{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_39250/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_39250","id":"gutenberg_39250","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39250","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Mythology, Classical"],"text":"Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed\nProofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was\nproduced from images generously made available by The\nInternet Archive)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n MYTHS OF GREECE AND ROME\n\n NARRATED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO\n LITERATURE AND ART\n\n BY\n\n H. A. GUERBER\n LECTURER ON MYTHOLOGY\n\n\n [Illustration]\n\n\n AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY\n NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO\n\n\n\n\n Copyright, 1893, by\n American Book Company.\n\n Copyright. 1921, by\n H. A. Guerber.\n\n Guerber's Myths.\n E.P. 44\n\n\n\n\n DEDICATED\n\n TO MY KIND FRIENDS\n\n MISS MACKIE AND MISS MASTERS\n\n IN WHOSE SCHOOLS MY LECTURES WERE FIRST GIVEN\n\n\n MADE IN U. S. A.\n\n\n\n\n [Illustration: HOMER.--Fran\u00e7ois G\u00e9rard.]\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nThe aim of this book is to present a complete and entertaining account\nof Grecian and Roman mythology in such a manner that the student will\nappreciate its great influence upon literature and art.\n\nThese myths, an inexhaustible fund of inspiration for the poets and\nartists of the past, have also inspired many noted modern works. To\nimpress this fact forcibly upon the student, appropriate quotations\nfrom the poetical writings of all ages, from Hesiod's \"Works and\nDays,\" to Tennyson's \"Oenone,\" have been inserted in the text, while\nreproductions of ancient masterpieces and noted examples of modern\npainting and sculpture are plentifully used as illustrations.\n\nThe myths are told as graphically and accurately as possible, great\ncare being taken, however, to avoid the more repulsive features of\nheathen mythology; and when two or more versions of the same myth\noccur, the preference has invariably been given to the most popular,\nthat is to say, to the one which has inspired the greatest works.\n\nBoth the Latin and the Greek forms of proper names are given, but the\nLatin names are usually retained throughout the narrative, because\nmore frequently used in poetry and art.\n\nThe closing chapter includes an analysis of myths by the light of\nphilology and comparative mythology, and the philological explanation\nof the stories related in the preceding chapters.\n\nA map, genealogical table, and complete glossary and index adapt this\nlittle volume for constant use in the library and art gallery, at home\nand abroad.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\n\n PAGE\n MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF MYTHS 8\n\n LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 10\n\n CHAP. I. The Beginning of All Things 11\n\n II. Jupiter 39\n\n III. Juno 51\n\n IV. Minerva 55\n\n V. Apollo 61\n\n VI. Diana 93\n\n VII. Venus 103\n\n VIII. Mercury 131\n\n IX. Mars 138\n\n X. Vulcan 144\n\n XI. Neptune 149\n\n XII. Pluto 159\n\n XIII. Bacchus 171\n\n XIV. Ceres and Proserpina 183\n\n XV. Vesta 198\n\n XVI. Janus 205\n\n XVII. Somnus and Mors 208\n\n XVIII. \u00c6olus 213\n\n XIX. Hercules 216\n\n XX. Perseus 240\n\n XXI. Theseus 250\n\n XXII. Jason 263\n\n XXIII. The Calydonian Hunt 275\n\n XXIV. Oedipus 280\n\n XXV. Bellerophon 291\n\n XXVI. Minor Divinities 297\n\n XXVII. The Trojan War 305\n\n XXVIII. Adventures of Ulysses 337\n\n XXIX. Adventures of \u00c6neas 360\n\n XXX. Analysis of Myths 378\n\n GENEALOGICAL TABLE 402\n\n INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS 405\n\n GLOSSARY AND INDEX 407\n\n\n\n\n [Illustration: Maps.]\n\n\n\n\nLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.\n\n\n PAGE\n Homer 2\n\n Amor 14\n\n Fountain of Cybele (Rhea) 19\n\n Minerva and Prometheus 26\n\n Pandora 30\n\n Hope 34\n\n Olympian Zeus 40\n\n Ganymede and the Eagle 42\n\n The Abduction of Europa 46\n\n Juno 50\n\n Iris 53\n\n Minerva 56\n\n Apollo Belvedere 66\n\n Apollo and Daphne 69\n\n Orpheus and Eurydice 78\n\n Farnese Bull 81\n\n Aurora 86\n\n Apollo and the Muses 89\n\n Diana of Versailles 92\n\n Niobe 95\n\n Venus de Milo 102\n\n Fourth Hour of the Night 104\n\n Sleeping Love 109\n\n Hero and Leander 115\n\n Cupid awakening Psyche 125\n\n Charon and Psyche 129\n\n Flying Mercury 133\n\n Venus de Milo and Mars 141\n\n The Forge of Vulcan 146\n\n Fountain of Neptune 150\n\n Father Nile 157\n\n The Furies 162\n\n The Three Fates 164\n\n Bacchus 175\n\n Marriage of Bacchus and Ariadne 180\n\n Abduction of Proserpina 185\n\n Ceres 189\n\n A Nymph 191\n\n School of the Vestal Virgins 199\n\n The Vestal Tuccia 201\n\n Genius of Death 209\n\n Hercules an Infant 217\n\n Hercules and Centaur 222\n\n Mounted Amazon going to the Chase 225\n\n Hercules at the Feet of Omphale 231\n\n Fortuna 233\n\n Farnese Hercules 237\n\n Perseus 245\n\n Perseus and Andromeda 247\n\n D\u00e6dalus and Icarus 254\n\n Ariadne 258\n\n Theseus 261\n\n Jason and the Dragon 270\n\n Medea 272\n\n Atalanta's Race 277\n\n Oedipus and the Sphinx 284\n\n Antigone and Ismene 289\n\n Chim\u00e6ra 293\n\n Vertumnus and Pomona 302\n\n Paris 309\n\n Abduction of Helen 313\n\n Parting of Hector and Andromache 322\n\n Thetis bearing the Armor of Achilles 327\n\n Laocoon 334\n\n Triumph of Galatea 340\n\n Acis and Galatea (Evening) 342\n\n Circe and the Friends of Ulysses 348\n\n Siren 351\n\n Penelope 356\n\n \u00c6neas at the Court of Dido 368\n\n Cum\u00e6an Sibyl 371\n\n\n\n\nMYTHS OF GREECE AND ROME.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nTHE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS.\n\n\nMythology is the science which treats of the early traditions, or\nmyths, relating to the religion of the ancients, and includes, besides\na full account of the origin of their gods, their theory concerning\nthe beginning of all things.\n\n[Sidenote: Myths of creation.]\n\nAmong all the nations scattered over the face of the earth, the\nHebrews alone were instructed by God, who gave them not only a full\naccount of the creation of the world and of all living creatures, but\nalso a code of laws to regulate their conduct. All the questions they\nfain would ask were fully answered, and no room remained for\nconjecture.\n\nIt was not so, however, with the other nations. The Greeks and Romans,\nfor instance, lacking the definite knowledge which we obtain from the\nScriptures, and still anxious to know everything, were forced to\nconstruct, in part, their own theory. As they looked about them for\nsome clue to serve as guide, they could not help but observe and\nadmire the wonders of nature. The succession of day and night, summer\nand winter, rain and sunshine; the fact that the tallest trees sprang\nfrom tiny seeds, the greatest rivers from diminutive streams, and the\nmost beautiful flowers and delicious fruits from small green\nbuds,--all seemed to tell them of a superior Being, who had fashioned\nthem to serve a definite purpose.\n\nThey soon came to the conclusion that a hand mighty enough to call all\nthese wonders into life, could also have created the beautiful Earth\nwhereon they dwelt. These thoughts gave rise to others; suppositions\nbecame certainties; and soon the following myth or fable was evolved,\nto be handed down from generation to generation.\n\nAt first, when all things lay in a great confused mass,--\n\n \"Ere earth, and sea, and covering heavens, were known,\n The face of nature, o'er the world, was one;\n And men have call'd it Chaos; formless, rude,\n The mass; dead matter's weight, inert, and crude;\n Where, in mix'd heap of ill-compounded mold,\n The jarring seeds of things confusedly roll'd.\"\n\n Ovid (Elton's tr.).\n\nThe Earth did not exist. Land, sea, and air were mixed up together; so\nthat the earth was not solid, the sea was not fluid, nor the air\ntransparent.\n\n \"No sun yet beam'd from yon cerulean height;\n No orbing moon repair'd her horns of light;\n No earth, self-poised, on liquid ether hung;\n No sea its world-enclasping waters flung;\n Earth was half air, half sea, an embryo heap;\n Nor earth was fix'd, nor fluid was the deep;\n Dark was the void of air; no form was traced;\n Obstructing atoms struggled through the waste;\n Where cold, and hot, and moist, and dry rebell'd;\n Heavy the light, and hard the soft repell'd.\"\n\n Ovid (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Chaos and Nyx.]\n\nOver this shapeless mass reigned a careless deity called Chaos, whose\npersonal appearance could not be described, as there was no light by\nwhich he could be seen. He shared his throne with his wife, the dark\ngoddess of Night, named Nyx or Nox, whose black robes, and still\nblacker countenance, did not tend to enliven the surrounding gloom.\n\n[Sidenote: Erebus, \u00c6ther, and Hemera.]\n\nThese two divinities wearied of their power in the course of time, and\ncalled their son Erebus (Darkness) to their assistance. His first act\nwas to dethrone and supplant Chaos; and then, thinking he would be\nhappier with a helpmeet, he married his own mother, Nyx. Of course,\nwith our present views, this marriage was a heinous sin; but the\nancients, who at first had no fixed laws, did not consider this union\nunsuitable, and recounted how Erebus and Nyx ruled over the chaotic\nworld together, until their two beautiful children, \u00c6ther (Light) and\nHemera (Day), acting in concert, dethroned them, and seized the\nsupreme power.\n\n[Sidenote: Creation of G\u00e6a and Uranus.]\n\nSpace, illumined for the first time by their radiance, revealed itself\nin all its uncouthness. \u00c6ther and Hemera carefully examined the\nconfusion, saw its innumerable possibilities, and decided to evolve\nfrom it a \"thing of beauty;\" but quite conscious of the magnitude of\nsuch an undertaking, and feeling that some assistance would be\ndesirable, they summoned Eros (Amor or Love), their own child, to\ntheir aid. By their combined efforts, Pontus (the Sea) and G\u00e6a (Ge,\nTellus, Terra), as the Earth was first called, were created.\n\nIn the beginning the Earth did not present the beautiful appearance\nthat it does now. No trees waved their leafy branches on the\nhillsides; no flowers bloomed in the valleys; no grass grew on the\nplains; no birds flew through the air. All was silent, bare, and\nmotionless. Eros, the first to perceive these deficiencies, seized his\nlife-giving arrows and pierced the cold bosom of the Earth.\nImmediately the brown surface was covered with luxuriant verdure;\nbirds of many colors flitted through the foliage of the new-born\nforest trees; animals of all kinds gamboled over the grassy plains;\nand swift-darting fishes swam in the limpid streams. All was now life,\njoy, and motion.\n\n [Illustration: AMOR.--Martin.]\n\nG\u00e6a, roused from her apathy, admired all that had already been done\nfor her embellishment, and, resolving to crown and complete the work\nso well begun, created Uranus (Heaven).\n\n \"Her first-born Earth produc'd,\n Of like immensity, the starry Heaven:\n That he might sheltering compass her around\n On every side.\"\n\n Hesiod (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The egg myth.]\n\nThis version of the creation of the world, although but one of the\nmany current with the Greeks and Romans, was the one most generally\nadopted; but another, also very popular, stated that the first\ndivinities, Erebus and Nyx, produced a gigantic egg, from which Eros,\nthe god of love, emerged to create the Earth.\n\n \"In the dreary chaotical closet\n Of Erebus old, was a privy deposit,\n By Night the prim\u00e6val in secrecy laid;\n A Mystical Egg, that in silence and shade\n Was brooded and hatched; till time came about:\n And Love, the delightful, in glory flew out.\"\n\n Aristophanes (Frere's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Mount Olympus and the river Oceanus.]\n\nThe Earth thus created was supposed by the ancients to be a disk,\ninstead of a sphere as science has proved. The Greeks fancied that\ntheir country occupied a central position, and that Mount Olympus, a\nvery high mountain, the mythological abode of their gods, was placed\nin the exact center. Their Earth was divided into two equal parts by\nPontus (the Sea,--equivalent to our Mediterranean and Black Seas); and\nall around it flowed the great river Oceanus in a \"steady, equable\ncurrent,\" undisturbed by storm, from which the Sea and all the rivers\nwere supposed to derive their waters.\n\n[Sidenote: The Hyperboreans.]\n\nThe Greeks also imagined that the portion of the Earth directly north\nof their country was inhabited by a fortunate race of men, the\nHyperboreans, who dwelt in continual bliss, and enjoyed a never-ending\nspringtide. Their homes were said to be \"inaccessible by land or by\nsea.\" They were \"exempt from disease, old age, and death,\" and were so\nvirtuous that the gods frequently visited them, and even condescended\nto share their feasts and games. A people thus favored could not fail\nto be happy, and many were the songs in praise of their sunny land.\n\n \"I come from a land in the sun-bright deep,\n Where golden gardens grow;\n Where the winds of the north, becalm'd in sleep,\n Their conch shells never blow.\n\n \"So near the track of the stars are we,\n That oft, on night's pale beams,\n The distant sounds of their harmony\n Come to our ears, like dreams.\n\n \"The Moon, too, brings her world so nigh,\n That when the night-seer looks\n To that shadowless orb, in a vernal sky,\n He can number its hills and brooks.\n\n \"To the Sun god all our hearts and lyres\n By day, by night, belong;\n And the breath we draw from his living fires\n We give him back in song.\"\n\n Moore.\n\n[Sidenote: The Ethiopians and the Isles of the Blest.]\n\nSouth of Greece, also near the great river Oceanus, dwelt another\nnation, just as happy and virtuous as the Hyperboreans,--the\nEthiopians. They, too, often enjoyed the company of the gods, who\nshared their innocent pleasures with great delight.\n\nAnd far away, on the shore of this same marvelous river, according to\nsome mythologists, were the beautiful Isles of the Blest, where\nmortals who had led virtuous lives, and had thus found favor in the\nsight of the gods, were transported without tasting of death, and\nwhere they enjoyed an eternity of bliss. These islands had sun, moon,\nand stars of their own, and were never visited by the cold wintry\nwinds that swept down from the north.\n\n \"The Isles of the Blest, they say,\n The Isles of the Blest,\n Are peaceful and happy, by night and by day,\n Far away in the glorious west.\n\n \"They need not the moon in that land of delight,\n They need not the pale, pale star;\n The sun is bright, by day and night,\n Where the souls of the blessed are.\n\n \"They till not the ground, they plow not the wave,\n They labor not, never! oh, never!\n Not a tear do they shed, not a sigh do they heave,\n They are happy, for ever and ever!\"\n\n Pindar.\n\n[Sidenote: Uranus and G\u00e6a.]\n\nChaos, Erebus, and Nyx were deprived of their power by \u00c6ther and\nHemera, who did not long enjoy the possession of the scepter; for\nUranus and G\u00e6a, more powerful than their progenitors, soon forced them\nto depart, and began to reign in their stead. They had not dwelt long\non the summit of Mount Olympus, before they found themselves the\nparents of twelve gigantic children, the Titans, whose strength was\nsuch that their father, Uranus, greatly feared them. To prevent their\never making use of it against him, he seized them immediately after\ntheir birth, hurled them down into a dark abyss called Tartarus, and\nthere chained them fast.\n\n[Sidenote: Titans, Cyclopes, and Centimani.]\n\nThis chasm was situated far under the earth; and Uranus knew that his\nsix sons (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Cronus), as\nwell as his six daughters, the Titanides (Ilia, Rhea, Themis, Thetis,\nMnemosyne, and Phoebe), could not easily escape from its cavernous\ndepths. The Titans did not long remain sole occupants of Tartarus, for\none day the brazen doors were again thrown wide open to admit the\nCyclopes,--Brontes (Thunder), Steropes (Lightning), and Arges\n(Sheet-lightning),--three later-born children of Uranus and G\u00e6a, who\nhelped the Titans to make the darkness hideous with their incessant\nclamor for freedom. In due time their number was increased by the\nthree terrible Centimani (Hundred-handed), Cottus, Briareus, and Gyes,\nwho were sent thither by Uranus to share their fate.\n\nGreatly dissatisfied with the treatment her children had received at\ntheir father's hands, G\u00e6a remonstrated, but all in vain. Uranus would\nnot grant her request to set the giants free, and, whenever their\nmuffled cries reached his ear, he trembled for his own safety. Angry\nbeyond all expression, G\u00e6a swore revenge, and descended into Tartarus,\nwhere she urged the Titans to conspire against their father, and\nattempt to wrest the scepter from his grasp.\n\n[Sidenote: The Titans revolt.]\n\nAll listened attentively to the words of sedition; but none were\ncourageous enough to carry out her plans, except Cronus, the youngest\nof the Titans, more familiarly known as Saturn or Time, who found\nconfinement and chains peculiarly galling, and who hated his father\nfor his cruelty. G\u00e6a finally induced him to lay violent hands upon his\nsire, and, after releasing him from his bonds, gave him a scythe, and\nbade him be of good cheer and return victorious.\n\nThus armed and admonished, Cronus set forth, came upon his father\nunawares, defeated him, thanks to his extraordinary weapon, and, after\nbinding him fast, took possession of the vacant throne, intending to\nrule the universe forever. Enraged at this insult, Uranus cursed his\nson, and prophesied that a day would come when he, too, would be\nsupplanted by his children, and would suffer just punishment for his\nrebellion.\n\n [Illustration: FOUNTAIN OF CYBELE (RHEA). (Madrid.)]\n\n[Sidenote: Cronus and Rhea.]\n\nCronus paid no heed to his father's imprecations, but calmly proceeded\nto release the Titans, his brothers and sisters, who, in their joy and\ngratitude to escape the dismal realm of Tartarus, expressed their\nwillingness to be ruled by him. Their satisfaction was complete,\nhowever, when he chose his own sister Rhea (Cybele, Ops) for his\nconsort, and assigned to each of the others some portion of the world\nto govern at will. To Oceanus and Thetis, for example, he gave charge\nover the ocean and all the rivers upon earth; while to Hyperion and\nPhoebe he intrusted the direction of the sun and moon, which the\nancients supposed were daily driven across the sky in brilliant golden\nchariots.\n\nPeace and security now reigned on and around Mount Olympus; and\nCronus, with great satisfaction, congratulated himself on the result\nof his enterprise. One fine morning, however, his equanimity was\ndisturbed by the announcement that a son was born to him. The memory\nof his father's curse then suddenly returned to his mind. Anxious to\navert so great a calamity as the loss of his power, he hastened to his\nwife, determined to devour the child, and thus prevent him from\ncausing further annoyance. Wholly unsuspicious, Rhea heard him inquire\nfor his son. Gladly she placed him in his extended arms; but imagine\nher surprise and horror when she beheld her husband swallow the babe!\n\n[Sidenote: Birth of Jupiter.]\n\nTime passed, and another child was born, but only to meet with the\nsame cruel fate. One infant after another disappeared down the\ncapacious throat of the voracious Cronus,--a personification of Time,\nwho creates only to destroy. In vain the bereaved mother besought the\nlife of one little one: the selfish, hard-hearted father would not\nrelent. As her prayers seemed unavailing, Rhea finally resolved to\nobtain by stratagem the boon her husband denied; and as soon as her\nyoungest son, Jupiter (Jove, Zeus), was born, she concealed him.\n\nCronus, aware of his birth, soon made his appearance, determined to\ndispose of him in the usual summary manner. For some time Rhea pleaded\nwith him, but at last pretended to yield to his commands. Hastily\nwrapping a large stone in swaddling clothes, she handed it to Cronus,\nsimulating intense grief. Cronus was evidently not of a very inquiring\nturn of mind, for he swallowed the whole without investigating the\nreal contents of the shapeless bundle.\n\n \"To th' imperial son of Heaven,\n Whilom the king of gods, a stone she gave\n Inwrapt in infant swathes; and this with grasp\n Eager he snatch'd, and in his ravening breast\n Convey'd away: unhappy! nor once thought\n That for the stone his child behind remain'd\n Invincible, secure; who soon, with hands\n Of strength o'ercoming him, should cast him forth\n From glory, and himself th' immortals rule.\"\n\n Hesiod (Elton's tr.).\n\nIgnorant of the deception practiced upon him, Cronus then took leave,\nand the overjoyed mother clasped her rescued treasure to her breast.\nIt was not sufficient, however, to have saved young Jupiter from\nimminent death: it was also necessary that his father should remain\nunconscious of his existence.\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter's infancy.]\n\nTo insure this, Rhea intrusted her babe to the tender care of the\nMelian nymphs, who bore him off to a cave on Mount Ida. There a goat,\nAmalthea, was procured to act as nurse, and fulfilled her office so\nacceptably that she was eventually placed in the heavens as a\nconstellation, a brilliant reward for her kind ministrations. To\nprevent Jupiter's cries being heard in Olympus, the Curetes\n(Corybantes), Rhea's priests, uttered piercing screams, clashed their\nweapons, executed fierce dances, and chanted rude war songs.\n\nThe real significance of all this unwonted noise and commotion was not\nat all understood by Cronus, who, in the intervals of his numerous\naffairs, congratulated himself upon the cunning he had shown to\nprevent the accomplishment of his father's curse. But all his anxiety\nand fears were aroused when he suddenly became aware of the fraud\npracticed upon him, and of young Jupiter's continued existence. He\nimmediately tried to devise some plan to get rid of him; but, before\nhe could put it into execution, he found himself attacked, and, after\na short but terrible encounter, signally defeated.\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter's supremacy.]\n\nJupiter, delighted to have triumphed so quickly, took possession of\nthe supreme power, and aided by Rhea's counsels, and by a nauseous\npotion prepared by Metis, a daughter of Oceanus, compelled Cronus to\nproduce the unfortunate children he had swallowed; i.e., Neptune,\nPluto, Vesta, Ceres, and Juno.\n\nFollowing the example of his predecessor, Jupiter gave his brothers\nand sisters a fair share of his new kingdom. The wisest among the\nTitans--Mnemosyne, Themis, Oceanus, and Hyperion--submitted to the new\nsovereign without murmur, but the others refused their allegiance;\nwhich refusal, of course, occasioned a deadly conflict.\n\n \"When gods began with wrath,\n And war rose up between their starry brows,\n Some choosing to cast Cronus from his throne\n That Zeus might king it there, and some in haste\n With opposite oaths that they would have no Zeus\n To rule the gods forever.\"\n\n E. B. Browning.\n\n[Sidenote: The giants' war.]\n\nJupiter, from the top of Mount Olympus, discerned the superior number\nof his foes, and, quite aware of their might, concluded that\nre\u00ebnforcements to his party would not be superfluous. In haste,\ntherefore, he released the Cyclopes from Tartarus, where they had\nlanguished so long, stipulating that in exchange for their freedom\nthey should supply him with thunderbolts,--weapons which only they\nknew how to forge. This new engine caused great terror and dismay in\nthe ranks of the enemy, who, nevertheless, soon rallied, and struggled\nvaliantly to overthrow the usurper and win back the sovereignty of the\nworld.\n\nDuring ten long years the war raged incessantly, neither party wishing\nto submit to the dominion of the other, but at the end of that time\nthe rebellious Titans were obliged to yield. Some of them were hurled\ninto Tartarus once more, where they were carefully secured by Neptune,\nJupiter's brother, while the young conqueror joyfully proclaimed his\nvictory.\n\n \"League all your forces then, ye powers above,\n Join all, and try th' omnipotence of Jove:\n Let down our golden everlasting chain,\n Whose strong embrace holds heaven and earth and main:\n Strive all, of mortal and immortal birth,\n To drag, by this, the Thunderer down to earth,\n Ye strive in vain! if I but stretch this hand,\n I heave the gods, the ocean, and the land;\n I fix the chain to great Olympus' height,\n And the vast world hangs trembling in my sight!\n For such I reign, unbounded and above;\n And such are men and gods, compar'd to Jove.\"\n\n Homer (Pope's tr.).\n\nThe scene of this mighty conflict was supposed to have been in\nThessaly, where the country bears the imprint of some great natural\nconvulsion; for the ancients imagined that the gods, making the most\nof their gigantic strength and stature, hurled huge rocks at each\nother, and piled mountain upon mountain to reach the abode of Jupiter,\nthe Thunderer.\n\n \"Mountain on mountain, as the Titans erst,\n My brethren, scaling the high seat of Jove,\n Heaved Pelion upon Ossa's shoulders broad\n In vain emprise.\"\n\n Lowell.\n\nSaturn, or Cronus, the leader and instigator of the revolt, weary at\nlast of bloodshed and strife, withdrew to Italy, or Hesperia, where he\nfounded a prosperous kingdom, and reigned in peace for many long\nyears.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Typhoeus.]\n\nJupiter, having disposed of all the Titans, now fancied he would enjoy\nthe power so unlawfully obtained; but G\u00e6a, to punish him for depriving\nher children of their birthright, created a terrible monster, called\nTyphoeus, or Typhon, which she sent to attack him. This Typhoeus was a\ngiant, from whose trunk one hundred dragon heads arose; flames shot\nfrom his eyes, nostrils, and mouths; while he incessantly uttered such\nblood-curdling screams, that the gods, in terror, fled from Mount\nOlympus and sought refuge in Egypt. In mortal fear lest this\nterror-inspiring monster would pursue them, the gods there assumed the\nforms of different animals; and Jupiter became a ram, while Juno, his\nsister and queen, changed herself into a cow.\n\nThe king of the gods, however, soon became ashamed of his cowardly\nflight, and resolved to return to Mount Olympus to slay Typhoeus with\nhis terrible thunderbolts. A long and fierce struggle ensued, at the\nend of which, Jupiter, again victorious, viewed his fallen foe with\nboundless pride; but his triumph was very short-lived.\n\n[Sidenote: Defeat of Enceladus.]\n\nEnceladus, another redoubtable giant, also created by G\u00e6a, now\nappeared to avenge Typhoeus. He too was signally defeated, and bound\nwith adamantine chains in a burning cave under Mount \u00c6tna. In early\ntimes, before he had become accustomed to his prison, he gave vent to\nhis rage by outcries, imprecations, and groans: sometimes he even\nbreathed forth fire and flames, in hopes of injuring his conqueror.\nBut time, it is said, somewhat cooled his resentment; and now he is\ncontent with an occasional change of position, which, owing to his\nhuge size, causes the earth to tremble over a space of many miles,\nproducing what is called an earthquake.\n\n \"'Tis said, that thunder-struck Enceladus,\n Groveling beneath the incumbent mountain's weight,\n Lies stretched supine, eternal prey of flames;\n And, when he heaves against the burning load,\n Reluctant, to invert his broiling limbs,\n A sudden earthquake shoots through all the isle,\n And \u00c6tna thunders dreadful under ground,\n Then pours out smoke in wreathing curls convolved,\n And shades the sun's bright orb, and blots out day.\"\n\n Addison.\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter divides his realm.]\n\nJupiter had now conquered all his foes, asserted his right to the\nthrone, and could at last reign over the world undisturbed; but he\nknew that it would be no small undertaking to rule well heaven,\nearth, and sea, and resolved to divide the power with his brothers. To\navoid quarrels and recriminations, he portioned the world out into\nlots, allowing each of his brothers the privilege of drawing his own\nshare.\n\nNeptune thus obtained control over the sea and all the rivers, and\nimmediately expressed his resolve to wear a symbolic crown, composed\nexclusively of marine shells and aquatic plants, and to abide within\nthe bounds of his watery realm.\n\nPluto, the most taciturn of the brothers, received for his portion the\nscepter of Tartarus and all the Lower World, where no beam of sunlight\nwas ever allowed to find its way; while Jupiter reserved for himself\nthe general supervision of his brothers' estates, and the direct\nmanagement of Heaven and Earth.\n\nPeace now reigned throughout all the world. Not a murmur was heard,\nexcept from the Titans, who at length, seeing that further opposition\nwould be useless, grew reconciled to their fate.\n\nIn the days of their prosperity, the Titans had intermarried. Cronus\nhad taken Rhea \"for better or for worse;\" and Iapetus had seen, loved,\nand wedded the fair Clymene, one of the ocean nymphs, or Oceanides,\ndaughters of Oceanus. The latter pair became the proud parents of four\ngigantic sons,--Atlas, Menetius, Prometheus (Forethought), and\nEpimetheus (Afterthought),--who were destined to play prominent parts\nin Grecian mythology.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Prometheus.]\n\nAt the time of the creation, after covering the new-born Earth with\nluxuriant vegetation, and peopling it with living creatures of all\nkinds, Eros perceived that it would be necessary to endow them with\ninstincts which would enable them to preserve and enjoy the life they\nhad received. He therefore called the youngest two sons of Iapetus to\nhis aid, and bade them make a judicious distribution of gifts to all\nliving creatures, and create and endow a superior being, called Man,\nto rule over all the others.\n\n [Illustration: MINERVA AND PROMETHEUS.--Thorwaldsen. (Copenhagen.)]\n\nPrometheus' and Epimetheus' first care was, very naturally, to provide\nfor the beings already created. These they endowed with such reckless\ngenerosity, that all their favors were soon dispensed, and none\nremained for the endowment of man. Although they had not the remotest\nidea how to overcome this difficulty, they proceeded to fashion man\nfrom clay.\n\n \"Prometheus first transmuted\n Atoms culled for human clay.\"\n\n Horace.\n\nThey first molded an image similar in form to the gods; bade Eros\nbreathe into its nostrils the spirit of life, and Minerva (Pallas)\nendow it with a soul; whereupon man lived, and moved, and viewed his\nnew domain.\n\nJustly proud of his handiwork, Prometheus observed man, and longed to\nbestow upon him some great power, unshared by any other creature of\nmortal birth, which would raise him far above all other living beings,\nand bring him nearer to the perfection of the immortal gods. Fire\nalone, in his estimation, could effect this; but fire was the special\npossession and prerogative of the gods, and Prometheus knew they would\nnever willingly share it with man, and that, should any one obtain it\nby stealth, they would never forgive the thief. Long he pondered the\nmatter, and finally determined to obtain fire, or die in the attempt.\n\nOne dark night, therefore, he set out for Olympus, entered unperceived\ninto the gods' abode, seized a lighted brand, hid it in his bosom, and\ndeparted unseen, exulting in the success of his enterprise. Arrived\nupon earth once more, he consigned the stolen treasure to the care of\nman, who immediately adapted it to various purposes, and eloquently\nexpressed his gratitude to the benevolent deity who had risked his own\nlife to obtain it for him.\n\n \"Of Prometheus, how undaunted\n On Olympus' shining bastions\n His audacious foot he planted,\n Myths are told and songs are chanted,\n Full of promptings and suggestions.\n\n \"Beautiful is the tradition\n Of that flight through heavenly portals,\n The old classic superstition\n Of the theft and the transmission\n Of the fire of the Immortals.\"\n\n Longfellow.\n\nFrom his lofty throne on the topmost peak of Mount Olympus Jupiter\nbeheld an unusual light down upon earth. Anxious to ascertain its\nexact nature, he watched it closely, and before long discovered the\nlarceny. His anger then burst forth, terrible to behold; and the gods\nall quailed when they heard him solemnly vow he would punish the\nunhappy Prometheus without mercy. To seize the offender in his mighty\ngrasp, bear him off to the Caucasian Mountains, and bind him fast to a\ngreat rock, was but a moment's work. There a voracious vulture was\nsummoned to feast upon his liver, the tearing of which from his side\nby the bird's cruel beak and talons caused the sufferer intense\nanguish. All day long the vulture gorged himself; but during the cool\nnight, while the bird slept, Prometheus' suffering abated, and the\nliver grew again, thus prolonging the torture, which bade fair to have\nno end.\n\nDisheartened by the prospect of long years of unremitting pain,\nPrometheus at times could not refrain from pitiful complaints; but\ngeneration after generation of men lived on earth, and died, blessing\nhim for the gift he had obtained for them at such a terrible cost.\nAfter many centuries of woe, Hercules, son of Jupiter and Alcmene,\nfound Prometheus, killed the vulture, broke the adamantine chains, and\nliberated the long-suffering god.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Epimetheus and Pandora.]\n\nThe first mortals lived on earth in a state of perfect innocence and\nbliss. The air was pure and balmy; the sun shone brightly all the\nyear; the earth brought forth delicious fruit in abundance; and\nbeautiful, fragrant flowers bloomed everywhere. Man was content.\nExtreme cold, hunger, sickness, and death were unknown. Jupiter, who\njustly ascribed a good part of this beatific condition to the gift\nconferred by Prometheus, was greatly displeased, and tried to devise\nsome means to punish mankind for the acceptance of the heavenly fire.\n\nWith this purpose in view, he assembled the gods on Mount Olympus,\nwhere, in solemn council, they decided to create woman; and, as soon\nas she had been artfully fashioned, each one endowed her with some\nspecial charm, to make her more attractive.\n\n \"The crippled artist-god,\n Illustrious, molded from the yielding clay\n A bashful virgin's image, as advis'd\n Saturnian Jove.\n\n * * * * *\n\n \"But now when the fair mischief, seeming-good,\n His hand had perfected, he led her forth\n Exulting in her grac'd attire, the gift\n Of Pallas, in the midst of gods and men.\n On men and gods in that same moment seiz'd\n The ravishment of wonder, when they saw\n The deep deceit, th' inextricable snare.\"\n\n Hesiod (Elton's tr.).\n\nTheir united efforts were crowned with the utmost success. Nothing was\nlacking, except a name for the peerless creature; and the gods, after\ndue consideration, decreed she should be called Pandora. They then\nbade Mercury take her to Prometheus as a gift from heaven; but he,\nknowing only too well that nothing good would come to him from the\ngods, refused to accept her, and cautioned his brother Epimetheus to\nfollow his example. Unfortunately Epimetheus was of a confiding\ndisposition, and when he beheld the maiden he exclaimed, \"Surely so\nbeautiful and gentle a being can bring no evil!\" and accepted her most\njoyfully.\n\nThe first days of their union were spent in blissful wanderings, hand\nin hand, under the cool forest shade; in weaving garlands of fragrant\nflowers; and in refreshing themselves with the luscious fruit, which\nhung so temptingly within reach.\n\n [Illustration: PANDORA.--Sichel.]\n\nOne lovely evening, while dancing on the green, they saw Mercury,\nJupiter's messenger, coming towards them. His step was slow and weary,\nhis garments dusty and travel-stained, and he seemed almost to stagger\nbeneath the weight of a huge box which rested upon his shoulders.\nPandora immediately ceased dancing, to speculate with feminine\ncuriosity upon the contents of the chest. She nudged Epimetheus, and\nin a whisper begged him to ask Mercury what brought him thither.\nEpimetheus complied with her request; but Mercury evaded the question,\nasked permission to deposit his burden in their dwelling for\nsafekeeping, professing himself too weary to convey it to its\ndestination that day, and promised to call for it shortly. The\npermission was promptly granted. Mercury, with a sigh of relief,\nplaced the box in one corner, and then departed, refusing all\nhospitable offers of rest and refreshment.\n\nHe had scarcely crossed the threshold, when Pandora expressed a strong\ndesire to have a peep at the contents of the mysterious box; but\nEpimetheus, surprised and shocked, told her that her curiosity was\nunseemly, and then, to dispel the frown and pout seen for the first\ntime on the fair face of his beloved, he entreated her to come out\ninto the fresh air and join in the merry games of their companions.\nFor the first time, also, Pandora refused to comply with his request.\nDismayed, and very much discouraged, Epimetheus sauntered out alone,\nthinking she would soon join him, and perhaps by some caress atone for\nher present willfulness.\n\nLeft alone with the mysterious casket, Pandora became more and more\ninquisitive. Stealthily she drew near, and examined it with great\ninterest, for it was curiously wrought of dark wood, and surmounted by\na delicately carved head, of such fine workmanship that it seemed to\nsmile and encourage her. Around the box a glittering golden cord was\nwound, and fastened on top in an intricate knot. Pandora, who prided\nherself specially on her deft fingers, felt sure she could unfasten\nit, and, reasoning that it would not be indiscreet to untie it if she\ndid not raise the lid, she set to work. Long she strove, but all in\nvain. Ever and anon the laughing voices of Epimetheus and his\ncompanions, playing in the luxuriant shade, were wafted in on the\nsummer breeze. Repeatedly she heard them call, and beseech her to join\nthem; yet she persisted in her attempt. She was just on the point of\ngiving it up in despair, when suddenly the refractory knot yielded to\nher fumbling fingers, and the cord, unrolling, dropped on the floor.\n\nPandora had repeatedly fancied that sounds like whispers issued from\nthe box. The noise now seemed to increase, and she breathlessly\napplied her ear to the lid to ascertain whether it really proceeded\nfrom within. Imagine, therefore, her surprise when she distinctly\nheard these words, uttered in the most pitiful accents: \"Pandora, dear\nPandora, have pity upon us! Free us from this gloomy prison! Open,\nopen, we beseech you!\"\n\nPandora's heart beat so fast and loud, that it seemed for a moment to\ndrown all other sounds. Should she open the box? Just then a familiar\nstep outside made her start guiltily. Epimetheus was coming, and she\nknew he would urge her again to come out, and would prevent the\ngratification of her curiosity. Precipitately, therefore, she raised\nthe lid to have one little peep before he came in.\n\nNow, Jupiter had malignantly crammed into this box all the diseases,\nsorrows, vices, and crimes that afflict poor humanity; and the box was\nno sooner opened, than all these ills flew out, in the guise of horrid\nlittle brown-winged creatures, closely resembling moths. These little\ninsects fluttered about, alighting, some upon Epimetheus, who had just\nentered, and some upon Pandora, pricking and stinging them most\nunmercifully. Then they flew out through the open door and windows,\nand fastened upon the merrymakers without, whose shouts of joy were\nsoon changed into wails of pain and anguish.\n\nEpimetheus and Pandora had never before experienced the faintest\nsensation of pain or anger; but, as soon as these winged evil spirits\nhad stung them, they began to weep, and, alas! quarreled for the first\ntime in their lives. Epimetheus reproached his wife in bitterest terms\nfor her thoughtless action; but in the very midst of his vituperation\nhe suddenly heard a sweet little voice entreat for freedom. The sound\nproceeded from the unfortunate box, whose cover Pandora had dropped\nagain, in the first moment of her surprise and pain. \"Open, open, and\nI will heal your wounds! Please let me out!\" it pleaded.\n\nThe tearful couple viewed each other inquiringly, and listened again.\nOnce more they heard the same pitiful accents; and Epimetheus bade his\nwife open the box and set the speaker free, adding very amiably, that\nshe had already done so much harm by her ill-fated curiosity, that it\nwould be difficult to add materially to its evil consequences, and\nthat, perchance, the box contained some good spirit, whose\nministrations might prove beneficial.\n\nIt was well for Pandora that she opened the box a second time, for the\ngods, with a sudden impulse of compassion, had concealed among the\nevil spirits one kindly creature, Hope, whose mission was to heal the\nwounds inflicted by her fellow-prisoners.\n\n \"Hope sole remain'd within, nor took her flight,\n Beneath the vessel's verge conceal'd from light.\"\n\n Hesiod (Elton's tr.).\n\nLightly fluttering hither and thither on her snowy pinions, Hope\ntouched the punctured places on Pandora's and Epimetheus' creamy skin,\nand relieved their suffering, then quickly flew out of the open\nwindow, to perform the same gentle office for the other victims, and\ncheer their downcast spirits.\n\nThus, according to the ancients, evil entered into the world, bringing\nuntold misery; but Hope followed closely in its footsteps, to aid\nstruggling humanity, and point to a happier future.\n\n \"Hope rules a land forever green:\n All powers that serve the bright-eyed Queen\n Are confident and gay;\n Clouds at her bidding disappear;\n Points she to aught?--the bliss draws near,\n And Fancy smooths the way.\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\n [Illustration: HOPE.--Thorwaldsen.]\n\nDuring many centuries, therefore, Hope continued to be revered,\nalthough the other divinities had ceased to be worshiped.\n\nAccording to another version, Pandora was sent down to man, bearing a\nvase in which the evil spirits were imprisoned, and on the way, seized\nby a fit of curiosity, raised the cover, and allowed them all to\nescape.\n\n[Sidenote: The Four Ages.]\n\nLittle by little the world was peopled; and the first years of man's\nexistence upon earth were, as we have seen, years of unalloyed\nhappiness. There was no occasion for labor, for the earth brought\nforth spontaneously all that was necessary for man's subsistence.\n\"Innocence, virtue, and truth prevailed; neither were there any laws\nto restrict men, nor judges to punish.\" This time of bliss has justly\nborne the title of Golden Age, and the people in Italy then throve\nunder the wise rule of good old Saturn, or Cronus.\n\nUnfortunately, nothing in this world is lasting; and the Golden Age\nwas followed by another, not quite so prosperous, hence called the\nSilver Age, when the year was first divided into seasons, and men were\nobliged to toil for their daily bread.\n\n \"Succeeding times a silver age behold,\n Excelling brass, but more excell'd by gold.\n Then summer, autumn, winter, did appear,\n And spring was but a season of the year;\n The sun his annual course obliquely made,\n Good days contracted, and enlarg'd the bad.\n The air with sultry heats began to glow,\n The wings of winds were clogg'd with ice and snow;\n And shivering mortals into houses driven,\n Sought shelter from the inclemency of heaven.\n Those houses, then, were caves or homely sheds,\n With twining osiers fenc'd, and moss their beds.\n Then plows, for seed, the fruitful furrows broke,\n And oxen labor'd first beneath the yoke.\"\n\n Ovid (Dryden's tr.).\n\nYet, in spite of these few hardships, the people were happy, far\nhappier than their descendants during the Age of Brass, which\nspeedily followed, when strife became customary, and differences were\nsettled by blows.\n\nBut by far the worst of all was the Iron Age, when men's passions knew\nno bounds, and they even dared refuse all homage to the immortal gods.\nWar was waged incessantly; the earth was saturated with blood; the\nrights of hospitality were openly violated; and murder, rape, and\ntheft were committed on all sides.\n\n[Sidenote: The Deluge.]\n\nJupiter had kept a close watch over men's actions during all these\nyears; and this evil conduct aroused his wrath to such a point, that\nhe vowed he would annihilate the human race. But the modes of\ndestruction were manifold, and, as he could not decide which would\neventually prove most efficacious, he summoned the gods to deliberate\nand aid him by their counsels. The first suggestion offered, was to\ndestroy the world by fire, kindled by Jupiter's much-dreaded\nthunderbolts; and the king of gods was about to put it into instant\nexecution, when his arm was stayed by the objection that the rising\nflames might set fire to his own abode, and reduce its magnificence to\nunsightly ashes. He therefore rejected the plan as impracticable, and\nbade the gods devise other means of destruction.\n\nAfter much delay and discussion, the immortals agreed to wash mankind\noff the face of the earth by a mighty deluge. The winds were\ninstructed to gather together the rain clouds over the earth. Neptune\nlet loose the waves of the sea, bidding them rise, overflow, and\ndeluge the land. No sooner had the gods spoken, than the elements\nobeyed: the winds blew; the rain fell in torrents; lakes, seas,\nrivers, and oceans broke their bonds; and terrified mortals,\nforgetting their petty quarrels in a common impulse to flee from the\ndeath which threatened them, climbed the highest mountains, clung to\nuprooted trees, and even took refuge in the light skiffs they had\nconstructed in happier days. Their efforts were all in vain, however;\nfor the waters rose higher and higher, overtook them one after another\nin their ineffectual efforts to escape, closed over the homes where\nthey might have been so happy, and drowned their last despairing\ncries in their seething depths.\n\n \"Now hills and vales no more distinction know,\n And level'd nature lies oppress'd below;\n The most of mortals perish in the flood.\"\n\n Ovid (Dryden's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Deucalion and Pyrrha.]\n\nThe rain continued to fall, until, after many days, the waves covered\nall the surface of the earth except the summit of Mount Parnassus, the\nhighest peak in Greece. On this mountain, surrounded by the\never-rising flood, stood the son of Prometheus, Deucalion, with his\nfaithful wife Pyrrha, a daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora. From\nthence they, the sole survivors, viewed the universal desolation with\ntear-dimmed eyes.\n\nIn spite of the general depravity, the lives of this couple had always\nbeen pure and virtuous; and when Jupiter saw them there alone, and\nremembered their piety, he decided not to include them in the general\ndestruction, but to save their lives. He therefore bade the winds\nreturn to their cave, and the rain to cease. Neptune, in accordance\nwith his decree, blew a resounding blast upon his conch shell to\nrecall the wandering waves, which immediately returned within their\nusual bounds.\n\n \"At length the world was all restor'd to view,\n But desolate, and of a sickly hue;\n Nature beheld herself, and stood aghast,\n A dismal desert and a silent waste.\"\n\n Ovid (Dryden's tr.).\n\nDeucalion and Pyrrha followed the receding waves step by step down the\nsteep mountain side, wondering how they should repeople the desolate\nearth. As they talked, they came to the shrine of Delphi, which alone\nhad been able to resist the force of the waves. There they entered to\nconsult the wishes of the gods. Their surprise and horror were\nunbounded, however, when a voice exclaimed, \"Depart from hence with\nveiled heads, and cast your mother's bones behind you!\" To obey such\na command seemed sacrilegious in the extreme; for the dead had always\nbeen held in deep veneration by the Greeks, and the desecration of a\ngrave was considered a heinous crime, and punished accordingly. But,\nthey reasoned, the gods' oracles can seldom be accepted in a literal\nsense; and Deucalion, after due thought, explained to Pyrrha what he\nconceived to be the meaning of this mysterious command.\n\n\"The Earth,\" said he, \"is the mother of all, and the stones may be\nconsidered her bones.\" Husband and wife speedily decided to act upon\nthis premise, and continued their descent, casting stones behind them.\nAll those thrown by Deucalion were immediately changed into men, while\nthose cast by Pyrrha became women.\n\nThus the earth was peopled for the second time with a blameless race\nof men, sent to replace the wicked beings slain by Jupiter. Deucalion\nand Pyrrha shortly after became the happy parents of a son named\nHellen, who gave his name to all the Hellenic or Greek race; while his\nsons \u00c6olus and Dorus, and grandsons Ion and Ach\u00e6us, became the\nancestors of the \u00c6olian, Dorian, Ionian, and Achaian nations.\n\nOther mythologists, in treating of the deluvian myths, state that\nDeucalion and Pyrrha took refuge in an ark, which, after sailing about\nfor many days, was stranded on the top of Mount Parnassus. This\nversion was far less popular with the Greeks, although it betrays\nstill more plainly the common source whence all these myths are\nderived.\n\n \"Who does not see in drown Deucalion's name,\n When Earth her men and Sea had lost her shore,\n Old Noah!\"\n\n Fletcher.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nJUPITER.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter's titles.]\n\nJupiter, Jove, or Zeus, king of the gods, supreme ruler of the\nuniverse, the special deity of mankind, the personification of the sky\nand of all the phenomena of the air, and the guardian of political\norder and peace, was the most prominent of all the Olympian\ndivinities: the others were obliged to submit to his will, and\ntrembled at his all-powerful nod.\n\n \"He, whose all-conscious eyes the world behold,\n The eternal Thunderer sat, enthroned in gold.\n High heaven the footstool of his feet he makes,\n And wide beneath him all Olympus shakes.\"\n\n \"He spoke, and awful bends his sable brows,\n Shakes his ambrosial curls, and gives the nod,\n The stamp of fate and sanction of the god:\n High heaven with trembling the dread signal took,\n And all Olympus to the center shook.\"\n\n Homer (Pope's tr.).\n\nThe Fates and Destiny alone dared oppose Jupiter's sovereign will, and\nthey continued to issue their irrevocable decrees, even after he\nsupplanted his father and began to rule over all.\n\nIn common with all other Greek and Roman divinities, Jupiter, though\nimmortal, was subject to pleasure, pain, grief, and anger, and a prey\nto all the passions which rule the hearts of men.\n\n [Illustration: OLYMPIAN ZEUS.--Flaxman.]\n\nIt was he who presided at the councils held on the top of \"many-peaked\nOlympus,\" and summoned the gods whenever he wished to discuss with\nthem any matter of importance, or to indulge in a sumptuous repast,\nwhen they ate the celestial ambrosia and quaffed the fragrant nectar.\n\nHe is generally represented as a fine majestic figure, with long\ncurling hair and beard, clad in flowing drapery, his redoubtable\nthunderbolts or scepter in one hand, and a statue of Victory in the\nother. The world is his footstool; and the eagle, emblem of strength\nand power, is generally seen close beside him.\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter's attendants.]\n\nJupiter had his own special attendants, such as Victoria, or Nice, the\ngoddess of victory, who was ever ready to obey his slightest behest,\nand it is said her master loved her so dearly, that he generally held\nan image of her in his hand.\n\nThe hundred-tongued goddess of fame, Fama, trumpet in hand,\nproclaimed, at his bidding, anything he wished, never questioning\nwhether it were true or false.\n\n \"Fame than who never plague that runs\n Its way more swiftly wins:\n Her very motion lends her power:\n She flies and waxes every hour.\n At first she shrinks, and cowers for dread:\n Ere long she soars on high:\n Upon the ground she plants her tread,\n Her forehead in the sky.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nClose by Jupiter's side was sometimes seen Fortuna, goddess of\nfortune, poised on a constantly revolving wheel, whereon she journeyed\nthroughout the world, scattering with careless hands her numerous\ngifts, and lavishing with indifference her choicest smiles; while\nHebe, or Juventas, the goddess of youth, was ever ready at his wish to\npour out the nectar, in which the gods were wont to pledge each other.\n\n \"Hebe, honored of them all,\n Ministered nectar, and from cups of gold\n They pledged each other.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n [Illustration: GANYMEDE AND THE EAGLE. (National Museum, Naples.)]\n\nBut this fair goddess awkwardly tripped and fell on a solemn\noccasion, and was forced to resign her office. To replace her, the\nfather of the gods was obliged to go in quest of another cup-bearer.\n\nTo facilitate his search, he assumed the form of an eagle, and winged\nhis flight over the earth. He had not flown far, before he beheld a\nyouth of marvelous beauty, alone on a neighboring hill. To swoop down,\ncatch him up in his mighty talons, and bear him safely off to Olympus,\nwas but a moment's work; and there the kidnapped youth Ganymede, the\nson of a king of Troy, was carefully instructed in the duties he was\ncalled upon to perform in the future.\n\n \"And godlike Ganymede, most beautiful\n Of men; the gods beheld and caught him up\n To heaven, so beautiful was he, to pour\n The wine to Jove, and ever dwell with them.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Philemon and Baucis.]\n\nSolicitous for the welfare of mankind, Jupiter often visited the\nearth, taking great care to assume some disguise which would enable\nhim to ascertain all he wished without any risk of detection. One day\nhe and Mercury, his special messenger and favorite among the gods,\ntook the forms of needy, belated travelers, and entered the lowly hut\nof a worthy old couple, Philemon and Baucis.\n\nEager to offer their best to the strangers, these poor people decided\nto kill their sole remaining goose; but their efforts to secure it\nwere vain, and finally the persecuted fowl took refuge between\nJupiter's knees. Touched with their zeal, yet anxious to prevent the\ndeath of the confiding goose, Jupiter revealed himself to his faithful\nworshipers, and in gratitude for their intended sacrifice bade them\nask any boon, promising by the great river Styx--the most binding and\nsolemn oath a god could utter--to grant their request.\n\nContrary to the custom current in similar cases, Philemon and Baucis\nmade a modest and judicious choice, and proffered a timid request that\nthey might serve the gods as long as life and strength endured, and\nfinally die together. This most reasonable wish was immediately\ngranted; and Jupiter, moreover, changed their humble abode into a\nsuperb temple, where they could offer daily sacrifices on his altars.\n\n \"Their little shed, scarce large enough for two,\n Seems, from the ground increased, in height and bulk to grow.\n A stately temple shoots within the skies,\n The crotches of their cot in columns rise;\n The pavement polish'd marble they behold,\n The gates with sculpture grac'd, the spires and tiles of gold.\"\n\n Ovid (Dryden's tr.).\n\nAfter many years of faithful service, when age had made them long for\ndeath, Philemon and Baucis were transformed into majestic oaks, which\nstood for many a century in front of the temple, monuments of the love\nand faith which had bound the pair through life.\n\nAlthough married to Juno, Jupiter often indulged in love affairs with\nother goddesses, and even with mortal maidens. The ancients themselves\ndid not practice polygamy, but their gods were supposed to be able to\nindulge all their passions with impunity. As the personification of\nthe sky, Jupiter, therefore, consorted at times with Juno (the\nAtmosphere), with Dione (Moisture), with Themis (Justice), etc.,\nwithout incurring any reproach; for these marriages, in their\nestimation, were all symbolical.\n\nBut Juno being of a jealous disposition, Jupiter was forced to conduct\nhis courtships with great secrecy and circumspection, and therefore\ngenerally adopted the precaution of a disguise. To win Europa, the\nfair daughter of Agenor, for instance, he became a bull.\n\n \"The gods themselves,\n Humbling their deities to love, have taken\n The shapes of beasts upon them. Jupiter\n Became a bull, and bellow'd.\"\n\n Shakespeare.\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter kidnaps Europa.]\n\nOne day Europa was playing in her father's meadows with her three\nbrothers, Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix, when she suddenly saw a white\nbull coming towards her; not with fiery eyes and lowered horns, but\ngently, as if to express a mute request to be petted. The maiden,\ndelighted, stroked the beast, and decked him with bright garlands of\nmeadow-blossoms. Then, seeing him kneel, as if to invite her to mount,\nshe lightly sprang upon his broad back, calling to her companions to\nfollow her example; but, before they could do as she wished, the bull\nhad risen to his feet, and galloped off towards the sea with his fair\nburden on his back.\n\nInstead of turning when he saw the foam-crested waves, he plunged into\nthe midst of them, and in a few minutes disappeared from view, so\nrapidly did he swim away. To reassure the frightened girl, the bull\nnow spoke in gentle accents, bidding her dismiss all fear, for he was\nthe great Jupiter in disguise.\n\n \"Take courage, gentle maid! nor fear the tide:\n I, though near-seen a bull, am heavenly Jove:\n I change my shape at will.\"\n\n Moschus (Elton's tr.).\n\nPleased with the novelty of her situation, and flattered by the god's\nevident admiration, Europa ceased to struggle, wound her arms more\nclosely around the bull's neck to prevent the waves from washing her\noff her perilous seat, and allowed herself to be carried away.\n\nJupiter finally deposited his fair burden upon the shores of a new\nland, to which he gallantly gave her name, Europe. He then resumed his\nwonted form, explained at length his reasons for so unceremoniously\nkidnapping her, and finally won her consent to their union. Their\nthree sons were Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon. The two former were\nsubsequently appointed judges in the Infernal Regions, while the third\nfound an early but glorious death during the Trojan war.\n\n [Illustration: THE ABDUCTION OF EUROPA.--Albani. (Uffizi Palace,\n Florence.)]\n\n[Sidenote: Search for Europa.]\n\nAll unconscious of their sister's fate, the young princes had\nreturned in haste to their father's palace to announce her sudden\ninvoluntary departure. Agenor, whose favorite she had always been,\nrent his garments for grief, and bade his sons go forth and seek her,\nand not to return till they had found her. Accompanied by their\nmother, Telephassa, they immediately set out on their journey,\ninquiring of all they met if they had seen their sister. Search and\ninquiry proved equally fruitless.\n\nAt last, weary of this hopeless quest, Phoenix refused his further\naid, and allowed his sorrowing relatives to continue without him,\nremaining in a land which from him was called Phoenicia. Cilix, too,\nsoon followed his example, and settled in a fertile country which they\nhad reached, hence called Cilicia; and finally Telephassa, worn out\nwith grief and fatigue, lay down to die, charging her oldest son to go\non alone.\n\nCadmus wandered on till he came to Delphi, where he consulted the\noracle; but, to his great dismay, the only reply he received was,\n\"Follow the cow, and settle where she rests.\"\n\nIn deep perplexity he left the temple, and, from force of habit,\njourneyed on, patiently questioning all he met. Soon he perceived a\ncow leisurely walking in front of him, and, mindful of the oracle, he\nceased his search and followed her. Urged by curiosity, many\nadventurers joined him on the way, and, when the cow at last lay down\nin the land since called Boeotia, they all promised to aid Cadmus,\ntheir chosen leader, to found their future capital, which was to be\ncalled Thebes.\n\n[Sidenote: Founding of Thebes.]\n\nParched with thirst after their long walk, the men then hastened to a\nneighboring spring, but, to Cadmus' surprise, time passed and still\nthey did not return. Armed with his trusty sword, he finally went down\nto the spring to discover the cause of their delay, and found that\nthey had all been devoured by a huge dragon, which lived in the\nhollow. The prince raised his sword to avenge their death, and dealt\nthe dragon such a deadly blow upon the head, that he put an immediate\nend to its existence.\n\nWhile Cadmus stood there contemplating his lifeless foe, a voice bade\nhim extract the dragon's teeth, and sow them in the ground already\nbroken for his future city. No human being was within sight: so Cadmus\nknew the order proceeded from the immortal gods, and immediately\nprepared to obey it. The dragon's teeth were no sooner planted, than a\ncrop of giants sprang from the soil, full grown, and armed to the\nteeth. They were about to fall upon Cadmus, when the same voice bade\nhim cast a stone in the midst of their close-drawn phalanx. Cadmus,\nseeing the giants were almost upon him, and that no time was to be\nlost, quickly threw a stone. The effect produced was almost\ninstantaneous; for the giants, each fancying it had been thrown by his\nneighbor, began fighting among themselves. In a few minutes the number\nof giants was reduced to five, who sheathed their bloodstained\nweapons, and humbly tendered their services to Cadmus. With their aid,\nthe foundations of the city were laid; but their labor was not very\narduous, as the gods caused some of the public buildings to rise up\nout of the ground, all complete, and ready for use.\n\nTo reward Cadmus for his loving and painstaking search for Europa,\nJupiter gave him the hand of the fair princess Harmonia, a daughter of\nMars and Venus, in marriage. Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, is\nsupposed to have invented the alphabet, and introduced its use into\nGreece. Although his career was very prosperous at first, he finally\nincurred the wrath of the gods by forgetting, on a solemn occasion, to\noffer them a suitable sacrifice; and, in anger at his dereliction,\nthey changed him and Harmonia into huge serpents.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Jupiter.]\n\nJupiter was, of course, very widely and generally worshiped by the\nancients; and his principal temples--the Capitol at Rome, and the\nshrine of Jupiter Ammon in Libya--have been world-renowned. He also\nhad a noted temple at Dodona, where an oak tree gave forth mysterious\nprophecies, which were supposed to have been inspired by the king of\ngods; this long lost shrine has recently been discovered.\n\n \"Oh, where, Dodona! is thine aged grove,\n Prophetic fount, and oracle divine?\n What valley echoed the response of Jove?\n What trace remaineth of the Thunderer's shrine?\n All, all forgotten!\"\n\n Byron.\n\nA magnificent temple at Olympia, on the Peloponnesus, was also\ndedicated to Jupiter; and here every fifth year the people of Greece\nwere wont to assemble to celebrate games, in honor of Jupiter's great\nvictory over the Titans. These festivals were known as the Olympian\nGames; and the Greeks generally reckoned time by olympiads, that is to\nsay, by the space of time between the celebrations. Within the temple\nat Olympia stood a wonderful statue of gold and ivory, the work of\nPhidias. Its proportions and beauty were such, that it was counted one\nof the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It is said, too, that the\nartist, having completed this masterpiece, longed for some sign of\napproval from heaven, and fervently prayed for a token that the god\naccepted his labor. Jupiter, in answer to this prayer, sent a vivid\nflash of lightning, which played about the colossal image,\nilluminating it, but leaving it quite unharmed.\n\nThe Greeks were indebted to Phidias for many of their most exquisite\nstatues of the gods; but none of the others equaled this figure of\nJupiter in size, dignity of attitude, or elaborate finish.\n\n \"Wise Phidias, thus his skill to prove,\n Through many a god advanc'd to Jove,\n And taught the polish'd rocks to shine\n With airs and lineaments divine;\n Till Greece, amaz'd, and half afraid,\n Th' assembled deities survey'd.\"\n\n Addison.\n\n [Illustration: JUNO. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nJUNO.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Juno's marriage.]\n\nJuno (Hera, Here), queen of heaven, and goddess of the atmosphere and\nof marriage, was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and consequently the\nsister of Jupiter; but, as soon as the latter had dethroned his\nparents and seized the scepter, he began to look about him for a\nsuitable helpmate. Juno won his affections by her great beauty; and he\nimmediately began his courtship, which he carried on in the guise of a\ncuckoo, to infuse a little romance into it. He evidently found favor\nin her sight, and won her consent to share his throne; for shortly\nafterward their wedding was celebrated with great pomp on Mount\nOlympus. It was on this solemn occasion that the immortal conclave of\nthe gods declared that Juno should be henceforth honored as goddess of\nmarriage.\n\n \"Juno, who presides\n Supreme o'er bridegrooms and o'er brides.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nBut although in the beginning this union seemed very happy, there soon\narose subjects for contention; for unfortunately Jupiter was inclined\nto be faithless, and Juno jealous, and, like the element she\npersonified, exceedingly variable in her moods. On such occasions she\ngave way to her violent temper, and bitterly reproached her husband,\nwho, impatient of her censure, punished her severely, and, instead of\nreforming, merely continued his numerous intrigues with renewed zest.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Callisto and Arcas.]\n\nOn one occasion he fell deeply in love with a maiden named Callisto,\ngentle, fair, and slender; but, in spite of all the precautions which\nhe took when visiting her, Juno discovered the object of his\naffections. Night and day she thought and planned, until she devised a\nspecies of revenge which seemed adequate. The graceful girl was\nsuddenly bereft of speech, changed into a rough, ungainly bear, and\ndriven out into the solitudes of the great forests, which were from\nthat time forth to be her home. Jupiter vainly sought his missing\nladylove, and it was only long afterward that he discovered her and\nher little bear son Arcas. In pity for all they had suffered, he\ntransferred them both to the sky, where they are still known as the\nconstellations of the Great and Little Bear.\n\n[Sidenote: Juno's attendant.]\n\nJuno, like her husband, had also her special attendant, Iris (the\nRainbow), whom she frequently employed as messenger,--a task which\nthis deity accomplished with as much celerity as Mercury. Her flight\nthrough the air was so rapid, that she was seldom seen; and no one\nwould have known she had passed, had it not been for the brilliant\ntrail her many-colored robe left behind her in the sky.\n\n \"Like fiery clouds, that flush with ruddy glare,\n Or Iris, gliding through the purple air;\n When loosely girt her dazzling mantle flows,\n And 'gainst the sun in arching colors glows.\"\n\n Flaccus (Elton's tr.).\n\nJuno is the mother of Mars, Hebe, and Vulcan, and is always described\nand represented as a beautiful, majestic woman, clad in flowing robes,\nwith a diadem and scepter. The peacock and cuckoo were both sacred to\nher, and are therefore often seen at her side.\n\n [Illustration: IRIS.--Tito Conti.]\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Juno.]\n\nHer principal places of worship were at Mycen\u00e6, Sparta, Argos, Rome,\nand Her\u00e6um. She had also numerous other sanctuaries scattered\nthroughout the ancient world, and was worshiped in the same temples as\nJupiter. Many fine statues of this goddess were found in Greece and\nItaly, some of which are still extant, and serve to show the\nancients' exalted conception of the Queen of Heaven.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Cleobis and Biton.]\n\nJuno's festivals, the Matronalia, in Rome, were always celebrated with\ngreat pomp. Less important feasts were held in each city where a\ntemple was dedicated to her. On one of these occasions an old\npriestess was very anxious to go to the temple at Argos, where she had\nministered to the goddess for many years, and which she had left only\nto be married. The way was long and dusty: so the aged woman, who\ncould no longer walk such a distance, bade her sons, Cleobis and\nBiton, harness her white heifers to her car. The youths hastened to do\nher bidding; but, although they searched diligently, the heifers could\nnot be found. Rather than disappoint their aged mother, who had set\nher heart upon attending the services, these kind-hearted sons\nharnessed themselves to the cart, and drew her through the city to the\ntemple gates, amid the acclamations of all the people, who admired\nthis trait of filial devotion.\n\nThe mother was so touched by her sons' affection, that, as she knelt\nbefore the altar, she fervently prayed Juno to bestow upon them the\ngreatest boon in her power. At the conclusion of the services the\nex-priestess went into the portico, where her sons had thrown\nthemselves to rest after their unwonted exertions; but instead of\nfinding them merely asleep, as she expected, she found them dead. The\nQueen of Heaven had transported them while asleep to the Elysian\nFields, the place of endless bliss, where such as they enjoyed eternal\nlife.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nMINERVA.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Birth of Minerva.]\n\nAlthough immortal, the gods were not exempt from physical pain. One\nday Jupiter suffered intensely from a sudden headache, and, in hopes\nthat some mode of alleviation would be devised, he summoned all the\ngods to Olympus. Their united efforts were vain, however; and even the\nremedies suggested by Apollo, god of medicine, proved inefficacious.\nUnwilling, or perchance unable, to endure the racking pain any longer,\nJupiter bade one of his sons, Vulcan, cleave his head open with an ax.\nWith cheerful alacrity the dutiful god obeyed; and no sooner was the\noperation performed, than Minerva (Pallas, Athene) sprang out of her\nfather's head, full-grown, clad in glittering armor, with poised\nspear, and chanting a triumphant song of victory.\n\n \"From his awful head\n Whom Jove brought forth, in warlike armor drest,\n Golden, all radiant.\"\n\n Shelley.\n\nThe assembled gods recoiled in fear before this unexpected apparition,\nwhile at the same time a mighty commotion over land and sea proclaimed\nthe advent of a great divinity.\n\nThe goddess, who had thus joined the inhabitants of Olympus, was\ndestined to preside over peace, defensive war, and needlework, to be\nthe incarnation of wisdom, and to put to flight the obscure deity\ncalled Dullness, who until then had ruled the world.\n\n [Illustration: MINERVA. (National Museum, Naples.)]\n\n \"Ere Pallas issu'd from the Thund'rer's head,\n Dullness o'er all possess'd her ancient right,\n Daughter of Chaos and eternal Night.\"\n\n Pope.\n\nMinerva, having forced her unattractive predecessor to beat an\nignominious retreat, quickly seized the scepter, and immediately began\nto rule in her stead.\n\n[Sidenote: Naming of Athens.]\n\nNot long after her birth, Cecrops, a Phoenician, came to Greece, where\nhe founded a beautiful city in the province since called Attica. All\nthe gods watched his undertaking with great interest; and finally,\nseeing the town promised to become a thriving place, each wished the\nprivilege of naming it. A general council was held, and after some\ndeliberation most of the gods withdrew their claims. Soon none but\nMinerva and Neptune were left to contend for the coveted honor.\n\nTo settle the quarrel without evincing any partiality, Jupiter\nannounced that the city would be intrusted to the protection of the\ndeity who would create the most useful object for the use of man.\nRaising his trident, Neptune struck the ground, from which a noble\nhorse sprang forth, amid the exclamations of wonder and admiration of\nall the spectators. His qualities were duly explained by his proud\ncreator, and all thought it quite impossible for Minerva to surpass\nhim. Loudly they laughed, and scornfully too, when she, in her turn,\nproduced an olive tree; but when she had told them the manifold uses\nto which wood, fruit, foliage, twigs, etc., could be applied, and\nexplained that the olive was a sign of peace and prosperity, and\ntherefore far more desirable than the horse, the emblem of war and\nwretchedness, they could but acknowledge her gift the most\nserviceable, and award her the prize.\n\nTo commemorate this victory over her rival, Minerva gave her own name\nof Athene to the city, whose inhabitants, from that time forth, were\ntaught to honor her as their tutelary goddess.\n\nEver at Jupiter's side, Minerva often aided him by her wise counsels,\nand in times of war borrowed his terrible shield, the \u00c6gis, which she\nflung over her shoulder when she sallied forth to give her support to\nthose whose cause was just.\n\n \"Her shoulder bore\n The dreadful \u00c6gis with its shaggy brim\n Bordered with Terror. There was Strife, and there\n Was Fortitude, and there was fierce Pursuit,\n And there the Gorgon's head, a ghastly sight,\n Deformed and dreadful, and a sign of woe.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThe din of battle had no terrors for this doughty goddess, and on\nevery occasion she was wont to plunge into the thickest of the fray\nwith the utmost valor.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Arachne.]\n\nThese virile tastes were, however, fully counterbalanced by some\nexclusively feminine, for Minerva was as deft with her needle as with\nher sword. In Greece there lived in those olden times a maiden by the\nname of Arachne. Pretty, young, and winsome, she would have been loved\nby all had it not been for her inordinate pride, not in her personal\nadvantages, but in her skill as a needlewoman.\n\nArachne, in her conceit, fancied that no one could equal the work done\nby her deft fingers, so she boasted far and wide that she would have\nno fear to match her skill with Minerva's. She made this remark so\nloudly and so frequently, that the goddess was finally annoyed, and\nleft her seat in high Olympus to come down upon earth and punish the\nmaiden. In the guise of an old crone, she entered Arachne's house,\nseated herself, and began a conversation. In a few minutes the maiden\nhad resumed her usual strain, and renewed her rash boast. Minerva\ngently advised her to be more modest, lest she should incur the wrath\nof the gods by her presumptuous words; but Arachne was so blinded by\nher conceit, that she scorned the well-meant warning, saucily tossed\nher head, and declared she wished the goddess would hear her, and\npropose a contest, in which she would surely be able to prove the\ntruth of her assertions. This insolent speech so incensed Minerva,\nthat she cast aside her disguise and accepted the challenge.\n\nBoth set up their looms, and began to weave exquisite designs in\ntapestry: Minerva choosing as her subject her contest with Neptune;\nand Arachne, the kidnapping of Europa. In silence the fair weavers\nworked, and their webs grew apace under their practiced fingers. The\nassembled gods, the horse, the olive tree, seemed to live and move\nunder Minerva's flashing shuttle.\n\n \"Emongst these leaves she made a Butterflie,\n With excellent device and wondrous slight,\n Fluttring among the Olives wantonly,\n That seem'd to live, so like it was in sight:\n The velvet nap which on his wings doth lie,\n The silken downe with which his backe is dight,\n His broad outstretched hornes, his hayrie thies,\n His glorious colours, and his glistering eies.\"\n\n Spenser.\n\nArachne, in the mean while, was intent upon her swimming bull, against\nwhose broad breast the waves splashed, and upon a half-laughing,\nhalf-frightened girl, who clung to the bull's horns, while the wind\nplayed with her flowing tresses and garments.\n\n \"Sweet Europa's mantle blew unclasp'd,\n From off her shoulder backward borne:\n From one hand droop'd a crocus: one hand grasp'd\n The mild bull's golden horn.\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\nThe finishing touches all given, each turned to view her rival's work,\nand at the very first glance Arachne was forced to acknowledge her\nfailure. To be thus outstripped, after all her proud boasts, was\nhumiliating indeed. Bitterly did Arachne now repent of her folly; and\nin her despair she bound a rope about her neck, and hung herself.\nMinerva saw her discomfited rival was about to escape: so she quickly\nchanged her dangling body into a spider, and condemned her to weave\nand spin without ceasing,--a warning to all conceited mortals.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Minerva.]\n\nMinerva, the goddess of wisdom, was widely worshiped. Temples and\naltars without number were dedicated to her service, the most\ncelebrated of all being the Parthenon at Athens. Naught but the ruins\nof this mighty pile now exist; but they suffice to testify to the\nbeauty of the edifice, which served, in turn, as temple, church,\nmosque, and finally as powder magazine.\n\n \"Fair Parthenon! yet still must Fancy weep\n For thee, thou work of nobler spirits flown.\n Bright, as of old, the sunbeams o'er thee sleep\n In all their beauty still--and thine is gone!\n Empires have sunk since thou wert first revered.\n And varying rites have sanctified thy shrine.\n The dust is round thee of the race that rear'd\n Thy walls; and thou--their fate must soon be thine!\"\n\n Hemans.\n\nStatues of Minerva--a beautiful, majestic woman, fully clothed and\narmed--were very numerous. The most celebrated of all, by the renowned\nGreek sculptor Phidias, measured full forty feet in height. Festivals\nwere celebrated in honor of Minerva wherever her worship was\nheld,--some, the Greek Panathen\u00e6a, for instance, only every four\nyears; others, such as the Minervalia and Quinquatria, every year. At\nthese festivals the Palladium, a statue of the goddess, said to have\nfallen from heaven, was carried in procession through the city, where\nthe people hailed its appearance with joyful cries and songs of\npraise.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nAPOLLO.\n\n\nThe most glorious and beautiful among all the gods was Apollo\n(Phoebus, Sol, Helios, Cynthius, Pytheus), god of the sun, of\nmedicine, music, poetry, and all fine arts.\n\n \"Bright-hair'd Apollo!--thou who ever art\n A blessing to the world--whose mighty heart\n Forever pours out love, and light, and life;\n Thou, at whose glance, all things of earth are rife\n With happiness; to whom, in early spring,\n Bright flowers raise up their heads, where'er they cling\n On the steep mountain side, or in the vale\n Are nestled calmly. Thou at whom the pale\n And weary earth looks up, when winter flees,\n With patient gaze: thou for whom wind-stripped trees\n Put on fresh leaves, and drink deep of the light\n That glitters in thine eye: thou in whose bright\n And hottest rays the eagle fills his eye\n With quenchless fire, and far, far up on high\n Screams out his joy to thee, by all the names\n That thou dost bear--whether thy godhead claims\n Phoebus or Sol, or golden-hair'd Apollo,\n Cynthian or Pythian, if thou dost follow\n The fleeing night, oh, hear\n Our hymn to thee, and willingly draw near!\"\n\n Pike.\n\nApollo was the son of Jupiter and Latona, or Leto, the goddess of dark\nnights. Juno's jealousy had been aroused by Jupiter's preference for\nher rival. To avenge herself, she banished Latona to earth, and\ndeclared that if any one, mortal or immortal, showed her any pity or\ngave her any assistance, he would incur her lasting resentment.\n\nAfter long, painful wanderings on earth, poor Latona, weary and\nparched with thirst, drew near a small pool by the wayside to refresh\nherself; but, urged by Juno, some reapers bade her pass on, and then,\nseeing she paid no heed to their commands, they sprang into the\nshallow waters, and stirred up the mud at the bottom until it was\nquite unpalatable. With tear-dimmed eyes, Latona prayed these cruel\nmen might never leave the spot whereon they now stood; and Jupiter, in\nanswer to her prayer, immediately transformed them into huge green\nfrogs, which creatures have since then showed great preference for\nmuddy pools.\n\nDriven on once more by Juno's unrelenting hatred, Latona finally came\nto the seashore, where she stretched out imploring hands to Neptune,\nwho sent a dolphin to bear her in safety to the floating island of\nDelos, raised in her behalf from the depths of the sea. The rocking\nmotion, however, proving disagreeable to the goddess, Neptune chained\nthe island fast in the \u00c6gean Sea; and there in that delightful\nclimate, justly praised by poets, were born to Jupiter and Latona twin\nchildren, Apollo and Diana, the divinities of the sun and moon.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Coronis.]\n\nApollo, having attained manhood, could not avoid the usual lot of the\ngods, as well as of mortal men,--the pangs of love. They were first\ninspired by Coronis, a fair maiden, who kindled within his breast an\nardent flame. The sun god wooed the girl warmly and persistently, and\nat length had the deep satisfaction of seeing his affections returned.\nHis bliss, however, proved but fleeting; for Coronis, reasoning, that,\nif one lover were so delightful, two would be doubly so, secretly\nencouraged another suitor.\n\n \"Flirted with another lover\n (So at least the story goes)\n And was wont to meet him slyly,\n Underneath the blushing rose.\"\n\n Saxe.\n\nAlthough so cleverly managed, these trysts could not escape the\nbright eyes of Apollo's favorite bird, the snowy raven,--for such was\nhis hue in those early times,--so _he_ flew off in haste to his master\nto report the discovery he had made. Desperate with love and jealousy,\nApollo did not hesitate, but, seizing his bow and deadly arrows, shot\nCoronis through the heart.\n\nThe deed was no sooner accomplished, than all his love returned with\ntenfold power; and, hastening to Coronis' side, he vainly tried all\nhis remedies (he was god of medicine) to recall her to life.\n\n \"The god of Physic\n Had no antidote; alack!\n He who took her off so deftly\n Couldn't bring the maiden back!\"\n\n Saxe.\n\nBending over the lifeless body of his beloved one, he bewailed his\nfatal haste, and cursed the bird which had brought him the unwelcome\ntidings of her faithlessness.\n\n \"Then he turned upon the Raven,\n 'Wanton babbler! see thy fate!\n Messenger of mine no longer,\n Go to Hades with thy prate!\n\n \"'Weary Pluto with thy tattle!\n Hither, monster, come not back;\n And--to match thy disposition--\n Henceforth be thy plumage black!'\"\n\n Saxe.\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6sculapius.]\n\nThe only reminder of this unfortunate episode was a young son of\nApollo and Coronis, \u00c6sculapius (Asklepios), who was carefully\ninstructed by Apollo in the healing art. The disciple's talent was so\ngreat, that he soon rivaled his master, and even, it is said, recalled\nthe dead to life. Of course, these miracles did not long remain\nconcealed from Jupiter's all-seeing eye; and he, fearing lest the\npeople would forget him and worship their physician, seized one of\nhis thunderbolts, hurled it at the clever youth, and thus brought to\nan untimely end his brilliant medical career.\n\n \"Then Jove, incensed that man should rise\n From darkness to the upper skies,\n The leech that wrought such healing hurled\n With lightning down to Pluto's world.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n\u00c6sculapius' race was not entirely extinct, however, for he left two\nsons--Machaon and Podalirius, who inherited his medical skill--and a\ndaughter, Hygeia, who watched over the health of man.\n\n[Sidenote: Admetus and Alcestis.]\n\nMaddened with grief at the unexpected loss of his son, Apollo would\nfain have wreaked his vengeance upon the Cyclopes, the authors of the\nfatal thunderbolt; but ere he could execute his purpose, Jupiter\ninterfered, and, to punish him, banished him to earth, where he\nentered the service of Admetus, King of Thessaly. One consolation\nalone now remained to the exiled god,--his music. His dulcet tones\nsoon won the admiration of his companions, and even that of the king,\nwho listened to his songs with pleasure, and to reward him gave him\nthe position of head shepherd.\n\n \"Then King Admetus, one who had\n Pure taste by right divine,\n Decreed his singing not too bad\n To hear between the cups of wine:\n\n \"And so, well pleased with being soothed\n Into a sweet half sleep\n Three times his kingly beard he smoothed\n And made him viceroy o'er his sheep.\"\n\n Lowell.\n\nTime passed. Apollo, touched by his master's kindness, wished to\nbestow some favor in his turn, and asked the gods to grant Admetus\neternal life. His request was complied with, but only on condition,\nthat, when the time came which had previously been appointed for the\ngood king's death, some one should be found willing to die in his\nstead. This divine decree was reported to Alcestis, Admetus' beautiful\nyoung wife, who in a passion of self-sacrifice offered herself as\nsubstitute, and cheerfully gave her life for her husband. But\nimmortality was too dearly bought at such a price; and Admetus mourned\nuntil Hercules, pitying his grief, descended into Hades, and brought\nher back from the tomb.\n\n \"Did not Hercules by force\n Wrest from the guardian Monster of the tomb\n Alcestis, a reanimated Corse,\n Given back to dwell on earth in vernal bloom?\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\n[Sidenote: The walls of Troy.]\n\nApollo, after endowing Admetus with immortality, left his service, and\nwent to assist Neptune, who had also been banished to earth, to build\nthe walls of Troy. Scorning to perform any menial tasks, the God of\nMusic seated himself near by, and played such inspiring tunes that the\nstones waltzed into place of their own accord.\n\n[Sidenote: Apollo slays Python.]\n\nThen, his term of exile being ended, he returned to heaven, and there\nresumed his wonted duties. From his exalted position he often cast\nloving glances down upon men, whose life he had shared for a short\ntime, whose every privation he had endured; and, in answer to their\nprayers, he graciously extended his protection over them, and\ndelivered them from misfortunes too numerous to mention. Among other\ndeeds done for men was the slaying of the monster serpent Python, born\nfrom the slime and stagnant waters which remained upon the surface of\nthe earth after the Deluge. None had dared approach the monster; but\nApollo fearlessly drew near, and slew him with his golden shafts. The\nvictory over the terrible Python won for Apollo the surname of Pytheus\n(the Slayer), by which appellation he was frequently invoked.\n\n [Illustration: APOLLO BELVEDERE. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\nThis annihilation of Python is, of course, nothing but an allegory,\nillustrating the sun's power to dry up marshes and stagnant pools,\nthus preventing the lurking fiend malaria from making further inroads.\n\nApollo has always been a favorite subject for painters and sculptors.\nThe most beautiful statue of him is the Apollo Belvedere, which\nrepresents him at the moment of his conquest of the Python.\n\n[Sidenote: Apollo and Hyacinthus.]\n\nAlthough successful in war, Apollo was very unfortunate indeed in\nfriendship. One day he came down to earth to enjoy the society of a\nyouth of mortal birth, named Hyacinthus. To pass the time agreeably,\nthe friends began a game of quoits, but had not played long, before\nZephyrus, god of the south wind, passing by, saw them thus occupied.\nJealous of Apollo, for he too loved Hyacinthus, Zephyrus blew Apollo's\nquoit aside so violently that it struck his playmate, and felled him\nto the ground. Vainly Apollo strove to check the stream of blood which\nflowed from the ghastly wound. Hyacinthus was already beyond aid, and\nin a few seconds breathed his last in his friend's arms. To keep some\nreminder of the departed, Apollo changed the fallen blood drops into\nclusters of flowers, ever since called, from the youth's name,\nhyacinths; while Zephyrus, perceiving too late the fatal effect of his\njealousy, hovered inconsolable over the sad spot, and tenderly\ncaressed the dainty flowers which had sprung from his friend's\nlifeblood.\n\n \"Zephyr penitent,\n Who now, ere Phoebus mounts the firmament,\n Fondles the flower.\"\n\n Keats.\n\n[Sidenote: Apollo and Cyparissus.]\n\nTo divert his mind from the mournful fate of Hyacinthus, Apollo sought\nthe company of Cyparissus, a clever young hunter; but this friendship\nwas also doomed to a sad end, for Cyparissus, having accidentally\nkilled Apollo's pet stag, grieved so sorely over this mischance, that\nhe pined away, and finally died. Apollo then changed his lifeless clay\ninto a cypress tree, which he declared should henceforth be used to\nshade the graves of those who had been greatly beloved through life.\n\n[Sidenote: Apollo and Daphne.]\n\nSome time after this episode, Apollo encountered in the forest a\nbeautiful nymph by the name of Daphne, the daughter of the river god\nPeneus. Love at first sight was the immediate consequence on Apollo's\npart, and he longed to speak to the maid and win her affections. He\nfirst tried to approach her gently, so as not to frighten her; but,\nbefore he could reach her side, she fled, and he, forgetful of all\nelse, pursued her flying footsteps. As he ran, he called aloud to\nDaphne, entreating her to pause were it only for a moment, and\npromising to do her no harm.\n\n \"Abate, fair fugitive, abate thy speed,\n Dismiss thy fears, and turn thy beauteous head;\n With kind regard a panting lover view;\n Less swiftly fly, less swiftly I'll pursue:\n Pathless, alas! and rugged is the ground,\n Some stone may hurt thee, or some thorn may wound.\n\n \"You fly, alas! not knowing whom you fly;\n No ill-bred swain, nor rustic clown, am I.\"\n\n Prior.\n\nThe terrified girl paid no heed to promises or entreaties, but sped on\nuntil her strength began to fail, and she perceived, that,\nnotwithstanding her utmost efforts, her pursuer was gaining upon her.\nPanting and trembling, she swerved aside, and rushed down to the edge\nof her father's stream, calling out loudly for his protection. No\nsooner had she reached the water's edge, than her feet seemed rooted\nto the ground. A rough bark rapidly inclosed her quivering limbs,\nwhile her trembling hands were filled with leaves. Her father had\ngranted her prayer by changing her into a laurel tree.\n\n [Illustration: APOLLO AND DAPHNE.--Bernini. (Villa Borghese, Rome.)]\n\nApollo, coming up just then with outstretched arms, clasped nothing\nbut a rugged tree trunk. At first he could not realize that the fair\nmaiden had vanished from his sight forever; but, when the truth\ndawned upon him, he declared that from henceforth the laurel would be\nconsidered his favorite tree, and that prizes awarded to poets,\nmusicians, etc., should consist of a wreath of its glossy foliage.\n\n \"I espouse thee for my tree:\n Be thou the prize of honor and renown;\n The deathless poet, and the poem, crown;\n Thou shalt the Roman festivals adorn,\n And, after poets, be by victors worn.\"\n\n Ovid (Dryden's tr.).\n\nThis story of Apollo and Daphne was an illustration of the effect\nproduced by the sun (Apollo) upon the dew (Daphne). The sun is\ncaptivated by its beauty, and longs to view it more closely; the dew,\nafraid of its ardent lover, flies, and, when its fiery breath touches\nit, vanishes, leaving nothing but verdure in the selfsame spot where\nbut a moment before it sparkled in all its purity.\n\n[Sidenote: Cephalus and Procris.]\n\nThe ancients had many analogous stories, allegories of the sun and\ndew, amongst others the oft-quoted tale of Cephalus and Procris.\nCephalus was a hunter, who fell in love with and married one of\nDiana's nymphs, Procris. She brought him as dowry a hunting dog,\nLelaps, and a javelin warranted never to miss its mark. The newly\nmarried pair were perfectly happy; but their content was viewed with\ngreat displeasure by Eos (Aurora), goddess of dawn, who had previously\ntried, but without success, to win Cephalus' affections, and who now\nresolved to put an end to the bliss she envied.\n\nAll day long Cephalus hunted in the forest, and, when the evening\nshadows began to fall, joined his loving wife in their cozy dwelling.\nHer marriage gifts proved invaluable, as Lelaps was swift of foot, and\ntireless in the chase. One day, to test his powers, the gods from\nOlympus watched him course a fox, a special creation of theirs; and so\nwell were both animals matched in speed and endurance, that the chase\nbade fair to end only with the death of one or both of the\nparticipants. The gods, in their admiration for the fine run,\ndeclared the animals deserved to be remembered forever, and changed\nthem into statues, which retained all the spirited action of the\nliving creatures.\n\nIn the warm season, when the sun became oppressive, Cephalus was wont\nto rest during the noon hour in some shady spot, and as he flung\nhimself down upon the short grass he often called for a breeze,\nbidding it cool his heated brow.\n\n \"A hunter once in that grove reclin'd,\n To shun the noon's bright eye,\n And oft he woo'd the wandering wind,\n To cool his brow with its sigh.\n While mute lay ev'n the wild bee's hum,\n Nor breath could stir the aspen's hair,\n His song was still, 'Sweet air, oh come!'\n While Echo answer'd, 'Come, sweet air!'\"\n\n Moore.\n\nEos heard of this habit, and was fully aware that he merely addressed\nthe passing wind; nevertheless she sought Procris, and informed her\nthat her husband was faithless, and paid court to a fair maid, who\ndaily met him at noonday in the forest solitudes. Procris, blinded by\nsudden jealousy, gave credit to the false story, and immediately\nresolved to follow her husband.\n\nThe morning had well-nigh passed, and the sun was darting its\nperpendicular rays upon the earth, when Cephalus came to his usual\nresort, near which Procris was concealed.\n\n\"Sweet air, oh come!\" the hunter cried; and Procris, cut to the heart\nby what she considered an infallible proof of his infidelity, sank\nfainting to the ground. The rustle caused by her swoon attracted\nCephalus' attention. Under the mistaken impression that some wild\nbeast was lurking there, ready to pounce upon him, he cast his\nunerring javelin into the very midst of the thicket, and pierced the\nfaithful bosom of his wife. Her dying moan brought him with one bound\nto her side; ere she breathed her last, an explanation was given and\nreceived; and Procris died with the blissful conviction that her\nhusband had not deserved her unjust suspicions, and that his heart\nwas all her own.\n\nThere are, of course, many other versions of these selfsame myths; but\none and all are intended to illustrate the same natural phenomena, and\nare subject to the same interpretation.\n\nApollo's principal duty was to drive the sun chariot. Day after day he\nrode across the azure sky, nor paused on his way till he reached the\ngolden boat awaiting him at the end of his long day's journey, to bear\nhim in safety back to his eastern palace.\n\n \"Helios all day long his allotted labor pursues;\n No rest to his passionate heart and his panting horses given,\n From the moment when roseate-fingered Eos kindles the dews\n And spurns the salt sea-floors, ascending silvery the heaven,\n Until from the hand of Eos Hesperos, trembling, receives\n His fragrant lamp, and faint in the twilight hangs it up.\"\n\n Owen Meredith.\n\n[Sidenote: Clytie.]\n\nA fair young maiden, named Clytie, watched Apollo's daily journey with\nstrange persistency; and from the moment when he left his palace in\nthe morning until he came to the far western sea in the evening, she\nfollowed his course with loving eyes, thought of the golden-haired\ngod, and longed for his love. But, in spite of all this fervor, she\nnever won favor in Apollo's eyes, and languished until the gods, in\npity, changed her into a sunflower.\n\nEven in this altered guise, Clytie could not forget the object of her\nlove; and now, a fit emblem of constancy, she still follows with\nupturned face the glowing orb in its daily journey across the sky.\n\n \"No, the heart that has truly lov'd never forgets,\n But as truly loves on to the close;\n As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets\n The same look which she turn'd when he rose.\"\n\n Moore.\n\n[Sidenote: Apollo and Marsyas.]\n\nA young shepherd, lying in the cool grass one summer afternoon, became\naware of a distant sound of music, so sweet, so thrilling, that he\nfairly held his breath to listen. These weird, delightful tones were\nproduced by Minerva, who, seated by the banks of a small stream, was\ntrying her skill on the flute. As she bent over the limpid waters, she\nsuddenly beheld her puffed cheeks and distorted features, and\nimpetuously threw the instrument into the water, vowing never to touch\nit again.\n\n \"Hence, ye banes of beauty, hence!\n What? shall I my charms disgrace\n By making such an odious face?\"\n\n Melanippides.\n\nThe sudden break in the entrancing music caused the youth, Marsyas, to\nstart from his abstraction and look about him. He then perceived the\nrejected flute sailing gently down the stream past his feet. To seize\nthe instrument and convey it to his lips was the work of an instant;\nand no sooner had he breathed into it, than the magic strain was\nrenewed. No recollection of his pastoral duties could avail to tear\nMarsyas away from his new-found treasure; and so rapidly did his skill\nincrease, that he became insufferably conceited, and boasted he could\nrival Apollo, whom he actually challenged to a musical contest.\n\nIntending to punish him for his presumption, Apollo accepted the\nchallenge, and selected the nine Muses--patronesses of poetry and\nmusic--as umpires. Marsyas was first called upon to exhibit his\nproficiency, and charmed all by his melodious strains.\n\n \"So sweet that alone the south wind knew,\n By summer hid in green reeds' jointed cells\n To wait imprisoned for the south wind's spells,\n From out his reedy flute the player drew,\n And as the music clearer, louder grew,\n Wild creatures from their winter nooks and dells,\n Sweet furry things with eyes like starry wells,\n Crept wanderingly out; they thought the south wind blew.\n With instant joyous trust, they flocked around\n His feet who such a sudden summer made,\n His eyes, more kind than men's, enthralled and bound\n Them there.\"\n\n H. H.\n\nThe Muses bestowed much deserved praise, and then bade Apollo surpass\nhis rival if he could. No second command was necessary. The god seized\nhis golden lyre, and poured forth impassioned strains. Before\npronouncing their decision, the Muses resolved to give both musicians\na second hearing, and again both strove; but on this occasion Apollo\njoined the harmonious accents of his godlike voice to the tones of his\ninstrument, causing all present, and the very Muses too, to hail him\nas conqueror.\n\n \"And, when now the westering sun\n Touch'd the hills, the strife was done,\n And the attentive Muses said:\n 'Marsyas, thou art vanquished!'\"\n\n Matthew Arnold.\n\nAccording to a previous arrangement,--that the victor should have the\nprivilege of flaying his opponent alive,--Apollo bound Marsyas to a\ntree, and slew him cruelly. As soon as the mountain nymphs heard of\ntheir favorite's sad death, they began to weep, and shed such torrents\nof tears, that they formed a new river, called Marsyas, in memory of\nthe sweet musician.\n\n[Sidenote: Apollo and Pan.]\n\nThe mournful termination of this affair should have served as a\nwarning to all rash mortals. Such was not the case, however; and\nshortly after, Apollo found himself engaged in another musical contest\nwith Pan, King Midas' favorite flute player. Upon this occasion Midas\nhimself retained the privilege of awarding the prize, and, blinded by\npartiality, gave it to Pan, in spite of the marked inferiority of his\nplaying. Apollo was so incensed by this injustice, that he determined\nto show his opinion of the dishonest judge by causing generous-sized\nass's ears to grow on either side of his head.\n\n \"The god of wit, to show his grudge,\n Clapt asses' ears upon the judge;\n A goodly pair, erect and wide,\n Which he could neither gild nor hide.\"\n\n Swift.\n\nGreatly dismayed by these new ornaments, Midas retreated into the\nprivacy of his own apartment, and sent in hot haste for a barber, who,\nafter having been sworn to secrecy, was admitted, and bidden to\nfashion a huge wig, which would hide the deformity from the eyes of\nthe king's subjects. The barber acquitted himself deftly, and, before\nhe was allowed to leave the palace, was again charged not to reveal\nthe secret, under penalty of immediate death.\n\nBut a secret is difficult to keep; and this one, of the king's long\nears, preyed upon the poor barber's spirits, so that, incapable of\nenduring silence longer, he sallied out into a field, dug a deep hole,\nand shouted down into the bosom of the earth,--\n\n \"'King Midas wears\n (These eyes beheld them, these) such ass's ears!'\"\n\n Horace.\n\nUnspeakably relieved by this performance, the barber returned home.\nTime passed. Reeds grew over the hole, and, as they bent before the\nwind which rustled through their leaves, they were heard to murmur,\n\"Midas, King Midas, has ass's ears!\" and all who passed by caught the\nwhisper, and noised it abroad, so that the secret became the general\ntopic of all conversations.\n\n[Sidenote: Orpheus and Eurydice.]\n\nAs Apollo had frequent opportunities of meeting the Muses, it is not\nto be wondered at that he fell a victim to the charms of the fair\nCalliope, who, in her turn, loved him passionately, and even wrote\nverses in his honor. This being the state of her feelings, she readily\nconsented to their union, and became the proud mother of Orpheus, who\ninherited his parents' musical and poetical gifts.\n\n \"Orpheus with his lute made trees,\n And the mountain-tops, that freeze,\n Bow themselves when he did sing:\n To his music plants and flowers\n Ever sprung; as sun and showers\n There had made a lasting spring.\n\n \"Everything that heard him play,\n Even the billows of the sea,\n Hung their heads, and then lay by.\"\n\n Shakespeare.\n\nThis talent waxed greater as the years passed by, and became so\nremarkable, that the youth's fame was very widespread; and when he\nfell in love with Eurydice, he brought all his skill into play to\nserenade her, and wooed her with voice and glance and with tender,\npassionate music. Eurydice was touched by his courtship, and ere long\nrequited the love lavished upon her by conferring her hand upon\nOrpheus.\n\nShortly after their union, while walking alone in the fields, the\nbride encountered a youth named Arist\u00e6us, whose bold admiration proved\nso distasteful, that she fled from him as quickly as possible. In her\nhaste she accidentally trod upon a venomous serpent lurking in the\nlong grass, which immediately turned upon her, and bit her heel. A\nshort period of agonized suffering ensued; then Eurydice died, and her\nspirit was conducted down into the gloomy realms of Pluto, leaving\nOrpheus broken-hearted.\n\nPlaintive, heartrending laments now replaced the joyous wedding\nstrains; but even the charms of music failed to make life endurable,\nand Orpheus wandered off to Olympus, where he so piteously implored\nJupiter to restore his wife to his longing arms, that the great god's\nheart was moved to compassion. He gave him permission, therefore, to\ngo down into the Infernal Regions to seek his wife, but warned him at\nthe same time that the undertaking was perilous in the extreme.\n\nNothing daunted, Orpheus hastened to the entrance of Hades, and there\nsaw the fierce three-headed dog, named Cerberus, who guarded the\ngate, and would allow no living being to enter, nor any spirit to pass\nout of Hades. As soon as this monster saw Orpheus, he began to growl\nand bark savagely, to frighten him away; but Orpheus merely paused,\nand began to play such melting chords, that Cerberus' rage was\nappeased, and he finally allowed him to pass into Pluto's dark\nkingdom.\n\nThe magic sounds penetrated even into the remote depths of Tartarus,\nwhere the condemned suspended their toil for a moment, and hushed\ntheir sighs and groans to listen.\n\n \"E'en Tantalus ceased from trying to sip\n The cup that flies from his arid lip;\n Ixion, too, the magic could feel,\n And, for a moment, blocked his wheel;\n Poor Sisyphus, doomed to tumble and toss\n The notable stone that gathers no moss,\n Let go his burden, and turned to hear\n The charming sounds that ravished his ear.\"\n\n Saxe.\n\nNo living being had ever before penetrated thus into the Infernal\nRegions, and Orpheus wandered on until he came to the throne of Pluto,\nking of these realms, whereon the stern ruler sat in silence, his wife\nProserpina beside him, and the relentless Fates at his feet.\n\nOrpheus made known his errand in operatic guise, and succeeded in\nmoving the royal pair to tears, whereupon they graciously consented to\nrestore Eurydice to life and to her fond husband's care.\n\n \"Hell consented\n To hear the Poet's prayer:\n Stern Proserpine relented,\n And gave him back the fair.\n Thus song could prevail\n O'er death, and o'er hell,\n A conquest how hard and how glorious!\n Tho' fate had fast bound her\n With Styx nine times round her,\n Yet music and love were victorious.\"\n\n Pope.\n\n [Illustration: ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE.--Beyschlag.]\n\nBut one condition was imposed before he was allowed to depart; i.e.,\nthat he should leave the Infernal Regions without turning once to look\ninto his beloved wife's face.\n\nOrpheus accepted the condition joyfully, and wended his way out of\nHades, looking neither to the right nor to the left, but straight\nbefore him; and as he walked he wondered whether Eurydice were changed\nby her sojourn in these rayless depths. His longing to feast his eyes\nonce more upon her loved features made him forget the condition\nimposed by Pluto, and turn just before he reached the earth; but he\nonly beheld the vanishing form of the wife he had so nearly snatched\nfrom the grave.\n\nAll was now over. He had tried and failed. No hope remained. In\ndespair, the lonely musician retreated to the forest solitudes, and\nthere played his mournful laments,--\n\n \"Such strains as would have won the ear\n Of Pluto, to have quite set free\n His half-regained Eurydice.\"\n\n Milton.\n\nBut there were none to hear except the trees, winds, and wild beasts\nin the forest, who strove in their dumb way to comfort him as he moved\nrestlessly about, seeking a solace for his bursting heart. At times it\nseemed to his half-delirious fancy that he could discern Eurydice\nwandering about in the dim distance, with the selfsame mournful\nexpression of which he had caught a mere glimpse as she drifted\nreluctantly back into the dark shadows of Hades.\n\n \"At that elm-vista's end I trace\n Dimly thy sad leave-taking face,\n Eurydice! Eurydice!\n The tremulous leaves repeat to me\n Eurydice! Eurydice!\"\n\n Lowell.\n\nAt last there dawned a day when some Bacchantes overtook him in the\nforest, and bade him play some gay music, so they might indulge in a\ndance. But poor Orpheus, dazed with grief, could not comply with their\ndemands; and the sad notes which alone he now could draw from his\ninstrument so enraged the merrymakers, that they tore him limb from\nlimb, and cast his mangled remains into the Hebrus River.\n\nAs the poet-musician's head floated down the stream, the pallid lips\nstill murmured, \"Eurydice!\" for even in death he could not forget his\nwife; and, as his spirit drifted on to join her, he incessantly called\nupon her name, until the brooks, trees, and fountains he had loved so\nwell caught up the longing cry, and repeated it again and again.\n\nNothing was now left to remind mortals of the sweet singer who had\nthus perished, except his lute, which the gods placed in the heavens\nas a bright constellation, Lyra, also called by Orpheus' name.\n\nAnother musician celebrated in mythological annals is Amphion, whose\nskill was reported to be but little inferior to Orpheus'.\n\n \"Tis said he had a tuneful tongue,\n Such happy intonation,\n Wherever he sat down and sung\n He left a small plantation;\n Wherever in a lonely grove\n He set up his forlorn pipes,\n The gouty oak began to move,\n And flounder into hornpipes.\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Amphion.]\n\nThis musician, a son of Jupiter and Antiope, had a twin brother\nZethus, who, however, shared none of his artistic tastes. Hearing that\ntheir mother Antiope had been repudiated by her second husband, Lycus,\nso that he might marry another wife by the name of Dirce, these youths\nhastened off to Thebes, where they found the state of affairs even\nworse than represented; for poor Antiope was now imprisoned, and\nsubject to her rival's daily cruel treatment.\n\n [Illustration: FARNESE BULL. (National Museum, Naples.)]\n\nZethus and Amphion, after besieging and taking the city, put Lycus to\ndeath, and, binding Dirce to the tail of a wild bull, let him loose to\ndrag her over briers and stones until she perished. This punishment\ninflicted upon Dirce is the subject of the famous group once belonging\nto the Farnese family, and now called by their name.\n\nAmphion's musical talent was of great use to him when he subsequently\nbecame King of Thebes, and wished to fortify his capital by building a\nhuge rampart all around it; for the stones moved in rhythmic time,\nand, of their own volition, marched into their places.\n\n[Sidenote: Arion.]\n\nSecond to him only, in musical fame, was Arion, the musician who won\nuntold wealth by his talent. On one occasion, having gone to Sicily to\ntake part in a musical contest which had attracted thither the most\nfamous musicians from all points of the compass, he resolved to return\nhome by sea.\n\nUnfortunately for him, the vessel upon which he had embarked was\nmanned by an avaricious, piratical crew, who, having heard of his\ntreasures, resolved to murder him to obtain possession of them. He was\nallowed but scant time to prepare for death; but, just as they were\nabout to toss him overboard, he craved permission to play for the last\ntime. The pirates consented. His clear notes floated over the sea, and\nallured a school of dolphins, which came and played about the ship.\nThe pirates, terrified by the power of his music, and in dread lest\ntheir hearts should be moved, quickly laid hands upon him, and hurled\nhim into the water, where he fell upon the broad back of a dolphin,\nwho bore him in safety to the nearest shore.\n\n \"Then was there heard a most celestiall sound\n Of dainty musicke, which did next ensew\n Before the spouse: that was Arion crownd;\n Who, playing on his harpe, unto him drew\n The eares and hearts of all that goodly crew,\n That even yet the Dolphin, which him bore\n Through the Agean seas from Pirates vew,\n Stood still by him astonisht at his lore,\n And all the raging seas for joy forgot to rore.\"\n\n Spenser.\n\nTo commemorate this miracle, the gods placed Arion's harp, together\nwith the dolphin, in the heavens, where they form a constellation.\n\nIn the sunny plains of Greece there once dwelt Clymene, a fair nymph.\nShe was not alone, however, for her golden-haired little son Phaeton\nwas there to gladden her heart with all his childish graces.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Phaeton.]\n\nEarly in the morning, when the sun's bright orb first appeared above\nthe horizon, Clymene would point it out to her boy, and tell him that\nhis father, Apollo, was setting out for his daily drive. Clymene so\noften entertained her child with stories of his father's beauty and\npower, that at last Phaeton became conceited, and acquired a habit of\nboasting rather loudly of his divine parentage. His playmates, after a\ntime, wearied of his arrogance, and, to avoid the constant repetition\nof his vain speeches, bade him show some proof of his divine origin,\nor keep his peace.\n\nStung to the quick by some insolent taunts which they added, Phaeton\nhastened to his mother, and begged her to direct him to his father,\nthat he might obtain the desired proof. Clymene immediately gave him\nall necessary information, and bade him make haste if he would reach\nhis father's palace in the far east before the sun chariot passed out\nof its portals to accomplish its daily round. Directly eastward\nPhaeton journeyed, nor paused to rest until he came in view of the\ngolden and jeweled pinnacles and turrets of his father's abode.\n\n \"The sun's bright palace, on high columns rais'd\n With burnish'd gold and flaming jewels blaz'd,\n The folding gates diffus'd a silver light,\n And with a milder gleam refresh'd the sight.\"\n\n Addison.\n\nQuite undazzled by this splendor, the youth still pressed on,\nstraining his eyes to catch the first glimpse of the godly father,\nwhose stately bearing and radiant air his mother had so\nenthusiastically described.\n\nApollo, from his golden throne, had watched the boy's approach, and,\nas he drew nearer, recognized him as his own offspring. Timidly now\nPhaeton advanced to the steps of his father's throne, and humbly\nwaited for permission to make his errand known. Apollo addressed him\ngraciously, called him his son, and bade him speak without fear. In a\nfew minutes the youth impetuously poured out the whole story, and\nwatched with pleasure the frown which gathered on Apollo's brow when\nhe repeated his companions' taunts. As soon as he had finished his\ntale, Apollo exclaimed that he would grant him any proof he wished,\nand confirmed these words by a solemn oath.\n\n \"'By the terrible Styx!' said the angry sire,\n While his eyes flashed volumes of fury and fire,\n 'To prove your reviler an infamous liar,\n I swear I will grant you whate'er you desire!'\"\n\n Saxe.\n\nThis oath was the most solemn any god could utter, and in case of\nperjury he was obliged to drink the waters of this river, which would\nlull him into senseless stupidity for one whole year. During nine\nyears following he was deprived of his office, banished from Olympus,\nand not allowed to taste of the life-giving nectar and ambrosia.\n\nWith a flash of triumph in his dark eyes, Phaeton, hearing this oath,\nbegged permission to drive the sun chariot that very day, stating that\nall the world would be sure to notice his exalted position, and that\nnone would ever dare doubt his veracity after such a signal mark of\nApollo's favor.\n\nWhen the god heard this presumptuous request, he started back in\ndismay, for he alone could control the four fiery steeds which drew\nthe golden-wheeled sun car. Patiently he then explained to Phaeton\nthe great danger of such an undertaking, earnestly begging him to\nselect some other, less fatal boon.\n\n \"Choose out a gift from seas, or earth, or skies,\n For open to your wish all nature lies;\n Only decline this one unequal task,\n For 'tis a mischief, not a gift, you ask.\"\n\n Addison.\n\nBut Phaeton, who, like many another conceited youth, fancied he knew\nbetter than his sire, would not give heed to the kindly warning, and\npersisted in his request, until Apollo, who had sworn the irrevocable\noath, was obliged to fulfill his promise.\n\nThe hour had already come when the Sun usually began his daily\njourney. The pawing, champing steeds were ready; rosy-fingered Aurora\nonly awaited her master's signal to fling wide the gates of morn; and\nthe Hours were ready to escort him as usual.\n\nApollo, yielding to pressure, quickly anointed his son with a cooling\nessence to preserve him from the burning sunbeams, gave him the\nnecessary directions for his journey, and repeatedly and anxiously\ncautioned him to watch his steeds with the utmost care, and to use the\nwhip but sparingly, as they were inclined to be very restive.\n\nThe youth, who had listened impatiently to cautions and directions,\nthen sprang into the seat, gathered up the reins, signaled to Aurora\nto fling the gates wide, and dashed out of the eastern palace with a\nflourish.\n\nFor an hour or two Phaeton bore in mind his father's principal\ninjunctions, and all went well; but later, elated by his exalted\nposition, he became very reckless, drove faster and faster, and soon\nlost his way. In finding it again he drove so close to the earth, that\nall the plants shriveled up, the fountains and rivers were dried in\ntheir mossy beds, the smoke began to rise from the parched and\nblackened earth, and even the people of the land over which he was\npassing were burned black,--a hue retained by their descendants to\nthis day.\n\n [Illustration: AURORA.--Guido Reni. (Rospigliosi Palace, Rome.)]\n\nTerrified at what he had done, Phaeton whipped up his steeds, and\ndrove so far away, that all the vegetation which had survived the\nintense heat came to an untimely end on account of the sudden cold.\n\nThe cries of mortals rose in chorus, and their clamors became so loud\nand importunate, that they roused Jupiter from a profound sleep, and\ncaused him to look around to discover their origin. One glance of his\nall-seeing eye sufficed to reveal the damaged earth and the youthful\ncharioteer. How had a beardless youth dared to mount the sun chariot?\nJupiter could scarcely credit what he saw. In his anger he vowed he\nwould make the rash mortal expiate his presumption by immediate death.\nHe therefore selected the deadliest thunderbolt in his arsenal, aimed\nit with special care, and hurled it at Phaeton, whose burned and\nblackened corpse fell from his lofty seat down into the limpid waves\nof the Eridanus River.\n\n \"And Phaethon, caught in mid career,\n And hurled from the Sun to utter sunlessness,\n Like a flame-bearded comet, with ghastliest hiss,\n Fell headlong in the amazed Eridanus,\n Monarch of streams, who on the Italian fields\n Let loose, and far beyond his flowery lips\n Foam-white, ran ruinous to the Adrian deep.\"\n\n Worsley.\n\n[Sidenote: The Heliades.]\n\nThe tidings of his death soon reached poor Clymene, who mourned her\nonly son, and refused to be comforted; while the Heliades, Phaeton's\nsisters, three in number,--Phaetusa, Lampetia, and \u00c6gle,--spent their\ndays by the riverside, shedding tears, wringing their white hands, and\nbewailing their loss, until the gods, in pity, transformed them into\npoplar trees, and their tears into amber, which substance was supposed\nby the ancients to flow from the poplar trees like teardrops.\nPhaeton's intimate friend, Cycnus, piously collected his charred\nremains, and gave them an honorable burial. In his grief he\ncontinually haunted the scene of his friend's death, and repeatedly\nplunged into the river, in the hope of finding some more scattered\nfragments, until the gods changed him into a swan; which bird is ever\nsailing mournfully about, and frequently plunging, his head into the\nwater to continue his sad search.\n\nApollo, as the dearly loved leader of the nine Muses,--daughters of\nJupiter and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory,--was surnamed Musagetes.\n\n \"Whom all the Muses loved, not one alone;\n Into his hands they put the lyre of gold,\n And, crowned with sacred laurel at their fount,\n Placed him as Musagetes on their throne.\"\n\n Longfellow.\n\nAlthough the Muses united at times in one grand song, they had each\nseparate duties assigned them.\n\n[Sidenote: The nine Muses.]\n\nClio, the Muse of history, recorded all great deeds and heroic\nactions, with the names of their authors, and was therefore generally\nrepresented with a laurel wreath and a book and stylus, to indicate\nher readiness to note all that happened to mortal men or immortal\ngods.\n\nEuterpe, the graceful \"Mistress of Song,\" was represented with a\nflute, and garlands of fragrant flowers.\n\nThalia, Muse of pastoral poetry, held a shepherd's crook and mask, and\nwore a crown of wild flowers.\n\n \"Mild pastoral Muse!\n That, to the sparkling crown Urania wears,\n And to her sister Clio's laurel wreath,\n Preferr'st a garland culled from purple heath!\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\nHer graver sister, Melpomene, who presided over tragedy, wore a crown\nof gold, and wielded a dagger and a scepter; while Terpsichore, the\nlight-footed Muse of dancing, was represented treading an airy\nmeasure.\n\n [Illustration: APOLLO AND THE MUSES.--Mengs.]\n\nErato, who preferred lyric poetry to all other styles of composition,\nwas pictured with a lyre; and Polyhymnia, Muse of rhetoric, held a\nscepter to show that eloquence rules with resistless sway.\n\nCalliope, Muse of heroic poetry, also wore a laurel crown; and Urania,\nMuse of astronomy, held mathematical instruments, indicative of her\nlove of the exact sciences.\n\nThis glorious sisterhood was wont to assemble on Mount Parnassus or on\nMount Helicon, to hold their learned debates on poetry, science, and\nmusic.\n\nApollo's favorite attendant was Eos (Aurora), the fair goddess of\ndawn, whose rose-tipped fingers opened wide the eastern gates of\npearl, and who then flashed across the sky to announce her master's\ncoming.\n\n \"Hail, gentle Dawn! mild blushing goddess, hail!\n Rejoiced I see thy purple mantle spread\n O'er half the skies; gems pave thy radiant way,\n And orient pearls from every shrub depend.\"\n\n Somerville.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Aurora and Tithonus.]\n\nThis dainty goddess loved and married Tithonus, Prince of Troy, and\nwon from the gods the boon of everlasting life to confer upon him.\nAlas! however, she forgot to ask at the same time for continued youth;\nand her husband grew older and older, and finally became so decrepit,\nthat he was a burden to her. Knowing he would never die, and wishing\nto rid herself of his burdensome presence, she changed him into a\ngrasshopper.\n\nAt this time the goddess fell in love with Cephalus, the young hunter,\nand frequently visited him on Mount Hymettus.\n\n \"'Come,' Phoebus cries, 'Aurora, come--too late\n Thou linger'st slumbering with thy wither'd mate!\n Leave him, and to Hymettus' top repair!\n Thy darling Cephalus expects thee there!'\n The goddess, with a blush, her love betrays,\n But mounts, and, driving rapidly, obeys.\"\n\n Keats.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Apollo.]\n\nThe principal temples dedicated to the worship of Apollo were at\nDelos, his birthplace, and at Delphi, where a priestess called Pythia\ngave out mysterious oracles purporting to have come from the god. The\nancients everywhere could not fail to recognize the sun's kindly\ninfluence and beneficent power, and were therefore ever ready to\nworship Apollo.\n\n \"I marvel not, O sun! that unto thee\n In adoration man should bow the knee,\n And pour his prayers of mingled awe and love;\n For like a God thou art, and on thy way\n Of glory sheddest with benignant ray,\n Beauty, and life, and joyance from above.\"\n\n Southey.\n\nThe most renowned among the numerous festivals held in honor of Apollo\nwere, without exception, the Pythian Games, celebrated at Delphi every\nthree years.\n\nA manly, beardless youth of great beauty, Apollo is generally crowned\nwith laurels, and bears either a bow or a lyre.\n\n \"The Lord of the unerring bow,\n The God of life, and poesy, and light--\n The Sun in human limbs array'd, and brow\n All radiant from his triumph in the fight;\n The shaft hath just been shot--the arrow bright\n With an immortal's vengeance; in his eye\n And nostril beautiful disdain, and might\n And majesty, flash their full lightnings by,\n Developing in that one glance the Deity.\"\n\n Byron.\n\nOne of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the famous Colossus of\nRhodes, was a statue of Apollo, his head encircled with a halo of\nbright sunbeams, and his legs spread wide apart to allow vessels, with\nall their sails spread, to pass in and out of the harbor, whose\nentrance he guarded for many a year.\n\n [Illustration: DIANA OF VERSAILLES. (Louvre, Paris.)]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nDIANA.\n\n\nDiana (Cynthia, Phoebe, Selene, Artemis), the fair twin sister of\nApollo, was not only goddess of the moon, but also of the chase.\n\n \"'Goddess serene, transcending every star!\n Queen of the sky, whose beams are seen afar!\n By night heaven owns thy sway, by day the grove,\n When, as chaste Dian, here thou deign'st to rove.'\"\n\n Byron.\n\nIn works of art this goddess is generally represented as a beautiful\nmaiden, clad in a short hunting dress, armed with a bow, a quiver full\nof arrows at her side, and a crescent on her well-poised head.\n\nProud of her two children, Apollo and Diana, Latona boasted far and\nwide that such as hers had never been, for they excelled all others in\nbeauty, intelligence, and power.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Niobe.]\n\nThe daughter of Tantalus, Niobe, heard this boast, and laughed in\nscorn; for she was the mother of fourteen children,--seven manly sons\nand seven beautiful daughters. In her pride she called aloud to\nLatona, and taunted her because her offspring numbered but two.\n\nShortly after, Niobe even went so far as to forbid her people to\nworship Apollo and Diana, and gave orders that all the statues\nrepresenting them in her kingdom should be torn down from their\npedestals, and destroyed. Enraged at this insult, Latona called her\nchildren to her side, and bade them go forth and slay all her luckless\nrival's offspring.\n\nProvided with well-stocked quivers, the twins set out to do her\nbidding; and Apollo, meeting the seven lads out hunting, cut their\nexistence short with his unfailing arrows.\n\n \"Phoebus slew the sons\n With arrows from his silver bow, incensed\n At Niobe.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nWith all proverbial speed the tidings reached Niobe, whose heart\nfailed when she heard that her seven sons, her pride and delight, had\nfallen under Apollo's shafts, and that they now lay cold and stiff in\nthe forest, where they had eagerly hastened a few hours before, to\nfollow the deer to its cover.\n\nAs she mourned their untimely death, she thought her cup of sorrow was\nfull; but long ere her first passion of grief was over, Diana began to\nslay her daughters.\n\n \"But what is this? What means this oozing flood?\n Her daughters, too, are weltering in their blood:\n One clasps her mother's knees, one clings around\n Her neck, and one lies prostrate on the ground;\n One seeks her breast; one eyes the coming woe\n And shudders; one in terror crouches low.\"\n\n Meleager.\n\nIn vain the poor girls sought to escape the flying arrows. In vain\nNiobe sought to protect them, and called upon all the gods of Olympus.\nHer daughters fell one by one, never to rise again. The last clung\nconvulsively to her mother's breast; but, even in that fond mother's\npassionate embrace, death found and claimed her. Then the gods,\ntouched by the sight of woe so intense, changed Niobe into stone, just\nas she stood, with upturned face, streaming eyes, and quivering lips.\n\nThis statue was placed on Mount Sipylus, close to a stream of running\nwater; and it was said that tears continually flowed down the marble\ncheeks, for, though changed, Niobe still felt, and wept for her great\nloss.\n\n [Illustration: NIOBE. (Uffizi Palace, Florence.)]\n\nThis story is an allegory, in which Niobe, the mother, represents\nwinter, hard, cold, and proud; until Apollo's deadly arrows, the\nsunbeams, slay her children, the winter months. Her tears are emblems\nof the natural thaw which comes in spring, when winter's pride has\nmelted.\n\n[Sidenote: Diana's avocations.]\n\nAs soon as the young Goddess of the Moon had been introduced in\nOlympus, all the gods expressed a wish to marry her; but she refused\nto listen to their entreaties, begged her father's permission to\nremain single all her life, and pleaded her cause so ably, that\nJupiter was forced to grant her request.\n\nEvery evening, as soon as the Sun had finished his course, Diana\nmounted her moon car, and drove her milk-white steeds across the\nheavens, watched over and loved by the countless stars, which shone\ntheir brightest to cheer her on her way; and as she drove she often\nbent down to view the sleeping earth, so shadowy and dreamlike, and to\nbreathe the intoxicating perfume of the distant flowers. It always\nseemed to her then as if Nature, so beautiful during the day, borrowed\nadditional charms from the witching hours of the night.\n\n \"'Twas now the time when Phoebus yields to night,\n And rising Cynthia sheds her silver light,\n Wide o'er the world in solemn pomp she drew\n Her airy chariot hung with pearly dew.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Endymion.]\n\nOne evening, as she was driving noiselessly along, she suddenly\nchecked her steeds; for there on the hillside she saw a handsome young\nshepherd, fast asleep, his upturned face illumined by the moon's soft\nlight. Diana wonderingly gazed upon his beauty, and before long felt\nher heart beat with more than admiration. Gliding gently from her\nchariot, she floated to his side, bent slowly, and dropped an airy\nkiss upon his slightly parted lips.\n\nThe youth Endymion, only partially awakened by this demonstration,\nhalf raised his fringed lids, and for a moment his sleep-dimmed eyes\nrested wonderingly upon the beautiful vision. That one glance,\nalthough it drove Diana away in great haste, kindled in his heart an\ninextinguishable passion. He rose with a start, and rubbed his sleepy\neyes; but when he saw the moon, which he fancied close beside him,\nsailing away across the deep-blue sky, he felt sure the whole\noccurrence had been but a dream, but so sweet a dream that he cast\nhimself down upon the sward, hoping to woo it to visit him once more.\n\nIt did not come again that night, however; but the next night, as he\nlay on the selfsame spot, it recurred in all its sweetness; and night\nafter night it was repeated when the pale moonbeams fell athwart his\nsleeping face.\n\n \"Then, as the full orb poised upon the peak,\n There came a lovely vision of a maid,\n Who seemed to step as from a golden car\n Out of the low-hung moon.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nDiana, fully as enamored as he, could not bear to pass him by without\na caress, and invariably left her car for a moment, as it touched the\nmountain peak, to run to him and snatch a hasty kiss.\n\n \"Chaste Artemis, who guides the lunar car,\n The pale nocturnal vigils ever keeping,\n Sped through the silent space from star to star,\n And, blushing, stooped to kiss Endymion sleeping.\"\n\n Boyesen.\n\nBut, even when asleep, Endymion watched for her coming, and enjoyed\nthe bliss of her presence; yet a spell seemed to prevent his giving\nany sign of consciousness.\n\nTime passed thus. Diana, who could not bear to think of the youth's\nbeauty being marred by want, toil, and exposure, finally caused an\neternal sleep to fall upon him, and bore him off to Mount Latmus,\nwhere she concealed him in a cave held sacred to her, and never\nprofaned by human gaze. There each night the goddess paused to gaze\nenraptured upon his beloved countenance, and to press a soft kiss upon\nhis unconscious lips. Such is the tale of Diana and her lowly\nsweetheart, which has inspired poets of all ages.\n\n \"Queen of the wide air; thou most lovely queen\n Of all the brightness that mine eyes have seen!\n As thou exceedest all things in thy shrine,\n So every tale, does this sweet tale of thine.\"\n\n Keats.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Orion.]\n\nEndymion was not, however, the only mortal loved by Diana, for\nmythologists report that her affections were also bestowed upon a\nyoung hunter by the name of Orion. All day long this youth scoured the\nforest, his faithful dog Sirius at his heels.\n\nOne day, in the dense shade of the forest, he met a group of Diana's\nnymphs, the seven Pleiades, daughters of Atlas. These fair maidens\nneeded but to be seen to be passionately loved, and Orion's heart\nburned as he sought to approach them; but they were very coy, and, as\nhe drew near and addressed them, turned and fled.\n\nAfraid lest he should never see them again were he now to lose sight\nof them, he pursued them hotly; but the nymphs sped on, until, their\nstrength failing, they called upon their patroness's aid. Their prayer\nwas no sooner heard than answered, and Orion, panting and weary, came\nup just in time to see seven snow-white pigeons wing their way up into\nthe azure sky.\n\nThere a second transformation overtook the Pleiades, who were changed\ninto a constellation, composed of seven bright stars, and there they\nshone undimmed for ages; but when Troy fell into the enemy's hands,\nall grew pale with grief, and one, more timid and impressionable than\nthe rest, withdrew from sight to hide her anguish from the curious\neyes of men.\n\n \"And is there glory from the heavens departed?--\n O void unmark'd!--thy sisters of the sky\n Still hold their place on high,\n Though from its rank thine orb so long hath started\n Thou, that no more art seen of mortal eye!\"\n\n Hemans.\n\nOrion, like a fickle youth, was soon consoled for their disappearance,\nand loved Merope, daughter of Oenopion, King of Chios, who consented\nto their union on condition that his future son-in-law should win his\nbride by some heroic deed. Now, as Orion was anything but a patient\nman, the delay was very unwelcome indeed, and he made up his mind to\nabduct his bride instead of marrying her openly; but the plan was\nfrustrated by Oenopion's watchfulness, and Orion was punished by the\nloss not only of his bride, but also of his eyesight.\n\nBlind, helpless, and alone, he now wandered from place to place,\nhoping to find some one capable of restoring his sight. At last he\nreached the Cyclopes' cave, and one of them took pity on him, and led\nhim to the Sun, from whose radiance he borrowed a store of light,--\n\n \"When, blinded by Oenopion,\n He sought the blacksmith at his forge,\n And, climbing up the mountain gorge,\n Fixed his blank eyes upon the sun.\"\n\n Longfellow.\n\nHappy once more, he resumed his favorite sport, and hunted from morn\ntill eve. Diana met him in the forest, and, sharing his tastes, soon\nlearned to love him; but this affection was viewed with great\ndispleasure by Apollo, from whose piercing glance nothing that\noccurred by day could be hidden, and he resolved to put an end to his\nsister's infatuation. He therefore summoned her to his side. To divert\nher suspicions, he began to talk of archery, and, under the pretext of\ntesting her skill as a markswoman, bade her shoot at a dark speck\nrising and falling far out at sea.\n\nDiana seized her bow, feathered her arrow, and sent it with such force\nand accurate aim, that she touched the point, and saw it vanish\nbeneath the waves, little suspecting that the dark head of Orion, who\nwas refreshing himself by a sea bath, was given her as a target. When\nshe discovered her error, she mourned his loss with many tears, vowed\nnever to forget him, and placed him and his faithful dog Sirius as\nconstellations in the sky.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Act\u00e6on.]\n\nWhen Diana had finished her nightly journey in her moon car, she\nseized her bow and arrows, and, attended by her nymphs, was wont to\nsally forth to hunt the wild beasts in the forest.\n\nOne summer afternoon, after an unusually long and exciting pursuit,\nDiana and her followers came to one of the still mountain pools where\nthey had often resorted to enjoy a plunge. The cool waters rippled so\ninvitingly, that the goddess and her attendants hastened to divest\nthemselves of their short hunting garments, and lave their heated\nlimbs.\n\nBut unfortunately the goddess and her attendant nymphs had not been\nthe only ones out hunting that day. Act\u00e6on, the huntsman, had risen at\ndawn to stalk the deer; and now, weary and parched with thirst, he too\nsought the well-known mountain spring,\n\n \"Deep in the cool recesses of the wood,\n Where the cold crystal of a mossy pool\n Rose to the flowery marge, and gave again\n The soft green lawn where ofttimes, overspent,\n I lay upon the grass and eager bathed\n My limbs in the clear lymph.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nAs he drew near the accustomed spot, Act\u00e6on fancied he heard bursts of\nsilvery laughter: so he crept on very cautiously, and soon, gently\nparting the thick branches of the underbrush, beheld the sporting\ngroup.\n\nAt the selfsame moment Diana turned to ascertain the cause of the\nrustle which had caught her practiced ear, and met the admiring gaze\nof the astonished young hunter. Speechless with indignation that a\nmortal had beheld her thus, she caught some water in her hollow palm,\nflung it in his face, and bade him go and declare, if he could, that\nhe had seen Diana disrobed.\n\nThe glittering drops had no sooner touched the young man's face, than\nhe turned to obey her command, and found himself transformed into a\nstag, with slender, sinewy limbs, furry skin, and wide-branching\nantlers. Nothing remained of his former self except the woeful\nconsciousness of his transformation; and as he stood there, motionless\nand dismayed, the distant baying of his hounds coming to join him fell\nupon his ear.\n\nAn electric thrill of fear shot through every vein, as, mindful of his\nnew form, he bounded away through the forest. Alas! too late; for the\npack had caught one glimpse of his sleek sides, and were after him in\nfull cry.\n\nIn vain poor Act\u00e6on strained every muscle. His limbs refused their\nsupport, and, as he sank exhausted to the ground, the hounds sprang at\nhis quivering throat.\n\n \"Nearer they came and nearer, baying loud,\n With bloodshot eyes and red jaws dripping foam;\n And when I strove to check their savagery,\n Speaking with words, no voice articulate came,\n Only a dumb, low bleat. Then all the throng\n Leapt swift on me, and tore me as I lay!\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nDiana was widely worshiped, and temples without number were dedicated\nto her service; among others, the world-renowned sanctuary of Ephesus.\nThe ancients also celebrated many festivals in honor of this fair\ngoddess of the moon, who was ever ready to extend her protection over\nall deserving mortals.\n\n [Illustration: VENUS DE MILO. (Louvre, Paris.)]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nVENUS.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Venus' birth.]\n\nVenus (Dione, Aphrodite, Cytherea), the goddess of beauty, love,\nlaughter, and marriage, is said by some mythologists to be the\ndaughter of Jupiter and Dione, goddess of moisture: others report that\nshe sprang from the foam of the sea.\n\n \"Look, look, why shine\n Those floating bubbles with such light divine?\n They break, and from their mist a lily form\n Rises from out the wave, in beauty warm.\n The wave is by the blue-veined feet scarce press'd,\n Her silky ringlets float about her breast,\n Veiling its fairy loveliness; while her eye\n Is soft and deep as the blue heaven is high.\n The Beautiful is born; and sea and earth\n May well revere the hour of that mysterious birth.\"\n\n Shelley.\n\nThe ocean nymphs were the first to discover her, cradled on a great\nblue wave; and they carried her down into their coral caves, where\nthey tenderly nursed her, and taught her with the utmost care. Then,\nher education being completed, the sea nymphs judged it time to\nintroduce her to the other gods, and, with that purpose in view,\ncarried her up to the surface of the sea,--where Tritons, Oceanides,\nand Nereides all crowded around her, loudly expressing their ardent\nadmiration,--and offered her pearls and choice bits of coral from the\ndeep, as a tribute to her charms.\n\n [Illustration: FOURTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT.--Raphael.]\n\nThen they pillowed her softly on a great wave, and intrusted her to\nthe care of Zephyrus, the soft south wind, who blew a gentle breath,\nand wafted her to the Island of Cyprus.\n\nThe four beautiful Hor\u00e6 (the Seasons), daughters of Jupiter and\nThemis, goddess of justice, stood there on the shore to welcome her.\n\n \"An ethereal band\n Are visible above: the Seasons four,--\n Green-kirtled Spring, flush Summer, golden store\n In Autumn's sickle, Winter frosty hoar.\"\n\n Keats.\n\nAnd they were not alone to watch for her coming, for the three\nCharites (Graces, or Grati\u00e6) were also present.\n\n \"'These three on men all gracious gifts bestow,\n Which decke the body or adorne the mynde,\n To make them lovely or well-favoured show;\n As comely carriage, entertainement kynde,\n Sweete semblaunt, friendly offices that bynde,\n And all the complements of curtesie:\n They teach us how to each degree and kynde\n We should our selves demeane, to low, to hie,\n To friends, to foes; which skill men call Civility.'\"\n\n Spenser.\n\nDaughters of Jupiter and Eurynome, these maidens, who bore the\nrespective names of Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, longed to show\ntheir love for their new mistress. When the wave upon which she\nreclined came nearer still, the \"rosy-bosomed Hours, fair Venus'\ntrain,\" appeared. The wind finally brought the fair goddess in safety\nto the shore; and, as soon as her foot touched the white sand, all\nbent in homage to her surpassing beauty, and reverentially watched her\ndry her hair.\n\n \"Idalian Aphrodite beautiful,\n Fresh as the foam, new-bathed in Paphian wells,\n With rosy slender fingers backward drew\n From her warm brows and bosom her deep hair\n Ambrosial, golden round her lucid throat\n And shoulder: from the violets her light foot\n Shone rosy-white, and o'er her rounded form\n Between the shadows of the vine bunches\n Floated the glowing sunlights, as she moved.\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\nThis hasty and somewhat primitive toilet completed, Venus and her\nfollowers set out for Mount Olympus, and on their way thither were\njoined by Himerus, god of the desire of love; Pothos, god of the\namities of love; Suadela, god of the soft speech of love; and Hymen,\ngod of marriage.\n\n[Sidenote: Venus and Vulcan.]\n\nA throne had been prepared for the expected goddess, and, when she\nsuddenly appeared to take possession of it, the assembled gods could\nnot restrain a rapturous murmur of admiration. Her beauty took them by\nstorm, and her grace won their hearts; but, although they one and all\nexpressed a desire to marry her, Venus scornfully rejected their\nproposals. Even the king of gods was slighted, and, to punish her for\nher pride, he decreed she should marry Vulcan, god of the forge, the\nmost ill-favored of all the heavenly council.\n\nThis compulsory union was anything but a happy one; for Venus never\nshowed any affection for her deformed consort, and, instead of being a\nfaithful wife, soon deserted him, and openly declared she would please\nherself.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Alectryon.]\n\nHer first fancy was for Mars, the handsome god of war, who was not\nslow in reciprocating the fair goddess's affections, and many and\nsweet were the secret interviews they enjoyed. Yet, fearful lest some\nof the gods passing by should discover them together, Mars always\nplaced his attendant Alectryon on guard, bidding him give due warning\nof any one's approach, and especially to call him before the sun rose,\nas the lovers were particularly anxious that Apollo should not witness\ntheir parting caresses.\n\nAll prospered according to their desires, until one night the\nunfortunate Alectryon fell asleep; and so profound were his slumbers,\nthat he did not even stir when Aurora flung open the gates of the\neast, and Apollo flashed forth to receive the melodious greetings of\nthe feathered denizens of the forest.\n\nThe sun god drove rapidly on, glancing right and left, and taking note\nof all he saw. Nothing escaped his bright and piercing eye, as it\nflashed its beams hither and thither, and he was soon aware of the\nsleeping watchman and of the guilty lovers. As fast as his\nfleet-footed steeds could carry him, Apollo hastened to Vulcan, to\nwhom he vividly described the sight which had greeted his eyes.\n\nThe irate husband lost no time, but, seizing a net of linked steel,\nwent in search of his runaway wife. Stealthily he approached the\nlovers' bower, and deftly flung the net over both sleepers, who were\ncaught in its fine meshes, and could not escape; and there he kept\nthem imprisoned, in spite of their entreaties, until all the gods had\nseen their humiliating plight, and turned them into ridicule. But when\nhe at last set them free, Mars darted away, vowing vengeance upon the\nnegligent sentinel, who was still blissfully sleeping. Pouncing upon\nhim, Mars awakened him roughly, administered a sharp reproof, changed\nhim into a cock, banished him into the barnyard, and condemned him to\ngive daily warning of the sun's approach.\n\n \"And, from out a neighboring farmyard,\n Loud the cock Alectryon crowed.\"\n\n Longfellow.\n\n[Sidenote: Venus' children.]\n\nSeveral beautiful children were born to Mars and Venus. Hermione, or\nHarmonia, their daughter, married Cadmus, King of Thebes; and Cupid\n(Cupido, Eros, Amor), their little son, was appointed god of love.\nAlthough nursed with tender solicitude, this second-born child did not\ngrow as other children do, but remained a small, rosy, chubby child,\nwith gauzy wings and roguish, dimpled face. Alarmed for his health,\nVenus consulted Themis, who oracularly replied, \"Love cannot grow\nwithout Passion.\"\n\nIn vain the goddess strove to catch the concealed meaning of this\nanswer. It was only revealed to her when Anteros, god of passion, was\nborn. When with his brother, Cupid grew and flourished, until he\nbecame a handsome, slender youth; but when separated from him, he\ninvariably resumed his childish form and mischievous habits.\n\n[Sidenote: Venus and Adonis.]\n\nVenus, however, did not lavish all her love upon Mars, for she is said\nto have felt a tender passion for a young man named Adonis, a bold\nyoung hunter, whose rash pursuit of dangerous game caused Venus many\nanxious alarms. In vain she besought him to forego the pleasures of\nthe chase and remain with her. He laughingly escaped, and continued to\njoin the other hunters in his favorite sport. But, alas! one day,\nafter an exciting pursuit, he boldly attacked a wild boar, which,\ngoaded to madness, turned upon him, buried his strong tusk in the\nyouth's unprotected side, and trampled him to death.\n\n \"The white tusk of a boar has transpierced his white thigh.\n\n * * * * *\n\n \"The youth lieth dead while his dogs howl around,\n And the nymphs weep aloud from the mists of the hill.\"\n\n Bion (Mrs. Browning's tr.).\n\nVenus ran straight to the scene of his tragic death, rushing through\nunderbrush and briers, tearing her delicate skin, and her blood\ntingeing all the white roses along her way to a faint pink. When she\narrived, she found her beloved Adonis cold in death, and her\npassionate caresses met with no response. Then she burst into such a\npassion of tears, that the wood and water nymphs, the gods, men, and\nall nature in fact, joined with her to mourn the beloved youth.\n\n \"Her loss the Loves deplore:\n Woe, Venus, woe! Adonis is no more.\"\n\n Bion (Elton's tr.).\n\n [Illustration: SLEEPING LOVE.--Perrault.]\n\nVery reluctantly Mercury at last appeared to lead the soul of the\ndeparted down into the Infernal Regions, where it was welcomed by\nProserpina, queen of the realm, and led to the place where pure and\nvirtuous mortals enjoyed an eternity of bliss. Venus, still\ninconsolable, shed countless tears, which, as they dropped upon the\nground, were changed to anemones, while the red drops which had fallen\nfrom Adonis' side were transformed into red roses.\n\n \"As many drops as from Adonis bled,\n So many tears the sorrowing Venus shed:\n For every drop on earth a flower there grows:\n Anemones for tears; for blood the rose.\"\n\n Bion (Elton's tr.).\n\nAs time did not soften Venus' grief, but, on the contrary, made it\nmore and more unendurable, she went to Olympus, where she fell at\nJupiter's feet, imploring him to release Adonis from death's embrace,\nor allow her to share his lot in Hades.\n\nTo allow Beauty to desert the earth was not possible, nor could he\nresist her pleading: so he finally decreed that Adonis should be\nrestored to her longing arms. But Pluto, whose subject he had now\nbecome, refused to yield up Adonis; and after much dispute a\ncompromise was agreed upon, by virtue of which Adonis was allowed to\nspend one half of the year on earth, providing he spent the remaining\nsix months in the Elysian Fields.\n\nIn early spring, therefore, Adonis left the Lower World, and came with\nbounding tread to join his beloved. On his path the flowers bloomed\nand the birds sang, to show their joy at his coming. An emblem of\nvegetation, which rises from the ground in early spring to deck the\nearth with beautiful foliage and flowers, and cause the birds to sing\nfor gladness, Adonis reluctantly returned to Hades, when Winter, the\ncruel boar, slew him again with his white tusk, and made nature again\ndroop, and mourn his departure.\n\n \"But even in death, so strong is Love,\n I could not wholly die; and year by year,\n When the bright springtime comes, and the earth lives,\n Love opens these dread gates, and calls me forth\n Across the gulf.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\n[Sidenote: Venus and Anchises.]\n\nThe Goddess of Beauty also loved Anchises, Prince of Troy, but,\nashamed of lavishing favors upon a mere mortal, extorted from him a\npromise that he would never reveal their secret marriage.\nUnfortunately, however, Anchises was of a boastful disposition, and\nere long yielded to temptation and revealed the secret, incurring her\nwrath to such an extent, that some mythologists accuse her of\nborrowing one of Jupiter's thunderbolts and slaying him. Others,\nhowever, report that Anchises lived to a ripe old age, and escaped\nfrom burning Troy on his son \u00c6neas' back. Venus' love was, however,\nall transferred to her son \u00c6neas, whom she signally protected\nthroughout his checkered career.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Hero and Leander.]\n\nVenus' most ardent admirers and faithful worshipers were the young\npeople, for she delighted in their youthful sentiments, and was ever\nready to lend a helping hand to all true lovers when apparently\ninsurmountable obstacles appeared on their path.\n\nThis was the case with a lovely maiden by the name of Hero, who was\ndedicated by her parents to Venus' service, and, as soon as old\nenough, spent all her time in the temple, ministering to the goddess,\nor in a lonely tower by the sea, where she dwelt alone with her aged\nnurse.\n\n \"Honey-sweet Hero, of a princely race,\n Was priestess to Queen Venus in that place;\n And at her father's tower, by the sea set--\n Herself a Queen of Love, though maiden yet--\n Dwelt.\"\n\n Edwin Arnold.\n\nThe maiden's beauty increased with her years, until the fame of her\nloveliness spread throughout her native city Sestus, and even passed\nover the Hellespont and reached Abydus, where Leander, the bravest\nand handsomest youth of the town, was fired with a desire to view the\ncharming young priestess.\n\nJust at that time a solemn festival in honor of Venus was to be\ncelebrated at Sestus, to which all the youths and maidens were\ncordially invited. Under pretext of paying homage to the goddess,\nLeander entered her temple, and saw the young priestess, whose charms\nfar surpassed all descriptions.\n\nVenus, as has already been stated, was always deeply interested in\nyoung lovers; and when she saw these two, so well matched in beauty\nand grace, she bade Cupid pierce them with his love darts, which\nbehest the mischief-loving god immediately obeyed.\n\n \"God Eros, setting notch to string,\n Wounded two bosoms with one shaft-shooting,\n A maiden's and a youth's--Leander he,\n And lovely Hero, Sestos' sweetest, she;\n She of her town, and he of his, the boast;\n A noble pair!\"\n\n Edwin Arnold.\n\nAn undying passion was thus simultaneously kindled in both young\nhearts; and, thanks to Venus' assistance, Leander managed to exchange\na few words with Hero, declared his love, implored her to view his\nsuit kindly, and, above all, to grant him a private interview, or he\nwould surely die.\n\nThe maiden listened to his pleading with mingled joy and terror, for\nshe knew her parents would never consent to their union. Then, afraid\nlest some one should notice that she was talking to a stranger, she\nbade him depart; but he refused to go until he had learned where she\nlived, and proposed to swim across the Hellespont when the shades of\nnight had fallen, and none could see his goal, and pay her a visit in\nher lonely tower.\n\n \"'Sweet! for thy love,' he cried, 'the sea I'd cleave,\n Though foam were fire, and waves with flame did heave,\n I fear not billows if they bear to thee;\n Nor tremble at the hissing of the sea!\n And I will come--oh! let me come--each night,\n Swimming the swift flood to my dear delight:\n For white Abydos, where I live, doth front\n Thy city here, across our Hellespont.'\"\n\n Edwin Arnold.\n\nAt last his prayers overcame the maiden's scruples, and she arranged\nto receive him in her sea-girt tower, promising at a given hour to\nlight a torch and hold it aloft to guide him safely across the sea.\nThen only he departed.\n\nNight came on; darkness stole over the earth; and Leander impatiently\npaced the sandy shore, and watched for the promised signal, which no\nsooner appeared, than he exultantly plunged into the dark waves, and\nparted them with lusty strokes, as he hastened across the deep to join\nhis beloved. At times the huge billows towered above his head; but\nwhen he had escaped their threatening depths, and rose up on their\nfoamy crests, he could catch a glimpse of the torch burning brightly,\nand pictured to himself the shy, sweet blushes which would dye Hero's\ncheek as he clasped her to his passionate heart.\n\n \"Leander had no fear--he cleft the wave--\n What is the peril fond hearts will not brave!\"\n\n Landon.\n\nVenus, from the top of \"many-peaked Olympus,\" smilingly viewed the\nsuccess of her scheme, and nerved Leander's arm to cleave the rapid\ncurrent. At last he reached the tower steps, and was lovingly greeted\nby Hero, whose heart had throbbed with anxiety at the thought of the\nperils her lover was braving for the sake of seeing her once more.\n\nIt was only when the dawn began to whiten the east, that the lovers\nfinished their interview and parted, he to return to Abydus, and she\nto prepare for the daily duties which would soon claim her attention.\nBut separation by day was all these fond lovers could endure, and\nnight after night, as soon as the first stars appeared, Hero lighted\nher torch, and Leander hastened to her, to linger by her side till\ndawn.\n\n \"Thus pass'd the summer shadows in delight:\n Leander came as surely as the night,\n And when the morning woke upon the sea,\n It saw him not, for back at home was he.\"\n\n Hunt.\n\nNo one suspected their meetings; and all went well until the first\nfierce storms of winter swept down over the Hellespont. Hero, in the\ngray dawn of a winter's morning, besought her lover not to leave her\nto battle against the waves, which beat so violently against the stone\ntower; but he gently laughed at her fears, and departed, promising to\nreturn at night as usual.\n\nThe storm, which had raged so fiercely already in the early morning,\nincreased in violence as the day wore on, until the waves were lashed\ninto foam, while the wind howled more and more ominously as the\ndarkness came on again; but none of these signs could deter Leander\nfrom visiting Hero.\n\n \"There came one night, the wildest of the year,\n When the wind smote like edge of hissing spear,\n And the pale breakers thundered on the beach.\"\n\n Edwin Arnold.\n\nAll day long Hero had hoped that her lover would renounce his nightly\njourney; but still, when evening came, she lighted her torch to serve\nas beacon, should he risk all to keep his word. The wind blew so\nfiercely, that the torch wavered and flickered, and nearly went out,\nalthough Hero protected its feeble flame by standing over it with\noutstretched robes.\n\nAt sight of the wonted signal, Leander, who had already once been\nbeaten back by the waves, made a second attempt to cross the strait,\ncalling upon the gods to lend him their aid. But this time his prayers\nwere unheard, drowned in the fury of the storm; yet he struggled on a\nwhile longer, with Hero's name on his lips.\n\n [Illustration: HERO AND LEANDER.--Bodenhausen.]\n\nAt last, exhausted and ready to sink, he lifted his eyes once more to\nview the cheering light. It was gone, extinguished by a passing gust\nof wind. Like a stone Leander sank, once, twice, thrice, and the\nbillows closed forever over his head.\n\nHero in the mean while had relighted her torch, and, quite unconscious\nof the tragedy which had taken place, stood on the tower, straining\nher eyes to pierce the darkness. All night long she waited and watched\nfor the lover who did not come; and, when the first sunbeams shone\nover the tossing sea, she cast an anxious glance over the waters to\nAbydus. No one was in sight as far as she could see. She was about to\ndescend to pursue her daily tasks, when, glancing at the foot of the\ntower, she saw her lover's corpse heaving up and down on the waves.\n\n \"As shaken on his restless pillow,\n His head heaves with the heaving billow;\n That hand, whose motion is not life,\n Yet feebly seems to menace strife,\n Flung by the tossing tide on high,\n Then level'd with the wave.\"\n\n Byron.\n\nHero's heart broke at this sad sight, and she longed to die, too, that\nshe might not be parted from Leander. To hasten their meeting, she\nthrew herself into the sea, and perished in the waves, close by his\nside. Thus lived and died the faithful lovers, whose attachment has\npassed into a proverb.\n\nByron, the celebrated English bard, attempted Leander's feat of\nswimming across the Hellespont, and, on his return from that dangerous\nventure, wrote the following lines, which are so familiar to all\nEnglish-speaking people:--\n\n \"The winds are high on Helle's wave,\n As on that night of stormy water\n When Love, who sent, forgot to save\n The young, the beautiful, the brave,\n The lonely hope of Sestos' daughter.\n Oh! when alone along the sky\n Her turret torch was blazing high,\n Though rising gale, and breaking foam,\n And shrieking sea-birds warn'd him home;\n And clouds aloft and tides below,\n With signs and sounds, forbade to go,\n He could not see, he would not hear,\n Or sound or sign foreboding fear;\n His eye but saw that light of love,\n The only star it hail'd above;\n His ear but rang with Hero's song,\n 'Ye waves, divide not lovers long!'\n That tale is old, but love anew\n May nerve young hearts to prove as true.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Pyramus and Thisbe.]\n\nAn equally loving and unfortunate pair were Pyramus and Thisbe.\nAlthough no waves divided them, and they had the good fortune to\noccupy adjoining houses in Babylon, their parents having quarreled,\nthey were forbidden to see or speak to each other. This decree wrung\ntheir tender hearts; and their continuous sighs finally touched Venus,\nwho prepared to give them her aid. Thanks to this goddess's kind\noffices, a crack was discovered in the party wall, through which the\nlovers could peep at each other, converse, and even, it is said,\nexchange a kiss or two.\n\nSundry stolen interviews through this crack made them long for\nuninterrupted and unrestrained meetings: so they made an appointment\nto meet on a certain day and hour, under a white mulberry tree, just\nwithout the city gates.\n\nThisbe, anxious to see her lover, was the first to reach the trysting\nplace, and, as she slowly paced back and forth to while away the time\nof waiting, she wondered what had happened to delay Pyramus. Her\nmeditation was suddenly broken by a rustling sound in some neighboring\nbushes; and, thinking Pyramus was concealed there, she was about to\ncall to him that he was discovered, when, instead of her lover, she\nsaw a lion emerge from the thicket and come towards her, slowly\nlashing his sides with his tail, and licking his bloody jaws. With one\nterrified shriek the girl ran away, dropping her veil, which the lion\ncaught in his bloody mouth and tore to shreds, before beating a\nretreat into the forest.\n\nShortly after, Pyramus came rushing up, out of breath, and full of\nloving excuses for Thisbe, who was not there, however, to receive\nthem. Wondering at her absence, Pyramus looked around, and after a\nshort investigation discerned the lion's footprints and the mangled\nveil. These signs sufficed to convince him that Thisbe had perished,\nand in a fit of despair he drew his dagger from its sheath and thrust\nit into his heart.\n\nA few minutes later, Thisbe cautiously drew near, peering anxiously\nabout to discover whether the lion were still lurking near. Her first\nglance showed her Pyramus stretched dead beneath the mulberry tree,\nwith her bloody veil pressed convulsively to his lips. With a cry of\nterror she flew to his side, and tried to revive him; but, when\nassured that all her efforts were in vain, she drew the dagger from\nhis breast, and, plunging it into her own bosom, fell beside him quite\nlifeless.\n\n \"In her bosom plunged the sword,\n All warm and reeking from its slaughtered lord.\"\n\n Ovid (Eusden's tr.).\n\nSince that ominous day the fruit of the mulberry tree, which had been\nwhite, assumed a blood-like hue, dyed by the blood which flowed from\nthe death wounds of Pyramus and Thisbe.\n\n[Sidenote: Echo and Narcissus.]\n\nThe lovely and talkative nymph Echo lived free from care and whole of\nheart until she met Narcissus, hunting in the forest. This frivolous\nyoung lady no sooner beheld the youth, than she fell deeply in love\nwith him, and was proportionately grieved when she saw that he did not\nreturn her affections.\n\nAll her blandishments were unavailing, and, in her despair at his\nhard-heartedness, she implored Venus to punish him by making him\nsuffer the pangs of unrequited love; then, melancholy and longing to\ndie, she wandered off into the mountains, far from the haunts of her\nformer companions, and there, brooding continually over her sorrow,\npined away until there remained naught of her but her melodious voice.\n\nThe gods, displeased at her lack of proper pride, condemned her to\nhaunt rocks and solitary places, and, as a warning to other impulsive\nmaidens, to repeat the last sounds which fell upon her ear.\n\n \"But her voice is still living immortal,--\n The same you have frequently heard\n In your rambles in valleys and forests,\n Repeating your ultimate word.\"\n\n Saxe.\n\nVenus alone had not forgotten poor Echo's last passionate prayer, and\nwas biding her time to punish the disdainful Narcissus. One day, after\na prolonged chase, he hurried to a lonely pool to slake his thirst.\n\n \"In some delicious ramble, he had found\n A little space, with boughs all woven round;\n And in the midst of all, a clearer pool\n Than e'er reflected in its pleasant cool\n The blue sky here, and there, serenely peeping\n Through tendril wreaths fantastically creeping.\"\n\n Keats.\n\nQuickly he knelt upon the grass, and bent over the pellucid waters to\ntake a draught; but he suddenly paused, surprised. Down near the\npebbly bottom he saw a face so passing fair, that he immediately lost\nhis heart, for he thought it belonged to some water nymph gazing up at\nhim through the transparent flood.\n\nWith sudden passion he caught at the beautiful apparition; but, the\nmoment his arms touched the water, the nymph vanished. Astonished and\ndismayed, he slowly withdrew to a short distance, and breathlessly\nawaited the nymph's return.\n\nThe agitated waters soon resumed their mirrorlike smoothness; and\nNarcissus, approaching noiselessly on tiptoe, and cautiously peeping\ninto the pool, became aware first of curly, tumbled locks, and then of\na pair of beautiful, watchful, anxious eyes. Evidently the nymph had\njust concluded to emerge from her hiding place to reconnoiter.\n\nMore prudent this time, the youth gradually bent further over the\npool; and, reassured by his kindly glances, the nymph's whole head\nappeared. In gentle tones the youth now addressed her; and her ruby\nlips parted and moved as if she were answering, though not a sound\ncame to his ear. In his excitement he began to gesticulate, whereupon\ntwo snowy arms repeated his every gesture; but when, encouraged by her\nloving glances and actions, he tried once more to clasp her in his\narms, she vanished as rapidly as the first time.\n\nTime and again the same pantomime was enacted, and time and again the\nnymph eluded his touch; but the enamored youth could not tear himself\naway from the spot haunted by this sweet image, whose sensitive face\nreflected his every emotion, and who grew as pale and wan as\nhe,--evidently, like him, a victim to love and despair.\n\nEven the shades of night could not drive Narcissus away from his post,\nand, when the pale moonbeams illumined his retreat, he bent over the\npool to ascertain whether she too were anxious and sleepless, and saw\nher gazing longingly up at him.\n\nThere Narcissus lingered day and night, without eating or drinking,\nuntil he died, little suspecting that the fancied nymph was but his\nown image reflected in the clear waters. Echo was avenged; but the\ngods of Olympus gazed compassionately down upon the beautiful corpse,\nand changed it into a flower bearing the youth's name, which has ever\nsince flourished beside quiet pools, wherein its pale image is clearly\nreflected.\n\n \"A lonely flower he spied,\n A meek and forlorn flower, with naught of pride,\n Drooping its beauty o'er the watery clearness,\n To woo its own sad image into nearness:\n Deaf to light Zephyrus it would not move;\n But still would seem to droop, to pine, to love.\"\n\n Keats.\n\n[Sidenote: Pygmalion and Galatea.]\n\nPygmalion, King of Cyprus, was a very celebrated sculptor. All his\nleisure moments were spent in the faithful portrayal of the gods and\ngoddesses. One day his practiced hand fashioned an image of Galatea.\nIt was so beautiful that even before it was entirely finished its\nauthor loved it. When completed, Pygmalion admired it still more,\ndeemed it too beautiful to remain inanimate, and besought Venus to\ngive it life, stating that he wished a wife just like it.\n\nAs Pygmalion had always been an obdurate bachelor, and had frequently\ndeclared he would never marry, Venus was delighted to see him at last\na victim of the tender passion, and resolved to grant his request.\nPygmalion clasped the exquisite image to his breast to infuse some of\nhis own warmth into the icy bosom, and pressed kiss after kiss upon\nthe chiseled lips, until at last they grew soft and warm at his touch,\nand a faint color flushed the pale cheeks, as a breath dilated her\nlungs, and sent her blood coursing along her veins,--\n\n \"As once with prayers in passion flowing,\n Pygmalion embraced the stone,\n Till, from the frozen marble glowing,\n The light of feeling o'er him shone.\"\n\n Schiller.\n\nPygmalion's delight at seeing his fair image a living and breathing\nmaiden was unbounded, and after a short but passionate wooing the\nobject of his affections became his happy wife.\n\n[Sidenote: Cupid and Psyche.]\n\nIn those same remote ages of \"sweet mythology\" there lived a king\nwhose three daughters were world-renowned on account of their\nmatchless beauty. Psyche, the youngest of the sisters, was so lovely,\nthat her father's subjects declared her worthy to be called the\nGoddess of Beauty, and offered to pay homage to her instead of to\nVenus. Offended by this proposal, which Psyche had good sense enough\nto refuse, Venus resolved to demonstrate forcibly to that benighted\nrace that the maiden was mortal. She therefore bade her son Cupid slay\nher.\n\nArmed with his bow and arrows, and provided with a deadly poison,\nCupid set out to do her bidding, and at nightfall reached the palace,\ncrept noiselessly past the sleeping guards, along the deserted halls,\nand came to Psyche's apartment, into which he glided unseen.\nStealthily he approached the couch upon which the fair maiden was\nsleeping, and bent over her to administer the poisoned dose.\n\nA moonbeam falling athwart her face revealed her unequaled loveliness,\nand made Cupid start back in surprise; but, as he did so, one of his\nown love arrows came into contact with his rosy flesh, and inflicted a\nwound, from which he was to suffer for many a weary day.\n\nAll unconscious of the gravity of his hurt, he hung enraptured over\nthe sleeping maiden, and let her fair image sink into his heart; then,\nnoiselessly as he had entered, he stole out again, vowing he would\nnever harm such innocence and beauty.\n\nMorning dawned. Venus, who had expected to see the sun illumine her\nrival's corpse, saw her sporting as usual in the palace gardens, and\nbitterly realized that her first plan had completely failed. She\ntherefore began to devise various torments of a petty kind, and\npersecuted the poor girl so remorselessly, that she fled from home\nwith the firm intention of putting an end to the life she could no\nlonger enjoy in peace.\n\nTo achieve this purpose, Psyche painfully toiled up a rugged mountain,\nand, creeping to the very edge of a great precipice, cast herself\ndown, expecting to be dashed to pieces on the jagged rocks below; but\nCupid, who had indignantly though helplessly seen all his mother's\npersecutions, had followed Psyche unseen, and, when he perceived her\nintention to commit suicide, he called to Zephyrus (the South Wind),\nand entreated him to catch the maiden in his strong yet gentle arms,\nand bear her off to a distant isle.\n\nConsequently, instead of a swift, sharp fall and painful death, Psyche\nfelt herself gently wafted over hill and dale, across sparkling\nwaters; and, long before she wearied of this new mode of travel, she\nwas gently laid on a flowery bank, in the midst of an exquisite\ngarden.\n\nBewildered, she slowly rose to her feet, rubbed her pretty eyes to\nmake sure she was not dreaming, and wonderingly strolled about the\nbeautiful grounds. Ere long she came to an enchanted palace, whose\nportals opened wide to receive her, while gentle voices bade her\nenter, and invisible hands drew her over the threshold and waited upon\nher.\n\nWhen night came, and darkness again covered the earth, Cupid appeared\nin search of his beloved Psyche. In the perfumed dusk he confessed his\nlove, and tenderly begged for some return.\n\nNow, although the fading light would not permit her to discern the\nform or features of her unknown lover, Psyche listened to his soft\ntones with unconcealed pleasure, and soon consented to their union.\nCupid then entreated her to make no attempt to discover his name, or\nto catch a glimpse of his face, warning her that if she did so he\nwould be forced to leave her, never to return.\n\n \"'Dear, I am with thee only while I keep\n My visage hidden; and if thou once shouldst see\n My face, I must forsake thee: the high gods\n Link Love with Faith, and he withdraws himself\n From the full gaze of Knowledge.'\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nPsyche solemnly promised to respect her mysterious lover's wishes, and\ngave herself up entirely to the enjoyment of his company. All night\nlong they talked; and when the first faint streak of light appeared\nabove the horizon, Cupid bade Psyche farewell, promising to return\nwith the welcome shades of night. All day long Psyche thought of him,\nlonged for him, and, as soon as the sun had set, sped to the bower\nwhere the birds were sleepily trilling forth their evening song, and\nbreathlessly waited until he came to join her.\n\n \"Now on broad pinions from the realms above\n Descending Cupid seeks the Cyprian grove;\n To his wide arms enamor'd Psyche springs,\n And clasps her lover with aurelian wings.\n A purple sash across His shoulder bends,\n And fringed with gold the quiver'd shafts suspends.\"\n\n Darwin.\n\nAlthough the hours of day seemed interminable, spent as they were in\ncomplete solitude, Psyche found the hours of night all too short in\nthe sweet society of Love. Her every wish was gratified almost as soon\nas expressed; and at last, encouraged by her lover's evident anxiety\nto please her, she gave utterance to her longing to see and converse\nwith her sisters once more. The ardent lover could not refuse to grant\nthis request, yet Psyche noticed that his consent seemed somewhat\nhesitating and reluctant.\n\nThe next morning, while enjoying a solitary stroll, Psyche suddenly\nencountered her two sisters. After rapturous embraces and an\nincoherent volley of questions and answers, they settled down to enjoy\na long talk. Psyche related her desperate attempt at suicide, her\nmiraculous preservation from certain death, her a\u00ebrial journey, her\nentrance into the enchanted palace, her love for her mysterious\nnightly visitor,--all, in short, that had happened since she had left\nher father's home.\n\nNow, the elder sisters had always been jealous of Psyche's superior\nbeauty; and when they saw her luxurious surroundings, and heard her\nraptures about her lover, they were envious, and resolved to mar the\nhappiness which they could not enjoy. They therefore did all in their\npower to convince poor Psyche that her lover must be some monster, so\nhideous that he dare not brave the broad light of day, lest he should\nmake her loathe him, and further added, that, if she were not very\ncareful, he would probably end by devouring her.\n\n [Illustration: CUPID AWAKENING PSYCHE.--Thumann.]\n\nThey thereupon advised poor troubled Psyche to conceal a lamp and\ndagger in her lover's apartment, and to gaze upon him in secret, when\nhis eyes were closed in sleep. If the light of the lamp revealed, as\nthey felt sure it would, the hideous countenance and distorted form\nof a monster, they bade her use the dagger to kill him. Then,\nsatisfied with their work, the sisters departed, leaving Psyche alone\nto carry out their evil suggestions.\n\nWhen safe at home once more, the sisters constantly brooded over the\ntale Psyche had poured into their ears, and, hoping to secure as\nluxurious a home and as fascinating a lover, they each hurried off in\nsecret to the mountain gorge, cast themselves over the precipice,\nand--perished.\n\nNight having come, bringing the usually so welcome Cupid, Psyche,\ntortured with doubt, could with difficulty conceal her agitation.\nAfter repeated efforts to charm her from her silent mood, Cupid fell\nasleep; and, as soon as his regular breathing proclaimed him lost in\nslumber, Psyche noiselessly lighted her lamp, seized her dagger, and,\napproaching the couch with great caution, bent over her sleeping\nlover. The lamp, which she held high above her head, cast its light\nfull upon the face and form of a handsome youth.\n\n \"Now trembling, now distracted; bold,\n And now irresolute she seems;\n The blue lamp glimmers in her hold,\n And in her hand the dagger gleams.\n Prepared to strike, she verges near,\n Then, the blue light glimmering from above,\n The hideous sight expects with fear--\n And gazes on the god of Love.\"\n\n Apollonius.\n\nPsyche's heart beat loudly with joy and pride as she beheld, instead\nof the monster, this graceful youth; and as she hung over him,\nenraptured, she forgot all caution. An inadvertent motion tipped her\nlamp, and one drop of burning oil, running over the narrow brim, fell\nupon Cupid's naked shoulder.\n\nThe sudden pain made him open his eyes with a start. The lighted lamp,\nthe glittering dagger, the trembling Psyche, told the whole story.\nCupid sprang from the couch, seized his bow and arrows, and, with a\nlast sorrowful, reproachful glance at Psyche, flew away through the\nopen window, exclaiming,--\n\n \"'Farewell! There is no Love except with Faith,\n And thine is dead! Farewell! I come no more!'\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\n[Sidenote: Psyche forsaken.]\n\nWhen he had vanished into the dusky air without, the balmy night winds\nceased to blow; and suddenly a tempest began to rage with such fury,\nthat poor frightened Psyche dared not remain alone in the palace, but\nhastened out into the gardens, where she soon lost consciousness of\nher misery in a deep swoon. When she opened her eyes once more, the\nstorm had ceased, the sun was high in the heavens, and palace and\ngardens had vanished.\n\nPoor Psyche lingered there the following and many succeeding nights,\nvainly hoping for Cupid's return, and shedding many bitter tears of\nrepentance. Finally she resolved to commit suicide, and, with that\npurpose in view, plunged into a neighboring river; but the god of the\nstream caught and carried her ashore, where his daughters, the water\nnymphs, restored her to life. Thus forced to live, Psyche wandered\nabout disconsolate, seeking Cupid, and questioning all she met, the\nnymphs, Pan, and Ceres, who compassionately listened to her confession\nof love for her husband.\n\n \"Not as the earthly loves which throb and flush\n Round earthly shrines was mine, but a pure spirit,\n Lovelier than all embodied love, more pure\n And wonderful; but never on his eyes\n I looked, which still were hidden, and I knew not\n The fashion of his nature; for by night,\n When visual eyes are blind, but the soul sees,\n Came he, and bade me seek not to inquire\n Or whence he came or wherefore. Nor knew I\n His name. And always ere the coming day,\n As if he were the Sun god, lingering\n With some too well loved maiden, he would rise\n And vanish until eve.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nCeres had often seen Cupid, and had heard that very morning that he\nwas having a wound in his shoulder dressed by Venus: so she advised\nPsyche to go to the Goddess of Beauty, to enter her service, and to\nperform every task with cheerful alacrity, knowing that such a course\nwould ultimately bring about a meeting and reconciliation between the\nlovers.\n\nPsyche gratefully accepted and followed Ceres' advice, and labored\nearly and late to satisfy her exacting mistress, who appointed such\ndifficult tasks, that the poor girl would never have been able to\naccomplish them had she not been aided by all the beasts and insects,\nwho loved her dearly.\n\n[Sidenote: Psyche's journey to Hades.]\n\nVenus repeatedly tested her fidelity and endurance, and finally\nresolved, as a crucial experiment, to send her to Hades to fetch a box\nof beauty ointment, for which Proserpina alone had the recipe.\nDirected by Zephyrus, her old friend, Psyche encountered the terrors\nof Hades in safety, delivered her message, and in return received a\nsmall box. The gates of Hades were closed behind her, and she had\nnearly finished her last task, when she suddenly fancied that it would\nbe wise to appropriate a little of the magic preparation to efface the\ntraces of sleepless nights and many tears.\n\nThe box, however, contained naught but the spirit of Sleep, who,\npouncing upon Psyche, laid her low by the roadside. Cupid, passing by,\nsaw her there, marked the ravages of grief, remembered his love and\nher suffering, and, wrestling with the spirit, forced him to re\u00ebnter\nthe narrow bounds of his prison, and woke Psyche with a loving kiss.\n\n \"'Dear, unclose thine eyes.\n Thou mayst look on me now. I go no more,\n But am thine own forever.'\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\n [Illustration: CHARON AND PSYCHE.--Neide.]\n\nThen, hand in hand, they winged their flight to Olympus, entered the\ncouncil hall; and there Cupid presented Psyche, his chosen bride, to\nthe assembled deities, who all promised to be present at the nuptial\nceremony. Venus even, forgetting all her former envy, welcomed the\nblushing bride, who was happy ever after.\n\nThe ancients, for whom Cupid was an emblem of the heart, considered\nPsyche the personification of the soul, and represented her with\nbutterfly wings; that little insect being another symbol of the soul,\nwhich cannot die.\n\n[Sidenote: Berenice's Hair.]\n\nOne of the latest myths concerning Venus is that of Berenice, who,\nfearing for her beloved husband's life, implored the goddess to\nprotect him in battle, vowing to sacrifice her luxuriant hair if he\nreturned home in safety. The prayer was granted, and Berenice's\nbeautiful locks laid upon Venus' shrine, whence they, however, very\nmysteriously disappeared. An astrologer, consulted concerning the\nsupposed theft, solemnly pointed to a comet rapidly coming into view,\nand declared that the gods had placed Berenice's hair among the stars,\nthere to shine forever in memory of her wifely sacrifice.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Venus.]\n\nVenus, goddess of beauty, is represented either entirely naked, or\nwith some scanty drapery called a \"cestus.\" Seated in her chariot,\nformed of a single pearl shell, and drawn by snow-white doves, her\nfavorite birds, she journeyed from shrine to shrine, complacently\nadmiring the lavish decorations of jewels and flowers her worshipers\nprovided. The offerings of young lovers were ever those which found\nmost favor in her sight.\n\n \"Venus loves the whispers\n Of plighted youth and maid,\n In April's ivory moonlight\n Beneath the chestnut shade.\"\n\n Macaulay.\n\nNumerous ancient and some modern statues of this goddess grace the\nvarious art galleries, but among them all the most perfect is the\nworld-renowned Venus de Milo.\n\nVenus' festivals were always scenes of graceful amusements; and her\nvotaries wore wreaths of fresh, fragrant flowers, the emblem of all\nnatural beauty.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nMERCURY.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Birth of Mercury.]\n\nAs already repeatedly stated in the course of this work, Jupiter was\nnever a strictly faithful spouse, and, in spite of his wife's\nremonstrances, could not refrain from indulging his caprice for every\npretty face he met along his way. It is thus, therefore, that he\nyielded to the charms of Maia, goddess of the plains, and spent some\nblissful hours in her society. This divine couple's happiness\nculminated when they first beheld their little son, Mercury (Hermes,\nPsychopompus, Oneicopompus), who was born in a grotto on Mount\nCyllene, in Arcadia,--\n\n \"Mercury, whom Maia bore,\n Sweet Maia, on Cyllene's hoary top.\"\n\n Virgil (Cowper's tr.).\n\nThis infant god was quite unlike mortal children, as will readily be\nperceived by the numerous pranks he played immediately after his\nbirth. First he sprang from his mother's knee, grasped a tortoise\nshell lying on the ground, bored holes in its sides, stretched strings\nacross its concavity, and, sweeping his hands over them, produced\nstrains of sweetest music, thus inventing the first lyre.\n\n \"So there it lay, through wet and dry,\n As empty as the last new sonnet,\n Till by and by came Mercury,\n And, having mused upon it,\n 'Why here,' cried he, 'the thing of things\n In shape, material, and dimension!\n Give it but strings, and, lo, it sings,\n A wonderful invention.'\"\n\n Lowell.\n\n[Sidenote: Mercury's theft.]\n\nBeing very hungry toward evening, young Mercury escaped from his\nsleeping mother, and sallied out in search of food. He had not gone\nvery far, before he came to a wide meadow, where Apollo's herds were\nat pasture. The oxen were fat and sleek; and the mischievous little\ngod, after satisfying himself that they were young, and therefore\npromised to be tender and juicy, drove fifty of them off to a secluded\nspot, taking good care to envelop their feet in leafy branches, so\nthey would leave no traces. Then, his hiding place being reached in\nsafety, Mercury coolly killed two of the oxen, which he proceeded to\neat.\n\nApollo soon missed his cattle, and began to search for some clew to\ntheir hiding place or to the thief. He could, however, discover\nnothing but some broken twigs and scattered leaves. Suddenly he\nremembered that the babe whose birth had been announced early that\nmorning in high Olympus had been appointed god of thieves. He\ntherefore lost no more time in useless search and conjecture, but\nstrode off to Mount Cyllene, where he found Mercury peacefully\nsleeping in his cradle. With a rude shake, the sun god roused him from\nhis slumbers, and bade him restore the stolen cattle. Mercury\npretended innocence, until Apollo, exasperated, dragged him off to\nOlympus, where he was convicted of the theft, and condemned to restore\nthe stolen property. Mercury yielded to the decree, produced the\nremaining oxen, and, in exchange for the two missing, gave Apollo the\nlyre he had just fashioned.\n\n [Illustration: FLYING MERCURY.--Bologna. (National Museum, Florence.)]\n\nThis, like most other myths, admits of a natural explanation. Apollo\n(the Sun) was supposed by the ancients to possess great herds of\ncattle and sheep,--the clouds; and Mercury, the personification of the\nwind, born in the night, after a few hours' existence waxes\nsufficiently strong to drive away the clouds and conceal them, leaving\nno trace of his passage except a few broken branches and scattered\nleaves.\n\n[Sidenote: Mercury's wand, cap, and shoes.]\n\nThe gift of the lyre pleased Apollo so well, that he in return wished\nto make a present to Mercury, and gave him a magic wand, called\nCaduceus, which had the power of reconciling all conflicting elements.\nMercury, anxious to test it, thrust it between two quarreling snakes,\nwho immediately wound themselves in amity around it. This so pleased\nhim, that he bade them remain there forever, and used the wand on all\noccasions.\n\n \"A snake-encircl'd wand;\n By classic authors term'd Caduceus\n And highly fam'd for several uses.\"\n\n Goldsmith.\n\nMercury was in due time appointed messenger of the gods, who, to make\nhim fleet of foot, presented him with winged sandals, the Talaria,\nwhich endowed him with marvelous rapidity of motion. As these sandals\ndid not seem quite sufficient, however, the gods added the winged cap,\nPetasus, to the winged shoes.\n\n \"Foot-feather'd Mercury appear'd sublime\n Beyond the tall tree tops; and in less time\n Than shoots the slanted hail-storm, down he dropt\n Towards the ground; but rested not, nor stopt\n One moment from his home; only the sward\n He with his wand light touch'd, and heavenward\n Swifter than sight was gone.\"\n\n Keats.\n\nMercury was not only the messenger of the gods, but was also appointed\ngod of eloquence, commerce, rain, wind, and the special patron of\ntravelers, shepherds, cheats, and thieves.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Io.]\n\nJupiter often intrusted to Mercury messages of a delicate nature, and\nalways found him an invaluable ally; but the faithful messenger was\nnever so much needed or so deeply appreciated as during Jupiter's\ncourtship of Io, the peerless daughter of the river god Inachus.\n\nTo avoid Juno's recriminations, Jupiter had carried on this affair\nwith even more than his usual secrecy, visiting his beloved only when\nquite certain that his wife was asleep, and taking the further\nprecaution of spreading a cloud over the spot where he generally met\nher, to shield her from all chance of being seen from Olympus.\n\nOne fine afternoon, all conditions being favorable, Jupiter hastened\ndown to earth to see Io, and began to stroll with her up and down the\nriver edge. They heeded not the noonday heat, for the cloud over their\nheads screened them from the sun's too ardent rays.\n\nFrom some cause Juno's slumbers were less protracted than usual, and\nshe soon arose from her couch to look about her realm, the atmosphere,\nand convince herself that all was well. Her attention was soon\nattracted by an opaque, immovable cloud near the earth,--a cloud which\nhad no business there, for had she not bidden them all lie still on\nthe blue until she awoke? Her suspicions being aroused by the presence\nof this cloud, she sought her husband in Olympus, and, not finding\nhim, flew down to earth, brushing the cloud aside in her haste.\n\nJupiter, thus warned of her coming, had but time to change the maiden\nbeside him into a heifer, ere his wife alighted and inquired what he\nwas doing there. Carelessly the god pointed to the heifer, and\ndeclared he had been whiling away the time by creating it; but the\nexplanation failed to satisfy Juno, who, seeing no other living\ncreature near, suspected that her spouse had been engaged in a\nclandestine flirtation, and had screened its fair object from her\nwrath only by a sudden transformation.\n\nDissimulating these suspicions with care, Juno begged her husband to\ngive her his new creation, which request he could not refuse, but\ngranted most reluctantly, thus adding further confirmation to her\njealous fears. The Queen of Heaven then departed, taking Io with her,\nand placed her under the surveillance of Argus, one of her servants,\nwho possessed myriad eyes, but one half of which he closed at a time.\n\n \"The eyes of Argus, sentinel of Heaven:\n Those thousand eyes that watch alternate kept,\n Nor all o'er all his body waked or slept.\"\n\n Statius (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Argus' watch.]\n\nShe bade him watch the heifer closely, and report anything unusual in\nits actions. One day, therefore, as he was watching his charge pasture\nby the river, Argus heard her relate to her father, Inachus, the story\nof her transformation, and immediately imparted his discovery to Juno,\nwho, advising still closer watchfulness, sent him back to his post.\n\nJupiter, in the mean while, was in despair; for days had passed\nwithout his being able to exchange a word with Io, or deliver her from\nher imprisonment. Finally he called Mercury to his aid, and bade him\ndevise some plan to rescue her. Armed with a handful of poppies,\nMercury approached Argus, and offered to while away the time by\ntelling him tales.\n\nAs Mercury was the prince of story-tellers, this offer was not to be\ndespised, and Argus joyfully accepted; but instead of exerting himself\nto be entertaining, Mercury droned out such lengthy, uninteresting\nstories, that Argus soon closed half his eyes in profound sleep. Still\ntalking in the same monotonous way, Mercury softly shook the poppies\nover the giant's head, until one by one the remaining eyelids closed,\nand Argus was wrapped in complete slumber.\n\nThen Mercury seized the giant's sword, and with one well-directed blow\nsevered his head from the huge trunk. Only one half of the task was\nsuccessfully accomplished; and while Mercury was driving the heifer\naway, Juno discovered his attempt, and promptly sent an enormous\ngadfly to torment the poor beast, who, goaded to madness by its cruel\nstings, fled wildly from one country to another, forded streams, and\nfinally plunged into the sea, since called Ionian. After swimming\nacross it, she took refuge in Egypt, where Jupiter restored her to all\nher girlish loveliness, and where her son Epaphus was born, to be the\nfirst king and the founder of Memphis.\n\n \"In coming time that hollow of the sea\n Shall bear the name Ionian, and present\n A monument of Io's passage through,\n Unto all mortals.\"\n\n E. B. Browning.\n\nJuno mourned the loss of her faithful Argus most bitterly, and,\ngathering up his myriad eyes, scattered them over the tail of her\nfavorite bird, the peacock, to have some memento of her faithful\nservant ever near her.\n\n \"From Argus slain a painted peacock grew,\n Fluttering his feathers stain'd with various hue.\"\n\n Moschus.\n\nThis story also is an allegory. Io personifies the moon, restlessly\nwandering from place to place; Argus, the heavens, whose starry eyes\nkeep ceaseless watch over the moon's every movement; Mercury is the\nrain, whose advent blots out the stars one by one, thus killing Argus,\nwho else was never known to close all his eyes at once.\n\n[Sidenote: Mercury's offices and worship.]\n\nTo Mercury was intrusted the charge of conducting the souls of the\ndeparted to Hades, and when occupied in this way he bore the name of\nPsychopompus, while, when addressed as conductor of Dreams, he was\nOneicopompus.\n\n \"Gently as a kiss came Death to sever\n From spirit flesh, and to the realm of gloom\n The pallid shades with fearless brow descended\n To Hades, by the winged god attended.\"\n\n Boyesen.\n\nHe was one of the twelve principal gods of Olympus, and was widely\nworshiped. Temples, altars, and shrines were dedicated to his service\nthroughout the ancient countries. His statues were considered sacred\nboundary marks, and their removal punished by death. Solemn annual\nfestivals were held in Rome in Mercury's honor in the month of May,\nand from him received their name of Mercuralia.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nMARS.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Mars' character.]\n\nMars (Ares), son of Jupiter and Juno, was the god of war, the\npersonification of the angry clouded sky, and, although but little\nworshiped in Greece, was one of the principal Roman divinities. He is\nsaid to have first seen the light in Thrace, a country noted for its\nfierce storms and war-loving people.\n\n \"Infant Mars, where Thracia's mountains rose,\n Press'd with his hardy limbs th' incrusted snows.\"\n\n Statius (Elton's tr.).\n\nNever sated with strife and bloodshed, this god preferred the din of\nbattle to all other music, and found no occupation so congenial as the\ntoils and dangers of war. No gentle deeds of kindness were ever\nexpected from him; no loving prayers were ever addressed to him; and\nthe ancients felt no love for him, but, on the contrary, shuddered\nwith terror when his name was mentioned.\n\nMars was generally represented in a brilliant suit of armor, a plumed\nhelmet on his proud young head, a poised spear in one muscular hand,\nand a finely wrought shield in the other, showing him ever ready to\ncope with a foe.\n\n[Sidenote: Mars' attendants.]\n\nHis attendants, or some say his children, sympathized heartily with\nhis quarrelsome tastes, and delighted in following his lead. They were\nEris (Discord), Phobos (Alarm), Metus (Fear), Demios (Dread), and\nPallor (Terror).\n\nBellona, or Enyo, goddess of war, also accompanied him, drove his\nchariot, parried dangerous thrusts, and watched over his general\nsafety. Mars and Bellona were therefore worshiped together in the\nselfsame temple, and their altars were the only ones ever polluted by\nhuman sacrifices.\n\n \"And to the fire-ey'd maid of smoky war,\n All hot and bleeding, will we offer them:\n The mailed Mars shall on his altar sit,\n Up to the ears in blood.\"\n\n Shakespeare.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Otus and Ephialtes.]\n\nAs strife was his favorite element, Mars was very active indeed during\nthe war between the gods and giants, but in his martial ardor he\nfrequently forgot all caution. On one occasion he was obliged to\nsurrender to Otus and Ephialtes,--two giants, who, though but nine\nyears of age, were already of immense stature, since they increased in\nheight at the rate of nine inches each month.\n\nProud of their victory over the God of War, these giants bore him off\nin triumph, and bound him fast with iron chains slipped through iron\nrings. Day and night they kept watch over him; and even when they\nslept, the rattle of the chains, whenever any one of the gods\nattempted to set him free, woke them up, and frustrated all efforts to\ndeliver him. During fifteen weary months poor Mars lingered there in\ndurance vile, until Mercury, the prince of thieves, noiselessly and\ndeftly slipped the chains out of the rings, and restored him to\nfreedom.\n\nIn revenge for the cruel treatment inflicted by Otus and Ephialtes,\nMars prevailed upon Apollo and Diana to use their poisoned arrows, and\nthus rid the world of these two ugly and useless giants.\n\n[Sidenote: The Areopagus.]\n\nOf a fiery disposition, Mars was never inclined to forgive an injury;\nand when Halirrhothius, Neptune's son, dared to carry off his daughter\nAlcippe, Mars hotly pursued the abductor, and promptly slew him.\nNeptune, angry at this act of summary justice, cited the God of War to\nappear before a tribunal held in the open air, on a hill near the\nnewly founded city of Athens.\n\nIt was then customary for such cases to be tried at night, in utter\ndarkness, so that the judges might not be influenced by the personal\nappearance of either plaintiff or defendant; and no rhetoric of any\nkind was allowed, that their minds might remain quite unbiased. Mars\nappeared before the judges, simply stated his case, and was acquitted.\nSince then the hill upon which his trial took place has been called\nthe Areopagus (Ares' Hill) or Mars' Hill, and the judges of the\nprincipal court of justice at Athens received the name of Areopagit\u00e6.\n\n[Sidenote: Mars' children.]\n\nAlthough such a partisan of strife, Mars was not impervious to softer\nemotions, and passionately returned the devotion of Venus, who bore\nhim three beautiful children,--Harmonia, Cupid, and Anteros. Mars also\nfell in love with a beautiful young Vestal named Ilia, a descendant of\n\u00c6neas, who, in spite of the solemn pledge not to listen to a lover's\npleadings until her time of service at the goddess Vesta's altar was\naccomplished, yielded to Mars' impetuous wooing, and consented to a\nclandestine union.\n\n[Sidenote: Romulus and Remus.]\n\nAlthough secretly married, Ilia continued to dwell in the temple until\nthe birth of her twin sons Romulus and Remus. Her parents, hearing she\nhad broken her vows, commanded that she should suffer the prescribed\npunishment of being buried alive, and that the children should be\nexposed to the teeth and claws of the wild beasts of the forest. The\ndouble sentence was ruthlessly carried out, and the young mother\nperished; but, contrary to all previsions, the babes survived, and,\nafter having been suckled for a time by a she-wolf, were found and\nadopted by a shepherd.\n\n [Illustration: VENUS DE MILO AND MARS.]\n\nRomulus and Remus throve under this man's kind care, and grew up\nstrong and fearless. When they reached manhood, they longed for a\nwider sphere for their youthful activity, and, leaving the mountain\nwhere they had grown up, journeyed out into the world to seek their\nfortunes. After some time they came to a beautiful hilly country,\nwhere they decided to found a great city, the capital of their future\nrealm. Accordingly the brothers began to trace the outline of their\ncity limits, and, in doing so, quarreled over the name of the\nprospective town.\n\nBlinded by anger, Romulus suddenly raised the tool he held, and struck\nRemus such a savage blow that he fell to the ground, slain by his\nbrother in a fit of passion. Alone now, Romulus at first vainly tried\nto pursue his undertaking, but, being soon joined by a number of\nadventurers as wicked and unscrupulous as he, they combined their\nforces, and built the celebrated city of Rome.\n\n \"Then, with his nurse's wolf-skin girt,\n Shall Romulus the line assert,\n Invite them to his new raised home,\n And call the martial city Rome.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nAs founder of this city, Romulus was its first king, and ruled the\npeople with such an iron hand that his tyranny eventually became\nunbearable. The senators, weary of his exactions and arbitrary\nmeasures, finally resolved to free themselves of his presence. Taking\nadvantage of an eclipse, which plunged the city in sudden darkness at\nnoonday, and which occurred while all were assembled on the Forum, the\nmagistrates slew Romulus, cut his body into pieces, and hid them under\ntheir wide togas.\n\n[Sidenote: Quirinus.]\n\nWhen the light returned, and the terrified and awestruck people,\nsomewhat reassured, looked about them for their king, they were told\nhe had gone, never to return, carried off by the immortal gods, who\nwished him to share their abode and dignity. The senators further\ninformed the credulous population that Romulus was to be henceforth\nworshiped as a god under the name of Quirinus, and gave orders for the\nerection of a temple on one of the seven hills, which since then has\nbeen known as Mount Quirinal. Yearly festivals in Romulus' honor were\never after held in Rome, under the name of Quirinalia.\n\nWell pleased with the new city of Rome and its turbulent, lawless\ncitizens, Mars took it under his special protection; and once, when a\nplague was raging which threatened to destroy all the people, the\nRomans rushed in a body to his temple, and clamored for a sign of his\nfavor and protection.\n\n[Sidenote: The Ancile.]\n\nEven while they prayed, it is said, a shield, Ancile, fell from\nheaven, and a voice was distinctly heard to declare that Rome would\nendure as long as this token of the god's good will was preserved. The\nvery same day the plague ceased its frightful ravages, and the Romans,\ndelighted with the result of their petitions, placed the heavenly\nshield in one of their principal temples.\n\nThen, in constant dread lest some of their enemies should succeed in\nstealing it, they caused eleven other shields to be made, so exactly\nlike the heaven-sent Ancile, that none but the guardian priests, the\nSalii, who kept continual watch over them, could detect the original\nfrom the facsimiles. During the month of March, which, owing to its\nblustery weather, was dedicated to Mars and bore his name, the ancil\u00e6\nwere carried in a procession all through the city, the Salii chanting\ntheir rude war songs, and executing intricate war dances.\n\nA Roman general, ere setting out on any warlike expedition, always\nentered the sanctuary of Mars, touched the sacred shield with the\npoint of his lance, shook the spear in the hand of the god's effigy,\nand called aloud, \"Mars, watch over us!\"\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Mars.]\n\nA common superstition among the Roman soldiery was, that Mars, under\nthe name of Gradivus, marched in person at the head of their army, and\nled them on to victory. Mars' principal votaries were therefore the\nRoman soldiers and youths, whose exercising ground was called, in his\nhonor, the Campus Martius, or Field of Mars. All the laurel crowns\nbestowed upon victorious generals were deposited at the foot of his\nstatues, and a bull was the customary thank offering after a\nsuccessful campaign.\n\n \"The soldier, from successful camps returning\n With laurel wreath'd, and rich with hostile spoil,\n Severs the bull to Mars.\"\n\n Prior.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nVULCAN.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Vulcan's fall.]\n\nVulcan, or Heph\u00e6stus, son of Jupiter and Juno, god of fire and the\nforge, seldom joined the general council of the gods. His aversion to\nOlympus was of old standing. He had once been tenderly attached to his\nmother, had lavished upon her every proof of his affection, and had\neven tried to console her when she mourned Jupiter's neglect. On one\noccasion, intending to punish Juno for one of her usual fits of\njealousy, Jupiter hung her out of heaven, fast bound by a golden\nchain; and Vulcan, perceiving her in this plight, tugged at the chain\nwith all his might, drew her up, and was about to set her free, when\nJupiter returned, and, in anger at his son's interference in his\nmatrimonial concerns, kicked him out of heaven.\n\nThe intervening space between heaven and earth was so great, that\nVulcan's fall lasted during one whole day and night, ere he finally\ntouched the summit of Mount Mosychlus, in the Island of Lemnos.\n\n \"From morn\n To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,\n A summer's day; and with the setting sun\n Dropt from the zenith like a falling star,\n On Lemnos th' \u00c6gean isle.\"\n\n Milton.\n\nOf course, to any one but a god such a terrible fall would have proved\nfatal; and even Vulcan did not escape entirely unharmed, for he\ninjured one of his legs, which accident left him lame and somewhat\ndeformed for the remainder of his life.\n\n[Sidenote: Vulcan's forge.]\n\nNow, although Vulcan had risked so much and suffered so greatly in\ntaking his mother's part, she never even made the slightest attempt to\nascertain whether he had reached the earth in safety. Hurt by her\nindifference and ingratitude, Vulcan vowed never again to return to\nOlympus, and withdrew to the solitudes of Mount \u00c6tna, where he\nestablished a great forge in the heart of the mountain, in partnership\nwith the Cyclopes, who helped him manufacture many cunning and useful\nobjects from the metals found in great profusion in the bosom of the\nearth.\n\nAmong these ingenious contrivances were two golden handmaidens gifted\nwith motion, who attended the god wherever he went, and supported his\nhalting footsteps.\n\n \"Two golden statues, like in form and look\n To living maidens, aided with firm gait\n The monarch's steps.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The golden throne.]\n\nVulcan also devised a golden throne with countless hidden springs,\nwhich, when unoccupied, did not present an extraordinary appearance;\nbut as soon as any one ventured to make use of it, the springs moved,\nand, the chair closing around the person seated upon it, frustrated\nall attempts to rise and escape from its treacherous embrace.\n\nVulcan dispatched this throne, when completed, to his mother, who,\ndelighted with its beauty and delicate workmanship, proudly seated\nherself upon it, and found herself a prisoner. In vain she strove to\nescape, in vain the gods all gallantly rushed to her assistance. Their\nunited strength and skill proved useless against the cunning springs.\n\n [Illustration: FORGE OF VULCAN.--Velasquez. (Museum, Madrid.)]\n\nFinally Mercury was sent to Vulcan, primed with a most diplomatic\nrequest to honor high Olympus with his presence; but all Mercury's\neloquence and persuasions failed to induce the god of the forge to\nleave his sooty abode, and the messenger god was forced to return\nalone and report the failure of his attempt. Then the gods\ndeliberated anew, and decided to send Bacchus, god of wine, hoping his\npowers of persuasion would prove more effective.\n\nArmed with a flask of his choicest vintage, Bacchus presented himself\nbefore Vulcan, and offered him a refreshing draught. Vulcan,\npredisposed to thirst, and incited to drink by the very nature of his\nlabor, accepted the offered cup, and allowed himself to be beguiled\ninto renewing his potations, until he was quite intoxicated. In this\ncondition, Bacchus led him passive to Olympus, made him release the\nQueen of Heaven, and urged him to embrace his father and crave\nforgiveness.\n\nAlthough restored to favor, Vulcan would not remain permanently in\nOlympus, but preferred to return to his forge and continue his labors.\nHe undertook, however, the construction of magnificent golden palaces\nfor each of the gods upon the Olympian heights, fashioned their\nsumptuous furniture from precious metals, and further embellished his\nwork by a rich ornamentation of precious stones.\n\n \"Then to their starry domes the gods depart,\n The shining monuments of Vulcan's art:\n Jove on his couch reclin'd his awful head,\n And Juno slumber'd on the golden bed.\"\n\n Homer (Pope's tr.).\n\nAided by the Cyclopes, Vulcan manufactured Jupiter's weapons, the\ndread thunderbolts, whose frightful power none could withstand, and\nCupid's love-inspiring darts.\n\n[Sidenote: Vulcan's loves.]\n\nVulcan, in spite of his deformity, extreme ugliness, and well-known\naversion to any home but his sooty forge, was none the less prone to\nfall in love with the various goddesses. He first wooed Minerva, who,\nhaving sworn never to marry, contemptuously dismissed his suit. To\nconsole Vulcan for this rebuff, and at the same time punish the\nGoddess of Beauty, who, according to some mythologists, had refused\neven his addresses, Jupiter bestowed upon him the fair hand of Venus,\nand sent her and her mischievous train of Loves and Graces to reside\nin the dark caves of Mount \u00c6tna.\n\nAmused by all the strange sights and sounds, the goddess at first\nseemed quite contented; but after a time Vulcan's gloomy abode lost\nall its attractions: so she forsook her ill-favored husband, and went\nin search of another, more congenial mate.\n\nSome time after, Vulcan married one of the Graces, who, however, seems\nto have also soon wearied of his society, for she deserted him.\n\nVulcan's children were mostly monsters, such as Cacus, Periphetes,\nCercyon, etc., all of whom play an important part in heroic mythology.\nHe is also the reputed father of Servius Tullius, sixth king of Rome,\nby a slave Ocrisia, whom he was wont to visit in the guise of a bright\nflame, which played harmlessly about her.\n\nVulcan was worshiped by all blacksmiths and artisans, who recognized\nhim as their special patron, and venerated him accordingly.\n\n \"Those who labor\n The sweaty forge, who edge the crooked scythe,\n Bend stubborn steel, and harden gleaming armor,\n Acknowledge Vulcan's aid.\"\n\n Prior.\n\nGreat festivals, the Vulcanalia and the Heph\u00e6stia, were celebrated in\nhonor of this god, who is generally represented as a short, muscular\nman, with one leg shorter than the other, a workman's cap on his curly\nlocks, a short upper garment, and a smith's tools in his hand.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nNEPTUNE.\n\n\nWhen Jupiter assigned to each of his brothers a separate portion of\nthe universe, he decreed that Neptune, or Poseidon, should govern all\nthe waters upon the face of the earth, and be sole monarch of the\nocean.\n\n \"Neptune, the mighty marine god, I sing;\n Earth's mover, and the fruitless ocean's king.\n That Helicon and th' \u00c6gean deeps dost hold.\n O thou earth-shaker; thy command, twofold\n The gods have sorted; making thee of horses\n The awful tamer, and of naval forces\n The sure preserver. Hail, O Saturn's birth!\n Whose graceful green hair circles all the earth.\n Bear a benign mind; and thy helpful hand\n Lend all, submitted to thy dread command.\"\n\n Homer (Chapman's tr.).\n\nBefore this new ruler made his appearance, the Titan Oceanus had\nwielded the scepter of the sea; and regretfully he now resigned it to\nhis youthful supplanter, whom he nevertheless admired sincerely, and\ndescribed in glowing colors to his brothers.\n\n \"Have ye beheld the young God of the Seas,\n My dispossessor? Have ye seen his face?\n Have ye beheld his chariot, foam'd along\n By noble winged creatures he hath made?\n I saw him on the calmed waters scud,\n With such a glow of beauty in his eyes,\n That it enforc'd me to bid sad farewell\n To all my empire.\"\n\n Keats.\n\n [Illustration: FOUNTAIN OF NEPTUNE.--Bologna. (Bologna.)]\n\n[Sidenote: Neptune's exile.]\n\nNeptune, the personification as well as the god of the sea, was of an\nexceedingly encroaching disposition. Dissatisfied with the portion\nallotted him, he once conspired to dethrone Jupiter; but,\nunfortunately for the success of his undertaking, his plot was\ndiscovered before he could put it into execution, and Jupiter, in\npunishment for his temerity, exiled him to earth. There he was\ncondemned to build the walls of Troy for Laomedon, king of that city,\nwho, in return, promised a handsome compensation.\n\nApollo, also banished from heaven at that time, volunteered to aid\nNeptune by playing on his lyre, and moving the stones by the power of\nsweet sounds (p. 65). The task satisfactorily ended, Laomedon, an\navaricious and dishonest king, refused the promised guerdon, whereupon\nNeptune created a terrible monster, which came upon the shore,\ndevoured the inhabitants, devastated everything within his reach, and\ninspired all with great terror.\n\n \"A great serpent from the deep,\n Lifting his horrible head above their homes,\n Devoured the children.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nTo save themselves from the awful death which threatened them all, the\nTrojans consulted an oracle, who advised the sacrifice of a beautiful\nvirgin, and promised the monster would disappear as soon as he had\ndevoured the appointed victim.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Hesione.]\n\nA young girl was therefore chosen by lot, led down to the seashore,\nand chained by the priest's own hands to a slimy rock. As soon as her\nmourning friends had forsaken her, the hideous serpent came out of his\nlair in the waves, and devoured her; then he vanished, and nothing\nmore was heard of him for a whole year, at the end of which time he\nreappeared, and resumed his former depredations, which were only\nchecked by the sacrifice of a second virgin.\n\nYear after year, however, he returned, and year after year a fair girl\nwas doomed to perish, until finally the lot fell upon Hesione, the\nking's only daughter. He could not bear the thought of the terrible\nfate awaiting her, and tried every means in his power to save her. As\na last resort he sent heralds to publish far and wide that the king\nwould give a great reward to any man who would dare attack and succeed\nin slaying the monster.\n\nHercules, on his return from the scene of one of his stupendous\nlabors, heard the proclamation, and, with no other weapon than the\noaken club he generally carried, slew the monster just as he was about\nto drag poor Hesione down into his slimy cave. Laomedon was, of\ncourse, overjoyed at the monster's death, but, true to his nature,\nagain refused the promised reward, and by his dishonesty incurred the\nhatred and contempt of this hero also. Some time after, having\nfinished his time of servitude with Eurystheus, Hercules, aided by a\nchosen band of adventurers, came to Troy to punish him for his\nperfidy. The city was stormed and taken, the king slain, and his wife\nand children carried to Greece as captives. There Hesione became the\nbride of Telamon; while her brother Podarces, later known as Priam,\nwas redeemed by his people and made King of Troy.\n\nLaomedon's failure to pay his just debts was the primary cause of the\nenmity which Apollo and Neptune displayed towards the Trojans during\ntheir famous war with the Greeks (p. 305).\n\n[Sidenote: Neptune's contests.]\n\nTheir term of exile ended, the gods were reinstated in their exalted\npositions, and hastened to resume their former occupations; but, in\nspite of the severe lesson just received, Neptune was not yet cured of\nhis grasping tendencies. Not long after his return from Troy, he\nquarreled with Minerva for the possession of the then recently founded\ncity of Athens, then nameless, and entered into the memorable contest\nin which he was signally defeated (p. 57). He also disputed the\nsovereignty of Troezene with Minerva, and that of Corinth with Apollo.\nIn the latter instance, the disputants having chosen Briareus as\numpire, the prize was awarded to him as the most powerful of all the\ngods except Jupiter.\n\n[Sidenote: Neptune's power.]\n\nAs god of the sea, Neptune did not generally remain in Olympus, but\ndwelt way down in the coral caves of his kingdom, over which he ruled\nwith resistless sway. By one word he could stir up or calm the wildest\nstorm, and cause the billows to roar with fury or subside into\npeaceful ripples.\n\n \"He spake, and round about him called the clouds\n And roused the ocean,--wielding in his hand\n The trident,--summoned all the hurricanes\n Of all the winds, and covered earth and sky\n At once with mists, while from above the night\n Fell suddenly.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThe rivers, fountains, lakes, and seas were not only subject to his\nrule, but he could also cause terrible earthquakes at will, and, when\nhe pleased, raise islands from the deep, as he did when Latona\nentreated him to shelter her from Juno's persecutions (p. 62).\n\nNeptune is said to have loved the goddess Ceres, and to have followed\nher during her prolonged search for her daughter, Proserpina. Annoyed\nby his persistent wooing, the goddess, to escape him, assumed the form\nof a mare; but the God of the Sea, not at all deceived by this\nstratagem, straightway assumed the form of a horse, in which guise he\ncontentedly trotted after her and renewed his attentions.\n\n[Sidenote: Neptune's wives.]\n\nThe offspring of this equine pair was Arion, a wonderful winged steed,\ngifted with the power of speech, whose early education was intrusted\nto the Nereides. They trained him to draw his father's chariot over\nthe waves with incredible rapidity, and parted with him regretfully\nwhen he was given to Copreus, Pelops' son. This marvelous horse passed\nsuccessively into Hercules' and Adrastus' hands; and the latter won\nall the chariot races, thanks to his fleetness.\n\nOn another occasion, Neptune, having fallen deeply in love with a\nmaiden named Theophane, and fearful lest some one of her numerous\nsuitors should find favor in her eyes before he had time to urge his\nwooing, suddenly changed her into a sheep, and conveyed her to the\nIsland of Crumissa, where he assumed the guise of a ram, and, in this\nmetamorphosed condition, carried on his courtship, which eventually\nproved successful. The offspring of this union was the golden-fleeced\nram which bore Phryxus in safety to the Colchian shores, and whose\npelt was the goal of the Argonautic expedition (p. 265).\n\nNeptune also loved and married Medusa in the days of her youth and\nbeauty, and when some drops of blood fell from her severed head into\nthe salt sea foam, he produced from them the graceful winged steed\nPegasus (p. 244).\n\nNeptune is also said to be the father of the giants Otus and\nEphialtes, of Neleus, Pelias, and Polyphemus.\n\n[Sidenote: Amphitrite.]\n\nThe Queen of the Ocean, Neptune's own true and lawful wife, was a\nNereid, one of the fifty daughters of Doris and Nereus,--the\npersonification of the calm and sunlit aspect of the sea. Her name was\nAmphitrite, or Salacia. At first she was in great awe of her\ndistinguished suitor, and in her fear fled at his approach, leaving\nhim no chance to admire any of her charms, except the grace and\ncelerity with which she managed to flit, or rather glide, out of his\nsight.\n\n \"Along the deep\n With beauteous ankles, Amphitrite glides.\"\n\n Hesiod (Elton's tr.).\n\nThis conduct grieved Neptune so sorely, that he sent a dolphin to\nplead his cause, and persuade the fair nymph to share his throne. The\nmessenger, carefully instructed beforehand, carried out the directions\nwith such skill, that Amphitrite formally consented to become\nNeptune's wife.\n\nThe King of the Deep was so overjoyed at these good tidings, that he\ntransferred the dolphin to the sky, where he forms a well-known\nconstellation. Neptune and Amphitrite in due time became the happy\nparents of several children, among whom the most celebrated is Triton,\nwhose body was half man and half fish, and who gave his name to all\nhis male descendants.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Idas and Marpessa.]\n\nLike all other gods, Neptune took a lively interest in men's affairs,\nand sometimes interfered in their behalf. On one occasion, for\ninstance, he even lent his beautiful chariot to a youth by the name of\nIdas, who, loving a maiden dearly, and unable to win her father's\nconsent to their union, had resolved to kidnap her. Marpessa, for such\nwas the lady's name, allowed herself to be carried off without\nprotest; and the lovers were blissfully speeding along in Neptune's\nchariot, when her father, Evenus, perceiving their escape, started in\npursuit of them. In spite of the most strenuous efforts, he could not\novertake the fleeing pair, and in his anger plunged into a river,\nwhere he was drowned, and which from him received the name of Evenus.\n\nIdas and Marpessa were just congratulating themselves upon their\nnarrow escape, when suddenly Apollo appeared before them, and,\nchecking their steeds, declared he loved the maiden too, and would not\ntamely yield her up to a rival.\n\nThis was quite equivalent to a challenge; and Idas, stepping down from\nthe chariot, was about to engage in the fight, when suddenly out of a\nclear sky a thunderbolt came crashing down to earth, and an imperious\nvoice was heard to declare that the quarrel could be settled by\nMarpessa only, and that she should freely choose the suitor she\npreferred as husband.\n\nThe maiden glanced at both her lovers, and quickly reviewed their\nrespective attractions. Remembering that Apollo, being immortal, would\nretain all his youthful bloom when her more ephemeral beauty had\nvanished, and that he would then probably cease to love her, she held\nout her hand to Idas, declaring she preferred to link her fate to that\nof a mortal, who would grow old when she did, and love her as long as\nthey both lived. This choice was approved by Jupiter; and the lovers,\nafter reaching a place of safety, returned the wondrous chariot to\nNeptune, with many grateful thanks for his timely aid.\n\n[Sidenote: Neptune's attendants.]\n\nAll the Nereides, Tritons, and lesser sea divinities formed a part of\nNeptune and Amphitrite's train, and followed closely when they rode\nforth to survey their kingdom.\n\nNeptune had, besides this, many subordinates, whose duty it was to\nlook after various seas, lakes, rivers, fountains, etc., confided to\ntheir special care. In harmony with their occupations, these\ndivinities were either hoary river gods (such as Father Nile), slender\nyouths, beautiful maidens, or little babbling children. They seldom\nleft the cool waves of their appointed dwellings, and strove to win\nNeptune's approbation mostly by the zeal they showed in the discharge\nof their various duties.\n\nProteus, too, another inferior deity, had the care of the flocks of\nthe deep, and he always attended Neptune when it was safe to leave his\ngreat herds of sea calves to bask on the sunny shores.\n\n \"In ages past old Proteus, with his droves\n Of sea calves, sought the mountains and the groves.\"\n\n Cowper.\n\n[Sidenote: Proteus.]\n\nIn common with all the other gods, Proteus enjoyed the gift of\nprophecy, and had the power to assume any shape he pleased. The former\ngift he was wont to exercise very reluctantly; and when mortals wished\nto consult him, he would change his form with bewildering rapidity,\nand, unless they clung to him through all his changes, they could\nobtain no answer to their questions.\n\n \"Shouting [we] seize the god: our force t' evade,\n His various arts he soon resumes in aid:\n A lion now, he curls a surgy mane;\n Sudden, our hands a spotted pard restrain;\n Then, arm'd with tusks, and lightning in his eyes,\n A boar's obscener shape the god belies:\n On spiry volumes, there, a dragon rides;\n Here, from our strict embrace a stream he glides;\n And last, sublime, his stately growth he rears,\n A tree, and well-dissembled foliage wears.\"\n\n Homer (Pope's tr.).\n\nBut if these manifestations proved unavailing to drive his would-be\nhearers away, the god answered every question circumstantially.\n\n [Illustration: FATHER NILE. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\nAmphitrite, Neptune's wife,--generally represented as a beautiful\nnude nymph, crowned with seaweed, and reclining in a pearl-shell\nchariot drawn by dolphins, or sea-horses,--was worshiped with her\nhusband.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Neptune.]\n\nNeptune, majestic and middle-aged, with long, flowing hair and beard,\nwearing a seaweed crown, and brandishing a trident, or three-pronged\nfork, was widely worshiped throughout Greece and Italy, and had\ncountless shrines. His principal votaries were the seamen and horse\ntrainers, who often bespoke his aid.\n\n \"Hail, Neptune, greatest of the gods!\n Thou ruler of the salt sea floods;\n Thou with the deep and dark-green hair,\n That dost the golden trident bear;\n Thou that, with either arm outspread,\n Embosomest the earth we tread:\n Thine are the beasts with fin and scales,\n That round thy chariot, as it sails,\n Plunging and tumbling, fast and free,\n All reckless follow o'er the sea.\"\n\n Arion.\n\nMany large temples were dedicated exclusively to the worship of\nNeptune, and games were frequently celebrated in his honor. The most\nnoted of all were undoubtedly the Isthmian Games,--a national\nfestival, held every four years at Corinth, on the isthmus of the same\nname. Hither people came from all points of the compass, and all parts\nof the then known world, either to witness or to take part in the\nnoted wrestling, boxing, and racing matches, or in the musical and\npoetical contests.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nPLUTO.\n\n\nPluto[1] (Dis, Hades, Orcus, A\u00efdoneus), son of Cronus and Rhea,\nreceived as his share of the world the supervision of the Infernal\nRegions, situated beneath the earth, and was also appointed god of the\ndead and of riches, for all precious metals are buried deep in the\nbosom of the earth.\n\n [1] Besides this Pluto, god of the Infernal Regions, the\n Greeks also worshiped Plutus, a son of Ceres and Jason, who\n was known exclusively as the god of wealth. Abandoned in\n infancy, he was brought up by Pax, the goddess of peace, who\n is often represented holding him in her lap. Because Plutus\n insisted upon bestowing his favors upon good and noble\n mortals only, Jupiter soon deprived him of his sight. Since\n then the blind god's gifts have been distributed\n indiscriminately.\n\nThis god inspired all men with a great fear. They never spoke of him\nwithout trembling, and fervently prayed that they might never see his\nface; for, when he appeared on the surface of the earth, it was only\nin search of some victim to drag down into his dismal abode, or to\nmake sure there was no crevice through which a sunbeam might glide to\nbrighten its gloom and dispel its shadows. Whenever the stern god set\nout on one of these expeditions, he rode in a chariot drawn by four\ncoal-black steeds; and, if any obstacle presented itself to impede his\nprogress, he struck it with his two-pronged fork, the emblem of his\npower, and the obstacle was immediately removed. It was on one of\nthese occasions that Pluto kidnapped Proserpina, the fair goddess of\nvegetation, daughter of Ceres, whom he set on his throne in Hades, and\ncrowned his queen (p. 183).\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Pluto.]\n\nPluto is always represented as a stern, dark, bearded man, with\ntightly closed lips, a crown on his head, a scepter and a key in hand,\nto show how carefully he guards those who enter his domains, and how\nvain are their hopes to effect their escape. No temples were dedicated\nto him, and statues of this god are very rare. Human sacrifices were\nsometimes offered on his altars; and at his festivals, held every\nhundred years, and thence called Secular Games, none but black animals\nwere slain.\n\n[Sidenote: Hades.]\n\nHis kingdom, generally called Hades, was very difficult of access.\nAccording to Roman traditions, it could only be entered at Avernus,\nbut the Greeks asserted that there was another entrance near the\nPromontory of T\u00e6narum. Both nations agreed, however, in saying that it\nwas an almost impossible feat to get out again if one were rash enough\nto venture in.\n\n \"To the shades you go a down-hill, easy way;\n But to return and re-enjoy the day,\n This is a work, a labor!\"\n\n Virgil.\n\nTo prevent all mortals from entering, and all spirits from escaping,\nPluto placed a huge three-headed dog, called Cerberus, to guard the\ngate.\n\n \"There in state old Cerberus sate,\n A three-headed dog, as cruel as Fate,\n Guarding the entrance early and late.\"\n\n Saxe.\n\nFrom thence a long subterranean passage, through which shadowy spirits\nglided incessantly, led to the throne room, where Pluto and Proserpina\nsat in state, clad in their sable robes. From the foot of this throne\nflowed the rivers which channeled the Lower World. One, the Cocytus,\nrolled salt waves, composed of naught but the tears flowing\ncontinually from the eyes of the criminals condemned to hard labor in\nTartarus, the portion of Hades reserved for the exclusive use of the\nwicked.\n\n \"Cocytus, named of lamentation loud\n Heard on the rueful stream.\"\n\n Homer.\n\n[Sidenote: Rivers of Hades.]\n\nTo separate this section from the remainder of his realm, Pluto\nsurrounded it with the Phlegethon, a river of fire; while the Acheron,\na black and deep stream, was to be passed by all souls ere they\nreached Pluto's throne and heard his decree. The current of this river\nwas so swift, that even the boldest swimmer could not pass over; and,\nas there was no bridge, all the spirits were obliged to rely upon the\naid of Charon, an aged boatman, who plied the only available skiff--a\nleaky, worm-eaten punt--from shore to shore. Neither would he allow\nany soul to enter his bark, unless he was first given a small coin,\ncalled the obolus, the ferryman's fare, which the ancients carefully\nlaid under the tongue of the dead, that they might pass on to Pluto\nwithout delay. Charon's leaky boat no sooner touched the shore than a\nhost of eager spirits pressed forward to claim a place. The cruel\nboatman repulsed them roughly, and brandished his oars, while he\nleisurely selected those he would next ferry across the stream.\n\n \"The shiv'ring army stands,\n And press for passage with extended hands.\n Now these, now those, the surly boatman bore;\n The rest he drove to distance from the shore.\"\n\n Virgil (Dryden's tr.).\n\nAll those who could not produce the required obolus were obliged to\nwait one hundred years, at the end of which time Charon reluctantly\nferried them over free of charge.\n\nThere was also in Hades the sacred river Styx, by whose waters the\ngods swore their most irrevocable oaths; and the blessed Lethe, whose\nwaters had the power to make one forget all unpleasant things, thus\npreparing the good for a state of endless bliss in the Elysian Fields.\n\n [Illustration: THE FURIES.--A Study for the Masque of\n Cupid.--Burne-Jones.]\n\n \"Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls\n Her wat'ry labrinth, whereof who drinks,\n Forthwith his former state and being forgets,\n Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain.\"\n\n Milton.\n\n[Sidenote: The judges.]\n\nNear Pluto's throne were seated the three judges of Hades, Minos,\nRhadamanthus, and \u00c6acus, whose duty it was to question all newly\narrived souls, to sort out the confused mass of good and bad thoughts\nand actions, and place them in the scales of Themis, the blindfolded,\nimpartial goddess of justice, who bore a trenchant sword to indicate\nthat her decrees would be mercilessly enforced. If the good outweighed\nthe evil, the spirit was led to the Elysian Fields; but if, on the\ncontrary, the evil prevailed, the spirit was condemned to suffer in\nthe fires of Tartarus.\n\n \"Where his decrees\n The guilty soul within the burning gates\n Of Tartarus compel, or send the good\n To inhabit, with eternal health and peace,\n The valley of Elysium.\"\n\n Akenside.\n\n[Sidenote: The Furies.]\n\nThe guilty souls were always intrusted to the three snake-locked\nFuries (Erinnyes, or Eumenides), who drove them with their stinging\nlashes to the gates of Tartarus. These deities, who were sisters, and\nchildren of Acheron and Nyx, were distinguished by the individual\nnames of Alecto, Tisiphone, and Meg\u00e6ra, and with Nemesis, goddess of\nrevenge, were noted for their hard hearts and the merciless manner in\nwhich they hurried the ghosts intrusted to their care over the fiery\nflood of the Phlegethon, and through the brazen gates of their future\nplace of incessant torment.\n\n [Illustration: THE THREE FATES.--Thumann.]\n\n \"There rolls swift Phlegethon, with thund'ring sound,\n His broken rocks, and whirls his surges round.\n On mighty columns rais'd sublime are hung\n The massy gates, impenetrably strong.\n In vain would men, in vain would gods essay,\n To hew the beams of adamant away.\n Here rose an iron tow'r: before the gate,\n By night and day, a wakeful Fury sate,\n The pale Tisiphone; a robe she wore,\n With all the pomp of horror, dy'd in gore.\"\n\n Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The Fates.]\n\nThe three Fates (Moer\u00e6, Parc\u00e6), sisters, also sat near Pluto's throne.\nClotho, the youngest, spun the thread of life, in which the bright and\ndark lines were intermingled. Lachesis, the second, twisted it; and\nunder her fingers it was now strong, now weak.\n\n \"Twist ye, twine ye! even so,\n Mingle shades of joy and woe,\n Hope, and fear, and peace, and strife,\n In the thread of human life.\"\n\n Scott.\n\nAtropos, the third sister, armed with a huge pair of shears,\nremorselessly cut short the thread of life,--an intimation that\nanother soul would ere long find its way down into the dark kingdom of\nHades.\n\n[Sidenote: Tartarus.]\n\nWhen the gates of Tartarus turned on their hinges to receive the\nnewcomer, a chorus of cries, groans, and imprecations from within fell\nupon his ear, mingled with the whistling of the whips incessantly\nplied by retributive deities.\n\n \"What sounds were heard,\n What scenes appeared,\n O'er all the dreary coasts!\n Dreadful gleams,\n Dismal screams,\n Fires that glow,\n Shrieks of woe,\n Sullen moans,\n Hollow groans,\n And cries of tortured ghosts.\"\n\n Pope.\n\n[Sidenote: The Danaides.]\n\nMany victims renowned while on earth for their cruelty found here the\njust punishment of their sins. Attention was first attracted by a\ngroup of beautiful maidens, who carried water to fill a bottomless\ncask. Down to the stream they hastened, a long procession, filled\ntheir urns with water, painfully clambered up the steep and slippery\nbank, and poured their water into the cask; but when, exhausted and\nready to faint from fatigue, they paused to rest for a moment, the\ncutting lash fell upon their bare shoulders, and spurred them on to\nrenewed efforts to complete a task so hopeless that it has become\nproverbial.\n\nThese fair maidens were the Danaides, daughters of Danaus, who had\npledged his fifty daughters to the fifty sons of his brother \u00c6gyptus.\nThe marriage preparations were all completed, when Danaus suddenly\nremembered an ancient prophecy which had quite escaped his memory, and\nwhich foretold that he would perish by the hand of his son-in-law.\n\nIt was now too late to prevent the marriages, so, calling his\ndaughters aside, he told them what the oracle had said, and, giving\nthem each a sharp dagger, bade them slay their husbands on their\nwedding night. The marriages were celebrated, as was customary, with\nmirth, dance, and song; and the revelry continued until late at night,\nwhen, the guests having departed, the newly married couples retired.\nBut as soon as Danaus' daughters were quite certain their husbands\nwere fast asleep, they produced their daggers and slew their mates.\n\n \"Danaus arm'd each daughter's hand\n To stain with blood the bridal bed.\"\n\n Euripides (Potter's tr.).\n\nOne of the brides only, Hypermnestra, loved her husband too dearly to\nobey her father's command, and, when morning broke, only forty-nine of\n\u00c6gyptus' sons were found lifeless. The sole survivor, Lynceus, to\navenge his brothers' death, slew Danaus, thus fulfilling the ominous\nprophecy; while the gods, incensed by the Danaides' heartlessness,\nsent them to Hades, where they were compelled to fill the bottomless\ncask.\n\n[Sidenote: Tantalus.]\n\nTartarus also detained within its brazen portals a cruel king named\nTantalus (the father of Niobe), who, while on earth, had starved and\nill-treated his subjects, insulted the immortal gods, and on one\noccasion had even dared to cook and serve up to them his own son\nPelops. Most of the gods were immediately aware of the deception\npracticed upon them, and refused the new dish; but Ceres, who was very\nmelancholy on account of the recent loss of her daughter, paid no heed\nto what was offered her, and in a fit of absent-mindedness ate part of\nthe lad's shoulder.\n\nThe gods in pity restored the youth to life, and Ceres replaced the\nmissing shoulder with one of ivory or of gold. Driven away from his\nkingdom, which was seized by the King of Troy, Pelops took refuge in\nGreece, where he ruled the extensive peninsula, the Peloponnesus,\nwhich still bears his name.\n\nTo punish the inhuman Tantalus, the gods then sent him to Tartarus,\nwhere he stood up to his chin in a stream of pure water, tormented\nwith thirst; for, whenever he stooped to drink, the waters fled from\nhis parched lips. Over his head hung a branch of luscious fruit. His\nhunger was as intolerable as his thirst; but, whenever he clutched at\nthe fruit, the branch swung upward, and eluded his eager grasp.\n\n \"Above, beneath, around his hapless head,\n Trees of all kinds delicious fruitage spread.\n The fruit he strives to seize; but blasts arise,\n Toss it on high, and whirl it to the skies.\"\n\n Homer (Pope's tr.).\n\nThis singular punishment inflicted upon Tantalus gave rise to the\nexpression \"to tantalize.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Sisyphus.]\n\nAnother criminal was Sisyphus, who, while king of Corinth, had misused\nhis power, had robbed and killed travelers, and even deceived the\ngods. His reprehensible conduct was punished in Tartarus, where he was\ncondemned to roll a huge stone to the top of a very steep hill; and\njust as he reached the summit, and fancied his task done, the rock\nwould slip from his grasp and roll to the foot of the hill, thus\nobliging him to renew all his exertions.\n\n \"With many a weary step, and many a groan,\n Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone;\n The huge round stone, resulting with a bound,\n Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the ground.\n Again the restless orb his toil renews,\n Dust mounts in clouds, and sweat descends in dews.\"\n\n Homer (Pope's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Salmoneus.]\n\nSalmoneus, another king, had vainly tried to make his subjects believe\nhe was Jupiter. To that effect, he had once driven over a brazen\nbridge to imitate the roll of thunder, and, to simulate the\nthunderbolts, had thrown lighted torches down upon the multitude,\npurposely assembled below.\n\n \"Th' audacious wretch four fiery coursers drew:\n He wav'd a torch aloft, and, madly vain,\n Sought godlike worship from a servile train.\n Ambitious fool, with horny hoofs to pass\n O'er hollow arches of resounding brass,\n To rival thunder in its rapid course,\n And imitate inimitable force!\"\n\n Virgil (Dryden's tr.).\n\nThis insolent parody so incensed Jupiter, that he grasped one of his\ndeadliest thunderbolts, brandished it aloft for a moment, and then\nhurled it with vindictive force at the arrogant king. In Tartarus,\nSalmoneus was placed beneath an overhanging rock, which momentarily\nthreatened to fall, and crush him under its mass.\n\n \"He was doomed to sit under a huge stone,\n Which the father of the gods\n Kept over his head suspended.\n Thus he sat\n In continual dread of its downfall,\n And lost to every comfort.\"\n\n Pindar.\n\n[Sidenote: Tityus.]\n\nStill farther on was the recumbent form of Tityus, a giant whose body\ncovered nine acres of ground. He had dared offer an insult to Juno,\nand in punishment was chained like Prometheus, while a vulture feasted\non his liver.\n\n \"There Tityus was to see, who took his birth\n From heav'n, his nursing from the foodful earth:\n Here his gigantic limbs, with large embrace,\n Infold nine acres of infernal space.\n A rav'nous vulture in his open side\n Her crooked beak and cruel talons try'd:\n Still for the growing liver digg'd his breast,\n The growing liver still supply'd the feast.\"\n\n Virgil (Dryden's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Ixion.]\n\nHere in Tartarus, too, was Ixion, king of the Lapith\u00e6, who had been\ngiven the hand of Dia in marriage on condition that he would give her\nfather a stipulated sum of money in exchange, but who, as soon as the\nmaiden was his, refused to keep his promise. The father-in-law was an\navaricious man, and clamored so loudly for his money, that Ixion, to\nbe rid of his importunities, slew him. Such an act of violence could\nnot be overlooked by the gods: so Jupiter summoned Ixion to appear\nbefore him and state his case.\n\nIxion pleaded so skillfully, that Jupiter was about to declare him\nacquitted, when he suddenly caught him making love to Juno, which\noffense seemed so unpardonable, that he sent him to Tartarus, where he\nwas bound to a constantly revolving wheel of fire.\n\n \"Proud Ixion (doom'd to feel\n The tortures of the eternal wheel,\n Bound by the hand of angry Jove)\n Received the due rewards of impious love.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Elysian Fields.]\n\nFar out of sight and hearing of the pitiful sounds which so constantly\nrose out of Tartarus, were the Elysian Fields, lighted by a sun and\nmoon of their own, decked with the most fragrant and beautiful of\nflowers, and provided with every charm that nature or art could\nsupply. No storms or wintry winds ever came to rob these fields of\ntheir springlike beauty; and here the blessed spent eternity, in\npleasant communion with the friends they had loved on earth.\n\n \"Patriots who perished for their country's rights,\n Or nobly triumphed in the fields of fight:\n There holy priests and sacred poets stood,\n Who sang with all the raptures of a god:\n Worthies whose lives by useful arts refined;\n With those who leave a deathless name behind,\n Friends of the world, and fathers of mankind.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nBACCHUS.\n\n\nAmong all the mortal maidens honored by the love of Jupiter, king of\nthe gods, none was more attractive than Semele, daughter of Cadmus and\nHarmonia.\n\n \"For Semele was molded in the form\n Of elegance; the beauty of her race\n Shone in her forehead.\"\n\n Nonnus (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Semele.]\n\nAlthough conscious of these superior attractions, Semele was\nexcessively coy, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that\nJupiter, disguised as a mortal, could urge his love suit. When he had\nat last obtained a hearing, he told her who he was, calculating upon\nthe effect which such a revelation must necessarily produce.\n\nHe was not mistaken in his previsions, for Semele, proud of having\nattracted the greatest among the gods, no longer offered any\nresistance, and consented to their union. Their love grew and\nprospered, and Jupiter came down from Olympus as often as possible to\nenjoy the society of his beloved. His frequent absences finally\naroused Juno's suspicions, and, as usual, she spared no pains to\ndiscover what powerful charm could draw him from her side. After a few\ndays she knew all, and straightway determined to have her revenge, and\npunish her fickle spouse. To accomplish this successfully, she assumed\nthe face and form of Beroe, Semele's old nurse, and thus entered the\nyoung princess's apartment quite unsuspected.\n\n \"Old Beroe's decrepit shape she wears,\n Her wrinkled visage, and her hoary hairs;\n Whilst in her trembling gait she totters on,\n And learns to tattle in the nurse's tone.\"\n\n Ovid (Addison's tr.).\n\nThere she immediately entered into conversation with her supposed\nnursling, artfully extracted a complete confession, heard with\nsuppressed rage how long Jupiter had wooed ere he had finally won the\nmaiden's consent, and received a rapturous and minute catalogue of all\nhis personal charms and a synopsis of all they had both said.\n\nThe false nurse listened with apparent sympathy; but in reality she\nwas furious, and, to put an end to it all, asked Semele if she were\nquite sure he was king of the gods, as he asserted, and whether he\nvisited her in all the pomp of his regal apparel. The maiden\nshamefacedly replied that he was wont to visit her in the guise of a\nmortal only; whereupon Beroe, with feigned indignation, told her\nnursling he must either be a vile impostor, or else that he did not\nlove her as dearly as he loved Juno, in whose presence he seldom\nappeared except in godlike array.\n\nWith artful words she so worked upon the guileless nature of her\nrival, that, when Jupiter next came, the maiden used all her\nblandishments to extort from him a solemn oath to grant any request\nshe chose to make. A lover is not very likely to weigh his words under\nsuch circumstances, and Jupiter took the most solemn of all the oaths\nto gratify her whim.\n\n \"'Bear me witness, Earth, and ye, broad Heavens\n Above us, and ye, waters of the Styx,\n That flow beneath us, mightiest oath of all,\n And most revered by the blessed gods!'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThe promise won, the delighted Semele bade her lover speedily return\nto Olympus, don his own majestic form and apparel, and hasten back to\nher side, surrounded by all his heavenly pomp, and armed with his\ndreaded thunderbolts. Jupiter, horrified at this imprudent request,\nimplored her to ask something else, and release him from a promise\nfraught with such danger to her; but all in vain. Semele, like many\nanother fair lady, enjoyed having her own way, and fairly forced him\nto obey.\n\nJupiter returned to Olympus, modified his costume as much as possible,\ndimmed his glory wherever he could, and chose the feeblest of all his\nbolts, for well he knew no mere mortal could endure the shock of his\nfull glory. Then, mounted on a pale flash of lightning, he darted back\nto Semele.\n\n \"To keep his promise he ascends, and shrouds\n His awful brow in whirlwinds and in clouds;\n Whilst all around, in terrible array,\n His thunders rattle, and his lightnings play.\n And yet, the dazzling luster to abate,\n He set not out in all his pomp and state,\n Clad in the mildest lightning of the skies,\n And arm'd with thunder of the smallest size:\n Not those huge bolts, by which the giants slain,\n Lay overthrown on the Phlegrean plain.\n 'Twas of a lesser mold, and lighter weight;\n They call it thunder of a second-rate.\n For the rough Cyclops, who by Jove's command\n Temper'd the bolt and turn'd it to his hand,\n Work'd up less flame and fury in its make,\n And quench'd it sooner in the standing lake.\n Thus dreadfully adorn'd, with horror bright,\n Th' illustrious god, descending from his height,\n Came rushing on her in a storm of light.\"\n\n Ovid (Addison's tr.).\n\nBut, although so much milder than usual, this apparition was more than\npoor Semele's human nerves could bear, and she dropped to the floor in\na swoon at the first glimpse of her lover. Oblivious of all but her\nalarming condition, Jupiter sprang to her side; but the lightning\nwhich played about his head set fire to the whole palace, which was\nreduced to ashes.\n\n[Sidenote: Birth of Bacchus.]\n\nSemele herself perished, burned to death; and the only person in all\nthe building who escaped uninjured was Bacchus (Liber, Dionysus), the\ninfant son of Jupiter and Semele, who was saved by his father's\npowerful hand. Jupiter was at first inconsolable at the death of\nSemele; and, to testify to all mortals how fondly he had loved her, he\nbrought her spirit up to heaven, where he raised her to the rank of a\ndeity.\n\n \"Semele of the flowing hair,\n Who died in Thunder's crashing flame,\n To deified existence came.\"\n\n Prior.\n\nThe infant Bacchus was first intrusted to the care of his aunt Ino,\nthe second wife of Athamas, King of Thebes, who nursed him as tenderly\nas if he had been her own child. But all her love could not avail to\nscreen him from the effects of Juno's persistent hatred: so Jupiter,\nfearing lest some harm might befall his precious son, bade Mercury\nconvey him to the distant home of the Nysiades,--nymphs who guarded\nhim most faithfully.\n\nJuno, not daring to continue her persecutions, wreaked all her anger\nupon poor Ino and her unhappy household by sending the Fury Tisiphone\nto goad Athamas to madness. In a fit of deluded frenzy, he pursued his\nwife and children as if they were wild beasts. One of his sons,\nLearchus, fell beneath his arrows; and, to escape his murderous fury,\nIno plunged headlong into the sea with her second child in her arms.\nThe gods, in pity for her sufferings, changed her into the goddess\nLeucothea, and her son into a sea deity by the name of Pal\u00e6mon.\n\n[Sidenote: Bacchus' attendants.]\n\nWhen still but a youth, Bacchus was appointed god of wine and revelry,\nand intrusted to the guidance of Silenus, a satyr, half man and half\ngoat, who educated him, and accompanied him on all his travels; for he\ndelighted in roaming all over the world, borne by his followers, or\nriding in his chariot drawn by wild beasts, while his tutor followed\nhim, mounted on an ass, supported on either side by an attendant.\n\n [Illustration: BACCHUS. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\n \"And near him rode Silenus on his ass,\n Pelted with flowers as he on did pass.\"\n\n Keats.\n\nBacchus' train was very large indeed, and composed of men and women,\nnymphs, fauns, and satyrs, all crowned with ivy leaves, who drank\nwine,--a drink compounded for their express use out of water and\nsunshine,--ate grapes, danced and sang, and loudly proclaimed him\ntheir chosen leader.\n\n \"'We follow Bacchus! Bacchus on the wing,\n A conquering!\n Bacchus, young Bacchus! good or ill betide,\n We dance before him thorough kingdoms wide.'\"\n\n Keats.\n\nThe most unruly among his female followers were the Bacchantes, who\ndelighted in revelry, and were in a perpetual state of intoxication as\nthey went with him from land to land, where he taught the people the\ncultivation of the vine and the art of making wine. He traveled thus,\nit is said, throughout Greece and Asia Minor, and even ventured as far\nas India and Ethiopia.\n\n[Sidenote: Bacchus and the pirates.]\n\nDuring these long journeys, Bacchus, as was inevitable, met with many\nadventures, which have been fertile themes for poetry and art. On one\noccasion, having strayed away from his followers and lost his way,\nBacchus laid himself down upon the sand on the seashore to rest. Some\npirates, sailing by, saw the handsome young sleeper, and noiselessly\nbore him off to their vessel, intending to sell him as a slave in\nEgypt.\n\nThey were already quite far out at sea when the god awoke, and gazed\naround him in mute wonder at his surroundings. When fully roused, he\nbade the seamen take him back to land, but they merely replied by\nlaughter and mockery. Their amusement was cut short, however, for the\nship came to a sudden standstill; and, when they leaned over the sides\nto ascertain why their oars could no longer propel it onward, they saw\na vine grow out of the sea, and twine its branches and tendrils with\nlightning-like velocity around oars, mast, and rigging, thus\ntransforming the vessel into a floating arbor. Then a sound of music\nand revelry greeted their astonished ears, and Bacchus' followers came\nthronging over the ship's sides, riding on wild beasts, and chanting\nthe praises of their god and of his favorite beverage.\n\n \"In chorus we sing of wine, sweet wine,\n Its power benign, and its flavor divine.\"\n\n Martinez de la Rosa.\n\nThese extraordinary sights and sounds so bewildered the poor sailors,\nthat they lost all presence of mind, and jumped overboard into the\nsea, where they were drowned and changed into dolphins.\n\nOn another occasion, Silenus, after a great carousal, lost his way in\nthe forest, and helplessly wandered from place to place in search of\nhis companions, until he finally came to the court of Midas, King of\nLydia, of ass's ears fame (p. 75).\n\n[Sidenote: The curse of gold.]\n\nMidas no sooner beheld the red nose and bloated appearance of the\nwanderer, than he recognized him as Bacchus' tutor, and volunteered to\nlead him back to his divine pupil. Delighted to see Silenus again,\nBacchus promised Midas any reward he wished; whereupon Midas, who was\nan avaricious old king, fell upon his knees, and humbly besought the\ngod to grant that all he touched might be changed into gold.\n\n \"'Give me,' says he (nor thought he ask'd too much),\n 'That with my body whatsoe'er I touch,\n Changed from the nature which it held of old,\n May be converted into yellow gold.'\"\n\n Ovid (Croxall's tr.).\n\nBacchus immediately signified that his prayer was granted; and Midas,\noverjoyed at the success of his bold venture, wandered back to his\npalace, testing his new-won power, which changed all to gold at a mere\ntouch of one of his fingers.\n\n \"Down from a lowly branch a twig he drew,\n The twig straight glitter'd with a golden hue.\n He takes a stone, the stone was turn'd to gold:\n A clod he touches, and the crumbling mold\n Acknowledged soon the great transforming power,\n In weight and substance like a mass of ore.\n He pluck'd the corn, and straight his grasp appears\n Fill'd with a bending tuft of golden ears.\n An apple next he takes, and seems to hold\n The bright Hesperian vegetable gold:\n His hand he careless on a pillar lays,\n With shining gold the fluted pillars blaze.\"\n\n Ovid (Croxall's tr.).\n\nThe sight of these and many other wonders, wrought by a mere touch,\nfilled his heart with joy; and in his elation he bade his servants\nprepare a sumptuous feast, and invite all his courtiers to share his\nmerriment. His commands were obeyed with the utmost celerity, and\nMidas beamed with satisfaction as he took his place at the head of the\nboard, and viewed the choice dishes and wines prepared for his\ndelectation.\n\nHere, too, however, a new revelation awaited him; for cloth, plate,\nand cup turned to gold, as did the food and drink as soon as they met\nhis eager lips.\n\n \"Whose powerful hands the bread no sooner hold,\n But all its substance is transform'd to gold:\n Up to his mouth he lifts the savory meat,\n Which turns to gold as he attempts to eat:\n His patron's noble juice of purple hue,\n Touch'd by his lips, a gilded cordial grew,\n Unfit for drink; and, wondrous to behold,\n It trickles from his jaws a fluid gold.\n The rich poor fool, confounded with surprise,\n Starving in all his various plenty lies.\"\n\n Ovid (Croxall's tr.).\n\nIn the midst of plenty, the gnawing pangs of hunger now made\nthemselves felt; and the precious gift, which prevented his allaying\nthem, soon lost all its attractions. With weary feet, Midas now\nretraced the road he had traveled in his pride a few hours before,\nagain cast himself at Bacchus' feet, and this time implored him to\ntake back the inconvenient gift, which prevented him from satisfying\nhis natural appetites.\n\nHis distress seemed so real, that Bacchus bade him go and wash in the\nPactolus River, if he would be rid of the power which had so soon\nturned into a curse. Midas hastened off to the river and plunged in\nits tide, noting that even its sands all turned to gold beneath his\ntread; since when,\n\n \"Pactolus singeth over golden sands.\"\n\n Gray.\n\n[Sidenote: Naxos.]\n\nBacchus' favorite place of resort was the Island of Naxos, which he\nvisited after every journey. During one of his sojourns there, he\ndiscovered a fair maiden lying alone on the sandy shore. Ariadne, for\nsuch was the girl's name, had been forsaken there by her lover,\nTheseus, who had sailed away while she slept (p. 257). As soon as she\nawoke, she called her faithless lover; but no answering sound fell\nupon her ear except the mocking tones of Echo. Her tears flowed freely\nas she beat her breast in despair; but suddenly her lamentations\nceased, as she caught the faint sound of music floating toward her on\nthe summer breeze. Eagerly turning toward the pleasant music, she\ncaught sight of a merry procession, headed by the God of Wine.\n\n \"'And as I sat, over the light blue hills\n There came a noise of revelers: the rills\n Into the wide stream came of purple hue--\n 'Twas Bacchus and his crew!\n The earnest trumpet spake, and silver thrills\n From kissing cymbals made a merry din--\n 'Twas Bacchus and his kin!\n Like to a moving vintage down they came,\n Crown'd with green leaves, and faces all on flame;\n All madly dancing through the pleasant valley.'\"\n\n Keats.\n\n [Illustration: MARRIAGE OF BACCHUS AND ARIADNE.--Tintoretto. (Ducal\n Palace, Venice.)]\n\n[Sidenote: Bacchus and Ariadne.]\n\nBacchus, the first to perceive the fair mourner, hastened to her side,\nand brought all his powers of persuasion into play to console her. His\ndevotion at last induced her to forget her recreant lover, and, after\na short courtship, Bacchus won her as a bride.\n\nTheir wedding was the gayest ever seen, and the feasting lasted for\nseveral days. The bridegroom presented the bride with a crown adorned\nwith seven glittering stars,--an ornament which fitly enhanced her\npeerless beauty. Shortly after her marriage, however, poor Ariadne\nsickened and died, leaving a disconsolate widower, who took the crown\nshe had so often worn and flung it up into the air. It rose higher and\nhigher, until the gods fixed it in the sky, where it still forms a\nbrilliant constellation, known as Ariadne's Crown, or Corona.\n\n \"And still her sign is seen in heaven,\n And, 'midst the glittering symbols of the sky,\n The starry crown of Ariadne glides.\"\n\n Apollonius Rhodius.\n\nBacchus' lightheartedness had all vanished, and he no longer took any\npleasure in music, dance, or revelry, until Jupiter, in pity for his\nbereavement, restored Ariadne to his longing arms, and, to prevent her\nbeing again claimed by Death, gave her immortal life.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Pentheus.]\n\nWhen but a short distance from Thebes, Bacchus once sent a herald to\nPentheus, the king, to announce his approach, and bespeak a suitable\nreception and sumptuous entertainment. Rumors of the noise and\ndisorder, which seemed to have been the invariable accompaniment of\nthe god's presence, had already reached Pentheus, who therefore\ndismissed the herald with an insolent message, purporting that Bacchus\nhad better remain outside of the city gates.\n\nTo avenge this insult, Bacchus inspired the Theban women with a\nspecies of dementia, which made them rush simultaneously out of the\ncity and join his followers. Then they all clamored for permission to\nwitness the religious rites in his honor, generally called Mysteries,\nwhich permission was graciously granted.\n\nThe king's spies reported all that had occurred, and their accounts\nmade Pentheus long to view the ceremonies in secret. He therefore\ndisguised himself, and hid in a bush near the consecrated place,\nhoping to see all without being seen; but an inadvertent movement\nattracted the attention of the already excited Bacchantes, who, led by\nAgave, the king's own mother, dragged him from his hiding place and\ntore him limb from limb.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Bacchus.]\n\nBacchus, god of wine, was worshiped throughout the ancient world, and\nfestivals without number were held in his honor. The most noted were\nthe Greater and Lesser Dionysia, the Liberalia, and the Bacchanalia,\nwhere the wildest merrymaking and license were freely indulged in by\nall participants.\n\n \"Bacchus, on thee they call, in hymns divine,\n And hang thy statues on the lofty pine:\n Hence plenty every laughing vineyard fills,\n Thro' the deep valleys and the sloping hills;\n Where'er the god inclines his lovely face,\n More luscious fruits the rich plantations grace.\n Then let us Bacchus' praises duly sing,\n And consecrated cakes, and chargers bring,\n Dragg'd by their horns let victim goats expire,\n And roast on hazel spits before the sacred fire.\"\n\n \"Come, sacred sire, with luscious clusters crown'd,\n Here all the riches of thy reign abound;\n Each field replete with blushing autumn glows,\n And in deep tides for thee the foaming vintage flows.\"\n\n Virgil (Warton's tr.).\n\nBacchus is generally represented as a handsome youth, crowned with ivy\nor grape leaves and clusters, bearing the thyrsus, an ivy-circled\nwand, as scepter, and riding in a chariot drawn by panthers or\nleopards.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nCERES AND PROSERPINA.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Ceres and Proserpina.]\n\nCeres (Demeter), daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and one of Jupiter's\nnumerous consorts, was goddess of agriculture and civilization. Her\nmanifold cares were shared by her daughter, Proserpina (Cora,\nPherephatta, Persephone), the goddess of vegetation. Whenever her\nduties permitted, this fair young goddess hastened off to the Island\nof Sicily, her favorite place of resort, where she wandered about all\nday long, attended by a merry girlish train, gathering flowers, on the\ngreen slopes of Mount \u00c6tna, and danced with the nymphs in the\nbeautiful plain of Enna.\n\nOne day, weary of labor, Proserpina called these fair playmates to\njoin her and spend a merry day gathering flowers.\n\n \"And one fair morn--\n Not all the ages blot it--on the side\n Of \u00c6tna we were straying. There was then\n Summer nor winter, springtide nor the time\n Of harvest, but the soft unfailing sun\n Shone always, and the sowing time was one\n With reaping.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\n[Sidenote: Pluto kidnaps Proserpina.]\n\nThe maidens sang merry lays as they wound their long garlands; and\ntheir joyous voices and ripples of silvery laughter attracted the\nattention of Pluto, just then driving past in his dark chariot drawn\nby four fiery coal-black steeds. To ascertain whence these sounds\nproceeded, the god stepped out of his car, and cautiously peeped\nthrough the thick foliage.\n\nHe saw Proserpina sitting on a mossy bank, almost buried in many-hued\nblossoms, her laughing companions picturesquely grouped around her.\nOne glance sufficed to convince Pluto of her loveliness and grace, and\nto make him feel that his happiness depended on the possession of this\nbright young creature.\n\nLong ere this, he had tried to persuade one after another of the\ngoddesses to share his gloomy throne; but one and all had refused the\nhonor, and declined to accompany him to a land where the sun never\nshone, the birds never sang, and the flowers never bloomed. Hurt and\ndisappointed by these rebuffs, Pluto had finally registered a solemn\nvow never to go wooing again; and so, instead of gently inviting\nProserpina to become his queen, he resolved to kidnap her.\n\nStraight through the bushes he strode, direct to the spot where she\nwas seated. The noise of crackling branches and hasty footsteps made\nthe assembled maidens swiftly turn. One glance sufficed to identify\nthe intruder, for none but he could boast of such a dark, lowering\ncountenance; and all exclaimed in mingled wonder and terror at his\nunwonted presence in those sunlit regions.\n\n [Illustration: ABDUCTION OF PROSERPINA.--Schobelt.]\n\n \"'Tis he, 'tis he: he comes to us\n From the depths of Tartarus.\n For what of evil doth he roam\n From his red and gloomy home,\n In the center of the world,\n Where the sinful dead are hurled?\n Mark him as he moves along,\n Drawn by horses black and strong,\n Such as may belong to Night\n Ere she takes her morning flight.\n Now the chariot stops: the god\n On our grassy world hath trod:\n Like a Titan steppeth he,\n Yet full of his divinity.\n On his mighty shoulders lie\n Raven locks, and in his eye\n A cruel beauty, such as none\n Of us may wisely look upon.\"\n\n Barry Cornwall.\n\nFrightened by his impetuous approach, the trembling nymphs first\ncrowded around Proserpina, who, in her astonishment and trepidation,\ndropped all her pretty flowers and stood motionless among them. Her\nuncertainty as to his purpose was only momentary, for, catching her in\nhis brawny arms ere she could make an attempt to escape, he bore her\noff to his chariot, in spite of prayers and struggles, and drove away\nas fast as his fleet steeds could carry him.\n\nHe was soon out of hearing of the wild cries and lamentations of the\nnymphs, who vainly pursued him, and tried to overtake their beloved\nmistress. Afraid lest Ceres should come and force him to relinquish\nhis new-won treasure, Pluto drove faster and faster, nor paused for an\ninstant until he reached the banks of the Cyane River, whose waters,\nat his approach, began to seethe and roar in a menacing fashion, and\nspread themselves as much as possible, to check him in his flight.\n\nPluto quickly perceived that to attempt to cross the river in his\nchariot would be madness, while by retracing his footsteps he ran the\nrisk of meeting Ceres, and being forced to relinquish his prize. He\ntherefore decided to have recourse to other means, and, seizing his\nterrible two-pronged fork, struck the earth such a mighty blow, that a\ngreat crevice opened under his feet, through which horses and chariot\nplunged down into the darkness of the Lower World.\n\nProserpina turned her weeping eyes to catch a parting glimpse of the\nfair earth she was leaving, and then, with a fond thought of her\nanxious mother, who, when evening came, would vainly seek her child in\nall her favorite haunts, she quickly flung her girdle into the Cyane,\nand called to the water nymph to carry it to Ceres.\n\nElated by the complete success of his bold venture, and no longer\nfearful of immediate pursuit, the happy god strained his fair captive\nto his breast, pressed kisses on her fresh young cheeks, and tried to\ncalm her terrors, as the black steeds rushed faster and faster along\nthe dark passage, nor paused until they reached the foot of their\nmaster's throne.\n\n \"Pleased as he grasps her in his iron arms,\n Frights with soft sighs, with tender words alarms.\"\n\n Darwin.\n\n[Sidenote: Ceres' search.]\n\nIn the mean while the sun had sunk below the Sicilian horizon; and\nCeres, returning from the fields of fast-ripening grain to her own\ndwelling, sought for the missing Proserpina, of whom no trace could be\nfound except the scattered flowers. Hither and thither the mother\nwandered, calling her daughter, and wondering where she could be, and\nwhy she did not come bounding to meet her. As time passed, and still\nProserpina did not appear, Ceres' heart beat fast with apprehension,\nand the tears coursed down her cheeks as she rushed about from place\nto place, calling her daughter.\n\n \"What ails her that she comes not home?\n Demeter seeks her far and wide,\n And gloomy-browed doth ceaseless roam\n From many a morn till eventide.\n 'My life, immortal though it be,\n Is naught!' she cries, 'for want of thee,\n Persephone--Persephone!'\"\n\n Ingelow.\n\nNight came, and Ceres, kindling a torch at the volcanic fires of Mount\n\u00c6tna, continued her search. Day dawned, and still the mother called,\nawakening the morning echoes with her longing cries for her child. Her\ndaily duties were all neglected. The rain no longer refreshed the\ndrooping flowers, the grain was parched by the ardent rays of the sun,\nand the grass all perished, while Ceres roamed over hill and dale in\nsearch of Proserpina.\n\nWeary at last of her hopeless quest, the goddess seated herself by\nthe wayside, near the city of Eleusis, and gave way to her\noverwhelming grief.\n\n \"Long was thine anxious search\n For lovely Proserpine, nor didst thou break\n Thy mournful fast, till the far-fam'd Eleusis\n Received thee wandering.\"\n\n Orphic Hymn.\n\n[Sidenote: Ceres and Triptolemus.]\n\nTo avoid recognition, she had assumed the appearance of an aged crone;\nand as she sat there by the wayside, in tears, she attracted the\ncompassionate inquiries of the daughters of Celeus, king of the\ncountry. Having heard her bewail the loss of her child, they entreated\nher to come to the palace, and, knowing nothing could so well soothe a\nbreaking heart, offered her the charge of their infant brother\nTriptolemus.\n\nCeres, touched by their ready sympathy, accepted the offer; and when\nshe arrived at the palace, the royal heir was intrusted to her care.\nTenderly the goddess kissed the puny child's little pinched face; and\nat her touch the child became rosy and well, to the unbounded\nastonishment of the royal family and all the court.\n\nIn the night, while Ceres sat alone with her charge, it occurred to\nher that she might confer a still greater blessing upon him, that of\nimmortality: so she anointed his limbs with nectar, murmured a\npowerful charm, and placed him upon the red-hot coals, to consume all\nthe perishable elements left in his body.\n\nThe queen, Metaneira, who had thought it somewhat imprudent to leave\nthe child thus alone with a stranger, now stole noiselessly into the\napartment, and with a wild shriek rushed to the fire and snatched her\nchild out of the flames, pressed him anxiously to her breast, and,\nafter ascertaining that he was quite unharmed, turned to vent her\nindignation upon the careless nurse; but the aged beggar woman had\nvanished, and in her stead she confronted the radiant Goddess of\nAgriculture.\n\n [Illustration: CERES. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\n \"From her fragrant robes\n A lovely scent was scattered, and afar\n Shone light emitted from her skin divine,\n And yellow locks upon her shoulders waved;\n White as from lightning, all the house was filled\n With splendor.\"\n\n Homeric Hymn.\n\nWith a gentle reproof to the queen for her untimely interference,\nCeres explained what she fain would have done, and vanished, to\ncontinue her wanderings in other lands. She finally returned to Italy;\nand, while wandering along the river banks one day, the waters\nsuddenly cast a glittering object at her feet. Stooping hastily to\nascertain what it might be, she recognized the girdle her daughter had\nworn when she had parted from her in Sicily.\n\nJoyfully she embraced the token, and, thinking she must now be upon\nProserpina's track, hastened on until she came to a crystal fountain,\nby whose side she sat down to rest. Her eyes were heavy with the\ncombined effect of tears, fatigue, and oppressive heat, and she was\nabout to lose all consciousness of her trouble in sleep, when the\nmurmur of the fountain increased, until she fancied it was talking;\nnot as mortals do, but in its own silvery accents.\n\n[Sidenote: Arethusa and Alpheus.]\n\nThe goddess was not mistaken; for a few minutes later she could\ndistinguish words, and heard the fountain entreat her to listen, if\nshe would hear what had befallen her child. The fountain then went on\nto tell how she had not always been a mere stream, but was once a\nnymph, called Arethusa, in Diana's train, and how, overcome by the\nheat, she had once sought a cool stream wherein she might bathe her\nheated limbs.\n\n [Illustration: A NYMPH.--Kray.]\n\nShe soon found one, the Alpheus River, and selected a spot where the\ntrees hung over the limpid waters, where the sand on the bottom was\nfine and even, and where no mortal eyes could see her as she threw\naside her sandals and outer garments. She was enjoying the refreshing\nsensation of the water rippling around her hot limbs, and was\nreveling in the complete solitude, when suddenly the river, until now\nas smooth as a mirror, was ruffled by waves, which crept nearer and\nnearer to the startled nymph, until in affright she sprang out of the\nwater.\n\nThen a voice--the voice of the river god Alpheus--was heard, calling\nto her in pleading accents to stay her flight and lend an ear to his\nwooing; but when the impetuous god, instead of waiting for an answer\nto his suit, rose up out of the water and rushed to clasp her in his\narms, she turned and fled in great terror. She fled, but he pursued.\nOver hill and dale, through forest and field, Arethusa ran, still\nclosely followed by her too ardent lover, until, exhausted, she paused\nfor breath, crying aloud to Diana to come to her rescue.\n\nHer prayer was answered. A moment later she was enveloped in a thick\nmist and transformed into a fountain. Alpheus could no longer see her,\nbut wandered about, bewailing her disappearance, and calling her in\npassionate accents.\n\n \"'O Arethusa, peerless nymph! why fear\n Such tenderness as mine? Great Dian, why,\n Why didst thou hear her prayer? Oh that I\n Were rippling round her dainty fairness now,\n Circling about her waist, and striving how\n To entice her to a dive! then stealing in\n Between her luscious lips and eyelids thin.'\"\n\n Keats.\n\nThe misty cloud in which Arethusa had been enveloped by Diana's\nprotecting care was soon blown away by a mischievous breath from\nZephyrus; and Alpheus, who was still hovering near there, suddenly\nbeholding a fountain where none had ever existed before, surmised what\nhad happened. Changing himself into an impetuous torrent, he rushed to\njoin his beloved, who sprang out of her mossy bed, and hurried on over\nsticks and stones, until Diana, seeing her new plight, opened a\ncrevice, through which she glided away from the bright sunlight she\nloved so well into the depths of Pluto's realm.\n\nWhile gliding there in the gloom, Arethusa had caught a glimpse of\nProserpina on her sable throne, beside the stern-browed Pluto. She\ncould not, however, pause to inquire how she came there, but hurried\non breathlessly, until another crevice offered her the means of\nreturning to the upper world, and seeing once more the blue sky and\nsun on the Sicilian plains.\n\nThe monotonous murmur of the fountain now subsided again into its\nusual undertone; and Ceres, knowing where to seek her daughter, was\nabout to depart, when she heard the sudden rush and roar of a large\nbody of water. She immediately turned, and beheld the torrent Alpheus,\nwho, after a disconsolate search underground for the lost Arethusa,\nhad found a crevice, through which he passed to join his beloved on\nthe Sicilian plains.\n\n \"Alpheus, Elis' stream, they say,\n Beneath the seas here found his way,\n And now his waters interfuse\n With thine, O fountain Arethuse,\n Beneath Sicilian skies.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nIn spite of her previous efforts to escape him, Arethusa must still\nhave been very glad to see him once more, for Ceres heard her murmur\ncontentedly as she sank into his arms and listened to his louder tones\nof rapturous love.\n\nMaidens in Greece were wont to throw fresh garlands into the Alpheus\nRiver; and it was said the selfsame flowers, carried away by his\ncurrent, soon reappeared in the Sicilian fountain, carried there as\nlove offerings by the enamored river.\n\n \"O my beloved, how divinely sweet\n Is the pure joy when kindred spirits meet!\n Like him, the river god, whose waters flow,\n With love their only light, through caves below,\n Wafting in triumph all the flowery braids\n And festal rings, with which Olympic maids\n Have decked his current, an offering meet\n To lay at Arethusa's shining feet.\n Think when at last he meets his fountain bride\n What perfect love must thrill the blended tide!\n And lost in each, till mingling into one,\n Their lot the same for shadow or for sun,\n A type of true love, to the deep they run.\"\n\n Moore.\n\n[Sidenote: Ceres' mourning.]\n\nNow, although poor Ceres had ascertained where to find her missing\ndaughter, her grief was not at all diminished, for she felt convinced\nthat Pluto would never willingly relinquish her. She therefore\nwithdrew into a dark cave to mourn unseen, and still further neglected\nher wonted duties.\n\nFamine threatened to visit the people, and they prayed and clamored\nfor her aid; but, absorbed in grief, she paid no heed to their\ndistress, and vowed that nothing on earth should grow, with her\npermission, as long as her daughter was detained in Hades. In despair\nat this frightful state of affairs, the people then besought Jupiter\nto pity the sufferings they endured, and to allow Proserpina to\nrevisit the upper world once more.\n\n \"Arise, and set the maiden free;\n Why should the world such sorrow dree\n By reason of Persephone?\"\n\n Ingelow.\n\nAs soon as she became aware of this petition, Ceres hastened to\nOlympus, to join her supplications to the cries which rose from all\nparts of the earth; until Jupiter, wearied by these importunities,\nconsented to Proserpina's return, upon condition, however, that she\nhad not touched any food during the whole time of her sojourn in the\nInfernal Regions.\n\n \"Last, Zeus himself,\n Pitying the evil that was done, sent forth\n His messenger beyond the western rim\n To fetch me back to earth.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\n[Sidenote: The pomegranate seeds.]\n\nCeres in person hastened to her daughter's new abode, and was about to\nlead her away in spite of Pluto, when a spirit, Ascalaphus, suddenly\ndeclared that the queen had partaken of some pomegranate seeds that\nvery day. Proserpina could not refute the charge, and Jupiter decreed\nthat for every seed she had eaten she should spend one month of every\nyear in her husband's gloomy kingdom.\n\nThus it came about that Proserpina was condemned to spend one half the\nyear in Hades, and could linger on the bright earth only for six\nmonths at a time.\n\nMercury was chosen to lead her to and from Hades; and, whenever he\nbrought her out of her gloomy prison, the skies became blue and sunny,\nthe grass sprang fresh and green beneath her elastic tread, the\nflowers bloomed along her way, the birds trilled forth their merry\nlays, and all was joy and brightness.\n\n \"And when, in springtime, with sweet-smelling flowers\n Of various kinds the earth doth bloom, thou'lt come\n From gloomy darkness back--a mighty joy\n To gods and mortal men.\"\n\n Homeric Hymn.\n\n[Sidenote: Proserpina's return.]\n\nCeres, happy once more in the possession of her beloved daughter,\ncheerfully and diligently attended to all her duties, and blessed the\nearth with plenty; but when the six months were over, and the skies\nwept and all nature mourned Proserpina's departure, she again returned\nto her cave, whence no entreaties could draw her.\n\nAs for the merry, happy-natured Proserpina, the moment Hades' portals\nclosed behind her, she became pale and melancholy; and none would have\ndreamed the playful, flower-crowned Goddess of Vegetation was\nidentical with the sad-faced, sable-vested Queen of Hades (now called\nHecate), who held a pomegranate in one hand, and a torch in the other.\nProserpina, like Adonis, was the personification of vegetation,\nvisibly prosperous during the six favorable months of the year, and\nlurking hidden under the cold ground during the remainder of the time.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Ceres.]\n\nMany beautiful temples were dedicated to Ceres and Proserpina in\nGreece and Italy, where yearly festivals, the Thesmophoria and the\nCerealia, were celebrated with great pomp.\n\n \"To Ceres chief her annual rites be paid,\n On the green turf, beneath a fragrant shade,\n When winter ends, and spring serenely shines,\n Then fat the lambs, then mellow are the wines,\n Then sweet are slumbers on the flowery ground,\n Then with thick shades are lofty mountains crown'd.\n Let all the hinds bend low at Ceres' shrine;\n Mix honey sweet, for her, with milk and mellow wine;\n Thrice lead the victim the new fruits around,\n And Ceres call, and choral hymns resound:\n Presume not, swains, the ripen'd grain to reap,\n Till crown'd with oak in antic dance ye leap,\n Invoking Ceres, and in solemn lays,\n Exalt your rural queen's immortal praise.\"\n\n Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.).\n\nTo commemorate her long search for her daughter, Ceres returned to\nEleusis, taught her former nursling, Triptolemus, the various secrets\nof agriculture, and gave him her chariot, bidding him travel\neverywhere, and teach the people how to plow, sow, and reap; and then\nshe instituted the Eleusinia, festivals held in honor of her daughter\nand herself at Eleusis.\n\nTriptolemus did not fail to carry out the goddess's instructions, and\njourneyed far and wide, until he finally reached the court of Lyncus,\nKing of Scythia, where the false monarch would have treacherously\nslain him had not Ceres by timely interference prevented the execution\nof his base purpose by changing the traitor into a lynx, the emblem of\nperfidy.\n\nCeres was generally represented as a fair, matronly woman, clad in\nflowing draperies, sometimes crowned with wheat ears, and bearing a\nsheaf of grain and a sickle, or with a plow and a horn of plenty\ndisgorging its wealth of fruit and flowers at her feet. Groves were\nfrequently dedicated to her; and any mortal rash enough to lay the ax\non one of these sacred trees was sure to incur the goddess's wrath, as\nis proved by the story of Erisichthon.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Erisichthon.]\n\nThis man was evidently a freethinker, and, to show his contempt for\nthe superstitious veneration paid to Ceres' trees, took his ax and cut\ndown one of her sacred oaks. At his first blow, blood began to flow\nfrom the tree; but, undeterred by the phenomenon or the entreaties of\nthe bystanders, Erisichthon continued. Finally, annoyed by the\nimportunities of the spectators, he turned and slew one or two, and\nthen completed his sacrilege.\n\nCeres, incensed by his insolence and cruelty, devised a terrible\nchastisement for the unfortunate man, and sent Famine to gnaw his\nvitals, and torment him night and day. The wretch, tortured by a\nhunger which no amount of food could allay, disposed of all his\nproperty to obtain the means of procuring nourishment; but his\nmonstrous appetite continued, and, as he had but one daughter left, he\nsold her as a slave to obtain food.\n\nThe girl's master left her alone for a moment upon the seashore, and,\nin answer to her prayer, Neptune delivered her from servitude by\nchanging her into a fisherman. When the master returned and found his\nslave gone, he questioned the fisherman, and, not obtaining any\nsatisfactory information, departed. Neptune then restored the maiden\nto her own form, and let her return home; but, as her father sold her\nagain, the god was obliged to interfere once more in her behalf, until\nat last Erisichthon, deprived of means to procure food, devoured\nhimself.\n\n[Sidenote: Ceres and Stellio.]\n\nAnother anecdote illustrating Ceres' power is told about a lad,\nStellio, who made fun of the goddess when she was journeying, on\naccount of the haste with which she disposed of a bowl of gruel\noffered by some charitable person. To punish the boy for his rudeness,\nCeres flung the remainder of her gruel into his face, and changed him\ninto a lizard.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nVESTA.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Vesta.]\n\nVesta, or Hestia, daughter of Cronus and Rhea, goddess of fire and of\nthe family hearth, and guardian angel of mankind, was worshiped\nprincipally throughout Italy, although she also had shrines in Greece\nand Asia Minor.\n\nThe family hearth in ancient times possessed a far different\nsignification from what it does now, and was considered the family\naltar, for there the father of the family was wont to offer up his\ndaily prayers and sacrifices. \"As, according to the old heathen\ncustom, all men were regarded as enemies unless by a special compact\nthey had been made friends, so Vesta presided especially over true and\nfaithful dealing;\" and she was therefore generally represented as pure\nand undefiled.\n\nA beautiful circular temple in Rome was dedicated to Vesta's service;\nand here the Palladium of Troy was supposed to be preserved, together\nwith the goddess's sacred fire, originally kindled by the rays of the\nsun.\n\nThis fire--an emblem of the flame of life, which the ancients fancied\nwas kept burning within each human breast by Vesta, the\nlife-giver--was kept constantly burning, and never allowed to go out\nfor want of fuel or timely care. Its flames were also intended to\nrepresent the purity of the goddess, who, although wooed by many\nlovers,--among whom Apollo and Neptune can justly claim the\nprecedence,--remained always a virgin.\n\n [Illustration: SCHOOL OF THE VESTAL VIRGINS.--Le Roux.]\n\nThe Romans fancied that her worship had been introduced in Italy by\n\u00c6neas, their famous ancestor, who brought thither his home gods, and\nwho, according to tradition, selected the first Vestal Virgins.\n\n[Sidenote: Vestal Virgins.]\n\nThe second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, built a beautiful temple, and\ninstituted various religious ceremonies, in honor of Vesta. The\nloveliest and noblest among the Roman maidens were chosen to serve\nthis goddess, and were known as Vestals, or Vestal Virgins. Admitted\ninto the temple at the early age of six, they were compelled to serve\nten years in fitting themselves to fulfill the duties they would be\ncalled upon to perform during the next decade as priestesses and\nguardians of the sacred fire. The last ten years were spent in\ninstructing the novices; and, when their thirty-years' service was\nended, they were at liberty either to continue in the temple, where\nthey were treated with the greatest respect, or to leave it, and even\nmarry, if such were their pleasure.\n\nDuring their time of servitude, they were expected to keep their vows\nof chastity and fidelity to their patroness, and to maintain her\nsacred fire, under penalty of being buried alive in a vaulted chamber,\nfashioned for this express purpose by Numa Pompilius's order. In turn,\neach of the priestesses watched the fire, renewed the fuel, and fanned\nthe flame, nor lost sight of it night or day; for the Romans\nconsidered the extinction of this sacred flame the precursor of some\ngreat public calamity.\n\nThe Vestals were, however, so pure and vigilant, that during one\nthousand years only eighteen failed to keep their vows satisfactorily,\nand suffered punishment. The Vestal Tuccia was accused of breach of\nfaith, but, as proof of her purity, was given power to carry water in\na sieve from the Tiber to the temple.\n\n [Illustration: THE VESTAL TUCCIA.--Le Roux.]\n\nIn return for the signal services the Vestals rendered to the state by\nmaintaining this sacred fire, they enjoyed many privileges: among\nothers, that of being preceded by a lictor with fasces when they\nwalked abroad; of occupying the seats of honor in public ceremonies\nand festivities; of being buried within the city limits (a privilege\ngranted to but very few); and of obtaining the pardon of criminals\nwhom they met by accident on their way to the place of execution.\nLoved and greatly honored by all, the Vestals have become types of all\nthings pure and lovely in woman.\n\n \"By these her trembling fires,\n Like Vesta's, ever burning; and, like hers,\n Sacred to thoughts immaculate and pure.\"\n\n Young.\n\nThe Vestal Virgins were further distinguished by a vesture of pure\nwhite linen, with a purple border and a wide purple mantle. In time of\nwar or danger they were answerable for the preservation of the sacred\nfire, which they were allowed to remove to any place of safety; and on\nseveral occasions they therefore carried it out of Rome and down the\nTiber, lest it should fall into the enemy's hands.\n\nThe Vestals continued their office until the reign of Theodosius the\nGreat, who, being converted to Christianity A.D. 380, abolished the\nworship of Vesta, dispersed the Vestals, and extinguished the sacred\nfire.\n\n[Sidenote: Festivals.]\n\nVesta's services were held with great pomp; and her festivals, the\nVestalia, were among the most beautiful and popular in Rome. Statues\nof this goddess--generally representing a woman of majestic beauty,\nclad in long robes, holding a lighted torch or lamp in one hand and a\nvotive bowl in the other--were carried through the main streets of the\ncity on all solemn occasions.\n\nIn public processions the Vestals had the privilege of carrying their\nsacred fire; while the Roman matrons, glad to swell their ranks,\nfollowed them, barefooted, chanting the praises of the good goddess\nVesta.\n\n \"And from the temple brings\n Dread Vesta, with her holy things,\n Her awful fillets, and the fire\n Whose sacred embers ne'er expire.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nOn these occasions great banquets were prepared before each house,\nall daily toil was suspended, the millstones were decked with flowers,\nand the very asses wont to turn them were covered with garlands and\nled in the processions.\n\nAmong the Romans, Vesta was not the only goddess invoked on the family\nhearth, for she shared that place of honor with the Lares, Manes, and\nPenates, who all enjoyed special veneration and sacrifices.\n\n[Sidenote: Lares, Manes, and Penates.]\n\nThe Lares, quite unknown to the Greeks, were two in number, the\nchildren of Mercury and Lara, a naiad famous for her beauty as well as\nfor her extreme loquacity, which no one could check. Tradition relates\nthat this fair maiden talked from morning till night, and told all she\nknew. Upon one occasion she incurred Jupiter's wrath by relating to\nJuno a conversation she had overheard between him and one of his\nnumerous ladyloves.\n\nTo punish her, and at the same time prevent further tale-bearing, the\nking of the gods cut off Lara's tongue, and, summoning Mercury, bade\nhim lead her down to Hades to linger there forever. But on the way to\nthe dismal abode of the dead, the messenger god fell in love with his\nfair charge, who, being now effectually cured of her sole fault, was\nirresistibly charming; and, instead of obeying Jupiter, he made love\nto her, and by pantomime obtained her consent to their union. She bore\nhim two children, who from her were called Lares, and to whom the\nRomans always paid divine honors, reserving special places for them on\nthe family hearth, for they were supposed to preside over houses and\nfamilies. Their statues resembled monkeys covered with the skins of\ndogs; while at their feet a barking dog, the symbol of their care and\nvigilance, was always represented.\n\nThe Manes--a name generally applied to souls when separated from the\nbody--were also reckoned among the Roman divinities, and the\nillustrious ancestors of different families were often worshiped under\nthis name.\n\nAs for the Penates, they presided over the houses and domestic\naffairs. Each head of a household was wont to choose his own Penates,\nwhom he then invoked as his special patrons. The statues of the\nPenates were of clay, wax, ivory, silver, or gold, according to the\nwealth of the family whose hearth they graced, and the offerings\ngenerally made to them were a small part of each meal.\n\nUpon removing from one house to another or from one place to another,\nit was customary for the head of the family to remove his household\ngods also, and establish them suitably before he thought of his own or\nhis family's comfort, and in return for this kindly care the Penates\nblessed him with peace and prosperity.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nJANUS.\n\n\nJanus, god of the past, present, and future, of gates, entrances, war,\nand peace, and patron of all beginnings, although one of the most\nimportant of all the Roman divinities, was entirely unknown to the\nGreeks.\n\nAccording to some mythologists, he was the son of Apollo; and,\nalthough born in Thessaly, he early in life came to Italy, where he\nfounded a city on the Tiber, to which he gave the name Janiculum. Here\nhe was joined by the exiled Saturn, with whom he generously shared his\nthrone. Together they civilized the wild inhabitants of Italy, and\nblessed them with such prosperity that their reign has often been\ncalled the Age of Gold.\n\n \"Saturn fled before victorious Jove,\n Driven down and banish'd from the realms above.\n He, by just laws, embodied all the train,\n Who roam'd the hills, and drew them to the plain;\n There fixed, and Latium called the new abode,\n Whose friendly shores concealed the latent god.\n These realms, in peace, the monarch long controlled,\n And blessed the nations with an age of gold.\"\n\n Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Janus' two faces.]\n\nJanus is generally represented with two faces, turned in opposite\ndirections, because he was acquainted with the past and future as well\nas with the present, and because he is considered an emblem of the\nsun, which opens the day at its rising, and closes the day at its\nsetting.\n\nIn some statues he is represented with one white-haired and bearded\nface, and the other quite youthful in appearance, while others\nrepresent him with three and even four heads.\n\n \"Janus am I; oldest of potentates;\n Forward I look, and backward, and below\n I count, as god of avenues and gates,\n The years that through my portals come and go.\n\n \"I block the roads and drift the fields with snow;\n I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen;\n My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow;\n My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men.\"\n\n Longfellow.\n\nThe commencement of every new year, month, and day was held sacred to\nJanus, and at that time special sacrifices and prayers were offered up\nat his shrines. He also presided over all gates and avenues, and\nthrough him alone prayers were supposed to reach the immortal gods:\ntherefore in all religious ceremonies his name was always the first\ninvoked. From this circumstance he often appears with a key in his\nright hand, and a rod in his left; or, when he presides over the year,\nhe holds the number 300 in one hand, and 65 in the other.\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Janus.]\n\nHe was also supposed to watch over peace and war, and had numerous\ntemples throughout all Italy. One very celebrated temple was called\nJanus Quadrifons, because it was perfectly square. On each side of the\nbuilding there was one door and three windows. These apertures were\nall symbolical,--the doors of the four seasons, and the windows of the\ntwelve months, of the year.\n\nIn times of war the temple gates were opened wide, for the people,\nbeing in need of aid and comfort, were all anxious to enter and\npresent their offerings; but when peace reigned, the doors were\nimmediately closed, for the god's intercession was no longer\nnecessary. The Romans, however, were such a belligerent people, that\nthe temple gates were closed but thrice in more than seven centuries,\nand then only for a very short period.\n\nFestivals in honor of Janus were celebrated on the first day of the\nnew year; and one month bore the god's name, and was considered sacred\nto him. It was customary for friends and relatives to exchange calls,\ngood wishes, and gifts on the first day of this month,--a Roman custom\nin force to this day.\n\n[Sidenote: Ancient divisions of time.]\n\nJanus is not the only one among the Greek and Latin divinities whose\nname has been given to a part of the year or week; for in Latin the\nnames of the days are _dies Solis_ (Sun day), _dies Lun\u00e6_ (Moon day),\n_dies Martis_ (Mars' day), _dies Mercurii_ (Mercury's day), _dies\nJovis_ (Jove's day), _dies Veneris_ (Venus' day), _dies Saturni_\n(Saturn's day); Latin names which are still in use in legislative and\njudiciary acts, while in English the common nomenclature is derived\nfrom the names of the corresponding Saxon divinities.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nSOMNUS AND MORS.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Cave of sleep.]\n\nAfter leaving the joyless regions of Pluto's realm, and following the\neven course of the Lethe River, the ancients fancied one reached a\nlarge cave in a remote and quiet valley. This cave was the dwelling of\nSomnus (or Hupnos), god of sleep, and of his twin brother Mors (or\nThanatos), god of death; and both were sons of the Goddess of Night,\nwho had once ruled the whole universe. Near the entrance of the cave,\nshadowy forms kept constant watch, gently shaking great bunches of\npoppies, and, with finger to lips, enjoining silence on all who\nventured near. These forms were the genii of sleep and death,\nrepresented in art as crowned with poppies or amaranths, and sometimes\nholding a funeral urn or a reversed torch.\n\n[Sidenote: Somnus and Morpheus.]\n\nThe cave was divided into chambers, each one darker and more silent\nthan the one which preceded it. In one of the inner rooms, which was\nall draped with sable curtains, stood a downy couch, upon which\nreclined the monarch of sleep. His garments were also black, but all\nstrewn with golden stars. He wore a crown of poppies on his head, and\nheld a goblet full of poppy juice in his languid hand. His drowsy head\nwas supported by Morpheus, his prime minister, who watched incessantly\nover his prolonged slumbers, and hindered any one from troubling his\nrepose.\n\n [Illustration: GENIUS OF DEATH.--Canova. (Tomb of Clement XIII.;\n St. Peter's, Rome.)]\n\n \"Deep in a cavern dwells the drowsy god:\n Whose gloomy mansion nor the rising sun,\n Nor setting, visits, nor the lightsome noon:\n But lazy vapors round the region fly,\n Perpetual twilight, and a doubtful sky;\n No crowing cock does there his wings display,\n Nor with his horny bill provoke the day:\n Nor watchful dogs, nor the more wakeful geese,\n Disturb with nightly noise the sacred peace:\n Nor beast of nature, nor the tame, are nigh,\n Nor trees with tempest rock'd, nor human cry;\n But safe repose, without an air of breath,\n Dwells here, and a dumb quiet next to death.\n An arm of Lethe, with a gentle flow,\n Arising upwards from the rock below,\n The palace moats, and o'er the pebbles creeps,\n And with soft murmurs calls the coming sleeps;\n Around its entry nodding poppies grow,\n And all cool simples that sweet rest bestow;\n Night from the plants their sleepy virtue drains,\n And passing, sheds it on the silent plains:\n No door there was the unguarded house to keep,\n On creaking hinges turn'd to break his sleep.\n But in the gloomy court was rais'd a bed,\n Stuff'd with black plumes, and on an ebon sted:\n Black was the covering too, where lay the god,\n And slept supine, his limbs display'd abroad.\n About his head fantastic visions fly,\n Which various images of things supply,\n And mock their forms; the leaves on trees not more,\n Nor bearded ears in fields, nor sands upon the shore.\"\n\n Ovid (Dryden's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Dreams and Nightmares.]\n\nAll around the bed and over it hovered throngs of exquisite spirits,\nthe Dreams, who stooped to whisper their pleasant messages in his ear;\nwhile in the distant corners of the apartment lurked the hideous\nNightmares. The Dreams were often dispatched to earth under Mercury's\ncharge, to visit mortals.\n\nTwo gates led out of the valley of sleep,--one of ivory, and the other\nof horn. The Dreams which passed through the glittering gates of ivory\nwere delusive, while those which passed through the homely gate of\nhorn were destined to come true in the course of time.\n\n \"Of dreams, O stranger, some are meaningless\n And idle, and can never be fulfilled.\n Two portals are there for their shadowy shapes,\n Of ivory one, and one of horn. The dreams\n That come through the carved ivory deceive\n With promises that never are made good;\n But those which pass the doors of polished horn,\n And are beheld of men, are ever true.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nDreams were also frequently sent through the gates of horn to prepare\nmortals for misfortunes, as in the case of Halcyone.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Ceyx and Halcyone.]\n\nCeyx, King of Thessaly, was once forced to part from his beloved wife,\nHalcyone, to travel off to Delphi to consult the oracle. With many\ntears this loving couple parted, and Halcyone watched the lessening\nsail until it had quite vanished from sight; then she returned to her\npalace to pray for her husband's safe return. But, alas! the gods had\ndecreed they should never meet again on earth; and, even while\nHalcyone prayed, a tempest arose which wrecked Ceyx's vessel, and\ncaused him and all his crew to perish in the seething waves.\n\nDay after day the queen hastened down to the seashore, followed by her\nattendants, to watch for the returning sails of her husband's vessel;\nand night after night she lay on her couch, anxiously expecting the\nmorrow, which she ever fancied would prove auspicious. The gods,\nseeing her anxiety, and wishing to prepare her to receive the news of\nhis death, and especially to view with some composure his corpse,\nwhich they had decided should be washed ashore, sent a Dream to visit\nher.\n\nAfter assuming the face and form of Ceyx, the Dream glided away\nthrough the gate of horn, hastened to Halcyone's bedside, and\nwhispered that her husband was dead, and that his body was even now\nbeing cast up on the smooth, sandy beach by the salt sea waves. With a\nwild cry of terror and grief, Halcyone awoke, and hastened to the\nseashore to convince herself that the dream had been false; but she\nhad no sooner reached the beach, than the waves washed her husband's\ncorpse to her feet.\n\nTo endure life without him seemed too great a task for poor Halcyone,\nwho immediately cast herself into the sea, to perish beside him.\nTouched by grief so real and intense, the gods changed both bodies\ninto birds, since known as Halcyon birds, and decreed they should ever\nlive on the waters. These birds were said to build their nests and\nhatch their young on the heaving billows, and to utter shrill cries of\nwarning to the seamen whenever a storm threatened, bidding them\nprepare for the blast, and hasten to shelter in port, if they would\nnot encounter the mournful fate of poor Ceyx.\n\n[Sidenote: Mors.]\n\nMors, god of death, occupied one of the corners of Somnus' cave. He\nwas a hideous, cadaverous-looking deity, clad in a winding sheet, and\nheld an hourglass and a scythe in his hand. His hollow eyes were fixed\nupon the sands of time; and when they had run out, he knew some life\nwas about to end, and sallied forth, scythe in hand, to mow down his\nprey with relentless joy.\n\nNeedless to say, this cruel deity was viewed by the ancients with fear\nand dislike, and no homage was offered him.\n\nThese two divinities were, however, but of slight importance in the\ngeneral scheme of ancient mythology, in which Proserpina was generally\nregarded as the emblem of death, and they were therefore more like\nlocal divinities. The Laced\u00e6monians paid the most heed to them, and\ninvariably placed their statues side by side.\n\n[Sidenote: Morpheus.]\n\nAs for Morpheus, the son as well as the prime minister of Somnus, he\nwas also called the god of sleep, and mortals were wont to intercede\nfor his good offices. He is generally represented as a sleeping child\nof great corpulence, and with wings. Morpheus held a vase in one hand,\nand poppies in the other, which he gently shook to induce a state of\ndrowsiness,--according to him, the acme of bliss.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\n\u00c6OLUS.\n\n\nNot very far away from the quiet realm of Somnus and Mors, but on the\nsurface of the earth, were the \u00c6olian Islands, now known as the Lipari\nIslands, where \u00c6olus, god of the storm and winds, governed a very\nunruly and turbulent population.\n\nHe is said to have received his royal dignity from the fair hands of\nJuno, and he was therefore specially eager to obey all her behests. He\nis commonly reputed to have married Aurora, or Eos, who gave him six\nsons i.e., Boreas, the north wind; Corus, the northwest wind; Aquilo,\nthe west wind; Notus, the southwest wind; Eurus, the east wind; and\nlastly, Zephyrus, the gentle and lovable south wind, whose mission it\nwas to announce to mortals the return of ever-welcome spring.\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6olus' children.]\n\n\u00c6olus' five elder sons were of a noisy, roving, mischievous, turbulent\ndisposition, and peace and quiet were utterly impossible to them. To\nprevent their causing serious disasters, he therefore ruled them with\na very strict hand, kept them very closely confined in a great cave,\nand let them loose only one at a time, to stretch their limbs and take\na little exercise.\n\n \"\u00c6olus in a cavern vast\n With bolt and barrier fetters fast\n Rebellious storm and howling blast.\n They with the rock's reverberant roar\n Chafe blustering round their prison door\n He, throned on high, the scepter sways,\n Controls their moods, their wrath allays.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nAlthough very unruly indeed, the winds always obeyed their father's\nvoice, and at his command, however reluctant, returned to their gloomy\nprison, where they expended their impotent rage in trying to shake its\nstrong walls.\n\nAccording to his own mood, or in conformity with the gods' request,\n\u00c6olus either sent the gentler winds to play among the flowers, or,\nrecalling them, let the fiercest of all his children free, with orders\nto pile up the waves mountain-high, lash them to foam, tear the sails\nof all the vessels at sea, break their masts, uproot the trees, tear\nthe roofs off the houses, etc.,--in short, to do all the harm they\npossibly could.\n\n \"Now rising all at once, and unconfin'd,\n From every quarter roars the rushing wind:\n First, from the wide Atlantic Ocean's bed,\n Tempestuous Corus rears his dreadful head,\n Th' obedient deep his potent breath controls,\n And, mountain-high, the foamy flood he rolls;\n Him the Northeast encountering fierce, defied,\n And back rebuffeted the yielding tide.\n The curling surges loud conflicting meet,\n Dash their proud heads, and bellow as they beat;\n While piercing Boreas, from the Scythian strand,\n Plows up the waves and scoops the lowest sand.\n Nor Eurus then, I ween, was left to dwell,\n Nor showery Notus in th' \u00c6olian cell,\n But each from every side, his power to boast,\n Ranged his proud forces to defend the coast.\"\n\n Lucan.\n\n\u00c6olus, king of the winds, shared with D\u00e6dalus the honor of inventing\nthe sails which propel the ships so swiftly over the tide. It was he,\ntoo, who, according to Homer, bound all his children but one in a\nleather bag, which he gave to Ulysses when the latter visited \u00c6olia.\nThanks to this gift, Ulysses reached the shores of Ithaca, and would\nhave landed in safety, had not his men, in view of port, untied the\nsack to investigate its contents, and thus set free the angry winds,\nwho stirred up the most frightful tempest in mythic annals.\n\n[Sidenote: Temple of \u00c6olus.]\n\nThe ancients, and especially the Athenians, paid particular attention\nto the winds, to whom they dedicated a temple, which is still extant,\nand generally known as the Tower of the Winds, or the Temple of \u00c6olus.\nThis temple is hexagonal, and on each side a flying figure of one of\nthe winds is represented.\n\nEurus, the east wind, was generally depicted \"as a young man flying\nwith great impetuosity, and often appearing in a playful and wanton\nhumor.\" Notus, or Auster, the southwest wind, \"appeared generally as\nan old man, with gray hair, a gloomy countenance, a head covered with\nclouds, a sable vesture, and dusky wings,\" for he was considered the\ndispenser of rain and of all sudden and heavy showers. Zephyrus, mild\nand gentle, had a lapful of flowers, and, according to the Athenian\nbelief, was wedded to Flora, with whom he was perfectly happy, and\nvisited every land in turn. Corus, the northwest wind, drove clouds of\nsnow before him; while Aquilo, dreadful in appearance, caused cold\nshivers to run down one's back at his mere sight. Boreas, rough and\nshivering too, was the father of rain, snow, hail, and tempests, and\nwas therefore generally represented as veiled in impenetrable clouds.\nHis favorite place of abode was in the Hyperborean Mountains, from\nwhence he sallied forth on wild raids. During one of these excursions\nhe carried off Orithyia, who always fled at his approach. But all her\nfleetness could not save her: she was overtaken, and borne away to the\ninaccessible regions of snow and ice, where he detained her, and made\nher his wife. She became the mother of Zetes and Calais,--who took\npart in the Argonautic expedition, and drove away the Harpies (p.\n267),--and of two daughters, Cleopatra and Chione.\n\nOn another occasion, Boreas, having changed himself into a horse and\nunited himself to the mares of Dardanus, King of Troy, became the\nfather of twelve steeds so swift that none could overtake them.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\nHERCULES.\n\n \"Unto this thy son it shall be given,\n With his broad heart to win his way to heaven;\n Twelve labors shall he work; and all accurst\n And brutal things o'erthrow, brute men the worst;\n And in Trachinia shall the funeral pyre\n Purge his mortalities away with fire;\n And he shall mount amid the stars, and be\n Acknowledg'd kin to those who envied thee,\n And sent these den-born shapes to crush his destiny.\"\n\n Theocritus (Hunt's tr.).\n\n\nThe ancients were not content to worship the gods only, but also\noffered up sacrifices to a few mortals, who, by their heroic deeds and\nvirtuous lives, had won both admiration and respect. Foremost among\nthese heroes--generally designated by the title of demigods--is\nHercules (Heracles, Alcides), son of Jupiter and Alcmene, a mortal\nprincess.\n\n[Sidenote: Juno persecutes Hercules.]\n\nAs soon as the tidings of Hercules' birth reached Olympus, Juno began\nto plot how to destroy her rival's child. Two colossal serpents with\npoisonous fangs were therefore dispatched by her orders to attack the\nbabe in its cradle. The monsters crept along noiselessly, entered the\npalace unseen, twined themselves around the cradle, and were about to\ncrush the child to death in their folds, when, to the utter\nastonishment of the helpless attendants, little Hercules caught them\nfast by the neck in each tiny hand and strangled them, thus giving the\nfirst proof of the marvelous strength which was to make him famous.\n\n [Illustration: HERCULES AN INFANT. (Louvre, Paris.)]\n\n \"First two dread Snakes at Juno's vengeful nod\n Climb'd round the cradle of the sleeping God;\n Waked by the shrilling hiss, and rustling sound,\n And shrieks of fair attendants trembling round,\n Their gasping throats with clenching hands he holds;\n And Death untwists their convoluted folds.\"\n\n Darwin.\n\nWhen Juno perceived how easily Hercules had escaped from the danger\nwhich threatened him, she deemed it useless to make another attempt to\ntake his life, but decided to vex his proud spirit by inflicting many\npetty annoyances, and to prevent his enjoying any lasting peace or\nhappiness.\n\nTo achieve this purpose, she first extorted from Jupiter a decree that\ncondemned Hercules to serve his cousin Eurystheus--a mean and cowardly\nprince who ruled over the kingdom of Argos--for a certain number of\nyears.\n\nHercules' education was carefully attended to by Chiron, a learned\nCentaur, who taught him how to use all the different weapons, and\ntrained him in all kinds of athletic sports. The years passed by\nhappily and swiftly, until at last the time came when Hercules'\neducation was completed, and the whole world lay before him, full of\npleasant possibilities, and rich with many attractions.\n\n[Sidenote: Hercules' choice.]\n\nThe youthful hero, dismissed by his instructor, now set out to seek\nhis fortunes. He had not gone very far, however, before he met two\nbeautiful women, who immediately entered into conversation with him,\nand drew from him a confession that he was in search of adventures.\nThe women, Arete (Virtue) and Kakia (Vice), each offered to be his\nguide, but bade him choose which he preferred to follow.\n\nKakia, to induce him to follow her guidance, promised riches, ease,\nconsideration, and love; while Arete, a modest maiden, warned him that\nin her wake he would be obliged to wage incessant war against evil, to\nendure hardships without number, and spend his days in toil and\npoverty.\n\nSilently Hercules pondered for a while over these two so dissimilar\noffers, and then, mindful of his tutor's oft-repeated instructions,\nrose from his seat by the wayside, and, turning to Arete, declared\nhimself ready to obey any command she might choose to give him.\n\n \"Young Hercules with firm disdain\n Braved the soft smiles of Pleasure's harlot train;\n To valiant toils his forceful limbs assign'd,\n And gave to Virtue all his mighty mind.\"\n\n Darwin.\n\nCourageously he then trod along the rough and thorny path she pointed\nout, and patiently performed the various tasks she assigned him,\ndelivering the oppressed, defending the weak, and redressing all\nwrongs.\n\n[Sidenote: Hercules' madness.]\n\nIn reward for these good actions he received the hand of Megara,\ndaughter of Creon, King of Thebes, in marriage, and by her had three\nchildren, whom he tenderly loved. But Juno was not at all satisfied to\nsee him leading such a peaceful and prosperous life, and to interrupt\nits even course drove the hero mad.\n\nIn a fit of delirium he threw his offspring into the fire, and, we are\ntold, slew his dearly beloved wife. Then only he recovered his senses,\nand suffered agonies of sorrow and remorse for the terrible crimes he\nhad unwittingly committed. In his grief he withdrew to the mountain\nsolitudes, where he would probably have lingered all the remainder of\nhis life, had not Mercury come to get him, and announced that he was\nto serve Eurystheus, King of Argos, for a twelvemonth.\n\n[Sidenote: Hercules in servitude.]\n\nThe messenger god then offered to lead him to his appointed\ntaskmaster. But when Hercules learned he was doomed to be a slave, he\nfell into such a passion, that he nearly lost his reason again; and\ninstead of killing noxious beasts, and winning the people's blessings\nby his deeds of kindness, he wandered about stupidly and aimlessly,\nuntil he finally perceived how vain was his attempt to struggle\nagainst fate, and urged by his chosen adviser, Arete, voluntarily\noffered his services to Eurystheus, who informed him that he must\naccomplish twelve great labors ere he could again be free.\n\n[Sidenote: Nemean lion.]\n\nEager to begin the appointed tasks, Hercules set out first to find and\ndestroy a monstrous lion, whose den was in the Nemean Forest. Far and\nwide, throughout the whole neighborhood, this monster committed his\ndepredations, carrying off cattle and sheep, men, women, and children,\nto devour at his ease. All warned Hercules of the danger and\ndifficulty of the undertaking, described the failure of countless\nprevious attempts to slay the monster, and prophesied that he would\nnever return alive. The hero would not be dissuaded, but entered the\nforest, tracked the lion to his den, grasped him by the throat, and\nstrangled him as he had strangled the snakes in his infancy. He then\nskinned the monster, whose shaggy pelt became his favorite covering.\n\n \"So from Nemea's den Alcides strode,\n The lion's yellow spoil around his shoulders flow'd.\"\n\n Flaccus (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Hydra of Lerna.]\n\nOn his return to Argos to report the successful termination of his\nfirst task, Hercules was told to repair to the marshes of Lerna, where\nlurked a seven-headed serpent, the Hydra, and put an end to its career\nof rapacity, for this snake devoured man and beast. Armed with a great\nsword, Hercules succeeded in cutting off one of the seven heads; but\nhe had no sooner done so, than, to his dismay, he saw seven other\nheads suddenly spring from the bleeding stump. To prevent a repetition\nof this unpleasant miracle, Hercules bade his friend Iolaus, who had\naccompanied him thither to view his prowess, take a lighted brand and\nsear the wounds as soon as inflicted. Thanks to this wise plan, the\nmonster was finally slain, although a friendly crab sent by Juno to\ndefend Hydra continually pinched Hercules' feet. The hero, angry at\nthis intervention, crushed the crab, which, however, received its\nreward, for the Queen of Heaven placed it in the sky as the\nconstellation of Cancer (the Crab). The country was thus freed from\nits long state of thraldom; but, before leaving the scene of his\nsecond labor, Hercules dipped his arrows in the Hydra's venomous\nblood, knowing well that any wound they inflicted, however slight,\nwould be sure to prove fatal.\n\n[Sidenote: Stag of Cerynea.]\n\nThe third task appointed by Eurystheus was the capture of the\ngolden-horned, brazen-footed stag of Cerynea, whose fleetness was such\nthat he seemed scarcely to touch the ground. Hercules was obliged to\npursue this animal for many a weary mile before he could overtake him;\nand he only managed the capture by driving him into a deep snowdrift,\nin a distant northern land, from which he extricated him, and carried\nhim home in triumph.\n\n[Sidenote: Erymanthian boar.]\n\nThe same success crowned his fourth labor, the capture of the wild\nboar of Erymanthus in Arcadia. Attacked by the Centaurs during the\nperformance of this labor, Hercules turned his deadly arrows upon\nthem, and accidentally wounded his beloved tutor Chiron, who was\ncoming to settle the dispute. Vainly the hero applied every healing\nherb. The wound was mortal, and Chiron died; but in reward for his\ngood offices the gods transferred him to the sky, where he is known as\nthe constellation Sagittarius.\n\n[Sidenote: Augean stables.]\n\nHercules was next sent to Augeas, King of Elis, who had immense droves\nof cattle. The stables usually occupied by these animals were in an\nincredibly filthy state, as they had not been cleaned in years; and\nnow Hercules was given the task to remove the accumulated filth, and\nmake a complete purification of the premises.\n\nClose by these stables rushed a torrent, or rather a river, the\nAlpheus. Hercules, with one glance, saw the use he could make of this\nrushing stream, which he dammed and turned aside from its course, so\nthat the waters passed directly through the stables, carrying away all\nimpurities, and finally washing them perfectly clean.\n\n [Illustration: HERCULES AND CENTAUR.--Bologna. (Florence.)]\n\n \"Nothing else\n Could clean the Augean stables.\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\nWhen Hercules saw that the work of purification was thoroughly\naccomplished, he guided the stream back to its original bed, and\nreturned home to announce that the fifth labor was accomplished. The\nfabulous filth of the Augean stables, and the radical methods employed\nfor their cleansing, have given rise to proverbial expressions still\nin current use.\n\n[Sidenote: Cretan bull.]\n\nHercules next journeyed off to Crete to accomplish his sixth task, the\ncapture of a mad bull given by Neptune to Minos, king of the island.\nThe god had sent the animal with directions that he should be offered\nup in sacrifice; but Minos, charmed with his unusual size and beauty,\nresolved to keep him, and substituted a bull from his own herds for\nthe religious ceremony.\n\nAngry at seeing his express command so wantonly disobeyed, Neptune\nmaddened the bull, which rushed wildly all over the island, causing\ngreat damage. This was the animal that Hercules, with his usual\nstrength and skill, caught and bound fast, thus finishing the sixth\ntask.\n\n[Sidenote: Diomedes' steeds.]\n\nHe then hastened on to Thrace, where Diomedes, the king, kept some\nfine coursers, which were fed on human flesh. In order to obtain a\nsufficient supply of fresh meat for his horses, Diomedes had decreed\nthat all strangers who ventured into his kingdom should be seized,\nand, when sufficiently fat, executed, and served up in his horses'\nmangers. To punish Diomedes for this long-continued barbarity,\nHercules fed him to his own horses, which were then led off to\nEurystheus, as a token that the seventh labor was done.\n\n[Sidenote: Hippolyte's girdle.]\n\nNow, at the court of Eurystheus was his beautiful daughter, Admete, a\nvain princess, who delighted in dress and jewels, and who was never\nhappier than when she obtained some new ornament or article of\napparel. One day Admete heard a traveler describe a girdle worn by\nHippolyte, queen of the Amazons, and was immediately seized by the\ndesire to possess the ornament.\n\nShe imparted this wish to Eurystheus, who, delighted to gratify her as\nlong as he could do so without taking any personal risk or trouble,\nsent Hercules in quest of the coveted jewel. The journey to the land\nof the Amazons--a fierce, warlike nation of women--was long and\ndangerous; but Hercules traveled on undaunted, nor paused, except when\nhis services were needed in furthering some good work for mortals,\nuntil he reached their land, presented himself before their queen, and\nboldly explained the cause of his presence. Hippolyte listened to his\nexplanation and request with queenly condescension, promised to\nconsider the matter, and in the mean while bade him feast and rest in\nher palace.\n\nHercules would have succeeded in this undertaking without any trouble,\nhad not Juno suddenly remembered his existence, and resolved to\ncontinue her never entirely forgotten persecutions. In the guise of an\nAmazon, she mingled among the women, and artfully spread the report\nthat Hercules had really come to kidnap their queen, and that the\npretended quest of the girdle was a mere excuse, and only intended to\ndistract their attention from his real purpose. The Amazons yielded\nimplicit belief to these rumors, flew to arms, and surrounded their\nqueen.\n\n \"The Amazons array their ranks,\n In painted arms of radiant sheen\n Around Hippolyte the queen.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nThe assembled force then attacked Hercules, who met their onslaught\nsingle-handed, defeated them, and finally bore away the prize he had\nrisked so much to obtain. It was on his homeward journey from this\nexpedition that he saved Hesione, Laomedon's daughter, from the jaws\nof the sea monster who was about to devour her, as he had devoured\nmany a fair Trojan maid before her (p. 152).\n\n [Illustration: MOUNTED AMAZON GOING TO THE CHASE.--Thorwaldsen.\n (Copenhagen.)]\n\n[Sidenote: Stymphalian birds.]\n\nEurystheus, well pleased with the manner in which Hercules had\naccomplished eight out of the twelve tasks, bade him now go forth and\nslay the dangerous, brazen-clawed birds which hovered over the\nstagnant waters of Lake Stymphalus. The poisoned arrows now served him\nin good stead, and enabled him to put a speedy end to the whole flock.\n\n \"His arrows slew\n The monsters hov'ring fell Stymphalus round.\"\n\n Catullus.\n\n[Sidenote: Cattle of Geryones.]\n\nHercules was next told to capture the divine cattle of Geryones, a\ngiant of Erythea. On his way home with this marvelous herd, Hercules\npaused on Mount Aventine, where, during the night, the loathsome giant\nCacus stole some of his cows. To punish him for this theft, Hercules\nforced his way into his cave, attacked him, and, after a memorable\nencounter, slew him. The animals were soon after delivered into the\nhands of Eurystheus, who then sent Hercules in search of the Golden\nApples of the Hesperides.\n\n[Sidenote: Hesperian apples.]\n\nThis commission sadly perplexed Hercules, for he did not know in what\nportion of the world he would find these apples, which had been given\nto Juno as a wedding present, and which she had intrusted to the care\nof the Hesperides, daughters of Hesperus, god of the West. After\nnumerous journeys and many inquiries, Hercules discovered that these\nmaidens had carried these apples off to Africa, hung them on a tree in\ntheir garden, and placed the dragon Ladon at its foot to guard their\ntreasures night and day. Unfortunately, no one could tell Hercules in\nwhat part of Africa the garden of the Hesperides might be situated: so\nhe set out at a venture, determined to travel about until he gained\nsome information. On his way he met with many adventures, and saw many\nstrange sights. For instance, he first met the nymphs of the Eridanus\nRiver, and, questioning them about the golden apples, was told to\nconsult old Nereus, god of the sea, who would probably be able to give\nhim some information on the subject.\n\nHercules, having surprised this aged divinity while asleep on the\nseashore, held him fast, in spite of the multitudinous transformations\nhe underwent in the vain hope of frightening his would-be interlocutor\naway. In answer to Hercules' question, he finally very reluctantly\nbade him seek Prometheus, who alone would be able to direct him\naright.\n\nIn obedience to this advice, Hercules went to the Caucasian Mountains,\nwhere, on the brink of a mighty precipice, he found Prometheus, still\nbound with adamantine chains, and still a prey to the ravenous vulture\n(p. 28). To spring up the mountain side, kill the cruel bird, snap the\nadamantine chains, and set free the benefactor of all mankind, was the\nwork of but a few minutes for such a hero as Hercules; and, in\ngratitude for the deliverance he had so long sought in vain,\nPrometheus directed Hercules to his brother Atlas, telling him he\nwould be sure to know where the apples could be found.\n\n[Sidenote: Pygmies.]\n\nHercules wended his way to Africa, where Atlas dwelt, and on his way\npassed through the land of a diminutive race of men, called Pygmies,\nwho were so small that they lived in constant dread of their\nneighbors, so much larger and stronger than they, and of the cranes,\nwhich passed over their country in great flocks, and sometimes\nalighted to devour their harvests.\n\nTo guard against these constant inroads, the Pygmies finally accepted\nthe services of Ant\u00e6us, a giant son of G\u00e6a, who generously offered to\ndefend them against all their enemies. When these little people,\ntherefore, saw Hercules' mighty form looming up in the dim distance,\nthey called aloud for fear, and bade Ant\u00e6us go forth and kill the new\ninvader, who, they wrongly fancied, had evil designs against them.\n\nProud of his strength, Ant\u00e6us went to meet Hercules, and defied him. A\nfierce struggle was the immediate result of this challenge, and, as\nthe combatants were of equal size and strength, the victory seemed\nvery uncertain. At last Hercules felt his great strength begin to\nfail, and noticed that every time his adversary touched the ground he\nseemed to renew his vigor. He therefore resolved to try and win by\nstrategy, and, watching his opportunity, seized Ant\u00e6us round the\nwaist, raised him from the ground, and held him aloft in his powerful\nembrace.\n\nThe giant struggled with all his might to get free; but Hercules held\nhim fast, and felt him grow weaker and weaker, now that he was no\nlonger sustained by his mother Earth, from whom he derived all his\nstrength, until at last his struggles ceased, and he hung limp and\nlifeless in Hercules' crushing embrace.\n\n \"Lifts proud Ant\u00e6us from his mother-plains,\n And with strong grasp the struggling giant strains;\n Back falls his fainting head and clammy hair,\n Writhe his weak limbs, and flits his life in air.\"\n\n Darwin.\n\n[Sidenote: Atlas.]\n\nNow that the gigantic defender of the Pygmies no longer blocked his\nway, Hercules traveled onward in search of Atlas, whom he finally\nfound supporting the heavens on his broad shoulders. Atlas listened\nattentively to all Hercules had to say, declared he knew where the\napples could be found, and promised to get them if the hero would only\nrelieve him of his burden for a little while. Glad to accomplish his\npurpose so easily, Hercules allowed the burden of the heavens to be\ntransferred to his shoulders, and Atlas hastened off to fulfill his\npart of the agreement.\n\nFrom afar the giant saw the golden fruit glittering in the sunshine.\nStealthily he drew near, entered the gardens, slew the dragon in his\nsleep, plucked the apples, and returned unmolested to the place where\nhe had left Hercules. But his steps became slower and slower; and as\nhe neared the hero, he could not help thinking with horror of the\nburden he must so soon resume, and bear for centuries, perhaps,\nwithout relief.\n\nThis thought oppressed him. Freedom was so sweet, that he resolved to\nkeep it, and, coolly stepping up to Hercules, announced that he would\ncarry the golden apples to Eurystheus, and leave him to support the\nheavens in his stead. Feigning a satisfaction which he was very far\nfrom feeling, Hercules acquiesced, but detained Atlas for a moment,\nasking him to hold the heavens until he could place a cushion on his\nshoulders. Good-natured, as giants proverbially are, Atlas threw the\napples on the grass beside him, and assumed the incumbent weight; but\nHercules, instead of preparing to resume it, picked up the apples,\nleaving Atlas alone, in the same plight as he had found him, there to\nremain until some more compassionate hero should come and set him\nfree.\n\n \"There Atlas, son of great Iapetus,\n With head inclined and ever-during arms,\n Sustains the spacious heavens.\"\n\n Hesiod.\n\nIt was during the course of one of his mighty labors, that Hercules,\nwith one wrench of his powerful arm, tore a cleft in the mountains,\nand allowed the waters of the Sea to flow into Oceanus; and ever\nsince, the rocks on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar have borne\nthe name of Hercules' Pillars.\n\nThe twelfth and last task appointed by Eurystheus was the most\ndifficult of all to perform. Hercules was commanded to descend into\nHades and bring up the dog Cerberus, securely bound.\n\n \"But for the last, to Pluto's drear abode\n Through the dark jaws of T\u00e6narus he went,\n To drag the triple-headed dog to light.\"\n\n Euripides (Potter's tr.).\n\nThis command, like all the others, was speedily obeyed; but Eurystheus\nwas so terrified at the aspect of the triple-headed dog, from the foam\nof whose dripping jaws the nightshade sprang, that he took refuge in a\nhuge jar, and refused to come out until Hercules had carried the\nmonster back to his cave.\n\n[Sidenote: Olympian Games.]\n\nThe twelve appointed labors were finished; the time of bondage was\nended; and Hercules, a free man, could wander at his own sweet will,\nand enjoy the happiness of freedom. A roaming existence had, from\nforce of habit, become a necessity: so the hero first journeyed to\nOlympia, where he instituted games to be celebrated every fifth year\nin honor of Jupiter, his father. Thence he wandered from place to\nplace, doing good, and came to the house of Admetus, where he was\nsurprised to find all the court in mourning.\n\nHis sympathetic inquiries soon brought forth a full account of\nAlcestis' sacrifice of her own life to insure the immortality of her\nhusband (p. 65). The hero's heart was touched by the king's\nloneliness; and he again braved the terrors of Hades, and brought\nAlcestis back from the grave, and restored her to her husband's arms.\n\nHercules took a prominent part in many heroic enterprises. Among\nothers, he joined in the Argonautic expedition (p. 266), in the battle\nbetween the Centaurs and Lapith\u00e6 (p. 260), in the war of the gods and\ngiants, and in the first siege of Troy (p. 152), which proved\nsuccessful.\n\n[Sidenote: Hercules and Omphale.]\n\nBut the hero, although so lately escaped from servitude, was soon\nobliged to return into bondage; for in a fit of anger he slew a man,\nand was condemned by the assembled gods to serve Omphale, Queen of\nLydia, for a certain lapse of time.\n\nNo great deeds were now required of Hercules, whose strength was\nderided by his new mistress, and who, governing him easily by his\nadmiration for her, made him submit to occupations unworthy of a man,\nand, while he was busy spinning, decked herself in his lion's skin,\nand brandished his renowned club.\n\n \"His lion spoils the laughing Fair demands,\n And gives the distaff to his awkward hands.\"\n\n Darwin.\n\n [Illustration: HERCULES AT THE FEET OF OMPHALE.--Gleyre.]\n\nHowever unworthy these effeminate tasks may seem for such a hero, they\nproved very agreeable indeed to Hercules, who, having fallen in love\nwith his new mistress, seemed to wish nothing better than to remain\nher slave forever, and end his days in idleness and pleasure. Great\nlabors were awaiting his mighty arm, however; and the gods, at the\nappointed time, freed him from his bondage to the Lydian queen, and\nbade him go forth and do all the good in his power.\n\n[Sidenote: Hercules and Deianeira]\n\nIn the course of his wanderings, Hercules next met Deianeira, daughter\nof Oeneus, and, having fallen in love with her, expressed a desire to\nmarry her. But unfortunately another suitor, the river god Achelous,\nhad already won the father's consent.\n\n \"Achelous came,\n The river god, to ask a father's voice,\n And snatched me to his arms.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nSo sure was this suitor of his attractions, that he did not even deem\nit necessary to secure the maiden's good graces; and when Hercules\nmade known his love, she immediately promised to marry him, if he\nwould only free her from the lover her father would fain force upon\nher. Delighted to be able to win his bride and punish his rival at the\nsame time, Hercules challenged Achelous; and now began a wrestling\nmatch, the fame of which has come down to us through all the\nintervening centuries.\n\nAchelous was an opponent worthy of Hercules, and, besides, took\nadvantage of his power to change his form at will, further to perplex\nand harass the sturdy hero. At last he assumed the shape of a bull,\nand with lowered horns rushed toward Hercules, intending to toss him\naside. The hero, skillfully avoiding his first onset, seized him by\none of his great thickset horns, and held it so firmly that all the\nbull's efforts to free himself from his powerful grasp were vain,\nuntil the horn broke.\n\nThe Goddess of Plenty, the Attican Fortuna, a witness of this strange\ncombat, appropriated the broken horn, stuffed her treasures in its\nhollow, and was so well pleased with the effect, that she decreed it\nshould henceforth be one of her attributes. The fight, only\ntemporarily suspended, was now resumed with redoubled ardor, for each\nof the lovers was intent upon winning the hand of the fair Deianeira.\n\n [Illustration: FORTUNA. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\n \"Warm, and more warm the conflict grows:\n Dire was the noise of rattling bows,\n Of front to front opposed, and hand to hand:\n Deep was the animated strife\n For love, for conquest, and for life.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nThe victory, though long uncertain, finally rested with Hercules, who\ntriumphantly departed with his hard-won bride, for his destiny would\nnot permit him to tarry long in any place. Instead of wandering alone\nnow, with none to cheer or sympathize, Hercules had Deianeira ever at\nhis side; and after many days they came to the river Evenus, whose\nusually shallow and peaceful waters were swollen and turbid, for\nviolent rainstorms had recently swept over that portion of the\ncountry.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Nessus.]\n\nHercules paused for a moment to contemplate the stream, and glanced\nabout for some safe mode to transport Deianeira across. While he was\nthus considering, a Centaur by the name of Nessus came to his\nassistance, and proposed to carry the fair young bride to the other\nshore in complete safety, if she would but consent to mount upon his\nbroad back.\n\n \"The hoary centaur, who was wont for hire\n To bear the traveler o'er the rapid flood\n Of deep Evenus: not with oars or sail\n He stemm'd the torrent, but with nervous arm\n Opposed and pass'd it; me, when first a bride,\n I left my father's hospitable roof\n With my Alcides, in his arms he bore\n Athwart the current.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nHercules, only too glad to avail himself of the Centaur's kind offer\nof assistance, quickly helped Deianeira to mount, saw them descend\ninto the water, and prepared to follow, holding his bow and arrows\naloft in one hand, and breasting the waves with the other.\n\nNow, the Centaur Nessus did not often have the good fortune to carry\nsuch a pretty passenger as Deianeira over the river, and as he swam he\nmade up his mind to gallop off with her as soon as he reached the\nopposite shore. All his strength and energy, therefore, were called\ninto requisition; and when he reached the shore, instead of pausing to\nallow his fair burden to dismount, he set off as fast as he could run.\n\n[Sidenote: Nessus' robe.]\n\nA loud shriek from Deianeira attracted Hercules' attention, and a\nsecond later one of his poisoned arrows had brought the would-be\nravisher to the ground, pierced through the heart. With dying accents\nthe Centaur Nessus professed repentance, and bade Deianeira take his\nrobe,--but slightly stained with the blood which gushed from the wound\ninflicted by the poisoned arrow,--and keep it carefully, for it had\nmagic power; and if she ever found her husband's love waning, he\nassured her, that, could she but induce him to put it on, all his\nearly affection would revive, as pure and fervent as during their\nhoneymoon.\n\n \"'Take\n This white robe. It is costly. See, my blood\n Has stained it but a little. I did wrong:\n I know it, and repent me. If there come\n A time when he grows cold--for all the race\n Of heroes wander, nor can any love\n Fix theirs for long--take it and wrap him in it,\n And he shall love again.'\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nDeianeira gratefully accepted the proffered gift, and promised to\ntreasure it up carefully, although she sincerely hoped she would never\nbe called upon to make use of it. Years passed by. Hercules often left\nDeianeira to deliver the oppressed and relieve the suffering, for\npeople came from great distances to ask for his aid; and although his\nabsences were sometimes prolonged, he always returned to her side, as\nloving as ever, and she had no cause for complaint. Finally duty took\nhim back to the court of Eurytus, where he beheld Iole, whom he had\nseen and loved in the beginning of his career, but whom he had been\nobliged to leave to fulfill his arduous tasks. She was still young\nand charming, and his first glance into her sweet face rekindled all\nhis former passion. Day after day he lingered by her side, forgetful\nof duty, Deianeira, and all but his first dream of love and happiness.\nWhen absent, Deianeira was wont to hear rumors of his heroic\nachievements; but on this occasion the only report which reached her\near was that he had returned to his allegiance to his first love, and\nthis roused her jealousy, so long dormant.\n\n[Sidenote: Deianeira's jealousy.]\n\nFinally she heard that Hercules was wending his way homeward again,\nand her heart bounded with joy, but only to sink more heavily when\ntold that he was accompanied by Iole and a numerous train. Then she\nremembered the long-forgotten gift of the Centaur. With trembling\nhands she sought the glittering robe, gave it to a messenger, and bade\nhim hasten to meet Hercules, and prevail upon him to wear it for his\ntriumphant return. The messenger, Lichas, hastened to do her bidding,\nand Deianeira waited with fast-beating heart for the success of her\nventure.\n\n \"I only wish the charm may be of power\n To win Alcides from this virgin's love,\n And bring him back to Deianeira's arms.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nLichas acquitted himself faithfully of his errand; and Hercules,\nviewing the costly garment, and anxious to appear to his best\nadvantage before the bright eyes of Iole, immediately donned the\nrichly embroidered robe.\n\n[Sidenote: Hercules' death.]\n\nHe had no sooner put it on, than the Centaur's poisoned blood began\nits deadly work. First he experienced a burning, stinging sensation,\nwhich ran like fire through every vein. Vainly he tried to tear off\nthe fatal garment. It clung to his limbs, and the poison ate its way\ninto his flesh, until the pain was greater than he could bear.\n\n [Illustration: FARNESE HERCULES. (National Museum, Naples.)]\n\nIn his rage at the trick which had been played upon him, he seized\nLichas--the unfortunate bearer of the poisoned robe--by the foot,\nand flung him from the heights of Mount Oeta down into the sea, where\nhe perished.\n\n \"And Lichas from the top of Oeta threw\n Into th' Euboic Sea.\"\n\n Milton.\n\nThen, resolved to end these unendurable torments by a death worthy of\nhis whole life, Hercules called his servants, and bade them build his\nfuneral pyre on the mountain peak; but they, in tears, refused to\nobey, for they could not bear the thought of parting with their\nbeloved master. Commands and entreaties alike failed to move them: so\nHercules climbed up the mountain side alone, tore up the huge oaks by\ntheir roots, flung them one upon the other until he had raised a\nmighty pile, upon which he stretched his colossal, pain-racked limbs,\nand bade his friend Philoctetes set fire to the stupendous mass.\n\nAt first Philoctetes also refused to do his bidding; but, bribed by\nthe promise of the world-renowned poisoned arrows, he finally\nconsented to do as Hercules wished, and the red flames rose higher and\nhigher, the wood crackled and burned, and the hero was soon enveloped\nin sheets of flame, which purged him from all mortality.\n\nThen Jupiter came down from his glorious abode, caught the noble soul\nin his mighty arms, and bore it off to Olympus, there to dwell in\nhappiness forever with Hebe, the fair goddess of youth, whose hand was\ngiven him in marriage.\n\n \"Till the god, the earthly part forsaken,\n From the man in flames asunder taken,\n Drank the heavenly ethers' purer breath.\n Joyous in the new, unwonted lightness,\n Earth's dark, heavy burden lost in death.\n High Olympus gives harmonious greeting\n To the hall where reigns his sire adored;\n Youth's bright goddess, with a blush at meeting,\n Gives the nectar to her lord.\"\n\n Schiller (S. G. B.'s tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Worship of Hercules.]\n\nHercules, the special divinity of athletic sports and of strength, was\nprincipally worshiped by young men. He is generally represented in art\nas a tall, powerfully built man, with a small, bearded head, a lion's\nskin carelessly thrown over his shoulder, and leaning upon a massive\nclub.\n\n \"Great Alcides, stooping with his toil,\n Rests on his club.\"\n\n Pope.\n\nIt is said that some of the games celebrated at Olympia were held in\nhis honor, although originally instituted by him in honor of Jupiter,\nhis father. The Nemean Games, celebrated in the forest of Nemea, the\nscene of his first great labor, were the principal games held in\nGreece in commemoration of his noble deeds and early death.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\nPERSEUS.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Acrisius and Danae.]\n\nThe life of Acrisius, King of Argos, had been a burden to him ever\nsince the unfortunate day when an oracle had predicted that he would\nbe killed by his grandson. Until then the king had been very fond of\nhis only child, Danae, and until then, too, had thought with pride of\nthe time when he would bestow her hand in marriage upon the noblest of\nall who came to woo.\n\nNow his plans were all changed, and his only wish was to keep her\nunmated,--a somewhat difficult task, for the maiden was very fair, and\nAcrisius knew that the wily God of Love would endeavor to find some\nway to outwit him and bring his plans to naught. After much thought,\nAcrisius decided to lock Danae up in a brazen tower, around which he\nstationed guards to prevent any one from even approaching the captive\nprincess.\n\nBut, although safely concealed from the eyes of men, Danae was plainly\nseen by the everlasting gods; and Jupiter, looking down from Olympus,\nbeheld her in all her loveliness and in all her loneliness. She was\nseated on top of her brazen tower, her eyes wistfully turned toward\nthe city, where girls of her age enjoyed freedom, and were allowed to\nmarry when they pleased.\n\n[Sidenote: The shower of gold.]\n\nJupiter, pitying her isolation and admiring her beauty, resolved to go\ndown and converse with her for a little while. To avoid being seen, he\nchanged himself into a golden shower, and gently dropped down on the\nturret beside her, where his presence and spirited conversation soon\nwon the maiden's heart.\n\n \"Danae, in a brazen tower\n Where no love was, loved a shower.\"\n\n Shelley.\n\nThis first successful visit was frequently repeated, and Danae no\nlonger felt lonely and deserted, for Jupiter spent most of his time\nwith her, pursuing his courtship most diligently, and finally winning\nher to a secret marriage, to which no one offered the slightest\nobjection, as no one suspected his visits, which he continued quite\nunmolested.\n\n[Sidenote: Birth of Perseus.]\n\nBut one morning the guards rushed in terror to Acrisius' palace to\nannounce that Danae, his daughter, had given birth to a son, who, on\naccount of his beauty, was called Perseus. The king no sooner learned\nthis astonishing news, than he flew into a great rage, vowed that\nmother and child should perish, and dispatched the guards to fetch the\nunfortunate victims.\n\nAcrisius, however, was not cruel enough to stain his own hands with\nhis child's blood, or to witness her execution: so he ordered that she\nshould be placed in an empty cask with her helpless infant, and\nexposed to the fury of the waves. These orders were speedily executed;\nand Danae's heart sank with terror when she felt the cask buffeted\nabout by the great waves far out of sight of land, and out of all\nreach of help. Clasping her babe close to her bosom, she fervently\nprayed the gods to watch over them both, and bring them in safety to\nsome hospitable shore.\n\n \"When round the well-fram'd ark the blowing blast\n Roar'd, and the heaving whirlpools of the deep\n With rough'ning surge seem'd threatening to o'erturn\n The wide-tost vessel, not with tearless cheeks\n The mother round her infant gently twined\n Her tender arm, and cried, 'Ah me! my child!\n What sufferings I endure! thou sleep'st the while,\n Inhaling in thy milky-breathing breast\n The balm of slumber.'\"\n\n Simonides (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Danae at Seriphus.]\n\nHer piteous prayer was evidently heard, for, after much tossing, the\ncask was finally washed ashore on the Island of Seriphus, where\nPolydectes, the king, kindly received mother and child. Here Perseus,\nthe golden-haired, grew to manhood, and here made his first appearance\nin games and combats.\n\nIn the mean while, Polydectes had fallen in love with Danae, and\nexpressed his desire to marry her; but Danae did not return his\naffections, and would not consent. Angry at her persistent refusal of\nhis proposals, Polydectes wished to compel her to obey, and thereby\nincurred the wrath of young Perseus, who loudly declared that none\nshould dare force his mother as long as he were there to defend her.\nThis boast did not at all allay the monarch's wrath; and, hoping to\nget rid of the young boaster, he bade him go forth and slay Medusa, if\nhe wished to convince people that his bravery was real.\n\n[Sidenote: The Gorgons.]\n\nThis Medusa was one of the three Gorgons. Her sisters, Euryale and\nStheno, although immortal, had never had any claims to beauty; but\nMedusa, when only a girl, had been considered very handsome indeed.\nHer home, in a land where the sun never shone, was very distasteful to\nher, so she entreated Minerva to let her go and visit the beautiful\nsunny south.\n\nBut when Minerva refused to grant her wish, she reviled the goddess,\nand declared that nothing but a conviction that mortals would no\nlonger consider her beautiful if they but once beheld Medusa, could\nhave prompted this denial. This presumptuous remark so incensed\nMinerva, that, to punish her for her vanity, she changed her beautiful\ncurling locks into hissing, writhing serpents, and decreed that one\nglance into her still beautiful face would suffice to change the\nbeholder into stone.\n\n \"Fatal Beauty! thou didst seem\n The phantom of some fearful dream.\n Extremes of horror and of love\n Alternate o'er our senses move,\n As, rapt and spellbound, we survey\n The horrid coils which round thee play,\n And mark thy wild, enduring smile,\n Lit by no mortal fire the while,\n Formed to attract all eyes to thee,\n And yet their withering blight to be;\n Thy power mysterious to congeal\n And from life's blood its warmth to steal,\n To petrify the mortal clay\n In its first gleam of wild dismay,\n Is a dread gift to one like thee,\n Cursed with a hateful destiny.\"\n\n Mrs. St. John.\n\n[Sidenote: Perseus' quest.]\n\nThe gods, who had carefully watched over Perseus through his childhood\nand youth, now decided to lend him their aid, so that he might\nsuccessfully accomplish the great task of slaying Medusa. Pluto lent\nhim a magic helmet, which made the wearer invisible at will; Mercury\nattached his own winged sandals to the youth's heels, to endow him\nwith great rapidity of flight; while Minerva armed him with her own\nmirrorlike shield, the dreadful \u00c6gis.\n\n \"Minerva thus to Perseus lent her shield;\n Secure of conquest, sent him to the field:\n The hero acted what the queen ordain'd,\n So was his fame complete.\"\n\n Prior.\n\n[Sidenote: The Gr\u00e6\u00e6.]\n\nThus equipped, Perseus flew northward until he came to the land of\nperpetual darkness, the home of the Gr\u00e6\u00e6, three horrible sisters, who\npossessed but one eye and one tooth, which they handed about and used\nin turn, and who were the only living beings cognizant of the place\nwhere Medusa dwelt.\n\nInvisible by virtue of his magic helmet, Perseus drew near the cave\nwithout fear of detection, and intercepted the eye while on its way\nfrom one sister to another. As soon as it was safe in his possession,\nhe spoke to them, promising to restore it if they would only give him\naccurate directions for finding Medusa. The sisters, eager to recover\nthe treasured eye, immediately gave the desired information; and\nPerseus, having honorably fulfilled his share of the contract,\ndeparted in search of Medusa.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Medusa.]\n\nPerseus at last perceived the Gorgon's home in the dim distance; and,\nas he was fully aware of Medusa's petrifying proclivities, he advanced\nvery cautiously, holding his shield before him at such an angle that\nall surrounding objects were clearly reflected on its smooth,\nmirrorlike surface.\n\nHe thus discovered Medusa asleep, raised his sword, and, without\nlooking at anything but her mirrored form, severed her head from her\nbody, seized it in one hand, and, holding it persistently behind his\nback, flew away in great haste, lest the two remaining Gorgons should\nfall upon him and attempt to avenge their sister's death.\n\n[Sidenote: Birth of snakes.]\n\nPerseus then swiftly winged his way over land and sea, carefully\nholding his ghastly trophy behind him; and as he flew, Medusa's blood\ntrickled down on the hot African sand, where it gave birth to a race\nof poisonous reptiles destined to infest the region in future ages,\nand cause the death of many an adventurous explorer. The drops which\nfell into the sea were utilized by Neptune, who created from them the\nfamous winged steed called Pegasus (p. 154).\n\n \"And the life drops from thy head\n On Libyan sands, by Perseus shed,\n Sprang a scourging race from thee--\n Fell types of artful mystery.\"\n\n Mrs. St. John.\n\nThe return journey was long and wearisome, and on his way the hero had\nmany adventures. Once, when flying high above a mountainous country,\nhe caught a glimpse of Atlas, his pale face turned up to the heavens,\nwhose weight he had patiently borne for many a long year,--a burden\nwhich seemed all the more grievous after the short taste of freedom he\nhad enjoyed while Hercules stood in his place (pp. 228-9),--\n\n [Illustration: PERSEUS.--Cellini. (Loggia de' Lanzi, Florence.)]\n\n \"Supporting on his shoulders the vast pillar\n Of Heaven and Earth, a weight of cumbrous grasp.\"\n\n \u00c6schylus (Potter's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Atlas petrified.]\n\nWhen Atlas saw Perseus flying toward him, hope revived, for he\nremembered that Fate had decreed that it was this hero who was to slay\nthe Gorgon; and he thought, that, if he could but once gaze upon her\nstony face, he would be free from pain and weariness forever. As soon\nas the hero was within hearing, Atlas therefore addressed him as\nfollows:--\n\n\"'Hasten now, Perseus, and let me look upon the Gorgon's face, for the\nagony of my labor is well-nigh greater than I can bear.' So Perseus\nhearkened unto the word of Atlas, and he unveiled before him the dead\nface of Medusa. Eagerly he gazed for a moment on the changeless\ncountenance, as though beneath the blackness of great horror he yet\nsaw the wreck of her ancient beauty and pitied her for her hopeless\nwoe. But in an instant the straining eyes were stiff and cold; and it\nseemed to Perseus, as he rose again into the pale yellow air, that the\ngray hairs which streamed from the giant's head were like the snow\nwhich rests on the peak of a great mountain, and that in place of the\ntrembling limbs he saw only the rents and clefts on a rough hillside.\"\n\nThus the mere sight of Medusa changed Atlas into the rugged mountains\nwhich have since borne his name; and, as their summits are lost in the\nclouds, the ancients supposed they sustained the full weight of the\nheavenly vault.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Andromeda.]\n\nThence Perseus flew on until he reached the seashore, where a strange\nsight greeted him. Away down on the \"rock-bound coast,\" so near the\nfoaming billows that their spray continually dashed over her fair\nlimbs, a lovely maiden was chained fast to an overhanging rock. This\nmaiden was the Princess Andromeda. To atone for the vanity of her\nmother, Cassiopeia, who claimed she was fairer than any of the sea\nnymphs, she had been exposed there as prey for a terrible sea monster\nsent to devastate the homes along the coast.\n\n [Illustration: PERSEUS AND ANDROMEDA.--Coypel.]\n\nAn oracle, when consulted, declared that the monster would not depart\nuntil Andromeda was sacrificed to his fury; and Perseus could even now\nperceive the receding procession which had solemnly accompanied her to\nthe appointed place of sacrifice, and chained her fast.\n\nAt the same time, too, he saw the waters below the maiden lashed to\nfoam by the monster's tail, and the scales of his hideous body slowly\nrising up out of the water. Fascinated by this horrible sight, the\nmaiden's eyes were fixed on the monster. She did not see the rapid\napproach of her deliverer, who, dauntless, drew his sword from its\nscabbard, and, swooping down, attacked the monster, cheered by the\nshouts of the people, who had seen him, and now rushed back to witness\nthe slaying of their foe.\n\n \"On the hills a shout\n Of joy, and on the rocks the ring of mail;\n And while the hungry serpent's gloating eyes\n Were fixed on me, a knight in casque of gold\n And blazing shield, who with his flashing blade\n Fell on the monster. Long the conflict raged,\n Till all the rocks were red with blood and slime,\n And yet my champion from those horrible jaws\n And dreadful coils was scathless.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nOf course, this fierce struggle could have but one conclusion; and\nwhen Perseus had slain the monster, freed Andromeda from her chains,\nand restored her to the arms of her overjoyed parents, they\nimmediately offered any reward he might be pleased to claim. When he,\ntherefore, expressed a desire to marry the maiden he had so bravely\nrescued, they gladly gave him her hand, although in early youth the\nprincess had been promised to her uncle Phineus.\n\n[Sidenote: Phineus petrified.]\n\nPreparations for the marriage were immediately begun; and the former\nsuitor, who had been too cowardly to venture a single blow to deliver\nher from the monster, prepared to fight the rival who was about to\ncarry off his promised bride. Unbidden he came to the marriage feast\nwith a number of armed followers, and was about to carry off\nAndromeda, when Perseus suddenly bade his adherents stand behind him,\nunveiled the Medusa head, and, turning its baleful face toward Phineus\nand his followers, changed them all into stone.\n\nThe interrupted marriage feast was now resumed; and when it was over,\nPerseus took his bride to Seriphus. There, hearing that Polydectes had\ndared to ill treat his mother because she still refused to accede to\nhis wishes and become his wife, he changed the importunate king into a\nrock by showing him his Medusa trophy, gave the kingdom to the king's\nbrother, and, accompanied by wife and mother, returned to his native\nland. The borrowed helmet, sandals, and shield were all duly restored\nto their respective owners, and the Medusa head was given to Minerva\nin token of gratitude for her help. Greatly pleased with this gift,\nthe goddess set it in the center of her terrible \u00c6gis, where it\nretained all its petrifying power, and served her in many a fight.\n\n[Sidenote: Return to Argos.]\n\nArrived at Argos, Perseus discovered that a usurper had claimed his\ngrandfather's throne. To hurl the unlawful claimant from his exalted\nseat, and compel him to make full restitution and atonement, was but a\ntrifle for the hero who had conquered Medusa; and Acrisius, now old\nand weak, was taken from the prison where he languished, and restored\nto his wonted honors, by the very youth he had been taught to fear.\n\nBut the gods' decree was always sure to be fulfilled sooner or later;\nand one day, when Perseus was playing quoits, he accidentally killed\nhis grandfather. To remain at Argos, haunted by the memory of this\ninvoluntary crime, was too painful for him: so he exchanged his\nkingdom for another, that of Mycen\u00e6, which he ruled wisely and well.\nWhen Perseus died, after a long and glorious reign, the gods, who had\nalways loved him, placed him among the stars, where he can still be\nseen, with his wife Andromeda, and mother-in-law Cassiopeia.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\nTHESEUS.\n\n\nWhen yet but a very young man, \u00c6geus, King of Athens, journeyed off to\nTroezene, where he fell in love with and married a pretty young\nprincess by the name of \u00c6thra. For some reason, which mythologists do\nnot make known, the king was forced to return alone to Athens; but ere\nhe departed he concealed his sword and sandals beneath a stone,\nbidding his wife remember, that, as soon as the strength of their son\nTheseus permitted, he must raise the rock, appropriate sword and\nsandals, and come and join him in Athens, where he should be\nintroduced to the people as his son and heir. These instructions\ngiven, \u00c6geus bade a fond farewell to his wife and infant son, and\nreturned home.\n\nAs the years passed by, they brought strength, beauty, and wisdom to\nTheseus, whose fame began to be published abroad. At last \u00c6thra deemed\nhim strong enough to raise the rock beneath which his father's trusty\nweapon lay; and, conducting him to the spot where it was, she told him\nthe whole story, and bade him try his strength.\n\nTheseus immediately obeyed. With a mighty effort he raised the rock,\nand, to his great satisfaction, found the sword and sandals in a\nperfect state of preservation. Sword in hand, he then set out for\nAthens,--a long and dangerous journey. He proceeded slowly and\ncautiously, for he knew that many dangers lurked along his pathway,\nand that ere he reached his father's city he would have to encounter\nboth giants and monsters, who would strive to bar his way.\n\n[Sidenote: Periphetes.]\n\nHe was not at all mistaken in his previsions; for Troezene was\nscarcely lost to sight ere he came across the giant Periphetes, son of\nVulcan, who stood in the road and attacked with a huge club, whose\nblows were generally fatal, all who strove to pass. Adroitly evading\nthe giant's first onslaught, Theseus plunged his sword deep into his\nhuge side ere he could renew the attack, and brought him lifeless to\nthe ground.\n\n[Sidenote: Sinis.]\n\nTheseus then disarmed his fallen foe, and, retaining the club for\nfuture use, continued his journey in peace, until he came to the\nIsthmus of Corinth, where two adventures awaited him. The first was\nwith a cruel giant named Sinis, nicknamed The Pine-bender, whose usual\npractice was to bend some huge pine until its top touched the ground,\nand call to any unsuspecting passer-by to seize it and lend him a\nhelping hand for a moment. Then, as soon as the innocent stranger had\ncomplied with his request, he would suddenly let go the pine, which,\nfreed from his gigantic grasp, sprang back to its upright position,\nand hurled the unfortunate traveler way up in the air, to be dashed to\npieces against the rocky mountain side.\n\nTheseus, who had already heard of the giant's stratagem, skillfully\neluded the danger, and finally caused Sinis to perish by the same\ncruel death which he had dealt out to so many others.\n\n[Sidenote: Sciron.]\n\nIn one place the Isthmus of Corinth was exceedingly narrow, and the\nonly practicable pathway led along a rocky ledge, guarded by a robber\nnamed Sciron, who forced all who tried to pass him to wash his feet.\nWhile the traveler was thus engaged, and knelt in the narrow pathway\nto do his bidding, he would suddenly raise his foot, kick him over the\nside, and hurl him down into the sea below, where a huge tortoise was\never waiting with gaping jaws to devour the victims.\n\nInstead of yielding to Sciron's exactions, Theseus drew his sword, and\nby his determined bearing so terrified the robber, that he offered him\na free passage. This offer, however, did not satisfy Theseus, who\nsaid he would sheathe his sword only on condition that Sciron\nperformed for him the menial office he had imposed upon so many\nothers. Sciron dared not refuse, and obeyed in fear and trembling; but\nhe was doomed never to molest any one again, for Theseus kicked him\nover the precipice, into the breakers, where the tortoise feasted upon\nhis remains with as keen a relish as upon former victims.\n\n[Sidenote: Cercyon and Procrustes.]\n\nAfter disposing of another world-renowned robber, Cercyon (The\nWrestler), Theseus encountered Procrustes (The Stretcher), a cruel\ngiant, who, under pretext of entertainment, deluded travelers into\nentering his home, where he had two beds of very different\ndimensions,--one unusually short, the other unusually long. If the\nunfortunate traveler were a short man, he was put to bed in the long\nbedstead, and his limbs were pulled out of joint to make him fit it;\nbut if, on the contrary, he were tall, he was assigned the short bed,\nand the superfluous length of limb was lopped off under the selfsame\npretext. Taking Procrustes quite unawares, Theseus gave him a faint\nidea of the sufferings he had inflicted upon others by making him try\neach bed in turn, and then, to avoid his continuing these evil\npractices, put an end to his wretched existence.\n\nTheseus successfully accomplished a few more exploits of a similar\ncharacter, and finally reached Athens, where he found that his fame\nhad preceded him.\n\n \"In days of old, there liv'd of mighty fame,\n A valiant prince, and Theseus was his name:\n A chief, who more in feats of arms excell'd,\n The rising nor the setting sun beheld.\"\n\n Morris.\n\n[Sidenote: Medea's draught.]\n\nThe first tidings that there reached his ear were that \u00c6geus had just\nmarried Medea, the enchantress; but, although these tidings were very\nunwelcome, he hastened on to his father's court, to make himself\nknown, and receive the welcome promised so many years before. Medea,\nseated by \u00c6geus' side, no sooner saw the young stranger draw near,\nthan she knew him, and foresaw that he had come to demand his rights.\nTo prevent his making known claims which might interfere with the\nprospects of her future offspring, she hastily mixed a deadly poison\nin a cup, which she filled with fragrant wine, and bade \u00c6geus offer it\nto the stranger.\n\nThe monarch was about to execute her apparently hospitable purpose,\nwhen his eye suddenly rested upon the sword at Theseus' side, which he\nimmediately recognized. One swift glance into the youth's open face\nconvinced him that \u00c6thra's son stood before him, and he eagerly\nstretched out his arms to clasp him to his heart. This sudden movement\nupset the goblet, and the poisonous contents, falling upon a dog lying\nat the king's feet, caused his almost instantaneous death. Seeing her\ncrime discovered and Theseus recognized, Medea quickly mounted her\nmagic dragon car, and fled to Media, whence she never returned.\n\n[Sidenote: Tribute to the Minotaur.]\n\nOne day, some time after his arrival at Athens, Theseus heard a sound\nof weeping and great lamentation throughout all the city, and in reply\nto his wondering inquiries was told, that ever since an unfortunate\nwar between the Cretans and Athenians, the latter, who had been\nvanquished, were obliged to pay a yearly tribute of seven youths and\nas many maidens, destined to serve as food for the Minotaur. Further\nquestions evolved the fact that the Minotaur was a hideous monster,\nthe property of Minos, King of Crete, who kept it in an intricate\nlabyrinth, constructed for that express purpose by D\u00e6dalus, the\nfar-famed architect.\n\n \"There lived and flourished long ago, in famous Athens town,\n One D\u00e6dalus, a carpenter of genius and renown;\n ('Twas he who with an augur taught mechanics how to bore,--\n An art which the philosophers monopolized before.)\"\n\n Saxe.\n\n [Illustration: D\u00c6DALUS AND ICARUS.--Vien.]\n\n[Sidenote: D\u00e6dalus and Icarus.]\n\nThis labyrinth was so very intricate, that those who entered could not\nfind their way out; and even D\u00e6dalus and his son Icarus, after many\ndays' attempt, found they could not leave it. Rather than remain\nimprisoned forever, D\u00e6dalus then manufactured wings for himself and\nfor his son, and determined to make use of them to effect his escape.\n\n \"Now D\u00e6dalus, the carpenter, had made a pair of wings,\n Contrived of wood and feathers and a cunning set of springs,\n By means of which the wearer could ascend to any height,\n And sail about among the clouds as easy as a kite.\"\n\n Saxe.\n\nAfter repeated cautions to his son not to venture too high, lest the\nsun's heat should melt the wax fixing the feathers to the frame,\nD\u00e6dalus bade Icarus don his plumage and fly to a country where they\nwould be free, promising to follow him thither very shortly.\n\n \"'My Icarus!' he says; 'I warn thee fly\n Along the middle track: nor low, nor high;\n If low, thy plumes may flag with ocean's spray;\n If high, the sun may dart his fiery ray.'\"\n\n Ovid (Elton's tr.).\n\nDelighted with this new mode of travel, Icarus flew swiftly along.\nLittle by little he forgot the danger and his father's caution, and\nrose up higher and higher, until he could bask in the direct rays of\nthe ardent sun. The heat, which seemed so grateful after his chilly\nflight, soon softened and melted the wax on his wings; and Icarus, no\nlonger supported by the light feathers, sank down faster and faster,\nuntil he fell into the sea, where he was drowned, and which, in memory\nof him, bears the name of Icarian to this day.\n\nThese varied details kindled Theseus' love of adventure, and still\nfurther strengthened him in his sudden resolve to join the mournful\nconvoy, try his strength against the awful Minotaur, and, if possible,\nsave his country from further similar exactions.\n\n \"While Attica thus groan'd, with ills opprest;\n His country's wrongs inflam'd brave Theseus' breast;\n Instant his gen'rous soul resolv'd to save\n Cecrops' great offspring from a timeless grave.\"\n\n Catullus.\n\nEven his father's tears and entreaties were powerless to move him\nfrom his purpose, and, the hour having come, he embarked upon the\nblack-sailed vessel which was to bear the yearly tribute to Crete,\npromising to change the black sails for snowy white ones if he were\nfortunate enough to return victorious.\n\n[Sidenote: Talus.]\n\nFavorable winds soon wafted the galley to distant Crete, and as they\nsailed along the coast, searching for the harbor, they were challenged\nby the brazen giant Talus, who walked daily thrice around the whole\nisland, killing, by contact with his red-hot body, all who had no\nbusiness to land on that coast. Knowing, however, that the\nblack-sailed galley brought a fresh supply of youths and maidens for\nthe terrible Minotaur, Talus let it pass unharmed; and the victims\nwere brought into the presence of Minos, who personally inspected each\nnew freight-load, to make sure he was not being cheated by the\nAthenians.\n\n[Sidenote: Ariadne's clew.]\n\nAt the monarch's side stood his fair daughter Ariadne, whose tender\nheart was filled with compassion when she beheld the frail maidens and\ngallant youths about to perish by such a loathsome death. Theseus, by\nright of his birth, claimed the precedence, and proffered a request to\nbe the first victim,--a request which the king granted with a sardonic\nsmile, ere he returned unmoved to his interrupted feast.\n\nUnnoticed by all, Ariadne slipped out of the palace, and, under cover\nof the darkness, entered the prison where Theseus was confined. There\nshe tremblingly offered him a ball of twine and a sharp sword, bidding\nhim tie one end of the twine to the entrance of the labyrinth, and\nkeep the other in his hand as a clew to find the way out again should\nthe sword enable him to kill the dreaded Minotaur. In token of\ngratitude for this timely assistance, Theseus solemnly promised\nAriadne to take her with him to Athens as his bride, were he only\nsuccessful in his undertaking.\n\nAt dawn the next day Theseus was conducted to the entrance of the\nlabyrinth, and there left to await the tender mercies of the Minotaur.\nLike all heroes, he preferred to meet any danger rather than remain\ninactive: so, mindful of Ariadne's instructions, he fastened his\ntwine to the entrance, and then boldly penetrated into the intricate\nways of the labyrinth, where many whitening bones plainly revealed the\nfate of all who had preceded him.\n\n[Sidenote: Theseus and the Minotaur.]\n\nHe had not gone very far before he encountered the Minotaur,--a\ncreature more hideous than fancy can paint,--and he was obliged to use\nall his skill and ingenuity to avoid falling a prey to the monster's\nappetite, and all his strength to lay him low at last.\n\nThe Minotaur slain, Theseus hastily retraced his footsteps.\n\n \"And the slender clew,\n Prepar'd in secret by th' enamor'd maid,\n Thro' the curv'd labyrinth his steps convey'd.\"\n\n Catullus.\n\n[Sidenote: Theseus' escape.]\n\nArrived at the place where his ship rode at anchor, he found his\ncompanions and Ariadne awaiting him, and, springing on board, bade the\nsailors weigh anchor as quickly as possible. They were almost out of\nreach of the Cretan shores, when Talus came into view, and, perceiving\nthat his master's prisoners were about to escape, leaned forward to\ncatch the vessel by its rigging. Theseus, seeing this, sprang forward,\nand dealt the giant such a blow, that he lost his balance and fell\ninto the deep sea, where he was drowned, and where thermal springs\nstill bear witness to the heat of his brazen body.\n\n[Sidenote: Ariadne forsaken.]\n\nThe returning vessel, favored by wind and tide, made but one port,\nNaxos; and here youths and maidens landed to view the beautiful\nisland. Ariadne strayed apart, and threw herself down upon the ground\nto rest, where, before she was aware of it, sleep overtook her. Now,\nalthough very brave, Theseus was not very constant. He had already\ngrown weary of Ariadne's love; and, when he saw her thus asleep, he\nbasely summoned his companions, embarked with them, and set sail,\nleaving her alone upon the island, where Bacchus soon came to console\nher for the loss of her faithless lover (p. 181).\n\n [Illustration: ARIADNE.--Rae.]\n\n[Sidenote: Theseus' punishment.]\n\nTheseus, having committed a deed heinous in the eyes of gods and men,\nwas doomed to suffer just punishment. In his preoccupation he entirely\nforgot his promise to change the black sails for white; and \u00c6geus,\nfrom Attica's rocky shore, seeing the sable sails when the vessel was\nyet far from land, immediately concluded that his son was dead, and in\nhis grief cast himself into the sea since known as the \u00c6gean, where he\nperished.\n\n \"As from a mountain's snowy top are driv'n\n The rolling clouds, by the rude blasts of heav'n;\n So from the mem'ry of lost Theseus fled\n Those dictates, which before his reason sway'd:\n But now his father from the ramparts' height,\n All bath'd in tears, directs his eager sight;\n O'er the wide sea, distended by the gale,\n He spies, with dread amaze, the lurid sail.\"\n\n Catullus.\n\n[Sidenote: Theseus' reign and marriage.]\n\nTheseus, on entering the city, heard of his father's death; and when\nhe realized that it had been caused by his carelessness, he was\noverwhelmed with grief and remorse. All the cares of royalty and the\nwise measures he introduced for the happiness of his people could not\ndivert his mind from this terrible catastrophe: so he finally resolved\nto resign his authority and set out again in search of adventures,\nwhich might help him forget his woes. He therefore made an excursion\ninto the land of the Amazons, where Hercules had preceded him, and\nwhence he brought back Hippolyte, whom he married. Theseus was now\nvery happy indeed, and soon all his hopes were crowned by the birth of\na son, whom he called Hippolytus. Shortly after this joyful event, the\nAmazons invaded his country under pretext of rescuing their kidnapped\nqueen, and in the battle which ensued Hippolyte was accidentally\nwounded by an arrow, and breathed her last in Theseus' arms.\n\nTheseus next set out with an Athenian army to fight Pirithous, king of\nthe Lapith\u00e6, who had dared to declare war; but when the armies were\nface to face, the two chiefs, seized with a sudden liking for each\nother, simultaneously cast down their weapons, and, falling on each\nother's necks, embraced, and swore an eternal friendship.\n\n[Sidenote: Centaurs and Lapith\u00e6]\n\nTo show his devotion to this newly won friend, Theseus consented to\naccompany him to the court of Adrastus, King of Argos, and witness his\nmarriage to Hippodamia, daughter of the king. Many guests were, of\ncourse, present to witness the marriage ceremony, among others\nHercules and a number of the Centaurs. The latter, struck with\nadmiration for the bride's unusual beauty, made an attempt to kidnap\nher, which was frustrated by the Lapith\u00e6, seconded by Theseus and\nHercules. The terrible struggle which ensued between the conflicting\nparties has ever been a favorite subject in art, and is popularly\nknown as the \"Battle between the Centaurs and Lapith\u00e6.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Theseus in Hades.]\n\nThe hotly contested bride did not, however, enjoy a very long life,\nand Pirithous soon found himself, like Theseus, a disconsolate\nwidower. To avoid similar bereavement in future, they both resolved to\nsecure goddesses, who, being immortal, would share their thrones\nforever. Aided by Pirithous, Theseus carried off Helen, the daughter\nof Jupiter (p. 311), and, as she was still but a child, intrusted her\nto the care of his mother, \u00c6thra, until she attained a suitable age\nfor matrimony. Then, in return for Pirithous' kind offices, he\naccompanied him to Hades, where they intended to carry off Proserpina.\n\nWhile they were thus engaged, Helen's twin brothers, Castor and\nPollux, came to Athens, delivered her from captivity, and carried her\nhome in triumph. As for Theseus and Pirithous, their treacherous\nintention was soon discovered by Pluto, who set the first on an\nenchanted rock, from which he could not descend unassisted, and bound\nthe second to the constantly revolving wheel of his father, Ixion.\n\n [Illustration: THESEUS.--Canova. (Volksgarten, Vienna.)]\n\nWhen Hercules was in Hades in search of Cerberus (p. 229), he\ndelivered Theseus from his unpleasant position, and thus enabled him\nto return to his own home, where he now expected to spend the\nremainder of his life in peace.\n\n[Sidenote: Ph\u00e6dra and Hippolytus.]\n\nAlthough somewhat aged by this time, Theseus was still anxious to\nmarry, and looked about him for a wife to cheer his loneliness.\nSuddenly he remembered that Ariadne's younger sister, Ph\u00e6dra, must be\na charming young princess, and sent an embassy to obtain her hand in\nmarriage. The embassy proved successful, and Ph\u00e6dra came to Athens;\nbut, young and extremely beautiful, she was not at all delighted with\nher aged husband, and, instead of falling in love with him, bestowed\nall her affections upon his son, Hippolytus, a virtuous youth, who\nutterly refused to listen to her proposals to elope. In her anger at\nfinding her advances scorned, Ph\u00e6dra went to Theseus and accused\nHippolytus of attempting to kidnap her. Theseus, greatly incensed at\nwhat he deemed his son's dishonorable behavior, implored Neptune to\npunish the youth, who was even then riding in his chariot close by the\nshore. In answer to this prayer, a great wave suddenly arose, dashed\nover the chariot, and drowned the young charioteer, whose lifeless\ncorpse was finally flung ashore at Ph\u00e6dra's feet. When the unfortunate\nqueen saw the result of her false accusations, she confessed her\ncrime, and, in her remorse and despair, hung herself.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Theseus.]\n\nAs for Theseus, soured by these repeated misfortunes, he grew so stern\nand tyrannical, that he gradually alienated his people's affections,\nuntil at last they hated him, and banished him to the Island of\nScyros, where, in obedience to a secret order, Lycomedes, the king,\ntreacherously slew him by hurling him from the top of a steep cliff\ninto the sea. As usual, when too late, the Athenians repented of their\ningratitude, and in a fit of tardy remorse deified this hero, and\nbuilt a magnificent temple on the Acropolis in his honor. This\nbuilding, now used as a museum, contains many relics of Greek art.\nTheseus' bones were piously brought back, and inhumed in Athens, where\nhe was long worshiped as a demigod.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\n\nJASON.\n\n\nAt Iolcus, in Thessaly, there once reigned a virtuous king, \u00c6son, with\nhis good wife, Alcimede. Their happiness, however, was soon disturbed\nby Pelias, the king's brother, who, aided by an armed host, took\nforcible possession of the throne. \u00c6son and Alcimede, in fear of their\nlives, were forced to resort to a hasty and secret flight, taking with\nthem their only son, Jason.\n\nThe king and queen soon found a place of refuge, but, afraid lest\ntheir hiding place should be discovered and they should all be slain\nby the cruel Pelias, they intrusted their son to the Centaur Chiron,\nrevealing to him alone the secret of the child's birth, and bidding\nhim train him up to avenge their wrongs.\n\nChiron discharged his duties most faithfully, trained the young prince\nwith great care, and soon made him the wisest and most skillful of his\npupils. The years spent by Jason in the diligent acquisition of\nknowledge, strength, and skill, passed very quickly; and at last the\ntime came when Chiron made known to him the secret of his birth, and\nthe story of the wrongs inflicted by Pelias, the usurper, upon his\nunfortunate parents.\n\n[Sidenote: Jason's vow.]\n\nThis tale aroused the young prince's anger, and made him solemnly vow\nto punish his uncle, or perish in the attempt. Chiron encouraged him\nto start, and in parting bade him remember that Pelias alone had\ninjured him, but that all the rest of the human race were entitled to\nany aid he could bestow. Jason listened respectfully to his tutor's\nlast instructions; then, girding his sword and putting on his sandals,\nhe set out on his journey to Iolcus.\n\nIt was early in the spring, and the young man had not gone very far\nbefore he came to a stream, which, owing to the usual freshets of the\nseason, was almost impassable. Jason, however, quite undaunted by the\nrushing, foaming waters, was about to attempt the crossing, when he\nsaw an aged woman not far from him, gazing in helpless despair at the\nwaters she could not cross.\n\nNaturally kind-hearted and helpful, and, besides that, mindful of\nChiron's last recommendation, Jason offered the old woman his\nassistance, proposing to carry her across on his back if she would but\nlend him her staff to lean upon. The old woman gladly accepted this\noffer; and a few moments later, Jason, bending beneath his strange\nload, was battling with the rapid current.\n\nAfter many an effort, breathless and almost exhausted, Jason reached\nthe opposite bank, and, after depositing his burden there, scrambled\nup beside her, casting a rueful glance at the torrent, which had\nwrenched off one of his golden sandals. He was about to part from the\nold dame with a kindly farewell, when she was suddenly transformed\ninto a large, handsome, imperious-looking woman, whom, owing to the\npeacock by her side, he immediately recognized as Juno, queen of\nheaven. He bent low before her, and claimed her aid and protection,\nwhich she graciously promised ere she vanished from his sight.\n\nWith eager steps Jason now pressed onward, nor paused until he came in\nview of his native city. As he drew near, he noticed an unusual\nconcourse of people, and upon inquiry discovered that Pelias was\ncelebrating a festival in honor of the immortal gods. Up the steep\nascent leading to the temple Jason hastened, and pressed on to the\ninnermost circle of spectators, until he stood in full view of his\nenemy Pelias, who, unconscious of coming evil, continued offering the\nsacrifice.\n\n[Sidenote: The one sandal.]\n\nAt last the ceremony was completed, and the king cast an arrogant\nglance over the assembled people. His eyes suddenly fell upon Jason's\nnaked foot, and he grew pale with horror as there flashed into his\nmemory the recollection of an ancient oracle, warning him to beware of\nthe man who appeared before him wearing but one sandal. Pelias\ntremblingly bade the guards bring forth the uninvited stranger. His\norders were obeyed; and Jason, confronting his uncle boldly, summoned\nhim to make a full restitution of the power he had so unjustly seized.\n\n[Sidenote: Phryxus and Helle.]\n\nTo surrender power and wealth and return to obscurity was not to be\nthought of; but Pelias artfully concealed his displeasure, and told\nhis nephew that they would discuss the matter and come to an amicable\nunderstanding after the banquet, which was already spread and awaiting\ntheir presence. During the festive meal, bards sang of all the heroic\ndeeds accomplished by great men; and Pelias, by judicious flattery,\nstimulated Jason to attempt similar feats. At last the musicians\nrecited the story of Phryxus and Helle, the son and daughter of\nAthamas and Nephele, who, to escape the cruel treatment of their\nstepmother, Ino (p. 174), mounted a winged, golden-fleeced ram sent by\nNeptune to transport them to Colchis.\n\nThe ram flew over land and sea; but Helle, frightened at the sight of\nthe waves tossing far beneath her, suddenly lost her hold on the\ngolden fleece, and tumbled off the ram's back into a portion of the\nsea since known as the Hellespont,\n\n \"Where beauteous Helle found a watery grave.\"\n\n Meleager.\n\nPhryxus, more fortunate than his sister, reached Colchis in safety,\nand in gratitude to the gods sacrificed the ram they had sent to\ndeliver him, and hung its golden fleece on a tree, near which he\nstationed a dragon to guard it night and day. The bards then went on\nto relate that the glittering trophy still hung there, awaiting a hand\nbold enough to slay the dragon and bear it off.\n\n[Sidenote: The golden fleece.]\n\nThis tale and his liberal potations greatly excited the youth Jason;\nand Pelias, perceiving it, hypocritically regretted his inability to\nwin the golden fleece, and softly insinuated that young men of the\npresent generation were not brave enough to risk their lives in such\na glorious cause. The usurper's crafty remarks had the desired effect;\nfor Jason suddenly sprang from his seat, and vowed he would go in\nquest of the golden fleece. Pelias, quite certain that the rash youth\nwould lose his life in the attempt, and thus cause no more trouble,\nwith much difficulty restrained all expressions of joy, and dared him\nto make the attempt.\n\n \"With terror struck, lest by young Jason's hand\n His crown should be rent from him, Pelias sought\n By machinations dark to slay his foe.\n From Colchis' realm to bring the golden fleece\n He charged the youth.\"\n\n Orphic Argonautics.\n\n[Sidenote: The Speaking Oak.]\n\nWhen Jason, sobered and refreshed by a long night's rest, perceived\nhow foolish had been his vow, he would fain have recalled it; but,\nmindful of Chiron's teachings ever to be true to his word, he resolved\nto depart for Colchis. To secure Juno's assistance, he began by\nvisiting her shrine at Dodona, where the oracle, a Speaking Oak,\nassured him of the goddess's good will and efficacious protection.\nNext the Speaking Oak bade him cut off one of its own mighty limbs,\nand carve from it a figurehead for the swift-sailing vessel which\nMinerva, at Juno's request, would build for his use from pine trees\ngrown on Mount Pelion.\n\n[Sidenote: The Argo and crew.]\n\nJason, having finished his figurehead, found that it too had the gift\nof speech, and that it would occasionally vouchsafe sage counsel in\nthe direction of his affairs. When quite completed, Jason called his\nvessel the Argo (swift-sailing), and speedily collected a crew of\nheroes as brave as himself, among whom were Hercules, Castor, Pollux,\nPeleus, Admetus, Theseus, and Orpheus, who were all glad to undertake\nthe perilous journey to lands unknown. To speed them on their way,\nJuno then bargained with \u00c6olus for favorable winds, and forbade any\ntempest which might work them harm.\n\n \"Then with a whistling breeze did Juno fill the sail,\n And Argo, self-impell'd, shot swift before the gale.\"\n\n Onomacritus (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Hylas.]\n\nOn several occasions the heroes landed, either to renew their stock of\nprovisions or to recruit their strength, but in general every delay\nbrought them some misfortune. Once Hercules, having landed with a\nyouth named Hylas to cut wood for new oars, bade the youth go to a\nneighboring spring and draw a pitcher of water to quench the thirst\nproduced by his exertions. The youth promptly departed; but as he bent\nover the fountain, the nymphs, enamored with his beauty, drew him down\ninto their moist abode to keep them company. Hercules, after vainly\nwaiting for Hylas' return, went in search of him, but could find no\ntrace of him, and, in his grief and disappointment at the death of his\nyoung friend, refused to continue the expedition, and, deserting the\nArgonauts, made his way home alone and on foot.\n\n[Sidenote: Phineus and the Harpies.]\n\nOn another occasion, when Jason visited Phineus, the blind king of\nThrace, he heard that this monarch's life was imbittered by the\nHarpies, vile monsters, part woman, part bird, who ate or befouled all\nthe food placed before him, and never let him eat a mouthful in peace.\nHaving repeated this tale to his companions, the two sons of Boreas,\nwho were also in the Argo, begged permission to drive them away. Jason\ncould not refuse their request; and the two youths, with drawn swords,\npursued the Harpies to the Strophades Islands, where the birds\npromised to remain.\n\nJason, sailing on in the mean while, was attacked by a flock of\nbrazen-feathered birds, which rained their sharp plumage down upon the\nArgonauts, wounding many of them sorely. The captain of the\nexpedition, seeing weapons were of no avail against these foes,\nconsulted the figurehead, and, in obedience to its directions, clashed\nhis arms against his shield, until, terrified by the din, the\nbrazen-feathered birds flew rapidly away, uttering discordant cries of\nterror.\n\n[Sidenote: The Symplegades.]\n\nSome time during the course of their journey the Argonauts came to the\nSymplegades,--floating rocks which continually crashed together, and\nground to powder all objects caught between them. Jason knew he was\nobliged to pass between these rocks or give up the expedition: so,\ncalculating that the speed of his vessel was equal to that of a dove\non the wing, he sent one out before him. The dove flew safely between\nthe rocks, losing only one of its tail feathers as they again clashed\ntogether. Watching his opportunity, therefore, Jason bade his men row\nswiftly. The Argo darted through the opening, and, when the rocks\nagain came into contact, they merely grazed the rudder. As a vessel\nhad passed between them unharmed, their power for evil left them, and\nthey were chained fast to the bottom of the sea, near the mouth of the\nBosporus, where they remained immovable like any other rocks.\n\n[Sidenote: Arrival at Colchis.]\n\nThe Argonauts, after other adventures far too numerous to recount in\ndetail, reached the Colchian shores, and presented themselves before\n\u00c6etes, the king, to whom they made known their errand. Loath to part\nwith his golden treasure, \u00c6etes declared, that, before Jason could\nobtain the fleece, he must catch and harness two wild, fire-breathing\nbulls dedicated to Vulcan, and make use of them to plow a stony piece\nof ground sacred to Mars. This done, he must sow the field with some\ndragon's teeth, as Cadmus had done (p. 48), conquer the giants which\nwould spring up, and, last of all, slay the guardian dragon, or the\nfleece would never be his.\n\n[Sidenote: Medea's aid.]\n\nOne of these tasks would have sufficed to dismay many a brave youth;\nbut Jason was of the dauntless kind, and merely hastened down to his\nvessel to ask the figurehead how he had better proceed. On his way to\nthe seashore he met the king's daughter, Medea, a beautiful young\nsorceress, who had been charmed by his modest but firm bearing, and\nwho was quite ready to bring her magic to his aid if he would but\npromise to marry her. Jason, susceptible to her attractions, and free\nfrom any conflicting ties, readily agreed to her proposal, and,\ncarrying out her directions, caught and harnessed the fiery bulls,\nplowed the field, and sowed it with the dragon's teeth.\n\n \"And how he yoked the bulls, whose breathings fiery glow'd,\n And with the dragons' teeth the furrow'd acres sow'd.\"\n\n Onomacritus (Elton's tr.).\n\nBut when he saw glittering spears and helmets grow out of the ground,\nand beheld the close ranks of giants in full armor, he was filled with\ndismay, and would have fled had it been possible. However, aware that\nsuch a performance would insure his ruin, he stood his ground, and,\nwhen the phalanx was quite near him, threw a handful of dust full in\nthe giants' faces. Blinded with the sand, the giants attacked one\nanother, and in a short time were exterminated.\n\n \"They, like swift dogs,\n Ranging in fierceness, on each other turn'd\n Tumultuous battle. On their mother earth\n By their own spears they sank; like pines, or oaks,\n Strew'd by a whirlwind in the mountain dale.\"\n\n Apollonius Rhodius (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The fleece captured.]\n\nAccompanied by Medea, Jason next hastened to the tree where the dragon\nkept guard over his treasure. An opiate prepared by Medea's magic\nskill soon made the dragon forget his charge in a profound sleep, and\nenabled Jason to draw near enough to sever his frightful head from his\nhideous trunk. Jason then tore the coveted fleece from the branch\nwhere it had hung for many a year, and bore it in triumph to the Argo.\n\n \"Exulting Jason grasped the shining hide,\n His last of labors, and his envied pride.\n Slow from the groaning branch the fleece was rent.\"\n\n Flaccus (Elton's tr.).\n\nHis companions, who had made ready for a hasty departure, were already\nseated at their oars; and, as soon as he had embarked with Medea and\nher attendants, the Argo shot out of the Colchian harbor.\n\n [Illustration: JASON AND THE DRAGON.--Salvator Rosa.]\n\n \"How softly stole from home the luckless-wedded maid,\n Through darkness of the night, in linen robe array'd;\n By Fate to Argo led, and urged by soft desire,\n Nor yet regarding aught her father's furious ire.\"\n\n Onomacritus (Elton's tr.).\n\nWhen morning dawned and \u00c6etes awoke, he heard that the dragon was\nslain, the fleece stolen, his daughter gone, and the Grecian ship far\nout of sight. No time was lost in useless wailing, but a vessel was\nhurriedly launched and manned, and the king in person set out in\npursuit of the fugitives, who had, moreover, taken his most precious\ntreasure, his only son and heir, Absyrtus. Although the Colchian men\nwere good sailors and skillful rowers, they did not catch sight of the\nArgo until they came near the mouth of the Danube, and \u00c6etes wildly\ncalled to his daughter to return to her home and to her father.\n\n \"'Stay thy rash flight! and, from the distant main,--\n For oh! thou canst, my daughter,--turn again.\n Whither depart? the vessel backward steer;\n Thy friends, thy still fond father, wait thee here.'\"\n\n Flaccus (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Absyrtus.]\n\nBut Medea had no wish to be torn away from Jason's arms, and, instead\nof listening to her father's entreaties, urged the Argonauts to\nredoubled efforts. Little by little the distance between the two\nvessels grew less; the Colchian rowers were gaining upon the Greek;\nand Medea saw, that, unless she found means to delay her father, he\nwould overtake her and compel her to return. With her own hands she\ntherefore slew her little brother, Absyrtus, and cut his body into\npieces, which she dropped over the side of the vessel one by one.\n\u00c6etes, a helpless witness of this cruel, awful deed, piously collected\nhis son's remains, and, in pausing to do so, lost sight of the Argo,\nand all hope of recovering his unnatural daughter: so he returned\nsadly to Colchis, where he buried his son's remains with due\nsolemnity.\n\n [Illustration: MEDEA.--Sichel.]\n\n[Sidenote: Pelias dethroned.]\n\nIn the mean while, Pelias had reigned contentedly over Thessaly,\nconfident that Jason would never return. Imagine his dismay,\ntherefore, when he heard that the Argo had arrived, bearing Jason, now\nthe proud possessor of the renowned golden fleece. Ere he could take\nmeasures to maintain his usurped authority, Jason appeared, and\ncompelled him to resign the throne in favor of the rightful king,\n\u00c6son.\n\nUnfortunately, \u00c6son was now so old and decrepit, that power had no\ncharms for him: so Jason begged Medea to use her magic in his behalf,\nand restore him to the vigor and beauty of his early manhood. To\ngratify Jason, Medea called all her magic into play, and by some\nmysterious process restored \u00c6son to all his former youth, strength,\nactivity, and grace.\n\n \"Medea's spells dispersed the weight of years,\n And \u00c6son stood a youth 'mid youthful peers.\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\n[Sidenote: The magic recipe.]\n\nAs soon as Pelias' daughters heard of this miraculous transformation,\nthey hastened to Medea and implored her to give them the recipe, that\nthey might rejuvenate their father also. The sorceress maliciously\nbade them cut their father's body into small pieces, and boil them in\na caldron with certain herbs, declaring that, if the directions were\ncarefully carried out, the result would be satisfactory; but, when the\ntoo credulous maidens carried out these instructions, they only slew\nthe father whom they had so dearly loved.\n\nDays and years now passed happily and uneventfully for Jason and\nMedea; but at last their affection for each other cooled, and Jason\nfell in love with Glauce, or Creusa. Frantic with jealousy, Medea\nprepared and sent the maiden a magic robe, which she no sooner donned\nthan she was seized with terrible convulsions, in which she died.\nMedea, still full of resentment against Jason, then slew her own\nchildren, and, mounting her dragon car, departed, leaving a message\nfor Jason, purporting that the Argo would yet cause his death.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Jason.]\n\nJason, a victim of remorse and despair, now led a weary and sorrowful\nlife, and every day he wandered down to the shore, where he sat under\nthe shade of the Argo's hulk, which was slowly rotting away. One day,\nwhile he was sitting there musing over his youthful adventures and\nMedea's strange prophecy, a sudden gale detached a beam, which,\nfalling on his head, fractured his skull and caused instantaneous\ndeath.\n\nThe Argonautic expedition is emblematic of the first long maritime\nvoyage undertaken by the Greeks for commercial purposes; while the\ngolden fleece which Jason brought back from Colchis is but a symbol of\nthe untold riches they found in the East, and brought back to their\nown native land.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIII.\n\nTHE CALYDONIAN HUNT.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Birth of Meleager.]\n\nOeneus and Alth\u00e6a, King and Queen of Calydon, in \u00c6tolia, were very\nhappy in the possession of a little son, Meleager, only a few days\nold, until they heard that the Fates had decreed the child should live\nonly as long as the brand then smoking and crackling on the hearth.\nThe parents were motionless with grief, until Alth\u00e6a, with true\nmother's wit, snatched the brand from the fire, plunged it into an\nearthen jar filled with water, quenched the flames which were\nconsuming it, and, carefully laying it aside, announced her intention\nto keep it forever.\n\nMeleager, thus saved from an untimely death by his mother's presence\nof mind, grew up a brave and handsome youth, and joined the Argonautic\nexpedition. While he was absent, his father omitted the yearly\nsacrifice to Diana, who, enraged at his neglect, sent a monstrous boar\nto devour his subjects and devastate his realm. Meleager, on his\nreturn, gathered together all the brave men of the country, and\ninstituted a great hunt, whose main object was the capture or death of\nthe obnoxious boar.\n\n[Sidenote: The hunters.]\n\nJason, Nestor, Peleus, Admetus, Theseus, Pirithous, and many other\nnoted heroes, came at his call; but the attention of all the\nspectators was specially attracted by Castor and Pollux, and by the\nfair Atalanta, daughter of Iasius, King of Arcadia. This princess had\nled a very adventurous life; for when but a babe, her father,\ndisappointed to see a daughter instead of the longed-for son, had\nexposed her on Mount Parthenium to the fury of the wild beasts. Some\nhunters, passing there shortly after this, found the babe fearlessly\nnursing from a she-bear, and in compassion carried her home, where\nthey trained her to love the chase.\n\nThe grand Calydonian Hunt was headed by Meleager and Atalanta, who\nwere very fond of each other, and who boldly led the rest in pursuit\nof the boar. From one end of the Calydonian forest to the other the\nboar fled, closely pursued by the hunt, and was at last brought to bay\nby Atalanta, who succeeded in dealing him a mortal wound. But even in\nhis dying struggles the boar would have killed her, had not Meleager\ncome to her rescue and given him his deathblow.\n\n[Sidenote: Meleager slays his uncles.]\n\nAll the hunt now gathered around the boar's corpse, and watched\nMeleager take its spoil, which he gallantly bestowed upon Atalanta.\nAlth\u00e6a's two brothers were present at the hunt; and, as they wished to\npossess the skin, they bitterly reproved their nephew on their way\nhome for giving it to a stranger. They added taunts to this reproof,\nwhich so angered Meleager, that, in a sudden fit of passion, he slew\nthem both. When Alth\u00e6a saw her brothers' corpses, and heard that they\nhad been slain by her son, she vowed to avenge their death, drew the\ncarefully cherished brand from its hiding place, and threw it upon the\nfire burning brightly on her hearth. When the last bit of the precious\nwood crumbled away into ashes, Meleager died. All Alth\u00e6a's affection\nfor her son returned when his lifeless corpse was brought to her, and\nin her despair she committed suicide.\n\n [Illustration: ATALANTA'S RACE.--Poynter.]\n\n[Sidenote: Atalanta's race.]\n\nIn the mean while, Atalanta, proud of her skill and of her spoil, had\nreturned to her father's court, where, no other heir having appeared,\nshe was joyfully received, and entreated to marry. Many suitors came\nto woo the fair princess, but most of them refrained from pressing\ntheir suit when they heard what conditions were imposed upon all who\nwould obtain her hand; for Atalanta disapproved of marriage, and,\nanxious to keep her freedom, decreed that she should marry only on\ncondition that her suitor would beat her in a foot race. If he were\nbeaten, however, he must pay for his defeat by forfeiting his life.\n\n[Sidenote: The golden apples.]\n\nIn spite of these barbarous terms, a few youths had tried to outrun\nher; but they failed, and their lifeless heads were exposed on the\nracing ground to deter all other suitors. Undaunted by these ghastly\ntrophies, Hippomenes, or Milanion, once came to Atalanta and expressed\na desire to race with her. This youth had previously obtained Venus'\nprotection, and concealed under his garment her gift of three golden\napples. Atalanta prepared for her race as usual, and, as usual, passed\nher rival; but just as she did so, one of the golden apples rolled at\nher feet. For a moment she paused, then stooped and picked it up ere\nshe resumed the race. Her adversary had passed her and won some\nadvance; but she soon overtook him, when a second golden apple caused\na second delay. She was about to reach the goal first, as usual, when\na third golden treasure tempted her to pause, and enabled Hippomenes\nto win the race.\n\n \"Hippomenes turns her astray\n By the golden illusions he flings on her way.\"\n\n Moore.\n\nAtalanta could now no longer refuse to marry, and her nuptials were\nsoon celebrated. In his happiness at having won such a peerless bride,\nHippomenes forgot to pay the promised thanks to Venus, for which\noffense he and his wife were severely punished by being transformed\ninto a pair of lions, and doomed to drag Cybele's car (p. 19).\n\n[Sidenote: Castor and Pollux.]\n\nThe twin brothers Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri, or Gemini, who had\ngreatly distinguished themselves by their daring in the Calydonian\nHunt, were made the deities of boxing, wrestling, and all equestrian\nexercises.\n\n \"Leda's sons I'll sound,\n Illustrious twins, that are\n For wrestling this, and for the race renown'd.\"\n\n Horace.\n\nOne of these twins, Castor, was a mortal, and in a combat with the\nsons of Aphareus was slain. Pollux, who was immortal, then implored\nJupiter to allow him to die also, that he might not be parted from his\nbrother,--a proof of brotherly affection which so touched the father\nof the gods, that he permitted Castor to return to life on condition\nthat Pollux would spend half his time in Hades.\n\nLater on, satisfied that even this sacrifice was none too great for\ntheir fraternal love, he translated them both to the skies, where they\nform a bright constellation, one of the signs of the zodiac. Castor\nand Pollux are generally represented as handsome youths, mounted on\nsnowy chargers.\n\n \"So like they were, no mortal\n Might one from other know:\n White as snow their armor was:\n Their steeds were white as snow.\"\n\n Macaulay.\n\nTheir appearance under certain circumstances foretold success in war,\nand the Romans believed that they fought at the head of their legions\nat the celebrated battle of Lake Regillus. Their name was also given\nto meteors, sometimes seen at sea, which attach themselves like balls\nof fire to the masts of ships,--a sure sign, according to the sailors,\nof fine weather and an auspicious journey.\n\n \"Safe comes the ship to haven,\n Through billows and through gales,\n If once the Great Twin Brethren\n Sit shining on the sails.\"\n\n Macaulay.\n\nFestivals celebrated in honor of these twin brethren, and called the\nDioscuria, were held in many places, but specially in Sparta, their\nbirthplace, where they had world-renowned wrestling matches.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIV.\n\nOEDIPUS.\n\n\nLaius and Jocasta, King and Queen of Thebes, in Boeotia, were greatly\ndelighted at the birth of a little son. In their joy they sent for the\npriests of Apollo, and bade them foretell the glorious deeds their\nheir would perform; but all their joy was turned to grief when told\nthat the child was destined to kill his father, marry his mother, and\nbring great misfortunes upon his native city.\n\n \"Laius once,\n Not from Apollo, but his priests, receiv'd\n An oracle, which said, it was decreed\n He should be slain by his own son.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nTo prevent the fulfillment of this dreadful prophecy, Laius bade a\nservant carry the new-born child out of the city, and end its feeble\nlittle life. The king's mandate was obeyed only in part; for the\nservant, instead of killing the child, hung it up by its ankles to a\ntree in a remote place, and left it there to perish from hunger and\nexposure if it were spared by the wild beasts.\n\nWhen he returned, none questioned how he had performed the appointed\ntask, but all sighed with relief to think that the prophecy could\nnever be accomplished. The child, however, was not dead, as all\nsupposed. A shepherd in quest of a stray lamb had heard his cries,\ndelivered him from his painful position, and carried him to Polybus,\nKing of Corinth, who, lacking an heir of his own, gladly adopted the\nlittle stranger. The Queen of Corinth and her handmaidens hastened\nwith tender concern to bathe the swollen ankles, and called the babe\nOedipus (swollen-footed).\n\nYears passed by. The young prince grew up in total ignorance of the\nunfortunate circumstances under which he had made his first appearance\nat court, until one day at a banquet one of his companions, heated by\ndrink, began to quarrel with him, and taunted him about his origin,\ndeclaring that those whom he had been accustomed to call parents were\nin no way related to him.\n\n \"A drunken rev'ler at a feast proclaim'd\n That I was only the supposed son\n Of Corinth's king.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Oedipus consults the oracle.]\n\nThese words, coupled with a few meaning glances hastily exchanged by\nthe guests, excited Oedipus' suspicions, and made him question the\nqueen, who, afraid lest he might do himself an injury in the first\nmoment of his despair if the truth were revealed to him, had recourse\nto prevarication, and quieted him by the assurance that he was her\nbeloved son.\n\nSomething in her manner, however, left a lingering doubt in Oedipus'\nmind, and made him resolve to consult the oracle of Delphi, whose\nwords he knew would reveal the exact truth. He therefore went to this\nshrine; but, as usual, the oracle answered somewhat ambiguously, and\nmerely warned him that fate had decreed he should kill his father,\nmarry his mother, and cause great woes to his native city.\n\n \"I felt\n A secret anguish, and unknown to them\n Sought out the Pythian oracle; in vain;\n Touching my parents, nothing could I learn;\n But dreadful were the mis'ries it denounc'd\n Against me; 'twas my fate, Apollo said,\n To wed my mother, to produce a race\n Accursed and abhorr'd; and last, to slay\n My father.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Oedipus leaves Corinth.]\n\nWhat! kill Polybus, who had ever been such an indulgent father, and\nmarry the queen, whom he revered as his mother! Never! Rather than\nperpetrate these awful crimes, and bring destruction upon the people\nof Corinth, whom he loved, he would wander away over the face of the\nearth, and never see city or parents again.\n\n \"Lest I should e'er fulfill the dire prediction,\n Instant I fled from Corinth, by the stars\n Guiding my hapless journey.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nBut his heart was filled with intense bitterness, and as he journeyed\nhe did not cease to curse the fate which drove him away from home.\nAfter some time, he came to three crossroads; and while he stood\nthere, deliberating which direction to take, a chariot, wherein an\naged man was seated, came rapidly toward him.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Laius.]\n\nThe herald who preceded it haughtily called to the youth to stand\naside and make way for his master; but Oedipus, who, as Polybus' heir,\nwas accustomed to be treated with deference, resented the commanding\ntone, and refused to obey. Incensed at what seemed unparalleled\nimpudence, the herald struck the youth, who, retaliating, stretched\nhis assailant lifeless at his feet.\n\nThis affray attracted the attention of the master and other servants.\nThey immediately attacked the murderer, who slew them all, thus\nunconsciously accomplishing the first part of the prophecy; for the\naged man was Laius, his father, journeying _incognito_ from Thebes to\nDelphi, where he wished to consult the oracle.\n\nOedipus then leisurely pursued his way until he came to the gates of\nThebes, where he found the whole city in an uproar, \"because the king\nhad been found lifeless by the roadside, with all his attendants slain\nbeside him, presumably the work of a band of highway robbers or\nassassins.\"\n\n \"He fell\n By strangers, murdered, for so fame reports,\n By robbers in the place where three ways meet.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nOf course, Oedipus did not connect the murder of such a great\npersonage as the King of Thebes by an unknown band of robbers, with\nthe death he had dealt to an arrogant old man, and he therefore\ncomposedly inquired what the second calamity alluded to might be.\n\n[Sidenote: The Sphinx.]\n\nWith lowered voices, as if afraid of being overheard, the Thebans\ndescribed the woman's head, bird's wings and claws, and lion's body,\nwhich were the outward presentment of a terrible monster called the\nSphinx, which had taken up its station without the city gates beside\nthe highway, and would allow none to pass in or out without\npropounding a difficult riddle. Then, if any hesitated to give the\nrequired answer, or failed to give it correctly, they were mercilessly\ndevoured by the terrible Sphinx, which no one dared attack or could\ndrive away.\n\nWhile listening to these tidings, Oedipus saw a herald pass along the\nstreet, proclaiming that the throne and the queen's hand would be the\nreward of any man who dared encounter the Sphinx, and was fortunate\nenough to free the country of its terrible presence.\n\n[Sidenote: The riddle.]\n\nAs Oedipus attached no special value to the life made desolate by the\noracle's predictions, he resolved to slay the dreaded monster, and,\nwith that purpose in view, advanced slowly, sword in hand, along the\nroad where lurked the Sphinx. He soon found the monster, which from\nafar propounded the following enigma, warning him, at the same time,\nthat he forfeited his life if he failed to give the right answer:--\n\n \"Tell me, what animal is that\n Which has four feet at morning bright,\n Has two at noon, and three at night?\"\n\n Prior.\n\n [Illustration: OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX.--Ingres. (Louvre, Paris.)]\n\nOedipus was not devoid of intelligence, by any manner of means, and\nsoon concluded that the animal could only be man, who in infancy, when\ntoo weak to stand, creeps along on hands and knees, in manhood walks\nerect, and in old age supports his tottering steps with a staff.\n\n[Sidenote: Oedipus marries his mother.]\n\nThis reply, evidently as correct as unexpected, was received by the\nSphinx with a hoarse cry of disappointment and rage as it turned to\nfly; but ere it could effect its purpose, it was stayed by Oedipus,\nwho drove it at his sword's point over the edge of a neighboring\nprecipice, where it was killed. On his return to the city, Oedipus was\nreceived with cries of joy, placed on a chariot, crowned King of\nThebes, and married to his own mother, Jocasta, unwittingly fulfilling\nthe second fearful clause of the prophecy.\n\n[Sidenote: The plague.]\n\nA number of happy and moderately uneventful years now passed by, and\nOedipus became the father of two manly sons, Eteocles and Polynices,\nand two beautiful daughters, Ismene and Antigone; but prosperity was\nnot doomed to favor him long.\n\nJust when he fancied himself most happy, and looked forward to a\npeaceful old age, a terrible scourge visited Thebes, causing the death\nof many faithful subjects, and filling the hearts of all with great\nterror. The people now turned to him, beseeching him to aid them, as\nhe had done once before when threatened by the Sphinx; and Oedipus\nsent messengers to consult the Delphic oracle, who declared the plague\nwould cease only when the former king's murderers had been found and\npunished.\n\n \"The plague, he said, should cease,\n When those who murder'd Laius were discover'd,\n And paid the forfeit of their crime by death,\n Or banishment.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nMessengers were sent in every direction to collect all possible\ninformation about the murder committed so long ago, and after a short\ntime they brought unmistakable proofs which convicted Oedipus of the\ncrime. At the same time the guilty servant confessed that he had not\nkilled the child, but had exposed it on a mountain, whence it was\ncarried to Corinth's king.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Jocasta.]\n\nThe chain of evidence was complete, and now Oedipus discovered that he\nhad involuntarily been guilty of the three crimes to avoid which he\nhad fled from Corinth. The rumor of these dreadful discoveries soon\nreached Jocasta, who, in her despair at finding herself an accomplice,\ncommitted suicide.\n\nOedipus, apprised of her intention, rushed into her apartment too late\nto prevent its being carried out, and found her lifeless. This sight\nwas more than the poor monarch could bear, and in his despair he\nblinded himself with one of her ornaments.\n\n \"He pluck'd from off the robe she wore\n A golden buckle that adorn'd her side,\n And buried in his eyes the sharpen'd point,\n Crying, he ne'er again would look on her,\n Never would see his crimes or mis'ries more,\n Or those whom guiltless he could ne'er behold,\n Or those to whom he now must sue for aid.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Oedipus.]\n\nPenniless, blind, and on foot, he then left the scene of his awful\ncrimes, accompanied by his daughter Antigone, the only one who loved\nhim still, and who was ready to guide his uncertain footsteps wherever\nhe wished to go. After many days of weary wandering, father and\ndaughter reached Colonus, where grew a mighty forest sacred to the\navenging deities, the Furies, or Eumenides.\n\nHere Oedipus expressed his desire to remain, and, after bidding his\nfaithful daughter an affectionate farewell, he groped his way into the\ndark forest alone. The wind rose, the lightning flashed, the thunder\npealed; but although, as soon as the storm was over, a search was made\nfor Oedipus, no trace of him was ever found, and the ancients fancied\nthat the Furies had dragged him down to Hades to receive the\npunishment of all his crimes.\n\n[Sidenote: Eteocles and Polynices.]\n\nAntigone, no longer needed by her unhappy father, slowly wended her\nway back to Thebes, where she found that the plague had ceased, but\nthat her brothers had quarreled about the succession to the throne. A\ncompromise was finally decided upon, whereby it was decreed that\nEteocles, the elder son, should reign one year, and at the end of that\nperiod resign the throne to Polynices for an equal space of time, both\nbrothers thus exercising the royal authority in turn. This arrangement\nseemed satisfactory to Eteocles; but when, at the end of the first\nyear, Polynices returned from his travels in foreign lands to claim\nthe scepter, Eteocles refused to relinquish it, and, making use of his\npower, drove the claimant away.\n\n \"Thou seest me banish'd from my native land,\n Unjustly banish'd, for no other crime\n But that I strove to keep the throne of Thebes,\n By birthright mine, from him who drove me thence,\n The young Eteocles: not his the claim\n By justice, nor to me his fame in arms\n Superior; but by soft, persuasive arts\n He won the rebel city to his love.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The seven chiefs before Thebes.]\n\nPolynices' nature was not one to endure such a slight patiently; and\nhe hastened off to Argos, where he persuaded Adrastus, the king, to\ngive him his daughter in marriage, and aid him to recover his\ninheritance. True to his promise, Adrastus soon equipped a large army,\nwhich was led by seven determined and renowned chiefs, ready to risk\nall in the attempt, and either win or perish.\n\n \"Seven valiant leaders march\n To Thebes, resolved to conquer or to die.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nTheir bravery was of no avail, however, for Thebes was well fortified\nand defended; and after a seven-years' siege they found themselves no\nnearer their goal than at the beginning of the war. Weary of the\nmonotony of this quarrel, the conflicting armies finally decreed that\nthe difference should be settled by a duel between the inimical\nbrothers, who no sooner found themselves face to face, than they\nrushed upon each other with such animosity that both fell.\n\nBy order of Jocasta's father, Creon, the corpse of Eteocles received\nall the honors of a Greek burial, while that of Polynices was left on\nthe plain, a prey to the birds and wild beasts.\n\n \"Polynices' wretched carcass lies\n Unburied, unlamented, left expos'd\n A feast for hungry vultures on the plain.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Antigone's devotion.]\n\nThen a proclamation was issued, that, if any dared bury the body of\nthe fallen prince, he would incur the penalty of being buried alive.\nHeedless of this injunction and Ismene's prayers to refrain from\nendangering her own life, Antigone dug a grave for her brother's\nremains, and, unaided, fulfilled the various customary funeral rites.\nHer task was almost completed, when the guards discovered her, and\ndragged her into the presence of Creon, who, although she was a\nrelative and the promised wife of his son H\u00e6mon, condemned her to\ndeath.\n\n \"Let her be carried instant to the cave,\n And leave her there alone, to live, or die;\n Her blood rests not on us: but she no longer\n Shall breathe on earth.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Antigone and H\u00e6mon.]\n\nH\u00e6mon pleaded passionately for her life; but, when he saw his prayers\nwere vain, he ran to the place where Antigone was confined, sprang\ninto her narrow cell, wound his arms closely around her, and refused\nto leave her. There they were walled in; Antigone's sufferings were\ncut mercifully short by asphyxiation; and, when H\u00e6mon saw she was no\nmore, he, in utter despair, thrust his dagger into his side, and\nperished too.\n\n [Illustration: ANTIGONE AND ISMENE.--Teschendorf.]\n\n \"On himself bent all his wrath,\n Full in his side the weapon fix'd, but still,\n Whilst life remain'd, on the soft bosom hung\n Of the dear maid, and his last spirit breath'd\n O'er her pale cheek, discolor'd with his blood.\n Thus lay the wretched pair in death united,\n And celebrate their nuptials in the tomb.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nIsmene, the last of Oedipus' unfortunate race, died of grief, and thus\nthe prophecy was fully accomplished. The Theban war was not, however,\nentirely ended, for, when both brothers fell, the two armies flew to\nattack each other; and such was their courage, that many fell, and\nonly one of the seven chiefs returned to Argos. There he patiently\nwaited until the children of these brave captains were old enough to\nbear arms, and then proposed to them to attack Thebes and avenge their\nfathers' death.\n\nThe Epigoni (or those who come after), as these youths are\ncollectively designated, received this proposal with rapture; and\nThebes, again besieged, fell into their hands, and was duly sacked,\nburned, and destroyed, as the Delphic oracle had foretold so many\nyears before.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXV.\n\nBELLEROPHON.\n\n\nBellerophon, a brave young prince, the grandson of Sisyphus, King of\nCorinth, had the great misfortune to kill his own brother while\nhunting in the forest. His grief was, of course, intense; and the\nhorror he felt for the place where the catastrophe had occurred, added\nto his fear lest he should incur judicial punishment for his\ninvoluntary crime, made him flee to the court of Argos, where he took\nrefuge with Proetus, the king, who was also his kinsman.\n\n[Sidenote: Anteia's treachery.]\n\nHe had not sojourned there very long, before Anteia, the queen, fell\nin love with him; and although her husband, Proetus, treated her with\nthe utmost kindness, she made up her mind to desert him, and tried to\ninduce Bellerophon to elope with her. Too honest to betray a man who\nhad treated him as a friend, the young prince refused to listen to the\nqueen's proposals. His refusal was to cost him dear, however; for,\nwhen Anteia saw that the youth would never yield to her wishes, she\nbecame very angry indeed, sought her husband, and accused the young\nstranger of crimes he had never even dreamed of committing.\n\nProetus, indignant at what he deemed deep treachery on the part of an\nhonored guest, yet reluctant to punish him with his own hand as he\ndeserved, sent Bellerophon to Iobates, King of Lycia, with a sealed\nmessage bidding him put the bearer to death.\n\nQuite unconscious of the purport of this letter, Bellerophon traveled\ngayly onward, and presented himself before Iobates, who received him\nvery hospitably, and, without inquiring his name or errand,\nentertained him royally for many days. After some time, Bellerophon\nsuddenly remembered the sealed message intrusted to his care, and\nhastened to deliver it to Iobates, with many apologies for his\nforgetfulness.\n\n[Sidenote: The Chim\u00e6ra.]\n\nWith blanched cheeks and every outward sign of horror, the king read\nthe missive, and then fell into a deep reverie. He did not like to\ntake a stranger's life, and still could not refuse to comply with\nProetus' urgent request: so, after much thought, he decided to send\nBellerophon to attack the Chim\u00e6ra, a terrible monster with a lion's\nhead, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail.\n\n \"Dire Chim\u00e6ra's conquest was enjoin'd;\n A mingled monster, of no mortal kind;\n Behind, a dragon's fiery tail was spread;\n A goat's rough body bore a lion's head;\n Her pitchy nostrils flaky flames expire;\n Her gaping throat emits infernal fire.\"\n\n Homer (Pope's tr.).\n\nHis principal motive in choosing this difficult task was, that,\nalthough many brave men had set forth to slay the monster, none had\never returned, for one and all had perished in the attempt.\n\nAlthough very courageous, Bellerophon's heart beat fast with fear when\ntold what great deed he must accomplish; and he left Iobates' palace\nvery sorrowfully, for he dearly loved the king's fair daughter,\nPhilonoe, and was afraid he would never see her again.\n\n[Sidenote: Minerva's advice.]\n\nWhile thus inwardly bewailing the ill luck which had so persistently\ndogged his footsteps, Bellerophon suddenly saw Minerva appear before\nhim in all her splendor, and heard her inquire in gentle tones the\ncause of his too evident dejection. He had no sooner apprised her of\nthe difficult task appointed him, than she promised him her aid, and\nbefore she vanished gave him a beautiful golden bridle, which she bade\nhim use to control Pegasus.\n\n [Illustration: CHIM\u00c6RA. (Egyptian Museum, Florence.)]\n\nBridle in hand, Bellerophon stood pondering her words, and gradually\nremembered that Pegasus was a wonderful winged steed, born from the\nblood which fell into the foam of the sea from Medusa's severed head\n(p. 244). This horse, as white as snow, and gifted with immortal life\nas well as incredible speed, was the favorite mount of Apollo and the\nMuses, who delighted in taking a\u00ebrial flights on his broad back; and\nBellerophon knew that from time to time he came down to earth to drink\nof the cool waters of the Hippocrene (a fountain which had bubbled\nforth where his hoofs first touched the earth), or to visit the\nequally limpid spring of Pirene, near Corinth.\n\n[Sidenote: Pegasus bridled.]\n\nBellerophon now proceeded to the latter fountain, where, after\nlingering many days in the vain hope of catching even a glimpse of the\nwinged steed, he finally beheld him sailing downward in wide curves,\nlike a bird of prey. From his place of concealment in a neighboring\nthicket, Bellerophon watched his opportunity, and, while the winged\nsteed was grazing, he boldly vaulted upon his back.\n\nPegasus, who had never before been ridden by a mortal, reared and\npranced, and flew up to dizzy heights; but all his efforts failed to\nunseat the brave rider, who, biding his time, finally thrust Minerva's\ngolden bit between his teeth, and immediately he became gentle and\ntractable. Mounted upon this incomparable steed, Bellerophon now went\nin search of the winged monster Chim\u00e6ra, who had given birth to the\nNemean lion and to the riddle-loving Sphinx.\n\n[Sidenote: Chim\u00e6ra slain.]\n\nFrom an unclouded sky Bellerophon and Pegasus swooped suddenly and\nunexpectedly down upon the terrible Chim\u00e6ra, whose fiery breath and\ngreat strength were of no avail; for after a protracted struggle\nBellerophon and Pegasus were victorious, and the monster lay lifeless\nupon the blood-soaked ground.\n\nThis mighty deed of valor accomplished, Bellerophon returned to\nIobates, to report the success of his undertaking; and, although the\nking was heartily glad to know the Chim\u00e6ra was no more, he was very\nsorry to see Bellerophon safe and sound, and tried to devise some\nother plan to get rid of him.\n\nHe therefore sent him to fight the Amazons; but the hero, aided by the\ngods, defeated these warlike women also, and returned to Lycia, where,\nafter escaping from an ambush posted by the king for his destruction,\nhe again appeared victorious at court.\n\nThese repeated and narrow escapes from certain death convinced Iobates\nthat the youth was under the special protection of the gods; and this\ninduced the king not only to forego further attempts to slay him, but\nalso to bestow upon the young hero his daughter's hand in marriage.\n\nBellerophon, having now attained his dearest wishes, might have\nsettled down in peace; but his head had been utterly turned by the\nmany lofty flights he had taken upon Pegasus' back, and, encouraged by\nthe fulsome flattery of his courtiers, he finally fancied himself the\nequal of the immortal gods, and wished to join them in their celestial\nabode.\n\n[Sidenote: Bellerophon's fall.]\n\nSummoning his faithful Pegasus once more, he rose higher and higher,\nand would probably have reached Olympus' heights, had not Jupiter sent\na gadfly, which stung poor Pegasus so cruelly, that he shied\nviciously, and flung his too confident rider far down to the earth\nbelow.\n\n \"Bold Bellerophon (so Jove decreed\n In wrath) fell headlong from the fields of air.\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\nThis fall, which would doubtless have killed any one but a\nmythological hero, merely deprived Bellerophon of his eyesight; and\never after he groped his way disconsolately, thinking of the happy\ndays when he rode along the paths of air, and gazed upon the beautiful\nearth at his feet.\n\nBellerophon, mounted upon Pegasus, winging his flight through the air\nor fighting the Chim\u00e6ra, is a favorite subject in sculpture and\npainting, which has frequently been treated by ancient artists, a few\nof whose most noted works are still extant in various museums.\n\nThis story, like many others, is merely a sun myth, in which\nBellerophon, the orb of day, rides across the sky on Pegasus, the\nfleecy white clouds, and slays Chim\u00e6ra, the dread monster of darkness,\nwhich he alone can overcome. Driven from home early in life,\nBellerophon wanders throughout the world like his brilliant prototype,\nand, like it, ends his career in total darkness.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVI.\n\nMINOR DIVINITIES.\n\n\n[Sidenote: Naiades and Oreades.]\n\nAccording to the ancients' belief, every mountain, valley, plain,\nlake, river, grove, and sea was provided with some lesser deity, whose\nspecial duty was assigned by the powerful gods of Olympus. These were,\nfor instance, the Naiades, beautiful water nymphs, who dwelt in the\nlimpid depths of the fountains, and were considered local patrons of\npoetry and song.\n\nThe Oreades, or mountain nymphs, were supposed to linger in the\nmountain solitudes, and guide weary travelers safely through their\nrocky mazes.\n\n \"Mark how the climbing Oreads\n Beckon thee to their Arcades!\"\n\n Emerson.\n\n[Sidenote: Nap\u00e6\u00e6 and Dryades.]\n\nAs for the Nap\u00e6\u00e6, they preferred to linger in the valleys, which were\nkept green and fruitful by their watchful care, in which task they\nwere ably seconded by the Dryades, the nymphs of vegetation.\n\nThe very trees in the forest and along the roadside were supposed to\nbe each under the protection of a special divinity called Hamadryad,\nsaid to live and die with the tree intrusted to her care.\n\n \"When the Fate of Death is drawing near,\n First wither on the earth the beauteous trees,\n The bark around them wastes, the branches fall,\n And the nymph's soul, at the same moment, leaves\n The sun's fair light.\"\n\n Homer.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Dryope.]\n\nA sweet and touching story was told by the ancients of a mortal who\nwas changed into a Hamadryad. This young girl, whose name was Dryope,\nwas a beautiful young princess, the daughter of Baucis, so bright and\nclever, that all who knew her loved her dearly. Of course, as soon as\nshe was old enough to think of marriage, a host of suitors asked her\nhand, each eager to win for his bride one so beautiful and gifted.\n\n \"No nymph of all Oechalia could compare,\n For beauteous form, with Dryope the fair.\"\n\n Ovid (Pope's tr.).\n\nFully aware of the importance of making a wise choice, Dryope took her\ntime, and finally decided to marry Andr\u00e6mon, a worthy young prince,\nwho possessed every charm calculated to win a fair girl's heart. The\nyoung people were duly married, and daily rejoiced in their happiness,\nwhich seemed almost too great for earth, when they became the parents\nof a charming little son.\n\nEvery day Dryope carried the child along the banks of a little lake\nclose by the palace, where bloomed a profusion of gay-colored flowers.\n\n \"A lake there was, with shelving banks around,\n Whose verdant summit fragrant myrtles crown'd.\n Those shades, unknowing of the Fates, she sought,\n And to the Naiads flowery garlands brought;\n Her smiling babe (a pleasing charge) she press'd\n Between her arms.\"\n\n Ovid (Pope's tr.).\n\nOne day, while wandering there as usual, accompanied by her sister,\nshe saw a lotus blossom, and pointed it out to her little son. He no\nsooner saw the brilliant flower, than he stretched out his little\nhands. To please him, the fond mother plucked it and gave it to him.\n\nShe had scarcely done so, when she noticed drops of blood trickling\nfrom the broken stem; and while she stood there, speechless with\nwonder, a voice was heard accusing her of having slain Lotis, a nymph,\nwho, to escape the pursuit of Priapus, god of the shade, had assumed\nthe guise of a flower.\n\n \"Lotis the nymph (if rural tales be true),\n As from Priapus' lawless love she flew,\n Forsook her form; and fixing here became\n A flowery plant, which still preserves her name.\"\n\n Ovid (Pope's tr.).\n\nRecovering from her first speechless terror, Dryope turned to flee,\nwith a pitiful cry of compassion on her pale lips, but, to her\nastonishment, she could not leave the spot: her feet seemed rooted to\nthe ground. She cast a rapid glance downward to ascertain what could\nso impede her progress, and noticed the rough bark of a tree growing\nwith fearful rapidity all around her.\n\nHigher and higher it rose, from her knees to her waist, and still it\ncrept upward, in spite of her frantic attempts to tear it away from\nher shapely limbs. In despair she raised her trembling hands and arms\nto heaven to implore aid; but, ere the words were spoken, her arms\nwere transformed into twisted branches, and her hands were filled with\nleaves.\n\nNothing human now remained of poor Dryope except her sweet,\ntear-stained face; but this too would soon vanish under the\nall-involving bark. She therefore took hasty leave of her father,\nsister, husband, and son, who, attracted by her first cry, had rushed\nto give her all the assistance in their power. The last words were\nquickly spoken, but none too soon, for the bark closed over the soft\nlips and hid the lovely features from view.\n\n \"She ceased at once to speak, and ceased to be,\n And all the nymph was lost within the tree:\n Yet latent life through her new branches reign'd,\n And long the plant a human heat retain'd.\"\n\n Ovid (Pope's tr.).\n\nOne of Dryope's last requests had been that her child might often play\nbeneath her shady branches; and when the passing winds rustled\nthrough her leaves, the ancients said it was \"Dryope's lone lulling of\nher child.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Satyrs and Pan.]\n\nThe male divinities of the woods, which were also very numerous, were\nmostly Satyrs,--curious beings with a man's body and a goat's legs,\nhair, and horns. They were all passionately fond of music and revelry,\nand were wont to indulge in dancing at all times and in all places.\nThe most famous among all the Satyrs was Silenus, Bacchus' tutor; and\nPan, or Consentes, god of the shepherds, and the personification of\nnature. The latter was the reputed son of Mercury and a charming young\nnymph named Penelope; and we are told, that, when his mother first\nbeheld him, she was aghast, for he was the most homely as well as the\nmost extraordinary little creature she had ever seen. His body was all\ncovered with goat's hair, and his feet and ears were also those of a\ngoat.\n\nAmused at the sight of this grotesque little divinity, Mercury carried\nhim off to Olympus, where all the gods turned him into ridicule. Pan\nwas widely worshiped in olden times, however; and the ancients not\nonly decked his altars with flowers, but sang his praises, and\ncelebrated festivals in his honor.\n\n \"He is great and he is just,\n He is ever good, and must\n Be honored. Daffodillies,\n Roses, pinks, and loved lilies,\n Let us fling, while we sing,\n Ever Holy! Ever Holy!\n Ever honored! Ever young!\n The great Pan is ever sung!\"\n\n Beaumont and Fletcher.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Syrinx.]\n\nPan was equally devoted to music, the dance, and pretty nymphs. He saw\none of the nymphs, Syrinx, whom he immediately loved; but\nunfortunately for him, she, frightened at his appearance, fled.\nExasperated by her persistent avoidance of him, Pan once pursued and\nwas about to overtake her, when she paused, and implored G\u00e6a to\nprotect her. The prayer was scarcely ended, when she found herself\nchanged into a clump of reeds, which the panting lover embraced,\nthinking he had caught the maiden, who had stood in that very spot a\nfew moments before.\n\nHis deception and disappointment were so severe, that they wrung from\nhim a prolonged sigh, which, passing through the rustling reeds,\nproduced plaintive tones. Pan, seeing Syrinx had gone forever, took\nseven pieces of the reed, of unequal lengths, bound them together, and\nfashioned from them a musical instrument, which was called by the name\nof the fair nymph.\n\n \"Fair, trembling Syrinx fled\n Arcadian Pan, with such a fearful dread.\n Poor nymph!--poor Pan!--how he did weep to find\n Naught but a lovely sighing of the wind\n Along the reedy stream; a half-heard strain\n Full of sweet desolation--balmy pain.\"\n\n Keats.\n\nPan was supposed to delight in slyly overtaking belated travelers and\ninspiring them with sudden and unfounded fears,--from him called\n\"panic.\" He is generally represented with a syrinx and shepherd's\ncrook, and a pine garland around his misshapen head.\n\n[Sidenote: Silvan deities.]\n\nThe Romans also worshiped three other divinities of nature entirely\nunknown to the Greeks; i.e., Silvanus, Faunus, and Fauna, the latter's\nwife, who had charge over the woods and plants. Priapus, god of the\nshade, was also a rural deity, but his worship was only known along\nthe shores of the Hellespont.\n\n[Sidenote: Flora and Zephyrus.]\n\nThe fairest among all the lesser gods was doubtless Flora, goddess of\nflowers, who married Zephyrus, the gentle god of the south wind, and\nwandered happily with him from place to place, scattering her favors\nwith lavish generosity. She was principally worshiped by young girls,\nand the only offerings ever seen on her altars were fruits and\ngarlands of beautiful flowers. Her festivals, generally celebrated in\nthe month of May, were called the Floralia.\n\n [Illustration: \"A FAVORABLE OPPORTUNITY.\"--Thumann. (Vertumnus and\n Pomona.)]\n\n \"Crowds of nymphs,\n Soft voiced, and young, and gay,\n In woven baskets bringing ears of corn,\n Roses and pinks and violets to adorn\n The shrine of Flora in her early May.\"\n\n Keats.\n\n[Sidenote: Vertumnus and Pomona.]\n\nVertumnus and Pomona were the special divinities of the garden and\norchard. They are represented with pruning knives and shears,\ngardening implements, and fruits and flowers. Pomona was very coy\nindeed, and had no desire to marry. Vertumnus, enamored of her charms,\ndid his best to make her change her mind, but she would not even\nlisten to his pleadings.\n\nAt last the lover had recourse to stratagem, disguised himself as an\naged crone, entered Pomona's garden, and inquired how it happened that\nsuch a very charming young woman should remain so long unmarried.\nThen, having received a mocking answer, he began to argue with her,\nand finally extracted an avowal, that, among all the suitors, one\nalone was worthy of her love, Vertumnus. Vertumnus seized the\nfavorable opportunity, revealed himself, and clasped her to his\nbreast. Pomona, perceiving that she had hopelessly betrayed herself,\nno longer refused to wed, but allowed him to share her labors, and\nhelp her turn the luscious fruit to ripen in the autumn sunshine.\n\n[Sidenote: Sea deities.]\n\nThe lesser divinities of the sea were almost as numerous as those of\nthe land, and included the lovely Oceanides and Nereides, together\nwith their male companions the Tritons, who generally formed Neptune's\nregal train.\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Glaucus.]\n\nOne of the lesser sea gods, Glaucus, was once a poor fisherman, who\nearned his daily bread by selling the fish he caught in his nets. On\none occasion he made an extra fine haul, and threw his net full of\nfish down upon a certain kind of grass, which the flapping fish\nimmediately nibbled, and, as if endowed with extraordinary powers,\nbounded back into the waves and swam away.\n\nGreatly surprised at this occurrence, Glaucus began chewing a few\nblades of this peculiar grass, and immediately felt an insane desire\nto plunge into the sea,--a desire which soon became so intense, that\nhe could no longer resist it, but dived down into the water. The mere\ncontact with the salt waves sufficed to change his nature; and\nswimming about comfortably in the element, where he now found himself\nperfectly at home, he began to explore the depths of the sea.\n\n \"'I plung'd for life or death. To interknit\n One's senses with so dense a breathing stuff\n Might seem a work of pain; so not enough\n Can I admire how crystal-smooth it felt,\n And buoyant round my limbs. At first I dwelt\n Whole days and days in sheer astonishment;\n Forgetful utterly of self-intent;\n Moving but with the mighty ebb and flow.\n Then, like a new fledg'd bird that first doth show\n His spreaded feathers to the morrow chill,\n I try'd in fear the pinions of my will.\n 'Twas freedom! and at once I visited\n The ceaseless wonders of this ocean-bed.'\"\n\n Keats.\n\nGlaucus was worshiped most particularly by the fishermen and boatmen,\nwhose vessels he was supposed to guard from evil, and whose nets were\noften filled to overflow through his intervention.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVII.\n\nTHE TROJAN WAR.\n\n\nJupiter, father of the gods, once fell deeply in love with a beautiful\nsea nymph named Thetis, the daughter of Nereus and Doris,--\n\n \"Thetis of the silver feet, and child\n Of the gray Ancient of the Deep.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter and Thetis.]\n\nHe was very anxious indeed to marry her, but, before taking such an\nimportant step, deemed it prudent to consult the Fates, who alone\ncould inform him whether this union would be for his happiness or not.\nIt was very fortunate for him that he did so, for the three sisters\ntold him that Thetis was destined to be the mother of a son who would\nfar outshine his father.\n\nJupiter carefully pondered this reply, and concluded to renounce the\nmarriage rather than run any risk of being forced to surrender his\npower to one greater than he. Thetis' hand he then decreed should be\ngiven in marriage to Peleus, King of Phthia, who had loved her\nfaithfully, and had long sued in vain.\n\nThetis, however, was not at all anxious to accept the hand of a mere\nmortal after having enjoyed the attention of the gods (for Neptune\nalso had wooed her), and demurred, until Jupiter promised his own and\nthe gods' attendance at the marriage feast. The prospect of this\nsignal honor reconciled the maiden, and the wedding preparations were\nmade in the coral caves of her father, Nereus, beneath the\nfoam-crested waves.\n\nThither, mindful of his promise, came Jupiter, with all the gods of\nOlympus.\n\n \"Then, with his Queen, the Father of the gods\n Came down from high Olympus' bright abodes;\n Came down, with all th' attending deities.\"\n\n Catullus.\n\nThe guests took their seats, and pledged the bride and groom in\nbrimming cups of wine,--Bacchus' wedding gift to Thetis. All was joy\nand merriment, when an uninvited guest suddenly appeared in the\nbanquet-hall. All present immediately recognized Eris, or Discordia,\ngoddess of discord, whose snaky locks, sour looks, and violent temper\nhad caused her to be omitted from the wedding list,--\n\n \"The Abominable, that uninvited came\n Into the fair Peleian banquet-hall.\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\n[Sidenote: The apple of discord.]\n\nThis omission angered her, and made her determine to have her revenge\nby troubling the harmony which evidently reigned among all the guests.\nFor a moment she stood beside the bountiful board, then threw upon it\na golden apple, and, exhaling over the assembly her poisoned breath,\nshe vanished. The general attention was, of course, turned upon the\ngolden fruit, whereon the inscription \"To the fairest\" was clearly\ntraced.\n\nAll the ladies were at first inclined to contend for the prize; but\nlittle by little all the claimants withdrew except Juno, Minerva, and\nVenus, who hotly disputed for its possession. Juno declared that the\nqueen of the gods, in her majesty and power, surely had the best\nright; Minerva, that the beauty of wisdom and knowledge far surpassed\nexternal charms; and Venus smiled, and archly requested to be informed\nwho might assert greater claims than the goddess of beauty.\n\nThe dispute grew more and more bitter, and the irate goddesses called\nupon the guests to award the prize to the most deserving; but the\nguests, one and all, refused to act as umpires, for the apple could be\ngiven to but one, and the two others would be sure to vent their anger\nand disappointment upon the judge who passed over their charms in\nfavor of a third. The final decision was therefore referred to Paris,\nwho, although performing the lowly duties of a shepherd, was the son\nof Priam and Hecuba, King and Queen of Troy.\n\nWhen but a babe, Paris had been exposed on a mountain to perish,\nbecause an oracle had predicted that he would cause the death of his\nfamily and the downfall of his native city. Although thus cruelly\ntreated, he had not perished, but had been adopted by a shepherd, who\nmade him follow his own calling.\n\n[Sidenote: Paris and Oenone.]\n\nWhen Paris reached manhood, he was a very handsome and attractive\nyoung man, and won the love of Oenone, a beautiful nymph to whom he\nwas secretly united. Their happiness, however, was but fleeting, for\nthe Fates had decreed that Paris' love for the fair Oenone would soon\ndie.\n\n \"The Fate,\n That rules the will of Jove, had spun the days\n Of Paris and Oenone.\"\n\n Quintus Smyrn\u00e6us (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Judgment of Paris.]\n\nInstead of lingering by the fair nymph's side, Paris wandered off to a\nlonely mountain top, where the three goddesses sought him to judge\ntheir quarrel. Minerva, in glittering armor, first appeared before his\ndazzled eyes, and proffered the bribe of extensive wisdom if he would\nbut give her the preference.\n\nJuno, queen of heaven, next appeared in royal robes and insignia, and\nwhispered that he should have great wealth and unlimited power were he\nonly to award the prize to her.\n\n \"She to Paris made\n Proffer of royal power, ample rule\n Unquestion'd, overflowing revenue\n Wherewith to embellish state, 'from many a vale\n And river-sunder'd champaign clothed with corn,\n Or labor'd mine undrainable of ore.\n Honor,' she said, 'and homage, tax and toll,\n From many an inland town and haven large,\n Mast-throng'd beneath her shadowing citadel\n In glassy bays among her tallest towers.'\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\nBut all Minerva's and Juno's charms and bribes were forgotten when\nVenus, in her magic cestus, appeared before the judge. This artful\nsimplicity was the result of much thought, for we are told that\n\n \"Venus oft with anxious care\n Adjusted twice a single hair.\"\n\n Cowper.\n\nThen, trembling lest her efforts should prove vain, she gently drew\nnear the youth, and softly promised him a bride as fair as herself, in\nreturn for the coveted golden apple.\n\nWon either by her superior attractions or by her alluring bribe, Paris\nno longer hesitated, but placed the prize in her extended palm.\n\n \"Ere yet her speech was finished, he consign'd\n To her soft hand the fruit of burnished rind;\n And foam-born Venus grasp'd the graceful meed,\n Of war, of evil war, the quickening seed.\"\n\n Coluthus (Elton's tr.).\n\nThis act of partiality, of course, called down upon him the wrath and\nhatred of Juno and Minerva, who, biding their time, watched for a\nsuitable opportunity to avenge themselves; while Venus, triumphant,\nand anxious to redeem her promise, directed Paris to return to Troy,\nmake himself known to his parents,--who, the goddess promised, would\nwelcome him warmly,--and obtain from them a fleet in which he might\nsail to Greece.\n\n [Illustration: PARIS. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\nIn obedience to these instructions, Paris ruthlessly abandoned the\nfair and faithful Oenone, and, joining a band of youthful shepherds,\nwent to Troy, under pretext of witnessing a solemn festival. There\nhe took part in the athletic games, distinguished himself, and\nattracted the attention of his sister Cassandra.\n\n[Sidenote: Paris' return to Troy.]\n\nThis princess was noted for her beauty, and it is said had even been\nwooed by Apollo, who, hoping to win her favor, bestowed upon her the\ngift of prophecy. For some reason the god's suit had not prospered;\nand, as he could not take back the power conferred, he annulled it by\nmaking her hearers refuse to credit her words.\n\nCassandra immediately called her parents' attention to the\nextraordinary likeness Paris bore to her other brothers; and then,\nbreaking out into a prophetic strain, she foretold that he would bring\ndestruction upon his native city. Priam and Hecuba, scorning her\nprophecy, joyfully received their long-lost son, lovingly compelled\nhim to take up his abode in their palace, and promised to atone for\ntheir past neglect by granting his every wish.\n\n[Sidenote: Paris sails for Greece.]\n\nStill advised by Venus, Paris soon expressed a desire to sail for\nGreece, under the pretext of rescuing Hesione, his father's sister,\nwhom Hercules had carried off, after besieging Troy. He was promptly\nprovided with several well-manned galleys, and soon after appeared at\nthe court of Menelaus, King of Sparta, whose young wife, Helen, was\nthe most beautiful woman of her time, if we are to believe the\ntestimony of her contemporaries.\n\n \"Full threescore girls, in sportive flight we stray'd,\n Like youths anointing, where along the glade\n The baths of cool Eurotas limpid play'd.\n But none, of all, with Helen might compare,\n Nor one seem'd faultless of the fairest fair.\n As morn, with vermeil visage, looks from high,\n When solemn night has vanish'd suddenly;\n When winter melts, and frees the frozen hours,\n And spring's green bough is gemm'd with silvery flowers:\n So bloom'd the virgin Helen in our eyes,\n With full voluptuous limbs, and towering size:\n In shape, in height, in stately presence fair,\n Straight as a furrow gliding from the share;\n A cypress of the gardens, spiring high,\n A courser in the cars of Thessaly.\n So rose-complexion'd Helen charm'd the sight;\n Our Sparta's grace, our glory, and delight.\"\n\n Theocritus (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Helen's suitors.]\n\nA daughter of Jupiter and Leda (whom Jove had courted in the guise of\na snow-white swan), Helen had many suitors who ardently strove to win\nher favor. The noblest, bravest, and best came to woo and hoped to\nwin; but all were left in suspense, as the maiden did not show any\npreference, and refused to make known her choice.\n\nTyndareus, Helen's stepfather, thinking the rejected suitors might\nattempt to steal her away from any husband she selected, proposed that\nall the candidates for her hand should take a solemn oath, binding\nthemselves to respect the marital rights of the favored suitor, and\nhelp him regain possession of his wife should any one venture to\nkidnap her.\n\n \"This was cause\n To Tyndarus her father of much doubt,\n To give, or not to give her, and how best\n To make good fortune his: at length this thought\n Occurr'd, that each to each the wooers give\n Their oath, and plight their hands, and on the flames\n Pour the libations, and with solemn vows\n Bind their firm faith that him, who should obtain\n The virgin for his bride, they all would aid;\n If any dar'd to seize and bear her off,\n And drive by force her husband from her bed,\n All would unite in arms, and lay his town,\n Greek or Barbaric, level with the ground.\"\n\n Euripides (Potter's tr.).\n\nAll agreed to this proposal, the oath was taken, and Helen, whose\ndeliberations had come to an end, bestowed her hand upon Menelaus,\nKing of Sparta.\n\n[Sidenote: Abduction of Helen.]\n\nOn his arrival at Sparta, in Laced\u00e6monia, Paris was received with\ngraceful hospitality by Menelaus and Helen. He had not sojourned there\nmany days, however, before the king was called away from home, and\ndeparted, confiding to his wife the care of entertaining his princely\nguest. During his absence, Paris, urged by Venus, courted Helen so\nsuccessfully, that she finally consented to elope with him, and\nallowed herself to be borne away in triumph to Troy.\n\n \"Then from her husband's stranger-sheltering home\n He tempted Helen o'er the ocean foam.\"\n\n Coluthus (Elton's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Preparations for war.]\n\nMenelaus, on his return from Crete, discovered his guest's treachery,\nand swore never to rest satisfied until he had recovered his truant\nwife, and punished her seducer. Messengers were sent in haste in every\ndirection, to summon Helen's former suitors to keep their oath, and\njoin Menelaus at Aulis with men and weapons. All came promptly at his\ncall except Ulysses, King of Ithaca, who, to console himself for\nHelen's refusal of his suit, had married her cousin, Penelope, and had\nnow no dearer wish than to linger by her side and admire his infant\nson, Telemachus.\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses feigns madness.]\n\nIn the presence of the messenger Palamedes, Ulysses feigned insanity,\nhoping thereby to elude the tedious journey to Troy; but the messenger\nwas not so easily duped, and cleverly determined to ascertain the\ntruth by stratagem. One day, therefore, when the king was plowing the\nseashore with an ox and horse harnessed together, and sowing this\nstrange field with salt, Palamedes placed the babe Telemachus in the\nfurrow, directly in front of the plow, and marked how skillfully\nUlysses turned his ill-assorted team aside to avoid harming his heir.\nThis action sufficed to prove to Palamedes that the king had not lost\nall control of his senses, and enabled him to force Ulysses to obey\nMenelaus' summons.\n\n [Illustration: ABDUCTION OF HELEN.--Deutsch.]\n\n[Sidenote: Agamemnon made chief.]\n\nAt Aulis the assembled army with unanimous consent elected\nAgamemnon, Menelaus' brother, chief of the expedition, which\nnumbered, among many others, Nestor, noted for his wise counsel; Ajax,\ngigantic in strength and courage; and Diomedes, the renowned warrior.\n\nThe troops were assembled, the vessels freighted; but before they\ndeparted, the chiefs considered it expedient to consult an oracle, to\nascertain whether their expedition was destined to succeed. In a\nsomewhat veiled and ambiguous manner, they received answer that Troy\ncould never be taken without the aid of the son of Peleus and Thetis,\nAchilles, of whom the Fates had predicted that he would surpass his\nfather in greatness (p. 305).\n\n[Sidenote: Achilles' early life.]\n\nThetis loved this only child so dearly, that when he was but a babe,\nshe had carried him to the banks of the Styx, whose waters had the\nmagic power of rendering all the parts they touched invulnerable.\nPremising that her son would be a great warrior, and thus exposed to\ngreat danger, she plunged him wholly into the tide with the exception\nof one heel, by which she held him, and then returned home.\n\nSome time after, an oracle foretold that Achilles would die beneath\nthe walls of Troy from a wound in his heel, the only vulnerable part\nof his body. With many tears Thetis vowed that her son should never\nleave her to encounter such a fate, and intrusted the care of his\neducation to the Centaur Chiron, who had taught all the greatest\nheroes in turn.\n\nFrom this instructor Achilles learned the arts of war, wrestling,\npoetry, music, and song,--all, in short, that an accomplished Greek\nwarrior was expected to know,--and, when his studies were finished,\nreturned to his father's court to gladden his fond mother's heart by\nhis presence.\n\nThetis' joy was all turned to grief, however, when rumors of the war\nimminent between Greece and Troy came to her ears. She knew her son\nwould soon be summoned, and, to prevent his going, sent him off to the\ncourt of Lycomedes, where, under some pretext, he was prevailed upon\nto assume a disguise and mingle with the king's daughters and their\nhandmaidens.\n\nOne messenger after another was dispatched to summon Achilles to join\nthe fleet at Aulis, but one after another returned without having seen\nhim, or being able to ascertain where he was hiding. The Greeks,\nhowever anxious to depart, dared not sail without him. They were in\ndespair, until Ulysses, the wily, proposed a plan, and offered to\ncarry it out.\n\n \"Ulysses, man of many arts,\n Son of Laertes, reared in Ithaca,\n That rugged isle, and skilled in every form\n Of shrewd device and action wisely planned.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses discovers Achilles.]\n\nArrayed in peddler's garb, with a pack upon his shoulders, Ulysses\nentered Lycomedes' palace, where he shrewdly suspected Achilles was\nconcealed, and offered his wares for sale. The maidens selected\ntrinkets; but one of them, closely veiled, seized a weapon concealed\namong the ornaments, and brandished it with such skill, that Ulysses\nsaw through the assumed disguise, explained his presence and purpose,\nand by his eloquence persuaded the young Achilles to accompany him to\nAulis.\n\nThe Greeks were now ready to embark; but no favorable wind came to\nswell the sails, which day after day hung limp and motionless against\nthe tall masts of their vessels.\n\n \"The troops\n Collected and imbodied, here we sit\n Inactive, and from Aulis wish to sail\n In vain.\"\n\n Euripides (Potter's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Sacrifice of Iphigenia.]\n\nCalchas, the soothsayer of the expedition, was again consulted, to\ndiscover how they might best win the favor of the gods; and the reply\ngiven purported that no favorable wind would blow until Iphigenia,\ndaughter of Agamemnon, was offered up in sacrifice to appease the\neverlasting gods.\n\nMany other propitiatory methods were tried; but as they all proved\nineffective, Agamemnon, urged by his companions, sent for his\ndaughter, feigning that he wished to celebrate her nuptials with\nAchilles before his departure.\n\n \"I wrote, I seal'd\n A letter to my wife, that she should send\n Her daughter, to Achilles as a bride\n Affianc'd.\"\n\n Euripides (Potter's tr.).\n\nIphigenia came to her father secretly delighted at being the chosen\nbride of such a hero; but, instead of being led to the hymeneal altar,\nshe was dragged to the place of sacrifice, where the priest, with\nuplifted knife, was about to end her sufferings, when Diana suddenly\nappeared, snatched her up in a cloud, and left in her stead a deer,\nwhich was duly sacrificed, while Iphigenia was borne in safety to\nTauris, where she became a priestess in one of the goddess's temples.\n\n[Sidenote: Arrival at Troy.]\n\nThe gods were now propitious, and the wind slowly rose, filled the\nsails of the waiting vessels, and wafted them swiftly and steadily\nover the sea to the Trojan shores, where an army stood ready to\nprevent the Greek troops from disembarking. The invaders were eager to\nland to measure their strength against the Trojans; yet all hesitated\nto leave the ships, for an oracle had foretold that the first warrior\nwho attempted to land would meet with instant death.\n\n \"'The Delphic oracle foretold\n That the first Greek who touched the Trojan strand\n Should die.'\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\n[Sidenote: Protesilaus and Laodamia.]\n\nProtesilaus, a brave chief, seeing his comrades' irresolution, and\nanimated by a spirit of self-sacrifice, sprang boldly ashore, and\nperished, slain by the enemy, as soon as his foot had touched the\nforeign soil. When the tidings of his death reached his beloved wife,\nLaodamia, whom he had left in Thessaly, they well-nigh broke her\nheart; and in her despair she entreated the gods to let her die, or\nallow her to see her lord once more, were it but for a moment. Her\nappeal was so touching, that the gods could not refuse to hear it, and\nbade Mercury conduct her husband's shade back to earth, to tarry with\nher for three hours' time.\n\n \"'Such grace hath crowned thy prayer,\n Laodamia! that at Jove's command\n Thy husband walks the paths of upper air:\n He comes to tarry with thee three hours' space;\n Accept the gift, behold him face to face!'\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\nWith an inarticulate cry of joy, Laodamia beheld the beloved\ncountenance of Protesilaus once more, and from his own lips heard the\ndetailed account of his early death. The three hours passed all too\nquickly in delicious intercourse; and when Mercury reappeared to lead\nhim back to Hades, the loving wife, unable to endure a second parting,\ndied of grief.\n\nThe same grave, it is said, was the resting place of this united pair,\nand kind-hearted nymphs planted elm trees over their remains. These\ntrees grew \"until they were high enough to command a view of Troy, and\nthen withered away, while fresh branches sprang from the roots.\"\n\n \"Upon the side\n Of Hellespont (such faith was entertained)\n A knot of spiry trees for ages grew\n From out the tomb of him for whom she died;\n And ever, when such stature they had gained\n That Ilium's walls were subject to their view,\n The trees' tall summits withered at the sight;\n A constant interchange of growth and blight!\"\n\n Wordsworth.\n\nHostilities had now begun, and the war between the conflicting hosts\nwas waged with equal courage and skill. During nine long years of\nuninterrupted strife, the Greeks' efforts to enter Troy, or Ilium, as\nit was also called, were vain, as were also the Trojans' attempts to\nforce the foe to leave their shores. This memorable struggle is the\ntheme of many poems. The oldest and most renowned of all, the Iliad,\nbegins with the story of the tenth and last year's events.\n\n[Sidenote: Chryseis and Briseis.]\n\nAmong a number of captives taken in a skirmish by the Hellenic troops,\nwere two beautiful maidens, Chryseis, daughter of Chryses, priest of\nApollo, and Briseis. The prisoners were, as usual, allotted to various\nchiefs, and Agamemnon received the priest's daughter as reward for his\nbravery, while Achilles triumphantly led to his tent the equally fair\nBriseis.\n\nWhen Chryses heard that his child had fallen into the hands of the\nenemy, he hastened to Agamemnon's tent to offer a rich ransom for her\nrecovery; but the aged father's entreaties were all unheeded, and he\nwas dismissed with many heartless taunts. Exasperated by this cruel\ntreatment, he raised his hands to heaven, and implored Apollo to\navenge the insults he had received by sending down upon the Greeks all\nmanner of evil. This prayer was no sooner heard than answered, by the\nsun god's sending a terrible plague to decimate the enemy's troops.\n\n \"The aged man indignantly withdrew;\n And Phoebus--for the priest was dear to him--\n Granted his prayer, and sent among the Greeks\n A deadly shaft. The people of the camp\n Were perishing in heaps.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThe Greeks, in terror, now consulted an oracle to know why this\ncalamity had come upon them, and how they might check the progress of\nthe deadly disease which was so rapidly reducing their forces. They\nwere told that the plague would never cease until Agamemnon\nsurrendered his captive, and thus disarmed Apollo's wrath, which had\nbeen kindled by his rude refusal to comply with the aged priest's\nrequest.\n\nAll the Greek chiefs, assembled in council, decided to send Achilles\nto Agamemnon to apprise him of their wish that he should set Chryseis\nfree,--a wish which he immediately consented to grant, if Briseis were\ngiven him in exchange.\n\nThe plague was raging throughout the camp; the cries of the sufferers\nrent the air; many had already succumbed to the scourge, and all were\nthreatened with an inglorious death. Achilles, mindful of all this,\nand anxious to save his beloved companions, consented to comply with\nthis unreasonable request; but at the same time he swore, that, if\nAgamemnon really took his captive away, he would not strike another\nblow.\n\nChryseis was immediately consigned to the care of a herald, who led\nher back to her aged father's arms. Ready to forgive all, now that his\nchild was restored to him, Chryses implored Apollo to stay his hand,\nand the plague instantly ceased.\n\nAs for Agamemnon, he sent his slaves to Achilles' tent to lead away\nBriseis; and the hero, true to his promise, laid aside his armor,\ndetermined to fight no more.\n\n \"The great Achilles, swift of foot, remained\n Within his ships, indignant for the sake\n Of the fair-haired Briseis.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Achilles' wrath.]\n\nThetis, hearing of the wanton insult offered her son, left her coral\ncaves, ascended to Olympus, cast herself at Jupiter's feet, and with\nmany tears tremulously prayed he would avenge Achilles and make the\nGreeks fail in all their attempts as long as her son's wrath remained\nunappeased.\n\nJupiter, touched by her beauty and distress, frowned until the very\nfirmament shook, and swore to make the Greeks rue the day they left\ntheir native shores,\n\n \"To give Achilles honor and to cause\n Myriads of Greeks to perish by their fleet.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Agamemnon misled.]\n\nIn consequence of a treacherous dream purposely sent by Jupiter to\ndelude him, Agamemnon again assembled his troops, and proposed a new\nonslaught upon the Trojan forces. But when the army was drawn up in\nbattle array, Hector, the eldest son of Priam, and therefore leader of\nhis army, stepping forward, proposed that the prolonged quarrel should\nbe definitely settled by a single combat between Paris and Menelaus.\n\n \"Hector then stood forth and said:--\n 'Hearken, ye Trojans and ye nobly-armed\n Achaians, to what Paris says by me.\n He bids the Trojans and the Greeks lay down\n Their shining arms upon the teeming earth,\n And he and Menelaus, loved of Mars,\n Will strive in single combat, on the ground\n Between the hosts, for Helen and her wealth;\n And he who shall o'ercome, and prove himself\n The better warrior, to his home shall bear\n The treasure and the woman, while the rest\n Shall frame a solemn covenant of peace.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Menelaus and Paris fight.]\n\nThis proposal having been received favorably, Menelaus and Paris soon\nengaged in a duel, which was witnessed by both armies, by Helen and\nPriam from the Trojan walls, and by the everlasting gods from the\nwooded heights of Mount Ida; but in the very midst of the fight,\nVenus, seeing her favorite about to succumb, suddenly snatched him\naway from the battlefield, and bore him unseen to his chamber, where\nhe was joined by Helen, who bitterly reproached him for his cowardly\nflight.\n\nIndignant at this interference on Venus' part, the gods decreed that\nthe war should be renewed; and Minerva, assuming the form of a Trojan\nwarrior, aimed an arrow at Menelaus, who was vainly seeking his\nvanished opponent. This act of treachery was the signal for a general\ncall to arms and a renewal of hostilities. Countless deeds of valor\nwere now performed by the heroes on both sides, and also by the gods,\nwho mingled in the ranks and even fought against each other, until\nrecalled by Jupiter, and forbidden to fight any more.\n\n[Sidenote: Hector and Andromache.]\n\nFor a little while fortune seemed to favor the Greeks; and Hector,\nhastening back to Troy, bade his mother go to the temple with all her\nwomen, and endeavor by her prayers and gifts to propitiate Minerva and\nobtain her aid. Then he hastened off in search of his wife Andromache\nand little son Astyanax, whom he wished to embrace once more before\nrushing out to battle and possible death.\n\nHe found his palace deserted, and, upon questioning the women, heard\nthat his wife had gone to the Sc\u00e6an Gate, where he now drove as fast\nas his noble steeds could drag him. There, at the gate, took place the\nparting scene, which has deservedly been called the most pathetic in\nall the Iliad, in which Andromache vainly tried to detain her husband\nwithin the walls, while Hector gently reproved her, and demonstrated\nthat his duty called him out upon the field of battle, where he must\nhold his own if he would not see the city taken, the Trojans slain,\nand the women, including his mother and beloved Andromache, borne away\ninto bitter captivity.\n\n [Illustration: PARTING OF HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE.--Maignan.]\n\n \"Andromache\n Pressed to his side meanwhile, and, all in tears,\n Clung to his hand, and, thus beginning, said:--\n 'Too brave! thy valor yet will cause thy death.\n Thou hast no pity on thy tender child,\n Nor me, unhappy one, who soon must be\n Thy widow. All the Greeks will rush on thee\n To take thy life. A happier lot were mine,\n If I must lose thee, to go down to earth,\n For I shall have no hope when thou art gone,--\n Nothing but sorrow. Father have I none,\n And no dear mother.\n\n * * * * *\n\n Hector, thou\n Art father and dear mother now to me,\n And brother and my youthful spouse besides.\n In pity keep within the fortress here,\n Nor make thy child an orphan nor thy wife\n A widow.'\n Then answered Hector, great in war: 'All this\n I bear in mind, dear wife; but I should stand\n Ashamed before the men and long-robed dames\n Of Troy, were I to keep aloof and shun\n The conflict, coward-like.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThen he stretched out his arms for his infant son, who, however,\nshrank back affrighted at the sight of his brilliant helmet and\nnodding plumes, and would not go to him until he had set the gleaming\nheaddress aside. After a passionate prayer for his little heir's\nfuture welfare, Hector gave the child back to Andromache, and, with a\nlast farewell embrace, sprang into his chariot and drove away.\n\n \"'Sorrow not thus, beloved one, for me.\n No living man can send me to the shades\n Before my time; no man of woman born,\n Coward or brave, can shun his destiny.\n But go thou home, and tend thy labors there,--\n The web, the distaff,--and command thy maids\n To speed the work. The cares of war pertain\n To all men born in Troy, and most to me.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Greeks repelled.]\n\nParis, ashamed now of his former flight, soon joined his brother upon\nthe battlefield, and together they performed many deeds of valor. The\ntime had now come when Jupiter was about to redeem the promise given\nto Thetis, for little by little the Greeks were forced to yield before\nthe might of the Trojans, who, stimulated by their partial success,\nand fired by Hector's example, performed miracles of valor, and\nfinally drove their assailants into their intrenchments.\n\nDeath and defeat now dogged the very footsteps of the Greek forces,\nwho were driven, inch by inch, away from the walls, ever nearer the\nplace where their vessels rode at anchor. They now ardently longed for\nthe assistance of Achilles, whose mere presence, in days gone by, had\nfilled the Trojan hearts with terror; but the hero, although Briseis\nhad been returned unmolested, paid no heed to their entreaties for\naid, and remained a sullen and indifferent spectator of their flight,\nwhile the Trojans began to set fire to some of the vessels of their\nfleet.\n\n \"The goddess-born Achilles, swift of foot,\n Beside his ships still brooded o'er his wrath,\n Nor came to counsel with the illustrious chiefs,\n Nor to the war, but suffered idleness\n To eat his heart away; for well he loved\n Clamor and combat.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nDiscouraged by all these reverses, in spite of their brave resistance,\nthe Greeks, in despair, concluded that the gods had entirely forsaken\nthem, and beat a hasty and ignominious retreat to the shore, closely\nfollowed by the enemy, who uttered loud cries of triumph.\n\n[Sidenote: Patroclus dons Achilles' armor.]\n\nPatroclus, Achilles' intimate friend, then hastened to the hero's side\nto inform him of his comrades' flight, and implore him once more to\nrescue them from inevitable death. But Achilles, summoning all his\npride to his assistance, did not waver in his resolve. Suddenly\nPatroclus remembered that the mere sight of Achilles' armor might\nsuffice to arrest the enemy's advance and produce a diversion in favor\nof the Greeks: so he asked permission to wear it and lead the\nMyrmidons, Achilles' trusty followers, into the fray.\n\n \"Send me at least into the war,\n And let me lead thy Myrmidons, that thus\n The Greeks may have some gleam of hope. And give\n The armor from thy shoulders. I will wear\n Thy mail, and then the Trojans, at the sight,\n May think I am Achilles, and may pause\n From fighting, and the warlike sons of Greece,\n Tired as they are, may breathe once more, and gain\n A respite from the conflict.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nAchilles had sworn, it is true, not to return to the scene of strife,\nbut was quite willing to lend men and arms, if they might be of any\nuse, and immediately placed them at his friend's disposal. Hastily\nPatroclus donned the glittering armor, called aloud to the Myrmidons\nto follow his lead, and rushed forth to encounter the enemy.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Patroclus.]\n\nThe Trojans paused in dismay, thinking Achilles had come, and were\nabout to take flight, when all at once they discovered the fraud. With\nrenewed courage, they opposed the Greek onslaught. Many heroes bit the\ndust in this encounter, among others Sarpedon, the son of Jupiter and\nEuropa (p. 45),--whose remains were borne away from the battlefield by\nthe twin divinities Sleep and Death,--ere Hector, son of Priam, and\nchief among the Trojan warriors, challenged Patroclus to single\ncombat. Needless to say, the two closed in deadly battle, and fought\nwith equal valor, until Patroclus, already exhausted by his previous\nefforts, and betrayed by the gods, finally succumbed.\n\n \"The hero fell\n With clashing mail, and all the Greeks beheld\n His fall with grief.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nWith a loud cry of victory, Hector wrenched the armor off the mangled\ncorpse, and quickly withdrew to array himself in the brilliant spoils.\nThe tidings of Patroclus' fall spread rapidly all through the Grecian\ncamp, and reached Achilles, who wept aloud when he heard that his\nbeloved friend, who had left him but a short time before full of life\nand energy, was now no more. So noisily did the hero mourn his loss,\nthat Thetis, in the quiet ocean depths, heard his groans, and rushed\nto his side to ascertain their cause.\n\n[Sidenote: Achilles' grief.]\n\nInto his mother's sympathetic ear Achilles poured the whole story of\nhis grief and loss, while she gently strove to turn his thoughts aside\nfrom the sad event, and arouse an interest for some pursuit less\ndangerous than war. All her efforts were vain, however; for Achilles'\nsoul thirsted for revenge, and he repeatedly swore he would go forth\nand slay his friend's murderer.\n\n \"No wish\n Have I to live, or to concern myself\n In men's affairs, save this: that Hector first,\n Pierced by my spear, shall yield his life, and pay\n The debt of vengeance for Patroclus slain.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThen, in sudden dread lest Hector should fall by another's hand, or\nwithdraw from the battlefield and thus escape his vengeance, Achilles\nwould have rushed from his tent unarmed; but his mother prevailed upon\nhim to wait until the morrow, when she promised to bring him a full\nsuit of armor from Vulcan's own hand. Rapidly Thetis then traversed\nthe wide space which separates the coast of Asia Minor from Mount\n\u00c6tna, where Vulcan labored at his forge.\n\n \"She found him there\n Sweating and toiling, and with busy hand\n Plying the bellows.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Achilles' armor.]\n\nArrived before him, she breathlessly made known her errand, and the\ngod promised that the arms should be ready within the given time, and\nimmediately set to work to fashion them. By his skillful hands the\nmarvelous weapons were forged; and when the first streak of light\nappeared above the horizon, he consigned them to Thetis, who hastened\nback to her son's tent, where she found him still bewailing the loss\nof Patroclus.\n\n [Illustration: THETIS BEARING THE ARMOR OF ACHILLES.--G\u00e9rard.]\n\nDuring Thetis' absence, messengers had come to Achilles' tent to warn\nhim that Patroclus' body was still in the enemy's hands, and to\nimplore him to come and rescue the precious corpse. Mindful of his\npromise to his mother, Achilles still refused to fight, but, springing\nupon the rampart, uttered his mighty war-cry, the sound of which\nfilled the enemy's hearts with terror, and made them yield to the\nwell-directed onslaught of Ajax and Diomedes, who finally succeeded in\nrecovering the body, which they then reverently bore to Achilles'\ntent.\n\nTo console Achilles for his friend's death, Thetis exhibited the\nglorious armor she had just obtained, helped him put it on, and then\nbade him go forth and conquer.\n\n \"'Leave we the dead, my son, since it hath pleased\n The gods that he should fall; and now receive\n This sumptuous armor, forged by Vulcan's hand,\n Beautiful, such as no man ever wore.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Hector.]\n\nThus armed, mounted in his chariot drawn by his favorite steeds, and\ndriven by his faithful charioteer Automedon, Achilles went forth to\nbattle, and finally seeing Hector, whom alone he wished to meet, he\nrushed upon him with a hoarse cry of rage. The Trojan hero, at the\nmere sight of the deadly hatred which shone in Achilles' eyes, turned\nto flee. Achilles pursued him, and taunted him with his cowardice,\nuntil Hector turned and fought with all the courage and recklessness\nof despair.\n\nTheir blows fell like hail, a cloud of dust enveloped their struggling\nforms, and the anxious witnesses only heard the dull thud of the blows\nand the metallic clash of the weapons. Suddenly there came a loud cry,\nthen all was still; and when the dust-cloud had blown away, the\nTrojans from the ramparts, where they had waited in agony for the\nissue of the fight, beheld Achilles tear the armor from their\nchampion's body, bind the corpse to his chariot, and drive nine times\nround the city walls, Hector's princely head dragging in the dust.\nPriam, Hecuba, and Andromache, Hector's beautiful young wife,\ntearfully watched this ignominious treatment, and finally saw Achilles\ndrive off to the spot where Patroclus' funeral pile was laid, and\nthere abandon the corpse.\n\nAchilles then returned to his tent, where for a long time he\ncontinued to mourn his friend's untimely end, refusing to be\ncomforted.\n\n[Sidenote: The gods' decree.]\n\nThe gods, from their celestial abode, had also witnessed this\nheartrending scene, and now Jupiter sent Iris to Thetis, and bade her\nhasten down to Achilles and command him to restore Hector's body to\nhis mourning family. He also directed Mercury to lead Priam, unseen,\ninto Achilles' tent, to claim and bear away his son's desecrated\ncorpse. Thetis, seeking Achilles in his tent, announced the will of\nJove:--\n\n \"I am come\n A messenger from Jove, who bids me say\n The immortals are offended, and himself\n The most, that thou shouldst in thy spite detain\n The corse of Hector at the beaked ships,\n Refusing its release. Comply thou, then,\n And take the ransom and restore the dead.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Return of Hector's body.]\n\nMercury acquitted himself with his usual dispatch, and soon guided\nPriam in safety through the Grecian camp to Achilles' tent, where the\naged king fell at the hero's feet, humbly pleading for his son's body,\nand proffering a princely ransom in exchange.\n\nAchilles, no longer able to refuse this entreaty, and touched by a\nfather's tears, consigned Hector's corpse to the old man's care, and\npromised an armistice of fourteen days, that the funeral rites in both\ncamps might be celebrated with all due pomp and solemnity; and with\nthe burial of Hector the Iliad comes to a close.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Penthesilea.]\n\nAt the end of the truce the hostilities were renewed, and the Trojans\nwere reinforced by the arrival of Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons,\nwho, with a chosen troop of warrior maidens, came to offer her aid.\nThe brave queen afforded them, however, only temporary relief, as she\nwas slain by Achilles in their very first encounter.\n\nHe, too, however, was doomed to die \"in the flower of his youth and\nbeauty,\" and the Fates had almost finished spinning his thread of\nlife. In an early skirmish, while in close pursuit of the Trojans,\nThetis' son had once caught sight of Polyxena, daughter of Priam, and\nhad been deeply smitten by her girlish charms. He now vainly tried to\nmake peace between the conflicting nations, hoping that, were the war\nbut ended, he might obtain her hand in marriage.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Achilles.]\n\nHis efforts to make peace failed; but at last he prevailed upon Priam\nto celebrate his betrothal with Polyxena, with the stipulation that\nthe marriage would take place as soon as the war was over. The\nbetrothal ceremony was held without the city gates; and Achilles was\njust about to part from his blushing betrothed, when Paris, ever\ntreacherous, stole behind him and shot a poisoned arrow into his\nvulnerable heel, thus slaying the hero who had caused so many brave\nwarriors to bite the dust.\n\n \"Thus great Achilles, who had shown his zeal\n In healing wounds, died of a wounded heel.\"\n\n O. W. Holmes.\n\nHis armor--the glorious armor forged by Vulcan--was hotly contested\nfor by Ulysses and Ajax. The former finally obtained the coveted\nweapons; and Ajax' grief at their loss was so intense, that he became\ninsane, and killed himself in a fit of frenzy, while Polyxena,\ninconsolable at her betrothed's death, committed suicide on the\nmagnificent tomb erected over his remains on the Trojan plain.\n\n[Sidenote: Philoctetes' arrows.]\n\nThe oracles, silent so long, now announced that Troy could never be\ntaken without the poisoned arrows of Hercules, then in the keeping of\nPhiloctetes (p. 238). This hero had started with the expedition, but\nhad been put ashore on the Island of Lemnos on account of a wound in\nhis foot, which had become so offensive that none of the ship's\ncompany could endure his presence on board.\n\nTen long years had already elapsed since then, and, although a party\nof Greeks immediately set out in search of him, they had but little\nhope of finding him alive. They nevertheless wended their way to the\ncave where they had deposited him, where, to their unbounded surprise,\nthey still found him. The wound had not healed, but he had managed to\nexist by killing such game as came within reach of his hand.\n\n \"Exposed to the inclement skies,\n Deserted and forlorn he lies;\n No friend or fellow-mourner there,\n To soothe his sorrows, and divide his care;\n Or seek the healing plant, of power to 'suage\n His aching wound, and mitigate its rage.\"\n\n Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).\n\nIncensed by the Greeks' former cruel desertion, no entreaty could now\ninduce Philoctetes to accompany the messengers to Troy, until Hercules\nappeared to him in a dream, and bade him go without delay, for there\nhe would find Machaon (p. 64), \u00c6sculapius' son, who was to heal his\nwound.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Paris and Oenone.]\n\nThe dream was realized. Philoctetes, whole once more, joined the Greek\nhost, and caused great dismay in the enemy's ranks with his poisoned\narrows. One of his deadly missiles even struck Paris, and, as the\npoison entered his veins, it caused him grievous suffering. Paris then\nremembered that his first love, Oenone, who knew all remedies and the\nbest modes of applying them, had once told him to send for her should\nhe ever be wounded. He therefore sent for Oenone; but she, justly\noffended by the base desertion and long neglect of her lover, refused\nher aid, and let him die in torture. When he was dead, Oenone repented\nof this decision; and when the flames of his funeral pyre rose around\nhim, she rushed into their midst, and was burned to death on his\ncorpse.\n\n \"But when she gain'd the broader vale and saw\n The ring of faces redden'd by the flames\n Infolding that dark body which had lain\n Of old in her embrace, paused--and then ask'd\n Falteringly, 'Who lies on yonder pyre?'\n But every man was mute for reverence.\n Then moving quickly forward till the heat\n Smote on her brow, she lifted up a voice\n Of shrill command, 'Who burns upon the pyre?'\n Whereon their oldest and their boldest said,\n 'He, whom thou would'st not heal!' and all at once\n The morning light of happy marriage broke,\n Thro' all the clouded years of widowhood,\n And muffling up her comely head, and crying\n 'Husband!' she leapt upon the funeral pile,\n And mixt herself with _him_ and past in fire.\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\n[Sidenote: The Palladium.]\n\nTwo of Priam's sons had already expired, and yet Troy had not fallen\ninto the hands of the Greeks, who now heard another prophecy, to the\neffect that Troy could never be taken as long as the Palladium--a\nsacred statue of Minerva, said to have fallen from heaven--remained\nwithin its walls (p. 60). So Ulysses and Diomedes in disguise effected\nan entrance into the city one night, and after many difficulties\nsucceeded in escaping with the precious image.\n\n[Sidenote: The wooden horse.]\n\nMen and chiefs, impatient of further delay, now joyfully hailed\nUlysses' proposal to take the city by stratagem. They therefore\nsecretly built a colossal wooden horse, within whose hollow sides a\nnumber of brave warriors might lie concealed. The main army feigned\nweariness of the endless enterprise, and embarked, leaving the horse\nas a pretended offering to Minerva; while Sinon, a shrewd slave,\nremained to persuade the Trojans to drag the horse within their gates\nand keep him there, a lasting monument of their hard-won triumph.\n\nTo the unbounded joy of the long-besieged Trojans, the Greek fleet\nthen sailed away, until the Island of Tenedos hid the ships from view.\nAll the inhabitants of Troy poured out of the city to view the wooden\nhorse, and question Sinon, who pretended to have great cause of\ncomplaint against the Greeks, and strongly advised them to secure\ntheir last offering to Minerva.\n\nThe Trojans hailed this idea with rapture; but Laocoon, a Trojan\npriest, implored them to leave the horse alone, lest they should bring\nuntold evil upon their heads.\n\n \"'Wretched countrymen,' he cries,\n 'What monstrous madness blinds your eyes?\n\n * * * * *\n\n Perchance--who knows?--these planks of deal\n A Grecian ambuscade conceal,\n Or 'tis a pile to o'erlook the town,\n And pour from high invaders down,\n Or fraud lurks somewhere to destroy:\n Mistrust, mistrust it, men of Troy!'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Laocoon.]\n\nDeaf to all warnings and entreaties, they dragged the colossal image\ninto the very heart of their city, tearing down a portion of their\nramparts to allow its passage, while Laocoon hastened down to the\nshore to offer sacrifice to the gods. As he stood there by the\nimprovised altar, with one of his sons on either side to assist him in\nhis office, two huge serpents came out of the sea, coiled themselves\naround him and his sons, and crushed and bit them to death.\n\n \"Unswerving they\n Toward Laocoon hold their way;\n First round his two young sons they wreathe,\n And grind their limbs with savage teeth:\n Then, as with arms he comes to aid,\n The wretched father they invade\n And twine in giant folds: twice round\n His stalwart waist their spires are wound,\n Twice round his neck, while over all\n Their heads and crests tower high and tall.\n He strains his strength their knots to tear,\n While gore and slime his fillets smear,\n And to the unregardful skies\n Sends up his agonizing cries.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n [Illustration: LAOCOON. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\nThe awestruck witnesses of this terrible scene, of course, declared\nthat the gods resented his interference concerning the wooden horse,\nand had justly punished the sacrilegious hand which had dared strike\nit with a spear, merely to demonstrate, that, being hollow, it might\ncontain an armed band. Ever since then, Laocoon and his sons' struggle\nwith the serpents has been a favorite subject for poets and artists.\n\n[Sidenote: Fall of Troy.]\n\nIn the mean while, the Greeks had been hiding behind Tenedos; but when\nnight came on, they returned to the site of their ten-years'\nencampment, and were let into the city by Sinon, who also released\ntheir companions from their prison within the wooden horse. Although\ntaken by surprise, the city guards made desperate attempts to repel\nthe Greeks; but it was now too late, for the enemy had already broken\ninto houses and palaces, and were killing, pillaging, and burning all\nin their way.\n\n \"The melancholy years,\n The miserable melancholy years,\n Crept onward till the midnight terror came,\n And by the glare of burning streets I saw\n Palace and temple reel in ruin and fall,\n And the long-baffled legions, bursting in\n Through gate and bastion, blunted sword and spear\n With unresisted slaughter.\"\n\n Lewis Morris.\n\nThe royal family, even, was not exempt from the general massacre; and\nthe aged Priam, who lived to see his last son perish before his eyes,\nfinally found relief in death.\n\n[Sidenote: Return of the Greeks.]\n\nTheir object accomplished, the Greeks immediately sailed for home,\ntheir vessels heavily laden with plunder and slaves. But the homeward\njourney was not as joyful as might have been expected; and many, after\nescaping from the enemy's hands, perished in the waves, or found death\nlying in wait for them by their own fireside.\n\nMenelaus, with his wife Helen, who, in spite of the added ten years,\nretained all her youthful beauty, were detained in Egypt by contrary\nwinds, sent to punish them for omitting the usual sacrifice to the\ngods. He at last consulted Proteus, who revealed how the wrath of the\ngods could best be allayed, and how favorable winds could be secured\nto waft him home.\n\nAs for Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks, he returned to Argos only to\nbe murdered by his wife Clyt\u00e6mnestra and her paramour \u00c6gisthus.\n\n \"'\u00c6gisthus, bent upon my death,\n Plotted against me with my guilty wife,\n And bade me to his house, and slew me there,\n Even at the banquet.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThen, mortally afraid lest Orestes, Agamemnon's son, should avenge his\nfather's death, \u00c6gisthus prepared to slay him too; but Electra, the\nboy's sister, discovering this intention, helped him to escape, and\nplaced him under the fatherly protection of Strophius, King of Phocis,\nwhose son, Pylades, became his inseparable friend. In fact, their\ndevotion to each other was so great, that it has become proverbial in\nevery tongue.\n\nElectra had not forgotten her father's base murder, although years had\nelapsed since it occurred; and when Orestes had attained manhood, she\nbade him come and punish those who had committed the crime. Orestes\ncame, slew \u00c6gisthus and Clyt\u00e6mnestra, and then, terrified at what he\nhad done, took flight, but only to be pursued by the Furies and\nNemesis, goddess of revenge, sent by the gods to punish him for taking\njustice into his own hands.\n\nArrived at Delphi, Orestes consulted the oracle, and learned that his\ncrime would be forgiven if he brought a statue of Diana in Tauris back\nto Greece. The young prince hastened thither, accompanied by the\never-faithful Pylades, who never left his side; and there, in a\ntemple, he found his long-lost sister Iphigenia, who helped him obtain\nthe image he sought, and accompanied him back to his native land,\nwhere Nemesis left him forever.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVIII.\n\nADVENTURES OF ULYSSES.\n\n\nThe Greek chiefs, on their return from Troy, were, as we have seen,\nall more or less visited by the wrath of the gods; but none of them\nendured as many hardships as Ulysses (Odysseus), King of Ithaca, the\nhero of Homer's world-renowned epic the Odyssey. During ten long years\nhe roamed the seas, driven away from his native land by adverse winds,\nsailing about from place to place, losing his ships and companions,\nuntil at last the gods allowed him to return home. His marvelous\nadventures and numerous mishaps during these ten years form the theme\nof the Odyssey, which is about as follows.\n\n[Sidenote: Siege of Ismarus.]\n\nAfter leaving Troy in ruins, Ulysses embarked with his men and spoils,\nand, favored by a good wind, soon came within sight of Ismarus, the\nhome of the worthy and wealthy Ciconians. To increase the riches he\nwas carrying home, he proposed to his army to land and storm the\ncity,--a proposal which was enthusiastically received and immediately\ncarried out.\n\nBut when the men collected near the fleet, instead of embarking as\nUlysses urged them to do, they began to drink the rich wine, to roast\noxen whole, and to indulge in games and revelry. While they were thus\nemployed and entirely off their guard, the neighbors and allies of the\nCiconians came upon them unawares, and put many to death.\n\nThe Greeks, although taken by surprise, fought bravely; but it was\nonly when the sun was fast sinking, that they finally embarked, and\nleft the fatal Ciconian shores.\n\n \"Onward we sailed, lamenting bitterly\n Our comrades slain, yet happy to escape\n From death ourselves.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The Lotus-eaters.]\n\nA hurricane soon arose. The flying clouds blotted the stars from view.\nThe vessels, with broken masts and torn sails, were driven far out of\ntheir course, and, after ten days, reached the land of the Lotophagi\nor Lotus-eaters,--a people whose sole food consisted of lotus fruit\nand blossoms.\n\nThree of Ulysses' best men were sent ashore to reconnoiter: but they\nhad not gone very far before they met the natives, seated under their\nfavorite trees, banqueting on their sweet food. These received the\nstrangers hospitably, and made them partake of the lotus blossoms; but\nno sooner had the three men done so, than all recollection of their\nwaiting companions or distant homes passed from their minds, while a\ndreamy, lethargic sensation stole over them, and made them long to\nrecline there and feast forever.\n\n \"Whoever tasted once of that sweet food\n Wished not to see his native country more,\n Nor give his friends the knowledge of his fate.\n And then my messengers desired to dwell\n Among the Lotus-eaters, and to feed\n Upon the lotus, never to return.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nUlysses impatiently watched for their return; then, seeing they did\nnot appear, feared some evil had befallen them, and set out, with a\nfew well-armed men, to go in search of them. Instead of finding them\nin chains, as he fully expected, he soon perceived them feasting among\nthe Lotus-eaters. Their eyes had lost all animation, and rested upon\nhim in a vague, dreamy way, which aroused his suspicions. At the same\nmoment some of the Lotus-eaters advanced to invite him and his troop\nto join in their feast.\n\n \"Branches they bore of that enchanted stem,\n Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave\n To each, but whoso did receive of them,\n And taste, to him the gushing of the wave\n Far, far away did seem to mourn and rave\n On alien shores; and if his fellow spake,\n His voice was thin, as voices from the grave;\n And deep asleep he seem'd, yet all awake,\n And music in his ears his beating heart did make.\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\nIn peremptory tones Ulysses quickly forbade his men to taste of the\nmagic food, directed them to seize and bind their unwilling comrades,\nand forcibly take them back to their ships. There the magic effect of\nthe lotus food soon wore away, and the men rowed steadily westward,\nuntil they came to the Island of Sicily, then inhabited by the\nCyclopes, a rude race of one-eyed giants.\n\n \"A single ball of sight was fix'd\n In their mid-forehead: hence the Cyclops' name:\n For that one circular eye was broad infix'd\n In the mid-forehead:--strength was theirs, and force,\n And craft of curious toil.\"\n\n Hesiod (Elton's tr.).\n\nThe main part of the fleet was stationed at another island not far\ndistant, but Ulysses and twelve companions landed in Sicily in search\nof food. The prospect was promising, for on the plains and hillsides\ngreat flocks of sheep cropped the tender grass; and Ulysses and his\nfollowers soon came to a great cave filled with rich stores of milk\nand cheese. This was the abode of Polyphemus, son of Neptune, the\nlargest and fiercest among the gigantic Cyclopean race. The Greeks'\nfirst impulse was to help themselves, since no one was there to say\nthem nay; but they finally decided to await the master's home-coming,\nand courteously ask his assistance. They had moored their vessel under\nan overhanging cliff, where no one would be likely to find it, and had\ntherefore no fear lest their means of escape should be cut off.\n\n [Illustration: TRIUMPH OF GALATEA.--Raphael.]\n\n[Sidenote: Polyphemus and Galatea.]\n\nPolyphemus, the ugly giant in whose cave they were waiting, had once\nseen the charming sea nymph Galatea riding in her pearl-shell chariot\ndrawn by bounding dolphins. Her unsurpassed loveliness made a vivid\nimpression upon him, and he was soon deeply in love with her. He\nneglected his flocks, shunned his companions, and spent all his time\nnear the seashore, watching for her, and bitterly cursing his fate,\nwhich prevented his seeking her in her native element, for the gods\nhad cursed the race of Cyclops with an unconquerable aversion to\nwater. He\n\n --\"lov'd\n Not in the little present-making style,\n With baskets of new fruit and pots of roses,\n But with consuming passion. Many a time\n Would his flocks go home by themselves at eve,\n Leaving him wasting by the dark seashore,\n And sunrise would behold him wasting still.\"\n\n Theocritus (Hunt's tr.).\n\nTo induce Galatea to leave the salt sea waves and linger by his side\non the white sandy beach, Polyphemus constantly made the most\nextravagant promises; but the dainty nymph merely laughed at all his\nprofessions, and strolled on the shore only when he was sound asleep.\nAlthough she made fun of his love, she was not so obdurate to the suit\nof Acis, a very fascinating young shepherd, who had no need to call\nher repeatedly; for she always yielded to his first appeal, joyfully\njoined him, and sat beside him under the shade of some great rock,\nlistening to his tender wooing.\n\n [Illustration: ACIS AND GALATEA (Evening).--Claude Lorraine. (St.\n Petersburg.)]\n\nPolyphemus once accidentally came upon them thus, ere they were aware\nof his proximity. For a moment he glared down upon them; then, seizing\na huge rock, he vowed his rival Acis should not live to enjoy the love\nwhich was denied him, and hurled it down upon the unsuspecting lovers.\nGalatea, the goddess, being immortal, escaped unhurt; but poor Acis,\nher beloved, was crushed to death. The stream of blood from his\nmangled remains was changed by the gods into an exhaustless stream\nof limpid water, which ever hastened down to the sea to join Galatea.\n\n[Sidenote: Polyphemus' cave.]\n\nUlysses and his companions, waiting in the cave, soon felt the ground\nshake beneath their feet, and saw the sheep throng into the cave and\ntake their usual places; then behind them came the horrible apparition\nof Polyphemus, who picked up a huge rock and placed it before the\nopening of the cave, preventing all egress. Ulysses' companions had\nshrunk with fear into the darkest corners of the cave, whence they\nwatched the giant milk his ewes, dispose of his cheeses, and make his\nevening meal. But the firelight soon revealed the intruders; and\nPolyphemus immediately demanded who they were, whence they came, and\nwhat they were seeking.\n\nUlysses, ever wily, replied that his name was No man, that he and his\ncompanions were shipwrecked mariners, and that they would fain receive\nhis hospitality. In answer to this statement, the Cyclops stretched\nforth his huge hand and grasped two of the sailors, whom he proceeded\nto devour for dessert. Then, his frightful repast being ended, he lay\ndown on the rushes and fell asleep, his loud snores reverberating like\nthunder through the great cave.\n\nUlysses silently crept to his side, sword in hand, and was about to\nkill him, when he suddenly recollected that neither he nor his men\ncould move the rock at the cave's mouth, and that they would never be\nable to escape. He therefore resolved to have recourse to a stratagem.\n\nWhen morning came, the giant rose, milked his flock, made his cheese,\narranged the vessels, and then, without the least warning, again\nseized and devoured two of the Greeks. His brawny arm next pushed\naside the rock, and he stood beside it with watchful eye, until all\nhis herd had passed out; then, replacing the stone to prevent the\nescape of his prisoners, he went off to the distant pasture ground.\n\nDuring his absence, Ulysses and his men devised a cunning plan\nwhereby they hoped to effect their escape, and made all their\npreparations to insure its complete success. A huge pine club which\nthey found in the cave was duly pointed, hardened in the fire, and set\naside for future use.\n\nWhen the darkness began to fall over the earth, Polyphemus again\nrolled the stone away to admit his flocks, keeping careful guard upon\nthe Greeks. The sheep all in, he replaced the rock, performed his\nusual evening duties, and then devoured two of Ulysses' crew.\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses blinds Polyphemus.]\n\nWhen this part of the evening meal was over, Ulysses drew near and\noffered him a leather flask full of heady wine, which the giant took\ndown at a gulp, little suspecting its effect. Very soon he sank into a\ndeep drunken sleep; and then the men, at a sign from Ulysses, heated\nthe point of the huge club and put out his sole eye, in spite of his\nfrightful cries and execrations, which soon attracted the attention of\nthe other Cyclopes.\n\nThey thronged without the cave, clamoring to know who was hurting him.\n\"No man!\" replied the Cyclops, howling with pain, \"No man!\" which\nanswer convinced his would-be helpers that he needed no assistance,\nand made them disperse.\n\n \"'If no man does thee violence, and thou\n Art quite alone, reflect that none escape\n Diseases; they are sent by Jove.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses' escape.]\n\nDeserted by his companions, Polyphemus spent the night in agony; and,\nwhen the anxious lowing of his herd roused him at break of day, he\nfumblingly milked them, and prepared to let them go forth, as usual,\nin search of their morning meal. To avoid the Greeks escaping, he\nrolled the stone only partly aside, and allowed the sheep to pass out\na few at a time, carefully running his hand over each broad back to\nmake sure that none of the prisoners were mounted upon them.\n\nUlysses, in the mean while, having observed this maneuver, fastened\nhis companions under the rams, reserving one for his own use, and\nwatched them pass out one after the other undetected. Then, clinging\nto the wool of the largest ram, he too was slowly dragged out; while\nPolyphemus petted the ram, and inquired how he came to pass out last\nof all.\n\n \"'My favorite ram, how art thou now the last\n To leave the cave? It hath not been thy wont\n To let the sheep go first, but thou didst come\n Earliest to feed among the flowery grass,\n Walking with stately strides, and thou wert first\n At the fresh stream, and first at eve to seek\n The stable; now thou art the last of all.\n Grievest thou for thy master, who has lost\n His eye, put out by a deceitful wretch\n And his vile crew?'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nUlysses, having thus escaped, sprang to his feet, set his companions\nfree, rushed with them down to the seashore, taking the choice animals\non board, and then, when his men had rowed some distance, raised his\nvoice and taunted Polyphemus, revealing at the same time his identity.\n\n \"'Ha! Cyclops! those whom in thy rocky cave\n Thou, in thy brutal fury, hast devoured,\n Were friends of one not unexpert in war;\n Amply have thy own guilty deeds returned\n Upon thee. Cruel one! who didst not fear\n To eat the strangers sheltered by thy roof,\n Jove and the other gods avenge them thus!\n\n * * * * *\n\n Cyclops, if any man of mortal birth\n Note thine unseemly blindness, and inquire\n The occasion, tell him that Laertes' son,\n Ulysses, the destroyer of walled towns,\n Whose home is Ithaca, put out thine eye.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nWith a cry of rage, Polyphemus then ran down to the shore, tore up\nsome huge rocks, which he hurled in the direction whence the taunting\nvoice came, and in his rage almost destroyed the Greeks; for one piece\nof rock fell very near their vessel, and they were forced to redouble\ntheir efforts to row out of reach and prevent disaster.\n\n[Sidenote: Gift of \u00c6olus.]\n\nThe Greeks now sailed on until they reached the \u00c6olian Islands, where\ndwelt \u00c6olus, king and father of the winds. He had heard of Ulysses'\nprowess, received him kindly, and at parting gave him a leather bag\ncontaining all the contrary winds, which Ulysses was thus at liberty\nto retain imprisoned until he had safely reached home (p. 214).\n\nDay and night Ulysses' barks now bounded over the blue waves. On the\nninth evening the shores of Ithaca were discerned by the eager eyes on\nboard, and all made their preparations for landing early the next\nmorning. For the first time since he had left the \u00c6olian shores,\nUlysses now indulged in sleep; and while he was lost in oblivion his\nsailors opened the leather bag, intending to rob their master of a\nportion of his treasure, for they imagined that \u00c6olus had given him\nmuch gold.\n\nThe bag was no sooner opened, than the contrary winds, weary and\ncramped with their uncomfortable position, sprang out with a rush and\na roar, and in a few moments stirred up a terrible storm, which tore\nthe ships from their anchors, and soon drove them far out to sea.\n\nAfter untold suffering, the Greeks landed again upon the \u00c6olian Isle,\nand Ulysses sought the king, to beseech his aid once more; but this\ntime the god received him coldly, and bade him depart, as his cruelty\nto Polyphemus had awakened the gods' wrath.\n\n \"'Hence with thee! Leave our island instantly,\n Vilest of living men! It may not be\n That I receive or aid as he departs\n One who is hated by the blessed gods,--\n And thou art hated by the gods. Away!'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The L\u00e6strygonians.]\n\nSorrowfully now the Greeks embarked; but, instead of being hurried\nalong by favorable winds, they were obliged to row against wind and\nwaves, and only after many days came to the land of the L\u00e6strygonians,\nwhere fresh losses awaited them. These people were cannibals, who were\nin the habit of slaying all the strangers who visited their shores, to\nsatisfy their horrible appetites. When they saw the vessels enter\ntheir harbor, they sunk some of them by casting huge rocks at them\nfrom their tall cliffs, and speared and devoured the unfortunate\ncrews.\n\nUlysses, ever cautious, had lingered without the harbor; and when,\nfrom afar, he saw his companions' horrible fate, he bade his men\nstrike the waves with their \"sounding oars\" and escape.\n\n[Sidenote: Circe, the enchantress.]\n\nThe Greeks went on again until they came to \u00c6\u00e6a, an island inhabited\nby the golden-haired enchantress Circe, sister of \u00c6etes, and aunt of\nMedea. Here Ulysses' crew was divided into two parties, one of which,\nled by Eurylochus, set out to explore the island, while the other,\nheaded by Ulysses, remained to guard the ships. Through a dense\nforest, peopled with strangely gentle wild beasts, Eurylochus led his\nforce, until they came in sight of the beautiful palace home of Circe.\nFrom afar they could hear her sweet voice raised in song, as she wove\na beautiful web for her own adornment: so they pressed eagerly on, and\nentered the palace hall, Eurylochus alone lingering on the porch,\nfearing lest some fraud might suddenly be revealed.\n\nCirce received her self-invited guests most graciously, seated them on\ntapestry-covered couches, and bade her numerous handmaidens speedily\nset before them all manner of good cheer,--an order which was\nimmediately carried out. The men feasted greedily, for they had fasted\nfor many days, and Circe watched them with ill-concealed disgust.\nSuddenly she started from her seat, waved her wand over their heads,\nand bade them assume the form of swine (which obscene animals their\ngluttony suggested), and hie them to their sties.\n\n [Illustration: CIRCE AND THE FRIENDS OF ULYSSES.--Rivi\u00e8re.]\n\n \"Then instantly\n She touched them with a wand, and shut them up\n In sties, transformed to swine in head and voice,\n Bristles and shape, though still the human mind\n Remained to them. Thus sorrowing they were driven\n Into their cells, where Circe flung to them\n Acorns of oak and ilex, and the fruit\n Of cornel, such as nourish wallowing swine.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nEurylochus, meanwhile, vainly awaited their return, and finally\nresolved to go back alone to the ships and report what had happened.\nSword in hand, Ulysses then set out alone to rescue his comrades; but\nhe had not gone far before he met a youth,--Mercury in disguise,--who\nwarned him not to approach any nearer Circe, and told him of his\ncompanions' transformation.\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses and Circe.]\n\nAs Ulysses would not be dissuaded from his purpose, Mercury gave him\nsome moly, an herb warranted to preserve him from Circe's magic\nspells, and sundry important directions, which were all duly listened\nto and observed.\n\nPressing onward, Ulysses reached the palace, entered the banquet room,\ndrank Circe's mixture, which was rendered ineffective by the moly's\npower, and, when she waved her wand over his head and bade him join\nhis fellows, drew his sword and rushed upon her, threatening to take\nher life if she did not immediately restore his friends to their human\nforms, and promise to do them no further harm.\n\nCirce, terrified at the threat, agreed to comply with all his demands;\nand in a few moments Ulysses was again surrounded by his companions,\nwho were touchingly grateful for their rescue. Circe now prepared a\nsecond feast, and entertained them all so well, that Ulysses lingered\nthere for one whole year.\n\n \"And there from day to day\n We lingered a full year, and banqueted\n Nobly on plenteous meats and delicate wines.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses visits Cimmeria.]\n\nAt the end of that time, Ulysses' companions began to long for their\nown homes, and prevailed upon their chief to leave the fair\nenchantress Circe. At first she was loath to let him go; but, seeing\nthat her efforts to detain him longer would be of no avail, she bade\nhim seek the Cimmerian shores, and there consult the seer Tiresias.\nThis land, which lay on the confines of Pluto's dark realm, was\ninhabited by shadows, the spirits of the dead, condemned to sojourn\nthere a while ere they were admitted into Hades.\n\nUlysses embarked, and, according to Circe's directions, let his vessel\ndrift along until its prow grated on a pebbly beach, where he landed.\nThen, walking straight before him, he came to a spot whence he could\nhear the roar of the Phlegethon as it joined the Acheron, and here he\ndug a trench with his sword.\n\nThe trench finished, he killed two black victims, furnished by Circe,\nand made their blood flow into the trench. Immediately all the spirits\ncrowded about him, eager to drink the fresh blood; but Ulysses, with\ndrawn sword, forced them back, until at last Tiresias, the blind seer,\napproached.\n\nHe was allowed to stoop down and drink; and, as soon as he had done\nso, he recovered the power of human speech, and warned Ulysses of the\nmany trials still awaiting him. Then, his prophecy concluded, he\nvanished; but Ulysses lingered a little longer to allow his mother to\ndrink some blood, and explain how she came to be here in the spirit\nland.\n\nMany others came and conversed with him; but at last he was forced to\ndepart, and return to \u00c6\u00e6a, where he lingered to perform the funeral\nrites for Elpenor,--one of his followers, a youth who had fallen\nasleep on one of the palace turrets, and by an inadvertent movement\nhad fallen to the ground, where he had been found dead.\n\n [Illustration: SIREN. (Acropolis Museum, Athens.)]\n\n[Sidenote: The Sirens.]\n\nThese obsequies over, the Greeks, favored by a fresh wind, left\nCirce's isle, and sailed along until they drew near the rocky ledge\nwhere the Sirens had their abode. These maidens were wont to sit on\nthe rocks and sing entrancing songs, which allured the mariners\nuntil they turned aside from their course, and their vessels were\ndashed to pieces on the rocks.\n\nAccording to Circe's advice, Ulysses bade his men bind him fast to the\nmast, disregard his cries and gestures of command, and keep on their\ncourse until the dangerous rocks were lost to view; but, before he\nallowed them to execute these orders, he stopped their ears with\nmelted wax, so they could not hear a sound, for he alone could hear\nthe Sirens' song and live.\n\nThe men then bound him hand and foot to the mast, returned to their\noars, and rowed steadily on. Soon the Sirens' melody fell upon\nUlysses' charmed ears; but, although he commanded and implored his men\nto set him free and alter their course, they kept steadily on until no\nsound of the magic song could reach them, when they once more set\ntheir leader free.\n\n[Sidenote: Charybdis and Scylla.]\n\nNow, although this danger had been safely passed, Ulysses was troubled\nin spirit, for he knew he would soon be obliged to steer his course\nbetween two dread monsters, Charybdis and Scylla, who lay so close\ntogether, that, while striving to avoid one, it was almost impossible\nnot to fall an easy prey to the other.\n\nCharybdis' den lay under a rock crowned with a single wild fig tree;\nand three times daily she ingulfed the surrounding waters, drawing\neven large galleys into her capacious jaws.\n\nAs for Scylla, she too dwelt in a cave, whence her six ugly heads\nprotruded to devour any prey that came within reach.\n\n \"No mariner can boast\n That he has passed by Scylla with a crew\n Unharmed; she snatches from the deck, and bears\n Away in each grim mouth, a living man.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThis selfsame Scylla, once a lovely maiden, had won the heart of the\nsea god Glaucus (p. 303), but coquettishly tormented him until he\nimplored Circe to give him some love potion strong enough to compel\nher love.\n\nCirce, who had long nursed a secret passion for Glaucus, was angry at\nhim, and jealous of her rival, and, instead of a love potion, prepared\na loathsome drug, which she bade him pour into the water where Scylla\nwas wont to bathe. Glaucus faithfully did as she commanded; but when\nScylla plunged into the water, her body, and not her feelings,\nchanged, and she became a loathsome monster, a terror to gods and men.\n\nWhen in sight of the fig tree, Ulysses, cased in armor, stood on the\nprow to attack Scylla should she attempt to seize one of his crew. The\nsound of the rushing waters whirling around Charybdis made all on\nboard tremble with fear, and the pilot steered nearer still to dread\nScylla's den.\n\nSuddenly a piercing cry was heard, as the monster seized six of the\nmen and devoured them. The rest passed on unharmed; but since then, in\nspeaking of conflicting dangers, it has been customary to use the\nexpression, \"falling from Charybdis into Scylla.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Cattle of the sun.]\n\nOnly too glad to effect an escape at any price, the Greeks again rowed\non until they sighted Trinacria, the island of the sun, where Phaetusa\nand Lampetia watched over the sun god's sacred herds. The men wished\nto land here to rest; but Ulysses reminded them that Tiresias, the\nblind seer, had warned them to avoid it, lest by slaying any of the\nsacred animals they should incur divine wrath.\n\nThe men, however, worn out with the toil of many days' rowing,\nentreated so piteously to be allowed to rest, voluntarily pledging\nthemselves to be content with their own provisions and not to slay a\nsingle animal, that Ulysses reluctantly yielded to their entreaties,\nand all went ashore.\n\nAfter they had duly rested, they were still detained by unfavorable\nwinds, until all their provisions were exhausted, and the few birds\nand fishes they managed to secure no longer sufficed to still the\npangs of hunger.\n\nLed by Eurylochus, some of the men, during one of Ulysses' temporary\nabsences, caught and slew some of the sun god's cattle. To the\ngeneral amazement and terror, the meat lowed while roasting on the\nspit, and the empty skins moved and crawled as if alive. All these\nsounds and sights could not, however, deter the sailors, who were\nbound to have a good feast, which they kept up for seven days, ere\nUlysses could make them leave the Trinacrian shores.\n\nIn the mean while, Lampetia had hastened to Apollo to apprise him of\nthe crime committed by Ulysses' men. In anger he appeared before the\nassembled gods and demanded amends, threatening to withdraw the light\nof his countenance if he were not properly indemnified. Jupiter, to\nappease his hot anger, immediately promised that all the offenders\nshould perish.\n\n \"'Still shine, O Sun! among the deathless gods\n And mortal men, upon the nourishing earth.\n Soon will I cleave, with a white thunderbolt,\n Their galley in the midst of the black sea!'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nThis promise he immediately fulfilled by drowning all except Ulysses,\nwho alone had not partaken of the sacred flesh, and who, after\nclinging to the rudder for nine long days, a plaything for the wind\nand waves, was washed ashore on the Island of Ogygia, where the fair\nsea nymph Calypso had taken up her abode.\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses and Calypso.]\n\nThere he was kindly and most hospitably entertained during eight long\nyears; but he could not depart, as he had no vessel or crew to bear\nhim away. At last Minerva, who had always befriended him, prevailed\nupon Jupiter to allow him to return to Ithaca. Mercury was sent to\nOgygia to bid Calypso furnish all things necessary for his comfort,\nand aid in the construction of a huge raft, whereon our hero found\nhimself afloat after many years of reluctant lingering on the land.\n\nAll seemed well now; but Neptune suddenly became aware that his old\nenemy, the torturer of Polyphemus, was about to escape from his\nclutches. With one blow of his trident he stirred up one of those\nsudden tempests whose fury nothing can withstand, shattered Ulysses'\nraft, and buffeted him about on the waves, until the goddess Leucothea\n(p. 174), seeing his distress, helped him to reach the Ph\u00e6acian shore.\n\n[Sidenote: Nausicaa and Ulysses.]\n\nToo weary to think of aught but rest, Ulysses dragged himself into a\nneighboring wood, where he fell asleep on a bed of dry leaves. While\nhe was thus resting, Minerva visited Nausicaa, daughter of Alcinous,\nKing of the Ph\u00e6acians, in a dream, and bade her go down to the shore\nand wash her linen robes in readiness for her wedding day, which the\ngoddess assured her was near at hand. Nausicaa obeyed, and drove with\nher maidens down to the shore, where, after their labors were duly\nfinished, they all indulged in a game of ball, with the usual\naccompaniment of shrill cries and much laughter. Their cries awoke\nUlysses, who came on the scene just in time to save their ball from\nthe waves, and claimed Nausicaa's protection for a shipwrecked\nmariner.\n\nShe graciously permitted him to follow her to her father's palace, and\npresented him to Alcinous and Arete, who bade him welcome, and invited\nhim to join in the games then taking place. He did so, and displayed\nsuch strength and skill that his identity was revealed. Alcinous then\npromised to send him safely home in a Ph\u00e6acian bark, which reached\nIthaca in safety, and deposited Ulysses, asleep, on his native shore.\n\n[Sidenote: The petrified ship.]\n\nWhen Neptune discovered that the Ph\u00e6acians had outwitted him, he was\nso angry that he changed the returning vessel into a rock, which\nblocked the harbor and put an end to further maritime excursions on\ntheir part.\n\n \"He drew near\n And smote it with his open palm, and made\n The ship a rock, fast rooted in the bed\n Of the deep sea.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n [Illustration: PENELOPE. (Vatican, Rome.)]\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses' return to Ithaca.]\n\nDisguised as a beggar by Minerva's kindly care, Ulysses sought the\nlowly dwelling of Eum\u00e6us, his swineherd, and from him learned all he\nwished to know about his wife and son. He heard that Penelope was\nfairly besieged with suitors, who were even now feasting and reveling\nin his palace, whence they refused to depart until she had made choice\nof a second husband; and also that Telemachus, now a young man,\nindignant and displeased with the suitors' conduct, and guided and\naccompanied by his tutor Mentor, had set out in search of the father\nwhom he could not believe dead.\n\nMentor was Minerva in disguise, who guided the young man to the courts\nof Nestor and Menelaus, and finally in a dream bade him return to\nIthaca, where he would find the parent he sought. The young prince\nimmediately obeyed, and landed near Eum\u00e6us' hut, escaping a clever\nambuscade posted by the suitors at the entrance of the port.\n\nMinerva now permitted the father and son to recognize each other, in\nspite of their twenty years' separation, and together they planned how\nbest to punish the insolent suitors. They finally agreed that\nTelemachus should return to the palace and make no mention of his\nfather's return; while Ulysses, still in the guise of a beggar, should\nenter his home and claim the usual hospitality.\n\nAll was executed as they had planned. No one recognized the\nlong-expected hero in the miserable old beggar--no one save his aged\nnurse Euryclea, and his faithful old dog Argus, who died for joy at\nhis long-lost master's feet.\n\n \"While over Argus the black night of death\n Came suddenly as soon as he had seen\n Ulysses, absent now for twenty years.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Penelope's web.]\n\nPenelope, hearing that a stranger was within her gates, sent for him,\nto inquire whether he knew aught of her husband. She too failed to\npierce his disguise, and languidly continued a piece of work which she\ncleverly used to baffle her suitors; for once, when urged to marry,\nshe had replied that she would do so as soon as her work was finished.\n\nAs she was a diligent worker, the suitors expected soon to hear her\ndecision, little knowing that she raveled at night all the web so\ncarefully woven during the day.\n\n \"Three full years\n She practiced thus, and by the fraud deceived\n The Grecian youths.\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses' bow.]\n\nAt last the subterfuge was discovered, and the unfortunate Penelope\nwas forced to finish her work; but ere it was quite done, she found\nanother expedient to postpone her choice of a husband. She brought\nUlysses' bow, and announced that she would marry the man who could\nbend it and send an arrow through twelve rings which she pointed out.\n\n \"'I bring to you\n The mighty bow that great Ulysses bore.\n Whoe'er among you he may be whose hand\n Shall bend this bow, and send through these twelve rings\n An arrow, him I follow hence, and leave\n This beautiful abode of my young years,\n With all its plenty,--though its memory,\n I think, will haunt me even in my dreams.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Death of the suitors.]\n\nThe suitors all vainly strove to bend the mighty bow, which was then\nseized by the disguised Ulysses, while the youths laughed aloud in\nscorn, until Telemachus bade them let the old man try his strength. To\nthe amazement of all, Ulysses easily performed the required feat; and\nthen, turning his aim toward Antinous, the handsomest and most\ntreacherous of all the suitors, he pierced his heart.\n\nA scene of wild commotion ensued, in which Ulysses, Telemachus,\nEum\u00e6us, and Minerva disguised as Mentor, opposed and slew all the\nwooers. Penelope, unconscious of all this bloodshed, slept in her\nroom, until she was gently awakened by Euryclea, who announced the\nreturn of her long-absent husband.\n\n \"'Awake, Penelope, dear child, and see\n With thine own eyes what thou hast pined for long.\n Ulysses has returned; thy lord is here,\n Though late, and he has slain the arrogant crew\n Of suitors, who disgraced his house, and made\n His wealth a spoil, and dared insult his son.'\"\n\n Homer (Bryant's tr.).\n\nBut Penelope had too long believed her husband dead to credit this\nmarvelous news; and it was only after Ulysses had given her an\ninfallible proof of his identity, by telling her a secret which was\nshared by her alone, that she received him.\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses' last journey.]\n\nUlysses was now safe at home, after twenty years of warfare and\nadventure, and at first greatly enjoyed the quiet and peace of his\nhome life; but after a while these tame joys grew wearisome, and he\ndecided to renew his wanderings. He therefore prepared a fleet, and\nsailed \"out into the West,\" whence he never returned. The Greeks,\nhowever, averred that he had gone in search of the Isles of the Blest,\nwhere he dwelt in perfect peace, and enjoyed the constant society of\nheroes as brave and renowned as himself.\n\n \"'Come, my friends,\n 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.\n Push off, and sitting well in order smite\n The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds\n To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths\n Of all the western stars, until I die.\n It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:\n It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,\n And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.\n Tho' much is taken, much abides: and tho'\n We are not now that strength which in old days\n Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;\n One equal temper of heroic hearts,\n Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will\n To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'\"\n\n Tennyson.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIX.\n\nADVENTURES OF \u00c6NEAS.\n\n\nYou have already heard how the Greeks entered the city of Troy in the\ndead of night, massacred the inhabitants, and set fire to the\nbeautiful buildings which had been the king's pride and delight. Now\nyou shall hear how Virgil relates the escape of some of the Trojans\nfrom general destruction.\n\nUnconscious of coming danger, \u00c6neas, son of Venus and Anchises, lay\nfast asleep in his palace; but the gods had not doomed him to perish,\nand sent the shade of Hector to warn him in a dream to arise, leave\nthe city, and fly to some distant land.\n\n \"'Ah, goddess-born,' he warns me, 'fly!\n Escape these flames: Greece holds the walls;\n Proud Ilium from her summit falls.\n Think not of king's or country's claims:\n Country and king, alas! are names:\n Could Troy be saved by hands of men,\n This hand had saved her then, e'en then.\n The gods of her domestic shrines\n That country to your care consigns:\n Receive them now, to share your fate:\n Provide them mansions strong and great,\n The city's walls, which Heaven has willed\n Beyond the seas you yet shall build.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6neas goes to save Priam.]\n\nAwakened at last by the ever-increasing tumult without, \u00c6neas seized\nhis arms and hastened forth, attended by many of his fellow-citizens,\nto ascertain the cause of the great uproar. A few minutes later he\ndiscovered that the Greek army had entered the town, and was even now\nkilling, plundering, and burning without mercy. The men were all\nslain, but the fairest women were dragged away to be sold as slaves in\nGreece; and among them \u00c6neas beheld in the hands of Agamemnon's\nsoldiers the unfortunate daughter of Priam, Cassandra, whom the gods\nhad endowed with prophetic powers (p. 310), but whom no one would\nheed.\n\n\u00c6neas, seeing ere long that there was no hope of saving the doomed\ncity, quickly disguised himself in a Greek armor which he tore from\nthe corpse of one of his foes, and rushed on to the palace, hoping to\nsave the aged king, who, at the first alarm, had seized his weapons,\ndetermined to fight to the very last.\n\nHecuba, his wife, was clinging to him, imploring him to remain, when\nsuddenly Polites, their son, rushed into their presence, closely\nfollowed by Pyrrhus, or Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who thrust his\nsword into the youth, and then murdered Priam also.\n\n \"So Priam's fortunes closed at last:\n So passed he, seeing as he passed\n His Troy in flames, his royal tower\n Laid low in dust by hostile power,\n Who once o'er land and peoples proud\n Sat, while before him Asia bowed:\n Now on the shore behold him dead,\n A nameless trunk, a trunkless head.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n\u00c6neas, who arrived just too late to hinder this frightful catastrophe,\nnow suddenly remembered that a similar fate awaited his aged father\nAnchises, his wife Creusa, and little son Iulus, who were at home\nwithout any protector near them. The hero therefore madly cut his way\nthrough the foe, and rushed through the once magnificent palace, which\nwas now stripped of its rarest treasures and desecrated by an enemy's\ntread.\n\n[Sidenote: Venus appears to \u00c6neas.]\n\nThere, in one of the abandoned halls, he saw Helen, the fair cause of\nall this war and bloodshed,--who, after Paris' death, had married\nDeiphobus, his brother,--and for a moment he determined to take her\nlife; but ere he could do so, Venus, his mother, stayed his hand, and\nbade him remember that the immortal gods had long ago decreed that the\ncity should fall, and that Helen was merely the pretext used to induce\nthe rival nations to fly to arms.\n\nFurther to convince him of the truth of her assertions, she enabled\nhim to see what was hidden from mortal eyes: i.e., Neptune, Minerva,\nJuno, and Jupiter even, fighting and leveling the walls with mighty\nblows. She then vehemently implored her son to leave this scene of\ncarnage, and fly, with his family and followers, to some safe place\nwithout the city, whence he could embark, and sail away to a more\nfortunate land; and her entreaties finally prevailed.\n\n[Sidenote: Anchises' escape.]\n\n\u00c6neas rushed home and bade his father prepare to leave Troy; but\nAnchises obstinately refused to leave his post, until he saw a bright\nflame hover for a moment above his grandson's head, which sign he\ninterpreted as an omen that his race should endure. He no longer\nresisted; and, as he was too weak to walk, \u00c6neas bade him hold the\nLares and Penates, and, taking him on his back, carried him off, while\nwith one hand he led his little son, and bade Creusa closely follow\nhim.\n\n \"'Come, mount my shoulders, dear my sire:\n Such load my strength shall never tire.\n Now, whether fortune smiles or lowers,\n One risk, one safety shall be ours.\n My son shall journey at my side,\n My wife her steps by mine shall guide,\n At distance safe.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Creusa's ghost.]\n\nA trysting place near a ruined temple had already been appointed for\nhis servants, and thither \u00c6neas turned his steps. When he arrived\nthere, he found many awaiting him, and counted them carefully to make\nsure none were missing. All were there except Creusa, his beloved\nyoung wife; and he retraced his steps with anxious haste, hoping to\nfind her still alive. But on the threshold of his once happy home he\nmet her disembodied spirit, and heard her bid him seek the banks of\nthe Tiber, where a beautiful young bride would comfort him for her\nloss. This speech ended, Creusa's ghost vanished, and \u00c6neas sadly\nreturned to the ruined temple, where he found many fugitives ready to\nfollow him wherever he went, and eager to obey his every command.\nTheir preparations for departure were speedily completed, the sails\nunfurled, and the little exiled band soon lost sight of the shores of\nTroy.\n\n \"Weeping I quit the port, the shore,\n The plains where Ilium stood before,\n And homeless launch upon the main,\n Son, friends, and home gods in my train.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Arrival in Thrace.]\n\nAlthough they had escaped from burning Troy and the swords of the\nGreeks, their trials had only just begun. After many days' sailing,\nthey landed in Thrace, viewed the country, decided to settle there,\nand began to trace the foundations of a new city, which they decided\nto call the \u00c6nead\u00e6, in honor of their leader.\n\nTheir next care was to offer a sacrifice to the gods; but when \u00c6neas,\nwith due ceremony, cut down a sapling, he was startled to see blood\nflow from its severed stem. At the same time a mysterious voice was\nheard, bidding him forbear, for his former friend Polydorus, sent to\nThrace to conceal some treasures, had been murdered there by an\navaricious king, and this grove of trees had sprouted from the spear\nhandles driven into his unhappy breast.\n\n[Sidenote: Delos and Crete.]\n\nAfter paying the customary funeral rites to appease the soul of his\nunfortunate friend, \u00c6neas easily prevailed upon his followers to leave\nthese inhospitable shores and seek another resting place. They rowed\nover the briny deep until they came to Delos, where they stopped to\nconsult the oracle, who bade them seek the cradle of their race, and\nsettle there.\n\n \"'Stout Dardan hearts, the realm of earth\n Where first your nation sprang to birth,\n That realm shall now receive you back:\n Go, seek your ancient mother's track.\n There shall \u00c6neas' house, renewed\n For ages, rule a world subdued.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nThis obscure command left them uncertain what course to pursue, until\nthe aged Anchises remembered that one of his ancestors, Teucer, had\nonce reigned in Crete. Thither they sailed, and hoped to settle; but a\nterrible pestilence came upon them, and decimated their already sparse\nranks.\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6neas' vision.]\n\nOne night \u00c6neas had a vision, in which his household gods bade him\nseek the Italian or Hesperian shores; and when, on waking, he imparted\nthis advice to Anchises, the latter remembered a long-forgotten\nprophecy of Cassandra, purporting that they would settle there, and\nalso that Dardanus, their first progenitor, was reported to have come\nfrom thence.\n\n \"There is a land, by Greece of old\n Surnamed Hesperia, rich its mold,\n Its children brave and free:\n Oenotrians were its settlers: fame\n Now gives the race its leader's name,\n And calls it Italy.\n Here Dardanus was born, our king,\n And old Iasius, whence we spring:\n Here our authentic seat.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Cel\u00e6no, the Harpy.]\n\nEre many days \u00c6neas and his trusty followers were once more afloat,\nand forced to battle with fierce storms sent by Juno to hinder their\nadvance. Exhausted, they landed on the Strophades Islands, where they\nproposed to recruit their strength by a hearty meal; but no sooner\nwas their table spread, than the meats were devoured and destroyed by\nthe loathsome Harpies. A terrible prophecy uttered by Cel\u00e6no, one of\nthese monsters,--half woman and half bird,--made them embark again in\ngreat haste, and row on until they came to Epirus, where they again\neffected a landing. In this country they met the sorrowing Andromache,\nHector's widow, the slave of King Helenus, who entertained them\nroyally and sent them on their way again, with many kindly cautions to\nbeware of the Cyclopes and avoid Charybdis and Scylla by\ncircumnavigating the whole island of Sicily.\n\n[Sidenote: Rescue of Achemenides.]\n\nThis advice was duly followed by \u00c6neas, who, while rounding one of the\npromontories of the island, saw and rescued Achemenides, one of\nUlysses' companions, accidentally left behind when they escaped from\nthe rage of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. This giant now came down to the\nshore, and was regarded with unconcealed horror by the Trojans, who\nrowed away in haste. Soon after, \u00c6neas moored his ships in the harbors\nof Sicania and Drepanum, and while there lost his aged father\nAnchises.\n\n \"There\n I lose my stay in every care,\n My sire Anchises!\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nJuno, in the mean while, had not been idle, and gloated over the\ndangers she had forced the unhappy Trojans to encounter during the\nseven years which had already elapsed since they first sailed from\nTroy. She was not yet weary of persecuting them, however; and as soon\nas she saw them once more afloat, she hurried off to \u00c6olus, and bade\nhim let loose his fiercest children, and scatter the fleet by a\nterrible storm.\n\n \"'O \u00c6olus! since the Sire of all\n Has made the wind obey thy call\n To raise or lay the foam,\n A race I hate now plows the sea,\n Transporting Troy to Italy\n And home gods reft of home:\n Lash thou thy winds, their ships submerge,\n Or toss them weltering o'er the surge.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: The tempest.]\n\nThis request was immediately granted. The vessels, tossed hither and\nthither, lost sight of each other. Some were stranded, some sank, and\nstill the tempest raged on with unabated fury, and death stared the\nunhappy Trojans in the face. The commotion on the deep finally aroused\nNeptune, who came to the surface just in time to see all the\nmisfortunes which had overwhelmed \u00c6neas. He imperiously sent the winds\naway, and lent a helping hand to float the stranded ships once more.\n\n \"'Back to your master instant flee,\n And tell him, not to him but me\n The imperial trident of the sea\n Fell by the lot's award.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nThe Trojans, grateful for his timely aid, and reassured by the calm\nwhich now reigned supreme, steered for the nearest port, where they\nanchored their seven vessels, all that now remained of their once\nlarge fleet.\n\n[Sidenote: Arrival in Libya.]\n\n\u00c6neas and Achates, his faithful friend, immediately set out to view\nthe land, and ere long encountered Venus, disguised as a mortal, who\ninformed them that they had landed upon the Libyan coast, which was\nunder the sway of Dido, a fugitive from Tyre. Dido's husband, Sych\u00e6us,\nKing of Tyre, the possessor of untold riches, had been murdered by\nPygmalion, his brother-in-law; but the queen was kept in complete\nignorance of this crime, until visited in a dream by the shade of\nSych\u00e6us, which bade her fly with his treasures, whose place of\nconcealment she alone knew.\n\nDido obeyed the ghost's commands, and, accompanied by a number of\nfaithful subjects, landed on the Libyan coast, where she entreated\nthe inhabitants to sell her as much land as an ox-hide would inclose.\nThis seemingly modest request was immediately granted; but the Libyans\nregretted their compliance when they saw the ox-hide cut up into tiny\nstrips, which inclosed a considerable tract of land, the site of\nDido's beautiful capital, Carthage.\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6neas and Dido.]\n\nThither Venus advised her son to proceed and claim the queen's\nprotection. \u00c6neas and Achates obediently hastened onward, and entered\nthe town unseen, for Venus had enveloped them both in a mist. Their\nattention was first attracted by the festive appearance of the people\nassembled together, and by the beauty of the queen, giving audience to\nsome of their companions, who had miraculously escaped from the waves.\n\nThese men spoke to the queen of their renowned chief, whose fame had\nalready reached her ear; and she gladly promised to send out a search\nparty to discover him, and aid him if necessary.\n\n \"'I will send\n And search the coast from end to end,\n If haply, wandering up and down,\n He bide in woodland or in town.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nAt these gracious words, \u00c6neas stepped forward, the mist vanished, and\nhe stood before the queen in all his manly beauty.\n\nDido then led her guests to the banquet hall, where they recounted\ntheir adventures by land and sea, while partaking of the viands and\nwines set before them. At this feast, Cupid, at Venus' request,\nassumed the face and form of Iulus, \u00c6neas' young son, and, reclining\non the queen's bosom, secretly thrust one of his darts into her heart,\nand made her fall in love with \u00c6neas.\n\n [Illustration: \u00c6NEAS AT THE COURT OF DIDO.--Guerin.]\n\nDay after day now passed in revelry and pleasure, and still \u00c6neas\nlingered by Dido's side, forgetful of the new kingdom he was destined\nto found. One whole year passed thus; and the gods, impatient of\ndelay, finally sent Mercury to remind \u00c6neas of his duty.\n\nTo avoid Dido's tears and recriminations, the hero kept his\npreparations for departure a complete secret, and finally set sail\nwhile she was wrapt in slumber. When she awoke and looked out of her\npalace window, it was only to see the last vessel sink beneath the\nhorizon.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Dido.]\n\nConcealing her grief, and pretending an anger she did not feel, she\nbade her servants make a funeral pyre, and place upon it all the\nobjects \u00c6neas had used during his sojourn in her palace; then, on top\nof it all, she set an effigy of her false lover, set fire to the pyre,\nsprang into the midst of the flames, and there stabbed herself.\n\n \"'Yet let me die: thus, thus I go\n Exulting to the shades below.\n Let the false Dardan feel the blaze\n That burns me pouring on his gaze,\n And bear along, to cheer his way,\n The funeral presage of to-day.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\nFrom the mast of his vessel \u00c6neas saw the rising column of smoke, and\nhis heart sank within him; for he suspected its fatal import, and\nhonestly mourned the death of the beautiful queen.\n\n[Sidenote: Funeral games.]\n\nThe Trojans sailed onward until the threatening clouds made them take\nrefuge in the Sicanian port, where they celebrated the usual games to\ncommemorate Anchises' death, which had occurred there just one year\nprevious. While the men were engaged in the customary naval, foot, and\nhorse races, boxing, wrestling, and archery matches, the women\ngathered together, and, instigated by Juno, began to bewail the hard\nlot which compelled them to encounter again the perils of the sea.\nTheir discontent ultimately reached such a pitch that they set fire to\nthe vessels. When \u00c6neas heard of this new misfortune, he rushed down\nto the shore, tore his costly festal garments, and cried to Heaven\nfor assistance in this his time of direst need.\n\n \"'Dread Sire, if Ilium's lorn estate\n Deserve not yet thine utter hate,\n If still thine ancient faithfulness\n Give heed to mortals in distress,\n Oh, let the fleet escape the flame!\n Oh, save from death Troy's dying name!'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Apparition of Anchises.]\n\nThis prayer was instantly answered by a sudden severe shower, which\nquenched the devouring flames. Soon after this miracle, Anchises\nappeared to \u00c6neas, and bade him leave the women, children, and aged\nmen in Sicily, and travel on to Cum\u00e6, where he was to consult the\nSibyl, visit the Infernal Regions, and there receive further advice\nfrom him.\n\n \"First seek the halls of Dis below,\n Pass deep Avernus' vale, and meet\n Your father in his own retreat.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n\u00c6neas again dutifully obeyed; but when Venus saw him afloat once more,\nshe hastened to Neptune, and bade him watch over her unfortunate son.\nNeptune listened very graciously to her appeal, and promised to take\nbut one of all the many lives intrusted to his care. That one was\n\u00c6neas' pilot, Palinurus, who, falling asleep at the helm, fell\noverboard and was drowned.\n\n[Sidenote: The Cum\u00e6an Sibyl.]\n\nAs for the fleet, it reached the Cum\u00e6an shore in safety; and \u00c6neas\nhastened off to the Sibyl's cave, made known his wish to visit Hades,\nand entreated her to serve as his guide in that perilous journey. She\nconsented, but at the same time informed him that he must first obtain\na golden twig, which grew in a dark forest.\n\n \"None may reach the shades without\n The passport of that golden sprout.\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n [Illustration: CUM\u00c6AN SIBYL.--Domenichino. (Borghese Gallery, Rome.)]\n\nAlmost despairing, \u00c6neas now prayed for assistance; for how could he\nfind a tiny golden sprig in the midst of the dense forest foliage\nwithout the gods' aid? In answer to this appeal, Venus, ever mindful\nof her son, sent two of her snowy doves to lead the way and alight on\nthe tree, where \u00c6neas readily found the object of his search.\n\nArmed with this branch as key, he and the Sibyl boldly entered the\nLower Regions, where all the ghastly sights and sounds we have already\ndescribed (p. 167) met them on every side. Charon quickly ferried them\nover the Acheron, on whose bank they saw the wandering shade of\nPalinurus, who had no obolus to pay his way across, and that of Dido,\nwith a gaping wound in her breast.\n\nThey did not pause, however, until they reached the Elysian Fields,\nwhere they found Anchises, gravely considering among the unborn souls\nthose who were destined to animate his race and make it illustrious in\nthe future. These he carefully pointed out to \u00c6neas, foretelling their\nfuture achievements, and called by name Romulus, Brutus, Camillus, the\nGracchi, C\u00e6sar,--in fact, all the heroes of Roman history.\n\n \"Anchises showed \u00c6neas, in long line,\n The illustrious shades of those who were to shine\n One day the glory of the Italian shore.\"\n\n Tomas de Iriarte.\n\n[Sidenote: Arrival in Latium.]\n\nAfter a prolonged conversation with his father, \u00c6neas returned to his\ncompanions, and led them to the mouth of the Tiber, whose course they\nfollowed until they reached Latium, where their wanderings were to\ncease. Latinus, king of the country, received them hospitably, and\npromised the hand of his daughter Lavinia in marriage to \u00c6neas.\n\nLavinia was very beautiful, and had already had many suitors, among\nwhom Turnus, a neighboring prince, boasted of the most exalted rank.\nThe queen, Amata, specially favored this youth's suit; and the king\nwould gladly have received him for a son-in-law, had he not twice\nbeen warned by the gods to reserve his daughter for a foreign prince,\nwho had now appeared.\n\nIn spite of all the years which had elapsed since Paris scorned her\nattractions and bribes (p. 307), Juno had not yet forgotten her hatred\nof the Trojan race, and, afraid lest her enemy's course should now\nprove too smooth, she sent Alecto, the Fury, down upon earth to stir\nup war, and goad Amata to madness. The Fury executed both commands,\nand Amata fled to the woods, where she concealed her daughter Lavinia,\nto keep her safe for Turnus, whom she preferred to \u00c6neas.\n\n[Sidenote: War with the Latins.]\n\nAs Iulus and some companions had unfortunately wounded the pet stag of\nSilvia, daughter of the head shepherd, a brawl ensued, which, fomented\nby Alecto, soon developed into a bloody war. Hostilities having thus\nbegun, Turnus, with the various Latin chiefs, immediately besought\nLatinus to open the gates of Janus' temple. He refused; but Juno,\nafraid lest even now her plans might be set at naught, came down from\nOlympus, and with her own hand flung wide the brazen doors. This\nunexpected apparition kindled a general ardor; new troops enlisted;\nand even Camilla, the Volscian warrior-maiden, came to proffer her aid\nto Turnus.\n\n \"Last marches forth for Latium's sake\n Camilla fair, the Volscian maid,\n A troop of horsemen in her wake\n In pomp of gleaming steel arrayed;\n Stern warrior queen!\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: Story of Camilla.]\n\nWhen but a babe in arms, Camilla had been carried off by her father,\nas he fled before the Volscian troops. When he came to the Amasenus\nRiver, he found his pursuers close at his heels. Tying his infant\ndaughter to his spear, he hurled her to the opposite bank, which,\nthanks to Diana's aid, she reached unharmed, while her father plunged\ninto the waves to join her. In his gratitude to find her safe, he\ndedicated her to Diana, who trained her to love the chase and all\nmanly pursuits.\n\nSurprised to see Latinus' friendly offers of hospitality so suddenly\nwithdrawn, \u00c6neas made rapid preparations for war, and sailed farther\nup the Tiber to secure the aid of Evander, king of the Tuscans, the\nhereditary foe of the Latins. This monarch, too old to lead his troops\nin person, nevertheless promised his aid, and sent his beloved son\nPallas in his stead to command the troops he supplied.\n\n[Sidenote: Nisus and Euryalus.]\n\nJuno, still implacable, had in the mean while sent Iris to apprise\nTurnus of \u00c6neas' departure, and to urge him to set fire to the\nremainder of the fleet,--a suggestion which Turnus joyfully obeyed.\nThe Trojans, headed by young Iulus, \u00c6neas' son, defended themselves\nwith their usual courage; but, seeing the enemy would soon overpower\nthem, they dispatched Nisus and Euryalus, two of their number, to warn\n\u00c6neas of their danger, and entreat him to hasten up with his\nre\u00ebnforcements. These unfortunate youths passed through the camp\nunseen, but farther on fell into the hands of a troop of Volscian\nhorsemen, who cruelly put them to death, and then hurried with the\nRutules to lend assistance to Turnus. Next some of the Trojan vessels\nwere fired by the enemy; but, instead of being consumed by the flames,\nthey were changed into water nymphs by the intervention of the gods,\nand, sailing down the Tiber, met \u00c6neas, and warned him to hasten to\nhis son's rescue.\n\n \"His vessels change their guise,\n And each and all as Nereids rise.\"\n\n Virgil.\n\n[Sidenote: The armor.]\n\nIn the mean while, Venus, who befriended the Trojans, had sought\nVulcan's detested abode, and had prevailed upon him to forge a\nbeautiful armor for \u00c6neas. On the shield, which is minutely described\nin one of the books of Virgil's celebrated epic poem, the \u00c6neid, were\ndepicted many of the stirring scenes in the lives of the future\ndescendants of \u00c6neas, the heroes of Roman history. As soon as this\narmor was completed, Venus brought it to her son, who donned it with\nvisible pleasure, and, encouraged by his mother's words, prepared to\nmeet the Latins and hold his own.\n\nVenus and Juno were not the only deities interested in the coming\nstruggle; for all the gods, having watched \u00c6neas' career, were anxious\nabout his fate. Seeing this, and fearful lest their interference\nshould still further endanger the hero whom he favored, Jupiter\nassembled the gods on high Olympus, and sternly forbade their taking\nany active part in the coming strife, under penalty of his severe\ndispleasure.\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6neas' arrival.]\n\n\u00c6neas and his Tuscan allies arrived on the battle scene just in time\nto give the necessary support to the almost exhausted Trojans; and now\nthe fight raged more fiercely than ever, and prodigies of valor were\naccomplished on both sides, until finally young Pallas fell, slain by\nTurnus. When aware of the death of this promising young prince, \u00c6neas'\nheart was filled with grief, for he could imagine the sorrow of the\naged Evander when he saw his son's corpse brought home for burial; and\nhe then and there registered a solemn vow to avenge Pallas' death by\nslaying Turnus, and immediately hastened forth to keep his word.\n\n[Sidenote: Juno's treachery.]\n\nIn the mean while, Juno, suspecting what his purpose would be, and\nafraid to allow Turnus to encounter such a formidable antagonist as\n\u00c6neas, had determined to lure her favorite away from the field. To\ncompass this, she assumed the form of \u00c6neas, challenged Turnus, and,\nas soon as he began the fight, fled toward the river, and took refuge\non one of the vessels, closely pursued by him. No sooner did she see\nthe Rutule chief safe on board, than she loosed the vessel from its\nmoorings, and allowed it to drift down the stream, bearing Turnus away\nfrom the scene of battle. Aware now of the delusion practiced, Turnus\nraved, and accused the gods, and then eagerly watched for an\nopportunity to land, and make his way, alone and on foot, back to the\nscene of conflict.\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6neas' prowess.]\n\nDuring Turnus' involuntary absence, \u00c6neas had ranged all over the\nbattlefield in search of him, and had encountered and slain many\nwarriors, among others Lausus and his aged father Mezentius, two\nallies of Latinus, who had specially distinguished themselves by their\ngreat valor. The dead and dying covered the field, when Latinus, weary\nof bloodshed, summoned a council, and again vainly tried to make\npeace. But his efforts were of no avail. The war was renewed more\nfiercely than ever; and in the next encounter, Camilla, the brave\nVolscian maiden, fell at last, breathing a fervent entreaty that\nTurnus should hasten to the succor of his despairing people if he\nwould not see them all slain and the town in the hands of the Trojans.\n\n \"'Go: my last charge to Turnus tell,\n To haste with succor, and repel\n The Trojans from the town--farewell.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6neas' wound.]\n\nShortly after her death, in the very midst of the fray, \u00c6neas suddenly\nfelt himself wounded by an arrow sent by some mysterious hand. He\nhastened to seek the aid of the leech Iapis; but, in spite of his\nministrations, the barb could not be removed nor the wound dressed,\nuntil Venus brought a magic herb, which instantly healed the hero, and\nenabled him to return to the fight with unabated strength and energy.\n\nThe tide was now decidedly turning in favor of the Trojans; for Amata,\nthe Latin queen, sorry for her ill-advised opposition to her\ndaughter's marriage with \u00c6neas, brought Lavinia home and hung herself\nin a fit of remorse.\n\n[Sidenote: Death of Turnus.]\n\n\u00c6neas, appearing once more on the battlefield, finally encountered the\nlong-sought Turnus, who had made his way back, and was now driving\nabout in his chariot, jealously guarded by his sister Juturna, who,\nthe better to watch over his safety, had taken the place of his\nchariot driver. The two heroes, having met, instantly closed in deadly\nfight; but, in spite of Turnus' bravery, he was finally obliged to\nsuccumb, and sank to the ground, frankly acknowledging himself beaten\nas he exhaled his last sigh.\n\n \"'Yours is the victory: Latian bands\n Have seen me stretch imploring hands:\n The bride Lavinia is your own:\n Thus far let foeman's hate be shown.'\"\n\n Virgil (Conington's tr.).\n\n[Sidenote: \u00c6neas' progeny.]\n\nWith the death of Turnus the war came to an end. A lasting peace was\nmade with Latinus; and the brave Trojan hero, whose woes were now\nover, was united in marriage with Lavinia. In concert with Latinus, he\nruled the Latins, and founded a city, which he called Lavinia in honor\nof his bride, and which became for a time the capital of Latium.\n\n\u00c6neas, as the gods had predicted, became the father of a son named\n\u00c6neas Silvia, who founded Alba Longa, where his descendants reigned\nfor many a year, and where one of his race, the Vestal Virgin Ilia,\nafter marrying Mars, gave birth to Remus and Romulus, the founders of\nRome (p. 142).\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXX.\n\nANALYSIS OF MYTHS.\n\n \"I shall indeed interpret all that I can, but I cannot\n interpret all that I should like.\"--_Grimm._\n\n\n[Sidenote: Early theories.]\n\nIn attempting an analysis of the foregoing myths, and an explanation\nof their origin, it is impossible, in a work of this kind, to do more\nthan give a very superficial idea of the scientific theories of\nvarious eminent mythologists, who, on this subject, like doctors, are\nsure to disagree.\n\nThese myths, comprising \"the entire intellectual stock of the age to\nwhich they belonged,\" existed as \"floating talk among the people\" long\nere they passed into the literature of the nation; and while to us\nmythology is merely \"an affair of historical or antiquarian study, we\nmust remember that the interpretation of myths was once a thing full\nof vital interest to men whose moral and religious beliefs were deeply\nconcerned.\" Received at first with implicit faith, these myths became\na stumbling block as civilization advanced. Cultured man recoiled from\nmuch of the grossness which had appeared quite natural to his\nancestors in a savage state, and made an attempt to find out their\nprimitive meaning, or an explanation which would satisfy his purer\ntaste.\n\nWith the latter object in view, the sages and writers of old\ninterpreted all that seemed \"silly and senseless\" in mythology as\nphysical allegories,--a system subsequently carried to extremes by\nmany heathen philosophers in the vain hope of evading Christian\nsatire.\n\nLearned men have also explained these selfsame myths as historical\nfacts disguised as metaphors, or as moral allegories, which the choice\nof Hercules (p. 218) undoubtedly is. Euhemerus (316 B.C.) was the\npioneer of the former theory, and Bacon an exponent of the latter.\nEuhemerus' method was exaggerated by his disciples, who declared Zeus\nwas merely a king of Crete; his war with the giants, an attempt to\nrepress a sedition; Danae's shower of gold (p. 240), the money with\nwhich her guards were bribed; Prometheus, a maker of clay images,\n\"whence it was hyperbolically said he created man out of clay;\" and\nAtlas, an astronomer, who was therefore spoken of as supporting the\nweight of the heavens. This mode of interpretation was carried to such\nan extreme that it became ridiculous, and the inevitable reaction took\nplace. In the course of time, however, the germ of truth it contained\nwas again brought to light; and very few persons now refuse to believe\nthat some of the heroic myths have some slight historical basis, the\n\"silly and senseless\" element being classed as accretions similar to\nthe fabulous tales attached to the indubitably historical name of\nCharlemagne. During the seventeenth century, some philosophers,\nincited by \"the resemblance between biblical narrative and ancient\nmyths, came to the conclusion that the Bible contained a pure and the\nmyths a distorted form of an original revelation.\" But within the past\ncentury new theories have gradually gained ground: for the\nphilologists have attempted to prove that the myths arose from a\n\"disease of language;\" while the anthropologists, basing their theory\non comparative mythology, declare \"it is man, it is human thought and\nhuman language combined, which naturally and necessarily produced the\nstrange conglomerate of ancient fable.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Modern theories.]\n\nAs these two last-named schools have either successfully confuted or\nincorporated the theories of all their predecessors, a brief outline\nof their respective beliefs will not be out of place. While philology\ncompares only the \"myths of races which speak languages of the same\nfamily\" (as will shortly be demonstrated), anthropology resorts to all\nfolklore, and seeks for the origin of myths, not in language, which\nit considers only as a subordinate cause, but in the \"condition of\nthought through which all races have passed.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Anthropological theory.]\n\nThe anthropologists, or comparative mythologists, do not deny that\nduring the moderate allowance of two hundred and fifty thousand years,\nwhich they allot to the human race on earth, the myths may have spread\nfrom a single center, and either by migration, or by slave or wife\nstealing, or by other natural or accidental methods, may have\n\"wandered all around the globe;\" but they principally base their\narguments on the fact that just as flint arrowheads are found in all\nparts of the world, differing but slightly in form and manufacture, so\nthe myths of all nations \"resemble each other, because they were\nformed to meet the same needs, out of the same materials.\"\n\nThey argue that this similarity exists, \"not because the people came\nfrom the same stock\" (which is the philologist's view), \"but because\nthey passed through the same savage intellectual condition.\" By\ncountless examples taken from the folklore of all parts of the earth,\nthey prove that the savage considers himself akin to beasts (generally\nto the one whose image is used as a tribal or family badge or totem),\nand \"regards even plants, inanimate objects, and the most abstract\nphenomena, as persons with human parts and passions.\" To the savage,\n\"sun, moon, and stars are persons, but savage persons;\" and, as he\nbelieves \"many of his own tribe fellows to have the power of assuming\nthe form of animals,\" he concedes the same privilege and power to sun,\nmoon, and stars, etc. This school further prove that all pre-Christian\nreligions have idols representing beasts, that all mythologies\nrepresent the gods as fond of appearing in animal forms, and declare,\nthat, although the Greeks were a thoroughly civilized people, we can\nstill find in their mythology and religion \"abundant survivals of\nsavage manners and savage myths.\" They claim, that, during the\nmyth-making age, the ancestors of the Greeks were about on an\nintellectual level with the present Australian Bushmen, and that\n\"everything in civilized mythologies which we regard as irrational,\nseems only part of the accepted and rational order of things to the\ncontemporary savages, and in the past seemed equally rational and\nnatural to savages concerning whom we have historical information.\" Of\ncourse it is difficult, not to say impossible, for civilized man to\nput himself in the savage's place, and regard things from his point of\nview. The nearest approach to primitive intelligence which comes under\nour immediate observation is the working of the minds of small\nchildren, who, before they can talk intelligibly, whip the table or\nchair against which they have bumped their heads, and later on delight\nin weaving the most extraordinary tales. A little four-year-old seized\na book and began to \"read a story;\" that is to say, to improvise a\nvery improbable and highly colored tale of a pony. Forced to pause\nfrom lack of breath, she resumed the thread of her narrative with the\nwords, \"Now, this dog;\" and, when it was suggested that the story was\nabout a pony, she emphatically replied, \"Well, this pony was a dog,\"\nand continued. Now, either because she perceived that the\ntransformation had attracted attention, or to satisfy the childish\ninborn taste for the marvelous, in the course of the next few minutes\nthe pony underwent as many transformations as Proteus, all of which\napparently seemed perfectly natural to her. The anthropologists\nexplain the tales of the various transformations of Jupiter and his\nanimal progeny \"as in many cases survivals of the totemistic belief in\ndescent from beasts,\" while the mythologists explain them as\n\"allegories of the fruitful union of heaven and earth, of rain and\ngrain.\" The former school also declare that the myth of Cupid and\nPsyche, which has its parallel in stories found in all parts of the\nworld, was invented to explain curious marriage customs (for in some\ncountries it is unlawful for the husband to see his wife's face until\nafter she has given birth to her first child, and in others a wife may\nnot speak her husband's name): the latter school interpret the same\nmyth as a beautiful allegory of the soul and the union of faith and\nlove.\n\n[Sidenote: Philological theory.]\n\nThe philologists' interpretation of myths is not only the most\naccredited at the present time, but also the most poetical. We\ntherefore give a brief synopsis of their theory, together with an\nanalysis, from their point of view, of the principal myths told at\nlength in the course of this work. According to this school, \"myths\nare the result of a disease of language, as the pearl is the result of\na disease of the oyster;\" the key to all mythologies lies in language;\nand the original names of the gods, \"ascertained by comparative\nphilology, will be found, as a rule, to denote elemental or physical\nphenomena,\" that is, phenomena of the sunshine, the clouds, rain,\nwinds, fire, etc.\n\nTo make their process of reasoning plain, it should be explained, that\nas French, Spanish, and Italian are derived from the Latin, even so\nLatin, Greek, and Sanskrit have a common source in a much older\nlanguage; that, even if Latin were entirely lost, the similarity of\nthe word \"bridge,\" for instance (_pons_ in Latin), in French (_pont_),\nin Spanish (_puente_), and in Italian (_ponte_), would justify the\nconclusion that these terms had their origin in a common language, and\nthat the people who spoke it were familiar with bridges, which they\nevidently called by some name phonetically the same.\n\nFurther to prove their position, they demonstrate the similarity of\nthe most common words in all the languages of the same family, showing\n(as is the case with the word \"father\" in the accompanying table) that\nthey undergo but few changes in sixteen different languages.\n\n Sanskrit, _pitri_.\n Zend, _paitar_.\n Persian, _pader_.\n Erse, _athair_.\n Italian, _padre_.\n Spanish, _padre_.\n French, _p\u00e8re_.\n Saxon, _f\u00e6der_.\n Latin, _pater_.\n Greek, pronounced _p\u00e4tair_.\n Gothic, _vatar_.\n German, _vater_.\n Dutch, _fader_.\n Danish, _fader_.\n Swedish, _fader_.\n English, _father_.\n\nThe most learned of all these philologists argues that during the\nfirst or Rhematic period, there existed a tribe in Central Asia which\nspoke a monosyllabic language, in which lay the germs of the Turanian,\nAryan, and Semitic forms of speech. This Rhematic period was followed\nby the Nomadic or Agglutinative age, when, little by little, the\nlanguages \"received once for all that peculiar impress of their\nformative system which we still find in all the dialects and national\nidioms comprised under the name of Aryan or Semitic;\" that is to say,\nin the Hindoo, Persian, Greek, Roman, Celt, Slav, and Teutonic\nlanguages, and in some three thousand kindred dialects.\n\nAfter the Agglutinative period, and previous to the National era and\n\"the appearance of the first traces of literature,\" he places \"a\nperiod represented everywhere by the same characteristic features,\ncalled the Mythological or Mythopoeic age.\"\n\nIt was during this period that the main part of the vast fund of\nmythic lore is supposed to have crystallized; for primitive man,\nknowing nothing whatever of physical laws, cause and effect, and the\n\"necessary regularity of things,\" yet seeking an explanation of the\nnatural phenomena, described them in the only way possible to him, and\nattributed to all inanimate objects his own sentiments and passions,\nfancying them influenced by the same things, in the same way. This\ntendency to personify or animate everything is universal among\nsavages, who are nothing but men in the primitive state; and \"in early\nphilosophy throughout the world, the sun, moon, and stars are alive,\nand, as it were, human in their nature.\" \"Poetry has so far kept alive\nin our minds the old animative theory of nature, that it is no great\neffort in us to fancy the waterspout a huge giant or a sea monster,\nand to depict, in what we call appropriate metaphor, its march across\nthe field of ocean.\"\n\nAs the names of the Greek gods and heroes have in a great measure been\nfound to correspond with the Sanskrit names of physical things, we\nhave been able to read some of the first thoughts of primitive man;\nand \"the obvious meaning\" of many words \"did much to preserve vestiges\nof plain sense in classic legend, in spite of all the efforts of the\ncommentators.\"\n\nAccording to the philologists, therefore, these thoughts had already\nassumed a definite form in the remote epoch when many nations, now\nscattered over the face of the earth, occupied the same country, spoke\nthe same language, and formed but one people. Of course, \"as long as\nsuch beings as Heaven or Sun are consciously talked of in mythic\nlanguage, the meaning of their legends is open to no question, and the\naction ascribed to them will as a rule be natural and appropriate;\"\nbut with the gradual diffusion of this one people to various parts of\nthe earth, the original meaning of these words was entirely lost, and\nthey came to be looked upon eventually simply as the names of deities\nor heroes--very much in the way that the word \"good-by\" has long\nsurvived its original form as a conscious prayer, \"God be with you!\"\nand the word \"ostracism\" has lost all connection with an oyster shell.\n\nThe primitive meaning of a myth died away with the original meaning of\na word; and it is because \"the Greek had forgotten that Zeus (Jupiter)\nmeant 'the bright sky,' that he could make him king\" over a company of\nmanlike deities on Olympus.\n\nWe can best explain how the many anomalies occur, and how the myths\ngot so tangled up together that now it is almost impossible to\ndisentangle them and trace them back to their original meanings, by\ncomparing their descent through the ages to the course of a snowball,\nwhich, rolling down a mountain side, gathers to itself snow, earth,\nrocks, etc., until, in the vast agglomeration of kindred and foreign\nsubstances, the original nucleus is entirely lost to sight.\n\nThe fact that there are many different myths to explain the same\nphenomenon can readily be accounted for by the old saying,\n\"circumstances alter cases.\" Thus the heat of the sun, for example, so\nbeneficial at certain times, may prove baleful and injurious at\nothers.\n\nThe philologists, who believe that all myths (except the imitative\nmyths, of which the tale of Berenice is a fair example) were\noriginally nature myths, have divided them into a few large classes,\nwhich include the myths of the sky, the sun, dawn, daylight, night,\nmoon, earth, sea, clouds, fire, wind, and finally those of the\nunderworld and of the demons of drought and darkness.\n\n\nSKY MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Uranus.]\n\nTaking them in the order in which they are presented in this work, we\nfind among the myths of the sky, Uranus, whose name, like that of the\nold Hindoo god Varuna, is derived from the Sanskrit root _var_ (\"to\nveil, conceal, or cover\"). This god was therefore a personification of\nthe heavens, which are spread out like a veil, and cover all the\nearth; and we are further told that he hurled the thunder and\nlightning, his Cyclop children, down from his abode into the abyss\ncalled Tartarus.\n\n[Sidenote: Jupiter.]\n\nZeus (or Jupiter), whose name is the same as the Hindoo Dyaus Pitar,\nthe god and personification of the bright sky or the heavens, has\nlikewise been traced to the Sanskrit root _div_ or _dyu_, meaning \"to\nshine;\" and there is also a noun _dyu_ in that language which means\neither \"sky\" or \"day.\" In early times the name was applied to the one\nGod, and was therefore \"retained by the Greeks and all other kindred\npeople to express all they felt toward God;\" but as the word also\nmeant the visible sky, with its ever-changing aspect, some of the\nphrases used to describe it came, in the course of time, to denote\nvile and fickle actions, and apparently inconsistent behavior.\n\n[Sidenote: Juno.]\n\nThe name of Hera (or Juno), the heavenly light, and therefore the\ncomplement and consort of the sky, is supposed to be derived from the\nSanskrit _soar_ (\"the bright sky\") and _surya_ (\"the sun\"); and all\nthe manifold changes which at first merely denoted the varying\natmosphere, by being personified, gradually gave the impression of the\njealous, capricious, vengeful person whom poets and writers have taken\npleasure in depicting ever since.\n\n[Sidenote: Argus.]\n\nAnother personification of the sky, this time under the nocturnal and\nstarry aspect, is Argus, whose many bright eyes never closed all at\nonce, but kept constant watch over the moon (Io)--confided to his care\nby the heavenly light (Juno)--until at last their beams were quenched\nby the wind and rain (Mercury).\n\n\nSUN AND DAWN MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Europa.]\n\nThe myths of the sun, from which it is almost impossible to separate\nthose of the dawn, are probably more numerous than any others, and\nhave some main features of resemblance in all cases. The first sun\nmyth mentioned in the course of this work is the story of Europa, in\nwhich Europa is \"the broad spreading light,\" born in Phoenicia (the\n\"purple land of morn\"), the child of Telephassa (\"she who shines from\nafar\"), carried away from her eastern birthplace by the sky (Jupiter),\nclosely pursued by the sun (her brother Cadmus), who, after passing\nthrough many lands, slays a dragon (the usual demon of drought or\ndarkness), and sets (dies) at last without having ever overtaken the\nlight of dawn (Europa).\n\n[Sidenote: Apollo.]\n\nApollo, whose name of Helios is pure Greek for \"the sun,\" had\ntherefore not lost all physical significance for the Hellenic race,\nwho worshiped in him the radiant personification of the orb of day.\nAnother of his appellations, Phoebus (\"the lord of life and light\"),\nstill further emphasizes his character; and we are informed that he\nwas born of the sky (Jupiter) and of the dark night (Leto), in the\n\"bright land\" (Delos), whence he daily starts on his westward journey.\n\nLike all other solar heroes, Apollo is beautiful and golden-haired,\nradiant and genial, armed with unerring weapons, which he wields for\ngood or evil, as the mood sways him. He is forced to labor, against\nhis will at times, for the benefit of man, as, for instance, when he\nserves Admetus and Laomedon; and the cattle, by which he evidently\nsets such store, are the fleecy clouds, pasturing \"in the infinite\nmeadows of heaven,\" whose full udders drop down rain and fatness upon\nthe land, which are stolen away either by the wind (Mercury), or the\nstorm demon (Cacus), or the impious companions of Ulysses, who pay for\ntheir sacrilegious temerity with their lives.\n\n[Sidenote: Coronis.]\n\nThe sun's affinity for the dawn is depicted by his love for Coronis,\nwho, however beloved, falls beneath his bright darts; and, as \"the\nsun was regarded naturally as the restorer of life\" after the\nblighting influence of winter and disease, so their offspring\n(\u00c6sculapius) was naturally supposed to have been endowed with\nmarvelous curative powers.\n\nThe sun, for the same reason, was supposed to wage continual warfare\nagainst cold, sickness, and disease, and to use his bright beams or\narrows against the demon of drought, darkness, or illness (Python),\nwhich in some form or other inevitably appears in every solar myth.\n\n[Sidenote: Daphne.]\n\nIn the story of Daphne, a name derived from _Dahana_, the Sanskrit\n_dawn_, we find another version of the same story, where the sun,\nalthough enamored with the dawn, causes her death. As some\nmythologists have interpreted it, Daphne is a personification of the\nmorning dew, which vanishes beneath the sun's hot breath, and leaves\nno trace of its passage except in the luxuriant verdure.\n\n[Sidenote: Cephalus and Procris.]\n\nIn Cephalus and Procris the sun again appears, and his unerring spear\nunwittingly causes the death of his beloved Procris \"while she lingers\nin a thicket (a place where the dew lingers longest).\" This\ninterpretation has been further confirmed by philological researches,\nwhich prove that the name \"Procris\" originated from a Sanskrit word\nmeaning \"to sprinkle;\" and the stories evidently arose from three\nsimple phrases,--\"'the sun loves the dew,' 'the morning loves the\nsun,' and 'the sun kills the dew.'\"\n\n[Sidenote: Orpheus and Eurydice.]\n\nIn the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, while some mythologists see in\nhim a personification of the winds, which \"tear up trees as they\ncourse along, chanting their wild music,\" others see an emblem of \"the\nmorning, with its short-lived beauty.\" Eurydice, whose name, like that\nof Europa, comes from a Sanskrit word denoting \"the broad spreading\nflush of the dawn across the sky,\" is, of course, a personification of\nthat light, slain by \"the serpent of darkness at twilight.\"\n\nOrpheus is also sometimes considered as the sun, plunging into an\nabyss of darkness, in hopes of overtaking the vanishing dawn,\nEurydice; and as the light (Eurydice) reappears opposite the place\nwhere he disappeared, but is no more seen after the sun himself has\nfairly risen, \"they say that Orpheus has turned around too soon to\nlook at her, and so was parted from the wife he loved so dearly.\"\n\nHis death in the forest, when his strength had all forsaken him, and\nhis severed head floated down the stream murmuring \"Eurydice,\" may\nalso, perchance, have been intended to represent either the last faint\nbreath of the expiring wind, or the setting of the sun in blood-tinged\nclouds.\n\n[Sidenote: Phaeton.]\n\nIn the story of Phaeton, whose name means \"the bright and shining\none,\" a description of the golden palace and car of the sun is given\nus. We are told that the venturesome young charioteer, by usurping his\nfather's place, causes incalculable mischief, and, in punishment for\nhis mismanagement of the solar steeds (the fleecy white clouds), is\nhurled from his exalted seat by a thunderbolt launched by the hand of\nJupiter.\n\n\"This story arose from phrases which spoke of drought as caused by the\nchariot of Helios, when driven by some one who knew not how to guide\nhis horses; and the smiting of Phaeton by the bolt of Zeus is the\nending of the time of drought by a sudden storm of thunder.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Endymion.]\n\nThe story of Diana and Endymion has also been interpreted as a sun\nmyth, in which the name \"Endymion\" refers specially to the dying or\nsetting sun, who sinks to rest on Mount Latmus (\"the land of\nforgetfulness,\" derived from the same root as \"Leto\"). M\u00fcller, the\ngreat authority in philology, tells us, that, in the ancient poetical\nand proverbial language of Elis, people said, \"Selene loves and\nwatches Endymion,\" instead of saying, \"It is getting late;\" \"Selene\nembraces Endymion,\" instead of, \"The sun is setting and the moon is\nrising;\" \"Selene kisses Endymion into sleep,\" instead of, \"It is\nnight.\"\n\nThese expressions remained long after their real meaning had ceased\nto be understood; and, as the human mind is generally as anxious for a\nreason as ready to invent one, a story arose without any conscious\neffort, that Endymion must have been a young lad loved by a young\nmaiden, Selene.\n\n[Sidenote: Adonis.]\n\nIn the story of Adonis some mythologists find another sun myth, in\nwhich Adonis, the short-lived sun, is slain by the boar, the demon of\ndarkness, and passionately mourned by the dawn or twilight (Venus),\nwho utterly refuses to exist without him.\n\n[Sidenote: Tantalus.]\n\nIn the story of Tantalus (the sun), who in time of drought offers to\nJupiter the flesh of his own offspring, Pelops (the withered fruits),\nand in punishment for his impiety is doomed to hunger and torturing\nthirst, we have again merely a story founded upon an expression used\nin time of drought, when the sun's heat, becoming too intense, burns\nup the fruit his fostering rays had produced, and men exclaimed,\n\"Tantalus is slaying and roasting his own child!\"\n\n[Sidenote: Sisyphus.]\n\nIn the same way the stone which Sisyphus painfully forced up a steep\nascent, only to see it go rolling down and plunge into a dark abyss\nenveloped in a great cloud of dust, has been interpreted to represent\nthe sun, which is no \"sooner pushed up to the zenith, than it rolls\ndown to the horizon.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Ixion.]\n\nThe name of Ixion has been identified with the Sanskrit word\n_Akshanah_, denoting one who is bound to a wheel, and has been proved\nakin \"to the Greek _ax\u00f4n_, the Latin _axis_, and the English _axle_.\"\nThis whirling wheel of fire is the bright orb of day, to which he was\nbound by order of Jupiter (the sky) because he dared insult Juno (the\nqueen of the blue air); while Dia, his wife, is the dawn, the\ncounterpart of Europa, Coronis, Daphne, Procris, Eurydice, and Venus,\nin the foregoing illustrations.\n\n[Sidenote: Hercules.]\n\nOne of the greatest of all the solar heroes is doubtless the demigod\nHercules, born at Argos (a word signifying \"brightness\") from the sky\n(Jupiter) and the dawn (Alcmene), who, in early infancy, throttles\nthe serpents of darkness, and who, with untiring strength and\npatience, plods through life, never resting, and always on his journey\nperforming twelve great tasks, interpreted to represent either the\ntwelve signs of the Zodiac, or the twelve months of the solar year, or\nthe twelve hours of daylight.\n\n[Sidenote: Iole.]\n\nLike Apollo and Cadmus, Hercules is forced to labor for mankind\nagainst his will. We see him early in life united to Megara, and, like\nTantalus, slaying his own offspring in a sudden fit of madness. He\nloves and is soon forced to leave Iole, the violet-colored clouds. He\nperforms great deeds, slays innumerable demons of drought and darkness\non his way, and visits the enchanted land of the Hesperides,--a symbol\nof the western sky and clouds at sunset.\n\n[Sidenote: Deianeira.]\n\nThe main part of his life is spent with Deianeira (\"the destroying\nspouse\"), a personification of the daylight; but toward the end of his\ncareer he again encounters Iole, now the beautiful twilight. It is\nthen that Deianeira (the daylight), jealous of her rival's charms,\nsends him the bloody Nessus robe, which he has no sooner donned, than\nhe tears it from his bleeding limbs, ascends the burning pile, and\nends his career in one grand blaze,--the emblem of the sun setting in\na framework of flaming crimson clouds.\n\nLike all solar heroes, he too has unerring poisoned weapons (\"the word\n_ios_, 'a spear,' is the same in sound as the word _ios_, 'poison'\"),\nof which he is shorn only at death.\n\n[Sidenote: Perseus.]\n\nPerseus also belongs to this category of myths. Danae, his mother,\neither the earth (_dano_ means \"burnt earth\") or the dawn, a daughter\nof Acrisius (darkness), is born in Argos (brightness). Loved by\nJupiter, the all-embracing sky, she gives birth to the golden-haired\nPerseus, a personification of the radiant orb of day; and he, like\nmany another solar hero, is cast adrift immediately after his birth,\nowing to an ominous prophecy that he will slay the darkness from which\nhe originally sprang.\n\nAs soon as Perseus attains manhood, he is forced to journey against\nhis will into the distant land of the mists (the Gr\u00e6\u00e6), and conquer\nthe terrible Medusa, \"the starlit night, solemn in its beauty, but\ndoomed to die when the sun rises.\" He accomplishes this by means of\nhis irresistible sword, the piercing rays of the sun, and then passes\non to encounter the monster of drought, and to marry Andromeda,\nanother personification of the dawn, the offspring of Celeus and\nCassiopeia, who also represent night and darkness.\n\nIn company with Andromeda, Perseus, whose name also signifies \"the\ndestroyer,\" revisits his native land, and fulfills the prophecy by\nslaying Acrisius (the darkness), whence he originally sprang.\n\n[Sidenote: Theseus.]\n\nIn the Athenian solar myth, Theseus is the sun, born of \u00c6geus (the\nsea, derived from _aisso_, \"to move quickly like the waves\") and \u00c6thra\n(the pure air). He lingers in his birthplace, Troezene, until he has\nacquired strength enough to wield his invincible sword, then journeys\nonward in search of his father, performing countless great deeds for\nthe benefit of mankind. He slays the Minotaur, the terrible monster of\ndarkness, and carries off the dawn (Ariadne); whom he is, however,\nforced to abandon shortly after on the Island of Naxos.\n\nIn his subsequent career we find him the involuntary cause of his\nfather's death, then warring against the Centaurs (personifications of\nthe clouds, through which the victorious sun is sometimes forced to\nfight his way), then again plunging for a short space of time into the\ndepths of Tartarus, whence he emerges once more; and finally we see\nhim uniting his fate to Ph\u00e6dra (the twilight), a sister of the\nbeautiful dawn he loved in his youth. He ends his eventful career by\nbeing hurled headlong from a cliff into the sea,--an emblem of the\nsun, which often seems to plunge into the waves at eventide.\n\n[Sidenote: Argonauts.]\n\nIn the story of the Argonautic expedition we have Athamas, who marries\nNephele (the mist). Their children are Phryxus and Helle (the cold and\nwarm air, or personifications of the clouds), carried off to the far\neast by the ram--whose golden fleece was but an emblem of the rays of\nthe sun--to enable them to escape from the baleful influence of their\nstepmother Ino (the broad daylight), who would fain encompass their\ndestruction.\n\n[Sidenote: Medea.]\n\nHelle, an emblem of the condensation of vapor, falls from her exalted\nseat into the sea, where she is lost. The ship Argo \"is a symbol of\nthe earth as a parent, which contains in itself the germs of all\nliving things.\" Its crew is composed mainly of solar heroes, all in\nquest of the golden fleece (the rays of the sun), which Jason recovers\nby the aid of Medea (the dawn), after slaying the dragon (the demon of\ndrought). \u00c6etes, Medea's father, is a personification of the darkness,\nwhich vainly attempts to recover his children, the dawn and light (?),\nafter they have been borne away by the all-conquering sun.\n\n[Sidenote: Glauce.]\n\nGlauce (the broad daylight) next charms Jason; and the poisoned robe\nwhich causes her death is woven by Medea, now the evening twilight,\nwho mounts her dragon car and flies to the far east, forsaking her\nhusband (the sun) in his old age, when he is about to sink into the\nsleep of death.\n\n[Sidenote: Meleager.]\n\nMeleager is also a solar hero. After joining the Argonautic\nexpedition, and wandering far and wide, he returns home, slays the\nboar (or drought fiend), loves, but parts from, Atalanta (the dawn\nmaiden), and is finally slain by his own mother, who casts into the\nflames the brand upon which his existence depends.\n\n[Sidenote: Oedipus.]\n\nIn the Theban solar myth, Laius (derived from the same root as \"Leto\"\nand \"Latmus\") is the emblem of darkness, who, after marrying Jocasta\n(like Iole, a personification of the violet-tinted clouds of dawn),\nbecomes the father of Oedipus, doomed by fate to be the murderer of\nhis father. Early in life Oedipus is exposed on the barren hillside to\nperish,--an emblem of the horizontal rays of the rising sun, which\nseem to lie for a while upon the mountain slopes, ere they rise to\nbegin their journey.\n\nHe too, like Cadmus, Apollo, Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, and Jason, is\nforced to wander far from home, and, after a prolonged journey,\nencounters and slays Laius (the darkness), from whom he derived his\nexistence, and kills the dread monster of drought, the Sphinx, whose\nvery name means \"one who binds fast,\"--a creature who had imprisoned\nthe rain in the clouds, and thus caused great distress.\n\nUrged on by unrelenting fate, he marries his own mother, Jocasta, now\nthe violet-tinted twilight, and ends his life amid lightning flashes\nand rolls of thunder, after being accompanied to the end of his course\nby Antigone (\"the pale light which springs up opposite the sun at his\nsetting\"). This story--which at first was merely intended to signify\nthat the sun (Oedipus) must slay the darkness (Laius) and linger for a\nwhile beside the violet-colored clouds (Jocasta)--having lost its\nphysical meaning, the Thebans added the tragic sequel, for it seemed\nbut poetic justice that the author of such crimes should receive\nsignal punishment.\n\n[Sidenote: Eumenides.]\n\nAs the Eumenides, or Erinnyes, were at first merely the searching\nlight of day, from which nothing can be hidden, they came gradually to\nbe considered the detectives and avengers of crime, and were therefore\nsaid to take possession of a criminal at the end of his course, and\nhurry him down into darkness to inflict horrible torments upon him.\n\n[Sidenote: Bellerophon.]\n\nIn the story of Bellerophon, although the name originally came from\n_Bellero_ (some \"power of darkness, drought, winter, or moral evil\")\nand from _phon_ or _phontes_ (a word derived from the Sanskrit\n_han-t\u00e2_, \"the killer\"), the Greeks, having forgotten the\nsignification of the first part of the word, declared this hero was\nthe murderer of Bellero, his brother, for which involuntary crime he\nwas driven from home, and forced to wander about in search of shelter.\n\nWe find this hero, although enticed by Anteia (the dawn), virtuously\nhastening away, then sent against his will to fight the Chim\u00e6ra (the\nmonster of drought), whom he overcomes, thanks to his weapon and to\nPegasus (the clouds), born from the mist of the sea, beneath whose\nhoofs fresh fountains were wont to spring.\n\nBellerophon, after many journeys, is finally united to Philonoe, a\npersonification of the twilight, and ends his career by being hurled\nfrom the zenith into utter darkness by one of Jupiter's deadly\nthunderbolts.\n\n\"The fall of Bellerophon is the rapid descent of the sun toward\nevening, and the Alein plain is that broad expanse of somber light\nthrough which the sun sometimes seems to travel sullenly and alone to\nhis setting.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Trojan war.]\n\nIn the story of the Trojan war there are several sun myths; for Paris,\nMenelaus, Agamemnon, and Achilles have equal claims to be considered\npersonifications of the sun. They love Oenone, Helen, Clyt\u00e6mnestra,\nBriseis, various impersonations of the dawn, and forsake, or are\nforsaken by, their ladyloves, whom they meet again at the end of their\ncareer: for Paris sees Oenone, and expires with her on the burning\npile; Menelaus recovers Helen, with whom he vanishes in the far west;\nAgamemnon rejoins Clyt\u00e6mnestra, and dies by her hand in a bloody bath;\nwhile Achilles, after a period of sullen gloom, meets with an untimely\ndeath shortly after recovering the beautiful Briseis.\n\nLike Perseus and Oedipus, Paris is exposed in early infancy, and lives\nto fulfill his destiny, and cause, though indirectly, the death of his\nparents.\n\nIn this myth, Helen (the beautiful dawn or twilight), whose name\ncorresponds phonetically with the Sanskrit _Sarama_, born of the sky\n(Jupiter) and of the night (Leda, derived from the same root as\n\"Leto,\" \"Latmus,\" and \"Laius\"), is carried away by Paris, whom some\nmythologists identify with the Hindoo _Panis_ (or \"night demons\")\ninstead of the sun. In this character he entices away the fickle\ntwilight (Helen) during her husband's temporary absence, and bears her\noff to the far east, where, after struggling for a while to retain\npossession of her and her treasures, he is finally forced to\nrelinquish her, and she returns to her husband and her allegiance.\n\nThe siege of Troy has thus been interpreted to signify \"a repetition\nof the daily siege of the east by the solar powers, that every evening\nare robbed of their brightest treasures in the west.\"\n\nAchilles, like several of his brother heroes, \"fights in no quarrel of\nhis own; his wrath is the sun hiding his face behind the clouds; the\nMyrmidons are his attendant beams, who no longer appear when the sun\nis hidden; Patroclus is the feeble reflection of the sun's splendor,\nand stands to him in precisely the same relation as Phaeton to\nHelios,\" and, like him, meets with an early death.\n\n[Sidenote: Ulysses.]\n\nIn the story of Ulysses we find a reproduction of the story of\nHercules and Perseus: for Ulysses, early in life, after wedding\nPenelope, is forced to leave her to fight for another; and on his\nreturn, although longing to rejoin his morning bride, he cannot turn\naside from the course marked out for him. He is detained by Circe (the\nmoon), who weaves airy tissues, and by Calypso (the nymph of\ndarkness); but neither can keep him forever, and he returns home\nenveloped in an impenetrable disguise, after having visited the\nPh\u00e6acian land (the land of clouds or mists). It is only after he has\nslain the suitors of Penelope (the weaver of bright evening clouds)\nthat he casts aside his beggar's garb to linger for a short time\nbeside her ere he vanishes in the west.\n\n[Sidenote: Minerva.]\n\nThe greater part of the dawn myths have been explained simultaneously\nwith the sun myths, with which they are inextricably interwoven. One\npersonification of the dawn, however, stands apart. It is Minerva,\nwhose Greek name, Athene, is derived, like Daphne, from the Sanskrit\n_Dahana_, or _ahana_ (meaning \"the light of daybreak\"), and we are\nthus enabled to understand why the Greeks described her as sprung from\nthe forehead of Zeus (the heavens). She gradually became the\nimpersonation of the illuminating and knowledge-giving light of the\nsky; for in Sanskrit the same word also means \"to wake\" and \"to know,\"\nwhile the Latins connected her name of Minerva with _mens_, the same\nas the Greek _m\u00e9nos_ and the English _mind_.\n\n\nMOON MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Diana, Io, and Circe.]\n\nIn the moon myths the most important personification is first Diana,\nthe horned huntress, \"for to the ancients the moon was not a lifeless\nball of stones and clods.\" Diana, like Apollo, her twin brother, was\nalso a child of the sky (Jupiter) and of night (Latona), and, like\nhim, was born in the \"bright land\" (Delos). She also possessed bright\nand unerring arrows, and in the course of her nightly journey she\nlooked lovingly down upon the sleeping face of the setting sun\n(Endymion).\n\nIo and Circe, already mentioned, are also personifications of the\nmoon, and Io's wanderings represent its journeys across the sky.\n\n\nEARTH MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: G\u00e6a and Rhea.]\n\nIn the earth myths, beside those already mentioned in connection with\nthe sun myths, we have G\u00e6a and Rhea, the mothers and consorts of the\nSky and of Time, who swallows his own children, \"the Days, as they\ncome each in order.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Ceres and Proserpina.]\n\nWe have also Ceres or Demeter, \"the mother of all things,\" and more\nparticularly of \"the maiden\" Cora (or Proserpina), whose loss she\ngrievously mourned; for she had been carried away by Pluto to the\nunderworld, whence she could only emerge at the command of Jupiter.\nDuring the time of Ceres' mourning, the earth remained barren, and it\nseemed as though all mortal things must die. But when Proserpina (the\nspring or vegetation) returned from her sojourn under the ground,\npeople said \"that the daughter of the earth was returning in all her\nbeauty; and when summer faded into winter, they said that the\nbeautiful child had been stolen away from her mother by dark beings,\nwho kept her imprisoned beneath the earth.\" The sorrow of Ceres was\ntherefore merely a poetical way of expressing \"the gloom which falls\non the earth during the cheerless months of winter.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Danae and Semele.]\n\nDanae, as a personification of the earth, was quickened by the golden\nshower, the light of the morning, which streamed in upon the darkness\nof the night. Semele has also been interpreted as the earth, the\nchosen bride of the sky, who brings forth her offspring in the midst\nof the thunder and lightning of a summer storm.\n\n\nSEA MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Oceanus and Neptune.]\n\nThe myths of the sea comprise, of course, Oceanus and Neptune (the\nearth-shaker), whose name is connected with such words as \"potent\" and\n\"despot,\" and whose \"green hair circles all the earth.\" We are further\ninformed that he loves the earth (Ceres), whom he embraces, and that\nhe marries the graceful undulating Amphitrite, whose gliding charms\nappeal to him. Neptune's palace is beneath the deep waters near\nGreece, and he is said to ride about his realm in a swift chariot\ndrawn by golden or white maned steeds.\n\n[Sidenote: Nereus.]\n\nNereus, another personification of the sea, whose name is derived from\n_nao_ (\"to flow\"), is quite inseparable from his native element, even\nin the Greeks' conception of him, as are also the Tritons, Oceanides,\nNereides, and the alluring Sirens; who, however, have also been viewed\nas personifications of the winds.\n\n\nCLOUD MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Charon.]\n\nThe cloud myths, to which frequent allusion has already been made,\ncomprise not only the cattle of the sun, the Centaurs, Nephele,\nPhryxus, Helle, and Pegasus, but as, \"in primitive Aryan lore, the sky\nitself was a blue sea, and the clouds were ships sailing over it,\" so\nCharon's boat was supposed to be one of these vessels, and the gilded\nshallop in which the sun daily made his pilgrimage back to the far\neast, another.\n\n[Sidenote: Niobe.]\n\nAs the ancient Aryan had the same word to denote cloud and mountain\n(\"for the piles of vapor on the horizon were so like Alpine ranges\"),\nthe cloud and mountain myths are often the same. In the story of Niobe\nwe have one of the cloud myths. According to some mythologists, Niobe\nherself is a personification of the clouds. Her many children, the\nmists, are fully as beautiful as Apollo and Diana, by whose bright\ndarts they are ruthlessly slain. Niobe grieves so sorely at their\nuntimely death, that she dissolves in a rain of tears, which turns\ninto hard ice on the mountain summit. According to other authorities,\nshe was a personification of winter, and her tears represented the\nthaw occasioned by the sunbeams (Apollo's arrows).\n\n\nFIRE MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Cyclopes.]\n\nThe fire myths also form quite a large class, and comprise the\nCyclopes (the thunder and lightning), children of Heaven and Earth,\nwhose single blazing eye has been considered an emblem of the sun.\nThey forge the terrible thunderbolts, the weapons of the sky\n(Jupiter), by means of which he is enabled to triumph over all his\nenemies, and rule supreme.\n\n[Sidenote: Titans.]\n\nThe Titans are emblems of the subterranean fires and the volcanic\nforces of nature, which, hidden deep underground, occasionally emerge,\nheave up great masses of rock, and hurl them about with an\naccompaniment of deafening roars, while their ponderous tread causes\nthe very earth beneath them to tremble.\n\n[Sidenote: Prometheus.]\n\nIn this group we also find Prometheus, whose name has been traced to\nthe Sanskrit _pramantha_ (or \"fire drill\"). Learned men have therefore\nproved that the \"beneficent Titan, who stole fire from heaven and\nbestowed it upon mankind as the richest of boons,\" was originally\nnothing but the lightning (\"the celestial drill which churns fire out\nof the clouds\"); but the Greeks had so entirely forgotten this\netymological meaning, that they interpreted his name as the\n\"fore-thinker,\" and considered him endowed with extraordinary\nprophetic powers.\n\n[Sidenote: Vulcan.]\n\nVulcan (or Heph\u00e6stus), strictly \"the brightness of the flame,\" another\nfire hero, is represented as very puny at birth, because the flame\ncomes from a tiny spark. His name is derived from the Hindoo _agni_,\nwhence come the Latin _ignis_ and the English verb _to ignite_. Vulcan\ndwells by preference in the heart of volcanoes, where the intense heat\nkeeps the metals in fusion, and so malleable that he can mold them at\nwill; and, as \"the association of the heavenly fire with the\nlife-giving forces of nature is very common,\" the Hindoo Agni was\nconsidered the patron of marriage as well as of fire; and the Greeks,\nto carry out this idea, united their fire god, Heph\u00e6stus, to the\ngoddess of marriage, Aphrodite.\n\n[Sidenote: Vesta.]\n\nThe Greek Hestia (or Latin Vesta) was also a personification of fire;\nand, her name having retained its primitive meaning to a great extent,\n\"she continued to the end, as she had been from the beginning, the\nhousehold altar, the sanctuary of peace and equity, and the source of\nall happiness and wealth.\" Her office was not limited merely to the\nhearths of households and cities, for it was supposed \"that in the\ncenter of the earth there was a hearth which answered to the hearth\nplaced in the center of the universe.\"\n\n\nWIND MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Mercury.]\n\nIn the myths of the wind, Mercury (or Hermes) was one of the principal\npersonifications. According to the ancients, he was born of the sky\n(Jupiter) and the plains (Maia), and after a very few hours' existence\nassumed gigantic proportions, stole away the cattle of the sun (the\nclouds), and, after fanning up a great fire in which he consumed some\nof the herd, glided back into his cradle at dawn. With a low, mocking\nchuckle at the recollection of the pranks he had played, he sank\nfinally into rest. His name, derived from the Sanskrit _Sarameias_,\nmeans \"the breeze of a summer morning;\" and it is in his capacity of\ngod of the wind that he is supposed to waft away the souls of the\ndead; for \"the ancients held that in the wind were the souls of the\ndead.\" Mercury is the \"lying, tricksome wind god who invented music,\"\nfor his music is but \"the melody of the winds, which can awaken\nfeelings of joy and sorrow, of regret and yearning, of fear and hope,\nof vehement gladness and utter despair.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Mars.]\n\nAnother personification of the wind was Mars (or Ares), born of the\nsky (Jupiter) and of the heavenly light (Juno) in the bleak land of\nThrace, rejoicing in din and in the noise of warfare. His nature is\nfurther revealed by his inconstancy and capriciousness; and whenever\nhe is overcome, he is noted for his great roar. His name comes from\nthe same root as Maruts, the Indian god, and means the \"grinder\" or\n\"crusher.\" It was first applied \"to the storms which throw heaven and\nearth into confusion, and hence the idea of Ares is confined to mere\ndisorder and tumult.\"\n\n[Sidenote: Otus and Ephialtes.]\n\nOtus and Ephialtes, the gigantic sons of Neptune, were also at first\nmerely personifications of the wind and hurricanes. The name of the\nlatter indicates \"one who leaps.\" Although very short-lived, these\ngiants were supposed to increase rapidly in size, and assume colossal\nproportions, which inspired the hearts of men and gods with terror,\nuntil they saw them finally slain by the unfailing arrows of the sun.\n\n[Sidenote: Pan, \u00c6olus, and the Harpies.]\n\nPan, \u00c6olus, his numerous progeny, and the Harpies, were also wind\ndivinities who never entirely lost their original character with the\nGreeks, and were therefore worshiped merely as personifications of the\nelements.\n\n\nUNDERWORLD MYTHS.\n\n[Sidenote: Cerberus and Pluto.]\n\nThe myths of drought, darkness, and of the underworld have\nsufficiently been dwelt upon as personified by Python, the Hydra,\nGeryones, the Gorgons, Gr\u00e6\u00e6, Minotaur, Sphinx, Chim\u00e6ra, etc.; but\ntheir main personifications were Cerberus (the grim three-headed\nguardian of the nether world) and Pluto (or A\u00efdes), whose name means\n\"the wealth-giver,\" or \"the unseen,\" who greedily drew all things down\ninto his realm, never to relinquish his grasp upon them.\n\nSuch is the physical explanation of the various poetical myths which\nform the staple of classic literature, and which have been a fount of\ninspiration for poets and artists of all ages.\n\n\n\n\nGENEALOGICAL TABLE.\n\n\nNote.--Double vertical lines indicate that several generations intervene.\n\n Chaos-_Nyx_\n |\n +-Erebus-_Nyx_\n |\n +-_Hemera_-\n +-\u00c6ther\n | |\n | +-_G\u00e6a_\n | | |\n | | +-Uranus-_G\u00e6a_\n | | |\n | | +-Oceanus-\n | | +-_Thetis_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Achelous-_Calliope_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Sirens_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Alpheus-_Arethusa_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Peneus-_G\u00e6a_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Daphne_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Inachus\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Io_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Proteus\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Doris_-Nereus\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Amphitrite_-Neptune\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Triton\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Dione_-Jupiter\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Venus_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Arethusa_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Galatea_-Acis\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Peleus-_Thetis_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | | Jupiter-_Antiope_-Lycus-_Dirce_\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Zethus Tantalus\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Amphion-_Niobe_-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | Pelops-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | Atreus-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | Tyndareus-_Leda_-Jupiter |\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-_Helen_ |\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Castor |\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Pollux |\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-_Clyt\u00e6mnestra_-Agamemnon-+\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | _Iphigenia_-+ |\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | Pylades-_Electra_+ |\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | Orestes-+ |\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Achilles _Helen_-Menelaus-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Pyrrhus-_Hermione_-+\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Clymene_-Apollo\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Heliades_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Phaeton\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Metis_-Jupiter\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Minerva_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Clymene_-Iapetus\n | | | |\n | | | +-_\u00c6thra_-Atlas\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Pleiades_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Maia_-Jupiter\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Mercury-_Penelope_-Ulysses\n | | | | | |\n | | | | +-Pan +-Telemachus\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Calypso_-Ulysses\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Clytie_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Electra_-Jupiter\n | | | |\n | | | | Teucer\n | | | | |\n | | | +-Dardanus-_Batea_-+\n | | | ||\n | | | +-Laomedon\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Priam-_Hecuba_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Hector-_Andromache_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Paris-_Helen_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Cassandra_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Polites\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Polyxena_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Deiphobus-_Helen_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Hesione_-Telamon\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Ajax\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Tithonus-_Aurora_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Themis_-Capys\n | | | |\n | | | +-Anchises-_Venus_\n | | | |\n | | | +-\u00c6neas-_Creusa_\n | | | & |\n | | | -_Lavinia_ +-Iulus\n | | | |\n | | | +-\u00c6neas Silvia\n | | | ||\n | | | +-Numitor\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Ilia_-Mars\n | | | |\n | | | +-Remus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Romulus\n | | |\n | | +-Coeus-\n | | +-_Phoebe_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Latona_-Jupiter Mars\n | | | | |\n | | | | _Dia_-Ixion-+\n | | | | | |\n | | | | Centaurs-+ |\n | | | | | |\n | | | | _Hippodamia_-Pirithous-+ |\n | | | | |\n | | | +-Apollo- & -_Coronis_--------+\n | | | +-_Diana_ |\n | | | +-\u00c6sculapius\n | | | |\n | | | +-Machaon\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Hygeia_\n | | |\n | | +-Iapetus-_Clymene_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Menetius\n | | | |\n | | | +-Atlas\n | | | |\n | | | +-Hesperus\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Hesperides_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Epimetheus-_Pandora_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Pyrrha_-Deucalion\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Hellen Sol\n | | | | | |\n | | | | +-\u00c6olus _Pasiph\u00e6_-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Salmoneus _Circe_-+\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-_Tyro_-Neptune \u00c6etes-+\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-\u00c6son Absyrtus-+\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | +-Jason-_Medea_-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Pelias\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Neleus\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Nestor\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Sisyphus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Glaucus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Bellerophon-_Philono\u00eb_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Dorus\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Xuthus\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Ion\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Ach\u00e6us\n | | | |\n | | | +-Prometheus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Deucalion-_Pyrrha_\n | | |\n | | +-Hyperion-_G\u00e6a_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Aurora_-\u00c6olus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Boreas-_Orithyia_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Zetus\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Calais\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Cleopatra_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Chione_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Corus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Eurus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Notus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Aquilo\n | | | |\n | | | +-Zephyrus-_Flora_\n | | |\n | | +-Crius\n | | |\n | | +-_Themis_-Jupiter\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Parc\u00e6_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Hor\u00e6_\n | | |\n | | +-_Ilia_\n | | |\n | | +-Cronus-\n | | +-_Rhea_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Vesta_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Juno_-\n | | | +-Jupiter\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Mars-_Venus_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Anteros\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Cupid-_Psyche_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | | Jupiter-_Io_\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Epaphus\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-_Libya_-Neptune\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | _Telephassa_- |\n | | | | | | Agenor-+\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | +-Belus\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | +-Pygmalion\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | +-_Dido_-Sych\u00e6us\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | +-Danaus\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | +-_Danaides_-50 Sons\n | | | | | | | | ||\n | | | | | | | | +-Acrisius\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | +-_Danae_-Jupiter\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | Celeus- |\n | | | | | | | | _Cassiopeia_ |\n | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | _Andromeda_-+ |\n | | | | | | | | -Perseus----+\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | +-Alc\u00e6us\n | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | +-Amphitryon-_Alcmene_\n | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | +-Iphicles\n | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | +-Iolaus\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | +-Electryon\n | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | +-_Alcmene_-Jupiter\n | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | | Oeneus-_Alth\u00e6a_\n | | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | | Meleager-+\n | | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | | _Deianeira_- -+\n | | | | | | | | | +-Hercules\n | | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | | +-Hyllus-_Iole_\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | +-Sthenelus\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | +-Eurystheus\n | | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | | +-_Admete_\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | +-\u00c6gyptus\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | +-50 Sons\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Harmonia_ |\n | | | | | | -Cadmus-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Cilix\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Phoenix\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-_Europa_-Jupiter\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Sarpedon\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Rhadamanthus\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Minos\n | | | | | | ||\n | | | | | | +-Minos-_Pasiphae_\n | | | | | | \u00c6geus-_\u00c6thra_ |\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | _Hippolyte_ |\n | | | | | | | & |\n | | | | | | +----Theseus-_Ph\u00e6dra_-+\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Hippolytus |\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-_Ariadne_-Bacchus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Ino_-Athamas-_Nephele_\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | Phryxus-+\n | | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | | _Helle_-+\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Pal\u00e6mon\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Learchus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Autonoe_-Arist\u00e6us\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Act\u00e6on\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Agave_\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Pentheus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Semele_-Jupiter\n | | | | | | |\n | | | | | | +-Bacchus-_Ariadne_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Polydorus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Labdacus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Laius-_Jocasta_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Oedipus-_Jocasta_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Eteocles\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Polynices\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Antigone_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-_Ismene_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Vulcan-_Medusa_\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Cacus\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Periphetes\n | | | | | |\n | | | | | +-Cercyon\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Hebe_-Hercules\n | | | |\n | | | +-Neptune-_Amphitrite_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Triton\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Ceres_-Jupiter\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-_Proserpina_\n | | | |\n | | | +-Pluto-_Proserpina_\n | | |\n | | +-_Mnemosyne_-Jupiter\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Clio_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Hymen\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Calliope_\n | | | | |\n | | | | +-Orpheus-_Eurydice_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Thalia_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Euterpe_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Urania_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Melpomene_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Terpsichore_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Polyhymnia_\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Erato_\n | | |\n | | +-Brontes\n | | |\n | | +-Steropes\n | | |\n | | +-Arges\n | | |\n | | +-Briareus\n | | |\n | | +-Cottus\n | | |\n | | +-Gyes\n | | |\n | | +-Typhoeus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Hydra\n | | | |\n | | | +-Cerberus\n | | | |\n | | | +-Chim\u00e6ra\n | | | |\n | | | +-Nemean Lion\n | | | |\n | | | +-_Sphinx_\n | | |\n | | +-Enceladus\n | | |\n | | +-Ant\u00e6us\n | | |\n | | +-_Harpies_\n | | |\n | | +-Tityus\n | | |\n | | +-Nereus\n | |\n | +-Eros\n | |\n | +-Pontus\n | |\n | +-Phorcys\n | |\n | +-_Bellona_\n | |\n | +-_Stheno_\n | |\n | +-_Euryale_\n | |\n | +-_Medusa_-Neptune\n | |\n | +-Pegasus\n | |\n | +-Polyphemus\n |\n +-Charon\n |\n +-_Eris_\n |\n +-Somnus\n | |\n | +-Morpheus\n |\n +-Mors\n\n\n{Transcription:\n\nChaos (M) married Nyx (F).\nTheir child was Erebus (M).\n\n Erebus (M) married Nyx (F).\n Their children were Hemera (F), \u00c6ther (M), Charon (M), Eris (F),\n Somnus (M) and Mors (M).\n\n Hemera (F) married \u00c6ther (M).\n Their children were G\u00e6a (F), Eros (M) and Pontus (M).\n\n G\u00e6a (F) had a child, Uranus (M).\n\n Uranus (M) married G\u00e6a (F).\n Their children were Oceanus (M), Thetis (F), Coeus (M), Phoebe\n (F), Iapetus (M), Hyperion (M), Crius (M), Themis (F),\n Ilia (F), Cronus (M), Rhea (F), Mnemosyne (F), Brontes\n (M), Steropes (M), Arges (M), Briareus (M), Cottus (M),\n Gyes (M), Typhoeus (M), Enceladus (M), Ant\u00e6us (M), Harpies\n (F), Tityus (M) and Nereus (M).\n\n Oceanus (M) married Thetis (F).\n Their children were Achelous (M), Alpheus (M), Peneus (M),\n Inachus (M), Proteus (M), Doris (F), Metis (F), Clymene\n (F), \u00c6thra (F), Calypso (F), Clytie (F) and Electra (F).\n\n Achelous (M) married Calliope (F).\n Their children were Sirens (F).\n\n Alpheus (M) married Arethusa (F).\n\n Peneus (M) married G\u00e6a (F).\n Their child was Daphne (F).\n\n Inachus (M) had a child, Io (F).\n\n Doris (F) married Nereus (M).\n Their children were Amphitrite (F), Dione (F), Arethusa\n (F), Galatea (F), Thetis (F) and Clymene (F).\n\n Amphitrite (F) married Neptune (M).\n Their child was Triton (M).\n\n Dione (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Venus (F).\n\n Galatea (F) married Acis (M).\n\n Thetis (F) married Peleus (M).\n Their child was Achilles (M).\n\n Achilles (M) had a child, Pyrrhus (M).\n\n Pyrrhus (M) married Hermione (F).\n Hermione's parents were Menelaus (M) and Helen (F).\n Menelaus (M) had a sibling, Agamemnon (M).\n Their parent was Atreus (M).\n Atreus' (M) parent was Pelops (M).\n Pelops (M) had a sibling, Niobe (F).\n Their parent was Tantalus (M).\n Niobe (F) married Amphion (M).\n Amphion (M) had a sibling, Zethus (M).\n Their parents were Jupiter (M) and Antiope (F).\n Antiope (F) also married Lycus (M), and Lycus (M)\n also married Dirce (F).\n Agamemnon (M) married Clyt\u00e6mnestra (F).\n Their children were Iphigenia (F), Electra (F) and\n Orestes (M).\n Electra (F) married Pylades (M).\n Clyt\u00e6mnestra (F) had three siblings, Helen (F),\n Castor (M) and Pollux (M)\n Their parents were Tyndareus (M) and Leda (F).\n Leda (F) also married Jupiter (M).\n\n Clymene (F) married Apollo (M).\n Their children were Heliades (F) and Phaeton (M).\n\n Metis (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Minerva (F).\n\n Clymene (F) married Iapetus (M).\n\n \u00c6thra (F) married Atlas (M).\n Their children were Pleiades (F) and Maia (F).\n\n Maia (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Mercury (M).\n\n Mercury (M) married Penelope (F).\n Their child was Pan (M).\n Penelope (F) also married Ulysses (M).\n Their child was Telemachus (M).\n\n Calypso (F) married Ulysses (M).\n\n Electra (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Dardanus (M).\n\n Dardanus (M) married Batea (F), whose parent was\n Teucer (M).\n Their descendants were Laomedon (M) and Themis (F).\n\n Laomedon (M) had three children, Priam (M), Hesione\n (F) and Tithonus (M).\n\n Priam (M) married Hecuba (F).\n Their children were Hector (M), Paris (M), Cassandra\n (F), Polites (M), Polyxena (F) and Deiphobus (M).\n\n Hector (M) married Andromache (F).\n\n Paris (M) married Helen (F).\n\n Deiphobus (M) married Helen (F).\n\n Hesione (F) married Telamon (M).\n Their child was Ajax (M).\n\n Tithonus (M) married Aurora (F).\n\n Themis (F) married Capys (M).\n Their child was Anchises (M).\n\n Anchises (M) married Venus (F).\n Their child was \u00c6neas (M).\n\n \u00c6neas (M) married Lavinia (F).\n Their child was \u00c6neas Silvia (M).\n \u00c6neas (M) also married Creusa (F).\n Their child was Iulus (M).\n\n \u00c6neas Silvia's (M) descendant was Numitor (M).\n\n Numitor (M) had a child, Ilia (F).\n\n Ilia (F) married Mars (M).\n Their children were Remus (M) and Romulus (M).\n\n Coeus (M) married Phoebe (F).\n Their child was Latona (F).\n\n Latona (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their children were Apollo (M) and Diana (F).\n\n Apollo (M) married Diana (F).\n Apollo (M) also married Coronis (F).\n Their child was \u00c6sculapius (M).\n Coronis (F) had a sibling, Ixion (M)\n Their parent was Mars (M).\n Ixion (M) married Dia (F).\n Their children were Centaurs (M) and Pirithous (M).\n\n \u00c6sculapius (M) had two children, Machaon (M) and\n Hygeia (F).\n\n Pirithous married Hippodamia (F).\n\n Iapetus (M) married Clymene (F).\n Their children were Menetius (M), Atlas (M), Hesperus (M),\n Epimetheus (M) and Prometheus (M).\n\n Hesperus (M) had a child, Hesperides (F).\n\n Epimetheus (M) married Pandora (F).\n Their child was Pyrrha (F).\n\n Prometheus (M) had a child, Deucalion (M).\n\n Pyrrha (F) married Deucalion (M).\n Their child was Hellen (M).\n\n Hellen (M) had three children, \u00c6olus (M), Dorus (M)\n and Xuthus (M).\n\n \u00c6olus (M) had two children, Salmoneus (M) and\n Sisyphus (M).\n\n Salmoneus (M) had a child, Tyro (F).\n\n Tyro (F) married Neptune (M).\n Their children were \u00c6son (M), Pelias (M) and\n Neleus (M).\n\n \u00c6son (M) had a child, Jason (M).\n\n Jason (M) married Medea (F).\n Medea (F) had a sibling, Absyrtus (M).\n Their parent was \u00c6etes (M).\n \u00c6etes (M) had two siblings, Pasiph\u00e6 (F) and\n Circe (F).\n Their parent was Sol (M).\n\n Neleus (M) had a child, Nestor (M).\n\n Sisyphus (M) had a child, Glaucus (M).\n\n Glaucus (M) had a child, Bellerophon (M).\n\n Bellerophon (M) married Philono\u00eb (F).\n\n Xuthus (M) had two children, Ion (M) and Ach\u00e6us (M).\n\n Hyperion (M) married G\u00e6a (F).\n Their child was Aurora (F).\n\n Aurora (F) married \u00c6olus (M).\n Their children were Boreas (M), Corus (M), Eurus (M),\n Notus (M), Aquilo (M) and Zephyrus (M).\n\n Boreas (M) married Orithyia (F).\n Their children were Zetus (M), Calais (M), Cleopatra (F)\n and Chione (F).\n\n Zephyrus (M) married Flora (F).\n\n Themis (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their children were Parc\u00e6 (F) and Hor\u00e6 (F).\n\n Cronus (M) married Rhea (F).\n Their children were Vesta (F), Juno (F), Jupiter (M),\n Neptune (M), Ceres (F) and Pluto (M).\n\n Juno (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their children were Mars (M), Vulcan (M) and Hebe (F).\n\n Mars (M) married Venus (F).\n Their children were Anteros (M), Cupid (M) and\n Harmonia (F).\n\n Cupid (M) married Psyche (F).\n\n Harmonia (F) married Cadmus (M).\n\n Vulcan (M) married Medusa (F).\n Their children were Cacus (M), Periphetes (M) and\n Cercyon (M).\n\n Hebe (F) married Hercules (M).\n\n Jupiter (M) married Io (F).\n Their child was Epaphus (M).\n\n Epaphus (M) had a child, Libya (F).\n\n Libya (F) married Neptune (M).\n Their children were Agenor (M) and Belus (M).\n\n Agenor (M) married Telephassa (F).\n Their children were Cadmus (M), Cilix (M), Phoenix\n (M) and Europa (F).\n\n Cadmus (M) married Harmonia (F).\n Their children were Ino (F), Autonoe (F), Agave\n (F), Semele (F) and Polydorus (M).\n\n Ino (F) married Athamas (M).\n Their children were Pal\u00e6mon (M) and Learchus (M).\n Athamas (M) also married Nephele (F).\n Their children were Phryxus (M) and Helle (F).\n\n Autonoe (F) married Arist\u00e6us (M).\n Their child was Act\u00e6on (M).\n\n Agave (F) had a child, Pentheus (M).\n\n Semele (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Bacchus (M).\n\n Bacchus (M) married Ariadne (F).\n\n Polydorus (M) had a child, Labdacus (M).\n\n Labdacus (M) had a child, Laius (M).\n\n Laius (M) married Jocasta (F).\n Their child was Oedipus (M).\n\n Oedipus married Jocasta (F).\n Their children were Eteocles (M), Polynices\n (M), Antigone (F) and Ismene (F).\n\n Europa (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their children were Sarpedon (M), Rhadamanthus (M)\n and Minos (M).\n\n Minos' (M) descendant was Minos (M).\n\n Minos (M) married Pasiphae (F).\n Their children were Ph\u00e6dra (F) and Ariadne (F).\n\n Ph\u00e6dra (F) married Theseus (M), whose parents\n were \u00c6geus (M) and \u00c6thra (F).\n Theseus (M) also married Hippolyte (F).\n Their child was Hippolytus (M).\n\n Ariadne (F) married Bacchus (M).\n\n Belus (M) had four children, Pygmalion (M), Dido (F),\n Danaus (M) and \u00c6gyptus (M).\n\n Dido (F) married Sych\u00e6us (M).\n\n Danaus' (M) children were the Danaides (F).\n\n \u00c6gyptus (M) had 50 sons.\n\n The Danaides (F) married the 50 sons.\n Their descendant was Acrisius (M).\n\n Acrisius (M) had a child, Danae (F).\n\n Danae (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Perseus (M).\n\n Perseus (M) married Andromeda (F), whose\n parents were Celeus (M) and Cassiopeia (F).\n Their children were Alc\u00e6us (M), Electryon (M)\n and Sthenelus (M).\n\n Alc\u00e6us (M) had a child, Amphitryon (M).\n\n Electryon (M) had a child, Alcmene (F).\n\n Amphitryon (M) married Alcmene (F).\n Their child was Iphicles (M).\n\n Iphicles (M) had a child, Iolaus (M).\n\n Alcmene (F) also married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Hercules (M).\n\n Hercules (M) married Deianeira (F),\n whose sibling was Meleager (M),\n and whose parents were Oeneus (M)\n and Alth\u00e6a (F).\n Their child was Hyllus (M), who married\n Iole (F).\n\n Sthenelus (M) had a child, Eurystheus (M).\n\n Eurystheus (M) had a child, Admete (F).\n\n Neptune (M) married Amphitrite (F).\n Their child was Triton (M).\n\n Ceres (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their child was Proserpina (F).\n\n Pluto (M) married Proserpina (F).\n\n Mnemosyne (F) married Jupiter (M).\n Their children were Clio (F), Calliope (F), Thalia (F),\n Euterpe (F), Urania (F), Melpomene (F), Terpsichore\n (F), Polyhymnia (F) and Erato (F).\n\n Clio (F) had a child, Hymen (M).\n\n Calliope (F) had a child, Orpheus (M).\n\n Orpheus (M) married Eurydice (F).\n\n Typhoeus (M) had three children, Hydra (M), Cerberus (M)\n and Chim\u00e6ra (M).\n\n Chim\u00e6ra (M) had two children, Nemean Lion (M) and\n Sphinx (F).\n\n Pontus (M) had a child, Phorcys (M).\n\n Phorcys (M) had four children, Bellona (F), Stheno (F), Euryale\n (F) and Medusa (F).\n\n Medusa (F) married Neptune (M).\n Their children were Pegasus (M) and Polyphemus (M).\n\n Somnus (M) had a child, Morpheus (M).}\n\n\n\n\nINDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS.\n\n\n Addison, 24, 49, 83, 85, 165, 172, 173.\n\n \u00c6schylus, 246.\n\n Akenside, 163.\n\n Apollonius, 126.\n\n Apollonius Rhodius, 181, 269.\n\n Arion, 158.\n\n Aristophanes, 15.\n\n Arnold, Edwin, 111, 112, 114.\n\n Arnold, Matthew, 74.\n\n\n Beaumont and Fletcher, 300.\n\n Bion, 108, 110.\n\n Boyesen, 97, 137.\n\n Browning, E. B., 22, 108, 137.\n\n Bryant, 41, 43, 58, 94, 145, 153, 172, 211, 305, 315, 318, 319,\n 320, 321, 323, 324, 325, 326, 328, 329, 336, 338, 344, 345,\n 346, 349, 352, 354, 355, 357, 358, 359.\n\n Byron, 49, 91, 93, 116.\n\n\n Catullus, 226, 255, 257, 259, 306.\n\n Chapman, 149.\n\n Coluthus, 308, 312.\n\n Conington, 41, 51, 64, 142, 193, 202, 213, 224, 333, 360, 361,\n 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 369, 370, 373, 376, 377.\n\n Cornwall, 184.\n\n Cowper, 131, 156, 308.\n\n Croxall, 177, 178.\n\n\n Darwin, 123, 187, 218, 219, 228, 230.\n\n Dryden, 35, 37, 44, 70, 161, 168, 169, 208.\n\n\n Elton, 12, 15, 21, 29, 33, 45, 52, 108, 110, 136, 138, 154, 171,\n 220, 241, 255, 267, 269, 271, 307, 308, 310, 312, 339.\n\n Emerson, 297.\n\n Euripides, 166, 229, 311, 315, 316.\n\n Eusden, 118.\n\n\n Flaccus, 52, 220, 269, 271.\n\n Fletcher, 38.\n\n Francklin, 169, 232, 234, 236, 280, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 287,\n 288, 290, 331.\n\n Frere, 15.\n\n\n Goldsmith, 134.\n\n Gray, 179.\n\n\n Hemans, 60, 98.\n\n H. H. (Helen Hunt Jackson), 73.\n\n Hesiod, 15, 21, 29, 33, 154, 229, 339.\n\n Holmes, 330.\n\n Homer, 23, 39, 41, 43, 58, 94, 145, 147, 149, 153, 156, 161, 167,\n 168, 172, 211, 292, 297, 305, 315, 318, 319, 320, 321, 323,\n 324, 325, 326, 328, 329, 336, 338, 344, 345, 346, 349, 352,\n 354, 355, 357, 358, 359.\n\n Homeric Hymn, 190, 195.\n\n Horace, 27, 75, 278.\n\n Hunt, 114, 216, 341.\n\n\n Ingelow, 187, 194.\n\n Iriarte, Tomas de, 372.\n\n\n Keats, 67, 90, 98, 105, 119, 120, 134, 149, 176, 179, 192, 301,\n 303, 304.\n\n\n Landon, 113.\n\n Longfellow, 27, 88, 99, 107, 206.\n\n Lowell, 23, 64, 79, 131.\n\n Lucan, 214.\n\n\n Macaulay, 130, 279.\n\n Martinez de la Rosa, 177.\n\n Melanippides, 73.\n\n Meleager, 94, 265.\n\n Meredith, Owen, 72.\n\n Milton, 79, 144, 163, 238.\n\n Moore, 16, 71, 72, 193, 278.\n\n Morris, 97, 100, 101, 110, 123, 127, 128, 151, 183, 194, 235, 248,\n 252, 335.\n\n Moschus, 45, 137.\n\n\n Nonnus, 171.\n\n\n Onomacritus, 267, 269, 271.\n\n Orphic Argonautics, 266.\n\n Orphic Hymn, 188.\n\n Ovid, 12, 35, 37, 44, 70, 118, 172, 173, 177, 178, 208, 255, 298, 299.\n\n\n Pike, 61.\n\n Pindar, 17, 168.\n\n Pitt, 163, 196, 205.\n\n Pope, 23, 39, 57, 77, 147, 156, 167, 168, 239, 292, 298, 299.\n\n Potter, 166, 229, 246, 311, 315, 316.\n\n Prior, 68, 143, 148, 174, 243, 283.\n\n\n Quintus Smyrn\u00e6us, 307.\n\n\n St. John, 242, 244.\n\n Saxe, 62, 63, 77, 84, 119, 160, 253, 255.\n\n Schiller, 121, 238.\n\n Scott, 165.\n\n S. G. B., 238.\n\n Shakespeare, 44, 76, 139.\n\n Shelley, 55, 103, 241.\n\n Simonides, 241.\n\n Somerville, 90.\n\n Sophocles, 169, 232, 234, 236, 280, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 287,\n 288, 290, 331.\n\n Southey, 91.\n\n Spenser, 59, 82, 105.\n\n Statius, 136, 138.\n\n Swift, 75.\n\n\n Tennyson, 59, 80, 105, 306, 307, 331, 339, 359.\n\n Theocritus, 216, 310, 341.\n\n Timocreon of Rhodes, 159.\n\n\n Virgil, 41, 51, 64, 131, 142, 160, 161, 163, 168, 169, 182, 193,\n 196, 202, 205, 213, 224, 333, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365,\n 366, 367, 369, 370, 373, 374, 376, 377.\n\n\n Warton, 182.\n\n Wordsworth, 33, 65, 88, 223, 273, 295, 316, 317.\n\n Worsley, 87.\n\n\n Young, 202.\n\n\n\n\nGLOSSARY AND INDEX.\n\n\n Ab-syr\u00b4tus.\n Son of King \u00c6etes of Colchis;\n slain by Medea, 271.\n\n A-by\u00b4dus.\n A city of Asia Minor;\n the home of Leander, 111-116.\n\n A-ch\u00e6\u00b4us.\n Grandson of Hellen, and ancestor of the Achaians, 38.\n\n A-cha\u00b4i-ans.\n Inhabitants of the province of Achaia, 38.\n\n A-cha\u00b4tes.\n Friend and inseparable companion of \u00c6neas, 366, 367.\n\n Ach-e-lo\u00b4us.\n River in Greece, bearing the name of its god, 232.\n\n Ach-e-men\u00b4i-des.\n Ulysses' sailor, rescued from Polyphemus by \u00c6neas, 365.\n\n Ach\u00b4e-ron.\n 1. River in Hades, 161;\n Ulysses visits, 350;\n \u00c6neas crosses, 372.\n 2. Father of Furies, 163.\n\n A-chil\u00b4les.\n Son of Peleus and Thetis, 314-316;\n surrenders Briseis, 318, 319;\n the Greeks appeal to, 323-325;\n slays Hector, 326-329;\n death, 330;\n in Happy Isles, 359;\n father of Pyrrhus, 361;\n significance, 394, 395.\n\n A\u00b4cis.\n Youth loved by Galatea, and slain by Polyphemus, 341.\n\n A-cris\u00b4i-us.\n King of Argos, and father of Danae, 240, 241, 249;\n significance, 390, 391.\n\n A-crop\u00b4o-lis.\n Hill in Athens, the site of the Parthenon and Theseus' temple, 262.\n\n Ac-t\u00e6\u00b4on.\n Hunter changed to a stag by Diana, 100, 101.\n\n Ad-me\u00b4te.\n Daughter of Eurystheus, covets Hippolyte's girdle, 223.\n\n Ad-me\u00b4tus.\n King of Thessaly, served by Apollo, and saved from death by\n Alcestis, 64, 65;\n Hercules restores Alcestis to, 230;\n one of the Argonauts, 266;\n in Calydonian Hunt, 275;\n significance, 386.\n\n A-do\u00b4nis.\n Hunter loved by Venus and slain by a boar, 108-110;\n significance, 195, 389.\n\n A-dras\u00b4tus.\n King of Argos;\n his horse Arion, 153;\n father of Hippodamia, 260;\n sends expedition against Thebes, 287.\n\n \u00c6\u00b4a-cus.\n One of the three judges of the dead in Hades, 163.\n\n \u00c6-\u00e6\u00b4a.\n Island inhabited by Circe and visited by Ulysses, 347-350.\n\n \u00c6-e\u00b4tes.\n King of Colchis, father of Medea and Absyrtus, 268, 271;\n brother of Circe, 347;\n significance, 392.\n\n \u00c6-ge\u00b4an Sea.\n Delos chained in, 62;\n Arion borne by dolphins in, 82, 83;\n named after \u00c6geus, 259.\n\n \u00c6-ge\u00b4us.\n King of Athens;\n father of Theseus, 250, 252, 253;\n drowns himself, 259;\n significance, 391.\n\n \u00c6\u00b4gis.\n Shield or breastplate of Minerva and Jupiter, 58;\n loaned to Perseus, 243;\n bears Medusa's head, 249.\n\n \u00c6-gis\u00b4thus.\n Murderer of Agamemnon;\n slain by Orestes, 336.\n\n \u00c6g\u00b4le.\n One of the Heliades;\n changed to a poplar tree, 87.\n\n \u00c6-gyp\u00b4tus.\n Brother of Danaus, 166.\n\n \u00c6-ne\u00b4a-d\u00e6.\n City which \u00c6neas proposed to found in Thrace, 363.\n\n \u00c6-ne\u00b4as.\n Son of Venus and Anchises, 111;\n \u00c6neas' descendants, 140;\n worship introduced into Italy by, 198;\n hero of Virgil's \u00c6neid, 360-377.\n\n \u00c6-ne\u00b4as Sil\u00b4vi-a.\n Son of \u00c6neas;\n founder of Alba Longa, 377.\n\n \u00c6-ne\u00b4id.\n Virgil's epic poem on the adventures of \u00c6neas, 374.\n\n \u00c6-o\u00b4li-a.\n 1. Same as \u00c6olian Islands.\n 2. In Asia Minor, near \u00c6gean Sea, 214.\n\n \u00c6-o\u00b4li-an Islands.\n The home of \u00c6olus, god of the winds, 213, 346;\n supposed to be Lipari Islands, 213.\n\n \u00c6-o\u00b4li-an Race.\n Descendants of \u00c6olus, son of Hellen, 38.\n\n \u00c6\u00b4o-lus.\n 1. God of the winds, 213-215;\n Juno's bargain with, 266;\n gift to Ulysses, 346;\n destruction of \u00c6neas' fleet, 365;\n significance, 400.\n 2. Son of Hellen, founder of the \u00c6olian race, 38.\n\n \u00c6s-cu-la\u00b4pi-us.\n Son of Apollo and Coronis, 63, 64;\n Machaon, son of, 331;\n significance, 387.\n\n \u00c6\u00b4son.\n Father of Jason, 263;\n rejuvenated by Medea, 273.\n\n \u00c6\u00b4ther.\n God of light, 13;\n dethroned, 17.\n\n \u00c6\u00b4thra.\n Princess of Troezene, 250;\n mother of Theseus, 253;\n Helen intrusted to, 260;\n significance, 391.\n\n \u00c6t\u00b4na.\n Volcano in Sicily, 183;\n the tomb of Enceladus, 24;\n forge of Vulcan, 145, 148, 326;\n Ceres' visit to, 187.\n\n \u00c6-to\u00b4li-a.\n Country between Epirus and Locris, 275.\n\n Af\u00b4ri-ca.\n Hercules' visit to, 226, 227.\n\n Afterthought.\n Name given to Epimetheus, 25.\n\n Ag-a-mem\u00b4non.\n Chief of the expedition against Troy, 314-319;\n return of, 336;\n troops of, 361;\n significance, 394.\n\n A-ga\u00b4ve.\n Mother of Pentheus;\n infuriated by Bacchus, slays her son, 182.\n\n A-ge\u00b4nor.\n Father of Europa, Cadmus, Cilix, Phoenix, 44-47.\n\n Ag-la\u00b4ia.\n One of the Graces;\n an attendant of Venus, 105.\n\n A-\u00ef\u00b4des.\n Same as Pluto;\n significance, 401.\n\n A-\u00ef-do\u00b4neus.\n Same as Pluto, god of the Infernal Regions, 159.\n\n A\u00b4jax.\n Greek hero in Trojan war, 314;\n Patroclus' corpse recovered by, 328;\n insanity of, 330.\n\n Al\u00b4ba Lon\u00b4ga.\n City in Italy founded by \u00c6neas Silvia, 377.\n\n Al-ces\u00b4tis.\n Wife of Admetus;\n dies to save his life, 65;\n restored by Hercules, 230.\n\n Al-ci\u00b4des.\n Same as Hercules, 216;\n lion skin of, 220;\n Deianeira accompanies, 234;\n Deianeira's charm for, 236;\n pose of, 239.\n\n Al-cim\u00b4e-de.\n Queen of Iolcus;\n mother of Jason, 263.\n\n Al-cin\u00b4o-us.\n Ph\u00e6acian king, enables Ulysses to reach Ithaca, 355.\n\n Al-cip\u00b4pe.\n Daughter of Mars;\n carried off by Halirrhothius, 139.\n\n Alc-me\u00b4ne.\n Wife of Jupiter, and mother of Hercules, 28, 216;\n significance, 389.\n\n A-lec\u00b4to.\n One of the Furies, 163;\n sent by Juno to kindle war between \u00c6neas and the Latins, 373.\n\n A-lec\u00b4try-on.\n Servant of Mars;\n changed to a cock, 106, 107.\n\n Al-phe\u00b4us.\n 1. River of Peloponnesus;\n dammed to clean Augean stable, 221.\n 2. The river god who pursued Arethusa, 190-193.\n\n Al-th\u00e6\u00b4a.\n Mother of Meleager, 275, 276.\n\n Am-al-the\u00b4a.\n Goat which nursed Jupiter, 21.\n\n Am-a-se\u00b4nus.\n River over which Metabus flung Camilla, 373.\n\n A-ma\u00b4ta.\n Wife of Latinus, 372;\n driven mad by Alecto, 373;\n suicide of, 376.\n\n Am\u00b4a-zons.\n Nation of warlike women;\n Hercules visits, 224;\n Theseus visits, 259;\n Bellerophon visits, 295;\n Queen of the, 329.\n\n Am-bro\u00b4si-a.\n Celestial food used by the gods, 41;\n gods deprived of, 84.\n\n Am\u00b4mon.\n Temple of Jupiter in Libya, 48.\n\n A\u00b4mor.\n Same as Eros, Cupid, etc.;\n god of love, 13;\n son of Venus and Mars, 107.\n\n Am-phi\u00b4on.\n Son of Jupiter and Antiope;\n musician;\n King of Thebes, 80-82.\n\n Am-phi-tri\u00b4te.\n Same as Salacia, queen of the sea;\n wife of Neptune, 154, 158;\n train of, 155;\n significance, 397.\n\n An-chi\u00b4ses.\n Husband of Venus, 111;\n father of \u00c6neas, 360-362;\n prophecy recalled by, 364;\n death of, 365;\n death anniversary of, 369;\n \u00c6neas' visit to, 370-372.\n\n An-ci\u00b4le.\n Shield of Mars, guarded by the Salii in Rome, 143.\n\n An-dr\u00e6\u00b4mon.\n Husband of Dryope;\n saw her changed to a tree, 298.\n\n An-drom\u00b4a-che.\n Wife of Hector;\n parting of Hector and, 321-323;\n grief of, 328;\n captivity of, 365.\n\n An-drom\u00b4e-da.\n Daughter of Celeus and Cassiopeia;\n saved by Perseus, 246-249;\n significance, 391.\n\n An-t\u00e6\u00b4us.\n Giant son of G\u00e6a;\n defender of the Pygmies;\n slain by Hercules, 227, 228.\n\n An-te\u00b4i-a.\n Wife of Proetus;\n accuses Bellerophon falsely, 291;\n significance, 393.\n\n An\u00b4te-ros.\n God of passion, 107, 108;\n son of Venus and Mars, 140.\n\n An-tig\u00b4o-ne.\n Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta;\n buried alive, 285-288;\n significance, 393.\n\n An-tin\u00b4o-us.\n One of Penelope's suitors;\n slain by Ulysses, 358.\n\n An-ti\u00b4o-pe.\n Wife of Jupiter;\n mother of Amphion and Zethus;\n persecuted by Dirce, 80.\n\n A-pha\u00b4re-us.\n Father of Castor's murderer, 279.\n\n Aph-ro-di\u00b4te.\n Same as Venus, Dione, etc., 103, 105;\n significance, 399.\n\n A-pol\u00b4lo.\n Same as Phoebus, Sol, and Helios, 61-91;\n god of the sun, music, poetry, and medicine, 55;\n Diana's brother, 93;\n Niobe's sons slain by, 94;\n Mars and Venus seen by, 106, 107;\n Mercury steals cattle of, 132-134;\n giants slain by, 139;\n walls built by, 151, 152;\n Marpessa claimed by, 155;\n Vesta loved by, 198;\n Janus, son of, 205;\n oracles of, 280, 281;\n steed of, 294;\n Cassandra loved by, 310;\n Chryses appeals to, 318, 319;\n Ulysses incurs anger of, 354;\n significance, 386, 390, 393, 396, 398.\n\n Aq\u00b4ui-lo.\n West wind, son of \u00c6olus and Aurora, 213, 215.\n\n A-rach\u00b4ne.\n Minerva's needlework contest with, 58, 59.\n\n Ar-ca\u00b4di-a.\n Province of Peloponnesus, 221, 275;\n Mercury's birthplace, 131.\n\n Ar\u00b4cas.\n Son of Jupiter and Callisto;\n constellation of the Little Bear, 52.\n\n A-re-o-pa-gi\u00b4t\u00e6.\n Judges of the criminal court of Athens, 140.\n\n A-re-op\u00b4a-gus.\n Hill near Athens;\n site of the Parthenon, 140.\n\n A\u00b4res.\n Same as Mars, 138;\n significance, 400.\n\n A-re\u00b4te.\n 1. Goddess of virtue;\n takes charge of Hercules, 218-220.\n 2. Wife of Alcinous;\n mother of Nausicaa, 355.\n\n Ar-e-thu\u00b4sa.\n Nymph of Diana;\n changed to a fountain, 190-193.\n\n Ar\u00b4ges (Sheet-lightning).\n A Cyclop;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 18.\n\n Ar\u00b4go.\n Vessel in which Jason set sail in search of the golden fleece,\n 266-274;\n significance, 392.\n\n Ar-go-nau\u00b4tic Expedition\n in search of golden fleece, 154;\n Zetes and Calais in, 215;\n Hercules in, 230;\n Meleager in, 275;\n significance, 391, 392.\n\n Ar\u00b4go-nauts.\n Name given to Jason and crew, 267-271;\n significance, 392.\n\n Ar\u00b4gos.\n City in Argolis, dedicated to Juno, 52-54;\n Eurystheus, king of, 218-220;\n Acrisius, king of, 240, 249;\n Adrastus, king of, 260, 287;\n Proetus, king of, 291;\n Agamemnon's return to, 336;\n significance, 389, 390.\n\n Ar\u00b4gus.\n 1. Name of myriad-eyed giant who watched Io, 135-137;\n significance, 385.\n 2. Name of Ulysses' faithful hound, 357.\n\n A-ri-ad\u00b4ne.\n Daughter of Minos;\n Theseus aided by, 256, 257;\n deserted by Theseus, 179, 257;\n marries Bacchus, 181;\n significance, 391.\n\n A-ri\u00b4on.\n 1. Winged steed;\n the offspring of Neptune and Ceres, 153.\n 2. Musician;\n thrown into the sea by pirates, saved by a dolphin, 82, 83.\n\n Ar-is-t\u00e6\u00b4us.\n Youth who indirectly causes Eurydice's death, 76.\n\n Ar\u00b4te-mis.\n Same as Diana, goddess of the moon and the chase, 93, 97.\n\n As-cal\u00b4a-phus.\n Spirit in Hades who saw Proserpina eat pomegranate seeds, 195.\n\n A\u00b4si-a Mi\u00b4nor.\n West of Asia;\n Bacchus' visit to, 176;\n Vesta's shrine in, 198;\n Thetis' flight from, 326.\n\n As-kle\u00b4pi-os.\n Same as \u00c6sculapius;\n son of Apollo and Coronis, 63.\n\n As-ty\u00b4a-nax.\n Infant son of Hector and Andromache, 321.\n\n At-a-lan\u00b4ta.\n Maiden who takes part in Calydonian Hunt and races with Milanion\n or Hippomenes, 275-278;\n significance, 392.\n\n Ath\u00b4a-mas.\n King of Thebes;\n father of Phryxus and Helle, 265;\n Ino in madness slain by, 174;\n significance, 391.\n\n A-the\u00b4ne.\n Same as Minerva, 55;\n tutelary goddess of Athens, 57;\n significance, 395.\n\n A-the\u00b4ni-ans.\n Inhabitants of Athens, 215;\n tribute of, 253, 256;\n ingratitude of, 262.\n\n Ath\u00b4ens.\n Minerva's festivals at, 60;\n tribunal at, 139, 140;\n contest for, 152;\n \u00c6geus, king of, 250;\n Theseus' arrival at, 252, 253;\n Ariadne elopes to, 256;\n Castor and Pollux' visit to, 260;\n Theseus, king of, 262;\n Peleus, king of, 305.\n\n At\u00b4las.\n 1. Mountains.\n 2. One of Iapetus' sons, 25;\n daughters of, 98;\n heavens supported by, 227-229;\n Perseus petrifies, 244-246;\n significance, 379.\n\n At\u00b4ro-pos.\n One of the Fates;\n cuts the thread of life, 165.\n\n At\u00b4ti-ca.\n Province of Greece;\n Cecrops founds city in, 57;\n oppression of, 255;\n shores of, 259.\n\n Au-ge\u00b4as.\n King of Elis;\n his stables were cleansed by Hercules, 221-223.\n\n Au\u00b4lis.\n Port in Boeotia, the meeting-place of the Greek expedition\n against Troy, 312, 315.\n\n Au-ro\u00b4ra.\n Same as Eos, goddess of dawn;\n attendant of Apollo, 85, 107;\n jealousy of, 70;\n Tithonus loved by, 90;\n \u00c6olus' wife, 213.\n\n Aus\u00b4ter.\n Southwest wind, same as Notus;\n a son of \u00c6olus and Aurora, 215.\n\n Au-tom\u00b4e-don.\n Achilles' charioteer, 328.\n\n Av\u00b4en-tine.\n One of the seven hills on which Rome is built, 226.\n\n A-ver\u00b4nus.\n Lake near Naples;\n the entrance to Hades in Italy, 160;\n \u00c6neas' visit to, 370.\n\n\n Bab\u00b4y-lon.\n The home of Pyramus and Thisbe, 117.\n\n Bac-cha-na\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in honor of Bacchus, 182.\n\n Bac-chan\u00b4tes.\n Female followers of Bacchus, 176, 182;\n Orpheus slain by, 79, 80.\n\n Bac\u00b4chus.\n Same as Dionysus, god of wine and revelry;\n son of Jupiter and Semele, 171-182;\n Vulcan visited by, 147;\n Ariadne rescued by, 257;\n tutor of, 300;\n gift from, 306.\n\n Bau\u00b4cis.\n 1. The mortal who showed hospitality to Jupiter and Mercury;\n wife of Philemon, 43, 44.\n 2. Father of Dryope (changed to a tree), 298.\n\n Bel-ler\u00b4o-phon.\n Demigod;\n mounts Pegasus and slays the dread Chim\u00e6ra, 291-296;\n significance, 393, 394.\n\n Bel-lo\u00b4na.\n Goddess of war;\n attendant of Mars, 138.\n\n Ber-e-ni\u00b4ce.\n Queen whose hair was changed into a comet, 130, 384.\n\n Ber\u00b4o-e.\n Nurse of Semele, whose form Juno assumes to arouse Semele's\n jealousy, 171, 172.\n\n Bi\u00b4ton.\n Brother of Cleobis;\n draws his mother to the temple, 54.\n\n Boe-o\u00b4ti-a.\n Province in Greece, whose principal city was Thebes, 47, 280.\n\n Bo\u00b4re-as.\n North wind;\n son of \u00c6olus and Aurora;\n kidnaps Orithyia, 213-215;\n sons of, 267.\n\n Bos\u00b4po-rus.\n Channel connecting Black Sea and Sea of Marmora, on route of\n Argonauts, 268.\n\n Brass Age.\n Third age of world, 35.\n\n Bri-a\u00b4re-us.\n One of the Centimani;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 18;\n umpire, 152.\n\n Bri-se\u00b4is.\n Captive of Achilles during Trojan war;\n claimed by Agamemnon, 318, 319, 324;\n significance, 394.\n\n Bron\u00b4tes (Thunder).\n A Cyclop;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 18.\n\n Bru\u00b4tus.\n Unborn soul of Roman hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.\n\n\n Ca\u00b4cus.\n Son of Vulcan, 148;\n giant slain by Hercules on Mount Aventine, 226;\n significance, 386.\n\n Cad\u00b4mus.\n Brother of Europa;\n founder of Thebes, 45-48;\n husband of Harmonia, 107;\n daughter of, 171;\n dragon-tooth seed of, 268;\n significance, 386, 390, 393.\n\n Ca-du\u00b4ce-us.\n Wand given to Mercury by Apollo, 134.\n\n C\u00e6\u00b4sar.\n Unborn soul of Roman hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.\n\n Cal\u00b4a-is.\n Son of Boreas and Orithyia, 215.\n\n Cal\u00b4chas.\n Soothsayer of the Greeks during the Trojan war, 315.\n\n Cal-li\u00b4o-pe.\n One of the nine Muses, loved by Apollo, 90;\n mother of Orpheus, 75.\n\n Cal-lis\u00b4to.\n Maiden loved by Jupiter;\n changed into a bear by Juno;\n the Great Bear, 52.\n\n Cal\u00b4y-don.\n Home of Meleager;\n site of Calydonian Hunt, 275.\n\n Cal-y-do\u00b4ni-an Hunt.\n Organized by Meleager to slay a boar, 275-279.\n\n Ca-lyp\u00b4so.\n Nymph who detained Ulysses on Ogygia seven years, 354;\n significance, 395.\n\n Ca-mil\u00b4la.\n Volscian maiden;\n fights, and is slain by, \u00c6neas, 373, 376;\n dedicated to Diana, 374.\n\n Ca-mil\u00b4lus.\n Unborn soul of Roman hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.\n\n Cam\u00b4pus mar\u00b4ti-us.\n Roman exercising grounds sacred to Mars, 143.\n\n Can\u00b4cer.\n Crab which attacked Hercules to defend the Hydra;\n a constellation, 221.\n\n Cap\u00b4i-tol.\n Temple dedicated to Jupiter in Rome, 48.\n\n Car\u00b4thage.\n A city in Africa, built by Dido, visited by \u00c6neas, 367.\n\n Cas-san\u00b4dra.\n Daughter of Priam;\n her prophecies, though true, were always disbelieved, 310, 364;\n captivity of, 361.\n\n Cas-si-o-pe\u00b4ia.\n Mother of Andromeda, 246;\n a constellation, 249;\n significance, 391.\n\n Cas\u00b4tor.\n One of the Dioscuri or Gemini, 278, 279;\n rescue of Helen by, 260;\n Argonauts joined by, 266;\n Calydonian Hunt joined by, 275.\n\n Cau-ca\u00b4si-an Mountains.\n Same as Caucasus;\n Prometheus chained to, 28, 227.\n\n Ce\u00b4crops.\n Founder of Athens, 57;\n descendants of, 255.\n\n Ce-l\u00e6\u00b4no.\n One of the Harpies;\n frightens \u00c6neas by prophesying harm, 365.\n\n Ce\u00b4le-us.\n 1. King of Eleusis;\n father of Triptolemus, 188.\n 2. Father of Andromeda;\n significance, 391.\n\n Cen\u00b4taurs.\n Children of Ixion, half man, half horse;\n Chiron, 218, 263, 314;\n Hercules fights, 221;\n battle of, 230, 260;\n Nessus, 234-236;\n significance, 391, 397.\n\n Cen-tim\u00b4a-ni (Hundred-handed).\n Three sons of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17, 18.\n\n Ceph\u00b4a-lus.\n Hunter loved by Procris and Aurora, 70, 71, 90;\n significance, 387.\n\n Cer\u00b4be-rus.\n Three-headed dog which guarded the entrance of Hades, 76, 77, 160;\n Hercules captures, 229, 260;\n significance, 401.\n\n Cer\u00b4cy-on.\n Son of Vulcan, 148;\n encountered by Theseus, 252.\n\n Ce-re-a\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in honor of Ceres, goddess of agriculture, 196.\n\n Ce\u00b4res.\n Same as Demeter, goddess of agriculture and civilization, 159,\n 183-197;\n Cronus disgorges, 22;\n Psyche consults, 127, 128;\n Neptune loves, 153;\n Pelops' shoulder eaten by, 167;\n significance, 396, 397.\n\n Cer-y-ne\u00b4a.\n Town of Achaia, 221.\n\n Cer-y-ne\u00b4ian Stag.\n Stag taken by Hercules;\n one of his labors, 221.\n\n Ces\u00b4tus.\n Venus' magic, love-inspiring girdle, 130, 308.\n\n Ce\u00b4yx.\n King of Thessaly;\n shipwrecked, and changed with his wife Halcyone into birds, 211, 212.\n\n Cha\u00b4os.\n The first of all divinities, who ruled over confusion, 12, 13;\n ejection of, 17;\n daughter of, 57.\n\n Char\u00b4i-tes.\n The three Graces;\n attendants of Venus, 105.\n\n Cha\u00b4ron.\n The boatman who ferries the souls over Acheron, 161;\n \u00c6neas ferried by, 372;\n significance, 397.\n\n Cha-ryb\u00b4dis.\n Whirlpool near the coast of Sicily, 352, 353, 365.\n\n Chi-m\u00e6\u00b4ra.\n Monster slain by Bellerophon, 292-296;\n significance, 394, 401.\n\n Chi\u00b4o-ne.\n Daughter of Boreas and Orithyia, 215.\n\n Chi\u00b4os.\n One of the islands of the Archipelago, 99.\n\n Chi\u00b4ron.\n Learned Centaur, 218, 263, 266, 314;\n death of, 221.\n\n Chry-se\u00b4is.\n Daughter of Chryses;\n taken by Agamemnon, 318, 319.\n\n Chry\u00b4ses.\n Father of Chryseis;\n priest of Apollo;\n brings a plague on the Greek camp, 318, 319.\n\n Ci-co\u00b4ni-ans.\n Inhabitants of Ismarus, visited by Ulysses, 337.\n\n Ci-lic\u00b4i-a.\n Province in Asia Minor, between \u00c6olia and Troas, 47.\n\n Ci\u00b4lix.\n Brother of Europa;\n founder of Cilicia, 45, 47.\n\n Cim-me\u00b4ri-an Shores.\n Land visited by Ulysses to consult Tiresias, 350.\n\n Cir\u00b4ce.\n Sister of \u00c6etes;\n sorceress who changes Ulysses' men into swine, 347-353;\n significance, 395, 396.\n\n Cle\u00b4o-bis.\n Brother of Biton;\n a devoted son, 54.\n\n Cle-o-pa\u00b4tra.\n Daughter of Boreas and Orithyia, 215.\n\n Cli\u00b4o.\n One of the nine Muses, 88.\n\n Clo\u00b4tho.\n One of the Fates;\n she spins the thread of life, 165.\n\n Clym\u00b4e-ne.\n 1. Wife of Iapetus;\n an ocean nymph, 25.\n 2. Nymph loved by Apollo;\n mother of Phaeton, 83, 87.\n\n Clyt-\u00e6m-nes\u00b4tra.\n Wife of Agamemnon;\n slain by Orestes, 336;\n significance, 394.\n\n Clyt\u00b4i-e.\n Maiden who loves Apollo, and is changed into a sunflower, 72.\n\n Co-cy\u00b4tus.\n River in Hades, formed of tears of the condemned, 160, 161.\n\n Coe\u00b4us.\n One of the Titans;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17.\n\n Col\u00b4chi-an Land.\n Ram bears Phryxus to, 154;\n Argonauts arrive at, 268;\n Argonauts depart from, 269;\n sailors of, 271.\n\n Col\u00b4chis.\n Land in Asia ruled by \u00c6etes, where the golden fleece was kept,\n 265, 266;\n return from, 274.\n\n Co-lo\u00b4nus.\n Forest sacred to Furies, where Oedipus vanished in a storm, 286.\n\n Co-los\u00b4sus.\n Statue of Apollo in the Island of Rhodes, 91.\n\n Con-sen\u00b4tes.\n Same as Pan, god of the universe and of nature, 300.\n\n Co\u00b4pre-us.\n Son of Pelops;\n owner of the marvelous horse Arion, 153.\n\n Co\u00b4ra.\n Same as Proserpina, goddess of vegetation, 183;\n significance, 396.\n\n Cor\u00b4inth.\n City and isthmus between Greece proper and the Peloponnesus,\n 152, 158, 294;\n Sisyphus, king of, 167, 291;\n Sciron at, 251;\n Polybus, king of, 280-282, 286.\n\n Co-ro\u00b4na.\n Constellation, also known as Ariadne's Crown, 181.\n\n Co-ro\u00b4nis.\n Maiden loved by Apollo;\n mother of \u00c6sculapius, 62, 63;\n significance, 386, 389.\n\n Co\u00b4rus.\n Northwest wind;\n son of \u00c6olus and Aurora, 213-215.\n\n Cor-y-ban\u00b4tes.\n Same as Curetes;\n Rhea's priests, 21.\n\n Cot\u00b4tus.\n One of the Centimani;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 18.\n\n Cre\u00b4on.\n Father of Jocasta and of Megara, 219;\n King of Thebes, 288.\n\n Cre\u00b4tan Bull.\n Hercules captures, 223.\n\n Crete.\n Island home of Minos, 223, 253, 256;\n Menelaus' journey to, 312;\n \u00c6neas' sojourn in, 364;\n Zeus, king of, 379.\n\n Cre-u\u00b4sa.\n 1. Wife of \u00c6neas;\n killed in attempting to fly from Troy, 361-363.\n 2. Same as Glauce;\n maiden loved by Jason, 273.\n\n Cri\u00b4us.\n One of the Titans;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17.\n\n Cro\u00b4nus.\n Same as Saturn;\n a Titan who rules supreme;\n father of Jupiter, 17-23, 25, 35;\n daughters of, 51, 183, 198;\n son of, 159.\n\n Cru\u00b4mis-sa.\n Island where Neptune carried Theophane;\n birthplace of the golden-fleeced ram, 154.\n\n Cu\u00b4m\u00e6.\n Cave where the Sibyl gave her prophecies, 370.\n\n Cu\u00b4pid, or Cu-pi\u00b4do.\n Same as Amor, god of love;\n son of Venus and Mars, 107, 140;\n growth of, 108;\n darts of, 112, 147, 367;\n Psyche and, 121-130, 381.\n\n Cu-re\u00b4tes.\n Same as Corybantes;\n Rhea's priests, 21.\n\n Cy\u00b4a-ne.\n River which tried to stop Pluto when he kidnapped Proserpina, 186.\n\n Cyb\u00b4e-le.\n Same as Rhea, goddess of the earth, 20;\n chariot of, 278.\n\n Cy-clo\u00b4pes.\n Three children of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17, 18;\n thunderbolts forged by, 22, 64, 147;\n Orion visits the, 99;\n Vulcan and the, 145;\n Island of the, 339;\n \u00c6neas warned against, 365;\n significance, 385, 398.\n\n Cy\u00b4clops.\n Polyphemus the, 339-345, 365.\n\n Cyc\u00b4nus.\n Intimate friend of Phaeton, 87.\n\n Cyl-le\u00b4ne.\n Mountain upon which Mercury was born, 131, 132.\n\n Cyn\u00b4thi-a.\n Same as Diana, goddess of the moon and the chase, 93, 96.\n\n Cyn\u00b4thi-us.\n Name given to Apollo, god of the sun and fine arts, 61.\n\n Cyp-a-ris\u00b4sus.\n Friend of Apollo;\n turned to a cypress tree, 67.\n\n Cy\u00b4prus.\n Island in the Mediterranean sacred to Venus, 105, 120, 123.\n\n Cyth-e-re\u00b4a.\n Name given to Venus, goddess of beauty, love, and laughter, 103.\n\n\n D\u00e6d\u00b4a-lus.\n Architect who planned the Cretan Labyrinth, 253-255;\n inventor of sails, 214.\n\n Dan\u00b4a-e.\n Maiden visited by Jupiter as a golden shower;\n mother of Perseus, 240-242;\n significance, 379, 390, 397.\n\n Da-na\u00b4i-des.\n Daughters of Danaus, who slay their husbands, 166, 167.\n\n Dan\u00b4a-us.\n King of Argos;\n father of the fifty Danaides, 166.\n\n Dan\u00b4ube.\n River of Europe;\n Medea slays Absyrtus near its mouth, 271.\n\n Daph\u00b4ne.\n Maiden loved by Apollo, and changed into a laurel tree, 68-70;\n significance, 387, 389, 395.\n\n Dar\u00b4da-nus.\n Ancient king of Troy, who gives his name to his race, 364;\n mares of, 215.\n\n De-i-a-nei\u00b4ra.\n Wife of Hercules, 232-236;\n causes Hercules' death by using the Nessus robe, 235, 236;\n significance, 390.\n\n De-iph\u00b4o-bus.\n Son of Priam and Hecuba;\n married Helen after the death of Paris, 362.\n\n De\u00b4los.\n Floating island;\n birthplace of Apollo and Diana, 62;\n shrine of Apollo at, 91, 363, 364;\n significance, 386, 396.\n\n Del\u00b4phi.\n Shrine of Apollo, famed for its oracles, 37, 47, 91;\n Ceyx visits, 211;\n Oedipus consults oracle at, 281, 282, 285, 290;\n Orestes at, 336.\n\n Del\u00b4uge.\n Caused by Jupiter's wrath, 36;\n slime from, 65.\n\n De-me\u00b4ter.\n Same as Ceres;\n goddess of agriculture, 183, 187;\n significance, 396.\n\n De\u00b4mi-os (Dread).\n Attendant or son of Mars, 138.\n\n Des\u00b4ti-ny.\n One of the ancient deities not subjected to Jupiter, 39.\n\n Deu-ca\u00b4li-on.\n Only male survivor of Deluge;\n father of Hellen, 37, 38.\n\n Di\u00b4a.\n Maiden loved and deserted by Ixion, king of the Lapith\u00e6, 169;\n significance, 389.\n\n Di-a\u00b4na.\n Goddess of the moon and chase;\n daughter of Jupiter and Latona, 93-101;\n birth of, 62;\n nymphs of, 70, 190;\n arrows of, 139;\n Arethusa protected by, 192;\n Oeneus neglects, 275;\n Iphigenia saved by, 316;\n temple of, 336;\n Camilla rescued by, 373, 374;\n significance, 388, 396, 398.\n\n Di\u00b4do.\n Queen of Tyre and Carthage;\n loved and deserted by \u00c6neas, 366-369;\n \u00c6neas sees, in Hades, 372.\n\n Di-o-me\u00b4des.\n 1. Greek hero during Trojan war, 314;\n recovers Patroclus' body, 328;\n helps Ulysses secure the Palladium, 332.\n 2. The possessor of horses taken by Hercules, 223.\n\n Di-o\u00b4ne.\n 1. Name given to Venus, goddess of beauty, love, laughter, etc., 103.\n 2. Mother of Venus by Jupiter;\n goddess of moisture, 44.\n\n Di-o-nys\u00b4i-a.\n Festivals held in Greece in honor of Bacchus, 182.\n\n Di-o-nys\u00b4us.\n Same as Bacchus, god of wine and revelry, 174.\n\n Di-os-cu\u00b4ri.\n Collective name given to Castor and Pollux, 278.\n\n Di-os-cu\u00b4ri-a.\n Festivals in honor of Castor and Pollux, 279.\n\n Dir\u00b4ce.\n Wife of Lycus;\n bound to a bull by Amphion and Zethus, 80-82.\n\n Dis.\n Same as Pluto, god of Infernal Regions, 159, 370.\n\n Dis-cor\u00b4di-a, or Eris.\n Goddess of discord, 138;\n she appears at Peleus' marriage feast, 306.\n\n Do-do\u00b4na.\n Temple and grove sacred to Jupiter, 48, 49, 266.\n\n Dol\u00b4phin.\n Constellation, 82.\n\n Do\u00b4ri-an Race.\n Descendants of Dorus, 38.\n\n Do\u00b4ris.\n Wife of Nereus, 154, 305.\n\n Do\u00b4rus.\n Son of Hellen;\n ancestor of Dorian race, 38.\n\n Dreams.\n Spirits in cave of Somnus;\n passed out through gates of ivory and horn, 210, 211;\n Mercury, leader of, 137.\n\n Drep\u00b4a-num.\n Land visited by \u00c6neas, where Anchises died, 365.\n\n Dry\u00b4a-des.\n Plant nymphs, supposed to watch over vegetation, 297.\n\n Dry\u00b4o-pe.\n Princess changed into a tree, 298-300.\n\n Dull\u00b4ness.\n Obscure deity put to flight by Minerva, 55, 57.\n\n\n Earth.\n \u00c6ther and Hemera create the, 13;\n divisions of the, 15;\n realm of the, 25;\n the mother of all, 38;\n oath by the, 172;\n Ant\u00e6us, son of the, 228;\n significance, 398.\n\n E\u00b4cho.\n Nymph who pined for love of Narcissus;\n changed to a voice, 118, 119;\n answers Cephalus, 71;\n mocks Ariadne, 179.\n\n Egg.\n Earth hatched from a mythical, 15.\n\n E\u00b4gypt.\n Gods take refuge in, 24;\n Io takes refuge in, 136;\n Menelaus and Helen detained in, 336.\n\n E-lec\u00b4tra.\n Daughter of Agamemnon;\n saves Orestes, 336.\n\n El-eu-sin\u00b4i-a.\n Festivals at Eleusis, in honor of Ceres and Proserpina, 196.\n\n E-leu\u00b4sis.\n City in Greece visited by Ceres during her search for\n Proserpina, 188, 196.\n\n E\u00b4lis.\n Province of the Peloponnesus;\n Alpheus in, 193;\n Augeas, king of, 221;\n significance, 388.\n\n El-pe\u00b4nor.\n Follower of Ulysses;\n dies in Island of \u00c6\u00e6a, 350.\n\n E-lys\u00b4i-an Fields.\n Abode of the blessed in Hades, 161, 163, 169;\n Cleobis and Biton conveyed to, 54;\n Adonis conveyed to, 110.\n\n En-cel\u00b4a-dus.\n Giant defeated by Jupiter;\n buried under Mt. \u00c6tna, 24.\n\n En-dym\u00b4i-on.\n Youth loved by Diana, who carries him to a cave on Mt. Latmus, 96-98;\n significance, 388, 389, 396.\n\n En\u00b4na.\n Plain in Sicily;\n favorite resort of Proserpina, 183.\n\n E-ny\u00b4o.\n Name given to Bellona, goddess of war, 138.\n\n E\u00b4os.\n Name given to Aurora, goddess of dawn, 72, 90;\n jealousy of, 70, 71;\n winds, offspring of, 213.\n\n Ep\u00b4a-phus.\n Son of Jupiter and Io;\n founder of Memphis, 136.\n\n Eph\u00b4e-sus.\n City in Asia Minor sacred to Diana, 101.\n\n Eph-i-al\u00b4tes.\n Giant son of Neptune, 154;\n brother of Otus;\n imprisons Mars, 139;\n significance, 400.\n\n E-pig\u00b4o-ni.\n Sons of the seven chiefs who besieged Thebes, 290.\n\n Ep-i-me\u00b4theus (Afterthought).\n Son of Iapetus, 25;\n husband of Pandora, 28-34, 37.\n\n E-pi\u00b4rus.\n Country visited by \u00c6neas, who meets Andromache there, 365.\n\n Er\u00b4a-to.\n One of the Muses;\n daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 90.\n\n Er\u00b4e-bus.\n God of darkness, 13;\n marries his mother, Night, 13;\n progenitor of egg, 15;\n dethroned, 17.\n\n E-rid\u00b4a-nus.\n River into which Phaeton fell from the sun chariot, 87;\n Hercules consults nymphs of, 226.\n\n E-rin\u00b4ny-es.\n Collective name given to the Furies, 163;\n significance, 393.\n\n E\u00b4ris.\n Same as Discordia, goddess of discord and strife, 138;\n apple cast by, 306.\n\n Er-i-sich\u00b4thon.\n An unbeliever;\n punished by famine, 197.\n\n E\u00b4ros.\n Same as Cupid, 107;\n child of Light and Day, 13;\n arrows of, 13, 112;\n egg produces, 15;\n causes man's creation, 25;\n man's life given by, 27.\n\n Er-y-man\u00b4thus.\n Place where Hercules slew the wild boar, 221.\n\n Er-y-the\u00b4a.\n Island home of Geryones;\n visited by Hercules, 226.\n\n E-te\u00b4o-cles.\n Son of Oedipus and Jocasta, 285;\n reigns one year, 287;\n slain by his brother, 288.\n\n E-thi-o\u00b4pi-a.\n Country visited by Bacchus, 176.\n\n E-thi-o\u00b4pi-ans.\n Happy race of Africa, south of the river Oceanus;\n visited by the gods, 16.\n\n Eu-boe\u00b4an or Eu-bo\u00b4ic Sea.\n Sea where Hercules cast Lichas, 238.\n\n Eu-m\u00e6\u00b4us.\n Swineherd visited by Ulysses on his return to Ithaca, 355, 357;\n Ulysses aided by, 358.\n\n Eu-men\u00b4i-des.\n Collective name given to Furies, 163;\n forest sacred to, 286;\n significance, 393.\n\n Eu-phros\u00b4y-ne.\n One of the three Graces or Charites;\n attendant of Venus, 105.\n\n Eu-ro\u00b4pa.\n Daughter of Agenor;\n wife of Jupiter, 44-48, 59;\n mother of Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon, 45, 325;\n significance, 386.\n\n Eu-ro\u00b4tas.\n River near Sparta, where Helen bathed, 310.\n\n Eu\u00b4rus.\n East wind;\n son of \u00c6olus and Aurora, 213-215.\n\n Eu-ry\u00b4a-le.\n One of the three terrible Gorgons, 242.\n\n Eu-ry\u00b4a-lus.\n Youth sent with Nisus to warn \u00c6neas that his son was in danger, 374.\n\n Eu-ry-cle\u00b4a.\n Nurse of Ulysses;\n recognizes him after twenty years' absence, 357;\n Penelope awakened by, 358.\n\n Eu-ryd\u00b4i-ce.\n Wife of Orpheus, who seeks her in Hades, 75-80;\n significance, 387-389.\n\n Eu-ryl\u00b4o-chus.\n Leader of Ulysses' men, 347;\n escaped Circe's spell, 349;\n Ulysses' men misled by, 353.\n\n Eu-ryn\u00b4o-me.\n Wife of Jupiter;\n mother of the Graces, 105.\n\n Eu-rys\u00b4theus.\n Hercules' taskmaster;\n appointed twelve labors, 218-229.\n\n Eu\u00b4ry-tus.\n Iole's father;\n visited twice by Hercules, 235.\n\n Eu-ter\u00b4pe.\n One of the Muses;\n presided over music, 88.\n\n Eux\u00b4ine Sea.\n Same as Pontus Euxinus, or the Black Sea, 15.\n\n E-van\u00b4der.\n King of Tuscans;\n ally of \u00c6neas;\n father of Pallas, 374, 375.\n\n E-ve\u00b4nus.\n Father of Marpessa;\n drowned himself in river of same name, 155;\n Hercules crosses, 234.\n\n\n Fa\u00b4ma.\n Attendant of Jupiter, goddess of fame, 41.\n\n Fates.\n Three sisters;\n also known as Moer\u00e6 or Parc\u00e6, 165.\n\n Fau\u00b4na.\n Wife of Faunus;\n a rural divinity of the Romans, 301.\n\n Fau\u00b4nus.\n Rural divinity of the Romans;\n husband of Fauna, 301.\n\n Flo\u00b4ra.\n Goddess of flowers, 301, 303;\n wife of Zephyrus, 215, 301.\n\n Flo-ra\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in May in honor of Flora, 301.\n\n Forethought.\n Name given to Prometheus, 25.\n\n For-tu\u00b4na.\n 1. Goddess of fortune;\n an attendant of Jupiter, 41.\n 2. Goddess of plenty, 232.\n\n Fo\u00b4rum.\n Chief place in Rome where public matters were discussed, 142.\n\n Fu\u00b4ries.\n The Eumenides, or avenging deities, 163;\n Oedipus punished by, 286;\n Orestes pursued by, 336.\n\n\n G\u00e6\u00b4a.\n Same as Tellus and Terra, 13;\n wife of Uranus, 15;\n reign of, 17;\n conspiracy of, 18;\n Typhoeus created by, 23;\n Enceladus created by, 24;\n Ant\u00e6us, son of, 227;\n Syrinx protected by, 300;\n significance, 396.\n\n Gal-a-te\u00b4a.\n 1. Nymph loved by Polyphemus and Acis, 341-343.\n 2. Statue loved by Pygmalion, who prays Venus to give it life, 121.\n\n Gan\u00b4y-mede.\n Trojan prince carried off by Jupiter to act as cup-bearer, 43.\n\n Ge.\n Same as G\u00e6a, Tellus, Terra, the Earth, 13.\n\n Gem\u00b4i-ni.\n Same as Dioscuri;\n Castor and Pollux, 278.\n\n Ge-ry\u00b4o-nes.\n Giant whose cattle are taken by Hercules, 226;\n significance, 401.\n\n Glau\u00b4ce.\n Maiden loved by Jason;\n slain by Medea, 273;\n significance, 392.\n\n Glau\u00b4cus.\n Fisherman changed to a sea god, 303, 304;\n lover of Scylla, 352, 353.\n\n Golden Age.\n First age of the ancient world, when all was bliss, 35;\n Janus' reign, 205.\n\n Gor\u00b4gons.\n Three sisters,--Euryale, Stheno, and Medusa, 242-246;\n \u00c6gis decorated by head of one of, 58;\n significance, 401.\n\n Grac\u00b4chi, The.\n Unborn souls of Roman heroes, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.\n\n Gra\u00b4ces.\n Same as Grati\u00e6;\n the three attendants of Venus, 105.\n\n Gra-di\u00b4vus.\n Name given to Mars when leader of armies, 143.\n\n Gr\u00e6\u00b4\u00e6.\n Three sisters with but one eye and tooth among them, 243;\n significance, 391, 401.\n\n Gra\u00b4ti-\u00e6.\n Same as Graces, or Charites;\n Venus' attendants, 105.\n\n Great Bear.\n Constellation formed by Callisto, 52.\n\n Gre\u00b4ci-an.\n Mythology, 25;\n camp, 329.\n\n Greece.\n Highest peak in, 37;\n alphabet introduced into, 48;\n nations of, 49;\n art in, 52;\n Cecrops comes to, 57;\n Pelops takes refuge in, 167;\n Paris visits, 310;\n war between Troy and, 314;\n Orestes' return to, 336;\n captives taken to, 361.\n\n Greek Divinities, 39;\n Panathen\u00e6a, 60;\n fleet, 332.\n\n Greeks.\n Departure of, 315;\n plague visits, 318;\n defeat of, 323, 324;\n return of, 335;\n Agamemnon, chief of, 336;\n attack Ciconians, 337;\n Polyphemus visited by, 343-346;\n Circe visited by, 347;\n a civilized nation, 380.\n\n Gy\u00b4es.\n One of the three Centimani;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 18.\n\n\n Ha\u00b4des.\n The Infernal Region, kingdom of Pluto, 159-170;\n Hercules' visit to, 65, 229, 230;\n Orpheus' visit to, 76-79;\n Adonis' visit to, 110;\n Psyche's visit to, 128;\n Mercury conducts souls to, 137, 317;\n Proserpina's visit to, 194, 195;\n Lara conducted to, 203;\n Theseus' visit to, 260;\n Pollux in, 279;\n Oedipus in, 286;\n Ulysses' visit to, 350;\n \u00c6neas' visit to, 370.\n\n H\u00e6\u00b4mon.\n Son of Creon;\n lover of Antigone, 288.\n\n Hal-cy\u00b4o-ne.\n Wife of Ceyx, King of Thessaly, 211, 212.\n\n Hal-irr-ho\u00b4thi-us.\n Son of Neptune;\n slain by Mars, 139.\n\n Ham-a-dry\u00b4a-des.\n Nymphs who lived and died with the trees they inhabited, 297, 298.\n\n Har-mo\u00b4ni-a.\n Daughter of Mars and Venus, 107, 140;\n wife of Cadmus, 48;\n mother of Semele, 171.\n\n Har\u00b4pies.\n Monsters, half woman, half bird;\n banished to Strophades Islands, 267;\n \u00c6neas sees, 365;\n significance, 400.\n\n Heav\u00b4en.\n Creation of, 15;\n realm of, 25;\n Atlas, supporter of, 244;\n significance, 384, 398.\n\n He\u00b4be.\n Goddess of youth;\n cup-bearer of the gods, 41;\n wife of Hercules, 238.\n\n He\u00b4brus.\n River in which the Bacchantes cast Orpheus' remains, 80.\n\n Hec\u00b4a-te.\n Name given to Proserpina as Queen of Hades, 195.\n\n Hec\u00b4tor.\n Son of Priam;\n leader of Trojan army, 320-326;\n slain by Achilles, 328;\n Priam buries, 329;\n shade of, 360;\n widow of, 365.\n\n Hec\u00b4u-ba.\n Wife of Priam;\n mother of Paris and Hector, 307, 310;\n Hector seen by, 328;\n captivity of, 361.\n\n Hel\u00b4en.\n Daughter of Jupiter and Leda;\n wife of Menelaus;\n kidnapped by Paris, 310-312;\n kidnapped by Theseus, 260;\n Paris upbraided by, 320;\n return of, 335;\n \u00c6neas wishes to slay, 361;\n significance, 394.\n\n Hel\u00b4e-nus.\n King of Epirus, whose slave Andromache became after the death\n of Hector, 365.\n\n He-li\u00b4a-des.\n Sisters of Phaeton;\n changed into trees, 87.\n\n Hel\u00b4i-con.\n Mountain in Greece, sacred to Apollo and Muses, 90, 149.\n\n He\u00b4li-os.\n Name of Apollo as god of the sun, 61, 72;\n significance, 386, 388, 395.\n\n Hel\u00b4le.\n Daughter of Athamas and Nephele;\n drowned in the Hellespont, 265;\n significance, 391, 392, 397.\n\n Hel\u00b4len.\n Son of Deucalion;\n ancestor of the Hellenes, 38.\n\n Hel-le\u00b4nes.\n Name given to ancient Greeks, 38.\n\n Hel\u00b4les-pont.\n Name given to the strait from Helle, 265;\n Leander swims across the, 111-117.\n\n He-me\u00b4ra (Day).\n One of the first divinities, who rules with \u00c6ther (Light), 13, 17.\n\n Heph-\u00e6s-ti\u00b4a.\n Festivals in honor of Heph\u00e6stus, or Vulcan, 148.\n\n He-ph\u00e6s\u00b4tus.\n Name given to Vulcan, god of the forge, 144;\n significance, 399.\n\n He\u00b4ra, or He\u00b4re.\n Name given to Juno, queen of heaven, and goddess of the\n atmosphere and of marriage, 51;\n significance, 385.\n\n Her\u00b4a-cles.\n Same as Hercules;\n son of Jupiter and Alcmene, 216.\n\n He-r\u00e6\u00b4um.\n Town dedicated to the service of Juno, 52.\n\n Her\u00b4cu-les.\n Same as Heracles, god of all athletic games, 216-239;\n Prometheus delivered by, 28;\n Hades visited by, 65;\n Hesione delivered by, 152;\n Centaurs defeated by, 260;\n Argonautic expedition joined by, 266, 267;\n arrows of, 330;\n apparition of, 331;\n significance, 379, 389, 390, 393, 395.\n\n Her\u00b4mes.\n Same as Mercury, messenger of the gods, 131;\n significance, 399.\n\n Her-mi\u00b4o-ne.\n Same as Harmonia;\n daughter of Venus and Mars, 107.\n\n He\u00b4ro.\n Maiden loved by Leander, who swam the Hellespont to visit her,\n 111-117.\n\n He-si\u00b4o-ne.\n Daughter of Laomedon;\n rescued from sea monster by Hercules, 151, 152, 224.\n\n Hes-pe\u00b4ri-a.\n Ancient name of Italy, so called by \u00c6neas, 23, 364.\n\n Hes-per\u00b4i-des.\n Daughters of Hesperus, guardians of golden apples, 226;\n significance, 390.\n\n Hes\u00b4pe-rus.\n God of the West;\n father of the Hesperides, 72, 226.\n\n Hes\u00b4ti-a.\n Same as Vesta, goddess of the family hearth, 198;\n significance, 399.\n\n Him\u00b4e-rus.\n God of the desire of love;\n attendant in Venus' numerous train, 106.\n\n Hip-po-cre\u00b4ne.\n Fountain created by Pegasus, 294.\n\n Hip-po-da-mi\u00b4a.\n Wife of Pirithous;\n almost carried off by the Centaurs, 260.\n\n Hip-pol\u00b4y-te.\n Queen of the Amazons, 223, 224;\n Theseus' wife, 259.\n\n Hip-pol\u00b4y-tus.\n Son of Theseus and Hippolyte, 259;\n loved by Ph\u00e6dra, 262.\n\n Hip-pom\u00b4e-nes.\n Same as Milanion;\n lover of Atalanta, 278.\n\n Hope.\n The good spirit in Pandora's box;\n an ancient deity, 33-35.\n\n Ho\u00b4r\u00e6.\n Collective name of the seasons;\n Venus' attendants, 105.\n\n Horn Gate.\n Gate leading from cave of Somnus to outer world, 210, 211.\n\n Hours.\n Attendants of Apollo, 85;\n attendants of Venus, 105.\n\n Hundred-handed, the.\n Same as Centimani, 18.\n\n Hup\u00b4nos.\n Same as Somnus, god of sleep, 208.\n\n Hy-a-cin\u00b4thus.\n Youth loved by Apollo and Zephyrus;\n changed to a flower, 67.\n\n Hy\u00b4dra.\n Monster serpent slain by Hercules in the swamp of Lerna, 220, 221;\n significance, 400.\n\n Hy-ge\u00b4ia.\n Daughter of \u00c6sculapius;\n watched over health of man, 64.\n\n Hy\u00b4las.\n Youth loved by Hercules;\n stolen by the water nymphs, 267.\n\n Hy\u00b4men.\n God of marriage;\n attendant of Venus, 106.\n\n Hy-met\u00b4tus. Mountain in Attica, 90.\n\n Hyp-er-bo\u00b4re-an Mountains.\n The mountains separating the land of the Hyperboreans from\n Thrace, 215.\n\n Hyp-er-bo\u00b4re-ans.\n People north of Oceanus, a virtuous race, 16.\n\n Hy-pe\u00b4ri-on.\n The Titan who had charge of the sun chariot, 17, 20, 22.\n\n Hyp-erm-nes\u00b4tra.\n Daughter of Danaus;\n saves her husband, 166.\n\n\n I-ap\u00b4e-tus.\n One of the Titans;\n father of Prometheus, 17, 25, 229.\n\n I-a\u00b4pis.\n Leech consulted by \u00c6neas;\n cures \u00c6neas with Venus' aid, 376.\n\n I-a\u00b4si-us.\n Same as Iasion;\n father of Atalanta, 275, 364.\n\n Ic\u00b4a-rus.\n Son of D\u00e6dalus;\n fell into the Icarian Sea, 253-255.\n\n I\u00b4da.\n Mountain in Crete, and near Troy also, 21, 320.\n\n I\u00b4das.\n A mortal befriended by Neptune;\n elopes with Marpessa, 155.\n\n Il\u00b4i-a.\n 1. One of the Titanides;\n daughter of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17.\n 2. Priestess of Vesta;\n wife of Mars;\n mother of Romulus and Remus, 140, 377.\n\n Il\u00b4i-ad.\n Homer's epic poem on the Trojan war, 318, 321, 329.\n\n Il\u00b4i-um.\n Same as Troy whence comes the Iliad's name, 317, 360, 363, 370.\n\n In\u00b4a-chus.\n River god (father of Io), 134, 136.\n\n Infernal Regions.\n Judges in the, 45;\n Orpheus visits, 76-79;\n Adonis visits, 108;\n Pluto's realm, 159;\n Proserpina's sojourn in, 194;\n \u00c6neas visits, 370.\n\n I\u00b4no.\n Same as Leucothea;\n second wife of Athamas;\n daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, 174, 265;\n significance, 392.\n\n I\u00b4o.\n Maiden loved by Jupiter;\n changed into a heifer, 134-137;\n significance, 385, 396.\n\n I-ob\u00b4a-tes.\n King of Lycia;\n recipient of the sealed letter carried by Bellerophon, 291-295.\n\n I-o-la\u00b4us.\n Friend of Hercules;\n helped slay the Hydra, 220.\n\n I-ol\u00b4cus.\n Kingdom of \u00c6son and Jason;\n usurped by Pelias, 263.\n\n I\u00b4o-le.\n Maiden loved by Hercules, 235, 236;\n significance, 390, 392.\n\n I\u00b4on.\n Grandson of Hellen;\n ancestor of Ionian race, 38.\n\n I-o\u00b4ni-an Race.\n Race descended from Ion, grandson of Hellen, 38.\n\n I-o\u00b4ni-an Sea.\n Sea west of Greece, named after Io, 136, 137.\n\n Iph-i-ge-ni\u00b4a.\n Daughter of Agamemnon;\n sacrificed to Diana, 315, 316;\n Orestes finds, 336.\n\n I\u00b4ris (the Rainbow).\n Attendant of Juno, 52, 329, 374.\n\n Iron Age.\n Fourth and last age previous to the Deluge, 36.\n\n Isles of the Blest.\n Islands west of Oceanus, inhabited by the virtuous dead, 16, 17;\n Ulysses searches for, 359.\n\n Is\u00b4ma-rus.\n Town in Thrace, spoiled by Ulysses, 337.\n\n Is-me\u00b4ne.\n Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, 285;\n dies of grief, 290.\n\n Isth\u00b4mi-an Games.\n Games held in honor of Neptune, at Corinth, every four years, 158.\n\n It\u00b4a-ly.\n Saturn retires to, 23;\n Ceres returns to, 190;\n Janus, king of, 205.\n\n Ith\u00b4a-ca.\n Ulysses' island kingdom, 214, 312, 337;\n Ulysses arrives in sight of, 346;\n Ulysses returns to, 354, 355;\n Telemachus returns to, 357;\n home of Penelope.\n\n I-u\u00b4lus.\n \u00c6neas' son;\n \u00c6neas saves, 361;\n Cupid assumes form of, 367;\n stag wounded by, 373;\n brave defense by, 374.\n\n Ivory Gate.\n Gate leading from cave of Somnus to outer world, 210, 211.\n\n Ix-i\u00b4on.\n Criminal in Tartarus;\n bound to wheel of fire, 77, 169, 260;\n significance, 389.\n\n\n Ja-nic\u00b4u-lum.\n City on the Tiber, founded by Janus, 205.\n\n Ja\u00b4nus.\n God of all beginnings, of entrances, gates, etc., 205-207;\n opening of temple of, 373.\n\n Ja\u00b4nus Quad\u00b4ri-fons.\n A square temple dedicated to Janus, 206.\n\n Ja\u00b4son.\n Son of \u00c6son;\n captured the golden fleece, 263-274;\n significance, 392, 393.\n\n Jo-cas\u00b4ta.\n Wife of Laius, 280;\n marries Oedipus, her son, 285;\n commits suicide, 286;\n significance, 392, 393.\n\n Jove.\n Same as Jupiter, 39;\n birth of, 20;\n day of, 207;\n Leda courted by, 311;\n decree of, 329.\n\n Ju\u00b4no.\n Birth of, 22;\n flight of, 24;\n Jupiter's wife, 44;\n same as Hera, 51-54;\n jealousy of, 61, 62, 135-137, 171, 172, 174, 203, 216;\n Mars, son of, 138;\n Vulcan, son of, 144;\n Tityus insults, 169;\n \u00c6olus, servant of, 213;\n Hercules persecuted by, 216-218, 219, 224;\n Jason carries, 264;\n Jason aided by, 266, 267;\n contest of Minerva and Venus with, 306-308;\n Troy destroyed by, 362;\n \u00c6neas persecuted by, 364, 365, 369, 373-375;\n significance, 385, 389, 400.\n\n Ju\u00b4pi-ter.\n Birth of, 20;\n supremacy of, 21;\n giants defeated by, 22-24;\n kingdom divided by, 25;\n Prometheus punished by, 28;\n Mercury, messenger of, 31, 134;\n Deluge caused by, 36;\n same as Jove, 39-49;\n Juno courted by, 51;\n Minerva borne by, 55;\n Latona courted by, 61;\n \u00c6sculapius slain by, 64;\n Amphion, son of, 80;\n Phaeton slain by, 87;\n Muses, daughters of, 88;\n Venus, daughter of, 103;\n Graces, daughters of, 105;\n Venus borrows thunderbolts of, 111;\n Mercury, son of, 131;\n Io courted by, 135, 136;\n Mars, son of, 138;\n Vulcan, son of, 144;\n thunderbolts of, 147, 155;\n Neptune exiled by, 151;\n Semele courted by, 171-174;\n Ceres, wife of, 183;\n Hercules, son of, 216, 218;\n games in honor of, 230, 239;\n Hercules saved by, 238;\n Danae courted by, 240, 241;\n Helen, daughter of, 260, 311;\n Bellerophon punished by, 295;\n Thetis loved by, 305, 306;\n Thetis seeks, 319;\n interference of, 320, 362, 375;\n Sarpedon, son of, 325;\n Apollo appeased by, 354;\n significance, 381, 384, 385, 386, 388, 389, 390, 394, 396, 398-400.\n\n Jus\u00b4tice.\n Same as Themis, 44;\n mother of seasons, 105.\n\n Ju-tur\u00b4na.\n Sister and charioteer of Turnus, 376.\n\n Ju-ven\u00b4tas.\n Same as Hebe, goddess of youth, 41.\n\n\n Ka\u00b4kia.\n Goddess of vice;\n tries to mislead Hercules, 218.\n\n\n Lab\u00b4y-rinth.\n A maze in Crete, constructed by D\u00e6dalus for the Minotaur, 253-257.\n\n Lac-e-d\u00e6-mo\u00b4ni-a.\n Province in Peloponnesus;\n capital Sparta, also name of Sparta, 312.\n\n Lac-e-d\u00e6-mo\u00b4ni-ans.\n Inhabitants of Laced\u00e6monia, or Sparta, 212.\n\n Lach\u00b4e-sis.\n One of the Fates;\n twists the thread of life, 165.\n\n La\u00b4don.\n Dragon which guarded golden apples of Hesperides, 226.\n\n La-er\u00b4tes.\n Father of Ulysses, 315, 345;\n Penelope weaves his shroud, 357.\n\n L\u00e6s-try-go\u00b4ni-ans.\n Cannibals visited by Ulysses, 347.\n\n La\u00b4ius.\n Father of Oedipus, 280;\n slain by him, 282;\n significance, 392-394.\n\n Lam-pe\u00b4tia.\n One of the Heliades, 87;\n guards the cattle of the sun, 353, 354.\n\n La-oc\u00b4o-on.\n Trojan priest;\n crushed to death by two serpents, 333-335.\n\n La-od-a-mi\u00b4a.\n Wife of Protesilaus;\n dies of grief, 316, 317.\n\n La-om\u00b4e-don.\n King of Troy;\n employs Neptune and Apollo to build walls, 151, 152;\n significance, 386.\n\n Lap\u00b4i-th\u00e6.\n People who dwelt in Thessaly and fought the Centaurs, 230, 260;\n Ixion, king of, 169;\n Pirithous, king of, 259.\n\n La\u00b4ra.\n Wife of Mercury;\n mother of the two Lares, 203.\n\n La\u00b4res.\n Two tutelary divinities of ancient Roman households, 203;\n saved by Anchises, 362.\n\n Lat\u00b4in.\n Names of days in, 207.\n\n Lat\u00b4ins.\n People of Latinus and \u00c6neas, 377;\n \u00c6neas fights, 375.\n\n La-ti\u00b4nus.\n King of Latium, 372;\n welcomes and then wars against \u00c6neas, 373, 374, 376;\n \u00c6neas makes peace with, 377.\n\n La\u00b4ti-um.\n Province of Italy, ruled by Latinus, 377;\n \u00c6neas comes to, 372.\n\n Lat\u00b4mus.\n Mountain in Asia Minor, where Endymion lies asleep, 97;\n significance, 388, 392, 394.\n\n La-to\u00b4na.\n Same as Leto;\n wife of Jupiter;\n mother of Apollo and Diana, 61, 62;\n boast of, 93;\n significance, 396.\n\n Lau\u00b4sus.\n Hero slain by \u00c6neas during wars against the Rutules, 376.\n\n La-vin\u00b4i-a.\n Daughter of Latinus, 372, 373;\n \u00c6neas' second wife, 376, 377.\n\n Le-an\u00b4der.\n Youth of Abydus;\n Hero's lover, who swam the Hellespont, 111-117.\n\n Le-ar\u00b4chus.\n Son of Athamas and Ino;\n slain by his father, 174.\n\n Le\u00b4da.\n Mother of Castor and Pollux, Helen and Clyt\u00e6mnestra, 311;\n significance, 394.\n\n Le\u00b4laps.\n The tireless hunting dog given by Procris to Cephalus, 70.\n\n Lem\u00b4nos.\n Island in the Grecian Archipelago;\n Vulcan landed there, 144;\n Philoctetes on, 330.\n\n Ler\u00b4na.\n Marsh where the Hydra lay concealed, 220.\n\n Le\u00b4the.\n River of forgetfulness, which separated the Elysian Fields from\n Hades, 161, 163, 208, 210.\n\n Le\u00b4to.\n Same as Latona;\n mother of Apollo and Diana, 61;\n significance, 386, 388, 392, 394.\n\n Leu-co\u00b4the-a.\n Same as Ino, Athamas' wife;\n sea goddess, 174;\n Ulysses rescued by, 355.\n\n Li\u00b4ber.\n Same as Bacchus, god of wine and revelry, 174.\n\n Lib-er-a\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in honor of Liber, or Bacchus, held in the autumn, 182.\n\n Lib\u00b4y-a.\n Ancient name of Africa;\n coast upon which \u00c6neas landed, 48, 366.\n\n Li\u00b4chas.\n Bearer of the Nessus robe;\n slain by Hercules, 236-238.\n\n Light.\n Same as \u00c6ther, 13.\n\n Lip\u00b4a-ri Islands.\n Same as \u00c6olian Islands, where Ulysses landed, 213.\n\n Little Bear.\n Arcas changed into the constellation of the, 52.\n\n Lo\u00b4tis.\n Nymph changed into a lotus blossom, 299.\n\n Lo-toph\u00b4a-gi.\n People whose food was the lotus;\n the Lotus-eaters, 338.\n\n Love.\n Same as Eros, Cupid, etc., 13;\n Psyche courted by, 124-127.\n\n Loves.\n Attendants of Venus, 148.\n\n Lower Regions.\n Visited by \u00c6neas, 372.\n\n Lu\u00b4nae.\n Same as Diana, 207.\n\n Lyc\u00b4i-a.\n Land ruled by Iobates, who sends Bellerophon to slay the\n Chim\u00e6ra, 291, 295.\n\n Lyc-o-me\u00b4des.\n King of Scyros;\n treacherously slays Theseus, 262;\n shelters Achilles, 314, 315.\n\n Ly\u00b4cus.\n Antiope's second husband;\n slain by Amphion and Zethus, 80-82.\n\n Lyd\u00b4i-a.\n Kingdom of Midas, in Asia Minor, 177, 230.\n\n Lyn\u00b4ceus.\n Husband of Hypermnestra, who spared his life, 166.\n\n Lyn\u00b4cus.\n King of Scythia;\n changed into a lynx by Ceres, 196.\n\n Ly\u00b4ra.\n Orpheus' lute;\n placed in heavens as a constellation, 80.\n\n\n Ma-cha\u00b4on.\n Celebrated leech;\n son of \u00c6sculapius, 64;\n Philoctetes healed by, 331.\n\n Ma\u00b4ia.\n Goddess of the plains;\n mother of Mercury, 131;\n significance, 399.\n\n Ma\u00b4nes.\n Tutelary divinities of Roman households, with the Lares and\n Penates, 203.\n\n Mar-pes\u00b4sa.\n Daughter of Evenus;\n marries Idas, 155.\n\n Mars.\n Same as Ares;\n son of Jupiter and Juno, 52;\n god of war, 138-143;\n Venus courted by, 106-108;\n day of, 207;\n descendants of, 377;\n significance, 400.\n\n Mar\u00b4sy-as.\n 1. Shepherd who enters into competition with Apollo, 73, 74.\n 2. Name of river, 74.\n\n Mar\u00b4ti-us, Cam\u00b4pus.\n Roman exercising grounds, 143.\n\n Mat-ro-na\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in honor of Juno, in Rome, 54.\n\n Me-de\u00b4a.\n Daughter of \u00c6etes, 268, 269;\n wife of Jason, 271, 273, 274;\n wife of \u00c6geus, 252, 253;\n significance, 392.\n\n Me\u00b4di-a.\n Country in Asia Minor, where Medea took refuge, 253.\n\n Med-i-ter-ra\u00b4ne-an.\n Sea dividing world in two, 15.\n\n Me-du\u00b4sa.\n Gorgon slain by Perseus, whose hair was turned into snakes, 242-249;\n Neptune marries, 154;\n Pegasus, offspring of, 294;\n significance, 391.\n\n Me-g\u00e6\u00b4ra.\n One of the Furies, Eumenides, or Erinnyes, 163.\n\n Meg\u00b4a-ra.\n First wife of Hercules, whose three children he burns in his\n madness, 219;\n significance, 390.\n\n Me-le-a\u00b4ger.\n Son of Oeneus and Alth\u00e6a;\n leader of Calydonian Hunt, 275, 276;\n significance, 392.\n\n Me\u00b4li-an Nymphs.\n Nymphs who nursed Jupiter in infancy, 21.\n\n Mel-pom\u00b4e-ne.\n One of the Muses;\n presides over tragedy, 88.\n\n Mem\u00b4phis.\n Town in Egypt, founded by Epaphus, 136.\n\n Men-e-la\u00b4us.\n King of Sparta;\n husband of Helen of Troy, 310-314;\n Paris fights, 320;\n return of, 335;\n Telemachus visits, 357;\n significance, 394.\n\n Men\u00b4e-ti-us.\n One of the four sons of Iapetus and Clymene, 25.\n\n Men\u00b4tor.\n Name assumed by Minerva to act as a guide for Telemachus, 357, 358.\n\n Mer-cu-ra\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in honor of Mercury, the messenger god, 137.\n\n Mer\u00b4cu-ry.\n Same as Hermes;\n son of Jupiter and Maia, 131-137;\n Pandora guided by, 29, 31;\n Jupiter's ally, 43;\n Adonis guided by, 108;\n Mars delivered by, 139;\n Bacchus guarded by, 174;\n Proserpina guided by, 195;\n Lara loved by, 203;\n day of, 207;\n leader of dreams, 210;\n Perseus helped by, 243;\n Pan, son of, 300;\n Protesilaus guided by, 317;\n Priam led by, 329;\n Ulysses aided by, 349, 354;\n \u00c6neas aided by, 369;\n significance, 385, 386, 399, 400.\n\n Mer\u00b4o-pe.\n Daughter of Oenopion;\n promised bride of Orion, 99.\n\n Met-a-nei\u00b4ra.\n Wife of Celeus, king of Eleusis;\n mother of Triptolemus, 188.\n\n Me\u00b4tis.\n Daughter of Oceanus;\n gives a potion to Cronus, 22.\n\n Me\u00b4tus.\n Attendant of Mars;\n god of war and strife, 138.\n\n Me-zen\u00b4ti-us.\n Father of Lausus;\n slain by \u00c6neas, 376.\n\n Mi\u00b4das.\n King of Lydia, 74, 75;\n changed all he touched to gold, 177-179.\n\n Mi-la\u00b4ni-on.\n Same as Hippomenes;\n husband of Atalanta, 278.\n\n Mi\u00b4lo.\n Island where statue of Venus was found, 130.\n\n Mi-ner\u00b4va.\n Same as Athene, goddess of wisdom;\n daughter of Jupiter, 55-60;\n man given soul by, 27;\n flute of, 73;\n Vulcan wooes, 147;\n contest of Neptune and, 152;\n Medusa punished by, 242;\n Perseus aided by, 243;\n gift to, 249;\n Argo built by, 266;\n Bellerophon helped by, 292;\n Juno and Venus dispute with, 306-308;\n Ulysses aided by, 354-358;\n significance, 395, 396.\n\n Min-er-va\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in honor of Minerva, in Rome, 60.\n\n Mi\u00b4nos.\n 1. King of Crete, 223;\n father of Ariadne and Ph\u00e6dra, 253, 256.\n 2. Son of Jupiter and Europa;\n judge in Hades, 45, 163.\n\n Min\u00b4o-taur.\n Monster which Minos kept in the Labyrinth, 253-257;\n significance, 391, 401.\n\n Mne-mos\u00b4y-ne.\n A Titanide, 17, 22;\n goddess of memory;\n wife of Jupiter;\n mother of the Muses, 88.\n\n Moe\u00b4r\u00e6.\n The Fates, or Parc\u00e6, who spin, twist, and cut the thread of\n life, 165.\n\n Mor\u00b4pheus.\n Prime minister of Somnus, god of sleep, 208, 212.\n\n Mors.\n Same as Thanatos, god of death, 208-212, 213.\n\n Mo-sych\u00b4lus.\n Mountain in Lemnos, where Vulcan fell from heaven, 144.\n\n Mu-sag\u00b4e-tes.\n Apollo's name when he led the choir of the Muses, 88.\n\n Mu\u00b4ses, the Nine.\n Daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 73-75, 88-90;\n mount of the, 294.\n\n My-ce\u00b4n\u00e6.\n Favorite city of Juno, with Sparta and Argos, 52;\n Perseus exchanges Argos for, 249.\n\n Myr\u00b4mi-dons.\n Achilles' followers;\n led by Patroclus, 324, 325;\n significance, 395.\n\n Mys\u00b4ter-ies.\n Religious rites celebrated in honor of the God of Wine, 182.\n\n Myths.\n Fabulous tales, 378-401.\n\n\n Na-i\u00b4a-des.\n Fountain nymphs subject to Neptune, 297, 298.\n\n Na-p\u00e6\u00b4\u00e6.\n Valley nymphs, who looked after the flocks also, 297.\n\n Nar-cis\u00b4sus.\n Youth loved by Echo;\n enamored with his own image, 118-120.\n\n Nau-sic\u00b4a-a.\n Daughter of Alcinous and Arete;\n befriends Ulysses, 355.\n\n Nax\u00b4os.\n Island visited by Theseus and Bacchus, 179, 257;\n significance, 391.\n\n Nec\u00b4tar.\n Beverage of the gods, poured out by Hebe and Ganymede, 41, 84.\n\n Ne\u00b4leus.\n Son of Neptune;\n brother of Pelias, 154.\n\n Ne\u00b4me-a.\n Forest in Greece, devastated by a lion slain by Hercules, 220.\n\n Ne\u00b4me-an Games.\n Games in honor of Jupiter and Hercules, 239.\n\n Ne\u00b4me-an Lion.\n Monster slain by Hercules, 220.\n\n Nem\u00b4e-sis.\n Goddess of vengeance, 163;\n pursues Orestes, 336.\n\n Ne-op-tol\u00b4e-mus.\n Same as Pyrrhus;\n Achilles' son;\n slays Priam, 361.\n\n Neph\u00b4e-le.\n Wife of Athamas;\n mother of Phryxus and Helle, 265;\n significance, 391, 397.\n\n Nep\u00b4tune.\n Same as Poseidon, god of the sea, 149-158;\n son of Cronus, 22;\n kingdom given to, 25;\n Deluge controlled by, 36, 37;\n horse created by, 57;\n Delos created by, 62;\n walls built by, 65;\n Mars punished by, 139;\n girl protected by, 197;\n Vesta wooed by, 198;\n Minos punished by, 223;\n Pegasus created by, 244;\n Hippolytus slain by, 262;\n Thetis wooed by, 305;\n Trojans punished by, 332, 333;\n Polyphemus, son of, 339;\n Ulysses' men slain by, 354, 355;\n \u00c6neas saved by, 366, 370;\n significance, 397, 400.\n\n Ne-re\u00b4i-des.\n Water nymphs;\n daughters of Nereus and Doris, 153, 155;\n significance, 397.\n\n Ne\u00b4re-us.\n God of the sea;\n the personification of its pleasant aspect, 154, 226;\n father of Thetis, 305;\n significance, 397.\n\n Nes\u00b4sus.\n The Centaur who carries Deianeira across the river;\n slain by Hercules, 234, 235;\n significance, 390.\n\n Nes\u00b4tor.\n Greek hero during Trojan war;\n noted for wise counsel, 275, 314, 357.\n\n Ni\u00b4ce.\n Same as Victory;\n attendant of Jupiter, 41.\n\n Night.\n Same as Nyx or Nox, 13, 15, 57, 208.\n\n Nightmares.\n Attendants of Somnus, crouching in his cave, 210.\n\n Ni\u00b4o-be.\n Daughter of Tantalus, whose children are slain by Apollo and\n Diana, 93-96, 167;\n significance, 398.\n\n Ni\u00b4sus.\n Youth who accompanies Euryalus to summon \u00c6neas back to camp, 374.\n\n No\u00b4man.\n Name assumed by Ulysses to mislead Polyphemus, 343, 344.\n\n No\u00b4tus or Auster.\n Southwest wind;\n son of \u00c6olus and Aurora, 213-215.\n\n Nox.\n Same as Nyx, goddess of night;\n marries Chaos and Erebus, 13.\n\n Nu\u00b4ma Pom-pil\u00b4i-us.\n Second king of Rome;\n built Vesta's temple, 200.\n\n Nymphs.\n Name given to female minor divinities, 297.\n\n Ny-si\u00b4a-des.\n Nymphs who cared for Bacchus, and form a constellation, 174.\n\n Nyx.\n Same as Nox, goddess of night;\n mother of Day and Light, 13, 15, 17, 163.\n\n\n O-ce-an\u00b4i-des.\n Daughters of Oceanus;\n nymphs of the ocean, 25, 103, 303;\n significance, 397.\n\n O-ce\u00b4a-nus.\n 1. River surrounding the earth, according to ancients, 15, 16, 229.\n 2. One of the Titans;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17, 20, 22, 25, 149;\n significance, 397.\n\n O-cris\u00b4i-a.\n A slave;\n wife of Vulcan;\n mother of Servius Tullius, 148.\n\n O-dys\u00b4seus.\n Same as Ulysses;\n hero of the Odyssey, 337.\n\n Od\u00b4ys-sey.\n Epic poem of Homer on the adventures of Ulysses, 337.\n\n Oed\u00b4i-pus.\n Son of Laius and Jocasta;\n King of Thebes, 280-290;\n significance, 392, 393, 394.\n\n Oe\u00b4neus.\n Father of Meleager and Deianeira;\n husband of Alth\u00e6a, 232, 275.\n\n Oe-no\u00b4ne.\n Wife of Paris, son of Priam, 307, 308;\n she dies on his funeral pyre, 331;\n significance, 394.\n\n Oe-no\u00b4pi-on. Father of Merope;\n blinds Orion, 99.\n\n Oe\u00b4ta.\n Mountain on whose summit Hercules builds his funeral pyre, 238.\n\n O-gyg\u00b4i-a.\n Island where Calypso detains Ulysses seven years, 354.\n\n O-lym\u00b4pi-a.\n City in Elis noted for its temple and games, 49, 230, 239.\n\n O-lym\u00b4pi-ad.\n Time between Olympian Games; i.e., four years, 49.\n\n O-lym\u00b4pi-an Games.\n Games instituted by Hercules in honor of Jupiter, 49, 230.\n\n O-lym\u00b4pus.\n Mountain north of Greece;\n the abode of the gods, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 39, 51, 55,\n 58, 70, 76, 96, 106, 120, 128, 132, 135, 153, 171, 240, 297,\n 373, 375;\n gods fly from, 24;\n Prometheus visits, 28;\n Ganymede transported to, 43;\n Vulcan expelled from, 144;\n Ceres visits, 194;\n Bellerophon storms, 295;\n Thetis visits, 319;\n significance, 384.\n\n Om\u00b4pha-le.\n Queen of Lydia;\n the taskmistress of Hercules, 230.\n\n O-ne-i-co-pom\u00b4pus.\n Name borne by Mercury as conductor of dreams, 131, 137.\n\n Ops.\n Same as Cybele;\n name given to Rhea, and also to Ceres, 20.\n\n O-re\u00b4a-des.\n Mountain nymphs who guided travelers, 297.\n\n O-res\u00b4tes.\n Son of Agamemnon and Clyt\u00e6mnestra;\n friend of Pylades, 336.\n\n O-ri\u00b4on.\n Youth loved by Diana, and accidentally slain by her, 98-100.\n\n Or-i-thy\u00b4i-a.\n Wife of Boreas;\n mother of Calais, Zetus, Cleopatra, and Chione, 215.\n\n Or\u00b4pheus.\n Musician;\n son of Apollo and Calliope, 75-80, 266;\n significance, 387, 388.\n\n Os\u00b4sa.\n Mountain in Thessaly, upon which the Titans piled Pelion, 23.\n\n O\u00b4tus.\n Giant son of Neptune;\n slain by Diana and Apollo, 139, 154;\n significance, 400.\n\n\n Pac-to\u00b4lus.\n River in Asia Minor in which Midas washed, to remove his golden\n plague, 179.\n\n Pa-l\u00e6\u00b4mon.\n Son of Athamas and Ino;\n changed into sea god, 174.\n\n Pal-a-me\u00b4des.\n Messenger sent to summon Ulysses to war against Troy, 312.\n\n Pal-i-nu\u00b4rus.\n \u00c6neas' pilot;\n lost at sea off Cape Misenum, 370, 372.\n\n Pal-la\u00b4di-um.\n Statue of Minerva, 60;\n stolen from Troy by Ulysses and Diomedes, 198, 332.\n\n Pal\u00b4las.\n 1. Name given to Minerva in Athens, 27, 55, 57.\n 2. Son of Evander;\n slain by Turnus while fighting for \u00c6neas, 374, 375.\n\n Pal\u00b4lor.\n Special attendant of Mars;\n lover of strife, 138.\n\n Pan.\n Same as Consentes, god of nature and the universe, 74, 127, 300, 301;\n significance, 400.\n\n Pan-ath-e-n\u00e6\u00b4a.\n Festivals held in honor of Minerva, 60.\n\n Pan-do\u00b4ra.\n First woman;\n created in heaven, she brings evil into the world, 29-35, 37.\n\n Par\u00b4c\u00e6.\n The Fates, or Moer\u00e6;\n they spin the thread of destiny, 165.\n\n Par\u00b4is.\n Son of Priam and Hecuba, 307;\n judgment of, 308;\n visits Troy, 308, 310;\n elopes with Helen, 312;\n duel with Menelaus, 320;\n in battle, 323;\n Achilles slain by, 330;\n death of, 331;\n significance, 394.\n\n Par-nas\u00b4sus.\n Mountain in Greece, 37, 38;\n sacred to Apollo and the Muses, 90.\n\n Par-the\u00b4ni-um.\n Mountain upon which Atalanta was exposed, 275.\n\n Par\u00b4the-non.\n Temple dedicated to Minerva at Athens, 60.\n\n Pa-tro\u00b4clus.\n Friend of Achilles;\n slain by Hector, 324-328;\n significance, 395.\n\n Peg\u00b4a-sus.\n Steed born from the sea foam and the blood of Medusa, 154, 244;\n Bellerophon rides, 292-296;\n significance, 394, 397.\n\n Pe\u00b4leus.\n Husband of Thetis;\n father of Achilles, 266, 275, 305, 314.\n\n Pe\u00b4li-as.\n Uncle of Jason;\n brother of Neleus, 154;\n usurps the throne of \u00c6son, 263-266, 273.\n\n Pe\u00b4li-on.\n A high mountain in Thessaly, piled upon Ossa by the giants to\n reach Olympus, 23, 266.\n\n Pel-o-pon-ne\u00b4sus.\n The peninsula south of Greece, 49, 167.\n\n Pe\u00b4lops.\n Son of Tantalus;\n gave his name to the Peloponnesus, 167;\n father of Copreus, 153;\n significance, 389.\n\n Pe-na\u00b4tes.\n Household gods worshiped in Rome with the Lares, 203, 204;\n \u00c6neas saves the, 362.\n\n Pe-nel\u00b4o-pe.\n 1. Wife of Ulysses, 312;\n suitors of, 357-359;\n significance, 395.\n 2. A nymph, the mother of Pan, 300.\n\n Pe-ne\u00b4us.\n 1. River god;\n father of Daphne;\n changes Daphne into a laurel.\n 2. Name of a river in Greece, 68.\n\n Pen-the-si-le\u00b4a.\n Queen of Amazons;\n slain during Trojan war, 329.\n\n Pen\u00b4theus.\n King of Thebes;\n refuses to receive Bacchus, and is slain, 181, 182.\n\n Per-i-phe\u00b4tes.\n Son of Vulcan, 148;\n encountered and slain by Theseus, 251.\n\n Per-seph\u00b4o-ne.\n Same as Proserpina, goddess of vegetation, 183, 187, 194.\n\n Per\u00b4seus.\n Son of Jupiter and Danae;\n slays Medusa, 240-249;\n significance, 390, 391, 393, 394, 395.\n\n Pet\u00b4a-sus.\n Name given to the winged cap worn by Mercury, 134.\n\n Ph\u00e6-a\u00b4ci-ans.\n People who dwelt in Scheria, and sent Ulysses home, 355;\n significance, 395.\n\n Ph\u00e6\u00b4dra.\n Daughter of Minos;\n wife of Theseus, 262;\n significance, 391.\n\n Pha\u00b4e-ton.\n Son of Apollo and Clymene;\n drives the sun car, and is slain, 83-88;\n significance, 388, 395.\n\n Pha-e-tu\u00b4sa.\n Sister of Phaeton;\n one of the Heliades, 87;\n Apollo's flocks guarded by, 353.\n\n Phe-re-phat\u00b4ta.\n Name given to Persephone, or Proserpina, 183.\n\n Phid\u00b4i-as.\n Noted Greek sculptor;\n made statues of the gods, 49, 60.\n\n Phi-le\u00b4mon.\n Husband of Baucis;\n changed into an oak, 43, 44.\n\n Phil-oc-te\u00b4tes.\n Friend of Hercules;\n receives his arrows, 238, 330, 331.\n\n Phi-lon\u00b4o-e.\n Daughter of Iobates;\n wife of Bellerophon, 292;\n significance, 394.\n\n Phin\u00b4e-us.\n The blind king of Thrace;\n annoyed by the Harpies, 248, 249, 267.\n\n Phleg\u00b4e-thon.\n One of the rivers of Hades;\n a river of fire, 161, 163, 350.\n\n Pho\u00b4bos.\n One of the attendants of Mars, god of war, 138.\n\n Pho\u00b4cis.\n Province in Greece, bounded by Doris, Locris, and the Gulf of\n Corinth, 336.\n\n Phoe\u00b4be.\n One of the Titanides, 17, 20;\n same as Diana, 93.\n\n Phoe\u00b4bus.\n Name given to Apollo, god of the sun and of medicine, 61, 67,\n 90, 94, 96, 318;\n significance, 386.\n\n Phoe-nic\u00b4i-a.\n Province in Asia Minor, named after Phoenix, 47;\n significance, 386.\n\n Phoe\u00b4nix.\n Brother of Europa, who gave his name to Phoenicia, 45, 47.\n\n Phryx\u00b4us.\n Son of Athamas and Nephele;\n rides on golden-fleeced ram to Colchis, 154, 265;\n significance, 391, 397.\n\n Pi-re\u00b4ne.\n Fountain near Corinth, where Pegasus drinks, 294.\n\n Pi-rith\u00b4o-us.\n King of the Lapith\u00e6;\n friend of Theseus, 259, 260, 275.\n\n Ple\u00b4ia-des.\n Seven of Diana's nymphs;\n pursued by Orion and changed into stars, 98.\n\n Plu\u00b4to.\n Same as Hades, Dis, A\u00efdoneus, etc., 159-170;\n god of the Infernal Regions, 25, 76, 77, 79, 110, 208, 350;\n birth of, 22;\n Proserpina kidnapped by, 183-187;\n Arethusa sees, 193;\n Ceres visits, 195;\n Perseus aided by, 243;\n Theseus punished by, 260;\n significance, 396, 401.\n\n Plu\u00b4tus.\n Name given to Pluto when invoked as god of wealth, 159.\n\n Pod-a-lir\u00b4i-us.\n Son of \u00c6sculapius;\n skilled in medicine, 64.\n\n Po-dar\u00b4ces.\n Same as Priam, King of Troy;\n slain by Pyrrhus, 152.\n\n Po-li\u00b4tes.\n Last of Priam's sons;\n slain at his feet by Pyrrhus, 361.\n\n Pol\u00b4lux.\n Son of Jupiter and Leda;\n brother of Castor, Helen, and Clyt\u00e6mnestra, 260, 266, 275, 278, 279.\n\n Pol\u00b4y-bus.\n King of Corinth;\n adopted Oedipus when forsaken by the servant, 280-282.\n\n Pol-y-dec\u00b4tes.\n King of Seriphus;\n sends Perseus in quest of Medusa, 242, 249.\n\n Pol-y-do\u00b4rus.\n Trojan youth, murdered in Thrace;\n his grave discovered by \u00c6neas, 363.\n\n Pol-y-hym\u00b4ni-a.\n Muse of rhetoric;\n daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 90.\n\n Pol-y-ni\u00b4ces.\n Son of Oedipus, 285;\n slain by Eteocles, 287;\n buried by Antigone, 288.\n\n Pol-y-phe\u00b4mus.\n Giant son of Neptune, 154;\n Ulysses visits, 339-346;\n Galatea loved by, 341;\n blinded by Ulysses, 344;\n Achemenides escapes from, 365.\n\n Po-lyx\u00b4e-na.\n Daughter of Priam;\n affianced wife of Achilles, 330.\n\n Po-mo\u00b4na.\n Goddess of the orchards;\n wife of Vertumnus, 303.\n\n Pon\u00b4tus.\n Name given to the sea when first created, 13, 15.\n\n Po-sei\u00b4don.\n Same as Neptune, god of the sea and of horse trainers, 149.\n\n Po\u00b4thos.\n God of the amities of love;\n one of the numerous attendants of Venus, 106.\n\n Pri\u00b4am.\n Same as Podarces, 152;\n King of Troy, 307;\n Paris received by, 310;\n duel witnessed by, 320;\n Hector, son of, 325;\n Hector's death seen by, 328;\n Mercury leads, 329;\n Polyxena, daughter of, 330;\n death of, 335, 361.\n\n Pri-a\u00b4pus.\n God of the shade;\n pursues the nymph Lotis, 299, 301.\n\n Pro\u00b4cris.\n Wife of Cephalus;\n slain by his unerring javelin, 70, 71;\n significance, 387, 389.\n\n Pro-crus\u00b4tes (The Stretcher).\n Encountered and slain by Theseus, 252.\n\n Proe\u00b4tus.\n Husband of Anteia, and kinsman of Bellerophon, 291, 292.\n\n Pro-me\u00b4theus (Forethought).\n Son of Iapetus;\n man created by, 25;\n Olympus visited by, 27;\n chained to Caucasian Mountains, 28;\n Hercules delivers, 28, 227;\n Deucalion, son of, 37;\n significance, 379, 398.\n\n Pro-ser\u00b4pi-na.\n Same as Proserpine and Persephone;\n goddess of vegetation, 183-197;\n Orpheus visits, 77;\n Adonis welcomed by, 110;\n Pluto kidnaps, 159;\n emblem of death, 212;\n significance, 396.\n\n Pro-tes-i-la\u00b4us.\n First Greek who landed on Trojan coast, 316, 317.\n\n Pro\u00b4teus.\n Inferior sea divinity;\n shepherd of the deep, 156;\n Menelaus consults, 336;\n significance, 381.\n\n Psy\u00b4che.\n Fair princess loved by Cupid;\n the emblem of the soul, 121-130;\n significance, 381.\n\n Psy-cho-pom\u00b4pus.\n Name given to Mercury as leader of souls to Hades, 131, 137.\n\n Pyg-ma\u00b4li-on.\n 1. Celebrated sculptor, who loves a statue, 120, 121.\n 2. Brother of Dido;\n murderer of Sych\u00e6us, Dido's husband, 366.\n\n Pyg\u00b4mies.\n Race of small people in Africa;\n defended by Ant\u00e6us, 227, 228.\n\n Pyl\u00b4a-des.\n Son of Strophius;\n intimate friend of Orestes, 336.\n\n Pyr\u00b4a-mus.\n Faithful lover of Thisbe;\n commits suicide, 117, 118.\n\n Pyr\u00b4rha.\n Wife of Deucalion;\n the only woman who survives the Flood, 37, 38.\n\n Pyr\u00b4rhus.\n Same as Neoptolemus;\n son of Achilles, 361.\n\n Pyth\u00b4e-us.\n Surname given to Apollo as python slayer, 61, 65.\n\n Pyth\u00b4i-a.\n Name given to Apollo's priestess at Delphi, 91.\n\n Pyth\u00b4i-an Games.\n Games celebrated at Delphi every three years, 91.\n\n Py\u00b4thon.\n Serpent born of the Deluge slime;\n slain by Apollo, 65-67;\n significance, 387, 400.\n\n\n Quin-qua\u00b4tri-a.\n Festivals in honor of the goddess Minerva, 60.\n\n Quir\u00b4i-nal.\n One of the seven hills on which Rome is built, 142.\n\n Quir-i-na\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in Rome in honor of Quirinus, 142.\n\n Qui-ri\u00b4nus.\n Name given to Romulus when deified, 142.\n\n\n Re-gil\u00b4lus.\n Lake in Italy where occurred the battle in which the Dioscuri\n were supposed to assist, 279.\n\n Re\u00b4mus.\n Son of Mars and Ilia;\n twin brother of Romulus, 140-142, 377.\n\n Rhad-a-man\u00b4thus.\n Son of Jupiter and Europa;\n judge in Hades, 45, 163.\n\n Rhe\u00b4a.\n Female Titan;\n daughter of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17;\n wife of Cronus, 18;\n Jupiter saved by, 20;\n Corybantes, priests of, 21;\n Cronus defeated by, 22;\n Juno, daughter of, 51;\n Pluto, son of, 159;\n Ceres, daughter of, 183;\n Vesta, daughter of, 198;\n significance, 396.\n\n Rhodes.\n Island in the Mediterranean, where the Colossus stood, 91.\n\n Rome.\n City founded by Romulus;\n it comprises seven hills, 142.\n\n Rom\u00b4u-lus.\n Son of Mars and Ilia;\n founder of Rome, 140, 142, 372, 377.\n\n Ru\u00b4tu-les.\n Nation in Italy, governed by Turnus, 374, 375.\n\n\n Sa-git-ta\u00b4ri-us.\n The constellation formed by Chiron, the Centaur who taught\n Hercules, 221.\n\n Sa-la\u00b4ci-a.\n Same as Amphitrite;\n wife of Neptune, 154.\n\n Sa\u00b4li-i.\n Priests appointed to watch the sacred shields in Rome, 143.\n\n Sal-mo\u00b4neus.\n King who wished to emulate Jupiter, 168.\n\n Sar-pe\u00b4don.\n Son of Jupiter and Europa, 45;\n slain during the Trojan war, 325.\n\n Sat\u00b4urn, or Cronus.\n Son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 18;\n father of Jupiter, 20;\n Italy ruled by, 23, 35;\n husband of Rhea, 25;\n day of, 207.\n\n Sa\u00b4tyrs.\n Male divinities of the woods, half man, half goat, 300.\n\n Sc\u00e6\u00b4an Gate.\n Gate which led from Troy to the plain, 321.\n\n Sci\u00b4ron.\n Giant encountered by Theseus on the Isthmus of Corinth, 251, 252.\n\n Scyl\u00b4la.\n Sea nymph changed to monster by Circe. She lived under rock of\n same name, 352, 353, 365.\n\n Scy\u00b4ros.\n Island in the Archipelago, the home of Lycomedes, visited by\n Achilles and Theseus, 262.\n\n Scyth\u00b4i-a.\n Country north of the Euxine Sea, 196.\n\n Seasons.\n The four daughters of Jupiter and Themis, 105.\n\n Sec\u00b4u-lar Games.\n Games in honor of Pluto every hundred years, 160.\n\n Se-le\u00b4ne.\n Name given to Diana as moon goddess, 93;\n significance, 388, 389.\n\n Sem\u00b4e-le.\n Daughter of Cadmus;\n wife of Jupiter;\n mother of Bacchus, 171-174;\n significance, 397.\n\n Se-ri\u00b4phus.\n Island where Danae and Perseus were cast ashore, 242, 249.\n\n Ser\u00b4vi-us Tul\u00b4li-us.\n Sixth king of Rome;\n son of Vulcan and Ocrisia, 148.\n\n Ses\u00b4tus.\n City opposite Abydus;\n the home of Hero, 111, 112, 116.\n\n Seven Wonders of the World, 49, 91.\n\n Sheet-lightning.\n Same as Arges, 18.\n\n Sib\u00b4yl.\n Prophetess of Cum\u00e6, who led \u00c6neas down to the infernal Regions,\n 370-372.\n\n Si-ca\u00b4ni-a.\n Land where Anchises died;\n visited twice by \u00c6neas, 365.\n\n Sic\u00b4i-ly.\n Island home of Polyphemus;\n visited by Arion, 82;\n visited by Proserpina, 183;\n visited by Ulysses, 339;\n visited by \u00c6neas, 365, 370.\n\n Si-le\u00b4nus.\n Tutor of Bacchus;\n generally represented on an ass, 174-177, 300.\n\n Sil-va\u00b4nus.\n God of the woods;\n one of the lesser Roman divinities, 301.\n\n Silver Age.\n Second age of the ancient world, 35.\n\n Sil\u00b4vi-a.\n Daughter of Latin shepherd;\n her stag was wounded by Iulus, 373.\n\n Si\u00b4nis (The Pine-bender).\n Giant encountered and slain by Theseus, 251.\n\n Si\u00b4non.\n Greek slave, who advised the Trojans to secure the wooden horse,\n 332, 335.\n\n Sip\u00b4y-lus.\n Mountain where stood the statue of Niobe, 94.\n\n Si\u00b4rens.\n Maidens who allured mariners by their wondrous songs, 350-352;\n significance, 397.\n\n Sir\u00b4i-us.\n Favorite dog of Orion;\n a constellation, 98, 100.\n\n Sis\u00b4y-phus.\n King condemned to roll a rock in Tartarus to the top of a steep\n hill, 77, 167;\n significance, 389.\n\n Sol.\n Name frequently given to Apollo as god of the sun, 61.\n\n Som\u00b4nus.\n God of sleep;\n the child of Nox, and twin brother of Mors, 208-212.\n\n Spar\u00b4ta.\n Capital of Laced\u00e6mon;\n favorite city of Juno, 52;\n home of Menelaus, 310-312.\n\n Sphinx.\n Riddle-giving monster;\n slain by Oedipus, 283-285;\n significance, 393, 401.\n\n Stel\u00b4li-o.\n Urchin changed to lizard by Ceres when searching for Proserpina, 197.\n\n Ster\u00b4o-pes (Lightning).\n One of the Cyclopes;\n son of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 18.\n\n Sthe\u00b4no.\n One of the three Gorgon sisters, immortal, like Euryale, 242.\n\n Stroph\u00b4a-des.\n Islands where the Harpies took refuge when driven from Thrace, 267;\n \u00c6neas visits the, 364.\n\n Stro\u00b4phi-us.\n Father of Pylades;\n shelters Orestes, 336.\n\n Stym-pha\u00b4lus.\n Lake upon whose banks Hercules slew the brazen-clawed birds, 226.\n\n Styx.\n River in Hades, by whose waters the gods swore their most\n sacred oaths, 43, 77, 84, 161, 172;\n Achilles bathed in the, 314.\n\n Su-a-de\u00b4la.\n One of Venus' train of attendants;\n god of the soft speech of love, 106.\n\n Sy-ch\u00e6\u00b4us.\n King of Tyre;\n husband of Dido;\n murdered by Pygmalion, 366.\n\n Sym-pleg\u00b4a-des.\n Floating rocks safely passed by the Argo, 268.\n\n Sy\u00b4rinx.\n Nymph loved by Pan, and changed into reeds, 300, 301.\n\n\n T\u00e6n\u00b4a-rum, or T\u00e6n\u00b4a-rus.\n The Greek entrance to Hades on Cimmerian coast, 160, 229.\n\n Ta-la\u00b4ri-a.\n Mercury's winged sandals, given by the gods, 134.\n\n Ta\u00b4lus.\n Brazen giant;\n son of Vulcan;\n the watchman of Minos, 256, 257.\n\n Tan\u00b4ta-lus.\n Father of Pelops;\n condemned to hunger and thirst in Hades, 77, 93, 167;\n significance, 389, 390.\n\n Tar\u00b4ta-rus.\n Abyss under the earth, where the Titans, etc., were confined,\n 17, 18, 22, 25;\n Orpheus' music heard in, 77;\n wicked in, 161-169;\n significance, 385, 391.\n\n Tau\u00b4ris.\n Country to which Diana brought Iphigenia, 316;\n visited by Orestes, 336.\n\n Tel\u00b4a-mon.\n Husband of Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon, 152.\n\n Te-lem\u00b4a-chus.\n Son of Ulysses and Penelope, 312;\n adventures of, 357, 358.\n\n Tel-e-phas\u00b4sa.\n Wife of Agenor;\n mother of Europa, 47;\n significance, 386.\n\n Tel\u00b4lus.\n Same as G\u00e6a;\n name given to Rhea, 13.\n\n Ten\u00b4e-dos.\n Island off the coast of Troy, 332, 335.\n\n Terp-sich\u00b4o-re.\n Muse of dancing;\n daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 88.\n\n Ter\u00b4ra.\n Same as G\u00e6a, goddess of the earth, 13.\n\n Teu\u00b4cer.\n Ancient king of the Trojans, 364.\n\n Tha-li\u00b4a.\n 1. One of the three Graces;\n daughter of Jupiter and Eurynome, 105.\n 2. One of the nine Muses;\n Muse of comedy, 88.\n\n Than\u00b4a-tos.\n Same as Mors, god of death, 208.\n\n Thebes.\n Capital of Boeotia;\n founded by Cadmus, 47, 48;\n Amphion, king of, 80-82;\n Athamas, king of, 174;\n Pentheus, king of, 181;\n Oedipus, king of, 280-290.\n\n The\u00b4mis.\n One of the six female Titans, 17, 22;\n goddess of justice, 44, 105, 107, 163.\n\n The-oph\u00b4a-ne.\n Maiden changed by Neptune into a sheep, 153.\n\n The\u00b4seus.\n Son of \u00c6geus and \u00c6thra;\n hero of Athens, 179, 250-262, 266, 275;\n significance, 391, 393.\n\n Thes-mo-pho\u00b4ri-a.\n Festivals in Greece in honor of Ceres, 196.\n\n Thes\u00b4sa-ly.\n A province of Greece, 311;\n fight of the gods in, 23;\n Admetus, king of, 64;\n Ceyx, king of, 211;\n \u00c6son, king of, 263, 273;\n Protesilaus of, 316.\n\n The\u00b4tis.\n 1. Mother of Achilles, 314;\n a sea nymph, 20.\n 2. One of the Titanides, 17;\n marriage feast of, 305, 306;\n Olympus visited by, 319;\n Achilles comforted by, 325;\n Achilles' armor brought by, 326-328;\n Achilles instructed by, 329.\n\n This\u00b4be.\n Babylonian maiden loved by Pyramus, 117, 118.\n\n Thrace.\n Country on the Black Sea;\n the home of Mars, 138, 223, 267, 363;\n significance, 400.\n\n Thyr\u00b4sus.\n The vine-encircled wand borne by the followers of Bacchus, 182.\n\n Ti\u00b4ber.\n River in Italy, 200, 202, 205;\n \u00c6neas sails up the, 363, 372, 374.\n\n Ti-re\u00b4si-as.\n The blind seer visited by Ulysses on the Cimmerian shore, 350, 353.\n\n Ti-siph\u00b4o-ne.\n One of the three Furies, or Eumenides, 163, 165, 174.\n\n Ti-tan\u00b4i-des.\n The six daughters of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17.\n\n Ti\u00b4tans.\n Name given to the six sons of Uranus and G\u00e6a, 17, 18;\n revolt of, 22, 23, 25;\n significance, 398.\n\n Ti-tho\u00b4nus.\n Trojan prince who visited Aurora, 90.\n\n Tit\u00b4y-us.\n Giant in Tartarus, whose prostrate body covered nine acres, 169.\n\n Tra-chin\u00b4i-a.\n Land where Hercules died, 216.\n\n Tri-na\u00b4cri-a.\n Land visited by Ulysses, whose men slay the cattle of the sun,\n 353, 354.\n\n Trip-tol\u00b4e-mus.\n Nursling and prot\u00e9g\u00e9 of Ceres, 188, 196.\n\n Tri\u00b4ton.\n Son of Neptune and Amphitrite;\n father of the Tritons, 154, 303;\n significance, 397.\n\n Troe-ze\u00b4ne.\n Ancient city in Argolis, 152;\n birthplace of Theseus, 250, 251;\n significance, 391.\n\n Tro\u00b4jans.\n Inhabitants of Troy, 316-335, 360-376.\n\n Troy.\n City of Asia Minor, ruled by Laomedon and Priam;\n war of, 305-336.\n\n Tuc\u00b4ci-a.\n Vestal virgin who stood the test of purity, 200.\n\n Tur\u00b4nus.\n Chief of the Rutules;\n wars against \u00c6neas, 372-377.\n\n Tus\u00b4cans.\n People of Tuscania in Italy, governed by Evander;\n allies of \u00c6neas, 374, 375.\n\n Tyn-da\u00b4re-us.\n Stepfather of Helen;\n binds her suitors by oath, 311.\n\n Ty-phoe\u00b4us.\n Same as Typhon;\n monster sent to dethrone Jupiter, 23, 24.\n\n Tyre.\n City in Phoenicia, governed by Sych\u00e6us and Dido, 366.\n\n\n U-lys\u00b4ses.\n Same as Odysseus, hero of the Odyssey;\n King of Ithaca, 214, 312, 315, 330, 332;\n adventures of, 337-359;\n significance, 386, 395.\n\n U-ra\u00b4ni-a.\n Muse of astronomy, daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 88, 90.\n\n U\u00b4ra-nus (Heaven).\n Husband of G\u00e6a, created by her, 15, 17, 18;\n significance, 385.\n\n\n Ve\u00b4nus.\n Same as Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, 103-130;\n day of, 207;\n Hippomenes aided by, 278;\n Juno and Minerva dispute with, 306-308;\n Paris advised by, 310, 312;\n Paris saved by, 320;\n \u00c6neas, son of, 360, 362, 366, 367, 370, 372, 376;\n significance, 389.\n\n Ver-tum\u00b4nus.\n God of the orchards;\n loved by Pomona, 303.\n\n Ves\u00b4ta.\n Same as Hestia, goddess of fire and of the family hearth, 198-204;\n birth of, 22;\n significance, 399.\n\n Ves-ta\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals in honor of Vesta, held in Rome, 202.\n\n Ves\u00b4tals.\n Virgins dedicated to the service of Vesta, 200-202, 377.\n\n Vic-to\u00b4ri-a.\n Same as Nice, goddess of victory, 41.\n\n Vol\u00b4scians.\n Tribe in Italy who join the Rutules against \u00c6neas, 373, 374, 376.\n\n Vul\u00b4can.\n Same as Heph\u00e6stus, god of the forge, 144-148;\n Jupiter's head cleft by, 55;\n Venus, wife of, 106, 107;\n armor made by, 326, 374;\n significance, 399.\n\n Vul-ca-na\u00b4li-a.\n Festivals celebrated in honor of Vulcan, 148.\n\n\n Zeph\u00b4y-rus.\n God of the south wind;\n son of \u00c6olus and Aurora, 213;\n Hyacinthus slain by, 67;\n Venus conducted by, 105;\n Psyche saved by, 122, 128;\n Flora, wife of, 301.\n\n Ze\u00b4tes.\n Son of Boreas and Orithyia;\n took part in Argonautic expedition, and drove away Harpies, 215.\n\n Ze\u00b4thus.\n Twin brother of Amphion;\n son of Jupiter and Antiope, 80-82.\n\n Zeus.\n Same as Jupiter;\n father of the gods, 39;\n significance, 379, 385, 388, 395.\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Note\n\nVariations in spelling of proper nouns are preserved as printed.\n\nMinor punctuation errors have been repaired. Hyphenation and accent\nusage has been made consistent.\n\nPage 260--capitivity amended to captivity--\"... came to Athens,\ndelivered her from captivity, ...\"\n\nThe transcriptions of the genealogical table have been added by the\ntranscriber for the convenience of the reader. Please note that the\noriginal table stated erroneously that Hemera was male and \u00c6ther was\nfemale. This has been corrected in the transcriptions.","title":"Myths of Greece and Rome: Narrated with Special Reference to Literature and Art","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":115146}