do'-nuce), 130.\n Air, 12.\n Ajax ([=a]'-jax) the Greater, 298.\n --the Lesser, 305.\n Alcestis (al-ses'-tiss), 76.\n Alcinous (al-sin'-o-us), 228, 318.\n Alcippe (al-sip'-pe), 113\n Alcmaeon (alk-mee'-on), 273, 277.\n Alcmene (alk-mee'-ne), 35, 234.\n Alecto (a-leck'-to), 138.\n Alexander (al-ex-an'-der), 284.\n Aloidae (al-o-i'-de), 113.\n Alpheus (al'-fuce), 242.\n Altars, 191.\n Althea (al-thee'-ah, _th_ as in _both_), 90.\n Altis (al'-tis) the, 41.\n Amalthea (am-al-thee'-ah), 15.\n Amazons (am'-a-zons), 244, 258, 264.\n Ambrosia (am-bro'-zhah), 15.\n {326}\n Amor ([=a]'-mor), 150.\n Amphiaraus (am'-fe-a-ray'-us), 273.\n Amphidamas (am-fid'-a-mass), 221.\n Amphilochus (am-fil'-o-cus), 277.\n Amphion (am-fi'-on), 33.\n Amphitrite (am-fe-tri'-te), 104, 167.\n Amphitrion (am-fit'-re-on), 35, 234.\n Amycus (am'-i-cus), 219.\n Anaitis-Aphroditis (an-a-i'-tis-af-ro-di'-tis), 92.\n Ananke (an-ang'-ke), 147.\n Anciliae (an-sil'-e-e), 115.\n Androgeos (an-dro'-je-oss), 262.\n Andromache (an-drom'-a-ke), 295, 304.\n Andromeda (an-drom'-e-dah), 207.\n Antea (an-tee'-ah), 256.\n Anteos (an-tee'-[)o]s), 248.\n Anteros (an'-te-ross), 150.\n Antigone (an-tig'-o-ne), 271, 275.\n Antinous (an-tin'-o-us), 321.\n Antiope (an-ti'-o-pe), 32.\n Antiphates (an-tif'-a-teez), 311.\n Aphareus (af'-a-ruce), 34.\n Aphrodite (af-ro-di'-te), 58, 99, 152.\n Apollo ([)a]-pol'-lo), 68.\n --(Roman), 83.\n Apple of Discord, 39.\n Arachne (a-rak'-ne), 45.\n Arcadia (ar-ca'-de-ah), 240.\n Arctos (ark'-t[)o]s), 35.\n Areopagus (a-re-op'-a-gus), 44, 113, 212.\n Ares ([=a]'-reez), 99, 112.\n --grove of, 215.\n --field of, 223, 225.\n Arete (a-ree'-te _or_ ar'-e-te), 228, 318.\n Arethusa (ar-e-thu'-sah), 163.\n Aretias ([)a]-ree'-she-ass), 221.\n Argia (ar-ji'-ah), 272.\n Argives (ar-jives), 274.\n Argo, 215, 230, 321.\n Argonauts (ar'-go-nawts), 213.\n Argos (ar'-g[)o]s), 209, 216, 283.\n Argus, 224.\n Argus-Panoptes (pan-op'-teez), 36.\n Ariadne (a-re-ad'-ne), 128, 263.\n Aricia (a-rish'-e-ah), 97.\n Arion (a-ri'-on), 275.\n Aristaeus (ar-iss-tee'-us), 81.\n Aristodemus (a-ris'-to-de'-mus), 282.\n Aristomachus (ar-is-tom'-a-cus), 282.\n Arsinoe (ar-sin'-o-e), 278.\n Artemis (ar'-te-miss), 87.\n Ascalaphus (ass-cal'-a-fuss), 55, 250.\n Asclepius (ass-clee'-pe-us), 71, 76, 176.\n Ashtoreth (ash'-to-reth), 61.\n Asphodel meadows (ass-fo-del), 133.\n Astarte (ass-tar'-te), 61.\n Astraea (ass-tree'-ah), 85.\n Astraeus (ass-tree'-us), 68.\n Astyanax (ass-ti'-a-nax), 304.\n Atalanta (at-a-lan'-tah), 89.\n Ate ([=a]'-te), 149.\n Athamas (ath'-a-mass), 111, 215.\n Athene (a-thee'-ne, _th_ as in _both_), 43.\n Athene-Polias (po'-le-ass), 44, 189, 199, 264.\n Athens, 264.\n Atlas, 207, 248.\n Atreus, ([)a]'-truce), 282.\n Atropos (at'-ro-p[)o]s), 139.\n Atys ([=a]'-tiss), 19.\n Augeas (aw'-je-ass), 242, 254.\n Augurs, 196.\n Aulis (aw'-lis), 97.\n Aurora (aw-ro'-rah), 13, 67.\n Autochthony (aw-tok'-tho-ny), 22.\n Autolycus (aw-tol'-i-cus), 235, 251.\n Autonoe, (aw-ton'-o-e), 205.\n Avernus (a-ver'-nus), 132.\n Avertor ([=a]-ver'-tor), 180.\n Averuncus (av-e-run'-cus), 180.\n\n B.\n\n Bacchanalia (bac-ca-na'-le-ah), 199.\n Bacchantes (bac-can'-teez), 198.\n Bacchus (bac'-cus), 130.\n Battus (bat'-tus), 119.\n Baucis (baw'-sis), 37.\n Bebricians (be-brish'-e-anz), 219.\n Beech-nymph, 168.\n Bellerophon (bel-ler'-o-fon), 256.\n Bellerophontes (bel-ler'-o-fon'-teez), 256.\n Bellona (bel-lo'-nah), 116.\n Belvedere (bel'-vi-deer), 85.\n Benthesicyme, (ben-the-siss'-i-me), 105.\n Berecynthia-Idea (ber'-e-sin'-the-ah-i-dee'-ah), 19.\n Beroe (ber'-o-e, first _e_ like ei in _their_), 35.\n Birch-nymph, 168.\n Bistonians (bis-to'-ne-anz), 243.\n Bithynia (bi-thin'-e-ah), 220.\n Boreas (bo'-re-ass), 171.\n Brauron (braw'-ron), 96.\n Brazen Age, 23.\n Briareus (bri'-a-ruce), 13.\n Briseis (bri-see'-iss), 292.\n Brontes (bron'-teez), 16.\n Busiris (bu-si'-ris), 248.\n Butes (bu'-teez), 228.\n\n C.\n\n Cadmus, 203.\n Caduceus (ca-du'-she-us), 121.\n Calais (cal'-a-iss), 171, 220.\n Calchas (cal'-kas), 94, 287, 289, 292.\n Calirrhoe (cal-lir'-ro-e), 278.\n Calliope (cal-li'-o-pe), 80, 159.\n Callisto (cal-lis'-to), 35.\n {327}\n Calydonian Boar-hunt, 89.\n Calypso (ca-lip'-so), 317.\n Camenae (ca-mee'-nee), 184.\n Campus Martius (mar'-she-us), 115.\n Canens (ca'-nenz), 182.\n Capaneus (cap'-a-nuce), 273.\n Caphareus, Cape (ca-fa'-ruce), 305.\n Carmenta (car-men'-tah), 184.\n Carmentalia (car-men-ta'-le-ah), 184.\n Carnival, 201.\n Carpo, 164.\n Cassandra (cas-san'-drah), 284, 303, 305.\n Cassiopea (cas'-se-o-pee'-ah), 207.\n Castalian Spring, 159, 195.\n Castor, 33, 187, 268.\n Caucasus (caw'-c[)a]-sus), Mount, 222.\n Cecrops (see'-crops), 189.\n Celaeno (se-lee'-no), 137.\n Celeus (see'-le-us), 53.\n Celts, 10.\n Cenaeus (se-nee'-us), 255.\n Centaurs (sen'-tawrs), 266.\n Ceos (see'-[)o]s), 13.\n Cepheus (see'-fuce), 207.\n Cephissus (se-fiss'-us), 169.\n Cerberus (ser'-be-rus), 133, 153, 249.\n Cercyon (ser'-se-on), 261.\n Cerealia (se-re-a'-le-ah), 201.\n Ceres (see'-reez), 58, 201.\n Cerunitis (ser-u-ni'-tis), 240.\n Cestus (ses'-tus), 59.\n Ceto (see'-to), 111.\n Ceuta (su'-tah), 222.\n Ceyx (see'-ix), 110, 254, 280.\n Chalciope (cal-si'-o-pe), 223.\n Chaos (ka'-oss), 11.\n Chares (ca'-reez), 99.\n Charites (car'-i-teez), 163.\n Charon (ca'-ron), 132, 153.\n Charybdis (ca-rib'-dis), 228, 316.\n Chimaera (ki-mee'-rah), 257, 162.\n Chiron (ki'-ron), 289.\n Chloris (clo'-ris), 171.\n Chrysaor (cris-[=a]'-or), 145.\n Chryseis (cri-see'-iss), 292.\n Chryses (cri'-seez), 292.\n Cimmerians (sim-me'-ri-anz), 132, 314.\n Cimon (si'-mon), 268.\n Circe (sir'-se), 64, 182, 227, 311.\n Cithaeron (si-thee'-ron, _th_ as in _both_), 40.\n --Mount, 236.\n Cleodaeus (cle-o-dee'-us), 282.\n Cleopatra (cle-o-pat'-rah), 220.\n Clio (cli'-o), 159.\n Cloacina (clo-a-si'-nah), 61.\n Clotho (clo'-tho), 139.\n Clymene (clim'-e-ne), 64.\n Clytaemnestra (clit-em-nes'-trah), 94, 305, 306.\n Clytie (cli'-ti-e), 63.\n Cocalus (coc'-a-lus), 213.\n Cocytus (co-si'-tus), 132, 314.\n Coelus (see'-lus), 11.\n Colchis (col'-kis), 215, 222.\n Colonus (co-lo'-nus), 271.\n Colossus of Rhodes (co-l[)o]s'-sus), 66.\n Comus (co'-mus), 184.\n Consualia (con-su-a'-le-ah), 183.\n Consus (con'-sus), 183.\n Copreus (co'-pruce), 239.\n Cora, 197.\n Cornucopia (cor-noo-co'-pe-ah), 148.\n Coronis (co-ro'-nis), 75.\n Corybantes (cor-i-ban'-teez), 19.\n Cos, island of (coss), 104.\n Cottos (cot'-t[)o]s), 13.\n Crania, island of (cra-ni'-ah), 286.\n Creon (cree'-on), 237, 275.\n Cresphontes (cres-fon'-teez), 282.\n Cretan Bull, 243.\n Crete (creet), 229.\n Creusa (cre-yu'-sah), 210.\n Crios (cri'-[)o]s), 13.\n Croesus (cree'-sus), 195.\n Crommyon (crom'-me-on), 260.\n Cronus (cro'-nus), 14, 179.\n Ctesiphon (tes'-i-fon), 93.\n Cumaean Sibyl, the (cu-mee'-an), 84.\n Cupid (cu'-pid), 150.\n Curetes (cu-ree'-teez), 15.\n Cybele (sib'-i-le), 18, 128.\n Cyclops (si'-clops), 105, 307.\n Cycnus (sik'-nus), 66, 247.\n Cyllene, Mount (sil-lee'-ne), 119.\n Cyparissus (sip-a-ris'-sus), 77, 182.\n Cyprus, island of (si'-prus), 60.\n Cyrus (si'-rus), 195.\n Cythera (sith-ee'-rah), 60.\n Cyzicus (siz'-i-cus), 218.\n\n D.\n\n Daedalus (ded'-a-lus), 211.\n Daemons (de'-mons), 185.\n Damastes (da-mas'-teez), 261.\n Danae (dan'-a-e), 205, 209.\n Danaides (dan-a'-[)i]-deez), 135.\n Danaus (dan'-a-us), 135.\n Danneker (dan'-ek-ker), 129.\n Daphne (daf'-ne), 74.\n Daphnephoria (daf-ne-fo'-re-ah), 200.\n Daphnephorus (daf-nef'-o-rus), 200.\n Deianeira (de-i'-a-ni'-rah), 254.\n Deiphobus (de-if'-o-bus), 300.\n Deipyle (de-ip'-i-le), 272.\n Delia (dee'-le-ah), 83.\n Delos, island of (dee'-l[)o]s), 69, 83.\n Delphi (del'-fi), 82.\n Delphic Oracle, 194.\n Demeter (de-mee'-ter), 50, 197.\n Demi-gods, 8.\n Demophoon (de-mof'-o-on), 53, 280.\n Deucalion (du-ca'-le-on), 21.\n Diana (di-an'-nah), 87.\n --of Versailles, 88.\n {328}\n Dice (di'-se), 164.\n Dictys (dic'-tiss), 205.\n Dindymene (din-di-mee'-ne), 19.\n Dino (di'-no), 145.\n Diomedes (di-o-mee'-deez), 112, 243, 297, 305.\n Dione (di-o'-ne), 58.\n Dionysia (di-o-nish'-e-ah), 180, 197.\n Dionysus (di-o-ni'-sus), 124, 193, 198, 263.\n Dioscuri (di-[)o]s-cu'-ri), 33.\n Dirae (di'-ree), 138.\n Dirce (dir'-se), 33.\n Dis (diss), 137.\n Discord, goddess of, 284.\n Dodona (do-do'-nah), 29, 216.\n Doliones (do-li'-o-neez), 218.\n Dorians (do'-re-anz), 211.\n Doris (do'-ris), 108.\n Dorus (do'-rus), 211.\n Dryades (dri'-a-deez), 168.\n Dryas (dri'-ass), 126.\n Dymas (di'-mass), 283.\n\n E.\n\n Echedorus (ek-e-do'-rus), 247.\n Echemon (ek-kee'-mon), 282.\n Echidna, (ek-kid'-nah), 146.\n Echo (ek'-o), 169.\n Egeria (e-gee'-re-ah), 184.\n Eilithyia (i-lith-i'-yah), 41, 237.\n Electra (e-lek'-trah), 111, 306.\n Electryon (e-lek'-tre-on), 35.\n Eleusinian Mysteries (el-u-sin'-e-an), 56, 132, 196.\n Eleusis (e-lu'-sis), 54.\n Elis (ee'-lis), 254, 283.\n Elysian Fields (e-lizh'-e-an), 133.\n Elysium (e-lizh'-e-um), 133.\n Enceladus (en-sel'-a-dus), 20.\n Endymion (en-dim'-e-on), 87.\n Enipeus (e-ni'-puce), 106.\n Enyo (e-ni'-o), 113.\n Eos (ee'-[)o]s), 67, 297.\n Epaphus (ep'-a-fus), 36, 64.\n Epeios (ep-i'-[)o]s), 301.\n Ephesus, temple of (ef'-e-sus), 92.\n Ephialtes (ef-e-[=a]l'-teez), 105.\n Epidaurus (ep-e-daw'-rus), 260.\n Epigoni (e-pig'-o-ni), 276.\n Epimetheus (ep-e-me'-thuce), 25.\n Epopeus (e-po'-puce), 32.\n Erato (er'-a-to), 159.\n Erebus (er'-e-buss), 13.\n Erechtheus (e-rek'-thuce), 210.\n Eresichthon (er-e-sik'-thon), 57.\n Erginus (er-ji'-nus), 237.\n Eridanus, river, the (e-rid'-a-nus), 65, 227, 248.\n Erinnyes (e-rin'-ne-eez), 138.\n Eriphyle (er-i-fi'-le), 273.\n Eris (ee'-ris), 39.\n Eros (ee'-r[)o]s), 74, 150.\n Erymantian Boar (er-e-man'-shun), 240.\n Erythia (er-e-thi'-ah), 246.\n Eteocles (e-tee'-o-cleez), 272, 275.\n Ether (ee'-ther), 12.\n Euboeans (u-bee'-anz), 210.\n Eumaeus (u-mee'-us), 320.\n Eumenides (u-men'-i-deez), 138, 271.\n Eunomia (u-no'-me-ah), 164.\n Euphemus (u-fee'-mus), 221.\n Euphrosyne (u-fros'-i-ne), 163.\n Europa (u-ro'-pah), 34.\n Eurus (u'-rus), 171.\n Euryale (u-ri'-a-le), 144.\n Eurybia (u-rib'-e-ah), 13.\n Euryclea (u-ri-clee'-ah), 321.\n Eurydice (u-rid'-i-se), 81.\n Eurylochus (u-ril'-o-kus), 311.\n Eurynome (u-rin'-o-me), 98.\n Eurypylus (u-rip'-i-lus), 299.\n Eurystheus (u-riss'-thuce), 237, 280.\n Eurytion (u-rit'-e-on), 246, 266.\n Eurytus (u'-ri-tus), 235.\n Euterpe (u-ter'-pe), 159.\n Evander (e-van'-der), 184.\n Evenus (e-ve'-nus), 254.\n\n F.\n\n Farnese Bull, the (far'-neez), 33.\n Fates, 139.\n Fauns (fawns), 175.\n Faunus (faw'-nus), 174.\n Festivals, 196.\n Fetiales (fe-she-a'-leez), 124.\n Flora, 180.\n Floralia (flo-ra'-le-ah), 180.\n Fortuna (for-tu'-nah), 147.\n Furies, 278, 306.\n\n G.\n\n Gadria (gad'-re-ah), 246.\n Gaea (je'-ah), 11.\n Galatea (gal-a-tee'-ah), 167.\n Ganymede (gan-i-mee'-de), 156, 246.\n Ganymedes (gan-i-mee'-deez), 156, 246.\n Ge, 11.\n Genii (jee'-ne-i), 185.\n Geryon (jee'-re-on), 246.\n Geryones (je-ri'-o-neez), 246.\n Giants, 13, 199, 218.\n Gigantomachia (ji-gan'-to-ma'-ke-ah), 20.\n Glauce (glaw'-se), 231.\n Glaucus (glaw'-cus), 109, 219.\n Golden Age, 22, 185.\n Golden Fleece, 215, 223, 226, 230.\n Gordius (gor'-de-us), 128.\n Gorgons, 144, 206.\n Graces, 163.\n {329}\n Gradivus (gra-di'-vus), 115.\n Graeae (gree'-ee), 145, 206.\n Gratiae (gra'-she-ee), 163.\n Gyges (ji'-jeez), 13.\n\n H.\n\n Hades (ha'-deez), 250.\n Haemon (hee'-mon), 276.\n Halcyone (hal-si'-o-ne), 110.\n Halirrothius (hal-ir-ro'-the-us), 113.\n Hamadryades (ham-a-dry'-a-deez), 168.\n Harmonia (har-mo'-ne-ah), 204, 276.\n Harpies (har'-piz), 137, 220.\n Harpinna (har-pin'-nah), 233.\n Hebe (hee'-be), 41, 156, 256.\n Hebrus, river, the (hee'-brus), 82.\n Hecate (hec'-a-te), 85.\n Hecatombs (hec'-a-tomes), 193.\n Hecatoncheires (hec'-a-ton-ki'-reez), 13.\n Hector, 284, 290, 293.\n Hecuba (hec'-u-bah), 283, 304.\n Helen, 267, 286, 304.\n Helenus (hel'-e-nus), 299.\n Helicon (hel'-e-con), 158, 162.\n Helios, (hee'-le-[)o]s), 61, 316.\n Helios-Apollo, 70.\n Helle (hel'-le), 215.\n Hemera (hee'-me-rah), 13, 142.\n Heosphorus (he-[)o]s'-fo-rus), 68.\n Hephaestus (he-fes'-tus), 97.\n Hera (he'-rah), 38, 214.\n Heracles [54] (her'-a-cleez), 26, 218, 234.\n Heraclidae [54] (her-a-cli'-dee), 280.\n Herae (he'-ree), 41.\n Hercules (her'-cu-leez) _See_ Heracles.\n --Pillars of, 246.\n Hermae (her'-mee), 118.\n Hermes (her'-meez), 117, 250, 312.\n Hermione (her-mi'-o-ne), 307.\n Heroes, 8.\n Herostratus (he-ros'-tra-tus), 93.\n Herse (her'-se), 87, 122.\n Hesiod's Theogony (he'-she-od), 24, 150.\n Hesione (he-si'-o-ne), 245, 253, 285.\n Hesperia (hes-pee'-re-ah), 163.\n Hesperides (hes-per'-i-deez), 162, 247.\n Hesperus (hes'-pe-rus), 68.\n Hestia (hes'-te-ah), 48.\n Hip'pocamp, 229.\n Hippocamps, 102.\n Hippocrene (hip-po-cree'-ne), 159, 162.\n Hippodamia (hip'-po-da-mi'-ah), 232, 266.\n Hippolyte (hip-pol'-i-te), 264.\n Hippolyte's Girdle, 244.\n Hippolytes (hip-pol'-i teez), 283.\n Hippolytus (hip-pol'-i-tus), 266.\n Hippomedon (hip-pom'-e-don), 273.\n Hippomenes (hip-pom'-e-neez), 91.\n Horae (ho'-ree), 164.\n Horned Hind, 240.\n Hyacinthus (hi-a-sin'-thus), 77.\n Hyades (hi'-a-deez), 170.\n Hydra, Lernean, the (hi'-drah, ler-nee'-an), 239.\n Hygeia (hi-jee'-yah), 177.\n Hylas (hi'-las), 216, 219.\n Hyllus (hil'-lus), 254, 281.\n Hymen (hi'-men), or Hymenaeus (hi-me-nee'-us), 154.\n Hyperion (hi-pee'-re-on), 13.\n Hypermnestra (hip-erm-nes'-trah), 135.\n Hypnus (hip'-nus), 142.\n Hypsipyle (hip-sip'-i-le), 274.\n\n I.\n\n Iambe (i-am'-be), 53.\n Iapetus (i-ap'-e-tus), 24.\n Iasion (i-a'-zhe-on), 137.\n Iberia (i-bee'-re-ah), 247.\n Icaria (i-ca'-re-ah), 212.\n Icarus (ic'-a-rus), 211.\n Ichor (i'-kor), 7.\n Ida, Mount, 157, 284, 300.\n Idas (i'-dass), 34, 75.\n Idmon (id'-mon), 216.\n Idomeneus (i-dom'-e-nuce), 286.\n Ilion (il'-e-on), 283.\n Illyria (il-lir'-e-ah), 205.\n Ilus (i'-lus), 283.\n Inachus (in'-a-cus), 36.\n Ino (i'-no), 205, 215.\n Inuus (in'-u-us), 174.\n Io (i'-o), 36.\n Iobates (i-ob'-a-teez), 257.\n Iolaus (i-o-la'-us), 239, 251, 281.\n Iolcus (i-ol'-cus), 213, 230.\n Iole (i'-o-le), 251, 255.\n Ion (i'-on), 210.\n Iphigenia (if'-i-ge-ni'-ah), 94, 289, 307.\n Iphitus (if'-i-tus), 251.\n Iris (i'-ris), 155, 220.\n Iron Age, 23.\n Ismene (iss-mee'-ne), 271.\n Ister (iss'-ter), 226.\n Isthmian Games (isth'-me-an), 107, 264.\n Ithaca (ith'-a-cah), 310, 319.\n Ixion (ix-i'-on), 135.\n\n J.\n\n Jani (ja'-ni), 178.\n Janus (ja'-nus), 18, 178.\n {330}\n Jason (ja'-son), 213.\n Jocasta (jo-cas'-tah), 269, 270.\n Juno (ju'-no), 42, 185.\n Jupiter (ju'-pe-ter), 38.\n Jupiter-Ammon, 207.\n Juventas (ju-ven'-t[)a]ss), 156, 183.\n\n K.\n\n Keidomos (ki'-do-mos), 113.\n Ker (cur), 149.\n Keres (kee'-reez), 149.\n\n L.\n\n Labdacus (lab'-da-cus), 269.\n Labyrinth (lab'-i-rinth), 212, 262.\n Lacedaemon (las-e-dee'-mon), 283.\n Lac'edaemo'nians, 189.\n Lachesis (lak'-e-sis), 139.\n Lacolia (la-co'-le-ah), 250.\n Lacus Nemorensis (la'-cus nem-o-ren'-sis), 97.\n Ladon (la'-don), 240.\n Laertes (la-er'-teez), 314, 323.\n Laestrygones (les-trig'-o-neez), 311.\n Laius (la'-yus), 269.\n Lampetus (lam'-pe-tus), 67.\n Lampsacus (lamp'-sa-cus), 176.\n Laocoon (la-oc'-o-on), 301.\n Laodamas (la-od'-a-mass), 277.\n Laomedon (la-om'-e-don), 104, 245, 253.\n Lar, 186.\n Lares Familiares (la'-reez fa-mil'-e-a'-reez), 186.\n Larissa (la-ris'-sah), 189, 209.\n Latmus Mount, 87.\n Latona (la-to'-nah), 31.\n Laverna (la-ver'-nah), 184.\n Leda (lee'-dah), 33.\n Lemnos, island of, (lem'-noss), 98, 217.\n Lemuralia (lem-u-ra'-le-ah), 186.\n Lemures (lem'-u-reez), 186.\n Lerna, 239.\n Lernean Hydra. _See_ Hydra.\n Lesbos (lez'-bos), 290.\n Lethe (lee'-the, _th_ as in _both_), 133.\n Leto (lee'-to), 31.\n Leucippus (lu-sip'-pus), 34.\n Leucothea (lu-co'-the-ah, _th_ as in _both_), 111, 318.\n Liber (li'-ber), 130.\n Liberalia (lib-er-a'-le-ah), 130.\n Libya (lib'-yah), 207, 229.\n Limoniades (lim-o-ni'-a-deez), 170.\n Linden-nymph, 168.\n Linus (li'-nus), 235.\n Lion, Nemean (ne'-me-an), 238.\n Ludi Maximi (lu'-di max'-i-mi), 48.\n Ludovici Villa (lu-do-vee'-chee), 116.\n Luna (lu'-nah), 86, 97.\n Lupercus (lu-per'-cus), 174.\n Lycaon (li-cay'-on), 37.\n Lycomedes (lic-o-mee'-deez), 268, 287.\n Lycurgus (li-cur'-gus), 126, 189, 274.\n Lycus (li'-cus), 32.\n Lynceus (lin'-suce), 34, 216.\n\n M.\n\n Macaria (ma-ca'-re-ah), 281.\n Machaon (ma-ca'-on), 177, 300.\n Magna-Mater (may'-ter), 19.\n Maia (may'-yah), 119.\n Mamers (ma'-merz), 114.\n Manes (ma'-neez), 185.\n Marathonian Bull (mar-a-tho'-ne-an), 262.\n Mares of Diomedes, 243\n Marpessa (mar-pes'-sah), 75.\n Mars (marz), 114.\n Marspiter (mars'-pe-ter), 114.\n Marsyas (mar'-she-ass), 78.\n Mater-Deorum (dee-o'-rum), 19.\n Matronalia (ma-tro-na'-le-ah), 43.\n Mecone (me-co'-ne), 24.\n Medea (me-dee'-ah), 223, 261.\n Medusa (me-du'-sah), 45, 144, 206.\n Megaera (me-jee'-rah), 138.\n Megapenthes (meg-a-pen'-theez), 209.\n Megara (meg'-a-rah), 138, 237, 251.\n Melanippe (mel-a-nip'-pe), 245.\n Meleager (me-le-a'-jer), 89, 216.\n Meliades (me-li'-a-deez), 170.\n Melissa (me-lis'-sah), 15.\n Melpomene (mel-pom'-e-ne), 159.\n Memnon (mem'-non), 297.\n Memphis (mem'-fiss), 36.\n Menades (men'-a-deez), 198.\n Menelaus (men-e-la'-us), 294, 304, 305.\n Menesthius (me-nes'-the-us), 268.\n Menoeceus (me-nee'-suce), 274.\n Menoetius (me-nee'-she-us), 216.\n Mercury (mer'-cu-ry), 123.\n Merope (mer'-ope, first _e_ like _ei_ in _their_), 269.\n Messene (mes-see'-ne), 283.\n Metaneira (met-a-ni'-rah), 53.\n Metis (mee'-tiss), 30.\n Metra (mee'-trah), 57, 92.\n Midas (mi'-das), 79, 128.\n Midea (mi-dee'-ah), 209.\n Milo (mi'-lo), 60.\n Miltiades (mil-ti'-a-deez), 268.\n Mimas (mi'-mass), 20.\n Minerva (mi-ner'-vah), 47.\n Minerval (mi-ner'-val), 47.\n Minos (mi'-n[)o]s), 34, 134, 212, 243.\n Minotaur (min'-o-tawr), 212, 262.\n Minyans (min'-yanz), 237.\n Mnemosyne (ne-m[)o]s'-i-ne), 13, 31.\n Moira (moy'-rah), 139.\n Moirae (moy'-ree), 297, 139.\n {331}\n Moly (mo'-ly), 312.\n Momus (mo'-mus), 149.\n Moneta Juno (mo-nee'-tah), 42.\n Mopsus, 216.\n Morpheus (mor'-fuce), 143.\n Mors (morz). _See_ Thanatos.\n Musagetes (mu-saj'-e-teez), 71.\n Muses, 157.\n Mutunus (mu-tu'-nus), 176.\n Mycenae (mi-see'-ne), 209, 305.\n Myrmidons (mir'-mi-dons), 288, 293, 295.\n Myrtilus (mir'-ti-lus), 233.\n Mysia (mish'-e-ah), 219.\n Mysians, 289.\n\n N.\n\n Naiads (na'-yads), or Naiades (na-i'-a-deez), 166, 227.\n Napaeae (na-pee'-ee), 169.\n Narcissus (nar-sis'-sus), 169.\n Nausicaa (naw-sic'-a-ah), 317.\n Naxos (nax'-oss), 128, 263.\n Necessitas (ne-ses'-si-tass), 148.\n Nectar, 15.\n Neleus (nee'-luce), 106, 119, 216.\n Nemea (nee'-me-ah), 274.\n Nemean Lion. _See_ Lion.\n Nemesis (nem'-e-siss), 141.\n Nemoralia (nem-o-ra'-le-ah), 97.\n Neoptolemus (ne-op-tol'-e-mus), 299, 304.\n Nephalia (ne-fa'-le-ah), 139.\n Nephelae (nef'-e-lee), 12.\n Nephele (nef'-e-le), 215.\n Neptunalia (nep-tu-na'-le-ah), 107.\n Neptune (nept'-une), 14, 107.\n Nereides (ne-ree'-i-deez), 108, 167.\n Nereus (nee'-ruce), 13, 108.\n Nessus, 254.\n Nestor, 286, 301, 305.\n Nike (ni'-ke), 117.\n Niobe (ni'-o-be), 79, 141.\n Noman, 309.\n Notus (no'-tus), 171.\n Nox. _See_ Nyx.\n Nyctimus (nic'-ti-mus), 38.\n Nycteus (nic'-tuce), 32.\n Nymphs, 165.\n Nysa, Mount (ni'-sah), 125.\n Nyx (nix), 13, 142.\n\n O.\n\n Oceanides (o-se-an'-i-deez), 108, 166.\n Oceanus (o-see'-a-nus), 12, 107, 166, 314.\n Ocypete (o-sip'-e-te), 137.\n Odysseus (o-dis'-suce), 131, 287, 307.\n Oechalia (e-ka'-le-ah), 255.\n Oedipus (ed'-i-pus), 146, 269.\n Oeneus (ee'-nuce), 89, 254.\n Oenomaus (ee-nom'-a-us), 232.\n Oenone (ee-no'-ne) 284, 300.\n Ogygia (o-jij'-e-ah), 317.\n Oileus (o-i'-luce), 216, 221.\n Olympia (o-lim'-pe-ah), 29, 123.\n Olym'pic Games, 30.\n Olym'pus, Mount, 27.\n Omphale (om'-fa-le), 252.\n Ops, 19.\n Oracles, 194.\n Orchamus (or'-ca-mus), 63.\n Orchomenus (or-com'-e-nus), 237.\n Orcus (or'-cus), 136.\n Oreades (o-ree'-a-deez), 169.\n Orithyia (or'-i-thi'-yah), 171.\n Orestes (o-res'-teez), 95, 139, 306.\n Orpheus (or'-fuce), 80, 216, 228.\n Orthrus (or'-thrus), 246.\n Ossa (oss'-sah), 106.\n Othrys, Mount, (o'-thris), 16.\n Otus (o'-tus), 105.\n Oxen of Geryones. _See_ Geryones.\n Oxylus (ox'-i-lus), 283.\n\n P.\n\n Palaemon (pa-lee'-mon), 111.\n Palamedes (pal-a-mee'-deez), 287, 291.\n Palatine (pal'-a-tin), 181.\n Pales (pa'-leez), 181.\n Palilia (pa-lil'-e-ah), 181.\n Palladium (pal-la'-de-um), 299, 301.\n Pallan'tids, 262.\n Pallas (pal'-lass), 117.\n Pallas-Athene, 43, 234, 302.\n Pan, 79, 171, 198.\n Panacea (pan-a-see'-ah), 177.\n Panathenaea (pan'-ath-e-nee'-ah), 199.\n Pandareos (pan-da'-re-oss), 138.\n Pandora (pan-do'-rah), 25.\n Panisci (pa-nis'-si), 174.\n Panoptes (pa-nop'-teez), 246.\n Parcae (par'-see). _See_ Moirae.\n Paris (par'-ris), 39, 284, 286.\n Parnassus (par-nas'-sus), 158.\n Parthenon (par'-the-non), 46.\n --Hill, 89.\n Parthenopaeus (par'-then-o-pee'-us), 273.\n Patroclus (p[)a]-tro'-clus), 288, 293, 314.\n Pedasus (ped'-a-sus), 292.\n Pegasus (peg'-a-sus), 145, 162, 257.\n Peitho (pi'-tho), 134.\n Peleus (pee'-luce), 39, 287.\n Pelias (pee'-le-ass), 106, 213, 230.\n Pelion, Mount (pee'-le-on), 106.\n Peloponnesus (pel'-o-pon-nee'-sus), 281.\n Pelops (pee'-lops), 135, 232.\n Penates (pe-na'-teez), 187.\n {332}\n Penelope (pe-nel'-o-pe), 287, 319.\n Peneus (pe-nee'-us), 74, 242.\n Penthesilea (pen'-the-si-lee'-ah), 296\n Pentheus (pen'-thuce), 126, 205.\n Pephredo (pe-free'-do), 145.\n Peplus (pee'-plus), 199.\n Periphetes (per-i-fee'-teez), 260.\n Perse (per'-se), 64, 312.\n Persephone (per-sef'-o-ne), 52, 197, 267.\n Perseus (per'-suce), 145, 205.\n Petasus (pet'-a-sus), 121.\n Phaeaces (fee-a'-seez), 228, 318.\n Phaedra (fee'-drah), 266.\n Phaethon (fa'-e-thon), 64, 67.\n Pharos, isle of, (fa'-r[)o]s), 108.\n Phases, river (fa'-seez), 222.\n Phegeus (fee'-juce), 278.\n Phidias (fid'-e-ass), 28.\n Philemon (fi-lee'-mon), 37.\n Philoctetes (fil-oc-tee'-teez), 256, 290, 299.\n Phineus (fi'-nuce), 208, 220.\n Phlegethon (flej'-e-thon), 134.\n Phocis (fo'-siss), 306.\n Phoebe (fee'-be), 13.\n Phoebus-Apollo (fee'-bus), 68, 298.\n Pholus (fo'-lus), 240.\n Phorcys (for'-siss), 13, 111.\n Phrygia (frij'-e-ah), 18.\n Phryxus (frix'-us), 222.\n Phylace (fil'-a-se), 290.\n Phyleus (fi'-luce), 242, 254.\n Phylla (fil'-lah), 233.\n Picumnus (pi-cum'-nus), 182.\n Picus (pi'-cus), 182.\n Pieria (pi-ee'-re-ah), 119, 158.\n Pierides (pi-er'-i-deez), 158, 162.\n Pierus (pi'-e-rus), 158.\n Pilumnus (pi-lum'-nus), 182.\n Pindus, Mount, 158.\n Pirithoeus (pi-rith'-o-us), 216, 250, 265.\n Pisa (pi'-sah), 232.\n Pittheus (pit'-thuce), 259.\n Platea (pla-tee'-ah), 40.\n Pleiades (plee'-ya-deez), 119.\n Pluto (plu'-to), 136.\n Plutus (plu'-tus), 132, 137, 148.\n Podalirius (pod-a-lir'-e-us), 177.\n Podarces (po-dar'-seez), 253.\n Pollux, 33, 187, 227, 268.\n Polybotes (pol-e-bo'-teez), 104.\n Polybus (pol'-e-bus), 269.\n Polydectes (pol-e-dec'-teez), 205.\n Polydeuces (pol-e-du'-seez). _See_ Pollux.\n Polydorus (pol-e-do'-rus), 205.\n Polyhymnia (pol-e-him'-ne-ah), 159.\n Polynices (pol-e-ni'-seez), 271, 272, 275.\n Polyphemus (pol-e-fee'-mus), 105, 219, 307.\n Pomona (po-mo'-nah), 180.\n Pontus, 13.\n Porta Lavernalis (lav-er-na'-lis), 184.\n Poseidon (po-si'-don), 101, 162, 266.\n Praxiteles (prax-it'-e-leez), 123.\n Priam (pri'-am), 254, 283, 304.\n Priamus (pri'-a-mus). _See_ Priam.\n Priapus (pri-a'-pus), 175.\n Priests, 191.\n Procrustes (pro-crus'-teez), 261.\n Proetus (pree'-tus), 257.\n Prometheus (pro-mee'-thuce), 24, 149, 193, 222.\n Proserpine (pross'-er-pine), _See_ Persephone.\n Protesilaus (pro-tess'-i-la'-us), 290.\n Proteus (pro'-tuce), 108.\n Prytaneum (prit-a-nee'-um), 49.\n Psophis (so'-fiss), 278.\n Psyche (si'-ke), 150.\n Pylades (pil'-a-deez), 95, 306.\n Pylos (pi'-l[)o]s), 286.\n Pyracmon (pi-rac'-mon), 16.\n Pyrrha (pir'-rah), 22.\n Pythia (pith'-e-ah) 195, 269.\n Pythian Games, 83.\n Python (pi'-thon), 31, 72, 195.\n\n Q.\n\n Quirinus (que-ri'-nus), 115.\n\n R.\n\n Remus (ree'-mus), 114.\n Rhadamanthus (rad-a-man'-thus), 34, 134.\n Rhamnus (ram'-nus), 142.\n Rhamnusia (ram-nu'-zhe-ah), 142.\n Rhea (ree'-ah), 13, 18.\n Rhoda (ro'-dah), 105.\n Rhodes (roads), 105.\n Rhodope, Mount (rod'-o-pe), 130.\n Rhoetus (ree'-tus), 20.\n Robigus (ro-bi'-gus), 180.\n Romulus (rom'-u-lus), 114.\n\n S.\n\n Sacrifices, 192.\n Sagaris (sag'-a-ris), 19.\n Salamis (sal'-a-mis), 285.\n Salii (sa'-le-i), 115.\n Samos (sa'-mos), 34.\n Saturn (sat'-urn), 17, 200.\n Saturnalia (sat-ur-na'-le-ah), 200.\n Satyrs (sa'-turz), 174, 198.\n Scamander (sca-man'-der), 290.\n Scheria (skee'-re-ah), 318.\n Schoeneus (skee'-nuce), 89.\n Scyros, island of, (si'-r[)o]s), 268, 287.\n Scylla (sil'-lah), 104, 316.\n Scyron (si'-ron), 260.\n {333}\n Seasons, 164.\n Selene (se-lee'-ne), 86.\n Selene-Artemis, 96.\n Selli (sel'-li), 29.\n Semele (sem'-e-le), 35, 205, 215.\n Seriphus (se-ri'-fus), 205.\n Servius Tullius (ser'-ve-us tul'-le-us), 184.\n Shades, realm of, 267, 314.\n Sibyls (sib'-bles), 84.\n Silens (si'-lenz), 174.\n Silenus (si-lee'-nus), 125, 198.\n Silvanus (sil-va'-nus), 115, 182.\n Silver Age, 23.\n Simois (sim'-o-iss), 290.\n Sinnis (sin'-nis), 260.\n Sinon (si'-non), 302.\n Siphylus (sif'-i-lus), 80.\n Sirens (si'-renz), 112, 158, 315.\n Sisyphus (sis'-i-fus), 135.\n Sol (soll). _See_ Helios.\n Solymans (sol'-i-mans), 258.\n Somnus (som'-nus). _See_ Hypnus.\n Soothsayers, 195.\n Sparta, 285.\n Sphinx (sfinks), 146.\n Stables, Augean (aw-jee'-an), 242.\n Statues, 190.\n Stellio (stel'-le-o), 57.\n Steropes (ster'-o peez, the first _e_ like _ei_ in _their_), 16.\n Stheno (sthee'-no), 144.\n Strophius (stro'-fe-us), 306.\n Stymphalides (stim-fal'-i-deez), 221, 242.\n Styx (sticks), 117, 132, 287.\n Symplegades (sim-pleg'-a-deez), 221.\n Syrinx (si'-rinks), 172.\n Syrtes (sir'-teez), 229.\n\n T.\n\n Taenarum (ten'-a-rum), 132, 250.\n Talaria (ta-la'-re-ah), 121.\n Talus (ta'-lus), 229.\n Tantalus (tan'-ta-lus), 134.\n Tarquinius Superbus (tar-quin'-e-us su-per'-bus), 84.\n Tartarus (tar'-ta-rus), 14, 134.\n Taurica Chersonesus (taw'-ri-cah ker-so-nee'-sus), 93, 306.\n Tauris (taw'-ris), 93, 306.\n Tegea (tee'-je-ah), 279.\n Telamon (tel'-a-mon), 216, 253, 285.\n Telemachus (tel-lem'-a-cus), 287, 320.\n Telephus (tel'-e-fus), 289.\n Temenus (tem'-e-nus), 282.\n Temples, 188.\n Tenedos (ten'-e-dos), 290, 301, 303.\n Terminus (ter'-mi-nus), 182.\n Terpsichore (terp-sic'-o-re), 159.\n Terra (ter'-rah, the _e_ like _ei_ in _their_), 11.\n Tethys (tee'-thiss, _th_ as in _both_), 107, 166.\n Teutamias (tu-ta'-me-ass), 209.\n [55]Thalia (tha-li'-ah), 159, 163.\n Thallo (thal'-lo), 164.\n Thamyris (tham'-i ris), 158.\n Thanatos (than'-a-tos), 142.\n Thaumas (thaw'-mass), 13, 111, 137.\n Thebes (theebs), 203.\n Theia (thi'-ah), 13.\n Themis (thee'-mis), 31, 48.\n Themiscyra (the-mis'-se-rah), 245.\n Thermodon (ther-mo'-don), 244.\n Thersander (ther-san'-der), 276.\n Thersites (ther-si'-teez), 297.\n Theseus (thee'-suce), 250, 259.\n Thesmophoria (thes-mo-fo'-re-ah), 197.\n Thes'saly, 77.\n Thestius (thes'-te-us), 33.\n Thetis (thee'-tis), 39, 98, 110, 297.\n Thyone (thi-o'-ne), 128.\n Tiphys (ti'-fiss), 216.\n Tiresias (ti-ree'-she-ass), 235, 271, 274, 277, 313.\n Tiryns (ti'-rinz), 209, 252.\n Tirynth (ti'-rinth), 209, 252.\n Tisiphone (ti-sif'-o-ne), 138.\n Titanomachia (ti'-tan-o-ma'-ke-ah), 17.\n Titans (ti'-tanz), 13.\n Tithonus (ti-tho'-nus), 68, 297.\n Tityus (tit'-e-us), 134.\n Trachin (tra'-kin), 254.\n Trachis (tra'-kis), 254.\n Trinacria (tri-na'-cre-ah), 316.\n Triptolemus (trip-tol'-e-mus), 53.\n Triton (tri'-ton), 109.\n Trivia (triv'-e-ah), 97.\n Troezen (tree'-zen), 251\n Tros (tr[)o]ss), 157, 246.\n Troy, 283.\n -- walls of, 104.\n Tubal-Cain (too'-bal-cane), 101.\n Tyche (ti'-ke), 147.\n Tydeus (ti'-duce), 272.\n Tyndareus (tin-da'-re-us), 285.\n Typhoeus (ti-fo'-yuce), 21.\n Typhon (ti'-fon), 21.\n Tyro (ti'-ro), 106.\n\n U.\n\n Uffizi Gallery (oof'-fid-ze), 80.\n Ulysses (u-lis'-seez), _See_ Odysseus.\n Urania (u-ra'-ne-ah), 159.\n Uranus (u'-ra-nus), 11.\n\n V.\n\n Veneralia (ven-e-ra'-le-ah), 61.\n {334}\n Venus (vee'-nus), 61, 183.\n -- of Milo, 60.\n Vertumnus (ver-tum'-nus), 181.\n Vesta (ves'-tah), 50, 201.\n Vestalia (ves-ta'-le-ah), 59, 201.\n Via Salavia (vi'-ah sa-la'-ve-ah), 184.\n Victo'ria, 117.\n Vulcan, 100.\n\n W.\n\n Winds, 170, 298.\n Wooden Horse, 301.\n\n X.\n\n Xuthus (zoo-thus), 210.\n\n Z.\n\n Zephyrus (zef'-i-rus), 151, 171, 310.\n Zetes (zee'-teez), 171.\n Zethus (zee'-thus), 33.\n Zeus (zuce), 26.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\nA COMPLETE COURSE IN THE STUDY OF ENGLISH.\n\n * * * * *\n\n_Spelling, Language, Grammar, Composition, Literature_.\n\n * * * * *\n\n REED'S WORD LESSONS--A COMPLETE SPELLER.\n REED'S INTRODUCTORY LANGUAGE WORK.\n REED & KELLOGG'S GRADED LESSONS IN ENGLISH.\n REED & KELLOGG'S HIGHER LESSONS IN ENGLISH.\n REED & KELLOGG'S ONE-BOOK COURSE IN ENGLISH.\n KELLOGG'S TEXT-BOOK ON RHETORIC.\n KELLOGG'S TEXT-BOOK ON ENGLISH LITERATURE.\n\nIn the preparation of this series the authors have had one object clearly\nin view--to so develop the study of the English language as to present a\ncomplete, progressive course, from the Spelling-Book to the study of\nEnglish Literature. The troublesome contradictions which arise in using\nbooks arranged by different authors on these subjects, and which require\nmuch time for explanation in the schoolroom, will be avoided by the use of\nthe above \"Complete Course.\"\n\nTeachers are earnestly invited to examine these books.\n\n MAYNARD, MERRILL, & CO., PUBLISHERS.\n 43, 45, and 47 East Tenth Street, New York.\n\n * * * * *\n\n\nNOTES\n\n[1] The early Greeks supposed the earth to be a flat circle, in the centre\nof which was Greece. Oceanus, the ocean stream, encircled it; the\nMediterranean being supposed to flow into this river on the one side, and\nthe Euxine, or Black Sea, on the other.\n\n[2] Owing to the vagueness of the various accounts of creation, the origin\nof the primeval gods is variously accounted for. Thus, for instance,\nOceanus, with some, becomes the younger brother of Uranus and Gaea.\n\n[3] The myth of Cronus swallowing his children is evidently intended by the\npoets to express the melancholy truth that time destroys all things.\n\n[4] Nectar was the drink, and ambrosia the food of the gods.\n\n[5] The Cyclops are generally mentioned as the sons of Uranus and Gaea, but\nHomer speaks of Polyphemus, the chief of the Cyclops, as the son of\nPoseidon, and states the Cyclops to be his brothers.\n\n[6] Possibly an image of him placed in readiness.\n\n[7] This age was contemporary with the commencement of the dynasty of Zeus.\n\n[8] Hesiod is said to have lived 850 years before the Christian era,\nconsequently about 200 years after King David. He lived in Boeotia, where\nhis tomb is still shown at Orchomenus. This ancient writer left behind him\ntwo great poems, one entitled \"The Works and Days,\" in which he gives us\nsome of the earliest Greek legends, and the other, \"The Theogony,\"\ncontaining the genealogies of the gods; but, unfortunately, both these\npoems have been so interpolated by the writers of the Alexandrian school\nthat they have lost their value as reliable sources of information with\nregard to the early beliefs of the Greek nation.\n\n[9] Epimetheus signifies after-thought, Prometheus fore-thought.\n\n[10] There are various versions of this myth. According to some the jar or\nvase was full of all \"the ills which flesh is heir to.\"\n\n[11] From _Diaus_, the sky.\n\n[12] A sacred shield made for Zeus by Hephaestus, which derived its name\nfrom being covered by the skin of the goat Amalthea, the word AEgis\nsignifying goat's-skin.\n\n[13] See Demeter.\n\n[14] This frightful monster had sprung from the slimy and stagnant waters\nwhich remained on the surface of the earth after the deluge of Deucalion.\n\n[15] Castor and Pollux were known by the name of the Dioscuri, from _dios_,\ngods, and _kuroi_, youths.\n\n[16] The ancient Greeks attributed much of the subsequent character of an\nindividual to early influences; hence Hera, the future queen and mistress\nof heaven, is represented as being brought up in a domesticated and orderly\nhousehold, where home virtues are carefully inculcated.\n\n[17] In the Homeric age peacocks were unknown; it is therefore the later\npoets who describe Hera surrounded with peacocks, which were brought to\nGreece from India.\n\n[18] This circumstance has given rise to the erroneous conclusion that Juno\npresided over the finances of the state, but the word _moneta_ is derived\nfrom the Latin _monere_, which means to warn or admonish.\n\n[19] See Roman Festivals.\n\n[20] The first large ship possessed by the Greeks fit for more than coast\nnavigation.\n\n[21] When Perseus, with the help of Athene, had cut off the head of the\nMedusa, the two sisters caused a sad dirge-like song to issue from the\nmouths of the many snakes of which their hair was composed, whereupon\nAthene, pleased with the sound, imitated the melody on a reed, and thus\ninvented the flute.\n\n[22] For details see Roman Festivals.\n\n[23] See Legend of Troy.\n\n[24] Some, with but little reason, make Demeter the daughter of Uranus and\nGaea.\n\n[25] Demeter transformed Ascalaphus into an owl for revealing the secret.\n\n[26] The course which the sun ran was considered by the ancients to be a\nrising and descending curve [drawing of an arc], the centre of which was\nsupposed to be reached by Helios at mid-day.\n\n[27] The river Po.\n\n[28] This great work of antiquity was destroyed by an earthquake fifty-six\nyears after its erection, B.C. 256. The fragments remained on the ground\nfor many centuries, until Rhodes was conquered by the Turks, and they were\neventually sold by one of the generals of Caliph Othman IV. to a merchant\nof Emesa for L36,000, A.D. 672.\n\n[29] According to some authorities, Strymon.\n\n[30] This wonderful lyre, which had been given to Apollo by Hermes\n(Mercury) in exchange for the Caduceus or rod of wealth, is said to have\npossessed such extraordinary powers, that it caused a stone, upon which it\nwas laid, to become so melodious, that ever afterwards, on being touched,\nit emitted a musical sound which resembled that produced by the lyre\nitself.\n\n[31] Aristaeus was worshipped as a rural divinity in various parts of\nGreece, and was supposed to have taught mankind how to catch bees, and to\nutilize honey and wax.\n\n[32] Astraea was the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. Perses was son\nof the Titans Crios and Eurybia.\n\n[33] Called also Anaitis-Aphroditis.\n\n[34] This occurred during the night Alexander the Great was born.\n\n[35] Another version with regard to the origin of this defect, is that\nbeing born ugly and deformed, his mother Hera, disgusted at his\nunsightliness, herself threw him violently from her lap, and it was then\nthat his leg was broken, producing the lameness from which he suffered ever\nafter. On this occasion he fell into the sea, and was saved by the\nsea-nymphs Thetis and Eurynome, who kept him for nine years in a cavern\nbeneath the ocean, where he made for them, in gratitude for their kindness,\nseveral beautiful ornaments, and trinkets of rare workmanship.\n\n[36] According to some accounts Chares was the wife of Hephaestus.\n\n[37] The trident resembled the arrow-headed pronged fork, used by the\nfishermen of the Mediterranean Sea in the eel-fishery.\n\n[38] Scylla is a dangerous rock, much dreaded by mariners, in the Straits\nof Messina.\n\n[39] The island of Rhodes owes its name to her.\n\n[40] It is worthy of notice that the sons of Poseidon were, for the most\npart, distinguished by great force and turbulence of character, in keeping\nwith the element over which their father was the presiding deity. They were\ngiants in power, and intractable, fiery, and impatient by nature, spurning\nall efforts to control them; in all respects, therefore, fitting\nrepresentatives of their progenitor, the mighty ruler of the sea.\n\n[41] A cubit is the length from the elbow to the extremity of the middle\nfinger, and therefore an indefinite measure, but modern usage takes it as\nrepresenting a length of seventeen to eighteen inches.\n\n[42] On the Egyptian coast.\n\n[43] See Legend of the Argonauts.\n\n[44] His two sons Deimos and Phobos.\n\n[45] Romulus was deified by the Romans after death, and was worshipped by\nthem under the name of Quirinus, an appellation which he shared in common\nwith his father Mars.\n\n[46] Midas was the son of Cybele and Gordius, the king who tied the\ncelebrated and intricate knot.\n\n[47] The shades of those mortals whose lives had neither been distinguished\nby virtue nor vice, were condemned to a monotonous, joyless, existence in\nthe Asphodel meadows of Hades.\n\n[48] Echidna was a bloodthirsty monster, half maiden, half serpent.\n\n[49] One of the horns of the goat Amalthea, broken off by Zeus, and\nsupposed to possess the power of filling itself with whatsoever its owner\ndesired.\n\n[50] According to another account, Momus discovered that Aphrodite made a\nnoise when she walked.\n\n[51] The word Psyche signifies \"butterfly,\" the emblem of the soul in\nancient art.\n\n[52] Tiresias alone, of all the shades, was in full possession of his\nmental vigour.\n\n[53] Most of the words ending in eus may also be pronounced thus:\n_AE'-ge-us_, _[=a]'-tre-us_, _pro-me'-the-us_, etc.\n\n[54] The first e like ei in their.\n\n[55] _Th_ at the beginning of a word has its soft sound, as in _both_.","title":"Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":106475}