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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths of Greece and Rome, by H. A. Guerber
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license
+
+
+Title: Myths of Greece and Rome
+ Narrated with Special Reference to Literature and Art
+
+Author: H. A. Guerber
+
+Release Date: March 25, 2012 [EBook #39250]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS OF GREECE AND ROME ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Edwards, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ MYTHS OF GREECE AND ROME
+
+ NARRATED WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
+ LITERATURE AND ART
+
+ BY
+
+ H. A. GUERBER
+ LECTURER ON MYTHOLOGY
+
+
+ [Illustration]
+
+
+ AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY
+ NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO
+
+
+
+
+ Copyright, 1893, by
+ American Book Company.
+
+ Copyright. 1921, by
+ H. A. Guerber.
+
+ Guerber's Myths.
+ E.P. 44
+
+
+
+
+ DEDICATED
+
+ TO MY KIND FRIENDS
+
+ MISS MACKIE AND MISS MASTERS
+
+ IN WHOSE SCHOOLS MY LECTURES WERE FIRST GIVEN
+
+
+ MADE IN U. S. A.
+
+
+
+
+ [Illustration: HOMER.--Francois Gerard.]
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+The aim of this book is to present a complete and entertaining account
+of Grecian and Roman mythology in such a manner that the student will
+appreciate its great influence upon literature and art.
+
+These myths, an inexhaustible fund of inspiration for the poets and
+artists of the past, have also inspired many noted modern works. To
+impress this fact forcibly upon the student, appropriate quotations
+from the poetical writings of all ages, from Hesiod's "Works and
+Days," to Tennyson's "Oenone," have been inserted in the text, while
+reproductions of ancient masterpieces and noted examples of modern
+painting and sculpture are plentifully used as illustrations.
+
+The myths are told as graphically and accurately as possible, great
+care being taken, however, to avoid the more repulsive features of
+heathen mythology; and when two or more versions of the same myth
+occur, the preference has invariably been given to the most popular,
+that is to say, to the one which has inspired the greatest works.
+
+Both the Latin and the Greek forms of proper names are given, but the
+Latin names are usually retained throughout the narrative, because
+more frequently used in poetry and art.
+
+The closing chapter includes an analysis of myths by the light of
+philology and comparative mythology, and the philological explanation
+of the stories related in the preceding chapters.
+
+A map, genealogical table, and complete glossary and index adapt this
+little volume for constant use in the library and art gallery, at home
+and abroad.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+ PAGE
+ MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF MYTHS 8
+
+ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 10
+
+ CHAP. I. The Beginning of All Things 11
+
+ II. Jupiter 39
+
+ III. Juno 51
+
+ IV. Minerva 55
+
+ V. Apollo 61
+
+ VI. Diana 93
+
+ VII. Venus 103
+
+ VIII. Mercury 131
+
+ IX. Mars 138
+
+ X. Vulcan 144
+
+ XI. Neptune 149
+
+ XII. Pluto 159
+
+ XIII. Bacchus 171
+
+ XIV. Ceres and Proserpina 183
+
+ XV. Vesta 198
+
+ XVI. Janus 205
+
+ XVII. Somnus and Mors 208
+
+ XVIII. AEolus 213
+
+ XIX. Hercules 216
+
+ XX. Perseus 240
+
+ XXI. Theseus 250
+
+ XXII. Jason 263
+
+ XXIII. The Calydonian Hunt 275
+
+ XXIV. Oedipus 280
+
+ XXV. Bellerophon 291
+
+ XXVI. Minor Divinities 297
+
+ XXVII. The Trojan War 305
+
+ XXVIII. Adventures of Ulysses 337
+
+ XXIX. Adventures of AEneas 360
+
+ XXX. Analysis of Myths 378
+
+ GENEALOGICAL TABLE 402
+
+ INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS 405
+
+ GLOSSARY AND INDEX 407
+
+
+
+
+ [Illustration: Maps.]
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+
+ PAGE
+ Homer 2
+
+ Amor 14
+
+ Fountain of Cybele (Rhea) 19
+
+ Minerva and Prometheus 26
+
+ Pandora 30
+
+ Hope 34
+
+ Olympian Zeus 40
+
+ Ganymede and the Eagle 42
+
+ The Abduction of Europa 46
+
+ Juno 50
+
+ Iris 53
+
+ Minerva 56
+
+ Apollo Belvedere 66
+
+ Apollo and Daphne 69
+
+ Orpheus and Eurydice 78
+
+ Farnese Bull 81
+
+ Aurora 86
+
+ Apollo and the Muses 89
+
+ Diana of Versailles 92
+
+ Niobe 95
+
+ Venus de Milo 102
+
+ Fourth Hour of the Night 104
+
+ Sleeping Love 109
+
+ Hero and Leander 115
+
+ Cupid awakening Psyche 125
+
+ Charon and Psyche 129
+
+ Flying Mercury 133
+
+ Venus de Milo and Mars 141
+
+ The Forge of Vulcan 146
+
+ Fountain of Neptune 150
+
+ Father Nile 157
+
+ The Furies 162
+
+ The Three Fates 164
+
+ Bacchus 175
+
+ Marriage of Bacchus and Ariadne 180
+
+ Abduction of Proserpina 185
+
+ Ceres 189
+
+ A Nymph 191
+
+ School of the Vestal Virgins 199
+
+ The Vestal Tuccia 201
+
+ Genius of Death 209
+
+ Hercules an Infant 217
+
+ Hercules and Centaur 222
+
+ Mounted Amazon going to the Chase 225
+
+ Hercules at the Feet of Omphale 231
+
+ Fortuna 233
+
+ Farnese Hercules 237
+
+ Perseus 245
+
+ Perseus and Andromeda 247
+
+ Daedalus and Icarus 254
+
+ Ariadne 258
+
+ Theseus 261
+
+ Jason and the Dragon 270
+
+ Medea 272
+
+ Atalanta's Race 277
+
+ Oedipus and the Sphinx 284
+
+ Antigone and Ismene 289
+
+ Chimaera 293
+
+ Vertumnus and Pomona 302
+
+ Paris 309
+
+ Abduction of Helen 313
+
+ Parting of Hector and Andromache 322
+
+ Thetis bearing the Armor of Achilles 327
+
+ Laocoon 334
+
+ Triumph of Galatea 340
+
+ Acis and Galatea (Evening) 342
+
+ Circe and the Friends of Ulysses 348
+
+ Siren 351
+
+ Penelope 356
+
+ AEneas at the Court of Dido 368
+
+ Cumaean Sibyl 371
+
+
+
+
+MYTHS OF GREECE AND ROME.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS.
+
+
+Mythology is the science which treats of the early traditions, or
+myths, relating to the religion of the ancients, and includes, besides
+a full account of the origin of their gods, their theory concerning
+the beginning of all things.
+
+[Sidenote: Myths of creation.]
+
+Among all the nations scattered over the face of the earth, the
+Hebrews alone were instructed by God, who gave them not only a full
+account of the creation of the world and of all living creatures, but
+also a code of laws to regulate their conduct. All the questions they
+fain would ask were fully answered, and no room remained for
+conjecture.
+
+It was not so, however, with the other nations. The Greeks and Romans,
+for instance, lacking the definite knowledge which we obtain from the
+Scriptures, and still anxious to know everything, were forced to
+construct, in part, their own theory. As they looked about them for
+some clue to serve as guide, they could not help but observe and
+admire the wonders of nature. The succession of day and night, summer
+and winter, rain and sunshine; the fact that the tallest trees sprang
+from tiny seeds, the greatest rivers from diminutive streams, and the
+most beautiful flowers and delicious fruits from small green
+buds,--all seemed to tell them of a superior Being, who had fashioned
+them to serve a definite purpose.
+
+They soon came to the conclusion that a hand mighty enough to call all
+these wonders into life, could also have created the beautiful Earth
+whereon they dwelt. These thoughts gave rise to others; suppositions
+became certainties; and soon the following myth or fable was evolved,
+to be handed down from generation to generation.
+
+At first, when all things lay in a great confused mass,--
+
+ "Ere earth, and sea, and covering heavens, were known,
+ The face of nature, o'er the world, was one;
+ And men have call'd it Chaos; formless, rude,
+ The mass; dead matter's weight, inert, and crude;
+ Where, in mix'd heap of ill-compounded mold,
+ The jarring seeds of things confusedly roll'd."
+
+ Ovid (Elton's tr.).
+
+The Earth did not exist. Land, sea, and air were mixed up together; so
+that the earth was not solid, the sea was not fluid, nor the air
+transparent.
+
+ "No sun yet beam'd from yon cerulean height;
+ No orbing moon repair'd her horns of light;
+ No earth, self-poised, on liquid ether hung;
+ No sea its world-enclasping waters flung;
+ Earth was half air, half sea, an embryo heap;
+ Nor earth was fix'd, nor fluid was the deep;
+ Dark was the void of air; no form was traced;
+ Obstructing atoms struggled through the waste;
+ Where cold, and hot, and moist, and dry rebell'd;
+ Heavy the light, and hard the soft repell'd."
+
+ Ovid (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Chaos and Nyx.]
+
+Over this shapeless mass reigned a careless deity called Chaos, whose
+personal appearance could not be described, as there was no light by
+which he could be seen. He shared his throne with his wife, the dark
+goddess of Night, named Nyx or Nox, whose black robes, and still
+blacker countenance, did not tend to enliven the surrounding gloom.
+
+[Sidenote: Erebus, AEther, and Hemera.]
+
+These two divinities wearied of their power in the course of time, and
+called their son Erebus (Darkness) to their assistance. His first act
+was to dethrone and supplant Chaos; and then, thinking he would be
+happier with a helpmeet, he married his own mother, Nyx. Of course,
+with our present views, this marriage was a heinous sin; but the
+ancients, who at first had no fixed laws, did not consider this union
+unsuitable, and recounted how Erebus and Nyx ruled over the chaotic
+world together, until their two beautiful children, AEther (Light) and
+Hemera (Day), acting in concert, dethroned them, and seized the
+supreme power.
+
+[Sidenote: Creation of Gaea and Uranus.]
+
+Space, illumined for the first time by their radiance, revealed itself
+in all its uncouthness. AEther and Hemera carefully examined the
+confusion, saw its innumerable possibilities, and decided to evolve
+from it a "thing of beauty;" but quite conscious of the magnitude of
+such an undertaking, and feeling that some assistance would be
+desirable, they summoned Eros (Amor or Love), their own child, to
+their aid. By their combined efforts, Pontus (the Sea) and Gaea (Ge,
+Tellus, Terra), as the Earth was first called, were created.
+
+In the beginning the Earth did not present the beautiful appearance
+that it does now. No trees waved their leafy branches on the
+hillsides; no flowers bloomed in the valleys; no grass grew on the
+plains; no birds flew through the air. All was silent, bare, and
+motionless. Eros, the first to perceive these deficiencies, seized his
+life-giving arrows and pierced the cold bosom of the Earth.
+Immediately the brown surface was covered with luxuriant verdure;
+birds of many colors flitted through the foliage of the new-born
+forest trees; animals of all kinds gamboled over the grassy plains;
+and swift-darting fishes swam in the limpid streams. All was now life,
+joy, and motion.
+
+ [Illustration: AMOR.--Martin.]
+
+Gaea, roused from her apathy, admired all that had already been done
+for her embellishment, and, resolving to crown and complete the work
+so well begun, created Uranus (Heaven).
+
+ "Her first-born Earth produc'd,
+ Of like immensity, the starry Heaven:
+ That he might sheltering compass her around
+ On every side."
+
+ Hesiod (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The egg myth.]
+
+This version of the creation of the world, although but one of the
+many current with the Greeks and Romans, was the one most generally
+adopted; but another, also very popular, stated that the first
+divinities, Erebus and Nyx, produced a gigantic egg, from which Eros,
+the god of love, emerged to create the Earth.
+
+ "In the dreary chaotical closet
+ Of Erebus old, was a privy deposit,
+ By Night the primaeval in secrecy laid;
+ A Mystical Egg, that in silence and shade
+ Was brooded and hatched; till time came about:
+ And Love, the delightful, in glory flew out."
+
+ Aristophanes (Frere's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Mount Olympus and the river Oceanus.]
+
+The Earth thus created was supposed by the ancients to be a disk,
+instead of a sphere as science has proved. The Greeks fancied that
+their country occupied a central position, and that Mount Olympus, a
+very high mountain, the mythological abode of their gods, was placed
+in the exact center. Their Earth was divided into two equal parts by
+Pontus (the Sea,--equivalent to our Mediterranean and Black Seas); and
+all around it flowed the great river Oceanus in a "steady, equable
+current," undisturbed by storm, from which the Sea and all the rivers
+were supposed to derive their waters.
+
+[Sidenote: The Hyperboreans.]
+
+The Greeks also imagined that the portion of the Earth directly north
+of their country was inhabited by a fortunate race of men, the
+Hyperboreans, who dwelt in continual bliss, and enjoyed a never-ending
+springtide. Their homes were said to be "inaccessible by land or by
+sea." They were "exempt from disease, old age, and death," and were so
+virtuous that the gods frequently visited them, and even condescended
+to share their feasts and games. A people thus favored could not fail
+to be happy, and many were the songs in praise of their sunny land.
+
+ "I come from a land in the sun-bright deep,
+ Where golden gardens grow;
+ Where the winds of the north, becalm'd in sleep,
+ Their conch shells never blow.
+
+ "So near the track of the stars are we,
+ That oft, on night's pale beams,
+ The distant sounds of their harmony
+ Come to our ears, like dreams.
+
+ "The Moon, too, brings her world so nigh,
+ That when the night-seer looks
+ To that shadowless orb, in a vernal sky,
+ He can number its hills and brooks.
+
+ "To the Sun god all our hearts and lyres
+ By day, by night, belong;
+ And the breath we draw from his living fires
+ We give him back in song."
+
+ Moore.
+
+[Sidenote: The Ethiopians and the Isles of the Blest.]
+
+South of Greece, also near the great river Oceanus, dwelt another
+nation, just as happy and virtuous as the Hyperboreans,--the
+Ethiopians. They, too, often enjoyed the company of the gods, who
+shared their innocent pleasures with great delight.
+
+And far away, on the shore of this same marvelous river, according to
+some mythologists, were the beautiful Isles of the Blest, where
+mortals who had led virtuous lives, and had thus found favor in the
+sight of the gods, were transported without tasting of death, and
+where they enjoyed an eternity of bliss. These islands had sun, moon,
+and stars of their own, and were never visited by the cold wintry
+winds that swept down from the north.
+
+ "The Isles of the Blest, they say,
+ The Isles of the Blest,
+ Are peaceful and happy, by night and by day,
+ Far away in the glorious west.
+
+ "They need not the moon in that land of delight,
+ They need not the pale, pale star;
+ The sun is bright, by day and night,
+ Where the souls of the blessed are.
+
+ "They till not the ground, they plow not the wave,
+ They labor not, never! oh, never!
+ Not a tear do they shed, not a sigh do they heave,
+ They are happy, for ever and ever!"
+
+ Pindar.
+
+[Sidenote: Uranus and Gaea.]
+
+Chaos, Erebus, and Nyx were deprived of their power by AEther and
+Hemera, who did not long enjoy the possession of the scepter; for
+Uranus and Gaea, more powerful than their progenitors, soon forced them
+to depart, and began to reign in their stead. They had not dwelt long
+on the summit of Mount Olympus, before they found themselves the
+parents of twelve gigantic children, the Titans, whose strength was
+such that their father, Uranus, greatly feared them. To prevent their
+ever making use of it against him, he seized them immediately after
+their birth, hurled them down into a dark abyss called Tartarus, and
+there chained them fast.
+
+[Sidenote: Titans, Cyclopes, and Centimani.]
+
+This chasm was situated far under the earth; and Uranus knew that his
+six sons (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Cronus), as
+well as his six daughters, the Titanides (Ilia, Rhea, Themis, Thetis,
+Mnemosyne, and Phoebe), could not easily escape from its cavernous
+depths. The Titans did not long remain sole occupants of Tartarus, for
+one day the brazen doors were again thrown wide open to admit the
+Cyclopes,--Brontes (Thunder), Steropes (Lightning), and Arges
+(Sheet-lightning),--three later-born children of Uranus and Gaea, who
+helped the Titans to make the darkness hideous with their incessant
+clamor for freedom. In due time their number was increased by the
+three terrible Centimani (Hundred-handed), Cottus, Briareus, and Gyes,
+who were sent thither by Uranus to share their fate.
+
+Greatly dissatisfied with the treatment her children had received at
+their father's hands, Gaea remonstrated, but all in vain. Uranus would
+not grant her request to set the giants free, and, whenever their
+muffled cries reached his ear, he trembled for his own safety. Angry
+beyond all expression, Gaea swore revenge, and descended into Tartarus,
+where she urged the Titans to conspire against their father, and
+attempt to wrest the scepter from his grasp.
+
+[Sidenote: The Titans revolt.]
+
+All listened attentively to the words of sedition; but none were
+courageous enough to carry out her plans, except Cronus, the youngest
+of the Titans, more familiarly known as Saturn or Time, who found
+confinement and chains peculiarly galling, and who hated his father
+for his cruelty. Gaea finally induced him to lay violent hands upon his
+sire, and, after releasing him from his bonds, gave him a scythe, and
+bade him be of good cheer and return victorious.
+
+Thus armed and admonished, Cronus set forth, came upon his father
+unawares, defeated him, thanks to his extraordinary weapon, and, after
+binding him fast, took possession of the vacant throne, intending to
+rule the universe forever. Enraged at this insult, Uranus cursed his
+son, and prophesied that a day would come when he, too, would be
+supplanted by his children, and would suffer just punishment for his
+rebellion.
+
+ [Illustration: FOUNTAIN OF CYBELE (RHEA). (Madrid.)]
+
+[Sidenote: Cronus and Rhea.]
+
+Cronus paid no heed to his father's imprecations, but calmly proceeded
+to release the Titans, his brothers and sisters, who, in their joy and
+gratitude to escape the dismal realm of Tartarus, expressed their
+willingness to be ruled by him. Their satisfaction was complete,
+however, when he chose his own sister Rhea (Cybele, Ops) for his
+consort, and assigned to each of the others some portion of the world
+to govern at will. To Oceanus and Thetis, for example, he gave charge
+over the ocean and all the rivers upon earth; while to Hyperion and
+Phoebe he intrusted the direction of the sun and moon, which the
+ancients supposed were daily driven across the sky in brilliant golden
+chariots.
+
+Peace and security now reigned on and around Mount Olympus; and
+Cronus, with great satisfaction, congratulated himself on the result
+of his enterprise. One fine morning, however, his equanimity was
+disturbed by the announcement that a son was born to him. The memory
+of his father's curse then suddenly returned to his mind. Anxious to
+avert so great a calamity as the loss of his power, he hastened to his
+wife, determined to devour the child, and thus prevent him from
+causing further annoyance. Wholly unsuspicious, Rhea heard him inquire
+for his son. Gladly she placed him in his extended arms; but imagine
+her surprise and horror when she beheld her husband swallow the babe!
+
+[Sidenote: Birth of Jupiter.]
+
+Time passed, and another child was born, but only to meet with the
+same cruel fate. One infant after another disappeared down the
+capacious throat of the voracious Cronus,--a personification of Time,
+who creates only to destroy. In vain the bereaved mother besought the
+life of one little one: the selfish, hard-hearted father would not
+relent. As her prayers seemed unavailing, Rhea finally resolved to
+obtain by stratagem the boon her husband denied; and as soon as her
+youngest son, Jupiter (Jove, Zeus), was born, she concealed him.
+
+Cronus, aware of his birth, soon made his appearance, determined to
+dispose of him in the usual summary manner. For some time Rhea pleaded
+with him, but at last pretended to yield to his commands. Hastily
+wrapping a large stone in swaddling clothes, she handed it to Cronus,
+simulating intense grief. Cronus was evidently not of a very inquiring
+turn of mind, for he swallowed the whole without investigating the
+real contents of the shapeless bundle.
+
+ "To th' imperial son of Heaven,
+ Whilom the king of gods, a stone she gave
+ Inwrapt in infant swathes; and this with grasp
+ Eager he snatch'd, and in his ravening breast
+ Convey'd away: unhappy! nor once thought
+ That for the stone his child behind remain'd
+ Invincible, secure; who soon, with hands
+ Of strength o'ercoming him, should cast him forth
+ From glory, and himself th' immortals rule."
+
+ Hesiod (Elton's tr.).
+
+Ignorant of the deception practiced upon him, Cronus then took leave,
+and the overjoyed mother clasped her rescued treasure to her breast.
+It was not sufficient, however, to have saved young Jupiter from
+imminent death: it was also necessary that his father should remain
+unconscious of his existence.
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter's infancy.]
+
+To insure this, Rhea intrusted her babe to the tender care of the
+Melian nymphs, who bore him off to a cave on Mount Ida. There a goat,
+Amalthea, was procured to act as nurse, and fulfilled her office so
+acceptably that she was eventually placed in the heavens as a
+constellation, a brilliant reward for her kind ministrations. To
+prevent Jupiter's cries being heard in Olympus, the Curetes
+(Corybantes), Rhea's priests, uttered piercing screams, clashed their
+weapons, executed fierce dances, and chanted rude war songs.
+
+The real significance of all this unwonted noise and commotion was not
+at all understood by Cronus, who, in the intervals of his numerous
+affairs, congratulated himself upon the cunning he had shown to
+prevent the accomplishment of his father's curse. But all his anxiety
+and fears were aroused when he suddenly became aware of the fraud
+practiced upon him, and of young Jupiter's continued existence. He
+immediately tried to devise some plan to get rid of him; but, before
+he could put it into execution, he found himself attacked, and, after
+a short but terrible encounter, signally defeated.
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter's supremacy.]
+
+Jupiter, delighted to have triumphed so quickly, took possession of
+the supreme power, and aided by Rhea's counsels, and by a nauseous
+potion prepared by Metis, a daughter of Oceanus, compelled Cronus to
+produce the unfortunate children he had swallowed; i.e., Neptune,
+Pluto, Vesta, Ceres, and Juno.
+
+Following the example of his predecessor, Jupiter gave his brothers
+and sisters a fair share of his new kingdom. The wisest among the
+Titans--Mnemosyne, Themis, Oceanus, and Hyperion--submitted to the new
+sovereign without murmur, but the others refused their allegiance;
+which refusal, of course, occasioned a deadly conflict.
+
+ "When gods began with wrath,
+ And war rose up between their starry brows,
+ Some choosing to cast Cronus from his throne
+ That Zeus might king it there, and some in haste
+ With opposite oaths that they would have no Zeus
+ To rule the gods forever."
+
+ E. B. Browning.
+
+[Sidenote: The giants' war.]
+
+Jupiter, from the top of Mount Olympus, discerned the superior number
+of his foes, and, quite aware of their might, concluded that
+reenforcements to his party would not be superfluous. In haste,
+therefore, he released the Cyclopes from Tartarus, where they had
+languished so long, stipulating that in exchange for their freedom
+they should supply him with thunderbolts,--weapons which only they
+knew how to forge. This new engine caused great terror and dismay in
+the ranks of the enemy, who, nevertheless, soon rallied, and struggled
+valiantly to overthrow the usurper and win back the sovereignty of the
+world.
+
+During ten long years the war raged incessantly, neither party wishing
+to submit to the dominion of the other, but at the end of that time
+the rebellious Titans were obliged to yield. Some of them were hurled
+into Tartarus once more, where they were carefully secured by Neptune,
+Jupiter's brother, while the young conqueror joyfully proclaimed his
+victory.
+
+ "League all your forces then, ye powers above,
+ Join all, and try th' omnipotence of Jove:
+ Let down our golden everlasting chain,
+ Whose strong embrace holds heaven and earth and main:
+ Strive all, of mortal and immortal birth,
+ To drag, by this, the Thunderer down to earth,
+ Ye strive in vain! if I but stretch this hand,
+ I heave the gods, the ocean, and the land;
+ I fix the chain to great Olympus' height,
+ And the vast world hangs trembling in my sight!
+ For such I reign, unbounded and above;
+ And such are men and gods, compar'd to Jove."
+
+ Homer (Pope's tr.).
+
+The scene of this mighty conflict was supposed to have been in
+Thessaly, where the country bears the imprint of some great natural
+convulsion; for the ancients imagined that the gods, making the most
+of their gigantic strength and stature, hurled huge rocks at each
+other, and piled mountain upon mountain to reach the abode of Jupiter,
+the Thunderer.
+
+ "Mountain on mountain, as the Titans erst,
+ My brethren, scaling the high seat of Jove,
+ Heaved Pelion upon Ossa's shoulders broad
+ In vain emprise."
+
+ Lowell.
+
+Saturn, or Cronus, the leader and instigator of the revolt, weary at
+last of bloodshed and strife, withdrew to Italy, or Hesperia, where he
+founded a prosperous kingdom, and reigned in peace for many long
+years.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Typhoeus.]
+
+Jupiter, having disposed of all the Titans, now fancied he would enjoy
+the power so unlawfully obtained; but Gaea, to punish him for depriving
+her children of their birthright, created a terrible monster, called
+Typhoeus, or Typhon, which she sent to attack him. This Typhoeus was a
+giant, from whose trunk one hundred dragon heads arose; flames shot
+from his eyes, nostrils, and mouths; while he incessantly uttered such
+blood-curdling screams, that the gods, in terror, fled from Mount
+Olympus and sought refuge in Egypt. In mortal fear lest this
+terror-inspiring monster would pursue them, the gods there assumed the
+forms of different animals; and Jupiter became a ram, while Juno, his
+sister and queen, changed herself into a cow.
+
+The king of the gods, however, soon became ashamed of his cowardly
+flight, and resolved to return to Mount Olympus to slay Typhoeus with
+his terrible thunderbolts. A long and fierce struggle ensued, at the
+end of which, Jupiter, again victorious, viewed his fallen foe with
+boundless pride; but his triumph was very short-lived.
+
+[Sidenote: Defeat of Enceladus.]
+
+Enceladus, another redoubtable giant, also created by Gaea, now
+appeared to avenge Typhoeus. He too was signally defeated, and bound
+with adamantine chains in a burning cave under Mount AEtna. In early
+times, before he had become accustomed to his prison, he gave vent to
+his rage by outcries, imprecations, and groans: sometimes he even
+breathed forth fire and flames, in hopes of injuring his conqueror.
+But time, it is said, somewhat cooled his resentment; and now he is
+content with an occasional change of position, which, owing to his
+huge size, causes the earth to tremble over a space of many miles,
+producing what is called an earthquake.
+
+ "'Tis said, that thunder-struck Enceladus,
+ Groveling beneath the incumbent mountain's weight,
+ Lies stretched supine, eternal prey of flames;
+ And, when he heaves against the burning load,
+ Reluctant, to invert his broiling limbs,
+ A sudden earthquake shoots through all the isle,
+ And AEtna thunders dreadful under ground,
+ Then pours out smoke in wreathing curls convolved,
+ And shades the sun's bright orb, and blots out day."
+
+ Addison.
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter divides his realm.]
+
+Jupiter had now conquered all his foes, asserted his right to the
+throne, and could at last reign over the world undisturbed; but he
+knew that it would be no small undertaking to rule well heaven,
+earth, and sea, and resolved to divide the power with his brothers. To
+avoid quarrels and recriminations, he portioned the world out into
+lots, allowing each of his brothers the privilege of drawing his own
+share.
+
+Neptune thus obtained control over the sea and all the rivers, and
+immediately expressed his resolve to wear a symbolic crown, composed
+exclusively of marine shells and aquatic plants, and to abide within
+the bounds of his watery realm.
+
+Pluto, the most taciturn of the brothers, received for his portion the
+scepter of Tartarus and all the Lower World, where no beam of sunlight
+was ever allowed to find its way; while Jupiter reserved for himself
+the general supervision of his brothers' estates, and the direct
+management of Heaven and Earth.
+
+Peace now reigned throughout all the world. Not a murmur was heard,
+except from the Titans, who at length, seeing that further opposition
+would be useless, grew reconciled to their fate.
+
+In the days of their prosperity, the Titans had intermarried. Cronus
+had taken Rhea "for better or for worse;" and Iapetus had seen, loved,
+and wedded the fair Clymene, one of the ocean nymphs, or Oceanides,
+daughters of Oceanus. The latter pair became the proud parents of four
+gigantic sons,--Atlas, Menetius, Prometheus (Forethought), and
+Epimetheus (Afterthought),--who were destined to play prominent parts
+in Grecian mythology.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Prometheus.]
+
+At the time of the creation, after covering the new-born Earth with
+luxuriant vegetation, and peopling it with living creatures of all
+kinds, Eros perceived that it would be necessary to endow them with
+instincts which would enable them to preserve and enjoy the life they
+had received. He therefore called the youngest two sons of Iapetus to
+his aid, and bade them make a judicious distribution of gifts to all
+living creatures, and create and endow a superior being, called Man,
+to rule over all the others.
+
+ [Illustration: MINERVA AND PROMETHEUS.--Thorwaldsen. (Copenhagen.)]
+
+Prometheus' and Epimetheus' first care was, very naturally, to provide
+for the beings already created. These they endowed with such reckless
+generosity, that all their favors were soon dispensed, and none
+remained for the endowment of man. Although they had not the remotest
+idea how to overcome this difficulty, they proceeded to fashion man
+from clay.
+
+ "Prometheus first transmuted
+ Atoms culled for human clay."
+
+ Horace.
+
+They first molded an image similar in form to the gods; bade Eros
+breathe into its nostrils the spirit of life, and Minerva (Pallas)
+endow it with a soul; whereupon man lived, and moved, and viewed his
+new domain.
+
+Justly proud of his handiwork, Prometheus observed man, and longed to
+bestow upon him some great power, unshared by any other creature of
+mortal birth, which would raise him far above all other living beings,
+and bring him nearer to the perfection of the immortal gods. Fire
+alone, in his estimation, could effect this; but fire was the special
+possession and prerogative of the gods, and Prometheus knew they would
+never willingly share it with man, and that, should any one obtain it
+by stealth, they would never forgive the thief. Long he pondered the
+matter, and finally determined to obtain fire, or die in the attempt.
+
+One dark night, therefore, he set out for Olympus, entered unperceived
+into the gods' abode, seized a lighted brand, hid it in his bosom, and
+departed unseen, exulting in the success of his enterprise. Arrived
+upon earth once more, he consigned the stolen treasure to the care of
+man, who immediately adapted it to various purposes, and eloquently
+expressed his gratitude to the benevolent deity who had risked his own
+life to obtain it for him.
+
+ "Of Prometheus, how undaunted
+ On Olympus' shining bastions
+ His audacious foot he planted,
+ Myths are told and songs are chanted,
+ Full of promptings and suggestions.
+
+ "Beautiful is the tradition
+ Of that flight through heavenly portals,
+ The old classic superstition
+ Of the theft and the transmission
+ Of the fire of the Immortals."
+
+ Longfellow.
+
+From his lofty throne on the topmost peak of Mount Olympus Jupiter
+beheld an unusual light down upon earth. Anxious to ascertain its
+exact nature, he watched it closely, and before long discovered the
+larceny. His anger then burst forth, terrible to behold; and the gods
+all quailed when they heard him solemnly vow he would punish the
+unhappy Prometheus without mercy. To seize the offender in his mighty
+grasp, bear him off to the Caucasian Mountains, and bind him fast to a
+great rock, was but a moment's work. There a voracious vulture was
+summoned to feast upon his liver, the tearing of which from his side
+by the bird's cruel beak and talons caused the sufferer intense
+anguish. All day long the vulture gorged himself; but during the cool
+night, while the bird slept, Prometheus' suffering abated, and the
+liver grew again, thus prolonging the torture, which bade fair to have
+no end.
+
+Disheartened by the prospect of long years of unremitting pain,
+Prometheus at times could not refrain from pitiful complaints; but
+generation after generation of men lived on earth, and died, blessing
+him for the gift he had obtained for them at such a terrible cost.
+After many centuries of woe, Hercules, son of Jupiter and Alcmene,
+found Prometheus, killed the vulture, broke the adamantine chains, and
+liberated the long-suffering god.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Epimetheus and Pandora.]
+
+The first mortals lived on earth in a state of perfect innocence and
+bliss. The air was pure and balmy; the sun shone brightly all the
+year; the earth brought forth delicious fruit in abundance; and
+beautiful, fragrant flowers bloomed everywhere. Man was content.
+Extreme cold, hunger, sickness, and death were unknown. Jupiter, who
+justly ascribed a good part of this beatific condition to the gift
+conferred by Prometheus, was greatly displeased, and tried to devise
+some means to punish mankind for the acceptance of the heavenly fire.
+
+With this purpose in view, he assembled the gods on Mount Olympus,
+where, in solemn council, they decided to create woman; and, as soon
+as she had been artfully fashioned, each one endowed her with some
+special charm, to make her more attractive.
+
+ "The crippled artist-god,
+ Illustrious, molded from the yielding clay
+ A bashful virgin's image, as advis'd
+ Saturnian Jove.
+
+ * * * * *
+
+ "But now when the fair mischief, seeming-good,
+ His hand had perfected, he led her forth
+ Exulting in her grac'd attire, the gift
+ Of Pallas, in the midst of gods and men.
+ On men and gods in that same moment seiz'd
+ The ravishment of wonder, when they saw
+ The deep deceit, th' inextricable snare."
+
+ Hesiod (Elton's tr.).
+
+Their united efforts were crowned with the utmost success. Nothing was
+lacking, except a name for the peerless creature; and the gods, after
+due consideration, decreed she should be called Pandora. They then
+bade Mercury take her to Prometheus as a gift from heaven; but he,
+knowing only too well that nothing good would come to him from the
+gods, refused to accept her, and cautioned his brother Epimetheus to
+follow his example. Unfortunately Epimetheus was of a confiding
+disposition, and when he beheld the maiden he exclaimed, "Surely so
+beautiful and gentle a being can bring no evil!" and accepted her most
+joyfully.
+
+The first days of their union were spent in blissful wanderings, hand
+in hand, under the cool forest shade; in weaving garlands of fragrant
+flowers; and in refreshing themselves with the luscious fruit, which
+hung so temptingly within reach.
+
+ [Illustration: PANDORA.--Sichel.]
+
+One lovely evening, while dancing on the green, they saw Mercury,
+Jupiter's messenger, coming towards them. His step was slow and weary,
+his garments dusty and travel-stained, and he seemed almost to stagger
+beneath the weight of a huge box which rested upon his shoulders.
+Pandora immediately ceased dancing, to speculate with feminine
+curiosity upon the contents of the chest. She nudged Epimetheus, and
+in a whisper begged him to ask Mercury what brought him thither.
+Epimetheus complied with her request; but Mercury evaded the question,
+asked permission to deposit his burden in their dwelling for
+safekeeping, professing himself too weary to convey it to its
+destination that day, and promised to call for it shortly. The
+permission was promptly granted. Mercury, with a sigh of relief,
+placed the box in one corner, and then departed, refusing all
+hospitable offers of rest and refreshment.
+
+He had scarcely crossed the threshold, when Pandora expressed a strong
+desire to have a peep at the contents of the mysterious box; but
+Epimetheus, surprised and shocked, told her that her curiosity was
+unseemly, and then, to dispel the frown and pout seen for the first
+time on the fair face of his beloved, he entreated her to come out
+into the fresh air and join in the merry games of their companions.
+For the first time, also, Pandora refused to comply with his request.
+Dismayed, and very much discouraged, Epimetheus sauntered out alone,
+thinking she would soon join him, and perhaps by some caress atone for
+her present willfulness.
+
+Left alone with the mysterious casket, Pandora became more and more
+inquisitive. Stealthily she drew near, and examined it with great
+interest, for it was curiously wrought of dark wood, and surmounted by
+a delicately carved head, of such fine workmanship that it seemed to
+smile and encourage her. Around the box a glittering golden cord was
+wound, and fastened on top in an intricate knot. Pandora, who prided
+herself specially on her deft fingers, felt sure she could unfasten
+it, and, reasoning that it would not be indiscreet to untie it if she
+did not raise the lid, she set to work. Long she strove, but all in
+vain. Ever and anon the laughing voices of Epimetheus and his
+companions, playing in the luxuriant shade, were wafted in on the
+summer breeze. Repeatedly she heard them call, and beseech her to join
+them; yet she persisted in her attempt. She was just on the point of
+giving it up in despair, when suddenly the refractory knot yielded to
+her fumbling fingers, and the cord, unrolling, dropped on the floor.
+
+Pandora had repeatedly fancied that sounds like whispers issued from
+the box. The noise now seemed to increase, and she breathlessly
+applied her ear to the lid to ascertain whether it really proceeded
+from within. Imagine, therefore, her surprise when she distinctly
+heard these words, uttered in the most pitiful accents: "Pandora, dear
+Pandora, have pity upon us! Free us from this gloomy prison! Open,
+open, we beseech you!"
+
+Pandora's heart beat so fast and loud, that it seemed for a moment to
+drown all other sounds. Should she open the box? Just then a familiar
+step outside made her start guiltily. Epimetheus was coming, and she
+knew he would urge her again to come out, and would prevent the
+gratification of her curiosity. Precipitately, therefore, she raised
+the lid to have one little peep before he came in.
+
+Now, Jupiter had malignantly crammed into this box all the diseases,
+sorrows, vices, and crimes that afflict poor humanity; and the box was
+no sooner opened, than all these ills flew out, in the guise of horrid
+little brown-winged creatures, closely resembling moths. These little
+insects fluttered about, alighting, some upon Epimetheus, who had just
+entered, and some upon Pandora, pricking and stinging them most
+unmercifully. Then they flew out through the open door and windows,
+and fastened upon the merrymakers without, whose shouts of joy were
+soon changed into wails of pain and anguish.
+
+Epimetheus and Pandora had never before experienced the faintest
+sensation of pain or anger; but, as soon as these winged evil spirits
+had stung them, they began to weep, and, alas! quarreled for the first
+time in their lives. Epimetheus reproached his wife in bitterest terms
+for her thoughtless action; but in the very midst of his vituperation
+he suddenly heard a sweet little voice entreat for freedom. The sound
+proceeded from the unfortunate box, whose cover Pandora had dropped
+again, in the first moment of her surprise and pain. "Open, open, and
+I will heal your wounds! Please let me out!" it pleaded.
+
+The tearful couple viewed each other inquiringly, and listened again.
+Once more they heard the same pitiful accents; and Epimetheus bade his
+wife open the box and set the speaker free, adding very amiably, that
+she had already done so much harm by her ill-fated curiosity, that it
+would be difficult to add materially to its evil consequences, and
+that, perchance, the box contained some good spirit, whose
+ministrations might prove beneficial.
+
+It was well for Pandora that she opened the box a second time, for the
+gods, with a sudden impulse of compassion, had concealed among the
+evil spirits one kindly creature, Hope, whose mission was to heal the
+wounds inflicted by her fellow-prisoners.
+
+ "Hope sole remain'd within, nor took her flight,
+ Beneath the vessel's verge conceal'd from light."
+
+ Hesiod (Elton's tr.).
+
+Lightly fluttering hither and thither on her snowy pinions, Hope
+touched the punctured places on Pandora's and Epimetheus' creamy skin,
+and relieved their suffering, then quickly flew out of the open
+window, to perform the same gentle office for the other victims, and
+cheer their downcast spirits.
+
+Thus, according to the ancients, evil entered into the world, bringing
+untold misery; but Hope followed closely in its footsteps, to aid
+struggling humanity, and point to a happier future.
+
+ "Hope rules a land forever green:
+ All powers that serve the bright-eyed Queen
+ Are confident and gay;
+ Clouds at her bidding disappear;
+ Points she to aught?--the bliss draws near,
+ And Fancy smooths the way."
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+ [Illustration: HOPE.--Thorwaldsen.]
+
+During many centuries, therefore, Hope continued to be revered,
+although the other divinities had ceased to be worshiped.
+
+According to another version, Pandora was sent down to man, bearing a
+vase in which the evil spirits were imprisoned, and on the way, seized
+by a fit of curiosity, raised the cover, and allowed them all to
+escape.
+
+[Sidenote: The Four Ages.]
+
+Little by little the world was peopled; and the first years of man's
+existence upon earth were, as we have seen, years of unalloyed
+happiness. There was no occasion for labor, for the earth brought
+forth spontaneously all that was necessary for man's subsistence.
+"Innocence, virtue, and truth prevailed; neither were there any laws
+to restrict men, nor judges to punish." This time of bliss has justly
+borne the title of Golden Age, and the people in Italy then throve
+under the wise rule of good old Saturn, or Cronus.
+
+Unfortunately, nothing in this world is lasting; and the Golden Age
+was followed by another, not quite so prosperous, hence called the
+Silver Age, when the year was first divided into seasons, and men were
+obliged to toil for their daily bread.
+
+ "Succeeding times a silver age behold,
+ Excelling brass, but more excell'd by gold.
+ Then summer, autumn, winter, did appear,
+ And spring was but a season of the year;
+ The sun his annual course obliquely made,
+ Good days contracted, and enlarg'd the bad.
+ The air with sultry heats began to glow,
+ The wings of winds were clogg'd with ice and snow;
+ And shivering mortals into houses driven,
+ Sought shelter from the inclemency of heaven.
+ Those houses, then, were caves or homely sheds,
+ With twining osiers fenc'd, and moss their beds.
+ Then plows, for seed, the fruitful furrows broke,
+ And oxen labor'd first beneath the yoke."
+
+ Ovid (Dryden's tr.).
+
+Yet, in spite of these few hardships, the people were happy, far
+happier than their descendants during the Age of Brass, which
+speedily followed, when strife became customary, and differences were
+settled by blows.
+
+But by far the worst of all was the Iron Age, when men's passions knew
+no bounds, and they even dared refuse all homage to the immortal gods.
+War was waged incessantly; the earth was saturated with blood; the
+rights of hospitality were openly violated; and murder, rape, and
+theft were committed on all sides.
+
+[Sidenote: The Deluge.]
+
+Jupiter had kept a close watch over men's actions during all these
+years; and this evil conduct aroused his wrath to such a point, that
+he vowed he would annihilate the human race. But the modes of
+destruction were manifold, and, as he could not decide which would
+eventually prove most efficacious, he summoned the gods to deliberate
+and aid him by their counsels. The first suggestion offered, was to
+destroy the world by fire, kindled by Jupiter's much-dreaded
+thunderbolts; and the king of gods was about to put it into instant
+execution, when his arm was stayed by the objection that the rising
+flames might set fire to his own abode, and reduce its magnificence to
+unsightly ashes. He therefore rejected the plan as impracticable, and
+bade the gods devise other means of destruction.
+
+After much delay and discussion, the immortals agreed to wash mankind
+off the face of the earth by a mighty deluge. The winds were
+instructed to gather together the rain clouds over the earth. Neptune
+let loose the waves of the sea, bidding them rise, overflow, and
+deluge the land. No sooner had the gods spoken, than the elements
+obeyed: the winds blew; the rain fell in torrents; lakes, seas,
+rivers, and oceans broke their bonds; and terrified mortals,
+forgetting their petty quarrels in a common impulse to flee from the
+death which threatened them, climbed the highest mountains, clung to
+uprooted trees, and even took refuge in the light skiffs they had
+constructed in happier days. Their efforts were all in vain, however;
+for the waters rose higher and higher, overtook them one after another
+in their ineffectual efforts to escape, closed over the homes where
+they might have been so happy, and drowned their last despairing
+cries in their seething depths.
+
+ "Now hills and vales no more distinction know,
+ And level'd nature lies oppress'd below;
+ The most of mortals perish in the flood."
+
+ Ovid (Dryden's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Deucalion and Pyrrha.]
+
+The rain continued to fall, until, after many days, the waves covered
+all the surface of the earth except the summit of Mount Parnassus, the
+highest peak in Greece. On this mountain, surrounded by the
+ever-rising flood, stood the son of Prometheus, Deucalion, with his
+faithful wife Pyrrha, a daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora. From
+thence they, the sole survivors, viewed the universal desolation with
+tear-dimmed eyes.
+
+In spite of the general depravity, the lives of this couple had always
+been pure and virtuous; and when Jupiter saw them there alone, and
+remembered their piety, he decided not to include them in the general
+destruction, but to save their lives. He therefore bade the winds
+return to their cave, and the rain to cease. Neptune, in accordance
+with his decree, blew a resounding blast upon his conch shell to
+recall the wandering waves, which immediately returned within their
+usual bounds.
+
+ "At length the world was all restor'd to view,
+ But desolate, and of a sickly hue;
+ Nature beheld herself, and stood aghast,
+ A dismal desert and a silent waste."
+
+ Ovid (Dryden's tr.).
+
+Deucalion and Pyrrha followed the receding waves step by step down the
+steep mountain side, wondering how they should repeople the desolate
+earth. As they talked, they came to the shrine of Delphi, which alone
+had been able to resist the force of the waves. There they entered to
+consult the wishes of the gods. Their surprise and horror were
+unbounded, however, when a voice exclaimed, "Depart from hence with
+veiled heads, and cast your mother's bones behind you!" To obey such
+a command seemed sacrilegious in the extreme; for the dead had always
+been held in deep veneration by the Greeks, and the desecration of a
+grave was considered a heinous crime, and punished accordingly. But,
+they reasoned, the gods' oracles can seldom be accepted in a literal
+sense; and Deucalion, after due thought, explained to Pyrrha what he
+conceived to be the meaning of this mysterious command.
+
+"The Earth," said he, "is the mother of all, and the stones may be
+considered her bones." Husband and wife speedily decided to act upon
+this premise, and continued their descent, casting stones behind them.
+All those thrown by Deucalion were immediately changed into men, while
+those cast by Pyrrha became women.
+
+Thus the earth was peopled for the second time with a blameless race
+of men, sent to replace the wicked beings slain by Jupiter. Deucalion
+and Pyrrha shortly after became the happy parents of a son named
+Hellen, who gave his name to all the Hellenic or Greek race; while his
+sons AEolus and Dorus, and grandsons Ion and Achaeus, became the
+ancestors of the AEolian, Dorian, Ionian, and Achaian nations.
+
+Other mythologists, in treating of the deluvian myths, state that
+Deucalion and Pyrrha took refuge in an ark, which, after sailing about
+for many days, was stranded on the top of Mount Parnassus. This
+version was far less popular with the Greeks, although it betrays
+still more plainly the common source whence all these myths are
+derived.
+
+ "Who does not see in drown Deucalion's name,
+ When Earth her men and Sea had lost her shore,
+ Old Noah!"
+
+ Fletcher.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+JUPITER.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter's titles.]
+
+Jupiter, Jove, or Zeus, king of the gods, supreme ruler of the
+universe, the special deity of mankind, the personification of the sky
+and of all the phenomena of the air, and the guardian of political
+order and peace, was the most prominent of all the Olympian
+divinities: the others were obliged to submit to his will, and
+trembled at his all-powerful nod.
+
+ "He, whose all-conscious eyes the world behold,
+ The eternal Thunderer sat, enthroned in gold.
+ High heaven the footstool of his feet he makes,
+ And wide beneath him all Olympus shakes."
+
+ "He spoke, and awful bends his sable brows,
+ Shakes his ambrosial curls, and gives the nod,
+ The stamp of fate and sanction of the god:
+ High heaven with trembling the dread signal took,
+ And all Olympus to the center shook."
+
+ Homer (Pope's tr.).
+
+The Fates and Destiny alone dared oppose Jupiter's sovereign will, and
+they continued to issue their irrevocable decrees, even after he
+supplanted his father and began to rule over all.
+
+In common with all other Greek and Roman divinities, Jupiter, though
+immortal, was subject to pleasure, pain, grief, and anger, and a prey
+to all the passions which rule the hearts of men.
+
+ [Illustration: OLYMPIAN ZEUS.--Flaxman.]
+
+It was he who presided at the councils held on the top of "many-peaked
+Olympus," and summoned the gods whenever he wished to discuss with
+them any matter of importance, or to indulge in a sumptuous repast,
+when they ate the celestial ambrosia and quaffed the fragrant nectar.
+
+He is generally represented as a fine majestic figure, with long
+curling hair and beard, clad in flowing drapery, his redoubtable
+thunderbolts or scepter in one hand, and a statue of Victory in the
+other. The world is his footstool; and the eagle, emblem of strength
+and power, is generally seen close beside him.
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter's attendants.]
+
+Jupiter had his own special attendants, such as Victoria, or Nice, the
+goddess of victory, who was ever ready to obey his slightest behest,
+and it is said her master loved her so dearly, that he generally held
+an image of her in his hand.
+
+The hundred-tongued goddess of fame, Fama, trumpet in hand,
+proclaimed, at his bidding, anything he wished, never questioning
+whether it were true or false.
+
+ "Fame than who never plague that runs
+ Its way more swiftly wins:
+ Her very motion lends her power:
+ She flies and waxes every hour.
+ At first she shrinks, and cowers for dread:
+ Ere long she soars on high:
+ Upon the ground she plants her tread,
+ Her forehead in the sky."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+Close by Jupiter's side was sometimes seen Fortuna, goddess of
+fortune, poised on a constantly revolving wheel, whereon she journeyed
+throughout the world, scattering with careless hands her numerous
+gifts, and lavishing with indifference her choicest smiles; while
+Hebe, or Juventas, the goddess of youth, was ever ready at his wish to
+pour out the nectar, in which the gods were wont to pledge each other.
+
+ "Hebe, honored of them all,
+ Ministered nectar, and from cups of gold
+ They pledged each other."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+ [Illustration: GANYMEDE AND THE EAGLE. (National Museum, Naples.)]
+
+But this fair goddess awkwardly tripped and fell on a solemn
+occasion, and was forced to resign her office. To replace her, the
+father of the gods was obliged to go in quest of another cup-bearer.
+
+To facilitate his search, he assumed the form of an eagle, and winged
+his flight over the earth. He had not flown far, before he beheld a
+youth of marvelous beauty, alone on a neighboring hill. To swoop down,
+catch him up in his mighty talons, and bear him safely off to Olympus,
+was but a moment's work; and there the kidnapped youth Ganymede, the
+son of a king of Troy, was carefully instructed in the duties he was
+called upon to perform in the future.
+
+ "And godlike Ganymede, most beautiful
+ Of men; the gods beheld and caught him up
+ To heaven, so beautiful was he, to pour
+ The wine to Jove, and ever dwell with them."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Philemon and Baucis.]
+
+Solicitous for the welfare of mankind, Jupiter often visited the
+earth, taking great care to assume some disguise which would enable
+him to ascertain all he wished without any risk of detection. One day
+he and Mercury, his special messenger and favorite among the gods,
+took the forms of needy, belated travelers, and entered the lowly hut
+of a worthy old couple, Philemon and Baucis.
+
+Eager to offer their best to the strangers, these poor people decided
+to kill their sole remaining goose; but their efforts to secure it
+were vain, and finally the persecuted fowl took refuge between
+Jupiter's knees. Touched with their zeal, yet anxious to prevent the
+death of the confiding goose, Jupiter revealed himself to his faithful
+worshipers, and in gratitude for their intended sacrifice bade them
+ask any boon, promising by the great river Styx--the most binding and
+solemn oath a god could utter--to grant their request.
+
+Contrary to the custom current in similar cases, Philemon and Baucis
+made a modest and judicious choice, and proffered a timid request that
+they might serve the gods as long as life and strength endured, and
+finally die together. This most reasonable wish was immediately
+granted; and Jupiter, moreover, changed their humble abode into a
+superb temple, where they could offer daily sacrifices on his altars.
+
+ "Their little shed, scarce large enough for two,
+ Seems, from the ground increased, in height and bulk to grow.
+ A stately temple shoots within the skies,
+ The crotches of their cot in columns rise;
+ The pavement polish'd marble they behold,
+ The gates with sculpture grac'd, the spires and tiles of gold."
+
+ Ovid (Dryden's tr.).
+
+After many years of faithful service, when age had made them long for
+death, Philemon and Baucis were transformed into majestic oaks, which
+stood for many a century in front of the temple, monuments of the love
+and faith which had bound the pair through life.
+
+Although married to Juno, Jupiter often indulged in love affairs with
+other goddesses, and even with mortal maidens. The ancients themselves
+did not practice polygamy, but their gods were supposed to be able to
+indulge all their passions with impunity. As the personification of
+the sky, Jupiter, therefore, consorted at times with Juno (the
+Atmosphere), with Dione (Moisture), with Themis (Justice), etc.,
+without incurring any reproach; for these marriages, in their
+estimation, were all symbolical.
+
+But Juno being of a jealous disposition, Jupiter was forced to conduct
+his courtships with great secrecy and circumspection, and therefore
+generally adopted the precaution of a disguise. To win Europa, the
+fair daughter of Agenor, for instance, he became a bull.
+
+ "The gods themselves,
+ Humbling their deities to love, have taken
+ The shapes of beasts upon them. Jupiter
+ Became a bull, and bellow'd."
+
+ Shakespeare.
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter kidnaps Europa.]
+
+One day Europa was playing in her father's meadows with her three
+brothers, Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix, when she suddenly saw a white
+bull coming towards her; not with fiery eyes and lowered horns, but
+gently, as if to express a mute request to be petted. The maiden,
+delighted, stroked the beast, and decked him with bright garlands of
+meadow-blossoms. Then, seeing him kneel, as if to invite her to mount,
+she lightly sprang upon his broad back, calling to her companions to
+follow her example; but, before they could do as she wished, the bull
+had risen to his feet, and galloped off towards the sea with his fair
+burden on his back.
+
+Instead of turning when he saw the foam-crested waves, he plunged into
+the midst of them, and in a few minutes disappeared from view, so
+rapidly did he swim away. To reassure the frightened girl, the bull
+now spoke in gentle accents, bidding her dismiss all fear, for he was
+the great Jupiter in disguise.
+
+ "Take courage, gentle maid! nor fear the tide:
+ I, though near-seen a bull, am heavenly Jove:
+ I change my shape at will."
+
+ Moschus (Elton's tr.).
+
+Pleased with the novelty of her situation, and flattered by the god's
+evident admiration, Europa ceased to struggle, wound her arms more
+closely around the bull's neck to prevent the waves from washing her
+off her perilous seat, and allowed herself to be carried away.
+
+Jupiter finally deposited his fair burden upon the shores of a new
+land, to which he gallantly gave her name, Europe. He then resumed his
+wonted form, explained at length his reasons for so unceremoniously
+kidnapping her, and finally won her consent to their union. Their
+three sons were Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon. The two former were
+subsequently appointed judges in the Infernal Regions, while the third
+found an early but glorious death during the Trojan war.
+
+ [Illustration: THE ABDUCTION OF EUROPA.--Albani. (Uffizi Palace,
+ Florence.)]
+
+[Sidenote: Search for Europa.]
+
+All unconscious of their sister's fate, the young princes had
+returned in haste to their father's palace to announce her sudden
+involuntary departure. Agenor, whose favorite she had always been,
+rent his garments for grief, and bade his sons go forth and seek her,
+and not to return till they had found her. Accompanied by their
+mother, Telephassa, they immediately set out on their journey,
+inquiring of all they met if they had seen their sister. Search and
+inquiry proved equally fruitless.
+
+At last, weary of this hopeless quest, Phoenix refused his further
+aid, and allowed his sorrowing relatives to continue without him,
+remaining in a land which from him was called Phoenicia. Cilix, too,
+soon followed his example, and settled in a fertile country which they
+had reached, hence called Cilicia; and finally Telephassa, worn out
+with grief and fatigue, lay down to die, charging her oldest son to go
+on alone.
+
+Cadmus wandered on till he came to Delphi, where he consulted the
+oracle; but, to his great dismay, the only reply he received was,
+"Follow the cow, and settle where she rests."
+
+In deep perplexity he left the temple, and, from force of habit,
+journeyed on, patiently questioning all he met. Soon he perceived a
+cow leisurely walking in front of him, and, mindful of the oracle, he
+ceased his search and followed her. Urged by curiosity, many
+adventurers joined him on the way, and, when the cow at last lay down
+in the land since called Boeotia, they all promised to aid Cadmus,
+their chosen leader, to found their future capital, which was to be
+called Thebes.
+
+[Sidenote: Founding of Thebes.]
+
+Parched with thirst after their long walk, the men then hastened to a
+neighboring spring, but, to Cadmus' surprise, time passed and still
+they did not return. Armed with his trusty sword, he finally went down
+to the spring to discover the cause of their delay, and found that
+they had all been devoured by a huge dragon, which lived in the
+hollow. The prince raised his sword to avenge their death, and dealt
+the dragon such a deadly blow upon the head, that he put an immediate
+end to its existence.
+
+While Cadmus stood there contemplating his lifeless foe, a voice bade
+him extract the dragon's teeth, and sow them in the ground already
+broken for his future city. No human being was within sight: so Cadmus
+knew the order proceeded from the immortal gods, and immediately
+prepared to obey it. The dragon's teeth were no sooner planted, than a
+crop of giants sprang from the soil, full grown, and armed to the
+teeth. They were about to fall upon Cadmus, when the same voice bade
+him cast a stone in the midst of their close-drawn phalanx. Cadmus,
+seeing the giants were almost upon him, and that no time was to be
+lost, quickly threw a stone. The effect produced was almost
+instantaneous; for the giants, each fancying it had been thrown by his
+neighbor, began fighting among themselves. In a few minutes the number
+of giants was reduced to five, who sheathed their bloodstained
+weapons, and humbly tendered their services to Cadmus. With their aid,
+the foundations of the city were laid; but their labor was not very
+arduous, as the gods caused some of the public buildings to rise up
+out of the ground, all complete, and ready for use.
+
+To reward Cadmus for his loving and painstaking search for Europa,
+Jupiter gave him the hand of the fair princess Harmonia, a daughter of
+Mars and Venus, in marriage. Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, is
+supposed to have invented the alphabet, and introduced its use into
+Greece. Although his career was very prosperous at first, he finally
+incurred the wrath of the gods by forgetting, on a solemn occasion, to
+offer them a suitable sacrifice; and, in anger at his dereliction,
+they changed him and Harmonia into huge serpents.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Jupiter.]
+
+Jupiter was, of course, very widely and generally worshiped by the
+ancients; and his principal temples--the Capitol at Rome, and the
+shrine of Jupiter Ammon in Libya--have been world-renowned. He also
+had a noted temple at Dodona, where an oak tree gave forth mysterious
+prophecies, which were supposed to have been inspired by the king of
+gods; this long lost shrine has recently been discovered.
+
+ "Oh, where, Dodona! is thine aged grove,
+ Prophetic fount, and oracle divine?
+ What valley echoed the response of Jove?
+ What trace remaineth of the Thunderer's shrine?
+ All, all forgotten!"
+
+ Byron.
+
+A magnificent temple at Olympia, on the Peloponnesus, was also
+dedicated to Jupiter; and here every fifth year the people of Greece
+were wont to assemble to celebrate games, in honor of Jupiter's great
+victory over the Titans. These festivals were known as the Olympian
+Games; and the Greeks generally reckoned time by olympiads, that is to
+say, by the space of time between the celebrations. Within the temple
+at Olympia stood a wonderful statue of gold and ivory, the work of
+Phidias. Its proportions and beauty were such, that it was counted one
+of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It is said, too, that the
+artist, having completed this masterpiece, longed for some sign of
+approval from heaven, and fervently prayed for a token that the god
+accepted his labor. Jupiter, in answer to this prayer, sent a vivid
+flash of lightning, which played about the colossal image,
+illuminating it, but leaving it quite unharmed.
+
+The Greeks were indebted to Phidias for many of their most exquisite
+statues of the gods; but none of the others equaled this figure of
+Jupiter in size, dignity of attitude, or elaborate finish.
+
+ "Wise Phidias, thus his skill to prove,
+ Through many a god advanc'd to Jove,
+ And taught the polish'd rocks to shine
+ With airs and lineaments divine;
+ Till Greece, amaz'd, and half afraid,
+ Th' assembled deities survey'd."
+
+ Addison.
+
+ [Illustration: JUNO. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+JUNO.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Juno's marriage.]
+
+Juno (Hera, Here), queen of heaven, and goddess of the atmosphere and
+of marriage, was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and consequently the
+sister of Jupiter; but, as soon as the latter had dethroned his
+parents and seized the scepter, he began to look about him for a
+suitable helpmate. Juno won his affections by her great beauty; and he
+immediately began his courtship, which he carried on in the guise of a
+cuckoo, to infuse a little romance into it. He evidently found favor
+in her sight, and won her consent to share his throne; for shortly
+afterward their wedding was celebrated with great pomp on Mount
+Olympus. It was on this solemn occasion that the immortal conclave of
+the gods declared that Juno should be henceforth honored as goddess of
+marriage.
+
+ "Juno, who presides
+ Supreme o'er bridegrooms and o'er brides."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+But although in the beginning this union seemed very happy, there soon
+arose subjects for contention; for unfortunately Jupiter was inclined
+to be faithless, and Juno jealous, and, like the element she
+personified, exceedingly variable in her moods. On such occasions she
+gave way to her violent temper, and bitterly reproached her husband,
+who, impatient of her censure, punished her severely, and, instead of
+reforming, merely continued his numerous intrigues with renewed zest.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Callisto and Arcas.]
+
+On one occasion he fell deeply in love with a maiden named Callisto,
+gentle, fair, and slender; but, in spite of all the precautions which
+he took when visiting her, Juno discovered the object of his
+affections. Night and day she thought and planned, until she devised a
+species of revenge which seemed adequate. The graceful girl was
+suddenly bereft of speech, changed into a rough, ungainly bear, and
+driven out into the solitudes of the great forests, which were from
+that time forth to be her home. Jupiter vainly sought his missing
+ladylove, and it was only long afterward that he discovered her and
+her little bear son Arcas. In pity for all they had suffered, he
+transferred them both to the sky, where they are still known as the
+constellations of the Great and Little Bear.
+
+[Sidenote: Juno's attendant.]
+
+Juno, like her husband, had also her special attendant, Iris (the
+Rainbow), whom she frequently employed as messenger,--a task which
+this deity accomplished with as much celerity as Mercury. Her flight
+through the air was so rapid, that she was seldom seen; and no one
+would have known she had passed, had it not been for the brilliant
+trail her many-colored robe left behind her in the sky.
+
+ "Like fiery clouds, that flush with ruddy glare,
+ Or Iris, gliding through the purple air;
+ When loosely girt her dazzling mantle flows,
+ And 'gainst the sun in arching colors glows."
+
+ Flaccus (Elton's tr.).
+
+Juno is the mother of Mars, Hebe, and Vulcan, and is always described
+and represented as a beautiful, majestic woman, clad in flowing robes,
+with a diadem and scepter. The peacock and cuckoo were both sacred to
+her, and are therefore often seen at her side.
+
+ [Illustration: IRIS.--Tito Conti.]
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Juno.]
+
+Her principal places of worship were at Mycenae, Sparta, Argos, Rome,
+and Heraeum. She had also numerous other sanctuaries scattered
+throughout the ancient world, and was worshiped in the same temples as
+Jupiter. Many fine statues of this goddess were found in Greece and
+Italy, some of which are still extant, and serve to show the
+ancients' exalted conception of the Queen of Heaven.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Cleobis and Biton.]
+
+Juno's festivals, the Matronalia, in Rome, were always celebrated with
+great pomp. Less important feasts were held in each city where a
+temple was dedicated to her. On one of these occasions an old
+priestess was very anxious to go to the temple at Argos, where she had
+ministered to the goddess for many years, and which she had left only
+to be married. The way was long and dusty: so the aged woman, who
+could no longer walk such a distance, bade her sons, Cleobis and
+Biton, harness her white heifers to her car. The youths hastened to do
+her bidding; but, although they searched diligently, the heifers could
+not be found. Rather than disappoint their aged mother, who had set
+her heart upon attending the services, these kind-hearted sons
+harnessed themselves to the cart, and drew her through the city to the
+temple gates, amid the acclamations of all the people, who admired
+this trait of filial devotion.
+
+The mother was so touched by her sons' affection, that, as she knelt
+before the altar, she fervently prayed Juno to bestow upon them the
+greatest boon in her power. At the conclusion of the services the
+ex-priestess went into the portico, where her sons had thrown
+themselves to rest after their unwonted exertions; but instead of
+finding them merely asleep, as she expected, she found them dead. The
+Queen of Heaven had transported them while asleep to the Elysian
+Fields, the place of endless bliss, where such as they enjoyed eternal
+life.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+MINERVA.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Birth of Minerva.]
+
+Although immortal, the gods were not exempt from physical pain. One
+day Jupiter suffered intensely from a sudden headache, and, in hopes
+that some mode of alleviation would be devised, he summoned all the
+gods to Olympus. Their united efforts were vain, however; and even the
+remedies suggested by Apollo, god of medicine, proved inefficacious.
+Unwilling, or perchance unable, to endure the racking pain any longer,
+Jupiter bade one of his sons, Vulcan, cleave his head open with an ax.
+With cheerful alacrity the dutiful god obeyed; and no sooner was the
+operation performed, than Minerva (Pallas, Athene) sprang out of her
+father's head, full-grown, clad in glittering armor, with poised
+spear, and chanting a triumphant song of victory.
+
+ "From his awful head
+ Whom Jove brought forth, in warlike armor drest,
+ Golden, all radiant."
+
+ Shelley.
+
+The assembled gods recoiled in fear before this unexpected apparition,
+while at the same time a mighty commotion over land and sea proclaimed
+the advent of a great divinity.
+
+The goddess, who had thus joined the inhabitants of Olympus, was
+destined to preside over peace, defensive war, and needlework, to be
+the incarnation of wisdom, and to put to flight the obscure deity
+called Dullness, who until then had ruled the world.
+
+ [Illustration: MINERVA. (National Museum, Naples.)]
+
+ "Ere Pallas issu'd from the Thund'rer's head,
+ Dullness o'er all possess'd her ancient right,
+ Daughter of Chaos and eternal Night."
+
+ Pope.
+
+Minerva, having forced her unattractive predecessor to beat an
+ignominious retreat, quickly seized the scepter, and immediately began
+to rule in her stead.
+
+[Sidenote: Naming of Athens.]
+
+Not long after her birth, Cecrops, a Phoenician, came to Greece, where
+he founded a beautiful city in the province since called Attica. All
+the gods watched his undertaking with great interest; and finally,
+seeing the town promised to become a thriving place, each wished the
+privilege of naming it. A general council was held, and after some
+deliberation most of the gods withdrew their claims. Soon none but
+Minerva and Neptune were left to contend for the coveted honor.
+
+To settle the quarrel without evincing any partiality, Jupiter
+announced that the city would be intrusted to the protection of the
+deity who would create the most useful object for the use of man.
+Raising his trident, Neptune struck the ground, from which a noble
+horse sprang forth, amid the exclamations of wonder and admiration of
+all the spectators. His qualities were duly explained by his proud
+creator, and all thought it quite impossible for Minerva to surpass
+him. Loudly they laughed, and scornfully too, when she, in her turn,
+produced an olive tree; but when she had told them the manifold uses
+to which wood, fruit, foliage, twigs, etc., could be applied, and
+explained that the olive was a sign of peace and prosperity, and
+therefore far more desirable than the horse, the emblem of war and
+wretchedness, they could but acknowledge her gift the most
+serviceable, and award her the prize.
+
+To commemorate this victory over her rival, Minerva gave her own name
+of Athene to the city, whose inhabitants, from that time forth, were
+taught to honor her as their tutelary goddess.
+
+Ever at Jupiter's side, Minerva often aided him by her wise counsels,
+and in times of war borrowed his terrible shield, the AEgis, which she
+flung over her shoulder when she sallied forth to give her support to
+those whose cause was just.
+
+ "Her shoulder bore
+ The dreadful AEgis with its shaggy brim
+ Bordered with Terror. There was Strife, and there
+ Was Fortitude, and there was fierce Pursuit,
+ And there the Gorgon's head, a ghastly sight,
+ Deformed and dreadful, and a sign of woe."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+The din of battle had no terrors for this doughty goddess, and on
+every occasion she was wont to plunge into the thickest of the fray
+with the utmost valor.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Arachne.]
+
+These virile tastes were, however, fully counterbalanced by some
+exclusively feminine, for Minerva was as deft with her needle as with
+her sword. In Greece there lived in those olden times a maiden by the
+name of Arachne. Pretty, young, and winsome, she would have been loved
+by all had it not been for her inordinate pride, not in her personal
+advantages, but in her skill as a needlewoman.
+
+Arachne, in her conceit, fancied that no one could equal the work done
+by her deft fingers, so she boasted far and wide that she would have
+no fear to match her skill with Minerva's. She made this remark so
+loudly and so frequently, that the goddess was finally annoyed, and
+left her seat in high Olympus to come down upon earth and punish the
+maiden. In the guise of an old crone, she entered Arachne's house,
+seated herself, and began a conversation. In a few minutes the maiden
+had resumed her usual strain, and renewed her rash boast. Minerva
+gently advised her to be more modest, lest she should incur the wrath
+of the gods by her presumptuous words; but Arachne was so blinded by
+her conceit, that she scorned the well-meant warning, saucily tossed
+her head, and declared she wished the goddess would hear her, and
+propose a contest, in which she would surely be able to prove the
+truth of her assertions. This insolent speech so incensed Minerva,
+that she cast aside her disguise and accepted the challenge.
+
+Both set up their looms, and began to weave exquisite designs in
+tapestry: Minerva choosing as her subject her contest with Neptune;
+and Arachne, the kidnapping of Europa. In silence the fair weavers
+worked, and their webs grew apace under their practiced fingers. The
+assembled gods, the horse, the olive tree, seemed to live and move
+under Minerva's flashing shuttle.
+
+ "Emongst these leaves she made a Butterflie,
+ With excellent device and wondrous slight,
+ Fluttring among the Olives wantonly,
+ That seem'd to live, so like it was in sight:
+ The velvet nap which on his wings doth lie,
+ The silken downe with which his backe is dight,
+ His broad outstretched hornes, his hayrie thies,
+ His glorious colours, and his glistering eies."
+
+ Spenser.
+
+Arachne, in the mean while, was intent upon her swimming bull, against
+whose broad breast the waves splashed, and upon a half-laughing,
+half-frightened girl, who clung to the bull's horns, while the wind
+played with her flowing tresses and garments.
+
+ "Sweet Europa's mantle blew unclasp'd,
+ From off her shoulder backward borne:
+ From one hand droop'd a crocus: one hand grasp'd
+ The mild bull's golden horn."
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+The finishing touches all given, each turned to view her rival's work,
+and at the very first glance Arachne was forced to acknowledge her
+failure. To be thus outstripped, after all her proud boasts, was
+humiliating indeed. Bitterly did Arachne now repent of her folly; and
+in her despair she bound a rope about her neck, and hung herself.
+Minerva saw her discomfited rival was about to escape: so she quickly
+changed her dangling body into a spider, and condemned her to weave
+and spin without ceasing,--a warning to all conceited mortals.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Minerva.]
+
+Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, was widely worshiped. Temples and
+altars without number were dedicated to her service, the most
+celebrated of all being the Parthenon at Athens. Naught but the ruins
+of this mighty pile now exist; but they suffice to testify to the
+beauty of the edifice, which served, in turn, as temple, church,
+mosque, and finally as powder magazine.
+
+ "Fair Parthenon! yet still must Fancy weep
+ For thee, thou work of nobler spirits flown.
+ Bright, as of old, the sunbeams o'er thee sleep
+ In all their beauty still--and thine is gone!
+ Empires have sunk since thou wert first revered.
+ And varying rites have sanctified thy shrine.
+ The dust is round thee of the race that rear'd
+ Thy walls; and thou--their fate must soon be thine!"
+
+ Hemans.
+
+Statues of Minerva--a beautiful, majestic woman, fully clothed and
+armed--were very numerous. The most celebrated of all, by the renowned
+Greek sculptor Phidias, measured full forty feet in height. Festivals
+were celebrated in honor of Minerva wherever her worship was
+held,--some, the Greek Panathenaea, for instance, only every four
+years; others, such as the Minervalia and Quinquatria, every year. At
+these festivals the Palladium, a statue of the goddess, said to have
+fallen from heaven, was carried in procession through the city, where
+the people hailed its appearance with joyful cries and songs of
+praise.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+APOLLO.
+
+
+The most glorious and beautiful among all the gods was Apollo
+(Phoebus, Sol, Helios, Cynthius, Pytheus), god of the sun, of
+medicine, music, poetry, and all fine arts.
+
+ "Bright-hair'd Apollo!--thou who ever art
+ A blessing to the world--whose mighty heart
+ Forever pours out love, and light, and life;
+ Thou, at whose glance, all things of earth are rife
+ With happiness; to whom, in early spring,
+ Bright flowers raise up their heads, where'er they cling
+ On the steep mountain side, or in the vale
+ Are nestled calmly. Thou at whom the pale
+ And weary earth looks up, when winter flees,
+ With patient gaze: thou for whom wind-stripped trees
+ Put on fresh leaves, and drink deep of the light
+ That glitters in thine eye: thou in whose bright
+ And hottest rays the eagle fills his eye
+ With quenchless fire, and far, far up on high
+ Screams out his joy to thee, by all the names
+ That thou dost bear--whether thy godhead claims
+ Phoebus or Sol, or golden-hair'd Apollo,
+ Cynthian or Pythian, if thou dost follow
+ The fleeing night, oh, hear
+ Our hymn to thee, and willingly draw near!"
+
+ Pike.
+
+Apollo was the son of Jupiter and Latona, or Leto, the goddess of dark
+nights. Juno's jealousy had been aroused by Jupiter's preference for
+her rival. To avenge herself, she banished Latona to earth, and
+declared that if any one, mortal or immortal, showed her any pity or
+gave her any assistance, he would incur her lasting resentment.
+
+After long, painful wanderings on earth, poor Latona, weary and
+parched with thirst, drew near a small pool by the wayside to refresh
+herself; but, urged by Juno, some reapers bade her pass on, and then,
+seeing she paid no heed to their commands, they sprang into the
+shallow waters, and stirred up the mud at the bottom until it was
+quite unpalatable. With tear-dimmed eyes, Latona prayed these cruel
+men might never leave the spot whereon they now stood; and Jupiter, in
+answer to her prayer, immediately transformed them into huge green
+frogs, which creatures have since then showed great preference for
+muddy pools.
+
+Driven on once more by Juno's unrelenting hatred, Latona finally came
+to the seashore, where she stretched out imploring hands to Neptune,
+who sent a dolphin to bear her in safety to the floating island of
+Delos, raised in her behalf from the depths of the sea. The rocking
+motion, however, proving disagreeable to the goddess, Neptune chained
+the island fast in the AEgean Sea; and there in that delightful
+climate, justly praised by poets, were born to Jupiter and Latona twin
+children, Apollo and Diana, the divinities of the sun and moon.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Coronis.]
+
+Apollo, having attained manhood, could not avoid the usual lot of the
+gods, as well as of mortal men,--the pangs of love. They were first
+inspired by Coronis, a fair maiden, who kindled within his breast an
+ardent flame. The sun god wooed the girl warmly and persistently, and
+at length had the deep satisfaction of seeing his affections returned.
+His bliss, however, proved but fleeting; for Coronis, reasoning, that,
+if one lover were so delightful, two would be doubly so, secretly
+encouraged another suitor.
+
+ "Flirted with another lover
+ (So at least the story goes)
+ And was wont to meet him slyly,
+ Underneath the blushing rose."
+
+ Saxe.
+
+Although so cleverly managed, these trysts could not escape the
+bright eyes of Apollo's favorite bird, the snowy raven,--for such was
+his hue in those early times,--so _he_ flew off in haste to his master
+to report the discovery he had made. Desperate with love and jealousy,
+Apollo did not hesitate, but, seizing his bow and deadly arrows, shot
+Coronis through the heart.
+
+The deed was no sooner accomplished, than all his love returned with
+tenfold power; and, hastening to Coronis' side, he vainly tried all
+his remedies (he was god of medicine) to recall her to life.
+
+ "The god of Physic
+ Had no antidote; alack!
+ He who took her off so deftly
+ Couldn't bring the maiden back!"
+
+ Saxe.
+
+Bending over the lifeless body of his beloved one, he bewailed his
+fatal haste, and cursed the bird which had brought him the unwelcome
+tidings of her faithlessness.
+
+ "Then he turned upon the Raven,
+ 'Wanton babbler! see thy fate!
+ Messenger of mine no longer,
+ Go to Hades with thy prate!
+
+ "'Weary Pluto with thy tattle!
+ Hither, monster, come not back;
+ And--to match thy disposition--
+ Henceforth be thy plumage black!'"
+
+ Saxe.
+
+[Sidenote: AEsculapius.]
+
+The only reminder of this unfortunate episode was a young son of
+Apollo and Coronis, AEsculapius (Asklepios), who was carefully
+instructed by Apollo in the healing art. The disciple's talent was so
+great, that he soon rivaled his master, and even, it is said, recalled
+the dead to life. Of course, these miracles did not long remain
+concealed from Jupiter's all-seeing eye; and he, fearing lest the
+people would forget him and worship their physician, seized one of
+his thunderbolts, hurled it at the clever youth, and thus brought to
+an untimely end his brilliant medical career.
+
+ "Then Jove, incensed that man should rise
+ From darkness to the upper skies,
+ The leech that wrought such healing hurled
+ With lightning down to Pluto's world."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+AEsculapius' race was not entirely extinct, however, for he left two
+sons--Machaon and Podalirius, who inherited his medical skill--and a
+daughter, Hygeia, who watched over the health of man.
+
+[Sidenote: Admetus and Alcestis.]
+
+Maddened with grief at the unexpected loss of his son, Apollo would
+fain have wreaked his vengeance upon the Cyclopes, the authors of the
+fatal thunderbolt; but ere he could execute his purpose, Jupiter
+interfered, and, to punish him, banished him to earth, where he
+entered the service of Admetus, King of Thessaly. One consolation
+alone now remained to the exiled god,--his music. His dulcet tones
+soon won the admiration of his companions, and even that of the king,
+who listened to his songs with pleasure, and to reward him gave him
+the position of head shepherd.
+
+ "Then King Admetus, one who had
+ Pure taste by right divine,
+ Decreed his singing not too bad
+ To hear between the cups of wine:
+
+ "And so, well pleased with being soothed
+ Into a sweet half sleep
+ Three times his kingly beard he smoothed
+ And made him viceroy o'er his sheep."
+
+ Lowell.
+
+Time passed. Apollo, touched by his master's kindness, wished to
+bestow some favor in his turn, and asked the gods to grant Admetus
+eternal life. His request was complied with, but only on condition,
+that, when the time came which had previously been appointed for the
+good king's death, some one should be found willing to die in his
+stead. This divine decree was reported to Alcestis, Admetus' beautiful
+young wife, who in a passion of self-sacrifice offered herself as
+substitute, and cheerfully gave her life for her husband. But
+immortality was too dearly bought at such a price; and Admetus mourned
+until Hercules, pitying his grief, descended into Hades, and brought
+her back from the tomb.
+
+ "Did not Hercules by force
+ Wrest from the guardian Monster of the tomb
+ Alcestis, a reanimated Corse,
+ Given back to dwell on earth in vernal bloom?"
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+[Sidenote: The walls of Troy.]
+
+Apollo, after endowing Admetus with immortality, left his service, and
+went to assist Neptune, who had also been banished to earth, to build
+the walls of Troy. Scorning to perform any menial tasks, the God of
+Music seated himself near by, and played such inspiring tunes that the
+stones waltzed into place of their own accord.
+
+[Sidenote: Apollo slays Python.]
+
+Then, his term of exile being ended, he returned to heaven, and there
+resumed his wonted duties. From his exalted position he often cast
+loving glances down upon men, whose life he had shared for a short
+time, whose every privation he had endured; and, in answer to their
+prayers, he graciously extended his protection over them, and
+delivered them from misfortunes too numerous to mention. Among other
+deeds done for men was the slaying of the monster serpent Python, born
+from the slime and stagnant waters which remained upon the surface of
+the earth after the Deluge. None had dared approach the monster; but
+Apollo fearlessly drew near, and slew him with his golden shafts. The
+victory over the terrible Python won for Apollo the surname of Pytheus
+(the Slayer), by which appellation he was frequently invoked.
+
+ [Illustration: APOLLO BELVEDERE. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+This annihilation of Python is, of course, nothing but an allegory,
+illustrating the sun's power to dry up marshes and stagnant pools,
+thus preventing the lurking fiend malaria from making further inroads.
+
+Apollo has always been a favorite subject for painters and sculptors.
+The most beautiful statue of him is the Apollo Belvedere, which
+represents him at the moment of his conquest of the Python.
+
+[Sidenote: Apollo and Hyacinthus.]
+
+Although successful in war, Apollo was very unfortunate indeed in
+friendship. One day he came down to earth to enjoy the society of a
+youth of mortal birth, named Hyacinthus. To pass the time agreeably,
+the friends began a game of quoits, but had not played long, before
+Zephyrus, god of the south wind, passing by, saw them thus occupied.
+Jealous of Apollo, for he too loved Hyacinthus, Zephyrus blew Apollo's
+quoit aside so violently that it struck his playmate, and felled him
+to the ground. Vainly Apollo strove to check the stream of blood which
+flowed from the ghastly wound. Hyacinthus was already beyond aid, and
+in a few seconds breathed his last in his friend's arms. To keep some
+reminder of the departed, Apollo changed the fallen blood drops into
+clusters of flowers, ever since called, from the youth's name,
+hyacinths; while Zephyrus, perceiving too late the fatal effect of his
+jealousy, hovered inconsolable over the sad spot, and tenderly
+caressed the dainty flowers which had sprung from his friend's
+lifeblood.
+
+ "Zephyr penitent,
+ Who now, ere Phoebus mounts the firmament,
+ Fondles the flower."
+
+ Keats.
+
+[Sidenote: Apollo and Cyparissus.]
+
+To divert his mind from the mournful fate of Hyacinthus, Apollo sought
+the company of Cyparissus, a clever young hunter; but this friendship
+was also doomed to a sad end, for Cyparissus, having accidentally
+killed Apollo's pet stag, grieved so sorely over this mischance, that
+he pined away, and finally died. Apollo then changed his lifeless clay
+into a cypress tree, which he declared should henceforth be used to
+shade the graves of those who had been greatly beloved through life.
+
+[Sidenote: Apollo and Daphne.]
+
+Some time after this episode, Apollo encountered in the forest a
+beautiful nymph by the name of Daphne, the daughter of the river god
+Peneus. Love at first sight was the immediate consequence on Apollo's
+part, and he longed to speak to the maid and win her affections. He
+first tried to approach her gently, so as not to frighten her; but,
+before he could reach her side, she fled, and he, forgetful of all
+else, pursued her flying footsteps. As he ran, he called aloud to
+Daphne, entreating her to pause were it only for a moment, and
+promising to do her no harm.
+
+ "Abate, fair fugitive, abate thy speed,
+ Dismiss thy fears, and turn thy beauteous head;
+ With kind regard a panting lover view;
+ Less swiftly fly, less swiftly I'll pursue:
+ Pathless, alas! and rugged is the ground,
+ Some stone may hurt thee, or some thorn may wound.
+
+ "You fly, alas! not knowing whom you fly;
+ No ill-bred swain, nor rustic clown, am I."
+
+ Prior.
+
+The terrified girl paid no heed to promises or entreaties, but sped on
+until her strength began to fail, and she perceived, that,
+notwithstanding her utmost efforts, her pursuer was gaining upon her.
+Panting and trembling, she swerved aside, and rushed down to the edge
+of her father's stream, calling out loudly for his protection. No
+sooner had she reached the water's edge, than her feet seemed rooted
+to the ground. A rough bark rapidly inclosed her quivering limbs,
+while her trembling hands were filled with leaves. Her father had
+granted her prayer by changing her into a laurel tree.
+
+ [Illustration: APOLLO AND DAPHNE.--Bernini. (Villa Borghese, Rome.)]
+
+Apollo, coming up just then with outstretched arms, clasped nothing
+but a rugged tree trunk. At first he could not realize that the fair
+maiden had vanished from his sight forever; but, when the truth
+dawned upon him, he declared that from henceforth the laurel would be
+considered his favorite tree, and that prizes awarded to poets,
+musicians, etc., should consist of a wreath of its glossy foliage.
+
+ "I espouse thee for my tree:
+ Be thou the prize of honor and renown;
+ The deathless poet, and the poem, crown;
+ Thou shalt the Roman festivals adorn,
+ And, after poets, be by victors worn."
+
+ Ovid (Dryden's tr.).
+
+This story of Apollo and Daphne was an illustration of the effect
+produced by the sun (Apollo) upon the dew (Daphne). The sun is
+captivated by its beauty, and longs to view it more closely; the dew,
+afraid of its ardent lover, flies, and, when its fiery breath touches
+it, vanishes, leaving nothing but verdure in the selfsame spot where
+but a moment before it sparkled in all its purity.
+
+[Sidenote: Cephalus and Procris.]
+
+The ancients had many analogous stories, allegories of the sun and
+dew, amongst others the oft-quoted tale of Cephalus and Procris.
+Cephalus was a hunter, who fell in love with and married one of
+Diana's nymphs, Procris. She brought him as dowry a hunting dog,
+Lelaps, and a javelin warranted never to miss its mark. The newly
+married pair were perfectly happy; but their content was viewed with
+great displeasure by Eos (Aurora), goddess of dawn, who had previously
+tried, but without success, to win Cephalus' affections, and who now
+resolved to put an end to the bliss she envied.
+
+All day long Cephalus hunted in the forest, and, when the evening
+shadows began to fall, joined his loving wife in their cozy dwelling.
+Her marriage gifts proved invaluable, as Lelaps was swift of foot, and
+tireless in the chase. One day, to test his powers, the gods from
+Olympus watched him course a fox, a special creation of theirs; and so
+well were both animals matched in speed and endurance, that the chase
+bade fair to end only with the death of one or both of the
+participants. The gods, in their admiration for the fine run,
+declared the animals deserved to be remembered forever, and changed
+them into statues, which retained all the spirited action of the
+living creatures.
+
+In the warm season, when the sun became oppressive, Cephalus was wont
+to rest during the noon hour in some shady spot, and as he flung
+himself down upon the short grass he often called for a breeze,
+bidding it cool his heated brow.
+
+ "A hunter once in that grove reclin'd,
+ To shun the noon's bright eye,
+ And oft he woo'd the wandering wind,
+ To cool his brow with its sigh.
+ While mute lay ev'n the wild bee's hum,
+ Nor breath could stir the aspen's hair,
+ His song was still, 'Sweet air, oh come!'
+ While Echo answer'd, 'Come, sweet air!'"
+
+ Moore.
+
+Eos heard of this habit, and was fully aware that he merely addressed
+the passing wind; nevertheless she sought Procris, and informed her
+that her husband was faithless, and paid court to a fair maid, who
+daily met him at noonday in the forest solitudes. Procris, blinded by
+sudden jealousy, gave credit to the false story, and immediately
+resolved to follow her husband.
+
+The morning had well-nigh passed, and the sun was darting its
+perpendicular rays upon the earth, when Cephalus came to his usual
+resort, near which Procris was concealed.
+
+"Sweet air, oh come!" the hunter cried; and Procris, cut to the heart
+by what she considered an infallible proof of his infidelity, sank
+fainting to the ground. The rustle caused by her swoon attracted
+Cephalus' attention. Under the mistaken impression that some wild
+beast was lurking there, ready to pounce upon him, he cast his
+unerring javelin into the very midst of the thicket, and pierced the
+faithful bosom of his wife. Her dying moan brought him with one bound
+to her side; ere she breathed her last, an explanation was given and
+received; and Procris died with the blissful conviction that her
+husband had not deserved her unjust suspicions, and that his heart
+was all her own.
+
+There are, of course, many other versions of these selfsame myths; but
+one and all are intended to illustrate the same natural phenomena, and
+are subject to the same interpretation.
+
+Apollo's principal duty was to drive the sun chariot. Day after day he
+rode across the azure sky, nor paused on his way till he reached the
+golden boat awaiting him at the end of his long day's journey, to bear
+him in safety back to his eastern palace.
+
+ "Helios all day long his allotted labor pursues;
+ No rest to his passionate heart and his panting horses given,
+ From the moment when roseate-fingered Eos kindles the dews
+ And spurns the salt sea-floors, ascending silvery the heaven,
+ Until from the hand of Eos Hesperos, trembling, receives
+ His fragrant lamp, and faint in the twilight hangs it up."
+
+ Owen Meredith.
+
+[Sidenote: Clytie.]
+
+A fair young maiden, named Clytie, watched Apollo's daily journey with
+strange persistency; and from the moment when he left his palace in
+the morning until he came to the far western sea in the evening, she
+followed his course with loving eyes, thought of the golden-haired
+god, and longed for his love. But, in spite of all this fervor, she
+never won favor in Apollo's eyes, and languished until the gods, in
+pity, changed her into a sunflower.
+
+Even in this altered guise, Clytie could not forget the object of her
+love; and now, a fit emblem of constancy, she still follows with
+upturned face the glowing orb in its daily journey across the sky.
+
+ "No, the heart that has truly lov'd never forgets,
+ But as truly loves on to the close;
+ As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets
+ The same look which she turn'd when he rose."
+
+ Moore.
+
+[Sidenote: Apollo and Marsyas.]
+
+A young shepherd, lying in the cool grass one summer afternoon, became
+aware of a distant sound of music, so sweet, so thrilling, that he
+fairly held his breath to listen. These weird, delightful tones were
+produced by Minerva, who, seated by the banks of a small stream, was
+trying her skill on the flute. As she bent over the limpid waters, she
+suddenly beheld her puffed cheeks and distorted features, and
+impetuously threw the instrument into the water, vowing never to touch
+it again.
+
+ "Hence, ye banes of beauty, hence!
+ What? shall I my charms disgrace
+ By making such an odious face?"
+
+ Melanippides.
+
+The sudden break in the entrancing music caused the youth, Marsyas, to
+start from his abstraction and look about him. He then perceived the
+rejected flute sailing gently down the stream past his feet. To seize
+the instrument and convey it to his lips was the work of an instant;
+and no sooner had he breathed into it, than the magic strain was
+renewed. No recollection of his pastoral duties could avail to tear
+Marsyas away from his new-found treasure; and so rapidly did his skill
+increase, that he became insufferably conceited, and boasted he could
+rival Apollo, whom he actually challenged to a musical contest.
+
+Intending to punish him for his presumption, Apollo accepted the
+challenge, and selected the nine Muses--patronesses of poetry and
+music--as umpires. Marsyas was first called upon to exhibit his
+proficiency, and charmed all by his melodious strains.
+
+ "So sweet that alone the south wind knew,
+ By summer hid in green reeds' jointed cells
+ To wait imprisoned for the south wind's spells,
+ From out his reedy flute the player drew,
+ And as the music clearer, louder grew,
+ Wild creatures from their winter nooks and dells,
+ Sweet furry things with eyes like starry wells,
+ Crept wanderingly out; they thought the south wind blew.
+ With instant joyous trust, they flocked around
+ His feet who such a sudden summer made,
+ His eyes, more kind than men's, enthralled and bound
+ Them there."
+
+ H. H.
+
+The Muses bestowed much deserved praise, and then bade Apollo surpass
+his rival if he could. No second command was necessary. The god seized
+his golden lyre, and poured forth impassioned strains. Before
+pronouncing their decision, the Muses resolved to give both musicians
+a second hearing, and again both strove; but on this occasion Apollo
+joined the harmonious accents of his godlike voice to the tones of his
+instrument, causing all present, and the very Muses too, to hail him
+as conqueror.
+
+ "And, when now the westering sun
+ Touch'd the hills, the strife was done,
+ And the attentive Muses said:
+ 'Marsyas, thou art vanquished!'"
+
+ Matthew Arnold.
+
+According to a previous arrangement,--that the victor should have the
+privilege of flaying his opponent alive,--Apollo bound Marsyas to a
+tree, and slew him cruelly. As soon as the mountain nymphs heard of
+their favorite's sad death, they began to weep, and shed such torrents
+of tears, that they formed a new river, called Marsyas, in memory of
+the sweet musician.
+
+[Sidenote: Apollo and Pan.]
+
+The mournful termination of this affair should have served as a
+warning to all rash mortals. Such was not the case, however; and
+shortly after, Apollo found himself engaged in another musical contest
+with Pan, King Midas' favorite flute player. Upon this occasion Midas
+himself retained the privilege of awarding the prize, and, blinded by
+partiality, gave it to Pan, in spite of the marked inferiority of his
+playing. Apollo was so incensed by this injustice, that he determined
+to show his opinion of the dishonest judge by causing generous-sized
+ass's ears to grow on either side of his head.
+
+ "The god of wit, to show his grudge,
+ Clapt asses' ears upon the judge;
+ A goodly pair, erect and wide,
+ Which he could neither gild nor hide."
+
+ Swift.
+
+Greatly dismayed by these new ornaments, Midas retreated into the
+privacy of his own apartment, and sent in hot haste for a barber, who,
+after having been sworn to secrecy, was admitted, and bidden to
+fashion a huge wig, which would hide the deformity from the eyes of
+the king's subjects. The barber acquitted himself deftly, and, before
+he was allowed to leave the palace, was again charged not to reveal
+the secret, under penalty of immediate death.
+
+But a secret is difficult to keep; and this one, of the king's long
+ears, preyed upon the poor barber's spirits, so that, incapable of
+enduring silence longer, he sallied out into a field, dug a deep hole,
+and shouted down into the bosom of the earth,--
+
+ "'King Midas wears
+ (These eyes beheld them, these) such ass's ears!'"
+
+ Horace.
+
+Unspeakably relieved by this performance, the barber returned home.
+Time passed. Reeds grew over the hole, and, as they bent before the
+wind which rustled through their leaves, they were heard to murmur,
+"Midas, King Midas, has ass's ears!" and all who passed by caught the
+whisper, and noised it abroad, so that the secret became the general
+topic of all conversations.
+
+[Sidenote: Orpheus and Eurydice.]
+
+As Apollo had frequent opportunities of meeting the Muses, it is not
+to be wondered at that he fell a victim to the charms of the fair
+Calliope, who, in her turn, loved him passionately, and even wrote
+verses in his honor. This being the state of her feelings, she readily
+consented to their union, and became the proud mother of Orpheus, who
+inherited his parents' musical and poetical gifts.
+
+ "Orpheus with his lute made trees,
+ And the mountain-tops, that freeze,
+ Bow themselves when he did sing:
+ To his music plants and flowers
+ Ever sprung; as sun and showers
+ There had made a lasting spring.
+
+ "Everything that heard him play,
+ Even the billows of the sea,
+ Hung their heads, and then lay by."
+
+ Shakespeare.
+
+This talent waxed greater as the years passed by, and became so
+remarkable, that the youth's fame was very widespread; and when he
+fell in love with Eurydice, he brought all his skill into play to
+serenade her, and wooed her with voice and glance and with tender,
+passionate music. Eurydice was touched by his courtship, and ere long
+requited the love lavished upon her by conferring her hand upon
+Orpheus.
+
+Shortly after their union, while walking alone in the fields, the
+bride encountered a youth named Aristaeus, whose bold admiration proved
+so distasteful, that she fled from him as quickly as possible. In her
+haste she accidentally trod upon a venomous serpent lurking in the
+long grass, which immediately turned upon her, and bit her heel. A
+short period of agonized suffering ensued; then Eurydice died, and her
+spirit was conducted down into the gloomy realms of Pluto, leaving
+Orpheus broken-hearted.
+
+Plaintive, heartrending laments now replaced the joyous wedding
+strains; but even the charms of music failed to make life endurable,
+and Orpheus wandered off to Olympus, where he so piteously implored
+Jupiter to restore his wife to his longing arms, that the great god's
+heart was moved to compassion. He gave him permission, therefore, to
+go down into the Infernal Regions to seek his wife, but warned him at
+the same time that the undertaking was perilous in the extreme.
+
+Nothing daunted, Orpheus hastened to the entrance of Hades, and there
+saw the fierce three-headed dog, named Cerberus, who guarded the
+gate, and would allow no living being to enter, nor any spirit to pass
+out of Hades. As soon as this monster saw Orpheus, he began to growl
+and bark savagely, to frighten him away; but Orpheus merely paused,
+and began to play such melting chords, that Cerberus' rage was
+appeased, and he finally allowed him to pass into Pluto's dark
+kingdom.
+
+The magic sounds penetrated even into the remote depths of Tartarus,
+where the condemned suspended their toil for a moment, and hushed
+their sighs and groans to listen.
+
+ "E'en Tantalus ceased from trying to sip
+ The cup that flies from his arid lip;
+ Ixion, too, the magic could feel,
+ And, for a moment, blocked his wheel;
+ Poor Sisyphus, doomed to tumble and toss
+ The notable stone that gathers no moss,
+ Let go his burden, and turned to hear
+ The charming sounds that ravished his ear."
+
+ Saxe.
+
+No living being had ever before penetrated thus into the Infernal
+Regions, and Orpheus wandered on until he came to the throne of Pluto,
+king of these realms, whereon the stern ruler sat in silence, his wife
+Proserpina beside him, and the relentless Fates at his feet.
+
+Orpheus made known his errand in operatic guise, and succeeded in
+moving the royal pair to tears, whereupon they graciously consented to
+restore Eurydice to life and to her fond husband's care.
+
+ "Hell consented
+ To hear the Poet's prayer:
+ Stern Proserpine relented,
+ And gave him back the fair.
+ Thus song could prevail
+ O'er death, and o'er hell,
+ A conquest how hard and how glorious!
+ Tho' fate had fast bound her
+ With Styx nine times round her,
+ Yet music and love were victorious."
+
+ Pope.
+
+ [Illustration: ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE.--Beyschlag.]
+
+But one condition was imposed before he was allowed to depart; i.e.,
+that he should leave the Infernal Regions without turning once to look
+into his beloved wife's face.
+
+Orpheus accepted the condition joyfully, and wended his way out of
+Hades, looking neither to the right nor to the left, but straight
+before him; and as he walked he wondered whether Eurydice were changed
+by her sojourn in these rayless depths. His longing to feast his eyes
+once more upon her loved features made him forget the condition
+imposed by Pluto, and turn just before he reached the earth; but he
+only beheld the vanishing form of the wife he had so nearly snatched
+from the grave.
+
+All was now over. He had tried and failed. No hope remained. In
+despair, the lonely musician retreated to the forest solitudes, and
+there played his mournful laments,--
+
+ "Such strains as would have won the ear
+ Of Pluto, to have quite set free
+ His half-regained Eurydice."
+
+ Milton.
+
+But there were none to hear except the trees, winds, and wild beasts
+in the forest, who strove in their dumb way to comfort him as he moved
+restlessly about, seeking a solace for his bursting heart. At times it
+seemed to his half-delirious fancy that he could discern Eurydice
+wandering about in the dim distance, with the selfsame mournful
+expression of which he had caught a mere glimpse as she drifted
+reluctantly back into the dark shadows of Hades.
+
+ "At that elm-vista's end I trace
+ Dimly thy sad leave-taking face,
+ Eurydice! Eurydice!
+ The tremulous leaves repeat to me
+ Eurydice! Eurydice!"
+
+ Lowell.
+
+At last there dawned a day when some Bacchantes overtook him in the
+forest, and bade him play some gay music, so they might indulge in a
+dance. But poor Orpheus, dazed with grief, could not comply with their
+demands; and the sad notes which alone he now could draw from his
+instrument so enraged the merrymakers, that they tore him limb from
+limb, and cast his mangled remains into the Hebrus River.
+
+As the poet-musician's head floated down the stream, the pallid lips
+still murmured, "Eurydice!" for even in death he could not forget his
+wife; and, as his spirit drifted on to join her, he incessantly called
+upon her name, until the brooks, trees, and fountains he had loved so
+well caught up the longing cry, and repeated it again and again.
+
+Nothing was now left to remind mortals of the sweet singer who had
+thus perished, except his lute, which the gods placed in the heavens
+as a bright constellation, Lyra, also called by Orpheus' name.
+
+Another musician celebrated in mythological annals is Amphion, whose
+skill was reported to be but little inferior to Orpheus'.
+
+ "Tis said he had a tuneful tongue,
+ Such happy intonation,
+ Wherever he sat down and sung
+ He left a small plantation;
+ Wherever in a lonely grove
+ He set up his forlorn pipes,
+ The gouty oak began to move,
+ And flounder into hornpipes."
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Amphion.]
+
+This musician, a son of Jupiter and Antiope, had a twin brother
+Zethus, who, however, shared none of his artistic tastes. Hearing that
+their mother Antiope had been repudiated by her second husband, Lycus,
+so that he might marry another wife by the name of Dirce, these youths
+hastened off to Thebes, where they found the state of affairs even
+worse than represented; for poor Antiope was now imprisoned, and
+subject to her rival's daily cruel treatment.
+
+ [Illustration: FARNESE BULL. (National Museum, Naples.)]
+
+Zethus and Amphion, after besieging and taking the city, put Lycus to
+death, and, binding Dirce to the tail of a wild bull, let him loose to
+drag her over briers and stones until she perished. This punishment
+inflicted upon Dirce is the subject of the famous group once belonging
+to the Farnese family, and now called by their name.
+
+Amphion's musical talent was of great use to him when he subsequently
+became King of Thebes, and wished to fortify his capital by building a
+huge rampart all around it; for the stones moved in rhythmic time,
+and, of their own volition, marched into their places.
+
+[Sidenote: Arion.]
+
+Second to him only, in musical fame, was Arion, the musician who won
+untold wealth by his talent. On one occasion, having gone to Sicily to
+take part in a musical contest which had attracted thither the most
+famous musicians from all points of the compass, he resolved to return
+home by sea.
+
+Unfortunately for him, the vessel upon which he had embarked was
+manned by an avaricious, piratical crew, who, having heard of his
+treasures, resolved to murder him to obtain possession of them. He was
+allowed but scant time to prepare for death; but, just as they were
+about to toss him overboard, he craved permission to play for the last
+time. The pirates consented. His clear notes floated over the sea, and
+allured a school of dolphins, which came and played about the ship.
+The pirates, terrified by the power of his music, and in dread lest
+their hearts should be moved, quickly laid hands upon him, and hurled
+him into the water, where he fell upon the broad back of a dolphin,
+who bore him in safety to the nearest shore.
+
+ "Then was there heard a most celestiall sound
+ Of dainty musicke, which did next ensew
+ Before the spouse: that was Arion crownd;
+ Who, playing on his harpe, unto him drew
+ The eares and hearts of all that goodly crew,
+ That even yet the Dolphin, which him bore
+ Through the Agean seas from Pirates vew,
+ Stood still by him astonisht at his lore,
+ And all the raging seas for joy forgot to rore."
+
+ Spenser.
+
+To commemorate this miracle, the gods placed Arion's harp, together
+with the dolphin, in the heavens, where they form a constellation.
+
+In the sunny plains of Greece there once dwelt Clymene, a fair nymph.
+She was not alone, however, for her golden-haired little son Phaeton
+was there to gladden her heart with all his childish graces.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Phaeton.]
+
+Early in the morning, when the sun's bright orb first appeared above
+the horizon, Clymene would point it out to her boy, and tell him that
+his father, Apollo, was setting out for his daily drive. Clymene so
+often entertained her child with stories of his father's beauty and
+power, that at last Phaeton became conceited, and acquired a habit of
+boasting rather loudly of his divine parentage. His playmates, after a
+time, wearied of his arrogance, and, to avoid the constant repetition
+of his vain speeches, bade him show some proof of his divine origin,
+or keep his peace.
+
+Stung to the quick by some insolent taunts which they added, Phaeton
+hastened to his mother, and begged her to direct him to his father,
+that he might obtain the desired proof. Clymene immediately gave him
+all necessary information, and bade him make haste if he would reach
+his father's palace in the far east before the sun chariot passed out
+of its portals to accomplish its daily round. Directly eastward
+Phaeton journeyed, nor paused to rest until he came in view of the
+golden and jeweled pinnacles and turrets of his father's abode.
+
+ "The sun's bright palace, on high columns rais'd
+ With burnish'd gold and flaming jewels blaz'd,
+ The folding gates diffus'd a silver light,
+ And with a milder gleam refresh'd the sight."
+
+ Addison.
+
+Quite undazzled by this splendor, the youth still pressed on,
+straining his eyes to catch the first glimpse of the godly father,
+whose stately bearing and radiant air his mother had so
+enthusiastically described.
+
+Apollo, from his golden throne, had watched the boy's approach, and,
+as he drew nearer, recognized him as his own offspring. Timidly now
+Phaeton advanced to the steps of his father's throne, and humbly
+waited for permission to make his errand known. Apollo addressed him
+graciously, called him his son, and bade him speak without fear. In a
+few minutes the youth impetuously poured out the whole story, and
+watched with pleasure the frown which gathered on Apollo's brow when
+he repeated his companions' taunts. As soon as he had finished his
+tale, Apollo exclaimed that he would grant him any proof he wished,
+and confirmed these words by a solemn oath.
+
+ "'By the terrible Styx!' said the angry sire,
+ While his eyes flashed volumes of fury and fire,
+ 'To prove your reviler an infamous liar,
+ I swear I will grant you whate'er you desire!'"
+
+ Saxe.
+
+This oath was the most solemn any god could utter, and in case of
+perjury he was obliged to drink the waters of this river, which would
+lull him into senseless stupidity for one whole year. During nine
+years following he was deprived of his office, banished from Olympus,
+and not allowed to taste of the life-giving nectar and ambrosia.
+
+With a flash of triumph in his dark eyes, Phaeton, hearing this oath,
+begged permission to drive the sun chariot that very day, stating that
+all the world would be sure to notice his exalted position, and that
+none would ever dare doubt his veracity after such a signal mark of
+Apollo's favor.
+
+When the god heard this presumptuous request, he started back in
+dismay, for he alone could control the four fiery steeds which drew
+the golden-wheeled sun car. Patiently he then explained to Phaeton
+the great danger of such an undertaking, earnestly begging him to
+select some other, less fatal boon.
+
+ "Choose out a gift from seas, or earth, or skies,
+ For open to your wish all nature lies;
+ Only decline this one unequal task,
+ For 'tis a mischief, not a gift, you ask."
+
+ Addison.
+
+But Phaeton, who, like many another conceited youth, fancied he knew
+better than his sire, would not give heed to the kindly warning, and
+persisted in his request, until Apollo, who had sworn the irrevocable
+oath, was obliged to fulfill his promise.
+
+The hour had already come when the Sun usually began his daily
+journey. The pawing, champing steeds were ready; rosy-fingered Aurora
+only awaited her master's signal to fling wide the gates of morn; and
+the Hours were ready to escort him as usual.
+
+Apollo, yielding to pressure, quickly anointed his son with a cooling
+essence to preserve him from the burning sunbeams, gave him the
+necessary directions for his journey, and repeatedly and anxiously
+cautioned him to watch his steeds with the utmost care, and to use the
+whip but sparingly, as they were inclined to be very restive.
+
+The youth, who had listened impatiently to cautions and directions,
+then sprang into the seat, gathered up the reins, signaled to Aurora
+to fling the gates wide, and dashed out of the eastern palace with a
+flourish.
+
+For an hour or two Phaeton bore in mind his father's principal
+injunctions, and all went well; but later, elated by his exalted
+position, he became very reckless, drove faster and faster, and soon
+lost his way. In finding it again he drove so close to the earth, that
+all the plants shriveled up, the fountains and rivers were dried in
+their mossy beds, the smoke began to rise from the parched and
+blackened earth, and even the people of the land over which he was
+passing were burned black,--a hue retained by their descendants to
+this day.
+
+ [Illustration: AURORA.--Guido Reni. (Rospigliosi Palace, Rome.)]
+
+Terrified at what he had done, Phaeton whipped up his steeds, and
+drove so far away, that all the vegetation which had survived the
+intense heat came to an untimely end on account of the sudden cold.
+
+The cries of mortals rose in chorus, and their clamors became so loud
+and importunate, that they roused Jupiter from a profound sleep, and
+caused him to look around to discover their origin. One glance of his
+all-seeing eye sufficed to reveal the damaged earth and the youthful
+charioteer. How had a beardless youth dared to mount the sun chariot?
+Jupiter could scarcely credit what he saw. In his anger he vowed he
+would make the rash mortal expiate his presumption by immediate death.
+He therefore selected the deadliest thunderbolt in his arsenal, aimed
+it with special care, and hurled it at Phaeton, whose burned and
+blackened corpse fell from his lofty seat down into the limpid waves
+of the Eridanus River.
+
+ "And Phaethon, caught in mid career,
+ And hurled from the Sun to utter sunlessness,
+ Like a flame-bearded comet, with ghastliest hiss,
+ Fell headlong in the amazed Eridanus,
+ Monarch of streams, who on the Italian fields
+ Let loose, and far beyond his flowery lips
+ Foam-white, ran ruinous to the Adrian deep."
+
+ Worsley.
+
+[Sidenote: The Heliades.]
+
+The tidings of his death soon reached poor Clymene, who mourned her
+only son, and refused to be comforted; while the Heliades, Phaeton's
+sisters, three in number,--Phaetusa, Lampetia, and AEgle,--spent their
+days by the riverside, shedding tears, wringing their white hands, and
+bewailing their loss, until the gods, in pity, transformed them into
+poplar trees, and their tears into amber, which substance was supposed
+by the ancients to flow from the poplar trees like teardrops.
+Phaeton's intimate friend, Cycnus, piously collected his charred
+remains, and gave them an honorable burial. In his grief he
+continually haunted the scene of his friend's death, and repeatedly
+plunged into the river, in the hope of finding some more scattered
+fragments, until the gods changed him into a swan; which bird is ever
+sailing mournfully about, and frequently plunging, his head into the
+water to continue his sad search.
+
+Apollo, as the dearly loved leader of the nine Muses,--daughters of
+Jupiter and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory,--was surnamed Musagetes.
+
+ "Whom all the Muses loved, not one alone;
+ Into his hands they put the lyre of gold,
+ And, crowned with sacred laurel at their fount,
+ Placed him as Musagetes on their throne."
+
+ Longfellow.
+
+Although the Muses united at times in one grand song, they had each
+separate duties assigned them.
+
+[Sidenote: The nine Muses.]
+
+Clio, the Muse of history, recorded all great deeds and heroic
+actions, with the names of their authors, and was therefore generally
+represented with a laurel wreath and a book and stylus, to indicate
+her readiness to note all that happened to mortal men or immortal
+gods.
+
+Euterpe, the graceful "Mistress of Song," was represented with a
+flute, and garlands of fragrant flowers.
+
+Thalia, Muse of pastoral poetry, held a shepherd's crook and mask, and
+wore a crown of wild flowers.
+
+ "Mild pastoral Muse!
+ That, to the sparkling crown Urania wears,
+ And to her sister Clio's laurel wreath,
+ Preferr'st a garland culled from purple heath!"
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+Her graver sister, Melpomene, who presided over tragedy, wore a crown
+of gold, and wielded a dagger and a scepter; while Terpsichore, the
+light-footed Muse of dancing, was represented treading an airy
+measure.
+
+ [Illustration: APOLLO AND THE MUSES.--Mengs.]
+
+Erato, who preferred lyric poetry to all other styles of composition,
+was pictured with a lyre; and Polyhymnia, Muse of rhetoric, held a
+scepter to show that eloquence rules with resistless sway.
+
+Calliope, Muse of heroic poetry, also wore a laurel crown; and Urania,
+Muse of astronomy, held mathematical instruments, indicative of her
+love of the exact sciences.
+
+This glorious sisterhood was wont to assemble on Mount Parnassus or on
+Mount Helicon, to hold their learned debates on poetry, science, and
+music.
+
+Apollo's favorite attendant was Eos (Aurora), the fair goddess of
+dawn, whose rose-tipped fingers opened wide the eastern gates of
+pearl, and who then flashed across the sky to announce her master's
+coming.
+
+ "Hail, gentle Dawn! mild blushing goddess, hail!
+ Rejoiced I see thy purple mantle spread
+ O'er half the skies; gems pave thy radiant way,
+ And orient pearls from every shrub depend."
+
+ Somerville.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Aurora and Tithonus.]
+
+This dainty goddess loved and married Tithonus, Prince of Troy, and
+won from the gods the boon of everlasting life to confer upon him.
+Alas! however, she forgot to ask at the same time for continued youth;
+and her husband grew older and older, and finally became so decrepit,
+that he was a burden to her. Knowing he would never die, and wishing
+to rid herself of his burdensome presence, she changed him into a
+grasshopper.
+
+At this time the goddess fell in love with Cephalus, the young hunter,
+and frequently visited him on Mount Hymettus.
+
+ "'Come,' Phoebus cries, 'Aurora, come--too late
+ Thou linger'st slumbering with thy wither'd mate!
+ Leave him, and to Hymettus' top repair!
+ Thy darling Cephalus expects thee there!'
+ The goddess, with a blush, her love betrays,
+ But mounts, and, driving rapidly, obeys."
+
+ Keats.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Apollo.]
+
+The principal temples dedicated to the worship of Apollo were at
+Delos, his birthplace, and at Delphi, where a priestess called Pythia
+gave out mysterious oracles purporting to have come from the god. The
+ancients everywhere could not fail to recognize the sun's kindly
+influence and beneficent power, and were therefore ever ready to
+worship Apollo.
+
+ "I marvel not, O sun! that unto thee
+ In adoration man should bow the knee,
+ And pour his prayers of mingled awe and love;
+ For like a God thou art, and on thy way
+ Of glory sheddest with benignant ray,
+ Beauty, and life, and joyance from above."
+
+ Southey.
+
+The most renowned among the numerous festivals held in honor of Apollo
+were, without exception, the Pythian Games, celebrated at Delphi every
+three years.
+
+A manly, beardless youth of great beauty, Apollo is generally crowned
+with laurels, and bears either a bow or a lyre.
+
+ "The Lord of the unerring bow,
+ The God of life, and poesy, and light--
+ The Sun in human limbs array'd, and brow
+ All radiant from his triumph in the fight;
+ The shaft hath just been shot--the arrow bright
+ With an immortal's vengeance; in his eye
+ And nostril beautiful disdain, and might
+ And majesty, flash their full lightnings by,
+ Developing in that one glance the Deity."
+
+ Byron.
+
+One of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the famous Colossus of
+Rhodes, was a statue of Apollo, his head encircled with a halo of
+bright sunbeams, and his legs spread wide apart to allow vessels, with
+all their sails spread, to pass in and out of the harbor, whose
+entrance he guarded for many a year.
+
+ [Illustration: DIANA OF VERSAILLES. (Louvre, Paris.)]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+DIANA.
+
+
+Diana (Cynthia, Phoebe, Selene, Artemis), the fair twin sister of
+Apollo, was not only goddess of the moon, but also of the chase.
+
+ "'Goddess serene, transcending every star!
+ Queen of the sky, whose beams are seen afar!
+ By night heaven owns thy sway, by day the grove,
+ When, as chaste Dian, here thou deign'st to rove.'"
+
+ Byron.
+
+In works of art this goddess is generally represented as a beautiful
+maiden, clad in a short hunting dress, armed with a bow, a quiver full
+of arrows at her side, and a crescent on her well-poised head.
+
+Proud of her two children, Apollo and Diana, Latona boasted far and
+wide that such as hers had never been, for they excelled all others in
+beauty, intelligence, and power.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Niobe.]
+
+The daughter of Tantalus, Niobe, heard this boast, and laughed in
+scorn; for she was the mother of fourteen children,--seven manly sons
+and seven beautiful daughters. In her pride she called aloud to
+Latona, and taunted her because her offspring numbered but two.
+
+Shortly after, Niobe even went so far as to forbid her people to
+worship Apollo and Diana, and gave orders that all the statues
+representing them in her kingdom should be torn down from their
+pedestals, and destroyed. Enraged at this insult, Latona called her
+children to her side, and bade them go forth and slay all her luckless
+rival's offspring.
+
+Provided with well-stocked quivers, the twins set out to do her
+bidding; and Apollo, meeting the seven lads out hunting, cut their
+existence short with his unfailing arrows.
+
+ "Phoebus slew the sons
+ With arrows from his silver bow, incensed
+ At Niobe."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+With all proverbial speed the tidings reached Niobe, whose heart
+failed when she heard that her seven sons, her pride and delight, had
+fallen under Apollo's shafts, and that they now lay cold and stiff in
+the forest, where they had eagerly hastened a few hours before, to
+follow the deer to its cover.
+
+As she mourned their untimely death, she thought her cup of sorrow was
+full; but long ere her first passion of grief was over, Diana began to
+slay her daughters.
+
+ "But what is this? What means this oozing flood?
+ Her daughters, too, are weltering in their blood:
+ One clasps her mother's knees, one clings around
+ Her neck, and one lies prostrate on the ground;
+ One seeks her breast; one eyes the coming woe
+ And shudders; one in terror crouches low."
+
+ Meleager.
+
+In vain the poor girls sought to escape the flying arrows. In vain
+Niobe sought to protect them, and called upon all the gods of Olympus.
+Her daughters fell one by one, never to rise again. The last clung
+convulsively to her mother's breast; but, even in that fond mother's
+passionate embrace, death found and claimed her. Then the gods,
+touched by the sight of woe so intense, changed Niobe into stone, just
+as she stood, with upturned face, streaming eyes, and quivering lips.
+
+This statue was placed on Mount Sipylus, close to a stream of running
+water; and it was said that tears continually flowed down the marble
+cheeks, for, though changed, Niobe still felt, and wept for her great
+loss.
+
+ [Illustration: NIOBE. (Uffizi Palace, Florence.)]
+
+This story is an allegory, in which Niobe, the mother, represents
+winter, hard, cold, and proud; until Apollo's deadly arrows, the
+sunbeams, slay her children, the winter months. Her tears are emblems
+of the natural thaw which comes in spring, when winter's pride has
+melted.
+
+[Sidenote: Diana's avocations.]
+
+As soon as the young Goddess of the Moon had been introduced in
+Olympus, all the gods expressed a wish to marry her; but she refused
+to listen to their entreaties, begged her father's permission to
+remain single all her life, and pleaded her cause so ably, that
+Jupiter was forced to grant her request.
+
+Every evening, as soon as the Sun had finished his course, Diana
+mounted her moon car, and drove her milk-white steeds across the
+heavens, watched over and loved by the countless stars, which shone
+their brightest to cheer her on her way; and as she drove she often
+bent down to view the sleeping earth, so shadowy and dreamlike, and to
+breathe the intoxicating perfume of the distant flowers. It always
+seemed to her then as if Nature, so beautiful during the day, borrowed
+additional charms from the witching hours of the night.
+
+ "'Twas now the time when Phoebus yields to night,
+ And rising Cynthia sheds her silver light,
+ Wide o'er the world in solemn pomp she drew
+ Her airy chariot hung with pearly dew."
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Endymion.]
+
+One evening, as she was driving noiselessly along, she suddenly
+checked her steeds; for there on the hillside she saw a handsome young
+shepherd, fast asleep, his upturned face illumined by the moon's soft
+light. Diana wonderingly gazed upon his beauty, and before long felt
+her heart beat with more than admiration. Gliding gently from her
+chariot, she floated to his side, bent slowly, and dropped an airy
+kiss upon his slightly parted lips.
+
+The youth Endymion, only partially awakened by this demonstration,
+half raised his fringed lids, and for a moment his sleep-dimmed eyes
+rested wonderingly upon the beautiful vision. That one glance,
+although it drove Diana away in great haste, kindled in his heart an
+inextinguishable passion. He rose with a start, and rubbed his sleepy
+eyes; but when he saw the moon, which he fancied close beside him,
+sailing away across the deep-blue sky, he felt sure the whole
+occurrence had been but a dream, but so sweet a dream that he cast
+himself down upon the sward, hoping to woo it to visit him once more.
+
+It did not come again that night, however; but the next night, as he
+lay on the selfsame spot, it recurred in all its sweetness; and night
+after night it was repeated when the pale moonbeams fell athwart his
+sleeping face.
+
+ "Then, as the full orb poised upon the peak,
+ There came a lovely vision of a maid,
+ Who seemed to step as from a golden car
+ Out of the low-hung moon."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+Diana, fully as enamored as he, could not bear to pass him by without
+a caress, and invariably left her car for a moment, as it touched the
+mountain peak, to run to him and snatch a hasty kiss.
+
+ "Chaste Artemis, who guides the lunar car,
+ The pale nocturnal vigils ever keeping,
+ Sped through the silent space from star to star,
+ And, blushing, stooped to kiss Endymion sleeping."
+
+ Boyesen.
+
+But, even when asleep, Endymion watched for her coming, and enjoyed
+the bliss of her presence; yet a spell seemed to prevent his giving
+any sign of consciousness.
+
+Time passed thus. Diana, who could not bear to think of the youth's
+beauty being marred by want, toil, and exposure, finally caused an
+eternal sleep to fall upon him, and bore him off to Mount Latmus,
+where she concealed him in a cave held sacred to her, and never
+profaned by human gaze. There each night the goddess paused to gaze
+enraptured upon his beloved countenance, and to press a soft kiss upon
+his unconscious lips. Such is the tale of Diana and her lowly
+sweetheart, which has inspired poets of all ages.
+
+ "Queen of the wide air; thou most lovely queen
+ Of all the brightness that mine eyes have seen!
+ As thou exceedest all things in thy shrine,
+ So every tale, does this sweet tale of thine."
+
+ Keats.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Orion.]
+
+Endymion was not, however, the only mortal loved by Diana, for
+mythologists report that her affections were also bestowed upon a
+young hunter by the name of Orion. All day long this youth scoured the
+forest, his faithful dog Sirius at his heels.
+
+One day, in the dense shade of the forest, he met a group of Diana's
+nymphs, the seven Pleiades, daughters of Atlas. These fair maidens
+needed but to be seen to be passionately loved, and Orion's heart
+burned as he sought to approach them; but they were very coy, and, as
+he drew near and addressed them, turned and fled.
+
+Afraid lest he should never see them again were he now to lose sight
+of them, he pursued them hotly; but the nymphs sped on, until, their
+strength failing, they called upon their patroness's aid. Their prayer
+was no sooner heard than answered, and Orion, panting and weary, came
+up just in time to see seven snow-white pigeons wing their way up into
+the azure sky.
+
+There a second transformation overtook the Pleiades, who were changed
+into a constellation, composed of seven bright stars, and there they
+shone undimmed for ages; but when Troy fell into the enemy's hands,
+all grew pale with grief, and one, more timid and impressionable than
+the rest, withdrew from sight to hide her anguish from the curious
+eyes of men.
+
+ "And is there glory from the heavens departed?--
+ O void unmark'd!--thy sisters of the sky
+ Still hold their place on high,
+ Though from its rank thine orb so long hath started
+ Thou, that no more art seen of mortal eye!"
+
+ Hemans.
+
+Orion, like a fickle youth, was soon consoled for their disappearance,
+and loved Merope, daughter of Oenopion, King of Chios, who consented
+to their union on condition that his future son-in-law should win his
+bride by some heroic deed. Now, as Orion was anything but a patient
+man, the delay was very unwelcome indeed, and he made up his mind to
+abduct his bride instead of marrying her openly; but the plan was
+frustrated by Oenopion's watchfulness, and Orion was punished by the
+loss not only of his bride, but also of his eyesight.
+
+Blind, helpless, and alone, he now wandered from place to place,
+hoping to find some one capable of restoring his sight. At last he
+reached the Cyclopes' cave, and one of them took pity on him, and led
+him to the Sun, from whose radiance he borrowed a store of light,--
+
+ "When, blinded by Oenopion,
+ He sought the blacksmith at his forge,
+ And, climbing up the mountain gorge,
+ Fixed his blank eyes upon the sun."
+
+ Longfellow.
+
+Happy once more, he resumed his favorite sport, and hunted from morn
+till eve. Diana met him in the forest, and, sharing his tastes, soon
+learned to love him; but this affection was viewed with great
+displeasure by Apollo, from whose piercing glance nothing that
+occurred by day could be hidden, and he resolved to put an end to his
+sister's infatuation. He therefore summoned her to his side. To divert
+her suspicions, he began to talk of archery, and, under the pretext of
+testing her skill as a markswoman, bade her shoot at a dark speck
+rising and falling far out at sea.
+
+Diana seized her bow, feathered her arrow, and sent it with such force
+and accurate aim, that she touched the point, and saw it vanish
+beneath the waves, little suspecting that the dark head of Orion, who
+was refreshing himself by a sea bath, was given her as a target. When
+she discovered her error, she mourned his loss with many tears, vowed
+never to forget him, and placed him and his faithful dog Sirius as
+constellations in the sky.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Actaeon.]
+
+When Diana had finished her nightly journey in her moon car, she
+seized her bow and arrows, and, attended by her nymphs, was wont to
+sally forth to hunt the wild beasts in the forest.
+
+One summer afternoon, after an unusually long and exciting pursuit,
+Diana and her followers came to one of the still mountain pools where
+they had often resorted to enjoy a plunge. The cool waters rippled so
+invitingly, that the goddess and her attendants hastened to divest
+themselves of their short hunting garments, and lave their heated
+limbs.
+
+But unfortunately the goddess and her attendant nymphs had not been
+the only ones out hunting that day. Actaeon, the huntsman, had risen at
+dawn to stalk the deer; and now, weary and parched with thirst, he too
+sought the well-known mountain spring,
+
+ "Deep in the cool recesses of the wood,
+ Where the cold crystal of a mossy pool
+ Rose to the flowery marge, and gave again
+ The soft green lawn where ofttimes, overspent,
+ I lay upon the grass and eager bathed
+ My limbs in the clear lymph."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+As he drew near the accustomed spot, Actaeon fancied he heard bursts of
+silvery laughter: so he crept on very cautiously, and soon, gently
+parting the thick branches of the underbrush, beheld the sporting
+group.
+
+At the selfsame moment Diana turned to ascertain the cause of the
+rustle which had caught her practiced ear, and met the admiring gaze
+of the astonished young hunter. Speechless with indignation that a
+mortal had beheld her thus, she caught some water in her hollow palm,
+flung it in his face, and bade him go and declare, if he could, that
+he had seen Diana disrobed.
+
+The glittering drops had no sooner touched the young man's face, than
+he turned to obey her command, and found himself transformed into a
+stag, with slender, sinewy limbs, furry skin, and wide-branching
+antlers. Nothing remained of his former self except the woeful
+consciousness of his transformation; and as he stood there, motionless
+and dismayed, the distant baying of his hounds coming to join him fell
+upon his ear.
+
+An electric thrill of fear shot through every vein, as, mindful of his
+new form, he bounded away through the forest. Alas! too late; for the
+pack had caught one glimpse of his sleek sides, and were after him in
+full cry.
+
+In vain poor Actaeon strained every muscle. His limbs refused their
+support, and, as he sank exhausted to the ground, the hounds sprang at
+his quivering throat.
+
+ "Nearer they came and nearer, baying loud,
+ With bloodshot eyes and red jaws dripping foam;
+ And when I strove to check their savagery,
+ Speaking with words, no voice articulate came,
+ Only a dumb, low bleat. Then all the throng
+ Leapt swift on me, and tore me as I lay!"
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+Diana was widely worshiped, and temples without number were dedicated
+to her service; among others, the world-renowned sanctuary of Ephesus.
+The ancients also celebrated many festivals in honor of this fair
+goddess of the moon, who was ever ready to extend her protection over
+all deserving mortals.
+
+ [Illustration: VENUS DE MILO. (Louvre, Paris.)]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+VENUS.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Venus' birth.]
+
+Venus (Dione, Aphrodite, Cytherea), the goddess of beauty, love,
+laughter, and marriage, is said by some mythologists to be the
+daughter of Jupiter and Dione, goddess of moisture: others report that
+she sprang from the foam of the sea.
+
+ "Look, look, why shine
+ Those floating bubbles with such light divine?
+ They break, and from their mist a lily form
+ Rises from out the wave, in beauty warm.
+ The wave is by the blue-veined feet scarce press'd,
+ Her silky ringlets float about her breast,
+ Veiling its fairy loveliness; while her eye
+ Is soft and deep as the blue heaven is high.
+ The Beautiful is born; and sea and earth
+ May well revere the hour of that mysterious birth."
+
+ Shelley.
+
+The ocean nymphs were the first to discover her, cradled on a great
+blue wave; and they carried her down into their coral caves, where
+they tenderly nursed her, and taught her with the utmost care. Then,
+her education being completed, the sea nymphs judged it time to
+introduce her to the other gods, and, with that purpose in view,
+carried her up to the surface of the sea,--where Tritons, Oceanides,
+and Nereides all crowded around her, loudly expressing their ardent
+admiration,--and offered her pearls and choice bits of coral from the
+deep, as a tribute to her charms.
+
+ [Illustration: FOURTH HOUR OF THE NIGHT.--Raphael.]
+
+Then they pillowed her softly on a great wave, and intrusted her to
+the care of Zephyrus, the soft south wind, who blew a gentle breath,
+and wafted her to the Island of Cyprus.
+
+The four beautiful Horae (the Seasons), daughters of Jupiter and
+Themis, goddess of justice, stood there on the shore to welcome her.
+
+ "An ethereal band
+ Are visible above: the Seasons four,--
+ Green-kirtled Spring, flush Summer, golden store
+ In Autumn's sickle, Winter frosty hoar."
+
+ Keats.
+
+And they were not alone to watch for her coming, for the three
+Charites (Graces, or Gratiae) were also present.
+
+ "'These three on men all gracious gifts bestow,
+ Which decke the body or adorne the mynde,
+ To make them lovely or well-favoured show;
+ As comely carriage, entertainement kynde,
+ Sweete semblaunt, friendly offices that bynde,
+ And all the complements of curtesie:
+ They teach us how to each degree and kynde
+ We should our selves demeane, to low, to hie,
+ To friends, to foes; which skill men call Civility.'"
+
+ Spenser.
+
+Daughters of Jupiter and Eurynome, these maidens, who bore the
+respective names of Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, longed to show
+their love for their new mistress. When the wave upon which she
+reclined came nearer still, the "rosy-bosomed Hours, fair Venus'
+train," appeared. The wind finally brought the fair goddess in safety
+to the shore; and, as soon as her foot touched the white sand, all
+bent in homage to her surpassing beauty, and reverentially watched her
+dry her hair.
+
+ "Idalian Aphrodite beautiful,
+ Fresh as the foam, new-bathed in Paphian wells,
+ With rosy slender fingers backward drew
+ From her warm brows and bosom her deep hair
+ Ambrosial, golden round her lucid throat
+ And shoulder: from the violets her light foot
+ Shone rosy-white, and o'er her rounded form
+ Between the shadows of the vine bunches
+ Floated the glowing sunlights, as she moved."
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+This hasty and somewhat primitive toilet completed, Venus and her
+followers set out for Mount Olympus, and on their way thither were
+joined by Himerus, god of the desire of love; Pothos, god of the
+amities of love; Suadela, god of the soft speech of love; and Hymen,
+god of marriage.
+
+[Sidenote: Venus and Vulcan.]
+
+A throne had been prepared for the expected goddess, and, when she
+suddenly appeared to take possession of it, the assembled gods could
+not restrain a rapturous murmur of admiration. Her beauty took them by
+storm, and her grace won their hearts; but, although they one and all
+expressed a desire to marry her, Venus scornfully rejected their
+proposals. Even the king of gods was slighted, and, to punish her for
+her pride, he decreed she should marry Vulcan, god of the forge, the
+most ill-favored of all the heavenly council.
+
+This compulsory union was anything but a happy one; for Venus never
+showed any affection for her deformed consort, and, instead of being a
+faithful wife, soon deserted him, and openly declared she would please
+herself.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Alectryon.]
+
+Her first fancy was for Mars, the handsome god of war, who was not
+slow in reciprocating the fair goddess's affections, and many and
+sweet were the secret interviews they enjoyed. Yet, fearful lest some
+of the gods passing by should discover them together, Mars always
+placed his attendant Alectryon on guard, bidding him give due warning
+of any one's approach, and especially to call him before the sun rose,
+as the lovers were particularly anxious that Apollo should not witness
+their parting caresses.
+
+All prospered according to their desires, until one night the
+unfortunate Alectryon fell asleep; and so profound were his slumbers,
+that he did not even stir when Aurora flung open the gates of the
+east, and Apollo flashed forth to receive the melodious greetings of
+the feathered denizens of the forest.
+
+The sun god drove rapidly on, glancing right and left, and taking note
+of all he saw. Nothing escaped his bright and piercing eye, as it
+flashed its beams hither and thither, and he was soon aware of the
+sleeping watchman and of the guilty lovers. As fast as his
+fleet-footed steeds could carry him, Apollo hastened to Vulcan, to
+whom he vividly described the sight which had greeted his eyes.
+
+The irate husband lost no time, but, seizing a net of linked steel,
+went in search of his runaway wife. Stealthily he approached the
+lovers' bower, and deftly flung the net over both sleepers, who were
+caught in its fine meshes, and could not escape; and there he kept
+them imprisoned, in spite of their entreaties, until all the gods had
+seen their humiliating plight, and turned them into ridicule. But when
+he at last set them free, Mars darted away, vowing vengeance upon the
+negligent sentinel, who was still blissfully sleeping. Pouncing upon
+him, Mars awakened him roughly, administered a sharp reproof, changed
+him into a cock, banished him into the barnyard, and condemned him to
+give daily warning of the sun's approach.
+
+ "And, from out a neighboring farmyard,
+ Loud the cock Alectryon crowed."
+
+ Longfellow.
+
+[Sidenote: Venus' children.]
+
+Several beautiful children were born to Mars and Venus. Hermione, or
+Harmonia, their daughter, married Cadmus, King of Thebes; and Cupid
+(Cupido, Eros, Amor), their little son, was appointed god of love.
+Although nursed with tender solicitude, this second-born child did not
+grow as other children do, but remained a small, rosy, chubby child,
+with gauzy wings and roguish, dimpled face. Alarmed for his health,
+Venus consulted Themis, who oracularly replied, "Love cannot grow
+without Passion."
+
+In vain the goddess strove to catch the concealed meaning of this
+answer. It was only revealed to her when Anteros, god of passion, was
+born. When with his brother, Cupid grew and flourished, until he
+became a handsome, slender youth; but when separated from him, he
+invariably resumed his childish form and mischievous habits.
+
+[Sidenote: Venus and Adonis.]
+
+Venus, however, did not lavish all her love upon Mars, for she is said
+to have felt a tender passion for a young man named Adonis, a bold
+young hunter, whose rash pursuit of dangerous game caused Venus many
+anxious alarms. In vain she besought him to forego the pleasures of
+the chase and remain with her. He laughingly escaped, and continued to
+join the other hunters in his favorite sport. But, alas! one day,
+after an exciting pursuit, he boldly attacked a wild boar, which,
+goaded to madness, turned upon him, buried his strong tusk in the
+youth's unprotected side, and trampled him to death.
+
+ "The white tusk of a boar has transpierced his white thigh.
+
+ * * * * *
+
+ "The youth lieth dead while his dogs howl around,
+ And the nymphs weep aloud from the mists of the hill."
+
+ Bion (Mrs. Browning's tr.).
+
+Venus ran straight to the scene of his tragic death, rushing through
+underbrush and briers, tearing her delicate skin, and her blood
+tingeing all the white roses along her way to a faint pink. When she
+arrived, she found her beloved Adonis cold in death, and her
+passionate caresses met with no response. Then she burst into such a
+passion of tears, that the wood and water nymphs, the gods, men, and
+all nature in fact, joined with her to mourn the beloved youth.
+
+ "Her loss the Loves deplore:
+ Woe, Venus, woe! Adonis is no more."
+
+ Bion (Elton's tr.).
+
+ [Illustration: SLEEPING LOVE.--Perrault.]
+
+Very reluctantly Mercury at last appeared to lead the soul of the
+departed down into the Infernal Regions, where it was welcomed by
+Proserpina, queen of the realm, and led to the place where pure and
+virtuous mortals enjoyed an eternity of bliss. Venus, still
+inconsolable, shed countless tears, which, as they dropped upon the
+ground, were changed to anemones, while the red drops which had fallen
+from Adonis' side were transformed into red roses.
+
+ "As many drops as from Adonis bled,
+ So many tears the sorrowing Venus shed:
+ For every drop on earth a flower there grows:
+ Anemones for tears; for blood the rose."
+
+ Bion (Elton's tr.).
+
+As time did not soften Venus' grief, but, on the contrary, made it
+more and more unendurable, she went to Olympus, where she fell at
+Jupiter's feet, imploring him to release Adonis from death's embrace,
+or allow her to share his lot in Hades.
+
+To allow Beauty to desert the earth was not possible, nor could he
+resist her pleading: so he finally decreed that Adonis should be
+restored to her longing arms. But Pluto, whose subject he had now
+become, refused to yield up Adonis; and after much dispute a
+compromise was agreed upon, by virtue of which Adonis was allowed to
+spend one half of the year on earth, providing he spent the remaining
+six months in the Elysian Fields.
+
+In early spring, therefore, Adonis left the Lower World, and came with
+bounding tread to join his beloved. On his path the flowers bloomed
+and the birds sang, to show their joy at his coming. An emblem of
+vegetation, which rises from the ground in early spring to deck the
+earth with beautiful foliage and flowers, and cause the birds to sing
+for gladness, Adonis reluctantly returned to Hades, when Winter, the
+cruel boar, slew him again with his white tusk, and made nature again
+droop, and mourn his departure.
+
+ "But even in death, so strong is Love,
+ I could not wholly die; and year by year,
+ When the bright springtime comes, and the earth lives,
+ Love opens these dread gates, and calls me forth
+ Across the gulf."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+[Sidenote: Venus and Anchises.]
+
+The Goddess of Beauty also loved Anchises, Prince of Troy, but,
+ashamed of lavishing favors upon a mere mortal, extorted from him a
+promise that he would never reveal their secret marriage.
+Unfortunately, however, Anchises was of a boastful disposition, and
+ere long yielded to temptation and revealed the secret, incurring her
+wrath to such an extent, that some mythologists accuse her of
+borrowing one of Jupiter's thunderbolts and slaying him. Others,
+however, report that Anchises lived to a ripe old age, and escaped
+from burning Troy on his son AEneas' back. Venus' love was, however,
+all transferred to her son AEneas, whom she signally protected
+throughout his checkered career.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Hero and Leander.]
+
+Venus' most ardent admirers and faithful worshipers were the young
+people, for she delighted in their youthful sentiments, and was ever
+ready to lend a helping hand to all true lovers when apparently
+insurmountable obstacles appeared on their path.
+
+This was the case with a lovely maiden by the name of Hero, who was
+dedicated by her parents to Venus' service, and, as soon as old
+enough, spent all her time in the temple, ministering to the goddess,
+or in a lonely tower by the sea, where she dwelt alone with her aged
+nurse.
+
+ "Honey-sweet Hero, of a princely race,
+ Was priestess to Queen Venus in that place;
+ And at her father's tower, by the sea set--
+ Herself a Queen of Love, though maiden yet--
+ Dwelt."
+
+ Edwin Arnold.
+
+The maiden's beauty increased with her years, until the fame of her
+loveliness spread throughout her native city Sestus, and even passed
+over the Hellespont and reached Abydus, where Leander, the bravest
+and handsomest youth of the town, was fired with a desire to view the
+charming young priestess.
+
+Just at that time a solemn festival in honor of Venus was to be
+celebrated at Sestus, to which all the youths and maidens were
+cordially invited. Under pretext of paying homage to the goddess,
+Leander entered her temple, and saw the young priestess, whose charms
+far surpassed all descriptions.
+
+Venus, as has already been stated, was always deeply interested in
+young lovers; and when she saw these two, so well matched in beauty
+and grace, she bade Cupid pierce them with his love darts, which
+behest the mischief-loving god immediately obeyed.
+
+ "God Eros, setting notch to string,
+ Wounded two bosoms with one shaft-shooting,
+ A maiden's and a youth's--Leander he,
+ And lovely Hero, Sestos' sweetest, she;
+ She of her town, and he of his, the boast;
+ A noble pair!"
+
+ Edwin Arnold.
+
+An undying passion was thus simultaneously kindled in both young
+hearts; and, thanks to Venus' assistance, Leander managed to exchange
+a few words with Hero, declared his love, implored her to view his
+suit kindly, and, above all, to grant him a private interview, or he
+would surely die.
+
+The maiden listened to his pleading with mingled joy and terror, for
+she knew her parents would never consent to their union. Then, afraid
+lest some one should notice that she was talking to a stranger, she
+bade him depart; but he refused to go until he had learned where she
+lived, and proposed to swim across the Hellespont when the shades of
+night had fallen, and none could see his goal, and pay her a visit in
+her lonely tower.
+
+ "'Sweet! for thy love,' he cried, 'the sea I'd cleave,
+ Though foam were fire, and waves with flame did heave,
+ I fear not billows if they bear to thee;
+ Nor tremble at the hissing of the sea!
+ And I will come--oh! let me come--each night,
+ Swimming the swift flood to my dear delight:
+ For white Abydos, where I live, doth front
+ Thy city here, across our Hellespont.'"
+
+ Edwin Arnold.
+
+At last his prayers overcame the maiden's scruples, and she arranged
+to receive him in her sea-girt tower, promising at a given hour to
+light a torch and hold it aloft to guide him safely across the sea.
+Then only he departed.
+
+Night came on; darkness stole over the earth; and Leander impatiently
+paced the sandy shore, and watched for the promised signal, which no
+sooner appeared, than he exultantly plunged into the dark waves, and
+parted them with lusty strokes, as he hastened across the deep to join
+his beloved. At times the huge billows towered above his head; but
+when he had escaped their threatening depths, and rose up on their
+foamy crests, he could catch a glimpse of the torch burning brightly,
+and pictured to himself the shy, sweet blushes which would dye Hero's
+cheek as he clasped her to his passionate heart.
+
+ "Leander had no fear--he cleft the wave--
+ What is the peril fond hearts will not brave!"
+
+ Landon.
+
+Venus, from the top of "many-peaked Olympus," smilingly viewed the
+success of her scheme, and nerved Leander's arm to cleave the rapid
+current. At last he reached the tower steps, and was lovingly greeted
+by Hero, whose heart had throbbed with anxiety at the thought of the
+perils her lover was braving for the sake of seeing her once more.
+
+It was only when the dawn began to whiten the east, that the lovers
+finished their interview and parted, he to return to Abydus, and she
+to prepare for the daily duties which would soon claim her attention.
+But separation by day was all these fond lovers could endure, and
+night after night, as soon as the first stars appeared, Hero lighted
+her torch, and Leander hastened to her, to linger by her side till
+dawn.
+
+ "Thus pass'd the summer shadows in delight:
+ Leander came as surely as the night,
+ And when the morning woke upon the sea,
+ It saw him not, for back at home was he."
+
+ Hunt.
+
+No one suspected their meetings; and all went well until the first
+fierce storms of winter swept down over the Hellespont. Hero, in the
+gray dawn of a winter's morning, besought her lover not to leave her
+to battle against the waves, which beat so violently against the stone
+tower; but he gently laughed at her fears, and departed, promising to
+return at night as usual.
+
+The storm, which had raged so fiercely already in the early morning,
+increased in violence as the day wore on, until the waves were lashed
+into foam, while the wind howled more and more ominously as the
+darkness came on again; but none of these signs could deter Leander
+from visiting Hero.
+
+ "There came one night, the wildest of the year,
+ When the wind smote like edge of hissing spear,
+ And the pale breakers thundered on the beach."
+
+ Edwin Arnold.
+
+All day long Hero had hoped that her lover would renounce his nightly
+journey; but still, when evening came, she lighted her torch to serve
+as beacon, should he risk all to keep his word. The wind blew so
+fiercely, that the torch wavered and flickered, and nearly went out,
+although Hero protected its feeble flame by standing over it with
+outstretched robes.
+
+At sight of the wonted signal, Leander, who had already once been
+beaten back by the waves, made a second attempt to cross the strait,
+calling upon the gods to lend him their aid. But this time his prayers
+were unheard, drowned in the fury of the storm; yet he struggled on a
+while longer, with Hero's name on his lips.
+
+ [Illustration: HERO AND LEANDER.--Bodenhausen.]
+
+At last, exhausted and ready to sink, he lifted his eyes once more to
+view the cheering light. It was gone, extinguished by a passing gust
+of wind. Like a stone Leander sank, once, twice, thrice, and the
+billows closed forever over his head.
+
+Hero in the mean while had relighted her torch, and, quite unconscious
+of the tragedy which had taken place, stood on the tower, straining
+her eyes to pierce the darkness. All night long she waited and watched
+for the lover who did not come; and, when the first sunbeams shone
+over the tossing sea, she cast an anxious glance over the waters to
+Abydus. No one was in sight as far as she could see. She was about to
+descend to pursue her daily tasks, when, glancing at the foot of the
+tower, she saw her lover's corpse heaving up and down on the waves.
+
+ "As shaken on his restless pillow,
+ His head heaves with the heaving billow;
+ That hand, whose motion is not life,
+ Yet feebly seems to menace strife,
+ Flung by the tossing tide on high,
+ Then level'd with the wave."
+
+ Byron.
+
+Hero's heart broke at this sad sight, and she longed to die, too, that
+she might not be parted from Leander. To hasten their meeting, she
+threw herself into the sea, and perished in the waves, close by his
+side. Thus lived and died the faithful lovers, whose attachment has
+passed into a proverb.
+
+Byron, the celebrated English bard, attempted Leander's feat of
+swimming across the Hellespont, and, on his return from that dangerous
+venture, wrote the following lines, which are so familiar to all
+English-speaking people:--
+
+ "The winds are high on Helle's wave,
+ As on that night of stormy water
+ When Love, who sent, forgot to save
+ The young, the beautiful, the brave,
+ The lonely hope of Sestos' daughter.
+ Oh! when alone along the sky
+ Her turret torch was blazing high,
+ Though rising gale, and breaking foam,
+ And shrieking sea-birds warn'd him home;
+ And clouds aloft and tides below,
+ With signs and sounds, forbade to go,
+ He could not see, he would not hear,
+ Or sound or sign foreboding fear;
+ His eye but saw that light of love,
+ The only star it hail'd above;
+ His ear but rang with Hero's song,
+ 'Ye waves, divide not lovers long!'
+ That tale is old, but love anew
+ May nerve young hearts to prove as true."
+
+[Sidenote: Pyramus and Thisbe.]
+
+An equally loving and unfortunate pair were Pyramus and Thisbe.
+Although no waves divided them, and they had the good fortune to
+occupy adjoining houses in Babylon, their parents having quarreled,
+they were forbidden to see or speak to each other. This decree wrung
+their tender hearts; and their continuous sighs finally touched Venus,
+who prepared to give them her aid. Thanks to this goddess's kind
+offices, a crack was discovered in the party wall, through which the
+lovers could peep at each other, converse, and even, it is said,
+exchange a kiss or two.
+
+Sundry stolen interviews through this crack made them long for
+uninterrupted and unrestrained meetings: so they made an appointment
+to meet on a certain day and hour, under a white mulberry tree, just
+without the city gates.
+
+Thisbe, anxious to see her lover, was the first to reach the trysting
+place, and, as she slowly paced back and forth to while away the time
+of waiting, she wondered what had happened to delay Pyramus. Her
+meditation was suddenly broken by a rustling sound in some neighboring
+bushes; and, thinking Pyramus was concealed there, she was about to
+call to him that he was discovered, when, instead of her lover, she
+saw a lion emerge from the thicket and come towards her, slowly
+lashing his sides with his tail, and licking his bloody jaws. With one
+terrified shriek the girl ran away, dropping her veil, which the lion
+caught in his bloody mouth and tore to shreds, before beating a
+retreat into the forest.
+
+Shortly after, Pyramus came rushing up, out of breath, and full of
+loving excuses for Thisbe, who was not there, however, to receive
+them. Wondering at her absence, Pyramus looked around, and after a
+short investigation discerned the lion's footprints and the mangled
+veil. These signs sufficed to convince him that Thisbe had perished,
+and in a fit of despair he drew his dagger from its sheath and thrust
+it into his heart.
+
+A few minutes later, Thisbe cautiously drew near, peering anxiously
+about to discover whether the lion were still lurking near. Her first
+glance showed her Pyramus stretched dead beneath the mulberry tree,
+with her bloody veil pressed convulsively to his lips. With a cry of
+terror she flew to his side, and tried to revive him; but, when
+assured that all her efforts were in vain, she drew the dagger from
+his breast, and, plunging it into her own bosom, fell beside him quite
+lifeless.
+
+ "In her bosom plunged the sword,
+ All warm and reeking from its slaughtered lord."
+
+ Ovid (Eusden's tr.).
+
+Since that ominous day the fruit of the mulberry tree, which had been
+white, assumed a blood-like hue, dyed by the blood which flowed from
+the death wounds of Pyramus and Thisbe.
+
+[Sidenote: Echo and Narcissus.]
+
+The lovely and talkative nymph Echo lived free from care and whole of
+heart until she met Narcissus, hunting in the forest. This frivolous
+young lady no sooner beheld the youth, than she fell deeply in love
+with him, and was proportionately grieved when she saw that he did not
+return her affections.
+
+All her blandishments were unavailing, and, in her despair at his
+hard-heartedness, she implored Venus to punish him by making him
+suffer the pangs of unrequited love; then, melancholy and longing to
+die, she wandered off into the mountains, far from the haunts of her
+former companions, and there, brooding continually over her sorrow,
+pined away until there remained naught of her but her melodious voice.
+
+The gods, displeased at her lack of proper pride, condemned her to
+haunt rocks and solitary places, and, as a warning to other impulsive
+maidens, to repeat the last sounds which fell upon her ear.
+
+ "But her voice is still living immortal,--
+ The same you have frequently heard
+ In your rambles in valleys and forests,
+ Repeating your ultimate word."
+
+ Saxe.
+
+Venus alone had not forgotten poor Echo's last passionate prayer, and
+was biding her time to punish the disdainful Narcissus. One day, after
+a prolonged chase, he hurried to a lonely pool to slake his thirst.
+
+ "In some delicious ramble, he had found
+ A little space, with boughs all woven round;
+ And in the midst of all, a clearer pool
+ Than e'er reflected in its pleasant cool
+ The blue sky here, and there, serenely peeping
+ Through tendril wreaths fantastically creeping."
+
+ Keats.
+
+Quickly he knelt upon the grass, and bent over the pellucid waters to
+take a draught; but he suddenly paused, surprised. Down near the
+pebbly bottom he saw a face so passing fair, that he immediately lost
+his heart, for he thought it belonged to some water nymph gazing up at
+him through the transparent flood.
+
+With sudden passion he caught at the beautiful apparition; but, the
+moment his arms touched the water, the nymph vanished. Astonished and
+dismayed, he slowly withdrew to a short distance, and breathlessly
+awaited the nymph's return.
+
+The agitated waters soon resumed their mirrorlike smoothness; and
+Narcissus, approaching noiselessly on tiptoe, and cautiously peeping
+into the pool, became aware first of curly, tumbled locks, and then of
+a pair of beautiful, watchful, anxious eyes. Evidently the nymph had
+just concluded to emerge from her hiding place to reconnoiter.
+
+More prudent this time, the youth gradually bent further over the
+pool; and, reassured by his kindly glances, the nymph's whole head
+appeared. In gentle tones the youth now addressed her; and her ruby
+lips parted and moved as if she were answering, though not a sound
+came to his ear. In his excitement he began to gesticulate, whereupon
+two snowy arms repeated his every gesture; but when, encouraged by her
+loving glances and actions, he tried once more to clasp her in his
+arms, she vanished as rapidly as the first time.
+
+Time and again the same pantomime was enacted, and time and again the
+nymph eluded his touch; but the enamored youth could not tear himself
+away from the spot haunted by this sweet image, whose sensitive face
+reflected his every emotion, and who grew as pale and wan as
+he,--evidently, like him, a victim to love and despair.
+
+Even the shades of night could not drive Narcissus away from his post,
+and, when the pale moonbeams illumined his retreat, he bent over the
+pool to ascertain whether she too were anxious and sleepless, and saw
+her gazing longingly up at him.
+
+There Narcissus lingered day and night, without eating or drinking,
+until he died, little suspecting that the fancied nymph was but his
+own image reflected in the clear waters. Echo was avenged; but the
+gods of Olympus gazed compassionately down upon the beautiful corpse,
+and changed it into a flower bearing the youth's name, which has ever
+since flourished beside quiet pools, wherein its pale image is clearly
+reflected.
+
+ "A lonely flower he spied,
+ A meek and forlorn flower, with naught of pride,
+ Drooping its beauty o'er the watery clearness,
+ To woo its own sad image into nearness:
+ Deaf to light Zephyrus it would not move;
+ But still would seem to droop, to pine, to love."
+
+ Keats.
+
+[Sidenote: Pygmalion and Galatea.]
+
+Pygmalion, King of Cyprus, was a very celebrated sculptor. All his
+leisure moments were spent in the faithful portrayal of the gods and
+goddesses. One day his practiced hand fashioned an image of Galatea.
+It was so beautiful that even before it was entirely finished its
+author loved it. When completed, Pygmalion admired it still more,
+deemed it too beautiful to remain inanimate, and besought Venus to
+give it life, stating that he wished a wife just like it.
+
+As Pygmalion had always been an obdurate bachelor, and had frequently
+declared he would never marry, Venus was delighted to see him at last
+a victim of the tender passion, and resolved to grant his request.
+Pygmalion clasped the exquisite image to his breast to infuse some of
+his own warmth into the icy bosom, and pressed kiss after kiss upon
+the chiseled lips, until at last they grew soft and warm at his touch,
+and a faint color flushed the pale cheeks, as a breath dilated her
+lungs, and sent her blood coursing along her veins,--
+
+ "As once with prayers in passion flowing,
+ Pygmalion embraced the stone,
+ Till, from the frozen marble glowing,
+ The light of feeling o'er him shone."
+
+ Schiller.
+
+Pygmalion's delight at seeing his fair image a living and breathing
+maiden was unbounded, and after a short but passionate wooing the
+object of his affections became his happy wife.
+
+[Sidenote: Cupid and Psyche.]
+
+In those same remote ages of "sweet mythology" there lived a king
+whose three daughters were world-renowned on account of their
+matchless beauty. Psyche, the youngest of the sisters, was so lovely,
+that her father's subjects declared her worthy to be called the
+Goddess of Beauty, and offered to pay homage to her instead of to
+Venus. Offended by this proposal, which Psyche had good sense enough
+to refuse, Venus resolved to demonstrate forcibly to that benighted
+race that the maiden was mortal. She therefore bade her son Cupid slay
+her.
+
+Armed with his bow and arrows, and provided with a deadly poison,
+Cupid set out to do her bidding, and at nightfall reached the palace,
+crept noiselessly past the sleeping guards, along the deserted halls,
+and came to Psyche's apartment, into which he glided unseen.
+Stealthily he approached the couch upon which the fair maiden was
+sleeping, and bent over her to administer the poisoned dose.
+
+A moonbeam falling athwart her face revealed her unequaled loveliness,
+and made Cupid start back in surprise; but, as he did so, one of his
+own love arrows came into contact with his rosy flesh, and inflicted a
+wound, from which he was to suffer for many a weary day.
+
+All unconscious of the gravity of his hurt, he hung enraptured over
+the sleeping maiden, and let her fair image sink into his heart; then,
+noiselessly as he had entered, he stole out again, vowing he would
+never harm such innocence and beauty.
+
+Morning dawned. Venus, who had expected to see the sun illumine her
+rival's corpse, saw her sporting as usual in the palace gardens, and
+bitterly realized that her first plan had completely failed. She
+therefore began to devise various torments of a petty kind, and
+persecuted the poor girl so remorselessly, that she fled from home
+with the firm intention of putting an end to the life she could no
+longer enjoy in peace.
+
+To achieve this purpose, Psyche painfully toiled up a rugged mountain,
+and, creeping to the very edge of a great precipice, cast herself
+down, expecting to be dashed to pieces on the jagged rocks below; but
+Cupid, who had indignantly though helplessly seen all his mother's
+persecutions, had followed Psyche unseen, and, when he perceived her
+intention to commit suicide, he called to Zephyrus (the South Wind),
+and entreated him to catch the maiden in his strong yet gentle arms,
+and bear her off to a distant isle.
+
+Consequently, instead of a swift, sharp fall and painful death, Psyche
+felt herself gently wafted over hill and dale, across sparkling
+waters; and, long before she wearied of this new mode of travel, she
+was gently laid on a flowery bank, in the midst of an exquisite
+garden.
+
+Bewildered, she slowly rose to her feet, rubbed her pretty eyes to
+make sure she was not dreaming, and wonderingly strolled about the
+beautiful grounds. Ere long she came to an enchanted palace, whose
+portals opened wide to receive her, while gentle voices bade her
+enter, and invisible hands drew her over the threshold and waited upon
+her.
+
+When night came, and darkness again covered the earth, Cupid appeared
+in search of his beloved Psyche. In the perfumed dusk he confessed his
+love, and tenderly begged for some return.
+
+Now, although the fading light would not permit her to discern the
+form or features of her unknown lover, Psyche listened to his soft
+tones with unconcealed pleasure, and soon consented to their union.
+Cupid then entreated her to make no attempt to discover his name, or
+to catch a glimpse of his face, warning her that if she did so he
+would be forced to leave her, never to return.
+
+ "'Dear, I am with thee only while I keep
+ My visage hidden; and if thou once shouldst see
+ My face, I must forsake thee: the high gods
+ Link Love with Faith, and he withdraws himself
+ From the full gaze of Knowledge.'"
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+Psyche solemnly promised to respect her mysterious lover's wishes, and
+gave herself up entirely to the enjoyment of his company. All night
+long they talked; and when the first faint streak of light appeared
+above the horizon, Cupid bade Psyche farewell, promising to return
+with the welcome shades of night. All day long Psyche thought of him,
+longed for him, and, as soon as the sun had set, sped to the bower
+where the birds were sleepily trilling forth their evening song, and
+breathlessly waited until he came to join her.
+
+ "Now on broad pinions from the realms above
+ Descending Cupid seeks the Cyprian grove;
+ To his wide arms enamor'd Psyche springs,
+ And clasps her lover with aurelian wings.
+ A purple sash across His shoulder bends,
+ And fringed with gold the quiver'd shafts suspends."
+
+ Darwin.
+
+Although the hours of day seemed interminable, spent as they were in
+complete solitude, Psyche found the hours of night all too short in
+the sweet society of Love. Her every wish was gratified almost as soon
+as expressed; and at last, encouraged by her lover's evident anxiety
+to please her, she gave utterance to her longing to see and converse
+with her sisters once more. The ardent lover could not refuse to grant
+this request, yet Psyche noticed that his consent seemed somewhat
+hesitating and reluctant.
+
+The next morning, while enjoying a solitary stroll, Psyche suddenly
+encountered her two sisters. After rapturous embraces and an
+incoherent volley of questions and answers, they settled down to enjoy
+a long talk. Psyche related her desperate attempt at suicide, her
+miraculous preservation from certain death, her aerial journey, her
+entrance into the enchanted palace, her love for her mysterious
+nightly visitor,--all, in short, that had happened since she had left
+her father's home.
+
+Now, the elder sisters had always been jealous of Psyche's superior
+beauty; and when they saw her luxurious surroundings, and heard her
+raptures about her lover, they were envious, and resolved to mar the
+happiness which they could not enjoy. They therefore did all in their
+power to convince poor Psyche that her lover must be some monster, so
+hideous that he dare not brave the broad light of day, lest he should
+make her loathe him, and further added, that, if she were not very
+careful, he would probably end by devouring her.
+
+ [Illustration: CUPID AWAKENING PSYCHE.--Thumann.]
+
+They thereupon advised poor troubled Psyche to conceal a lamp and
+dagger in her lover's apartment, and to gaze upon him in secret, when
+his eyes were closed in sleep. If the light of the lamp revealed, as
+they felt sure it would, the hideous countenance and distorted form
+of a monster, they bade her use the dagger to kill him. Then,
+satisfied with their work, the sisters departed, leaving Psyche alone
+to carry out their evil suggestions.
+
+When safe at home once more, the sisters constantly brooded over the
+tale Psyche had poured into their ears, and, hoping to secure as
+luxurious a home and as fascinating a lover, they each hurried off in
+secret to the mountain gorge, cast themselves over the precipice,
+and--perished.
+
+Night having come, bringing the usually so welcome Cupid, Psyche,
+tortured with doubt, could with difficulty conceal her agitation.
+After repeated efforts to charm her from her silent mood, Cupid fell
+asleep; and, as soon as his regular breathing proclaimed him lost in
+slumber, Psyche noiselessly lighted her lamp, seized her dagger, and,
+approaching the couch with great caution, bent over her sleeping
+lover. The lamp, which she held high above her head, cast its light
+full upon the face and form of a handsome youth.
+
+ "Now trembling, now distracted; bold,
+ And now irresolute she seems;
+ The blue lamp glimmers in her hold,
+ And in her hand the dagger gleams.
+ Prepared to strike, she verges near,
+ Then, the blue light glimmering from above,
+ The hideous sight expects with fear--
+ And gazes on the god of Love."
+
+ Apollonius.
+
+Psyche's heart beat loudly with joy and pride as she beheld, instead
+of the monster, this graceful youth; and as she hung over him,
+enraptured, she forgot all caution. An inadvertent motion tipped her
+lamp, and one drop of burning oil, running over the narrow brim, fell
+upon Cupid's naked shoulder.
+
+The sudden pain made him open his eyes with a start. The lighted lamp,
+the glittering dagger, the trembling Psyche, told the whole story.
+Cupid sprang from the couch, seized his bow and arrows, and, with a
+last sorrowful, reproachful glance at Psyche, flew away through the
+open window, exclaiming,--
+
+ "'Farewell! There is no Love except with Faith,
+ And thine is dead! Farewell! I come no more!'"
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+[Sidenote: Psyche forsaken.]
+
+When he had vanished into the dusky air without, the balmy night winds
+ceased to blow; and suddenly a tempest began to rage with such fury,
+that poor frightened Psyche dared not remain alone in the palace, but
+hastened out into the gardens, where she soon lost consciousness of
+her misery in a deep swoon. When she opened her eyes once more, the
+storm had ceased, the sun was high in the heavens, and palace and
+gardens had vanished.
+
+Poor Psyche lingered there the following and many succeeding nights,
+vainly hoping for Cupid's return, and shedding many bitter tears of
+repentance. Finally she resolved to commit suicide, and, with that
+purpose in view, plunged into a neighboring river; but the god of the
+stream caught and carried her ashore, where his daughters, the water
+nymphs, restored her to life. Thus forced to live, Psyche wandered
+about disconsolate, seeking Cupid, and questioning all she met, the
+nymphs, Pan, and Ceres, who compassionately listened to her confession
+of love for her husband.
+
+ "Not as the earthly loves which throb and flush
+ Round earthly shrines was mine, but a pure spirit,
+ Lovelier than all embodied love, more pure
+ And wonderful; but never on his eyes
+ I looked, which still were hidden, and I knew not
+ The fashion of his nature; for by night,
+ When visual eyes are blind, but the soul sees,
+ Came he, and bade me seek not to inquire
+ Or whence he came or wherefore. Nor knew I
+ His name. And always ere the coming day,
+ As if he were the Sun god, lingering
+ With some too well loved maiden, he would rise
+ And vanish until eve."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+Ceres had often seen Cupid, and had heard that very morning that he
+was having a wound in his shoulder dressed by Venus: so she advised
+Psyche to go to the Goddess of Beauty, to enter her service, and to
+perform every task with cheerful alacrity, knowing that such a course
+would ultimately bring about a meeting and reconciliation between the
+lovers.
+
+Psyche gratefully accepted and followed Ceres' advice, and labored
+early and late to satisfy her exacting mistress, who appointed such
+difficult tasks, that the poor girl would never have been able to
+accomplish them had she not been aided by all the beasts and insects,
+who loved her dearly.
+
+[Sidenote: Psyche's journey to Hades.]
+
+Venus repeatedly tested her fidelity and endurance, and finally
+resolved, as a crucial experiment, to send her to Hades to fetch a box
+of beauty ointment, for which Proserpina alone had the recipe.
+Directed by Zephyrus, her old friend, Psyche encountered the terrors
+of Hades in safety, delivered her message, and in return received a
+small box. The gates of Hades were closed behind her, and she had
+nearly finished her last task, when she suddenly fancied that it would
+be wise to appropriate a little of the magic preparation to efface the
+traces of sleepless nights and many tears.
+
+The box, however, contained naught but the spirit of Sleep, who,
+pouncing upon Psyche, laid her low by the roadside. Cupid, passing by,
+saw her there, marked the ravages of grief, remembered his love and
+her suffering, and, wrestling with the spirit, forced him to reenter
+the narrow bounds of his prison, and woke Psyche with a loving kiss.
+
+ "'Dear, unclose thine eyes.
+ Thou mayst look on me now. I go no more,
+ But am thine own forever.'"
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+ [Illustration: CHARON AND PSYCHE.--Neide.]
+
+Then, hand in hand, they winged their flight to Olympus, entered the
+council hall; and there Cupid presented Psyche, his chosen bride, to
+the assembled deities, who all promised to be present at the nuptial
+ceremony. Venus even, forgetting all her former envy, welcomed the
+blushing bride, who was happy ever after.
+
+The ancients, for whom Cupid was an emblem of the heart, considered
+Psyche the personification of the soul, and represented her with
+butterfly wings; that little insect being another symbol of the soul,
+which cannot die.
+
+[Sidenote: Berenice's Hair.]
+
+One of the latest myths concerning Venus is that of Berenice, who,
+fearing for her beloved husband's life, implored the goddess to
+protect him in battle, vowing to sacrifice her luxuriant hair if he
+returned home in safety. The prayer was granted, and Berenice's
+beautiful locks laid upon Venus' shrine, whence they, however, very
+mysteriously disappeared. An astrologer, consulted concerning the
+supposed theft, solemnly pointed to a comet rapidly coming into view,
+and declared that the gods had placed Berenice's hair among the stars,
+there to shine forever in memory of her wifely sacrifice.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Venus.]
+
+Venus, goddess of beauty, is represented either entirely naked, or
+with some scanty drapery called a "cestus." Seated in her chariot,
+formed of a single pearl shell, and drawn by snow-white doves, her
+favorite birds, she journeyed from shrine to shrine, complacently
+admiring the lavish decorations of jewels and flowers her worshipers
+provided. The offerings of young lovers were ever those which found
+most favor in her sight.
+
+ "Venus loves the whispers
+ Of plighted youth and maid,
+ In April's ivory moonlight
+ Beneath the chestnut shade."
+
+ Macaulay.
+
+Numerous ancient and some modern statues of this goddess grace the
+various art galleries, but among them all the most perfect is the
+world-renowned Venus de Milo.
+
+Venus' festivals were always scenes of graceful amusements; and her
+votaries wore wreaths of fresh, fragrant flowers, the emblem of all
+natural beauty.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+MERCURY.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Birth of Mercury.]
+
+As already repeatedly stated in the course of this work, Jupiter was
+never a strictly faithful spouse, and, in spite of his wife's
+remonstrances, could not refrain from indulging his caprice for every
+pretty face he met along his way. It is thus, therefore, that he
+yielded to the charms of Maia, goddess of the plains, and spent some
+blissful hours in her society. This divine couple's happiness
+culminated when they first beheld their little son, Mercury (Hermes,
+Psychopompus, Oneicopompus), who was born in a grotto on Mount
+Cyllene, in Arcadia,--
+
+ "Mercury, whom Maia bore,
+ Sweet Maia, on Cyllene's hoary top."
+
+ Virgil (Cowper's tr.).
+
+This infant god was quite unlike mortal children, as will readily be
+perceived by the numerous pranks he played immediately after his
+birth. First he sprang from his mother's knee, grasped a tortoise
+shell lying on the ground, bored holes in its sides, stretched strings
+across its concavity, and, sweeping his hands over them, produced
+strains of sweetest music, thus inventing the first lyre.
+
+ "So there it lay, through wet and dry,
+ As empty as the last new sonnet,
+ Till by and by came Mercury,
+ And, having mused upon it,
+ 'Why here,' cried he, 'the thing of things
+ In shape, material, and dimension!
+ Give it but strings, and, lo, it sings,
+ A wonderful invention.'"
+
+ Lowell.
+
+[Sidenote: Mercury's theft.]
+
+Being very hungry toward evening, young Mercury escaped from his
+sleeping mother, and sallied out in search of food. He had not gone
+very far, before he came to a wide meadow, where Apollo's herds were
+at pasture. The oxen were fat and sleek; and the mischievous little
+god, after satisfying himself that they were young, and therefore
+promised to be tender and juicy, drove fifty of them off to a secluded
+spot, taking good care to envelop their feet in leafy branches, so
+they would leave no traces. Then, his hiding place being reached in
+safety, Mercury coolly killed two of the oxen, which he proceeded to
+eat.
+
+Apollo soon missed his cattle, and began to search for some clew to
+their hiding place or to the thief. He could, however, discover
+nothing but some broken twigs and scattered leaves. Suddenly he
+remembered that the babe whose birth had been announced early that
+morning in high Olympus had been appointed god of thieves. He
+therefore lost no more time in useless search and conjecture, but
+strode off to Mount Cyllene, where he found Mercury peacefully
+sleeping in his cradle. With a rude shake, the sun god roused him from
+his slumbers, and bade him restore the stolen cattle. Mercury
+pretended innocence, until Apollo, exasperated, dragged him off to
+Olympus, where he was convicted of the theft, and condemned to restore
+the stolen property. Mercury yielded to the decree, produced the
+remaining oxen, and, in exchange for the two missing, gave Apollo the
+lyre he had just fashioned.
+
+ [Illustration: FLYING MERCURY.--Bologna. (National Museum, Florence.)]
+
+This, like most other myths, admits of a natural explanation. Apollo
+(the Sun) was supposed by the ancients to possess great herds of
+cattle and sheep,--the clouds; and Mercury, the personification of the
+wind, born in the night, after a few hours' existence waxes
+sufficiently strong to drive away the clouds and conceal them, leaving
+no trace of his passage except a few broken branches and scattered
+leaves.
+
+[Sidenote: Mercury's wand, cap, and shoes.]
+
+The gift of the lyre pleased Apollo so well, that he in return wished
+to make a present to Mercury, and gave him a magic wand, called
+Caduceus, which had the power of reconciling all conflicting elements.
+Mercury, anxious to test it, thrust it between two quarreling snakes,
+who immediately wound themselves in amity around it. This so pleased
+him, that he bade them remain there forever, and used the wand on all
+occasions.
+
+ "A snake-encircl'd wand;
+ By classic authors term'd Caduceus
+ And highly fam'd for several uses."
+
+ Goldsmith.
+
+Mercury was in due time appointed messenger of the gods, who, to make
+him fleet of foot, presented him with winged sandals, the Talaria,
+which endowed him with marvelous rapidity of motion. As these sandals
+did not seem quite sufficient, however, the gods added the winged cap,
+Petasus, to the winged shoes.
+
+ "Foot-feather'd Mercury appear'd sublime
+ Beyond the tall tree tops; and in less time
+ Than shoots the slanted hail-storm, down he dropt
+ Towards the ground; but rested not, nor stopt
+ One moment from his home; only the sward
+ He with his wand light touch'd, and heavenward
+ Swifter than sight was gone."
+
+ Keats.
+
+Mercury was not only the messenger of the gods, but was also appointed
+god of eloquence, commerce, rain, wind, and the special patron of
+travelers, shepherds, cheats, and thieves.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Io.]
+
+Jupiter often intrusted to Mercury messages of a delicate nature, and
+always found him an invaluable ally; but the faithful messenger was
+never so much needed or so deeply appreciated as during Jupiter's
+courtship of Io, the peerless daughter of the river god Inachus.
+
+To avoid Juno's recriminations, Jupiter had carried on this affair
+with even more than his usual secrecy, visiting his beloved only when
+quite certain that his wife was asleep, and taking the further
+precaution of spreading a cloud over the spot where he generally met
+her, to shield her from all chance of being seen from Olympus.
+
+One fine afternoon, all conditions being favorable, Jupiter hastened
+down to earth to see Io, and began to stroll with her up and down the
+river edge. They heeded not the noonday heat, for the cloud over their
+heads screened them from the sun's too ardent rays.
+
+From some cause Juno's slumbers were less protracted than usual, and
+she soon arose from her couch to look about her realm, the atmosphere,
+and convince herself that all was well. Her attention was soon
+attracted by an opaque, immovable cloud near the earth,--a cloud which
+had no business there, for had she not bidden them all lie still on
+the blue until she awoke? Her suspicions being aroused by the presence
+of this cloud, she sought her husband in Olympus, and, not finding
+him, flew down to earth, brushing the cloud aside in her haste.
+
+Jupiter, thus warned of her coming, had but time to change the maiden
+beside him into a heifer, ere his wife alighted and inquired what he
+was doing there. Carelessly the god pointed to the heifer, and
+declared he had been whiling away the time by creating it; but the
+explanation failed to satisfy Juno, who, seeing no other living
+creature near, suspected that her spouse had been engaged in a
+clandestine flirtation, and had screened its fair object from her
+wrath only by a sudden transformation.
+
+Dissimulating these suspicions with care, Juno begged her husband to
+give her his new creation, which request he could not refuse, but
+granted most reluctantly, thus adding further confirmation to her
+jealous fears. The Queen of Heaven then departed, taking Io with her,
+and placed her under the surveillance of Argus, one of her servants,
+who possessed myriad eyes, but one half of which he closed at a time.
+
+ "The eyes of Argus, sentinel of Heaven:
+ Those thousand eyes that watch alternate kept,
+ Nor all o'er all his body waked or slept."
+
+ Statius (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Argus' watch.]
+
+She bade him watch the heifer closely, and report anything unusual in
+its actions. One day, therefore, as he was watching his charge pasture
+by the river, Argus heard her relate to her father, Inachus, the story
+of her transformation, and immediately imparted his discovery to Juno,
+who, advising still closer watchfulness, sent him back to his post.
+
+Jupiter, in the mean while, was in despair; for days had passed
+without his being able to exchange a word with Io, or deliver her from
+her imprisonment. Finally he called Mercury to his aid, and bade him
+devise some plan to rescue her. Armed with a handful of poppies,
+Mercury approached Argus, and offered to while away the time by
+telling him tales.
+
+As Mercury was the prince of story-tellers, this offer was not to be
+despised, and Argus joyfully accepted; but instead of exerting himself
+to be entertaining, Mercury droned out such lengthy, uninteresting
+stories, that Argus soon closed half his eyes in profound sleep. Still
+talking in the same monotonous way, Mercury softly shook the poppies
+over the giant's head, until one by one the remaining eyelids closed,
+and Argus was wrapped in complete slumber.
+
+Then Mercury seized the giant's sword, and with one well-directed blow
+severed his head from the huge trunk. Only one half of the task was
+successfully accomplished; and while Mercury was driving the heifer
+away, Juno discovered his attempt, and promptly sent an enormous
+gadfly to torment the poor beast, who, goaded to madness by its cruel
+stings, fled wildly from one country to another, forded streams, and
+finally plunged into the sea, since called Ionian. After swimming
+across it, she took refuge in Egypt, where Jupiter restored her to all
+her girlish loveliness, and where her son Epaphus was born, to be the
+first king and the founder of Memphis.
+
+ "In coming time that hollow of the sea
+ Shall bear the name Ionian, and present
+ A monument of Io's passage through,
+ Unto all mortals."
+
+ E. B. Browning.
+
+Juno mourned the loss of her faithful Argus most bitterly, and,
+gathering up his myriad eyes, scattered them over the tail of her
+favorite bird, the peacock, to have some memento of her faithful
+servant ever near her.
+
+ "From Argus slain a painted peacock grew,
+ Fluttering his feathers stain'd with various hue."
+
+ Moschus.
+
+This story also is an allegory. Io personifies the moon, restlessly
+wandering from place to place; Argus, the heavens, whose starry eyes
+keep ceaseless watch over the moon's every movement; Mercury is the
+rain, whose advent blots out the stars one by one, thus killing Argus,
+who else was never known to close all his eyes at once.
+
+[Sidenote: Mercury's offices and worship.]
+
+To Mercury was intrusted the charge of conducting the souls of the
+departed to Hades, and when occupied in this way he bore the name of
+Psychopompus, while, when addressed as conductor of Dreams, he was
+Oneicopompus.
+
+ "Gently as a kiss came Death to sever
+ From spirit flesh, and to the realm of gloom
+ The pallid shades with fearless brow descended
+ To Hades, by the winged god attended."
+
+ Boyesen.
+
+He was one of the twelve principal gods of Olympus, and was widely
+worshiped. Temples, altars, and shrines were dedicated to his service
+throughout the ancient countries. His statues were considered sacred
+boundary marks, and their removal punished by death. Solemn annual
+festivals were held in Rome in Mercury's honor in the month of May,
+and from him received their name of Mercuralia.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+MARS.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Mars' character.]
+
+Mars (Ares), son of Jupiter and Juno, was the god of war, the
+personification of the angry clouded sky, and, although but little
+worshiped in Greece, was one of the principal Roman divinities. He is
+said to have first seen the light in Thrace, a country noted for its
+fierce storms and war-loving people.
+
+ "Infant Mars, where Thracia's mountains rose,
+ Press'd with his hardy limbs th' incrusted snows."
+
+ Statius (Elton's tr.).
+
+Never sated with strife and bloodshed, this god preferred the din of
+battle to all other music, and found no occupation so congenial as the
+toils and dangers of war. No gentle deeds of kindness were ever
+expected from him; no loving prayers were ever addressed to him; and
+the ancients felt no love for him, but, on the contrary, shuddered
+with terror when his name was mentioned.
+
+Mars was generally represented in a brilliant suit of armor, a plumed
+helmet on his proud young head, a poised spear in one muscular hand,
+and a finely wrought shield in the other, showing him ever ready to
+cope with a foe.
+
+[Sidenote: Mars' attendants.]
+
+His attendants, or some say his children, sympathized heartily with
+his quarrelsome tastes, and delighted in following his lead. They were
+Eris (Discord), Phobos (Alarm), Metus (Fear), Demios (Dread), and
+Pallor (Terror).
+
+Bellona, or Enyo, goddess of war, also accompanied him, drove his
+chariot, parried dangerous thrusts, and watched over his general
+safety. Mars and Bellona were therefore worshiped together in the
+selfsame temple, and their altars were the only ones ever polluted by
+human sacrifices.
+
+ "And to the fire-ey'd maid of smoky war,
+ All hot and bleeding, will we offer them:
+ The mailed Mars shall on his altar sit,
+ Up to the ears in blood."
+
+ Shakespeare.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Otus and Ephialtes.]
+
+As strife was his favorite element, Mars was very active indeed during
+the war between the gods and giants, but in his martial ardor he
+frequently forgot all caution. On one occasion he was obliged to
+surrender to Otus and Ephialtes,--two giants, who, though but nine
+years of age, were already of immense stature, since they increased in
+height at the rate of nine inches each month.
+
+Proud of their victory over the God of War, these giants bore him off
+in triumph, and bound him fast with iron chains slipped through iron
+rings. Day and night they kept watch over him; and even when they
+slept, the rattle of the chains, whenever any one of the gods
+attempted to set him free, woke them up, and frustrated all efforts to
+deliver him. During fifteen weary months poor Mars lingered there in
+durance vile, until Mercury, the prince of thieves, noiselessly and
+deftly slipped the chains out of the rings, and restored him to
+freedom.
+
+In revenge for the cruel treatment inflicted by Otus and Ephialtes,
+Mars prevailed upon Apollo and Diana to use their poisoned arrows, and
+thus rid the world of these two ugly and useless giants.
+
+[Sidenote: The Areopagus.]
+
+Of a fiery disposition, Mars was never inclined to forgive an injury;
+and when Halirrhothius, Neptune's son, dared to carry off his daughter
+Alcippe, Mars hotly pursued the abductor, and promptly slew him.
+Neptune, angry at this act of summary justice, cited the God of War to
+appear before a tribunal held in the open air, on a hill near the
+newly founded city of Athens.
+
+It was then customary for such cases to be tried at night, in utter
+darkness, so that the judges might not be influenced by the personal
+appearance of either plaintiff or defendant; and no rhetoric of any
+kind was allowed, that their minds might remain quite unbiased. Mars
+appeared before the judges, simply stated his case, and was acquitted.
+Since then the hill upon which his trial took place has been called
+the Areopagus (Ares' Hill) or Mars' Hill, and the judges of the
+principal court of justice at Athens received the name of Areopagitae.
+
+[Sidenote: Mars' children.]
+
+Although such a partisan of strife, Mars was not impervious to softer
+emotions, and passionately returned the devotion of Venus, who bore
+him three beautiful children,--Harmonia, Cupid, and Anteros. Mars also
+fell in love with a beautiful young Vestal named Ilia, a descendant of
+AEneas, who, in spite of the solemn pledge not to listen to a lover's
+pleadings until her time of service at the goddess Vesta's altar was
+accomplished, yielded to Mars' impetuous wooing, and consented to a
+clandestine union.
+
+[Sidenote: Romulus and Remus.]
+
+Although secretly married, Ilia continued to dwell in the temple until
+the birth of her twin sons Romulus and Remus. Her parents, hearing she
+had broken her vows, commanded that she should suffer the prescribed
+punishment of being buried alive, and that the children should be
+exposed to the teeth and claws of the wild beasts of the forest. The
+double sentence was ruthlessly carried out, and the young mother
+perished; but, contrary to all previsions, the babes survived, and,
+after having been suckled for a time by a she-wolf, were found and
+adopted by a shepherd.
+
+ [Illustration: VENUS DE MILO AND MARS.]
+
+Romulus and Remus throve under this man's kind care, and grew up
+strong and fearless. When they reached manhood, they longed for a
+wider sphere for their youthful activity, and, leaving the mountain
+where they had grown up, journeyed out into the world to seek their
+fortunes. After some time they came to a beautiful hilly country,
+where they decided to found a great city, the capital of their future
+realm. Accordingly the brothers began to trace the outline of their
+city limits, and, in doing so, quarreled over the name of the
+prospective town.
+
+Blinded by anger, Romulus suddenly raised the tool he held, and struck
+Remus such a savage blow that he fell to the ground, slain by his
+brother in a fit of passion. Alone now, Romulus at first vainly tried
+to pursue his undertaking, but, being soon joined by a number of
+adventurers as wicked and unscrupulous as he, they combined their
+forces, and built the celebrated city of Rome.
+
+ "Then, with his nurse's wolf-skin girt,
+ Shall Romulus the line assert,
+ Invite them to his new raised home,
+ And call the martial city Rome."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+As founder of this city, Romulus was its first king, and ruled the
+people with such an iron hand that his tyranny eventually became
+unbearable. The senators, weary of his exactions and arbitrary
+measures, finally resolved to free themselves of his presence. Taking
+advantage of an eclipse, which plunged the city in sudden darkness at
+noonday, and which occurred while all were assembled on the Forum, the
+magistrates slew Romulus, cut his body into pieces, and hid them under
+their wide togas.
+
+[Sidenote: Quirinus.]
+
+When the light returned, and the terrified and awestruck people,
+somewhat reassured, looked about them for their king, they were told
+he had gone, never to return, carried off by the immortal gods, who
+wished him to share their abode and dignity. The senators further
+informed the credulous population that Romulus was to be henceforth
+worshiped as a god under the name of Quirinus, and gave orders for the
+erection of a temple on one of the seven hills, which since then has
+been known as Mount Quirinal. Yearly festivals in Romulus' honor were
+ever after held in Rome, under the name of Quirinalia.
+
+Well pleased with the new city of Rome and its turbulent, lawless
+citizens, Mars took it under his special protection; and once, when a
+plague was raging which threatened to destroy all the people, the
+Romans rushed in a body to his temple, and clamored for a sign of his
+favor and protection.
+
+[Sidenote: The Ancile.]
+
+Even while they prayed, it is said, a shield, Ancile, fell from
+heaven, and a voice was distinctly heard to declare that Rome would
+endure as long as this token of the god's good will was preserved. The
+very same day the plague ceased its frightful ravages, and the Romans,
+delighted with the result of their petitions, placed the heavenly
+shield in one of their principal temples.
+
+Then, in constant dread lest some of their enemies should succeed in
+stealing it, they caused eleven other shields to be made, so exactly
+like the heaven-sent Ancile, that none but the guardian priests, the
+Salii, who kept continual watch over them, could detect the original
+from the facsimiles. During the month of March, which, owing to its
+blustery weather, was dedicated to Mars and bore his name, the ancilae
+were carried in a procession all through the city, the Salii chanting
+their rude war songs, and executing intricate war dances.
+
+A Roman general, ere setting out on any warlike expedition, always
+entered the sanctuary of Mars, touched the sacred shield with the
+point of his lance, shook the spear in the hand of the god's effigy,
+and called aloud, "Mars, watch over us!"
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Mars.]
+
+A common superstition among the Roman soldiery was, that Mars, under
+the name of Gradivus, marched in person at the head of their army, and
+led them on to victory. Mars' principal votaries were therefore the
+Roman soldiers and youths, whose exercising ground was called, in his
+honor, the Campus Martius, or Field of Mars. All the laurel crowns
+bestowed upon victorious generals were deposited at the foot of his
+statues, and a bull was the customary thank offering after a
+successful campaign.
+
+ "The soldier, from successful camps returning
+ With laurel wreath'd, and rich with hostile spoil,
+ Severs the bull to Mars."
+
+ Prior.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+VULCAN.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Vulcan's fall.]
+
+Vulcan, or Hephaestus, son of Jupiter and Juno, god of fire and the
+forge, seldom joined the general council of the gods. His aversion to
+Olympus was of old standing. He had once been tenderly attached to his
+mother, had lavished upon her every proof of his affection, and had
+even tried to console her when she mourned Jupiter's neglect. On one
+occasion, intending to punish Juno for one of her usual fits of
+jealousy, Jupiter hung her out of heaven, fast bound by a golden
+chain; and Vulcan, perceiving her in this plight, tugged at the chain
+with all his might, drew her up, and was about to set her free, when
+Jupiter returned, and, in anger at his son's interference in his
+matrimonial concerns, kicked him out of heaven.
+
+The intervening space between heaven and earth was so great, that
+Vulcan's fall lasted during one whole day and night, ere he finally
+touched the summit of Mount Mosychlus, in the Island of Lemnos.
+
+ "From morn
+ To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
+ A summer's day; and with the setting sun
+ Dropt from the zenith like a falling star,
+ On Lemnos th' AEgean isle."
+
+ Milton.
+
+Of course, to any one but a god such a terrible fall would have proved
+fatal; and even Vulcan did not escape entirely unharmed, for he
+injured one of his legs, which accident left him lame and somewhat
+deformed for the remainder of his life.
+
+[Sidenote: Vulcan's forge.]
+
+Now, although Vulcan had risked so much and suffered so greatly in
+taking his mother's part, she never even made the slightest attempt to
+ascertain whether he had reached the earth in safety. Hurt by her
+indifference and ingratitude, Vulcan vowed never again to return to
+Olympus, and withdrew to the solitudes of Mount AEtna, where he
+established a great forge in the heart of the mountain, in partnership
+with the Cyclopes, who helped him manufacture many cunning and useful
+objects from the metals found in great profusion in the bosom of the
+earth.
+
+Among these ingenious contrivances were two golden handmaidens gifted
+with motion, who attended the god wherever he went, and supported his
+halting footsteps.
+
+ "Two golden statues, like in form and look
+ To living maidens, aided with firm gait
+ The monarch's steps."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The golden throne.]
+
+Vulcan also devised a golden throne with countless hidden springs,
+which, when unoccupied, did not present an extraordinary appearance;
+but as soon as any one ventured to make use of it, the springs moved,
+and, the chair closing around the person seated upon it, frustrated
+all attempts to rise and escape from its treacherous embrace.
+
+Vulcan dispatched this throne, when completed, to his mother, who,
+delighted with its beauty and delicate workmanship, proudly seated
+herself upon it, and found herself a prisoner. In vain she strove to
+escape, in vain the gods all gallantly rushed to her assistance. Their
+united strength and skill proved useless against the cunning springs.
+
+ [Illustration: FORGE OF VULCAN.--Velasquez. (Museum, Madrid.)]
+
+Finally Mercury was sent to Vulcan, primed with a most diplomatic
+request to honor high Olympus with his presence; but all Mercury's
+eloquence and persuasions failed to induce the god of the forge to
+leave his sooty abode, and the messenger god was forced to return
+alone and report the failure of his attempt. Then the gods
+deliberated anew, and decided to send Bacchus, god of wine, hoping his
+powers of persuasion would prove more effective.
+
+Armed with a flask of his choicest vintage, Bacchus presented himself
+before Vulcan, and offered him a refreshing draught. Vulcan,
+predisposed to thirst, and incited to drink by the very nature of his
+labor, accepted the offered cup, and allowed himself to be beguiled
+into renewing his potations, until he was quite intoxicated. In this
+condition, Bacchus led him passive to Olympus, made him release the
+Queen of Heaven, and urged him to embrace his father and crave
+forgiveness.
+
+Although restored to favor, Vulcan would not remain permanently in
+Olympus, but preferred to return to his forge and continue his labors.
+He undertook, however, the construction of magnificent golden palaces
+for each of the gods upon the Olympian heights, fashioned their
+sumptuous furniture from precious metals, and further embellished his
+work by a rich ornamentation of precious stones.
+
+ "Then to their starry domes the gods depart,
+ The shining monuments of Vulcan's art:
+ Jove on his couch reclin'd his awful head,
+ And Juno slumber'd on the golden bed."
+
+ Homer (Pope's tr.).
+
+Aided by the Cyclopes, Vulcan manufactured Jupiter's weapons, the
+dread thunderbolts, whose frightful power none could withstand, and
+Cupid's love-inspiring darts.
+
+[Sidenote: Vulcan's loves.]
+
+Vulcan, in spite of his deformity, extreme ugliness, and well-known
+aversion to any home but his sooty forge, was none the less prone to
+fall in love with the various goddesses. He first wooed Minerva, who,
+having sworn never to marry, contemptuously dismissed his suit. To
+console Vulcan for this rebuff, and at the same time punish the
+Goddess of Beauty, who, according to some mythologists, had refused
+even his addresses, Jupiter bestowed upon him the fair hand of Venus,
+and sent her and her mischievous train of Loves and Graces to reside
+in the dark caves of Mount AEtna.
+
+Amused by all the strange sights and sounds, the goddess at first
+seemed quite contented; but after a time Vulcan's gloomy abode lost
+all its attractions: so she forsook her ill-favored husband, and went
+in search of another, more congenial mate.
+
+Some time after, Vulcan married one of the Graces, who, however, seems
+to have also soon wearied of his society, for she deserted him.
+
+Vulcan's children were mostly monsters, such as Cacus, Periphetes,
+Cercyon, etc., all of whom play an important part in heroic mythology.
+He is also the reputed father of Servius Tullius, sixth king of Rome,
+by a slave Ocrisia, whom he was wont to visit in the guise of a bright
+flame, which played harmlessly about her.
+
+Vulcan was worshiped by all blacksmiths and artisans, who recognized
+him as their special patron, and venerated him accordingly.
+
+ "Those who labor
+ The sweaty forge, who edge the crooked scythe,
+ Bend stubborn steel, and harden gleaming armor,
+ Acknowledge Vulcan's aid."
+
+ Prior.
+
+Great festivals, the Vulcanalia and the Hephaestia, were celebrated in
+honor of this god, who is generally represented as a short, muscular
+man, with one leg shorter than the other, a workman's cap on his curly
+locks, a short upper garment, and a smith's tools in his hand.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+NEPTUNE.
+
+
+When Jupiter assigned to each of his brothers a separate portion of
+the universe, he decreed that Neptune, or Poseidon, should govern all
+the waters upon the face of the earth, and be sole monarch of the
+ocean.
+
+ "Neptune, the mighty marine god, I sing;
+ Earth's mover, and the fruitless ocean's king.
+ That Helicon and th' AEgean deeps dost hold.
+ O thou earth-shaker; thy command, twofold
+ The gods have sorted; making thee of horses
+ The awful tamer, and of naval forces
+ The sure preserver. Hail, O Saturn's birth!
+ Whose graceful green hair circles all the earth.
+ Bear a benign mind; and thy helpful hand
+ Lend all, submitted to thy dread command."
+
+ Homer (Chapman's tr.).
+
+Before this new ruler made his appearance, the Titan Oceanus had
+wielded the scepter of the sea; and regretfully he now resigned it to
+his youthful supplanter, whom he nevertheless admired sincerely, and
+described in glowing colors to his brothers.
+
+ "Have ye beheld the young God of the Seas,
+ My dispossessor? Have ye seen his face?
+ Have ye beheld his chariot, foam'd along
+ By noble winged creatures he hath made?
+ I saw him on the calmed waters scud,
+ With such a glow of beauty in his eyes,
+ That it enforc'd me to bid sad farewell
+ To all my empire."
+
+ Keats.
+
+ [Illustration: FOUNTAIN OF NEPTUNE.--Bologna. (Bologna.)]
+
+[Sidenote: Neptune's exile.]
+
+Neptune, the personification as well as the god of the sea, was of an
+exceedingly encroaching disposition. Dissatisfied with the portion
+allotted him, he once conspired to dethrone Jupiter; but,
+unfortunately for the success of his undertaking, his plot was
+discovered before he could put it into execution, and Jupiter, in
+punishment for his temerity, exiled him to earth. There he was
+condemned to build the walls of Troy for Laomedon, king of that city,
+who, in return, promised a handsome compensation.
+
+Apollo, also banished from heaven at that time, volunteered to aid
+Neptune by playing on his lyre, and moving the stones by the power of
+sweet sounds (p. 65). The task satisfactorily ended, Laomedon, an
+avaricious and dishonest king, refused the promised guerdon, whereupon
+Neptune created a terrible monster, which came upon the shore,
+devoured the inhabitants, devastated everything within his reach, and
+inspired all with great terror.
+
+ "A great serpent from the deep,
+ Lifting his horrible head above their homes,
+ Devoured the children."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+To save themselves from the awful death which threatened them all, the
+Trojans consulted an oracle, who advised the sacrifice of a beautiful
+virgin, and promised the monster would disappear as soon as he had
+devoured the appointed victim.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Hesione.]
+
+A young girl was therefore chosen by lot, led down to the seashore,
+and chained by the priest's own hands to a slimy rock. As soon as her
+mourning friends had forsaken her, the hideous serpent came out of his
+lair in the waves, and devoured her; then he vanished, and nothing
+more was heard of him for a whole year, at the end of which time he
+reappeared, and resumed his former depredations, which were only
+checked by the sacrifice of a second virgin.
+
+Year after year, however, he returned, and year after year a fair girl
+was doomed to perish, until finally the lot fell upon Hesione, the
+king's only daughter. He could not bear the thought of the terrible
+fate awaiting her, and tried every means in his power to save her. As
+a last resort he sent heralds to publish far and wide that the king
+would give a great reward to any man who would dare attack and succeed
+in slaying the monster.
+
+Hercules, on his return from the scene of one of his stupendous
+labors, heard the proclamation, and, with no other weapon than the
+oaken club he generally carried, slew the monster just as he was about
+to drag poor Hesione down into his slimy cave. Laomedon was, of
+course, overjoyed at the monster's death, but, true to his nature,
+again refused the promised reward, and by his dishonesty incurred the
+hatred and contempt of this hero also. Some time after, having
+finished his time of servitude with Eurystheus, Hercules, aided by a
+chosen band of adventurers, came to Troy to punish him for his
+perfidy. The city was stormed and taken, the king slain, and his wife
+and children carried to Greece as captives. There Hesione became the
+bride of Telamon; while her brother Podarces, later known as Priam,
+was redeemed by his people and made King of Troy.
+
+Laomedon's failure to pay his just debts was the primary cause of the
+enmity which Apollo and Neptune displayed towards the Trojans during
+their famous war with the Greeks (p. 305).
+
+[Sidenote: Neptune's contests.]
+
+Their term of exile ended, the gods were reinstated in their exalted
+positions, and hastened to resume their former occupations; but, in
+spite of the severe lesson just received, Neptune was not yet cured of
+his grasping tendencies. Not long after his return from Troy, he
+quarreled with Minerva for the possession of the then recently founded
+city of Athens, then nameless, and entered into the memorable contest
+in which he was signally defeated (p. 57). He also disputed the
+sovereignty of Troezene with Minerva, and that of Corinth with Apollo.
+In the latter instance, the disputants having chosen Briareus as
+umpire, the prize was awarded to him as the most powerful of all the
+gods except Jupiter.
+
+[Sidenote: Neptune's power.]
+
+As god of the sea, Neptune did not generally remain in Olympus, but
+dwelt way down in the coral caves of his kingdom, over which he ruled
+with resistless sway. By one word he could stir up or calm the wildest
+storm, and cause the billows to roar with fury or subside into
+peaceful ripples.
+
+ "He spake, and round about him called the clouds
+ And roused the ocean,--wielding in his hand
+ The trident,--summoned all the hurricanes
+ Of all the winds, and covered earth and sky
+ At once with mists, while from above the night
+ Fell suddenly."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+The rivers, fountains, lakes, and seas were not only subject to his
+rule, but he could also cause terrible earthquakes at will, and, when
+he pleased, raise islands from the deep, as he did when Latona
+entreated him to shelter her from Juno's persecutions (p. 62).
+
+Neptune is said to have loved the goddess Ceres, and to have followed
+her during her prolonged search for her daughter, Proserpina. Annoyed
+by his persistent wooing, the goddess, to escape him, assumed the form
+of a mare; but the God of the Sea, not at all deceived by this
+stratagem, straightway assumed the form of a horse, in which guise he
+contentedly trotted after her and renewed his attentions.
+
+[Sidenote: Neptune's wives.]
+
+The offspring of this equine pair was Arion, a wonderful winged steed,
+gifted with the power of speech, whose early education was intrusted
+to the Nereides. They trained him to draw his father's chariot over
+the waves with incredible rapidity, and parted with him regretfully
+when he was given to Copreus, Pelops' son. This marvelous horse passed
+successively into Hercules' and Adrastus' hands; and the latter won
+all the chariot races, thanks to his fleetness.
+
+On another occasion, Neptune, having fallen deeply in love with a
+maiden named Theophane, and fearful lest some one of her numerous
+suitors should find favor in her eyes before he had time to urge his
+wooing, suddenly changed her into a sheep, and conveyed her to the
+Island of Crumissa, where he assumed the guise of a ram, and, in this
+metamorphosed condition, carried on his courtship, which eventually
+proved successful. The offspring of this union was the golden-fleeced
+ram which bore Phryxus in safety to the Colchian shores, and whose
+pelt was the goal of the Argonautic expedition (p. 265).
+
+Neptune also loved and married Medusa in the days of her youth and
+beauty, and when some drops of blood fell from her severed head into
+the salt sea foam, he produced from them the graceful winged steed
+Pegasus (p. 244).
+
+Neptune is also said to be the father of the giants Otus and
+Ephialtes, of Neleus, Pelias, and Polyphemus.
+
+[Sidenote: Amphitrite.]
+
+The Queen of the Ocean, Neptune's own true and lawful wife, was a
+Nereid, one of the fifty daughters of Doris and Nereus,--the
+personification of the calm and sunlit aspect of the sea. Her name was
+Amphitrite, or Salacia. At first she was in great awe of her
+distinguished suitor, and in her fear fled at his approach, leaving
+him no chance to admire any of her charms, except the grace and
+celerity with which she managed to flit, or rather glide, out of his
+sight.
+
+ "Along the deep
+ With beauteous ankles, Amphitrite glides."
+
+ Hesiod (Elton's tr.).
+
+This conduct grieved Neptune so sorely, that he sent a dolphin to
+plead his cause, and persuade the fair nymph to share his throne. The
+messenger, carefully instructed beforehand, carried out the directions
+with such skill, that Amphitrite formally consented to become
+Neptune's wife.
+
+The King of the Deep was so overjoyed at these good tidings, that he
+transferred the dolphin to the sky, where he forms a well-known
+constellation. Neptune and Amphitrite in due time became the happy
+parents of several children, among whom the most celebrated is Triton,
+whose body was half man and half fish, and who gave his name to all
+his male descendants.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Idas and Marpessa.]
+
+Like all other gods, Neptune took a lively interest in men's affairs,
+and sometimes interfered in their behalf. On one occasion, for
+instance, he even lent his beautiful chariot to a youth by the name of
+Idas, who, loving a maiden dearly, and unable to win her father's
+consent to their union, had resolved to kidnap her. Marpessa, for such
+was the lady's name, allowed herself to be carried off without
+protest; and the lovers were blissfully speeding along in Neptune's
+chariot, when her father, Evenus, perceiving their escape, started in
+pursuit of them. In spite of the most strenuous efforts, he could not
+overtake the fleeing pair, and in his anger plunged into a river,
+where he was drowned, and which from him received the name of Evenus.
+
+Idas and Marpessa were just congratulating themselves upon their
+narrow escape, when suddenly Apollo appeared before them, and,
+checking their steeds, declared he loved the maiden too, and would not
+tamely yield her up to a rival.
+
+This was quite equivalent to a challenge; and Idas, stepping down from
+the chariot, was about to engage in the fight, when suddenly out of a
+clear sky a thunderbolt came crashing down to earth, and an imperious
+voice was heard to declare that the quarrel could be settled by
+Marpessa only, and that she should freely choose the suitor she
+preferred as husband.
+
+The maiden glanced at both her lovers, and quickly reviewed their
+respective attractions. Remembering that Apollo, being immortal, would
+retain all his youthful bloom when her more ephemeral beauty had
+vanished, and that he would then probably cease to love her, she held
+out her hand to Idas, declaring she preferred to link her fate to that
+of a mortal, who would grow old when she did, and love her as long as
+they both lived. This choice was approved by Jupiter; and the lovers,
+after reaching a place of safety, returned the wondrous chariot to
+Neptune, with many grateful thanks for his timely aid.
+
+[Sidenote: Neptune's attendants.]
+
+All the Nereides, Tritons, and lesser sea divinities formed a part of
+Neptune and Amphitrite's train, and followed closely when they rode
+forth to survey their kingdom.
+
+Neptune had, besides this, many subordinates, whose duty it was to
+look after various seas, lakes, rivers, fountains, etc., confided to
+their special care. In harmony with their occupations, these
+divinities were either hoary river gods (such as Father Nile), slender
+youths, beautiful maidens, or little babbling children. They seldom
+left the cool waves of their appointed dwellings, and strove to win
+Neptune's approbation mostly by the zeal they showed in the discharge
+of their various duties.
+
+Proteus, too, another inferior deity, had the care of the flocks of
+the deep, and he always attended Neptune when it was safe to leave his
+great herds of sea calves to bask on the sunny shores.
+
+ "In ages past old Proteus, with his droves
+ Of sea calves, sought the mountains and the groves."
+
+ Cowper.
+
+[Sidenote: Proteus.]
+
+In common with all the other gods, Proteus enjoyed the gift of
+prophecy, and had the power to assume any shape he pleased. The former
+gift he was wont to exercise very reluctantly; and when mortals wished
+to consult him, he would change his form with bewildering rapidity,
+and, unless they clung to him through all his changes, they could
+obtain no answer to their questions.
+
+ "Shouting [we] seize the god: our force t' evade,
+ His various arts he soon resumes in aid:
+ A lion now, he curls a surgy mane;
+ Sudden, our hands a spotted pard restrain;
+ Then, arm'd with tusks, and lightning in his eyes,
+ A boar's obscener shape the god belies:
+ On spiry volumes, there, a dragon rides;
+ Here, from our strict embrace a stream he glides;
+ And last, sublime, his stately growth he rears,
+ A tree, and well-dissembled foliage wears."
+
+ Homer (Pope's tr.).
+
+But if these manifestations proved unavailing to drive his would-be
+hearers away, the god answered every question circumstantially.
+
+ [Illustration: FATHER NILE. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+Amphitrite, Neptune's wife,--generally represented as a beautiful
+nude nymph, crowned with seaweed, and reclining in a pearl-shell
+chariot drawn by dolphins, or sea-horses,--was worshiped with her
+husband.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Neptune.]
+
+Neptune, majestic and middle-aged, with long, flowing hair and beard,
+wearing a seaweed crown, and brandishing a trident, or three-pronged
+fork, was widely worshiped throughout Greece and Italy, and had
+countless shrines. His principal votaries were the seamen and horse
+trainers, who often bespoke his aid.
+
+ "Hail, Neptune, greatest of the gods!
+ Thou ruler of the salt sea floods;
+ Thou with the deep and dark-green hair,
+ That dost the golden trident bear;
+ Thou that, with either arm outspread,
+ Embosomest the earth we tread:
+ Thine are the beasts with fin and scales,
+ That round thy chariot, as it sails,
+ Plunging and tumbling, fast and free,
+ All reckless follow o'er the sea."
+
+ Arion.
+
+Many large temples were dedicated exclusively to the worship of
+Neptune, and games were frequently celebrated in his honor. The most
+noted of all were undoubtedly the Isthmian Games,--a national
+festival, held every four years at Corinth, on the isthmus of the same
+name. Hither people came from all points of the compass, and all parts
+of the then known world, either to witness or to take part in the
+noted wrestling, boxing, and racing matches, or in the musical and
+poetical contests.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+PLUTO.
+
+
+Pluto[1] (Dis, Hades, Orcus, Aidoneus), son of Cronus and Rhea,
+received as his share of the world the supervision of the Infernal
+Regions, situated beneath the earth, and was also appointed god of the
+dead and of riches, for all precious metals are buried deep in the
+bosom of the earth.
+
+ [1] Besides this Pluto, god of the Infernal Regions, the
+ Greeks also worshiped Plutus, a son of Ceres and Jason, who
+ was known exclusively as the god of wealth. Abandoned in
+ infancy, he was brought up by Pax, the goddess of peace, who
+ is often represented holding him in her lap. Because Plutus
+ insisted upon bestowing his favors upon good and noble
+ mortals only, Jupiter soon deprived him of his sight. Since
+ then the blind god's gifts have been distributed
+ indiscriminately.
+
+This god inspired all men with a great fear. They never spoke of him
+without trembling, and fervently prayed that they might never see his
+face; for, when he appeared on the surface of the earth, it was only
+in search of some victim to drag down into his dismal abode, or to
+make sure there was no crevice through which a sunbeam might glide to
+brighten its gloom and dispel its shadows. Whenever the stern god set
+out on one of these expeditions, he rode in a chariot drawn by four
+coal-black steeds; and, if any obstacle presented itself to impede his
+progress, he struck it with his two-pronged fork, the emblem of his
+power, and the obstacle was immediately removed. It was on one of
+these occasions that Pluto kidnapped Proserpina, the fair goddess of
+vegetation, daughter of Ceres, whom he set on his throne in Hades, and
+crowned his queen (p. 183).
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Pluto.]
+
+Pluto is always represented as a stern, dark, bearded man, with
+tightly closed lips, a crown on his head, a scepter and a key in hand,
+to show how carefully he guards those who enter his domains, and how
+vain are their hopes to effect their escape. No temples were dedicated
+to him, and statues of this god are very rare. Human sacrifices were
+sometimes offered on his altars; and at his festivals, held every
+hundred years, and thence called Secular Games, none but black animals
+were slain.
+
+[Sidenote: Hades.]
+
+His kingdom, generally called Hades, was very difficult of access.
+According to Roman traditions, it could only be entered at Avernus,
+but the Greeks asserted that there was another entrance near the
+Promontory of Taenarum. Both nations agreed, however, in saying that it
+was an almost impossible feat to get out again if one were rash enough
+to venture in.
+
+ "To the shades you go a down-hill, easy way;
+ But to return and re-enjoy the day,
+ This is a work, a labor!"
+
+ Virgil.
+
+To prevent all mortals from entering, and all spirits from escaping,
+Pluto placed a huge three-headed dog, called Cerberus, to guard the
+gate.
+
+ "There in state old Cerberus sate,
+ A three-headed dog, as cruel as Fate,
+ Guarding the entrance early and late."
+
+ Saxe.
+
+From thence a long subterranean passage, through which shadowy spirits
+glided incessantly, led to the throne room, where Pluto and Proserpina
+sat in state, clad in their sable robes. From the foot of this throne
+flowed the rivers which channeled the Lower World. One, the Cocytus,
+rolled salt waves, composed of naught but the tears flowing
+continually from the eyes of the criminals condemned to hard labor in
+Tartarus, the portion of Hades reserved for the exclusive use of the
+wicked.
+
+ "Cocytus, named of lamentation loud
+ Heard on the rueful stream."
+
+ Homer.
+
+[Sidenote: Rivers of Hades.]
+
+To separate this section from the remainder of his realm, Pluto
+surrounded it with the Phlegethon, a river of fire; while the Acheron,
+a black and deep stream, was to be passed by all souls ere they
+reached Pluto's throne and heard his decree. The current of this river
+was so swift, that even the boldest swimmer could not pass over; and,
+as there was no bridge, all the spirits were obliged to rely upon the
+aid of Charon, an aged boatman, who plied the only available skiff--a
+leaky, worm-eaten punt--from shore to shore. Neither would he allow
+any soul to enter his bark, unless he was first given a small coin,
+called the obolus, the ferryman's fare, which the ancients carefully
+laid under the tongue of the dead, that they might pass on to Pluto
+without delay. Charon's leaky boat no sooner touched the shore than a
+host of eager spirits pressed forward to claim a place. The cruel
+boatman repulsed them roughly, and brandished his oars, while he
+leisurely selected those he would next ferry across the stream.
+
+ "The shiv'ring army stands,
+ And press for passage with extended hands.
+ Now these, now those, the surly boatman bore;
+ The rest he drove to distance from the shore."
+
+ Virgil (Dryden's tr.).
+
+All those who could not produce the required obolus were obliged to
+wait one hundred years, at the end of which time Charon reluctantly
+ferried them over free of charge.
+
+There was also in Hades the sacred river Styx, by whose waters the
+gods swore their most irrevocable oaths; and the blessed Lethe, whose
+waters had the power to make one forget all unpleasant things, thus
+preparing the good for a state of endless bliss in the Elysian Fields.
+
+ [Illustration: THE FURIES.--A Study for the Masque of
+ Cupid.--Burne-Jones.]
+
+ "Lethe, the river of oblivion, rolls
+ Her wat'ry labrinth, whereof who drinks,
+ Forthwith his former state and being forgets,
+ Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain."
+
+ Milton.
+
+[Sidenote: The judges.]
+
+Near Pluto's throne were seated the three judges of Hades, Minos,
+Rhadamanthus, and AEacus, whose duty it was to question all newly
+arrived souls, to sort out the confused mass of good and bad thoughts
+and actions, and place them in the scales of Themis, the blindfolded,
+impartial goddess of justice, who bore a trenchant sword to indicate
+that her decrees would be mercilessly enforced. If the good outweighed
+the evil, the spirit was led to the Elysian Fields; but if, on the
+contrary, the evil prevailed, the spirit was condemned to suffer in
+the fires of Tartarus.
+
+ "Where his decrees
+ The guilty soul within the burning gates
+ Of Tartarus compel, or send the good
+ To inhabit, with eternal health and peace,
+ The valley of Elysium."
+
+ Akenside.
+
+[Sidenote: The Furies.]
+
+The guilty souls were always intrusted to the three snake-locked
+Furies (Erinnyes, or Eumenides), who drove them with their stinging
+lashes to the gates of Tartarus. These deities, who were sisters, and
+children of Acheron and Nyx, were distinguished by the individual
+names of Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera, and with Nemesis, goddess of
+revenge, were noted for their hard hearts and the merciless manner in
+which they hurried the ghosts intrusted to their care over the fiery
+flood of the Phlegethon, and through the brazen gates of their future
+place of incessant torment.
+
+ [Illustration: THE THREE FATES.--Thumann.]
+
+ "There rolls swift Phlegethon, with thund'ring sound,
+ His broken rocks, and whirls his surges round.
+ On mighty columns rais'd sublime are hung
+ The massy gates, impenetrably strong.
+ In vain would men, in vain would gods essay,
+ To hew the beams of adamant away.
+ Here rose an iron tow'r: before the gate,
+ By night and day, a wakeful Fury sate,
+ The pale Tisiphone; a robe she wore,
+ With all the pomp of horror, dy'd in gore."
+
+ Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The Fates.]
+
+The three Fates (Moerae, Parcae), sisters, also sat near Pluto's throne.
+Clotho, the youngest, spun the thread of life, in which the bright and
+dark lines were intermingled. Lachesis, the second, twisted it; and
+under her fingers it was now strong, now weak.
+
+ "Twist ye, twine ye! even so,
+ Mingle shades of joy and woe,
+ Hope, and fear, and peace, and strife,
+ In the thread of human life."
+
+ Scott.
+
+Atropos, the third sister, armed with a huge pair of shears,
+remorselessly cut short the thread of life,--an intimation that
+another soul would ere long find its way down into the dark kingdom of
+Hades.
+
+[Sidenote: Tartarus.]
+
+When the gates of Tartarus turned on their hinges to receive the
+newcomer, a chorus of cries, groans, and imprecations from within fell
+upon his ear, mingled with the whistling of the whips incessantly
+plied by retributive deities.
+
+ "What sounds were heard,
+ What scenes appeared,
+ O'er all the dreary coasts!
+ Dreadful gleams,
+ Dismal screams,
+ Fires that glow,
+ Shrieks of woe,
+ Sullen moans,
+ Hollow groans,
+ And cries of tortured ghosts."
+
+ Pope.
+
+[Sidenote: The Danaides.]
+
+Many victims renowned while on earth for their cruelty found here the
+just punishment of their sins. Attention was first attracted by a
+group of beautiful maidens, who carried water to fill a bottomless
+cask. Down to the stream they hastened, a long procession, filled
+their urns with water, painfully clambered up the steep and slippery
+bank, and poured their water into the cask; but when, exhausted and
+ready to faint from fatigue, they paused to rest for a moment, the
+cutting lash fell upon their bare shoulders, and spurred them on to
+renewed efforts to complete a task so hopeless that it has become
+proverbial.
+
+These fair maidens were the Danaides, daughters of Danaus, who had
+pledged his fifty daughters to the fifty sons of his brother AEgyptus.
+The marriage preparations were all completed, when Danaus suddenly
+remembered an ancient prophecy which had quite escaped his memory, and
+which foretold that he would perish by the hand of his son-in-law.
+
+It was now too late to prevent the marriages, so, calling his
+daughters aside, he told them what the oracle had said, and, giving
+them each a sharp dagger, bade them slay their husbands on their
+wedding night. The marriages were celebrated, as was customary, with
+mirth, dance, and song; and the revelry continued until late at night,
+when, the guests having departed, the newly married couples retired.
+But as soon as Danaus' daughters were quite certain their husbands
+were fast asleep, they produced their daggers and slew their mates.
+
+ "Danaus arm'd each daughter's hand
+ To stain with blood the bridal bed."
+
+ Euripides (Potter's tr.).
+
+One of the brides only, Hypermnestra, loved her husband too dearly to
+obey her father's command, and, when morning broke, only forty-nine of
+AEgyptus' sons were found lifeless. The sole survivor, Lynceus, to
+avenge his brothers' death, slew Danaus, thus fulfilling the ominous
+prophecy; while the gods, incensed by the Danaides' heartlessness,
+sent them to Hades, where they were compelled to fill the bottomless
+cask.
+
+[Sidenote: Tantalus.]
+
+Tartarus also detained within its brazen portals a cruel king named
+Tantalus (the father of Niobe), who, while on earth, had starved and
+ill-treated his subjects, insulted the immortal gods, and on one
+occasion had even dared to cook and serve up to them his own son
+Pelops. Most of the gods were immediately aware of the deception
+practiced upon them, and refused the new dish; but Ceres, who was very
+melancholy on account of the recent loss of her daughter, paid no heed
+to what was offered her, and in a fit of absent-mindedness ate part of
+the lad's shoulder.
+
+The gods in pity restored the youth to life, and Ceres replaced the
+missing shoulder with one of ivory or of gold. Driven away from his
+kingdom, which was seized by the King of Troy, Pelops took refuge in
+Greece, where he ruled the extensive peninsula, the Peloponnesus,
+which still bears his name.
+
+To punish the inhuman Tantalus, the gods then sent him to Tartarus,
+where he stood up to his chin in a stream of pure water, tormented
+with thirst; for, whenever he stooped to drink, the waters fled from
+his parched lips. Over his head hung a branch of luscious fruit. His
+hunger was as intolerable as his thirst; but, whenever he clutched at
+the fruit, the branch swung upward, and eluded his eager grasp.
+
+ "Above, beneath, around his hapless head,
+ Trees of all kinds delicious fruitage spread.
+ The fruit he strives to seize; but blasts arise,
+ Toss it on high, and whirl it to the skies."
+
+ Homer (Pope's tr.).
+
+This singular punishment inflicted upon Tantalus gave rise to the
+expression "to tantalize."
+
+[Sidenote: Sisyphus.]
+
+Another criminal was Sisyphus, who, while king of Corinth, had misused
+his power, had robbed and killed travelers, and even deceived the
+gods. His reprehensible conduct was punished in Tartarus, where he was
+condemned to roll a huge stone to the top of a very steep hill; and
+just as he reached the summit, and fancied his task done, the rock
+would slip from his grasp and roll to the foot of the hill, thus
+obliging him to renew all his exertions.
+
+ "With many a weary step, and many a groan,
+ Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone;
+ The huge round stone, resulting with a bound,
+ Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along the ground.
+ Again the restless orb his toil renews,
+ Dust mounts in clouds, and sweat descends in dews."
+
+ Homer (Pope's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Salmoneus.]
+
+Salmoneus, another king, had vainly tried to make his subjects believe
+he was Jupiter. To that effect, he had once driven over a brazen
+bridge to imitate the roll of thunder, and, to simulate the
+thunderbolts, had thrown lighted torches down upon the multitude,
+purposely assembled below.
+
+ "Th' audacious wretch four fiery coursers drew:
+ He wav'd a torch aloft, and, madly vain,
+ Sought godlike worship from a servile train.
+ Ambitious fool, with horny hoofs to pass
+ O'er hollow arches of resounding brass,
+ To rival thunder in its rapid course,
+ And imitate inimitable force!"
+
+ Virgil (Dryden's tr.).
+
+This insolent parody so incensed Jupiter, that he grasped one of his
+deadliest thunderbolts, brandished it aloft for a moment, and then
+hurled it with vindictive force at the arrogant king. In Tartarus,
+Salmoneus was placed beneath an overhanging rock, which momentarily
+threatened to fall, and crush him under its mass.
+
+ "He was doomed to sit under a huge stone,
+ Which the father of the gods
+ Kept over his head suspended.
+ Thus he sat
+ In continual dread of its downfall,
+ And lost to every comfort."
+
+ Pindar.
+
+[Sidenote: Tityus.]
+
+Still farther on was the recumbent form of Tityus, a giant whose body
+covered nine acres of ground. He had dared offer an insult to Juno,
+and in punishment was chained like Prometheus, while a vulture feasted
+on his liver.
+
+ "There Tityus was to see, who took his birth
+ From heav'n, his nursing from the foodful earth:
+ Here his gigantic limbs, with large embrace,
+ Infold nine acres of infernal space.
+ A rav'nous vulture in his open side
+ Her crooked beak and cruel talons try'd:
+ Still for the growing liver digg'd his breast,
+ The growing liver still supply'd the feast."
+
+ Virgil (Dryden's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Ixion.]
+
+Here in Tartarus, too, was Ixion, king of the Lapithae, who had been
+given the hand of Dia in marriage on condition that he would give her
+father a stipulated sum of money in exchange, but who, as soon as the
+maiden was his, refused to keep his promise. The father-in-law was an
+avaricious man, and clamored so loudly for his money, that Ixion, to
+be rid of his importunities, slew him. Such an act of violence could
+not be overlooked by the gods: so Jupiter summoned Ixion to appear
+before him and state his case.
+
+Ixion pleaded so skillfully, that Jupiter was about to declare him
+acquitted, when he suddenly caught him making love to Juno, which
+offense seemed so unpardonable, that he sent him to Tartarus, where he
+was bound to a constantly revolving wheel of fire.
+
+ "Proud Ixion (doom'd to feel
+ The tortures of the eternal wheel,
+ Bound by the hand of angry Jove)
+ Received the due rewards of impious love."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Elysian Fields.]
+
+Far out of sight and hearing of the pitiful sounds which so constantly
+rose out of Tartarus, were the Elysian Fields, lighted by a sun and
+moon of their own, decked with the most fragrant and beautiful of
+flowers, and provided with every charm that nature or art could
+supply. No storms or wintry winds ever came to rob these fields of
+their springlike beauty; and here the blessed spent eternity, in
+pleasant communion with the friends they had loved on earth.
+
+ "Patriots who perished for their country's rights,
+ Or nobly triumphed in the fields of fight:
+ There holy priests and sacred poets stood,
+ Who sang with all the raptures of a god:
+ Worthies whose lives by useful arts refined;
+ With those who leave a deathless name behind,
+ Friends of the world, and fathers of mankind."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+BACCHUS.
+
+
+Among all the mortal maidens honored by the love of Jupiter, king of
+the gods, none was more attractive than Semele, daughter of Cadmus and
+Harmonia.
+
+ "For Semele was molded in the form
+ Of elegance; the beauty of her race
+ Shone in her forehead."
+
+ Nonnus (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Semele.]
+
+Although conscious of these superior attractions, Semele was
+excessively coy, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that
+Jupiter, disguised as a mortal, could urge his love suit. When he had
+at last obtained a hearing, he told her who he was, calculating upon
+the effect which such a revelation must necessarily produce.
+
+He was not mistaken in his previsions, for Semele, proud of having
+attracted the greatest among the gods, no longer offered any
+resistance, and consented to their union. Their love grew and
+prospered, and Jupiter came down from Olympus as often as possible to
+enjoy the society of his beloved. His frequent absences finally
+aroused Juno's suspicions, and, as usual, she spared no pains to
+discover what powerful charm could draw him from her side. After a few
+days she knew all, and straightway determined to have her revenge, and
+punish her fickle spouse. To accomplish this successfully, she assumed
+the face and form of Beroe, Semele's old nurse, and thus entered the
+young princess's apartment quite unsuspected.
+
+ "Old Beroe's decrepit shape she wears,
+ Her wrinkled visage, and her hoary hairs;
+ Whilst in her trembling gait she totters on,
+ And learns to tattle in the nurse's tone."
+
+ Ovid (Addison's tr.).
+
+There she immediately entered into conversation with her supposed
+nursling, artfully extracted a complete confession, heard with
+suppressed rage how long Jupiter had wooed ere he had finally won the
+maiden's consent, and received a rapturous and minute catalogue of all
+his personal charms and a synopsis of all they had both said.
+
+The false nurse listened with apparent sympathy; but in reality she
+was furious, and, to put an end to it all, asked Semele if she were
+quite sure he was king of the gods, as he asserted, and whether he
+visited her in all the pomp of his regal apparel. The maiden
+shamefacedly replied that he was wont to visit her in the guise of a
+mortal only; whereupon Beroe, with feigned indignation, told her
+nursling he must either be a vile impostor, or else that he did not
+love her as dearly as he loved Juno, in whose presence he seldom
+appeared except in godlike array.
+
+With artful words she so worked upon the guileless nature of her
+rival, that, when Jupiter next came, the maiden used all her
+blandishments to extort from him a solemn oath to grant any request
+she chose to make. A lover is not very likely to weigh his words under
+such circumstances, and Jupiter took the most solemn of all the oaths
+to gratify her whim.
+
+ "'Bear me witness, Earth, and ye, broad Heavens
+ Above us, and ye, waters of the Styx,
+ That flow beneath us, mightiest oath of all,
+ And most revered by the blessed gods!'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+The promise won, the delighted Semele bade her lover speedily return
+to Olympus, don his own majestic form and apparel, and hasten back to
+her side, surrounded by all his heavenly pomp, and armed with his
+dreaded thunderbolts. Jupiter, horrified at this imprudent request,
+implored her to ask something else, and release him from a promise
+fraught with such danger to her; but all in vain. Semele, like many
+another fair lady, enjoyed having her own way, and fairly forced him
+to obey.
+
+Jupiter returned to Olympus, modified his costume as much as possible,
+dimmed his glory wherever he could, and chose the feeblest of all his
+bolts, for well he knew no mere mortal could endure the shock of his
+full glory. Then, mounted on a pale flash of lightning, he darted back
+to Semele.
+
+ "To keep his promise he ascends, and shrouds
+ His awful brow in whirlwinds and in clouds;
+ Whilst all around, in terrible array,
+ His thunders rattle, and his lightnings play.
+ And yet, the dazzling luster to abate,
+ He set not out in all his pomp and state,
+ Clad in the mildest lightning of the skies,
+ And arm'd with thunder of the smallest size:
+ Not those huge bolts, by which the giants slain,
+ Lay overthrown on the Phlegrean plain.
+ 'Twas of a lesser mold, and lighter weight;
+ They call it thunder of a second-rate.
+ For the rough Cyclops, who by Jove's command
+ Temper'd the bolt and turn'd it to his hand,
+ Work'd up less flame and fury in its make,
+ And quench'd it sooner in the standing lake.
+ Thus dreadfully adorn'd, with horror bright,
+ Th' illustrious god, descending from his height,
+ Came rushing on her in a storm of light."
+
+ Ovid (Addison's tr.).
+
+But, although so much milder than usual, this apparition was more than
+poor Semele's human nerves could bear, and she dropped to the floor in
+a swoon at the first glimpse of her lover. Oblivious of all but her
+alarming condition, Jupiter sprang to her side; but the lightning
+which played about his head set fire to the whole palace, which was
+reduced to ashes.
+
+[Sidenote: Birth of Bacchus.]
+
+Semele herself perished, burned to death; and the only person in all
+the building who escaped uninjured was Bacchus (Liber, Dionysus), the
+infant son of Jupiter and Semele, who was saved by his father's
+powerful hand. Jupiter was at first inconsolable at the death of
+Semele; and, to testify to all mortals how fondly he had loved her, he
+brought her spirit up to heaven, where he raised her to the rank of a
+deity.
+
+ "Semele of the flowing hair,
+ Who died in Thunder's crashing flame,
+ To deified existence came."
+
+ Prior.
+
+The infant Bacchus was first intrusted to the care of his aunt Ino,
+the second wife of Athamas, King of Thebes, who nursed him as tenderly
+as if he had been her own child. But all her love could not avail to
+screen him from the effects of Juno's persistent hatred: so Jupiter,
+fearing lest some harm might befall his precious son, bade Mercury
+convey him to the distant home of the Nysiades,--nymphs who guarded
+him most faithfully.
+
+Juno, not daring to continue her persecutions, wreaked all her anger
+upon poor Ino and her unhappy household by sending the Fury Tisiphone
+to goad Athamas to madness. In a fit of deluded frenzy, he pursued his
+wife and children as if they were wild beasts. One of his sons,
+Learchus, fell beneath his arrows; and, to escape his murderous fury,
+Ino plunged headlong into the sea with her second child in her arms.
+The gods, in pity for her sufferings, changed her into the goddess
+Leucothea, and her son into a sea deity by the name of Palaemon.
+
+[Sidenote: Bacchus' attendants.]
+
+When still but a youth, Bacchus was appointed god of wine and revelry,
+and intrusted to the guidance of Silenus, a satyr, half man and half
+goat, who educated him, and accompanied him on all his travels; for he
+delighted in roaming all over the world, borne by his followers, or
+riding in his chariot drawn by wild beasts, while his tutor followed
+him, mounted on an ass, supported on either side by an attendant.
+
+ [Illustration: BACCHUS. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+ "And near him rode Silenus on his ass,
+ Pelted with flowers as he on did pass."
+
+ Keats.
+
+Bacchus' train was very large indeed, and composed of men and women,
+nymphs, fauns, and satyrs, all crowned with ivy leaves, who drank
+wine,--a drink compounded for their express use out of water and
+sunshine,--ate grapes, danced and sang, and loudly proclaimed him
+their chosen leader.
+
+ "'We follow Bacchus! Bacchus on the wing,
+ A conquering!
+ Bacchus, young Bacchus! good or ill betide,
+ We dance before him thorough kingdoms wide.'"
+
+ Keats.
+
+The most unruly among his female followers were the Bacchantes, who
+delighted in revelry, and were in a perpetual state of intoxication as
+they went with him from land to land, where he taught the people the
+cultivation of the vine and the art of making wine. He traveled thus,
+it is said, throughout Greece and Asia Minor, and even ventured as far
+as India and Ethiopia.
+
+[Sidenote: Bacchus and the pirates.]
+
+During these long journeys, Bacchus, as was inevitable, met with many
+adventures, which have been fertile themes for poetry and art. On one
+occasion, having strayed away from his followers and lost his way,
+Bacchus laid himself down upon the sand on the seashore to rest. Some
+pirates, sailing by, saw the handsome young sleeper, and noiselessly
+bore him off to their vessel, intending to sell him as a slave in
+Egypt.
+
+They were already quite far out at sea when the god awoke, and gazed
+around him in mute wonder at his surroundings. When fully roused, he
+bade the seamen take him back to land, but they merely replied by
+laughter and mockery. Their amusement was cut short, however, for the
+ship came to a sudden standstill; and, when they leaned over the sides
+to ascertain why their oars could no longer propel it onward, they saw
+a vine grow out of the sea, and twine its branches and tendrils with
+lightning-like velocity around oars, mast, and rigging, thus
+transforming the vessel into a floating arbor. Then a sound of music
+and revelry greeted their astonished ears, and Bacchus' followers came
+thronging over the ship's sides, riding on wild beasts, and chanting
+the praises of their god and of his favorite beverage.
+
+ "In chorus we sing of wine, sweet wine,
+ Its power benign, and its flavor divine."
+
+ Martinez de la Rosa.
+
+These extraordinary sights and sounds so bewildered the poor sailors,
+that they lost all presence of mind, and jumped overboard into the
+sea, where they were drowned and changed into dolphins.
+
+On another occasion, Silenus, after a great carousal, lost his way in
+the forest, and helplessly wandered from place to place in search of
+his companions, until he finally came to the court of Midas, King of
+Lydia, of ass's ears fame (p. 75).
+
+[Sidenote: The curse of gold.]
+
+Midas no sooner beheld the red nose and bloated appearance of the
+wanderer, than he recognized him as Bacchus' tutor, and volunteered to
+lead him back to his divine pupil. Delighted to see Silenus again,
+Bacchus promised Midas any reward he wished; whereupon Midas, who was
+an avaricious old king, fell upon his knees, and humbly besought the
+god to grant that all he touched might be changed into gold.
+
+ "'Give me,' says he (nor thought he ask'd too much),
+ 'That with my body whatsoe'er I touch,
+ Changed from the nature which it held of old,
+ May be converted into yellow gold.'"
+
+ Ovid (Croxall's tr.).
+
+Bacchus immediately signified that his prayer was granted; and Midas,
+overjoyed at the success of his bold venture, wandered back to his
+palace, testing his new-won power, which changed all to gold at a mere
+touch of one of his fingers.
+
+ "Down from a lowly branch a twig he drew,
+ The twig straight glitter'd with a golden hue.
+ He takes a stone, the stone was turn'd to gold:
+ A clod he touches, and the crumbling mold
+ Acknowledged soon the great transforming power,
+ In weight and substance like a mass of ore.
+ He pluck'd the corn, and straight his grasp appears
+ Fill'd with a bending tuft of golden ears.
+ An apple next he takes, and seems to hold
+ The bright Hesperian vegetable gold:
+ His hand he careless on a pillar lays,
+ With shining gold the fluted pillars blaze."
+
+ Ovid (Croxall's tr.).
+
+The sight of these and many other wonders, wrought by a mere touch,
+filled his heart with joy; and in his elation he bade his servants
+prepare a sumptuous feast, and invite all his courtiers to share his
+merriment. His commands were obeyed with the utmost celerity, and
+Midas beamed with satisfaction as he took his place at the head of the
+board, and viewed the choice dishes and wines prepared for his
+delectation.
+
+Here, too, however, a new revelation awaited him; for cloth, plate,
+and cup turned to gold, as did the food and drink as soon as they met
+his eager lips.
+
+ "Whose powerful hands the bread no sooner hold,
+ But all its substance is transform'd to gold:
+ Up to his mouth he lifts the savory meat,
+ Which turns to gold as he attempts to eat:
+ His patron's noble juice of purple hue,
+ Touch'd by his lips, a gilded cordial grew,
+ Unfit for drink; and, wondrous to behold,
+ It trickles from his jaws a fluid gold.
+ The rich poor fool, confounded with surprise,
+ Starving in all his various plenty lies."
+
+ Ovid (Croxall's tr.).
+
+In the midst of plenty, the gnawing pangs of hunger now made
+themselves felt; and the precious gift, which prevented his allaying
+them, soon lost all its attractions. With weary feet, Midas now
+retraced the road he had traveled in his pride a few hours before,
+again cast himself at Bacchus' feet, and this time implored him to
+take back the inconvenient gift, which prevented him from satisfying
+his natural appetites.
+
+His distress seemed so real, that Bacchus bade him go and wash in the
+Pactolus River, if he would be rid of the power which had so soon
+turned into a curse. Midas hastened off to the river and plunged in
+its tide, noting that even its sands all turned to gold beneath his
+tread; since when,
+
+ "Pactolus singeth over golden sands."
+
+ Gray.
+
+[Sidenote: Naxos.]
+
+Bacchus' favorite place of resort was the Island of Naxos, which he
+visited after every journey. During one of his sojourns there, he
+discovered a fair maiden lying alone on the sandy shore. Ariadne, for
+such was the girl's name, had been forsaken there by her lover,
+Theseus, who had sailed away while she slept (p. 257). As soon as she
+awoke, she called her faithless lover; but no answering sound fell
+upon her ear except the mocking tones of Echo. Her tears flowed freely
+as she beat her breast in despair; but suddenly her lamentations
+ceased, as she caught the faint sound of music floating toward her on
+the summer breeze. Eagerly turning toward the pleasant music, she
+caught sight of a merry procession, headed by the God of Wine.
+
+ "'And as I sat, over the light blue hills
+ There came a noise of revelers: the rills
+ Into the wide stream came of purple hue--
+ 'Twas Bacchus and his crew!
+ The earnest trumpet spake, and silver thrills
+ From kissing cymbals made a merry din--
+ 'Twas Bacchus and his kin!
+ Like to a moving vintage down they came,
+ Crown'd with green leaves, and faces all on flame;
+ All madly dancing through the pleasant valley.'"
+
+ Keats.
+
+ [Illustration: MARRIAGE OF BACCHUS AND ARIADNE.--Tintoretto. (Ducal
+ Palace, Venice.)]
+
+[Sidenote: Bacchus and Ariadne.]
+
+Bacchus, the first to perceive the fair mourner, hastened to her side,
+and brought all his powers of persuasion into play to console her. His
+devotion at last induced her to forget her recreant lover, and, after
+a short courtship, Bacchus won her as a bride.
+
+Their wedding was the gayest ever seen, and the feasting lasted for
+several days. The bridegroom presented the bride with a crown adorned
+with seven glittering stars,--an ornament which fitly enhanced her
+peerless beauty. Shortly after her marriage, however, poor Ariadne
+sickened and died, leaving a disconsolate widower, who took the crown
+she had so often worn and flung it up into the air. It rose higher and
+higher, until the gods fixed it in the sky, where it still forms a
+brilliant constellation, known as Ariadne's Crown, or Corona.
+
+ "And still her sign is seen in heaven,
+ And, 'midst the glittering symbols of the sky,
+ The starry crown of Ariadne glides."
+
+ Apollonius Rhodius.
+
+Bacchus' lightheartedness had all vanished, and he no longer took any
+pleasure in music, dance, or revelry, until Jupiter, in pity for his
+bereavement, restored Ariadne to his longing arms, and, to prevent her
+being again claimed by Death, gave her immortal life.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Pentheus.]
+
+When but a short distance from Thebes, Bacchus once sent a herald to
+Pentheus, the king, to announce his approach, and bespeak a suitable
+reception and sumptuous entertainment. Rumors of the noise and
+disorder, which seemed to have been the invariable accompaniment of
+the god's presence, had already reached Pentheus, who therefore
+dismissed the herald with an insolent message, purporting that Bacchus
+had better remain outside of the city gates.
+
+To avenge this insult, Bacchus inspired the Theban women with a
+species of dementia, which made them rush simultaneously out of the
+city and join his followers. Then they all clamored for permission to
+witness the religious rites in his honor, generally called Mysteries,
+which permission was graciously granted.
+
+The king's spies reported all that had occurred, and their accounts
+made Pentheus long to view the ceremonies in secret. He therefore
+disguised himself, and hid in a bush near the consecrated place,
+hoping to see all without being seen; but an inadvertent movement
+attracted the attention of the already excited Bacchantes, who, led by
+Agave, the king's own mother, dragged him from his hiding place and
+tore him limb from limb.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Bacchus.]
+
+Bacchus, god of wine, was worshiped throughout the ancient world, and
+festivals without number were held in his honor. The most noted were
+the Greater and Lesser Dionysia, the Liberalia, and the Bacchanalia,
+where the wildest merrymaking and license were freely indulged in by
+all participants.
+
+ "Bacchus, on thee they call, in hymns divine,
+ And hang thy statues on the lofty pine:
+ Hence plenty every laughing vineyard fills,
+ Thro' the deep valleys and the sloping hills;
+ Where'er the god inclines his lovely face,
+ More luscious fruits the rich plantations grace.
+ Then let us Bacchus' praises duly sing,
+ And consecrated cakes, and chargers bring,
+ Dragg'd by their horns let victim goats expire,
+ And roast on hazel spits before the sacred fire."
+
+ "Come, sacred sire, with luscious clusters crown'd,
+ Here all the riches of thy reign abound;
+ Each field replete with blushing autumn glows,
+ And in deep tides for thee the foaming vintage flows."
+
+ Virgil (Warton's tr.).
+
+Bacchus is generally represented as a handsome youth, crowned with ivy
+or grape leaves and clusters, bearing the thyrsus, an ivy-circled
+wand, as scepter, and riding in a chariot drawn by panthers or
+leopards.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+CERES AND PROSERPINA.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Ceres and Proserpina.]
+
+Ceres (Demeter), daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and one of Jupiter's
+numerous consorts, was goddess of agriculture and civilization. Her
+manifold cares were shared by her daughter, Proserpina (Cora,
+Pherephatta, Persephone), the goddess of vegetation. Whenever her
+duties permitted, this fair young goddess hastened off to the Island
+of Sicily, her favorite place of resort, where she wandered about all
+day long, attended by a merry girlish train, gathering flowers, on the
+green slopes of Mount AEtna, and danced with the nymphs in the
+beautiful plain of Enna.
+
+One day, weary of labor, Proserpina called these fair playmates to
+join her and spend a merry day gathering flowers.
+
+ "And one fair morn--
+ Not all the ages blot it--on the side
+ Of AEtna we were straying. There was then
+ Summer nor winter, springtide nor the time
+ Of harvest, but the soft unfailing sun
+ Shone always, and the sowing time was one
+ With reaping."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+[Sidenote: Pluto kidnaps Proserpina.]
+
+The maidens sang merry lays as they wound their long garlands; and
+their joyous voices and ripples of silvery laughter attracted the
+attention of Pluto, just then driving past in his dark chariot drawn
+by four fiery coal-black steeds. To ascertain whence these sounds
+proceeded, the god stepped out of his car, and cautiously peeped
+through the thick foliage.
+
+He saw Proserpina sitting on a mossy bank, almost buried in many-hued
+blossoms, her laughing companions picturesquely grouped around her.
+One glance sufficed to convince Pluto of her loveliness and grace, and
+to make him feel that his happiness depended on the possession of this
+bright young creature.
+
+Long ere this, he had tried to persuade one after another of the
+goddesses to share his gloomy throne; but one and all had refused the
+honor, and declined to accompany him to a land where the sun never
+shone, the birds never sang, and the flowers never bloomed. Hurt and
+disappointed by these rebuffs, Pluto had finally registered a solemn
+vow never to go wooing again; and so, instead of gently inviting
+Proserpina to become his queen, he resolved to kidnap her.
+
+Straight through the bushes he strode, direct to the spot where she
+was seated. The noise of crackling branches and hasty footsteps made
+the assembled maidens swiftly turn. One glance sufficed to identify
+the intruder, for none but he could boast of such a dark, lowering
+countenance; and all exclaimed in mingled wonder and terror at his
+unwonted presence in those sunlit regions.
+
+ [Illustration: ABDUCTION OF PROSERPINA.--Schobelt.]
+
+ "'Tis he, 'tis he: he comes to us
+ From the depths of Tartarus.
+ For what of evil doth he roam
+ From his red and gloomy home,
+ In the center of the world,
+ Where the sinful dead are hurled?
+ Mark him as he moves along,
+ Drawn by horses black and strong,
+ Such as may belong to Night
+ Ere she takes her morning flight.
+ Now the chariot stops: the god
+ On our grassy world hath trod:
+ Like a Titan steppeth he,
+ Yet full of his divinity.
+ On his mighty shoulders lie
+ Raven locks, and in his eye
+ A cruel beauty, such as none
+ Of us may wisely look upon."
+
+ Barry Cornwall.
+
+Frightened by his impetuous approach, the trembling nymphs first
+crowded around Proserpina, who, in her astonishment and trepidation,
+dropped all her pretty flowers and stood motionless among them. Her
+uncertainty as to his purpose was only momentary, for, catching her in
+his brawny arms ere she could make an attempt to escape, he bore her
+off to his chariot, in spite of prayers and struggles, and drove away
+as fast as his fleet steeds could carry him.
+
+He was soon out of hearing of the wild cries and lamentations of the
+nymphs, who vainly pursued him, and tried to overtake their beloved
+mistress. Afraid lest Ceres should come and force him to relinquish
+his new-won treasure, Pluto drove faster and faster, nor paused for an
+instant until he reached the banks of the Cyane River, whose waters,
+at his approach, began to seethe and roar in a menacing fashion, and
+spread themselves as much as possible, to check him in his flight.
+
+Pluto quickly perceived that to attempt to cross the river in his
+chariot would be madness, while by retracing his footsteps he ran the
+risk of meeting Ceres, and being forced to relinquish his prize. He
+therefore decided to have recourse to other means, and, seizing his
+terrible two-pronged fork, struck the earth such a mighty blow, that a
+great crevice opened under his feet, through which horses and chariot
+plunged down into the darkness of the Lower World.
+
+Proserpina turned her weeping eyes to catch a parting glimpse of the
+fair earth she was leaving, and then, with a fond thought of her
+anxious mother, who, when evening came, would vainly seek her child in
+all her favorite haunts, she quickly flung her girdle into the Cyane,
+and called to the water nymph to carry it to Ceres.
+
+Elated by the complete success of his bold venture, and no longer
+fearful of immediate pursuit, the happy god strained his fair captive
+to his breast, pressed kisses on her fresh young cheeks, and tried to
+calm her terrors, as the black steeds rushed faster and faster along
+the dark passage, nor paused until they reached the foot of their
+master's throne.
+
+ "Pleased as he grasps her in his iron arms,
+ Frights with soft sighs, with tender words alarms."
+
+ Darwin.
+
+[Sidenote: Ceres' search.]
+
+In the mean while the sun had sunk below the Sicilian horizon; and
+Ceres, returning from the fields of fast-ripening grain to her own
+dwelling, sought for the missing Proserpina, of whom no trace could be
+found except the scattered flowers. Hither and thither the mother
+wandered, calling her daughter, and wondering where she could be, and
+why she did not come bounding to meet her. As time passed, and still
+Proserpina did not appear, Ceres' heart beat fast with apprehension,
+and the tears coursed down her cheeks as she rushed about from place
+to place, calling her daughter.
+
+ "What ails her that she comes not home?
+ Demeter seeks her far and wide,
+ And gloomy-browed doth ceaseless roam
+ From many a morn till eventide.
+ 'My life, immortal though it be,
+ Is naught!' she cries, 'for want of thee,
+ Persephone--Persephone!'"
+
+ Ingelow.
+
+Night came, and Ceres, kindling a torch at the volcanic fires of Mount
+AEtna, continued her search. Day dawned, and still the mother called,
+awakening the morning echoes with her longing cries for her child. Her
+daily duties were all neglected. The rain no longer refreshed the
+drooping flowers, the grain was parched by the ardent rays of the sun,
+and the grass all perished, while Ceres roamed over hill and dale in
+search of Proserpina.
+
+Weary at last of her hopeless quest, the goddess seated herself by
+the wayside, near the city of Eleusis, and gave way to her
+overwhelming grief.
+
+ "Long was thine anxious search
+ For lovely Proserpine, nor didst thou break
+ Thy mournful fast, till the far-fam'd Eleusis
+ Received thee wandering."
+
+ Orphic Hymn.
+
+[Sidenote: Ceres and Triptolemus.]
+
+To avoid recognition, she had assumed the appearance of an aged crone;
+and as she sat there by the wayside, in tears, she attracted the
+compassionate inquiries of the daughters of Celeus, king of the
+country. Having heard her bewail the loss of her child, they entreated
+her to come to the palace, and, knowing nothing could so well soothe a
+breaking heart, offered her the charge of their infant brother
+Triptolemus.
+
+Ceres, touched by their ready sympathy, accepted the offer; and when
+she arrived at the palace, the royal heir was intrusted to her care.
+Tenderly the goddess kissed the puny child's little pinched face; and
+at her touch the child became rosy and well, to the unbounded
+astonishment of the royal family and all the court.
+
+In the night, while Ceres sat alone with her charge, it occurred to
+her that she might confer a still greater blessing upon him, that of
+immortality: so she anointed his limbs with nectar, murmured a
+powerful charm, and placed him upon the red-hot coals, to consume all
+the perishable elements left in his body.
+
+The queen, Metaneira, who had thought it somewhat imprudent to leave
+the child thus alone with a stranger, now stole noiselessly into the
+apartment, and with a wild shriek rushed to the fire and snatched her
+child out of the flames, pressed him anxiously to her breast, and,
+after ascertaining that he was quite unharmed, turned to vent her
+indignation upon the careless nurse; but the aged beggar woman had
+vanished, and in her stead she confronted the radiant Goddess of
+Agriculture.
+
+ [Illustration: CERES. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+ "From her fragrant robes
+ A lovely scent was scattered, and afar
+ Shone light emitted from her skin divine,
+ And yellow locks upon her shoulders waved;
+ White as from lightning, all the house was filled
+ With splendor."
+
+ Homeric Hymn.
+
+With a gentle reproof to the queen for her untimely interference,
+Ceres explained what she fain would have done, and vanished, to
+continue her wanderings in other lands. She finally returned to Italy;
+and, while wandering along the river banks one day, the waters
+suddenly cast a glittering object at her feet. Stooping hastily to
+ascertain what it might be, she recognized the girdle her daughter had
+worn when she had parted from her in Sicily.
+
+Joyfully she embraced the token, and, thinking she must now be upon
+Proserpina's track, hastened on until she came to a crystal fountain,
+by whose side she sat down to rest. Her eyes were heavy with the
+combined effect of tears, fatigue, and oppressive heat, and she was
+about to lose all consciousness of her trouble in sleep, when the
+murmur of the fountain increased, until she fancied it was talking;
+not as mortals do, but in its own silvery accents.
+
+[Sidenote: Arethusa and Alpheus.]
+
+The goddess was not mistaken; for a few minutes later she could
+distinguish words, and heard the fountain entreat her to listen, if
+she would hear what had befallen her child. The fountain then went on
+to tell how she had not always been a mere stream, but was once a
+nymph, called Arethusa, in Diana's train, and how, overcome by the
+heat, she had once sought a cool stream wherein she might bathe her
+heated limbs.
+
+ [Illustration: A NYMPH.--Kray.]
+
+She soon found one, the Alpheus River, and selected a spot where the
+trees hung over the limpid waters, where the sand on the bottom was
+fine and even, and where no mortal eyes could see her as she threw
+aside her sandals and outer garments. She was enjoying the refreshing
+sensation of the water rippling around her hot limbs, and was
+reveling in the complete solitude, when suddenly the river, until now
+as smooth as a mirror, was ruffled by waves, which crept nearer and
+nearer to the startled nymph, until in affright she sprang out of the
+water.
+
+Then a voice--the voice of the river god Alpheus--was heard, calling
+to her in pleading accents to stay her flight and lend an ear to his
+wooing; but when the impetuous god, instead of waiting for an answer
+to his suit, rose up out of the water and rushed to clasp her in his
+arms, she turned and fled in great terror. She fled, but he pursued.
+Over hill and dale, through forest and field, Arethusa ran, still
+closely followed by her too ardent lover, until, exhausted, she paused
+for breath, crying aloud to Diana to come to her rescue.
+
+Her prayer was answered. A moment later she was enveloped in a thick
+mist and transformed into a fountain. Alpheus could no longer see her,
+but wandered about, bewailing her disappearance, and calling her in
+passionate accents.
+
+ "'O Arethusa, peerless nymph! why fear
+ Such tenderness as mine? Great Dian, why,
+ Why didst thou hear her prayer? Oh that I
+ Were rippling round her dainty fairness now,
+ Circling about her waist, and striving how
+ To entice her to a dive! then stealing in
+ Between her luscious lips and eyelids thin.'"
+
+ Keats.
+
+The misty cloud in which Arethusa had been enveloped by Diana's
+protecting care was soon blown away by a mischievous breath from
+Zephyrus; and Alpheus, who was still hovering near there, suddenly
+beholding a fountain where none had ever existed before, surmised what
+had happened. Changing himself into an impetuous torrent, he rushed to
+join his beloved, who sprang out of her mossy bed, and hurried on over
+sticks and stones, until Diana, seeing her new plight, opened a
+crevice, through which she glided away from the bright sunlight she
+loved so well into the depths of Pluto's realm.
+
+While gliding there in the gloom, Arethusa had caught a glimpse of
+Proserpina on her sable throne, beside the stern-browed Pluto. She
+could not, however, pause to inquire how she came there, but hurried
+on breathlessly, until another crevice offered her the means of
+returning to the upper world, and seeing once more the blue sky and
+sun on the Sicilian plains.
+
+The monotonous murmur of the fountain now subsided again into its
+usual undertone; and Ceres, knowing where to seek her daughter, was
+about to depart, when she heard the sudden rush and roar of a large
+body of water. She immediately turned, and beheld the torrent Alpheus,
+who, after a disconsolate search underground for the lost Arethusa,
+had found a crevice, through which he passed to join his beloved on
+the Sicilian plains.
+
+ "Alpheus, Elis' stream, they say,
+ Beneath the seas here found his way,
+ And now his waters interfuse
+ With thine, O fountain Arethuse,
+ Beneath Sicilian skies."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+In spite of her previous efforts to escape him, Arethusa must still
+have been very glad to see him once more, for Ceres heard her murmur
+contentedly as she sank into his arms and listened to his louder tones
+of rapturous love.
+
+Maidens in Greece were wont to throw fresh garlands into the Alpheus
+River; and it was said the selfsame flowers, carried away by his
+current, soon reappeared in the Sicilian fountain, carried there as
+love offerings by the enamored river.
+
+ "O my beloved, how divinely sweet
+ Is the pure joy when kindred spirits meet!
+ Like him, the river god, whose waters flow,
+ With love their only light, through caves below,
+ Wafting in triumph all the flowery braids
+ And festal rings, with which Olympic maids
+ Have decked his current, an offering meet
+ To lay at Arethusa's shining feet.
+ Think when at last he meets his fountain bride
+ What perfect love must thrill the blended tide!
+ And lost in each, till mingling into one,
+ Their lot the same for shadow or for sun,
+ A type of true love, to the deep they run."
+
+ Moore.
+
+[Sidenote: Ceres' mourning.]
+
+Now, although poor Ceres had ascertained where to find her missing
+daughter, her grief was not at all diminished, for she felt convinced
+that Pluto would never willingly relinquish her. She therefore
+withdrew into a dark cave to mourn unseen, and still further neglected
+her wonted duties.
+
+Famine threatened to visit the people, and they prayed and clamored
+for her aid; but, absorbed in grief, she paid no heed to their
+distress, and vowed that nothing on earth should grow, with her
+permission, as long as her daughter was detained in Hades. In despair
+at this frightful state of affairs, the people then besought Jupiter
+to pity the sufferings they endured, and to allow Proserpina to
+revisit the upper world once more.
+
+ "Arise, and set the maiden free;
+ Why should the world such sorrow dree
+ By reason of Persephone?"
+
+ Ingelow.
+
+As soon as she became aware of this petition, Ceres hastened to
+Olympus, to join her supplications to the cries which rose from all
+parts of the earth; until Jupiter, wearied by these importunities,
+consented to Proserpina's return, upon condition, however, that she
+had not touched any food during the whole time of her sojourn in the
+Infernal Regions.
+
+ "Last, Zeus himself,
+ Pitying the evil that was done, sent forth
+ His messenger beyond the western rim
+ To fetch me back to earth."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+[Sidenote: The pomegranate seeds.]
+
+Ceres in person hastened to her daughter's new abode, and was about to
+lead her away in spite of Pluto, when a spirit, Ascalaphus, suddenly
+declared that the queen had partaken of some pomegranate seeds that
+very day. Proserpina could not refute the charge, and Jupiter decreed
+that for every seed she had eaten she should spend one month of every
+year in her husband's gloomy kingdom.
+
+Thus it came about that Proserpina was condemned to spend one half the
+year in Hades, and could linger on the bright earth only for six
+months at a time.
+
+Mercury was chosen to lead her to and from Hades; and, whenever he
+brought her out of her gloomy prison, the skies became blue and sunny,
+the grass sprang fresh and green beneath her elastic tread, the
+flowers bloomed along her way, the birds trilled forth their merry
+lays, and all was joy and brightness.
+
+ "And when, in springtime, with sweet-smelling flowers
+ Of various kinds the earth doth bloom, thou'lt come
+ From gloomy darkness back--a mighty joy
+ To gods and mortal men."
+
+ Homeric Hymn.
+
+[Sidenote: Proserpina's return.]
+
+Ceres, happy once more in the possession of her beloved daughter,
+cheerfully and diligently attended to all her duties, and blessed the
+earth with plenty; but when the six months were over, and the skies
+wept and all nature mourned Proserpina's departure, she again returned
+to her cave, whence no entreaties could draw her.
+
+As for the merry, happy-natured Proserpina, the moment Hades' portals
+closed behind her, she became pale and melancholy; and none would have
+dreamed the playful, flower-crowned Goddess of Vegetation was
+identical with the sad-faced, sable-vested Queen of Hades (now called
+Hecate), who held a pomegranate in one hand, and a torch in the other.
+Proserpina, like Adonis, was the personification of vegetation,
+visibly prosperous during the six favorable months of the year, and
+lurking hidden under the cold ground during the remainder of the time.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Ceres.]
+
+Many beautiful temples were dedicated to Ceres and Proserpina in
+Greece and Italy, where yearly festivals, the Thesmophoria and the
+Cerealia, were celebrated with great pomp.
+
+ "To Ceres chief her annual rites be paid,
+ On the green turf, beneath a fragrant shade,
+ When winter ends, and spring serenely shines,
+ Then fat the lambs, then mellow are the wines,
+ Then sweet are slumbers on the flowery ground,
+ Then with thick shades are lofty mountains crown'd.
+ Let all the hinds bend low at Ceres' shrine;
+ Mix honey sweet, for her, with milk and mellow wine;
+ Thrice lead the victim the new fruits around,
+ And Ceres call, and choral hymns resound:
+ Presume not, swains, the ripen'd grain to reap,
+ Till crown'd with oak in antic dance ye leap,
+ Invoking Ceres, and in solemn lays,
+ Exalt your rural queen's immortal praise."
+
+ Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.).
+
+To commemorate her long search for her daughter, Ceres returned to
+Eleusis, taught her former nursling, Triptolemus, the various secrets
+of agriculture, and gave him her chariot, bidding him travel
+everywhere, and teach the people how to plow, sow, and reap; and then
+she instituted the Eleusinia, festivals held in honor of her daughter
+and herself at Eleusis.
+
+Triptolemus did not fail to carry out the goddess's instructions, and
+journeyed far and wide, until he finally reached the court of Lyncus,
+King of Scythia, where the false monarch would have treacherously
+slain him had not Ceres by timely interference prevented the execution
+of his base purpose by changing the traitor into a lynx, the emblem of
+perfidy.
+
+Ceres was generally represented as a fair, matronly woman, clad in
+flowing draperies, sometimes crowned with wheat ears, and bearing a
+sheaf of grain and a sickle, or with a plow and a horn of plenty
+disgorging its wealth of fruit and flowers at her feet. Groves were
+frequently dedicated to her; and any mortal rash enough to lay the ax
+on one of these sacred trees was sure to incur the goddess's wrath, as
+is proved by the story of Erisichthon.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Erisichthon.]
+
+This man was evidently a freethinker, and, to show his contempt for
+the superstitious veneration paid to Ceres' trees, took his ax and cut
+down one of her sacred oaks. At his first blow, blood began to flow
+from the tree; but, undeterred by the phenomenon or the entreaties of
+the bystanders, Erisichthon continued. Finally, annoyed by the
+importunities of the spectators, he turned and slew one or two, and
+then completed his sacrilege.
+
+Ceres, incensed by his insolence and cruelty, devised a terrible
+chastisement for the unfortunate man, and sent Famine to gnaw his
+vitals, and torment him night and day. The wretch, tortured by a
+hunger which no amount of food could allay, disposed of all his
+property to obtain the means of procuring nourishment; but his
+monstrous appetite continued, and, as he had but one daughter left, he
+sold her as a slave to obtain food.
+
+The girl's master left her alone for a moment upon the seashore, and,
+in answer to her prayer, Neptune delivered her from servitude by
+changing her into a fisherman. When the master returned and found his
+slave gone, he questioned the fisherman, and, not obtaining any
+satisfactory information, departed. Neptune then restored the maiden
+to her own form, and let her return home; but, as her father sold her
+again, the god was obliged to interfere once more in her behalf, until
+at last Erisichthon, deprived of means to procure food, devoured
+himself.
+
+[Sidenote: Ceres and Stellio.]
+
+Another anecdote illustrating Ceres' power is told about a lad,
+Stellio, who made fun of the goddess when she was journeying, on
+account of the haste with which she disposed of a bowl of gruel
+offered by some charitable person. To punish the boy for his rudeness,
+Ceres flung the remainder of her gruel into his face, and changed him
+into a lizard.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+VESTA.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Vesta.]
+
+Vesta, or Hestia, daughter of Cronus and Rhea, goddess of fire and of
+the family hearth, and guardian angel of mankind, was worshiped
+principally throughout Italy, although she also had shrines in Greece
+and Asia Minor.
+
+The family hearth in ancient times possessed a far different
+signification from what it does now, and was considered the family
+altar, for there the father of the family was wont to offer up his
+daily prayers and sacrifices. "As, according to the old heathen
+custom, all men were regarded as enemies unless by a special compact
+they had been made friends, so Vesta presided especially over true and
+faithful dealing;" and she was therefore generally represented as pure
+and undefiled.
+
+A beautiful circular temple in Rome was dedicated to Vesta's service;
+and here the Palladium of Troy was supposed to be preserved, together
+with the goddess's sacred fire, originally kindled by the rays of the
+sun.
+
+This fire--an emblem of the flame of life, which the ancients fancied
+was kept burning within each human breast by Vesta, the
+life-giver--was kept constantly burning, and never allowed to go out
+for want of fuel or timely care. Its flames were also intended to
+represent the purity of the goddess, who, although wooed by many
+lovers,--among whom Apollo and Neptune can justly claim the
+precedence,--remained always a virgin.
+
+ [Illustration: SCHOOL OF THE VESTAL VIRGINS.--Le Roux.]
+
+The Romans fancied that her worship had been introduced in Italy by
+AEneas, their famous ancestor, who brought thither his home gods, and
+who, according to tradition, selected the first Vestal Virgins.
+
+[Sidenote: Vestal Virgins.]
+
+The second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, built a beautiful temple, and
+instituted various religious ceremonies, in honor of Vesta. The
+loveliest and noblest among the Roman maidens were chosen to serve
+this goddess, and were known as Vestals, or Vestal Virgins. Admitted
+into the temple at the early age of six, they were compelled to serve
+ten years in fitting themselves to fulfill the duties they would be
+called upon to perform during the next decade as priestesses and
+guardians of the sacred fire. The last ten years were spent in
+instructing the novices; and, when their thirty-years' service was
+ended, they were at liberty either to continue in the temple, where
+they were treated with the greatest respect, or to leave it, and even
+marry, if such were their pleasure.
+
+During their time of servitude, they were expected to keep their vows
+of chastity and fidelity to their patroness, and to maintain her
+sacred fire, under penalty of being buried alive in a vaulted chamber,
+fashioned for this express purpose by Numa Pompilius's order. In turn,
+each of the priestesses watched the fire, renewed the fuel, and fanned
+the flame, nor lost sight of it night or day; for the Romans
+considered the extinction of this sacred flame the precursor of some
+great public calamity.
+
+The Vestals were, however, so pure and vigilant, that during one
+thousand years only eighteen failed to keep their vows satisfactorily,
+and suffered punishment. The Vestal Tuccia was accused of breach of
+faith, but, as proof of her purity, was given power to carry water in
+a sieve from the Tiber to the temple.
+
+ [Illustration: THE VESTAL TUCCIA.--Le Roux.]
+
+In return for the signal services the Vestals rendered to the state by
+maintaining this sacred fire, they enjoyed many privileges: among
+others, that of being preceded by a lictor with fasces when they
+walked abroad; of occupying the seats of honor in public ceremonies
+and festivities; of being buried within the city limits (a privilege
+granted to but very few); and of obtaining the pardon of criminals
+whom they met by accident on their way to the place of execution.
+Loved and greatly honored by all, the Vestals have become types of all
+things pure and lovely in woman.
+
+ "By these her trembling fires,
+ Like Vesta's, ever burning; and, like hers,
+ Sacred to thoughts immaculate and pure."
+
+ Young.
+
+The Vestal Virgins were further distinguished by a vesture of pure
+white linen, with a purple border and a wide purple mantle. In time of
+war or danger they were answerable for the preservation of the sacred
+fire, which they were allowed to remove to any place of safety; and on
+several occasions they therefore carried it out of Rome and down the
+Tiber, lest it should fall into the enemy's hands.
+
+The Vestals continued their office until the reign of Theodosius the
+Great, who, being converted to Christianity A.D. 380, abolished the
+worship of Vesta, dispersed the Vestals, and extinguished the sacred
+fire.
+
+[Sidenote: Festivals.]
+
+Vesta's services were held with great pomp; and her festivals, the
+Vestalia, were among the most beautiful and popular in Rome. Statues
+of this goddess--generally representing a woman of majestic beauty,
+clad in long robes, holding a lighted torch or lamp in one hand and a
+votive bowl in the other--were carried through the main streets of the
+city on all solemn occasions.
+
+In public processions the Vestals had the privilege of carrying their
+sacred fire; while the Roman matrons, glad to swell their ranks,
+followed them, barefooted, chanting the praises of the good goddess
+Vesta.
+
+ "And from the temple brings
+ Dread Vesta, with her holy things,
+ Her awful fillets, and the fire
+ Whose sacred embers ne'er expire."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+On these occasions great banquets were prepared before each house,
+all daily toil was suspended, the millstones were decked with flowers,
+and the very asses wont to turn them were covered with garlands and
+led in the processions.
+
+Among the Romans, Vesta was not the only goddess invoked on the family
+hearth, for she shared that place of honor with the Lares, Manes, and
+Penates, who all enjoyed special veneration and sacrifices.
+
+[Sidenote: Lares, Manes, and Penates.]
+
+The Lares, quite unknown to the Greeks, were two in number, the
+children of Mercury and Lara, a naiad famous for her beauty as well as
+for her extreme loquacity, which no one could check. Tradition relates
+that this fair maiden talked from morning till night, and told all she
+knew. Upon one occasion she incurred Jupiter's wrath by relating to
+Juno a conversation she had overheard between him and one of his
+numerous ladyloves.
+
+To punish her, and at the same time prevent further tale-bearing, the
+king of the gods cut off Lara's tongue, and, summoning Mercury, bade
+him lead her down to Hades to linger there forever. But on the way to
+the dismal abode of the dead, the messenger god fell in love with his
+fair charge, who, being now effectually cured of her sole fault, was
+irresistibly charming; and, instead of obeying Jupiter, he made love
+to her, and by pantomime obtained her consent to their union. She bore
+him two children, who from her were called Lares, and to whom the
+Romans always paid divine honors, reserving special places for them on
+the family hearth, for they were supposed to preside over houses and
+families. Their statues resembled monkeys covered with the skins of
+dogs; while at their feet a barking dog, the symbol of their care and
+vigilance, was always represented.
+
+The Manes--a name generally applied to souls when separated from the
+body--were also reckoned among the Roman divinities, and the
+illustrious ancestors of different families were often worshiped under
+this name.
+
+As for the Penates, they presided over the houses and domestic
+affairs. Each head of a household was wont to choose his own Penates,
+whom he then invoked as his special patrons. The statues of the
+Penates were of clay, wax, ivory, silver, or gold, according to the
+wealth of the family whose hearth they graced, and the offerings
+generally made to them were a small part of each meal.
+
+Upon removing from one house to another or from one place to another,
+it was customary for the head of the family to remove his household
+gods also, and establish them suitably before he thought of his own or
+his family's comfort, and in return for this kindly care the Penates
+blessed him with peace and prosperity.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+JANUS.
+
+
+Janus, god of the past, present, and future, of gates, entrances, war,
+and peace, and patron of all beginnings, although one of the most
+important of all the Roman divinities, was entirely unknown to the
+Greeks.
+
+According to some mythologists, he was the son of Apollo; and,
+although born in Thessaly, he early in life came to Italy, where he
+founded a city on the Tiber, to which he gave the name Janiculum. Here
+he was joined by the exiled Saturn, with whom he generously shared his
+throne. Together they civilized the wild inhabitants of Italy, and
+blessed them with such prosperity that their reign has often been
+called the Age of Gold.
+
+ "Saturn fled before victorious Jove,
+ Driven down and banish'd from the realms above.
+ He, by just laws, embodied all the train,
+ Who roam'd the hills, and drew them to the plain;
+ There fixed, and Latium called the new abode,
+ Whose friendly shores concealed the latent god.
+ These realms, in peace, the monarch long controlled,
+ And blessed the nations with an age of gold."
+
+ Virgil (C. Pitt's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Janus' two faces.]
+
+Janus is generally represented with two faces, turned in opposite
+directions, because he was acquainted with the past and future as well
+as with the present, and because he is considered an emblem of the
+sun, which opens the day at its rising, and closes the day at its
+setting.
+
+In some statues he is represented with one white-haired and bearded
+face, and the other quite youthful in appearance, while others
+represent him with three and even four heads.
+
+ "Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
+ Forward I look, and backward, and below
+ I count, as god of avenues and gates,
+ The years that through my portals come and go.
+
+ "I block the roads and drift the fields with snow;
+ I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen;
+ My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow;
+ My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men."
+
+ Longfellow.
+
+The commencement of every new year, month, and day was held sacred to
+Janus, and at that time special sacrifices and prayers were offered up
+at his shrines. He also presided over all gates and avenues, and
+through him alone prayers were supposed to reach the immortal gods:
+therefore in all religious ceremonies his name was always the first
+invoked. From this circumstance he often appears with a key in his
+right hand, and a rod in his left; or, when he presides over the year,
+he holds the number 300 in one hand, and 65 in the other.
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Janus.]
+
+He was also supposed to watch over peace and war, and had numerous
+temples throughout all Italy. One very celebrated temple was called
+Janus Quadrifons, because it was perfectly square. On each side of the
+building there was one door and three windows. These apertures were
+all symbolical,--the doors of the four seasons, and the windows of the
+twelve months, of the year.
+
+In times of war the temple gates were opened wide, for the people,
+being in need of aid and comfort, were all anxious to enter and
+present their offerings; but when peace reigned, the doors were
+immediately closed, for the god's intercession was no longer
+necessary. The Romans, however, were such a belligerent people, that
+the temple gates were closed but thrice in more than seven centuries,
+and then only for a very short period.
+
+Festivals in honor of Janus were celebrated on the first day of the
+new year; and one month bore the god's name, and was considered sacred
+to him. It was customary for friends and relatives to exchange calls,
+good wishes, and gifts on the first day of this month,--a Roman custom
+in force to this day.
+
+[Sidenote: Ancient divisions of time.]
+
+Janus is not the only one among the Greek and Latin divinities whose
+name has been given to a part of the year or week; for in Latin the
+names of the days are _dies Solis_ (Sun day), _dies Lunae_ (Moon day),
+_dies Martis_ (Mars' day), _dies Mercurii_ (Mercury's day), _dies
+Jovis_ (Jove's day), _dies Veneris_ (Venus' day), _dies Saturni_
+(Saturn's day); Latin names which are still in use in legislative and
+judiciary acts, while in English the common nomenclature is derived
+from the names of the corresponding Saxon divinities.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+SOMNUS AND MORS.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Cave of sleep.]
+
+After leaving the joyless regions of Pluto's realm, and following the
+even course of the Lethe River, the ancients fancied one reached a
+large cave in a remote and quiet valley. This cave was the dwelling of
+Somnus (or Hupnos), god of sleep, and of his twin brother Mors (or
+Thanatos), god of death; and both were sons of the Goddess of Night,
+who had once ruled the whole universe. Near the entrance of the cave,
+shadowy forms kept constant watch, gently shaking great bunches of
+poppies, and, with finger to lips, enjoining silence on all who
+ventured near. These forms were the genii of sleep and death,
+represented in art as crowned with poppies or amaranths, and sometimes
+holding a funeral urn or a reversed torch.
+
+[Sidenote: Somnus and Morpheus.]
+
+The cave was divided into chambers, each one darker and more silent
+than the one which preceded it. In one of the inner rooms, which was
+all draped with sable curtains, stood a downy couch, upon which
+reclined the monarch of sleep. His garments were also black, but all
+strewn with golden stars. He wore a crown of poppies on his head, and
+held a goblet full of poppy juice in his languid hand. His drowsy head
+was supported by Morpheus, his prime minister, who watched incessantly
+over his prolonged slumbers, and hindered any one from troubling his
+repose.
+
+ [Illustration: GENIUS OF DEATH.--Canova. (Tomb of Clement XIII.;
+ St. Peter's, Rome.)]
+
+ "Deep in a cavern dwells the drowsy god:
+ Whose gloomy mansion nor the rising sun,
+ Nor setting, visits, nor the lightsome noon:
+ But lazy vapors round the region fly,
+ Perpetual twilight, and a doubtful sky;
+ No crowing cock does there his wings display,
+ Nor with his horny bill provoke the day:
+ Nor watchful dogs, nor the more wakeful geese,
+ Disturb with nightly noise the sacred peace:
+ Nor beast of nature, nor the tame, are nigh,
+ Nor trees with tempest rock'd, nor human cry;
+ But safe repose, without an air of breath,
+ Dwells here, and a dumb quiet next to death.
+ An arm of Lethe, with a gentle flow,
+ Arising upwards from the rock below,
+ The palace moats, and o'er the pebbles creeps,
+ And with soft murmurs calls the coming sleeps;
+ Around its entry nodding poppies grow,
+ And all cool simples that sweet rest bestow;
+ Night from the plants their sleepy virtue drains,
+ And passing, sheds it on the silent plains:
+ No door there was the unguarded house to keep,
+ On creaking hinges turn'd to break his sleep.
+ But in the gloomy court was rais'd a bed,
+ Stuff'd with black plumes, and on an ebon sted:
+ Black was the covering too, where lay the god,
+ And slept supine, his limbs display'd abroad.
+ About his head fantastic visions fly,
+ Which various images of things supply,
+ And mock their forms; the leaves on trees not more,
+ Nor bearded ears in fields, nor sands upon the shore."
+
+ Ovid (Dryden's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Dreams and Nightmares.]
+
+All around the bed and over it hovered throngs of exquisite spirits,
+the Dreams, who stooped to whisper their pleasant messages in his ear;
+while in the distant corners of the apartment lurked the hideous
+Nightmares. The Dreams were often dispatched to earth under Mercury's
+charge, to visit mortals.
+
+Two gates led out of the valley of sleep,--one of ivory, and the other
+of horn. The Dreams which passed through the glittering gates of ivory
+were delusive, while those which passed through the homely gate of
+horn were destined to come true in the course of time.
+
+ "Of dreams, O stranger, some are meaningless
+ And idle, and can never be fulfilled.
+ Two portals are there for their shadowy shapes,
+ Of ivory one, and one of horn. The dreams
+ That come through the carved ivory deceive
+ With promises that never are made good;
+ But those which pass the doors of polished horn,
+ And are beheld of men, are ever true."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Dreams were also frequently sent through the gates of horn to prepare
+mortals for misfortunes, as in the case of Halcyone.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Ceyx and Halcyone.]
+
+Ceyx, King of Thessaly, was once forced to part from his beloved wife,
+Halcyone, to travel off to Delphi to consult the oracle. With many
+tears this loving couple parted, and Halcyone watched the lessening
+sail until it had quite vanished from sight; then she returned to her
+palace to pray for her husband's safe return. But, alas! the gods had
+decreed they should never meet again on earth; and, even while
+Halcyone prayed, a tempest arose which wrecked Ceyx's vessel, and
+caused him and all his crew to perish in the seething waves.
+
+Day after day the queen hastened down to the seashore, followed by her
+attendants, to watch for the returning sails of her husband's vessel;
+and night after night she lay on her couch, anxiously expecting the
+morrow, which she ever fancied would prove auspicious. The gods,
+seeing her anxiety, and wishing to prepare her to receive the news of
+his death, and especially to view with some composure his corpse,
+which they had decided should be washed ashore, sent a Dream to visit
+her.
+
+After assuming the face and form of Ceyx, the Dream glided away
+through the gate of horn, hastened to Halcyone's bedside, and
+whispered that her husband was dead, and that his body was even now
+being cast up on the smooth, sandy beach by the salt sea waves. With a
+wild cry of terror and grief, Halcyone awoke, and hastened to the
+seashore to convince herself that the dream had been false; but she
+had no sooner reached the beach, than the waves washed her husband's
+corpse to her feet.
+
+To endure life without him seemed too great a task for poor Halcyone,
+who immediately cast herself into the sea, to perish beside him.
+Touched by grief so real and intense, the gods changed both bodies
+into birds, since known as Halcyon birds, and decreed they should ever
+live on the waters. These birds were said to build their nests and
+hatch their young on the heaving billows, and to utter shrill cries of
+warning to the seamen whenever a storm threatened, bidding them
+prepare for the blast, and hasten to shelter in port, if they would
+not encounter the mournful fate of poor Ceyx.
+
+[Sidenote: Mors.]
+
+Mors, god of death, occupied one of the corners of Somnus' cave. He
+was a hideous, cadaverous-looking deity, clad in a winding sheet, and
+held an hourglass and a scythe in his hand. His hollow eyes were fixed
+upon the sands of time; and when they had run out, he knew some life
+was about to end, and sallied forth, scythe in hand, to mow down his
+prey with relentless joy.
+
+Needless to say, this cruel deity was viewed by the ancients with fear
+and dislike, and no homage was offered him.
+
+These two divinities were, however, but of slight importance in the
+general scheme of ancient mythology, in which Proserpina was generally
+regarded as the emblem of death, and they were therefore more like
+local divinities. The Lacedaemonians paid the most heed to them, and
+invariably placed their statues side by side.
+
+[Sidenote: Morpheus.]
+
+As for Morpheus, the son as well as the prime minister of Somnus, he
+was also called the god of sleep, and mortals were wont to intercede
+for his good offices. He is generally represented as a sleeping child
+of great corpulence, and with wings. Morpheus held a vase in one hand,
+and poppies in the other, which he gently shook to induce a state of
+drowsiness,--according to him, the acme of bliss.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+AEOLUS.
+
+
+Not very far away from the quiet realm of Somnus and Mors, but on the
+surface of the earth, were the AEolian Islands, now known as the Lipari
+Islands, where AEolus, god of the storm and winds, governed a very
+unruly and turbulent population.
+
+He is said to have received his royal dignity from the fair hands of
+Juno, and he was therefore specially eager to obey all her behests. He
+is commonly reputed to have married Aurora, or Eos, who gave him six
+sons i.e., Boreas, the north wind; Corus, the northwest wind; Aquilo,
+the west wind; Notus, the southwest wind; Eurus, the east wind; and
+lastly, Zephyrus, the gentle and lovable south wind, whose mission it
+was to announce to mortals the return of ever-welcome spring.
+
+[Sidenote: AEolus' children.]
+
+AEolus' five elder sons were of a noisy, roving, mischievous, turbulent
+disposition, and peace and quiet were utterly impossible to them. To
+prevent their causing serious disasters, he therefore ruled them with
+a very strict hand, kept them very closely confined in a great cave,
+and let them loose only one at a time, to stretch their limbs and take
+a little exercise.
+
+ "AEolus in a cavern vast
+ With bolt and barrier fetters fast
+ Rebellious storm and howling blast.
+ They with the rock's reverberant roar
+ Chafe blustering round their prison door
+ He, throned on high, the scepter sways,
+ Controls their moods, their wrath allays."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+Although very unruly indeed, the winds always obeyed their father's
+voice, and at his command, however reluctant, returned to their gloomy
+prison, where they expended their impotent rage in trying to shake its
+strong walls.
+
+According to his own mood, or in conformity with the gods' request,
+AEolus either sent the gentler winds to play among the flowers, or,
+recalling them, let the fiercest of all his children free, with orders
+to pile up the waves mountain-high, lash them to foam, tear the sails
+of all the vessels at sea, break their masts, uproot the trees, tear
+the roofs off the houses, etc.,--in short, to do all the harm they
+possibly could.
+
+ "Now rising all at once, and unconfin'd,
+ From every quarter roars the rushing wind:
+ First, from the wide Atlantic Ocean's bed,
+ Tempestuous Corus rears his dreadful head,
+ Th' obedient deep his potent breath controls,
+ And, mountain-high, the foamy flood he rolls;
+ Him the Northeast encountering fierce, defied,
+ And back rebuffeted the yielding tide.
+ The curling surges loud conflicting meet,
+ Dash their proud heads, and bellow as they beat;
+ While piercing Boreas, from the Scythian strand,
+ Plows up the waves and scoops the lowest sand.
+ Nor Eurus then, I ween, was left to dwell,
+ Nor showery Notus in th' AEolian cell,
+ But each from every side, his power to boast,
+ Ranged his proud forces to defend the coast."
+
+ Lucan.
+
+AEolus, king of the winds, shared with Daedalus the honor of inventing
+the sails which propel the ships so swiftly over the tide. It was he,
+too, who, according to Homer, bound all his children but one in a
+leather bag, which he gave to Ulysses when the latter visited AEolia.
+Thanks to this gift, Ulysses reached the shores of Ithaca, and would
+have landed in safety, had not his men, in view of port, untied the
+sack to investigate its contents, and thus set free the angry winds,
+who stirred up the most frightful tempest in mythic annals.
+
+[Sidenote: Temple of AEolus.]
+
+The ancients, and especially the Athenians, paid particular attention
+to the winds, to whom they dedicated a temple, which is still extant,
+and generally known as the Tower of the Winds, or the Temple of AEolus.
+This temple is hexagonal, and on each side a flying figure of one of
+the winds is represented.
+
+Eurus, the east wind, was generally depicted "as a young man flying
+with great impetuosity, and often appearing in a playful and wanton
+humor." Notus, or Auster, the southwest wind, "appeared generally as
+an old man, with gray hair, a gloomy countenance, a head covered with
+clouds, a sable vesture, and dusky wings," for he was considered the
+dispenser of rain and of all sudden and heavy showers. Zephyrus, mild
+and gentle, had a lapful of flowers, and, according to the Athenian
+belief, was wedded to Flora, with whom he was perfectly happy, and
+visited every land in turn. Corus, the northwest wind, drove clouds of
+snow before him; while Aquilo, dreadful in appearance, caused cold
+shivers to run down one's back at his mere sight. Boreas, rough and
+shivering too, was the father of rain, snow, hail, and tempests, and
+was therefore generally represented as veiled in impenetrable clouds.
+His favorite place of abode was in the Hyperborean Mountains, from
+whence he sallied forth on wild raids. During one of these excursions
+he carried off Orithyia, who always fled at his approach. But all her
+fleetness could not save her: she was overtaken, and borne away to the
+inaccessible regions of snow and ice, where he detained her, and made
+her his wife. She became the mother of Zetes and Calais,--who took
+part in the Argonautic expedition, and drove away the Harpies (p.
+267),--and of two daughters, Cleopatra and Chione.
+
+On another occasion, Boreas, having changed himself into a horse and
+united himself to the mares of Dardanus, King of Troy, became the
+father of twelve steeds so swift that none could overtake them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+HERCULES.
+
+ "Unto this thy son it shall be given,
+ With his broad heart to win his way to heaven;
+ Twelve labors shall he work; and all accurst
+ And brutal things o'erthrow, brute men the worst;
+ And in Trachinia shall the funeral pyre
+ Purge his mortalities away with fire;
+ And he shall mount amid the stars, and be
+ Acknowledg'd kin to those who envied thee,
+ And sent these den-born shapes to crush his destiny."
+
+ Theocritus (Hunt's tr.).
+
+
+The ancients were not content to worship the gods only, but also
+offered up sacrifices to a few mortals, who, by their heroic deeds and
+virtuous lives, had won both admiration and respect. Foremost among
+these heroes--generally designated by the title of demigods--is
+Hercules (Heracles, Alcides), son of Jupiter and Alcmene, a mortal
+princess.
+
+[Sidenote: Juno persecutes Hercules.]
+
+As soon as the tidings of Hercules' birth reached Olympus, Juno began
+to plot how to destroy her rival's child. Two colossal serpents with
+poisonous fangs were therefore dispatched by her orders to attack the
+babe in its cradle. The monsters crept along noiselessly, entered the
+palace unseen, twined themselves around the cradle, and were about to
+crush the child to death in their folds, when, to the utter
+astonishment of the helpless attendants, little Hercules caught them
+fast by the neck in each tiny hand and strangled them, thus giving the
+first proof of the marvelous strength which was to make him famous.
+
+ [Illustration: HERCULES AN INFANT. (Louvre, Paris.)]
+
+ "First two dread Snakes at Juno's vengeful nod
+ Climb'd round the cradle of the sleeping God;
+ Waked by the shrilling hiss, and rustling sound,
+ And shrieks of fair attendants trembling round,
+ Their gasping throats with clenching hands he holds;
+ And Death untwists their convoluted folds."
+
+ Darwin.
+
+When Juno perceived how easily Hercules had escaped from the danger
+which threatened him, she deemed it useless to make another attempt to
+take his life, but decided to vex his proud spirit by inflicting many
+petty annoyances, and to prevent his enjoying any lasting peace or
+happiness.
+
+To achieve this purpose, she first extorted from Jupiter a decree that
+condemned Hercules to serve his cousin Eurystheus--a mean and cowardly
+prince who ruled over the kingdom of Argos--for a certain number of
+years.
+
+Hercules' education was carefully attended to by Chiron, a learned
+Centaur, who taught him how to use all the different weapons, and
+trained him in all kinds of athletic sports. The years passed by
+happily and swiftly, until at last the time came when Hercules'
+education was completed, and the whole world lay before him, full of
+pleasant possibilities, and rich with many attractions.
+
+[Sidenote: Hercules' choice.]
+
+The youthful hero, dismissed by his instructor, now set out to seek
+his fortunes. He had not gone very far, however, before he met two
+beautiful women, who immediately entered into conversation with him,
+and drew from him a confession that he was in search of adventures.
+The women, Arete (Virtue) and Kakia (Vice), each offered to be his
+guide, but bade him choose which he preferred to follow.
+
+Kakia, to induce him to follow her guidance, promised riches, ease,
+consideration, and love; while Arete, a modest maiden, warned him that
+in her wake he would be obliged to wage incessant war against evil, to
+endure hardships without number, and spend his days in toil and
+poverty.
+
+Silently Hercules pondered for a while over these two so dissimilar
+offers, and then, mindful of his tutor's oft-repeated instructions,
+rose from his seat by the wayside, and, turning to Arete, declared
+himself ready to obey any command she might choose to give him.
+
+ "Young Hercules with firm disdain
+ Braved the soft smiles of Pleasure's harlot train;
+ To valiant toils his forceful limbs assign'd,
+ And gave to Virtue all his mighty mind."
+
+ Darwin.
+
+Courageously he then trod along the rough and thorny path she pointed
+out, and patiently performed the various tasks she assigned him,
+delivering the oppressed, defending the weak, and redressing all
+wrongs.
+
+[Sidenote: Hercules' madness.]
+
+In reward for these good actions he received the hand of Megara,
+daughter of Creon, King of Thebes, in marriage, and by her had three
+children, whom he tenderly loved. But Juno was not at all satisfied to
+see him leading such a peaceful and prosperous life, and to interrupt
+its even course drove the hero mad.
+
+In a fit of delirium he threw his offspring into the fire, and, we are
+told, slew his dearly beloved wife. Then only he recovered his senses,
+and suffered agonies of sorrow and remorse for the terrible crimes he
+had unwittingly committed. In his grief he withdrew to the mountain
+solitudes, where he would probably have lingered all the remainder of
+his life, had not Mercury come to get him, and announced that he was
+to serve Eurystheus, King of Argos, for a twelvemonth.
+
+[Sidenote: Hercules in servitude.]
+
+The messenger god then offered to lead him to his appointed
+taskmaster. But when Hercules learned he was doomed to be a slave, he
+fell into such a passion, that he nearly lost his reason again; and
+instead of killing noxious beasts, and winning the people's blessings
+by his deeds of kindness, he wandered about stupidly and aimlessly,
+until he finally perceived how vain was his attempt to struggle
+against fate, and urged by his chosen adviser, Arete, voluntarily
+offered his services to Eurystheus, who informed him that he must
+accomplish twelve great labors ere he could again be free.
+
+[Sidenote: Nemean lion.]
+
+Eager to begin the appointed tasks, Hercules set out first to find and
+destroy a monstrous lion, whose den was in the Nemean Forest. Far and
+wide, throughout the whole neighborhood, this monster committed his
+depredations, carrying off cattle and sheep, men, women, and children,
+to devour at his ease. All warned Hercules of the danger and
+difficulty of the undertaking, described the failure of countless
+previous attempts to slay the monster, and prophesied that he would
+never return alive. The hero would not be dissuaded, but entered the
+forest, tracked the lion to his den, grasped him by the throat, and
+strangled him as he had strangled the snakes in his infancy. He then
+skinned the monster, whose shaggy pelt became his favorite covering.
+
+ "So from Nemea's den Alcides strode,
+ The lion's yellow spoil around his shoulders flow'd."
+
+ Flaccus (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Hydra of Lerna.]
+
+On his return to Argos to report the successful termination of his
+first task, Hercules was told to repair to the marshes of Lerna, where
+lurked a seven-headed serpent, the Hydra, and put an end to its career
+of rapacity, for this snake devoured man and beast. Armed with a great
+sword, Hercules succeeded in cutting off one of the seven heads; but
+he had no sooner done so, than, to his dismay, he saw seven other
+heads suddenly spring from the bleeding stump. To prevent a repetition
+of this unpleasant miracle, Hercules bade his friend Iolaus, who had
+accompanied him thither to view his prowess, take a lighted brand and
+sear the wounds as soon as inflicted. Thanks to this wise plan, the
+monster was finally slain, although a friendly crab sent by Juno to
+defend Hydra continually pinched Hercules' feet. The hero, angry at
+this intervention, crushed the crab, which, however, received its
+reward, for the Queen of Heaven placed it in the sky as the
+constellation of Cancer (the Crab). The country was thus freed from
+its long state of thraldom; but, before leaving the scene of his
+second labor, Hercules dipped his arrows in the Hydra's venomous
+blood, knowing well that any wound they inflicted, however slight,
+would be sure to prove fatal.
+
+[Sidenote: Stag of Cerynea.]
+
+The third task appointed by Eurystheus was the capture of the
+golden-horned, brazen-footed stag of Cerynea, whose fleetness was such
+that he seemed scarcely to touch the ground. Hercules was obliged to
+pursue this animal for many a weary mile before he could overtake him;
+and he only managed the capture by driving him into a deep snowdrift,
+in a distant northern land, from which he extricated him, and carried
+him home in triumph.
+
+[Sidenote: Erymanthian boar.]
+
+The same success crowned his fourth labor, the capture of the wild
+boar of Erymanthus in Arcadia. Attacked by the Centaurs during the
+performance of this labor, Hercules turned his deadly arrows upon
+them, and accidentally wounded his beloved tutor Chiron, who was
+coming to settle the dispute. Vainly the hero applied every healing
+herb. The wound was mortal, and Chiron died; but in reward for his
+good offices the gods transferred him to the sky, where he is known as
+the constellation Sagittarius.
+
+[Sidenote: Augean stables.]
+
+Hercules was next sent to Augeas, King of Elis, who had immense droves
+of cattle. The stables usually occupied by these animals were in an
+incredibly filthy state, as they had not been cleaned in years; and
+now Hercules was given the task to remove the accumulated filth, and
+make a complete purification of the premises.
+
+Close by these stables rushed a torrent, or rather a river, the
+Alpheus. Hercules, with one glance, saw the use he could make of this
+rushing stream, which he dammed and turned aside from its course, so
+that the waters passed directly through the stables, carrying away all
+impurities, and finally washing them perfectly clean.
+
+ [Illustration: HERCULES AND CENTAUR.--Bologna. (Florence.)]
+
+ "Nothing else
+ Could clean the Augean stables."
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+When Hercules saw that the work of purification was thoroughly
+accomplished, he guided the stream back to its original bed, and
+returned home to announce that the fifth labor was accomplished. The
+fabulous filth of the Augean stables, and the radical methods employed
+for their cleansing, have given rise to proverbial expressions still
+in current use.
+
+[Sidenote: Cretan bull.]
+
+Hercules next journeyed off to Crete to accomplish his sixth task, the
+capture of a mad bull given by Neptune to Minos, king of the island.
+The god had sent the animal with directions that he should be offered
+up in sacrifice; but Minos, charmed with his unusual size and beauty,
+resolved to keep him, and substituted a bull from his own herds for
+the religious ceremony.
+
+Angry at seeing his express command so wantonly disobeyed, Neptune
+maddened the bull, which rushed wildly all over the island, causing
+great damage. This was the animal that Hercules, with his usual
+strength and skill, caught and bound fast, thus finishing the sixth
+task.
+
+[Sidenote: Diomedes' steeds.]
+
+He then hastened on to Thrace, where Diomedes, the king, kept some
+fine coursers, which were fed on human flesh. In order to obtain a
+sufficient supply of fresh meat for his horses, Diomedes had decreed
+that all strangers who ventured into his kingdom should be seized,
+and, when sufficiently fat, executed, and served up in his horses'
+mangers. To punish Diomedes for this long-continued barbarity,
+Hercules fed him to his own horses, which were then led off to
+Eurystheus, as a token that the seventh labor was done.
+
+[Sidenote: Hippolyte's girdle.]
+
+Now, at the court of Eurystheus was his beautiful daughter, Admete, a
+vain princess, who delighted in dress and jewels, and who was never
+happier than when she obtained some new ornament or article of
+apparel. One day Admete heard a traveler describe a girdle worn by
+Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons, and was immediately seized by the
+desire to possess the ornament.
+
+She imparted this wish to Eurystheus, who, delighted to gratify her as
+long as he could do so without taking any personal risk or trouble,
+sent Hercules in quest of the coveted jewel. The journey to the land
+of the Amazons--a fierce, warlike nation of women--was long and
+dangerous; but Hercules traveled on undaunted, nor paused, except when
+his services were needed in furthering some good work for mortals,
+until he reached their land, presented himself before their queen, and
+boldly explained the cause of his presence. Hippolyte listened to his
+explanation and request with queenly condescension, promised to
+consider the matter, and in the mean while bade him feast and rest in
+her palace.
+
+Hercules would have succeeded in this undertaking without any trouble,
+had not Juno suddenly remembered his existence, and resolved to
+continue her never entirely forgotten persecutions. In the guise of an
+Amazon, she mingled among the women, and artfully spread the report
+that Hercules had really come to kidnap their queen, and that the
+pretended quest of the girdle was a mere excuse, and only intended to
+distract their attention from his real purpose. The Amazons yielded
+implicit belief to these rumors, flew to arms, and surrounded their
+queen.
+
+ "The Amazons array their ranks,
+ In painted arms of radiant sheen
+ Around Hippolyte the queen."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+The assembled force then attacked Hercules, who met their onslaught
+single-handed, defeated them, and finally bore away the prize he had
+risked so much to obtain. It was on his homeward journey from this
+expedition that he saved Hesione, Laomedon's daughter, from the jaws
+of the sea monster who was about to devour her, as he had devoured
+many a fair Trojan maid before her (p. 152).
+
+ [Illustration: MOUNTED AMAZON GOING TO THE CHASE.--Thorwaldsen.
+ (Copenhagen.)]
+
+[Sidenote: Stymphalian birds.]
+
+Eurystheus, well pleased with the manner in which Hercules had
+accomplished eight out of the twelve tasks, bade him now go forth and
+slay the dangerous, brazen-clawed birds which hovered over the
+stagnant waters of Lake Stymphalus. The poisoned arrows now served him
+in good stead, and enabled him to put a speedy end to the whole flock.
+
+ "His arrows slew
+ The monsters hov'ring fell Stymphalus round."
+
+ Catullus.
+
+[Sidenote: Cattle of Geryones.]
+
+Hercules was next told to capture the divine cattle of Geryones, a
+giant of Erythea. On his way home with this marvelous herd, Hercules
+paused on Mount Aventine, where, during the night, the loathsome giant
+Cacus stole some of his cows. To punish him for this theft, Hercules
+forced his way into his cave, attacked him, and, after a memorable
+encounter, slew him. The animals were soon after delivered into the
+hands of Eurystheus, who then sent Hercules in search of the Golden
+Apples of the Hesperides.
+
+[Sidenote: Hesperian apples.]
+
+This commission sadly perplexed Hercules, for he did not know in what
+portion of the world he would find these apples, which had been given
+to Juno as a wedding present, and which she had intrusted to the care
+of the Hesperides, daughters of Hesperus, god of the West. After
+numerous journeys and many inquiries, Hercules discovered that these
+maidens had carried these apples off to Africa, hung them on a tree in
+their garden, and placed the dragon Ladon at its foot to guard their
+treasures night and day. Unfortunately, no one could tell Hercules in
+what part of Africa the garden of the Hesperides might be situated: so
+he set out at a venture, determined to travel about until he gained
+some information. On his way he met with many adventures, and saw many
+strange sights. For instance, he first met the nymphs of the Eridanus
+River, and, questioning them about the golden apples, was told to
+consult old Nereus, god of the sea, who would probably be able to give
+him some information on the subject.
+
+Hercules, having surprised this aged divinity while asleep on the
+seashore, held him fast, in spite of the multitudinous transformations
+he underwent in the vain hope of frightening his would-be interlocutor
+away. In answer to Hercules' question, he finally very reluctantly
+bade him seek Prometheus, who alone would be able to direct him
+aright.
+
+In obedience to this advice, Hercules went to the Caucasian Mountains,
+where, on the brink of a mighty precipice, he found Prometheus, still
+bound with adamantine chains, and still a prey to the ravenous vulture
+(p. 28). To spring up the mountain side, kill the cruel bird, snap the
+adamantine chains, and set free the benefactor of all mankind, was the
+work of but a few minutes for such a hero as Hercules; and, in
+gratitude for the deliverance he had so long sought in vain,
+Prometheus directed Hercules to his brother Atlas, telling him he
+would be sure to know where the apples could be found.
+
+[Sidenote: Pygmies.]
+
+Hercules wended his way to Africa, where Atlas dwelt, and on his way
+passed through the land of a diminutive race of men, called Pygmies,
+who were so small that they lived in constant dread of their
+neighbors, so much larger and stronger than they, and of the cranes,
+which passed over their country in great flocks, and sometimes
+alighted to devour their harvests.
+
+To guard against these constant inroads, the Pygmies finally accepted
+the services of Antaeus, a giant son of Gaea, who generously offered to
+defend them against all their enemies. When these little people,
+therefore, saw Hercules' mighty form looming up in the dim distance,
+they called aloud for fear, and bade Antaeus go forth and kill the new
+invader, who, they wrongly fancied, had evil designs against them.
+
+Proud of his strength, Antaeus went to meet Hercules, and defied him. A
+fierce struggle was the immediate result of this challenge, and, as
+the combatants were of equal size and strength, the victory seemed
+very uncertain. At last Hercules felt his great strength begin to
+fail, and noticed that every time his adversary touched the ground he
+seemed to renew his vigor. He therefore resolved to try and win by
+strategy, and, watching his opportunity, seized Antaeus round the
+waist, raised him from the ground, and held him aloft in his powerful
+embrace.
+
+The giant struggled with all his might to get free; but Hercules held
+him fast, and felt him grow weaker and weaker, now that he was no
+longer sustained by his mother Earth, from whom he derived all his
+strength, until at last his struggles ceased, and he hung limp and
+lifeless in Hercules' crushing embrace.
+
+ "Lifts proud Antaeus from his mother-plains,
+ And with strong grasp the struggling giant strains;
+ Back falls his fainting head and clammy hair,
+ Writhe his weak limbs, and flits his life in air."
+
+ Darwin.
+
+[Sidenote: Atlas.]
+
+Now that the gigantic defender of the Pygmies no longer blocked his
+way, Hercules traveled onward in search of Atlas, whom he finally
+found supporting the heavens on his broad shoulders. Atlas listened
+attentively to all Hercules had to say, declared he knew where the
+apples could be found, and promised to get them if the hero would only
+relieve him of his burden for a little while. Glad to accomplish his
+purpose so easily, Hercules allowed the burden of the heavens to be
+transferred to his shoulders, and Atlas hastened off to fulfill his
+part of the agreement.
+
+From afar the giant saw the golden fruit glittering in the sunshine.
+Stealthily he drew near, entered the gardens, slew the dragon in his
+sleep, plucked the apples, and returned unmolested to the place where
+he had left Hercules. But his steps became slower and slower; and as
+he neared the hero, he could not help thinking with horror of the
+burden he must so soon resume, and bear for centuries, perhaps,
+without relief.
+
+This thought oppressed him. Freedom was so sweet, that he resolved to
+keep it, and, coolly stepping up to Hercules, announced that he would
+carry the golden apples to Eurystheus, and leave him to support the
+heavens in his stead. Feigning a satisfaction which he was very far
+from feeling, Hercules acquiesced, but detained Atlas for a moment,
+asking him to hold the heavens until he could place a cushion on his
+shoulders. Good-natured, as giants proverbially are, Atlas threw the
+apples on the grass beside him, and assumed the incumbent weight; but
+Hercules, instead of preparing to resume it, picked up the apples,
+leaving Atlas alone, in the same plight as he had found him, there to
+remain until some more compassionate hero should come and set him
+free.
+
+ "There Atlas, son of great Iapetus,
+ With head inclined and ever-during arms,
+ Sustains the spacious heavens."
+
+ Hesiod.
+
+It was during the course of one of his mighty labors, that Hercules,
+with one wrench of his powerful arm, tore a cleft in the mountains,
+and allowed the waters of the Sea to flow into Oceanus; and ever
+since, the rocks on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar have borne
+the name of Hercules' Pillars.
+
+The twelfth and last task appointed by Eurystheus was the most
+difficult of all to perform. Hercules was commanded to descend into
+Hades and bring up the dog Cerberus, securely bound.
+
+ "But for the last, to Pluto's drear abode
+ Through the dark jaws of Taenarus he went,
+ To drag the triple-headed dog to light."
+
+ Euripides (Potter's tr.).
+
+This command, like all the others, was speedily obeyed; but Eurystheus
+was so terrified at the aspect of the triple-headed dog, from the foam
+of whose dripping jaws the nightshade sprang, that he took refuge in a
+huge jar, and refused to come out until Hercules had carried the
+monster back to his cave.
+
+[Sidenote: Olympian Games.]
+
+The twelve appointed labors were finished; the time of bondage was
+ended; and Hercules, a free man, could wander at his own sweet will,
+and enjoy the happiness of freedom. A roaming existence had, from
+force of habit, become a necessity: so the hero first journeyed to
+Olympia, where he instituted games to be celebrated every fifth year
+in honor of Jupiter, his father. Thence he wandered from place to
+place, doing good, and came to the house of Admetus, where he was
+surprised to find all the court in mourning.
+
+His sympathetic inquiries soon brought forth a full account of
+Alcestis' sacrifice of her own life to insure the immortality of her
+husband (p. 65). The hero's heart was touched by the king's
+loneliness; and he again braved the terrors of Hades, and brought
+Alcestis back from the grave, and restored her to her husband's arms.
+
+Hercules took a prominent part in many heroic enterprises. Among
+others, he joined in the Argonautic expedition (p. 266), in the battle
+between the Centaurs and Lapithae (p. 260), in the war of the gods and
+giants, and in the first siege of Troy (p. 152), which proved
+successful.
+
+[Sidenote: Hercules and Omphale.]
+
+But the hero, although so lately escaped from servitude, was soon
+obliged to return into bondage; for in a fit of anger he slew a man,
+and was condemned by the assembled gods to serve Omphale, Queen of
+Lydia, for a certain lapse of time.
+
+No great deeds were now required of Hercules, whose strength was
+derided by his new mistress, and who, governing him easily by his
+admiration for her, made him submit to occupations unworthy of a man,
+and, while he was busy spinning, decked herself in his lion's skin,
+and brandished his renowned club.
+
+ "His lion spoils the laughing Fair demands,
+ And gives the distaff to his awkward hands."
+
+ Darwin.
+
+ [Illustration: HERCULES AT THE FEET OF OMPHALE.--Gleyre.]
+
+However unworthy these effeminate tasks may seem for such a hero, they
+proved very agreeable indeed to Hercules, who, having fallen in love
+with his new mistress, seemed to wish nothing better than to remain
+her slave forever, and end his days in idleness and pleasure. Great
+labors were awaiting his mighty arm, however; and the gods, at the
+appointed time, freed him from his bondage to the Lydian queen, and
+bade him go forth and do all the good in his power.
+
+[Sidenote: Hercules and Deianeira]
+
+In the course of his wanderings, Hercules next met Deianeira, daughter
+of Oeneus, and, having fallen in love with her, expressed a desire to
+marry her. But unfortunately another suitor, the river god Achelous,
+had already won the father's consent.
+
+ "Achelous came,
+ The river god, to ask a father's voice,
+ And snatched me to his arms."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+So sure was this suitor of his attractions, that he did not even deem
+it necessary to secure the maiden's good graces; and when Hercules
+made known his love, she immediately promised to marry him, if he
+would only free her from the lover her father would fain force upon
+her. Delighted to be able to win his bride and punish his rival at the
+same time, Hercules challenged Achelous; and now began a wrestling
+match, the fame of which has come down to us through all the
+intervening centuries.
+
+Achelous was an opponent worthy of Hercules, and, besides, took
+advantage of his power to change his form at will, further to perplex
+and harass the sturdy hero. At last he assumed the shape of a bull,
+and with lowered horns rushed toward Hercules, intending to toss him
+aside. The hero, skillfully avoiding his first onset, seized him by
+one of his great thickset horns, and held it so firmly that all the
+bull's efforts to free himself from his powerful grasp were vain,
+until the horn broke.
+
+The Goddess of Plenty, the Attican Fortuna, a witness of this strange
+combat, appropriated the broken horn, stuffed her treasures in its
+hollow, and was so well pleased with the effect, that she decreed it
+should henceforth be one of her attributes. The fight, only
+temporarily suspended, was now resumed with redoubled ardor, for each
+of the lovers was intent upon winning the hand of the fair Deianeira.
+
+ [Illustration: FORTUNA. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+ "Warm, and more warm the conflict grows:
+ Dire was the noise of rattling bows,
+ Of front to front opposed, and hand to hand:
+ Deep was the animated strife
+ For love, for conquest, and for life."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+The victory, though long uncertain, finally rested with Hercules, who
+triumphantly departed with his hard-won bride, for his destiny would
+not permit him to tarry long in any place. Instead of wandering alone
+now, with none to cheer or sympathize, Hercules had Deianeira ever at
+his side; and after many days they came to the river Evenus, whose
+usually shallow and peaceful waters were swollen and turbid, for
+violent rainstorms had recently swept over that portion of the
+country.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Nessus.]
+
+Hercules paused for a moment to contemplate the stream, and glanced
+about for some safe mode to transport Deianeira across. While he was
+thus considering, a Centaur by the name of Nessus came to his
+assistance, and proposed to carry the fair young bride to the other
+shore in complete safety, if she would but consent to mount upon his
+broad back.
+
+ "The hoary centaur, who was wont for hire
+ To bear the traveler o'er the rapid flood
+ Of deep Evenus: not with oars or sail
+ He stemm'd the torrent, but with nervous arm
+ Opposed and pass'd it; me, when first a bride,
+ I left my father's hospitable roof
+ With my Alcides, in his arms he bore
+ Athwart the current."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+Hercules, only too glad to avail himself of the Centaur's kind offer
+of assistance, quickly helped Deianeira to mount, saw them descend
+into the water, and prepared to follow, holding his bow and arrows
+aloft in one hand, and breasting the waves with the other.
+
+Now, the Centaur Nessus did not often have the good fortune to carry
+such a pretty passenger as Deianeira over the river, and as he swam he
+made up his mind to gallop off with her as soon as he reached the
+opposite shore. All his strength and energy, therefore, were called
+into requisition; and when he reached the shore, instead of pausing to
+allow his fair burden to dismount, he set off as fast as he could run.
+
+[Sidenote: Nessus' robe.]
+
+A loud shriek from Deianeira attracted Hercules' attention, and a
+second later one of his poisoned arrows had brought the would-be
+ravisher to the ground, pierced through the heart. With dying accents
+the Centaur Nessus professed repentance, and bade Deianeira take his
+robe,--but slightly stained with the blood which gushed from the wound
+inflicted by the poisoned arrow,--and keep it carefully, for it had
+magic power; and if she ever found her husband's love waning, he
+assured her, that, could she but induce him to put it on, all his
+early affection would revive, as pure and fervent as during their
+honeymoon.
+
+ "'Take
+ This white robe. It is costly. See, my blood
+ Has stained it but a little. I did wrong:
+ I know it, and repent me. If there come
+ A time when he grows cold--for all the race
+ Of heroes wander, nor can any love
+ Fix theirs for long--take it and wrap him in it,
+ And he shall love again.'"
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+Deianeira gratefully accepted the proffered gift, and promised to
+treasure it up carefully, although she sincerely hoped she would never
+be called upon to make use of it. Years passed by. Hercules often left
+Deianeira to deliver the oppressed and relieve the suffering, for
+people came from great distances to ask for his aid; and although his
+absences were sometimes prolonged, he always returned to her side, as
+loving as ever, and she had no cause for complaint. Finally duty took
+him back to the court of Eurytus, where he beheld Iole, whom he had
+seen and loved in the beginning of his career, but whom he had been
+obliged to leave to fulfill his arduous tasks. She was still young
+and charming, and his first glance into her sweet face rekindled all
+his former passion. Day after day he lingered by her side, forgetful
+of duty, Deianeira, and all but his first dream of love and happiness.
+When absent, Deianeira was wont to hear rumors of his heroic
+achievements; but on this occasion the only report which reached her
+ear was that he had returned to his allegiance to his first love, and
+this roused her jealousy, so long dormant.
+
+[Sidenote: Deianeira's jealousy.]
+
+Finally she heard that Hercules was wending his way homeward again,
+and her heart bounded with joy, but only to sink more heavily when
+told that he was accompanied by Iole and a numerous train. Then she
+remembered the long-forgotten gift of the Centaur. With trembling
+hands she sought the glittering robe, gave it to a messenger, and bade
+him hasten to meet Hercules, and prevail upon him to wear it for his
+triumphant return. The messenger, Lichas, hastened to do her bidding,
+and Deianeira waited with fast-beating heart for the success of her
+venture.
+
+ "I only wish the charm may be of power
+ To win Alcides from this virgin's love,
+ And bring him back to Deianeira's arms."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+Lichas acquitted himself faithfully of his errand; and Hercules,
+viewing the costly garment, and anxious to appear to his best
+advantage before the bright eyes of Iole, immediately donned the
+richly embroidered robe.
+
+[Sidenote: Hercules' death.]
+
+He had no sooner put it on, than the Centaur's poisoned blood began
+its deadly work. First he experienced a burning, stinging sensation,
+which ran like fire through every vein. Vainly he tried to tear off
+the fatal garment. It clung to his limbs, and the poison ate its way
+into his flesh, until the pain was greater than he could bear.
+
+ [Illustration: FARNESE HERCULES. (National Museum, Naples.)]
+
+In his rage at the trick which had been played upon him, he seized
+Lichas--the unfortunate bearer of the poisoned robe--by the foot,
+and flung him from the heights of Mount Oeta down into the sea, where
+he perished.
+
+ "And Lichas from the top of Oeta threw
+ Into th' Euboic Sea."
+
+ Milton.
+
+Then, resolved to end these unendurable torments by a death worthy of
+his whole life, Hercules called his servants, and bade them build his
+funeral pyre on the mountain peak; but they, in tears, refused to
+obey, for they could not bear the thought of parting with their
+beloved master. Commands and entreaties alike failed to move them: so
+Hercules climbed up the mountain side alone, tore up the huge oaks by
+their roots, flung them one upon the other until he had raised a
+mighty pile, upon which he stretched his colossal, pain-racked limbs,
+and bade his friend Philoctetes set fire to the stupendous mass.
+
+At first Philoctetes also refused to do his bidding; but, bribed by
+the promise of the world-renowned poisoned arrows, he finally
+consented to do as Hercules wished, and the red flames rose higher and
+higher, the wood crackled and burned, and the hero was soon enveloped
+in sheets of flame, which purged him from all mortality.
+
+Then Jupiter came down from his glorious abode, caught the noble soul
+in his mighty arms, and bore it off to Olympus, there to dwell in
+happiness forever with Hebe, the fair goddess of youth, whose hand was
+given him in marriage.
+
+ "Till the god, the earthly part forsaken,
+ From the man in flames asunder taken,
+ Drank the heavenly ethers' purer breath.
+ Joyous in the new, unwonted lightness,
+ Earth's dark, heavy burden lost in death.
+ High Olympus gives harmonious greeting
+ To the hall where reigns his sire adored;
+ Youth's bright goddess, with a blush at meeting,
+ Gives the nectar to her lord."
+
+ Schiller (S. G. B.'s tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Worship of Hercules.]
+
+Hercules, the special divinity of athletic sports and of strength, was
+principally worshiped by young men. He is generally represented in art
+as a tall, powerfully built man, with a small, bearded head, a lion's
+skin carelessly thrown over his shoulder, and leaning upon a massive
+club.
+
+ "Great Alcides, stooping with his toil,
+ Rests on his club."
+
+ Pope.
+
+It is said that some of the games celebrated at Olympia were held in
+his honor, although originally instituted by him in honor of Jupiter,
+his father. The Nemean Games, celebrated in the forest of Nemea, the
+scene of his first great labor, were the principal games held in
+Greece in commemoration of his noble deeds and early death.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+PERSEUS.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Acrisius and Danae.]
+
+The life of Acrisius, King of Argos, had been a burden to him ever
+since the unfortunate day when an oracle had predicted that he would
+be killed by his grandson. Until then the king had been very fond of
+his only child, Danae, and until then, too, had thought with pride of
+the time when he would bestow her hand in marriage upon the noblest of
+all who came to woo.
+
+Now his plans were all changed, and his only wish was to keep her
+unmated,--a somewhat difficult task, for the maiden was very fair, and
+Acrisius knew that the wily God of Love would endeavor to find some
+way to outwit him and bring his plans to naught. After much thought,
+Acrisius decided to lock Danae up in a brazen tower, around which he
+stationed guards to prevent any one from even approaching the captive
+princess.
+
+But, although safely concealed from the eyes of men, Danae was plainly
+seen by the everlasting gods; and Jupiter, looking down from Olympus,
+beheld her in all her loveliness and in all her loneliness. She was
+seated on top of her brazen tower, her eyes wistfully turned toward
+the city, where girls of her age enjoyed freedom, and were allowed to
+marry when they pleased.
+
+[Sidenote: The shower of gold.]
+
+Jupiter, pitying her isolation and admiring her beauty, resolved to go
+down and converse with her for a little while. To avoid being seen, he
+changed himself into a golden shower, and gently dropped down on the
+turret beside her, where his presence and spirited conversation soon
+won the maiden's heart.
+
+ "Danae, in a brazen tower
+ Where no love was, loved a shower."
+
+ Shelley.
+
+This first successful visit was frequently repeated, and Danae no
+longer felt lonely and deserted, for Jupiter spent most of his time
+with her, pursuing his courtship most diligently, and finally winning
+her to a secret marriage, to which no one offered the slightest
+objection, as no one suspected his visits, which he continued quite
+unmolested.
+
+[Sidenote: Birth of Perseus.]
+
+But one morning the guards rushed in terror to Acrisius' palace to
+announce that Danae, his daughter, had given birth to a son, who, on
+account of his beauty, was called Perseus. The king no sooner learned
+this astonishing news, than he flew into a great rage, vowed that
+mother and child should perish, and dispatched the guards to fetch the
+unfortunate victims.
+
+Acrisius, however, was not cruel enough to stain his own hands with
+his child's blood, or to witness her execution: so he ordered that she
+should be placed in an empty cask with her helpless infant, and
+exposed to the fury of the waves. These orders were speedily executed;
+and Danae's heart sank with terror when she felt the cask buffeted
+about by the great waves far out of sight of land, and out of all
+reach of help. Clasping her babe close to her bosom, she fervently
+prayed the gods to watch over them both, and bring them in safety to
+some hospitable shore.
+
+ "When round the well-fram'd ark the blowing blast
+ Roar'd, and the heaving whirlpools of the deep
+ With rough'ning surge seem'd threatening to o'erturn
+ The wide-tost vessel, not with tearless cheeks
+ The mother round her infant gently twined
+ Her tender arm, and cried, 'Ah me! my child!
+ What sufferings I endure! thou sleep'st the while,
+ Inhaling in thy milky-breathing breast
+ The balm of slumber.'"
+
+ Simonides (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Danae at Seriphus.]
+
+Her piteous prayer was evidently heard, for, after much tossing, the
+cask was finally washed ashore on the Island of Seriphus, where
+Polydectes, the king, kindly received mother and child. Here Perseus,
+the golden-haired, grew to manhood, and here made his first appearance
+in games and combats.
+
+In the mean while, Polydectes had fallen in love with Danae, and
+expressed his desire to marry her; but Danae did not return his
+affections, and would not consent. Angry at her persistent refusal of
+his proposals, Polydectes wished to compel her to obey, and thereby
+incurred the wrath of young Perseus, who loudly declared that none
+should dare force his mother as long as he were there to defend her.
+This boast did not at all allay the monarch's wrath; and, hoping to
+get rid of the young boaster, he bade him go forth and slay Medusa, if
+he wished to convince people that his bravery was real.
+
+[Sidenote: The Gorgons.]
+
+This Medusa was one of the three Gorgons. Her sisters, Euryale and
+Stheno, although immortal, had never had any claims to beauty; but
+Medusa, when only a girl, had been considered very handsome indeed.
+Her home, in a land where the sun never shone, was very distasteful to
+her, so she entreated Minerva to let her go and visit the beautiful
+sunny south.
+
+But when Minerva refused to grant her wish, she reviled the goddess,
+and declared that nothing but a conviction that mortals would no
+longer consider her beautiful if they but once beheld Medusa, could
+have prompted this denial. This presumptuous remark so incensed
+Minerva, that, to punish her for her vanity, she changed her beautiful
+curling locks into hissing, writhing serpents, and decreed that one
+glance into her still beautiful face would suffice to change the
+beholder into stone.
+
+ "Fatal Beauty! thou didst seem
+ The phantom of some fearful dream.
+ Extremes of horror and of love
+ Alternate o'er our senses move,
+ As, rapt and spellbound, we survey
+ The horrid coils which round thee play,
+ And mark thy wild, enduring smile,
+ Lit by no mortal fire the while,
+ Formed to attract all eyes to thee,
+ And yet their withering blight to be;
+ Thy power mysterious to congeal
+ And from life's blood its warmth to steal,
+ To petrify the mortal clay
+ In its first gleam of wild dismay,
+ Is a dread gift to one like thee,
+ Cursed with a hateful destiny."
+
+ Mrs. St. John.
+
+[Sidenote: Perseus' quest.]
+
+The gods, who had carefully watched over Perseus through his childhood
+and youth, now decided to lend him their aid, so that he might
+successfully accomplish the great task of slaying Medusa. Pluto lent
+him a magic helmet, which made the wearer invisible at will; Mercury
+attached his own winged sandals to the youth's heels, to endow him
+with great rapidity of flight; while Minerva armed him with her own
+mirrorlike shield, the dreadful AEgis.
+
+ "Minerva thus to Perseus lent her shield;
+ Secure of conquest, sent him to the field:
+ The hero acted what the queen ordain'd,
+ So was his fame complete."
+
+ Prior.
+
+[Sidenote: The Graeae.]
+
+Thus equipped, Perseus flew northward until he came to the land of
+perpetual darkness, the home of the Graeae, three horrible sisters, who
+possessed but one eye and one tooth, which they handed about and used
+in turn, and who were the only living beings cognizant of the place
+where Medusa dwelt.
+
+Invisible by virtue of his magic helmet, Perseus drew near the cave
+without fear of detection, and intercepted the eye while on its way
+from one sister to another. As soon as it was safe in his possession,
+he spoke to them, promising to restore it if they would only give him
+accurate directions for finding Medusa. The sisters, eager to recover
+the treasured eye, immediately gave the desired information; and
+Perseus, having honorably fulfilled his share of the contract,
+departed in search of Medusa.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Medusa.]
+
+Perseus at last perceived the Gorgon's home in the dim distance; and,
+as he was fully aware of Medusa's petrifying proclivities, he advanced
+very cautiously, holding his shield before him at such an angle that
+all surrounding objects were clearly reflected on its smooth,
+mirrorlike surface.
+
+He thus discovered Medusa asleep, raised his sword, and, without
+looking at anything but her mirrored form, severed her head from her
+body, seized it in one hand, and, holding it persistently behind his
+back, flew away in great haste, lest the two remaining Gorgons should
+fall upon him and attempt to avenge their sister's death.
+
+[Sidenote: Birth of snakes.]
+
+Perseus then swiftly winged his way over land and sea, carefully
+holding his ghastly trophy behind him; and as he flew, Medusa's blood
+trickled down on the hot African sand, where it gave birth to a race
+of poisonous reptiles destined to infest the region in future ages,
+and cause the death of many an adventurous explorer. The drops which
+fell into the sea were utilized by Neptune, who created from them the
+famous winged steed called Pegasus (p. 154).
+
+ "And the life drops from thy head
+ On Libyan sands, by Perseus shed,
+ Sprang a scourging race from thee--
+ Fell types of artful mystery."
+
+ Mrs. St. John.
+
+The return journey was long and wearisome, and on his way the hero had
+many adventures. Once, when flying high above a mountainous country,
+he caught a glimpse of Atlas, his pale face turned up to the heavens,
+whose weight he had patiently borne for many a long year,--a burden
+which seemed all the more grievous after the short taste of freedom he
+had enjoyed while Hercules stood in his place (pp. 228-9),--
+
+ [Illustration: PERSEUS.--Cellini. (Loggia de' Lanzi, Florence.)]
+
+ "Supporting on his shoulders the vast pillar
+ Of Heaven and Earth, a weight of cumbrous grasp."
+
+ AEschylus (Potter's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Atlas petrified.]
+
+When Atlas saw Perseus flying toward him, hope revived, for he
+remembered that Fate had decreed that it was this hero who was to slay
+the Gorgon; and he thought, that, if he could but once gaze upon her
+stony face, he would be free from pain and weariness forever. As soon
+as the hero was within hearing, Atlas therefore addressed him as
+follows:--
+
+"'Hasten now, Perseus, and let me look upon the Gorgon's face, for the
+agony of my labor is well-nigh greater than I can bear.' So Perseus
+hearkened unto the word of Atlas, and he unveiled before him the dead
+face of Medusa. Eagerly he gazed for a moment on the changeless
+countenance, as though beneath the blackness of great horror he yet
+saw the wreck of her ancient beauty and pitied her for her hopeless
+woe. But in an instant the straining eyes were stiff and cold; and it
+seemed to Perseus, as he rose again into the pale yellow air, that the
+gray hairs which streamed from the giant's head were like the snow
+which rests on the peak of a great mountain, and that in place of the
+trembling limbs he saw only the rents and clefts on a rough hillside."
+
+Thus the mere sight of Medusa changed Atlas into the rugged mountains
+which have since borne his name; and, as their summits are lost in the
+clouds, the ancients supposed they sustained the full weight of the
+heavenly vault.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Andromeda.]
+
+Thence Perseus flew on until he reached the seashore, where a strange
+sight greeted him. Away down on the "rock-bound coast," so near the
+foaming billows that their spray continually dashed over her fair
+limbs, a lovely maiden was chained fast to an overhanging rock. This
+maiden was the Princess Andromeda. To atone for the vanity of her
+mother, Cassiopeia, who claimed she was fairer than any of the sea
+nymphs, she had been exposed there as prey for a terrible sea monster
+sent to devastate the homes along the coast.
+
+ [Illustration: PERSEUS AND ANDROMEDA.--Coypel.]
+
+An oracle, when consulted, declared that the monster would not depart
+until Andromeda was sacrificed to his fury; and Perseus could even now
+perceive the receding procession which had solemnly accompanied her to
+the appointed place of sacrifice, and chained her fast.
+
+At the same time, too, he saw the waters below the maiden lashed to
+foam by the monster's tail, and the scales of his hideous body slowly
+rising up out of the water. Fascinated by this horrible sight, the
+maiden's eyes were fixed on the monster. She did not see the rapid
+approach of her deliverer, who, dauntless, drew his sword from its
+scabbard, and, swooping down, attacked the monster, cheered by the
+shouts of the people, who had seen him, and now rushed back to witness
+the slaying of their foe.
+
+ "On the hills a shout
+ Of joy, and on the rocks the ring of mail;
+ And while the hungry serpent's gloating eyes
+ Were fixed on me, a knight in casque of gold
+ And blazing shield, who with his flashing blade
+ Fell on the monster. Long the conflict raged,
+ Till all the rocks were red with blood and slime,
+ And yet my champion from those horrible jaws
+ And dreadful coils was scathless."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+Of course, this fierce struggle could have but one conclusion; and
+when Perseus had slain the monster, freed Andromeda from her chains,
+and restored her to the arms of her overjoyed parents, they
+immediately offered any reward he might be pleased to claim. When he,
+therefore, expressed a desire to marry the maiden he had so bravely
+rescued, they gladly gave him her hand, although in early youth the
+princess had been promised to her uncle Phineus.
+
+[Sidenote: Phineus petrified.]
+
+Preparations for the marriage were immediately begun; and the former
+suitor, who had been too cowardly to venture a single blow to deliver
+her from the monster, prepared to fight the rival who was about to
+carry off his promised bride. Unbidden he came to the marriage feast
+with a number of armed followers, and was about to carry off
+Andromeda, when Perseus suddenly bade his adherents stand behind him,
+unveiled the Medusa head, and, turning its baleful face toward Phineus
+and his followers, changed them all into stone.
+
+The interrupted marriage feast was now resumed; and when it was over,
+Perseus took his bride to Seriphus. There, hearing that Polydectes had
+dared to ill treat his mother because she still refused to accede to
+his wishes and become his wife, he changed the importunate king into a
+rock by showing him his Medusa trophy, gave the kingdom to the king's
+brother, and, accompanied by wife and mother, returned to his native
+land. The borrowed helmet, sandals, and shield were all duly restored
+to their respective owners, and the Medusa head was given to Minerva
+in token of gratitude for her help. Greatly pleased with this gift,
+the goddess set it in the center of her terrible AEgis, where it
+retained all its petrifying power, and served her in many a fight.
+
+[Sidenote: Return to Argos.]
+
+Arrived at Argos, Perseus discovered that a usurper had claimed his
+grandfather's throne. To hurl the unlawful claimant from his exalted
+seat, and compel him to make full restitution and atonement, was but a
+trifle for the hero who had conquered Medusa; and Acrisius, now old
+and weak, was taken from the prison where he languished, and restored
+to his wonted honors, by the very youth he had been taught to fear.
+
+But the gods' decree was always sure to be fulfilled sooner or later;
+and one day, when Perseus was playing quoits, he accidentally killed
+his grandfather. To remain at Argos, haunted by the memory of this
+involuntary crime, was too painful for him: so he exchanged his
+kingdom for another, that of Mycenae, which he ruled wisely and well.
+When Perseus died, after a long and glorious reign, the gods, who had
+always loved him, placed him among the stars, where he can still be
+seen, with his wife Andromeda, and mother-in-law Cassiopeia.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+THESEUS.
+
+
+When yet but a very young man, AEgeus, King of Athens, journeyed off to
+Troezene, where he fell in love with and married a pretty young
+princess by the name of AEthra. For some reason, which mythologists do
+not make known, the king was forced to return alone to Athens; but ere
+he departed he concealed his sword and sandals beneath a stone,
+bidding his wife remember, that, as soon as the strength of their son
+Theseus permitted, he must raise the rock, appropriate sword and
+sandals, and come and join him in Athens, where he should be
+introduced to the people as his son and heir. These instructions
+given, AEgeus bade a fond farewell to his wife and infant son, and
+returned home.
+
+As the years passed by, they brought strength, beauty, and wisdom to
+Theseus, whose fame began to be published abroad. At last AEthra deemed
+him strong enough to raise the rock beneath which his father's trusty
+weapon lay; and, conducting him to the spot where it was, she told him
+the whole story, and bade him try his strength.
+
+Theseus immediately obeyed. With a mighty effort he raised the rock,
+and, to his great satisfaction, found the sword and sandals in a
+perfect state of preservation. Sword in hand, he then set out for
+Athens,--a long and dangerous journey. He proceeded slowly and
+cautiously, for he knew that many dangers lurked along his pathway,
+and that ere he reached his father's city he would have to encounter
+both giants and monsters, who would strive to bar his way.
+
+[Sidenote: Periphetes.]
+
+He was not at all mistaken in his previsions; for Troezene was
+scarcely lost to sight ere he came across the giant Periphetes, son of
+Vulcan, who stood in the road and attacked with a huge club, whose
+blows were generally fatal, all who strove to pass. Adroitly evading
+the giant's first onslaught, Theseus plunged his sword deep into his
+huge side ere he could renew the attack, and brought him lifeless to
+the ground.
+
+[Sidenote: Sinis.]
+
+Theseus then disarmed his fallen foe, and, retaining the club for
+future use, continued his journey in peace, until he came to the
+Isthmus of Corinth, where two adventures awaited him. The first was
+with a cruel giant named Sinis, nicknamed The Pine-bender, whose usual
+practice was to bend some huge pine until its top touched the ground,
+and call to any unsuspecting passer-by to seize it and lend him a
+helping hand for a moment. Then, as soon as the innocent stranger had
+complied with his request, he would suddenly let go the pine, which,
+freed from his gigantic grasp, sprang back to its upright position,
+and hurled the unfortunate traveler way up in the air, to be dashed to
+pieces against the rocky mountain side.
+
+Theseus, who had already heard of the giant's stratagem, skillfully
+eluded the danger, and finally caused Sinis to perish by the same
+cruel death which he had dealt out to so many others.
+
+[Sidenote: Sciron.]
+
+In one place the Isthmus of Corinth was exceedingly narrow, and the
+only practicable pathway led along a rocky ledge, guarded by a robber
+named Sciron, who forced all who tried to pass him to wash his feet.
+While the traveler was thus engaged, and knelt in the narrow pathway
+to do his bidding, he would suddenly raise his foot, kick him over the
+side, and hurl him down into the sea below, where a huge tortoise was
+ever waiting with gaping jaws to devour the victims.
+
+Instead of yielding to Sciron's exactions, Theseus drew his sword, and
+by his determined bearing so terrified the robber, that he offered him
+a free passage. This offer, however, did not satisfy Theseus, who
+said he would sheathe his sword only on condition that Sciron
+performed for him the menial office he had imposed upon so many
+others. Sciron dared not refuse, and obeyed in fear and trembling; but
+he was doomed never to molest any one again, for Theseus kicked him
+over the precipice, into the breakers, where the tortoise feasted upon
+his remains with as keen a relish as upon former victims.
+
+[Sidenote: Cercyon and Procrustes.]
+
+After disposing of another world-renowned robber, Cercyon (The
+Wrestler), Theseus encountered Procrustes (The Stretcher), a cruel
+giant, who, under pretext of entertainment, deluded travelers into
+entering his home, where he had two beds of very different
+dimensions,--one unusually short, the other unusually long. If the
+unfortunate traveler were a short man, he was put to bed in the long
+bedstead, and his limbs were pulled out of joint to make him fit it;
+but if, on the contrary, he were tall, he was assigned the short bed,
+and the superfluous length of limb was lopped off under the selfsame
+pretext. Taking Procrustes quite unawares, Theseus gave him a faint
+idea of the sufferings he had inflicted upon others by making him try
+each bed in turn, and then, to avoid his continuing these evil
+practices, put an end to his wretched existence.
+
+Theseus successfully accomplished a few more exploits of a similar
+character, and finally reached Athens, where he found that his fame
+had preceded him.
+
+ "In days of old, there liv'd of mighty fame,
+ A valiant prince, and Theseus was his name:
+ A chief, who more in feats of arms excell'd,
+ The rising nor the setting sun beheld."
+
+ Morris.
+
+[Sidenote: Medea's draught.]
+
+The first tidings that there reached his ear were that AEgeus had just
+married Medea, the enchantress; but, although these tidings were very
+unwelcome, he hastened on to his father's court, to make himself
+known, and receive the welcome promised so many years before. Medea,
+seated by AEgeus' side, no sooner saw the young stranger draw near,
+than she knew him, and foresaw that he had come to demand his rights.
+To prevent his making known claims which might interfere with the
+prospects of her future offspring, she hastily mixed a deadly poison
+in a cup, which she filled with fragrant wine, and bade AEgeus offer it
+to the stranger.
+
+The monarch was about to execute her apparently hospitable purpose,
+when his eye suddenly rested upon the sword at Theseus' side, which he
+immediately recognized. One swift glance into the youth's open face
+convinced him that AEthra's son stood before him, and he eagerly
+stretched out his arms to clasp him to his heart. This sudden movement
+upset the goblet, and the poisonous contents, falling upon a dog lying
+at the king's feet, caused his almost instantaneous death. Seeing her
+crime discovered and Theseus recognized, Medea quickly mounted her
+magic dragon car, and fled to Media, whence she never returned.
+
+[Sidenote: Tribute to the Minotaur.]
+
+One day, some time after his arrival at Athens, Theseus heard a sound
+of weeping and great lamentation throughout all the city, and in reply
+to his wondering inquiries was told, that ever since an unfortunate
+war between the Cretans and Athenians, the latter, who had been
+vanquished, were obliged to pay a yearly tribute of seven youths and
+as many maidens, destined to serve as food for the Minotaur. Further
+questions evolved the fact that the Minotaur was a hideous monster,
+the property of Minos, King of Crete, who kept it in an intricate
+labyrinth, constructed for that express purpose by Daedalus, the
+far-famed architect.
+
+ "There lived and flourished long ago, in famous Athens town,
+ One Daedalus, a carpenter of genius and renown;
+ ('Twas he who with an augur taught mechanics how to bore,--
+ An art which the philosophers monopolized before.)"
+
+ Saxe.
+
+ [Illustration: DAEDALUS AND ICARUS.--Vien.]
+
+[Sidenote: Daedalus and Icarus.]
+
+This labyrinth was so very intricate, that those who entered could not
+find their way out; and even Daedalus and his son Icarus, after many
+days' attempt, found they could not leave it. Rather than remain
+imprisoned forever, Daedalus then manufactured wings for himself and
+for his son, and determined to make use of them to effect his escape.
+
+ "Now Daedalus, the carpenter, had made a pair of wings,
+ Contrived of wood and feathers and a cunning set of springs,
+ By means of which the wearer could ascend to any height,
+ And sail about among the clouds as easy as a kite."
+
+ Saxe.
+
+After repeated cautions to his son not to venture too high, lest the
+sun's heat should melt the wax fixing the feathers to the frame,
+Daedalus bade Icarus don his plumage and fly to a country where they
+would be free, promising to follow him thither very shortly.
+
+ "'My Icarus!' he says; 'I warn thee fly
+ Along the middle track: nor low, nor high;
+ If low, thy plumes may flag with ocean's spray;
+ If high, the sun may dart his fiery ray.'"
+
+ Ovid (Elton's tr.).
+
+Delighted with this new mode of travel, Icarus flew swiftly along.
+Little by little he forgot the danger and his father's caution, and
+rose up higher and higher, until he could bask in the direct rays of
+the ardent sun. The heat, which seemed so grateful after his chilly
+flight, soon softened and melted the wax on his wings; and Icarus, no
+longer supported by the light feathers, sank down faster and faster,
+until he fell into the sea, where he was drowned, and which, in memory
+of him, bears the name of Icarian to this day.
+
+These varied details kindled Theseus' love of adventure, and still
+further strengthened him in his sudden resolve to join the mournful
+convoy, try his strength against the awful Minotaur, and, if possible,
+save his country from further similar exactions.
+
+ "While Attica thus groan'd, with ills opprest;
+ His country's wrongs inflam'd brave Theseus' breast;
+ Instant his gen'rous soul resolv'd to save
+ Cecrops' great offspring from a timeless grave."
+
+ Catullus.
+
+Even his father's tears and entreaties were powerless to move him
+from his purpose, and, the hour having come, he embarked upon the
+black-sailed vessel which was to bear the yearly tribute to Crete,
+promising to change the black sails for snowy white ones if he were
+fortunate enough to return victorious.
+
+[Sidenote: Talus.]
+
+Favorable winds soon wafted the galley to distant Crete, and as they
+sailed along the coast, searching for the harbor, they were challenged
+by the brazen giant Talus, who walked daily thrice around the whole
+island, killing, by contact with his red-hot body, all who had no
+business to land on that coast. Knowing, however, that the
+black-sailed galley brought a fresh supply of youths and maidens for
+the terrible Minotaur, Talus let it pass unharmed; and the victims
+were brought into the presence of Minos, who personally inspected each
+new freight-load, to make sure he was not being cheated by the
+Athenians.
+
+[Sidenote: Ariadne's clew.]
+
+At the monarch's side stood his fair daughter Ariadne, whose tender
+heart was filled with compassion when she beheld the frail maidens and
+gallant youths about to perish by such a loathsome death. Theseus, by
+right of his birth, claimed the precedence, and proffered a request to
+be the first victim,--a request which the king granted with a sardonic
+smile, ere he returned unmoved to his interrupted feast.
+
+Unnoticed by all, Ariadne slipped out of the palace, and, under cover
+of the darkness, entered the prison where Theseus was confined. There
+she tremblingly offered him a ball of twine and a sharp sword, bidding
+him tie one end of the twine to the entrance of the labyrinth, and
+keep the other in his hand as a clew to find the way out again should
+the sword enable him to kill the dreaded Minotaur. In token of
+gratitude for this timely assistance, Theseus solemnly promised
+Ariadne to take her with him to Athens as his bride, were he only
+successful in his undertaking.
+
+At dawn the next day Theseus was conducted to the entrance of the
+labyrinth, and there left to await the tender mercies of the Minotaur.
+Like all heroes, he preferred to meet any danger rather than remain
+inactive: so, mindful of Ariadne's instructions, he fastened his
+twine to the entrance, and then boldly penetrated into the intricate
+ways of the labyrinth, where many whitening bones plainly revealed the
+fate of all who had preceded him.
+
+[Sidenote: Theseus and the Minotaur.]
+
+He had not gone very far before he encountered the Minotaur,--a
+creature more hideous than fancy can paint,--and he was obliged to use
+all his skill and ingenuity to avoid falling a prey to the monster's
+appetite, and all his strength to lay him low at last.
+
+The Minotaur slain, Theseus hastily retraced his footsteps.
+
+ "And the slender clew,
+ Prepar'd in secret by th' enamor'd maid,
+ Thro' the curv'd labyrinth his steps convey'd."
+
+ Catullus.
+
+[Sidenote: Theseus' escape.]
+
+Arrived at the place where his ship rode at anchor, he found his
+companions and Ariadne awaiting him, and, springing on board, bade the
+sailors weigh anchor as quickly as possible. They were almost out of
+reach of the Cretan shores, when Talus came into view, and, perceiving
+that his master's prisoners were about to escape, leaned forward to
+catch the vessel by its rigging. Theseus, seeing this, sprang forward,
+and dealt the giant such a blow, that he lost his balance and fell
+into the deep sea, where he was drowned, and where thermal springs
+still bear witness to the heat of his brazen body.
+
+[Sidenote: Ariadne forsaken.]
+
+The returning vessel, favored by wind and tide, made but one port,
+Naxos; and here youths and maidens landed to view the beautiful
+island. Ariadne strayed apart, and threw herself down upon the ground
+to rest, where, before she was aware of it, sleep overtook her. Now,
+although very brave, Theseus was not very constant. He had already
+grown weary of Ariadne's love; and, when he saw her thus asleep, he
+basely summoned his companions, embarked with them, and set sail,
+leaving her alone upon the island, where Bacchus soon came to console
+her for the loss of her faithless lover (p. 181).
+
+ [Illustration: ARIADNE.--Rae.]
+
+[Sidenote: Theseus' punishment.]
+
+Theseus, having committed a deed heinous in the eyes of gods and men,
+was doomed to suffer just punishment. In his preoccupation he entirely
+forgot his promise to change the black sails for white; and AEgeus,
+from Attica's rocky shore, seeing the sable sails when the vessel was
+yet far from land, immediately concluded that his son was dead, and in
+his grief cast himself into the sea since known as the AEgean, where he
+perished.
+
+ "As from a mountain's snowy top are driv'n
+ The rolling clouds, by the rude blasts of heav'n;
+ So from the mem'ry of lost Theseus fled
+ Those dictates, which before his reason sway'd:
+ But now his father from the ramparts' height,
+ All bath'd in tears, directs his eager sight;
+ O'er the wide sea, distended by the gale,
+ He spies, with dread amaze, the lurid sail."
+
+ Catullus.
+
+[Sidenote: Theseus' reign and marriage.]
+
+Theseus, on entering the city, heard of his father's death; and when
+he realized that it had been caused by his carelessness, he was
+overwhelmed with grief and remorse. All the cares of royalty and the
+wise measures he introduced for the happiness of his people could not
+divert his mind from this terrible catastrophe: so he finally resolved
+to resign his authority and set out again in search of adventures,
+which might help him forget his woes. He therefore made an excursion
+into the land of the Amazons, where Hercules had preceded him, and
+whence he brought back Hippolyte, whom he married. Theseus was now
+very happy indeed, and soon all his hopes were crowned by the birth of
+a son, whom he called Hippolytus. Shortly after this joyful event, the
+Amazons invaded his country under pretext of rescuing their kidnapped
+queen, and in the battle which ensued Hippolyte was accidentally
+wounded by an arrow, and breathed her last in Theseus' arms.
+
+Theseus next set out with an Athenian army to fight Pirithous, king of
+the Lapithae, who had dared to declare war; but when the armies were
+face to face, the two chiefs, seized with a sudden liking for each
+other, simultaneously cast down their weapons, and, falling on each
+other's necks, embraced, and swore an eternal friendship.
+
+[Sidenote: Centaurs and Lapithae]
+
+To show his devotion to this newly won friend, Theseus consented to
+accompany him to the court of Adrastus, King of Argos, and witness his
+marriage to Hippodamia, daughter of the king. Many guests were, of
+course, present to witness the marriage ceremony, among others
+Hercules and a number of the Centaurs. The latter, struck with
+admiration for the bride's unusual beauty, made an attempt to kidnap
+her, which was frustrated by the Lapithae, seconded by Theseus and
+Hercules. The terrible struggle which ensued between the conflicting
+parties has ever been a favorite subject in art, and is popularly
+known as the "Battle between the Centaurs and Lapithae."
+
+[Sidenote: Theseus in Hades.]
+
+The hotly contested bride did not, however, enjoy a very long life,
+and Pirithous soon found himself, like Theseus, a disconsolate
+widower. To avoid similar bereavement in future, they both resolved to
+secure goddesses, who, being immortal, would share their thrones
+forever. Aided by Pirithous, Theseus carried off Helen, the daughter
+of Jupiter (p. 311), and, as she was still but a child, intrusted her
+to the care of his mother, AEthra, until she attained a suitable age
+for matrimony. Then, in return for Pirithous' kind offices, he
+accompanied him to Hades, where they intended to carry off Proserpina.
+
+While they were thus engaged, Helen's twin brothers, Castor and
+Pollux, came to Athens, delivered her from captivity, and carried her
+home in triumph. As for Theseus and Pirithous, their treacherous
+intention was soon discovered by Pluto, who set the first on an
+enchanted rock, from which he could not descend unassisted, and bound
+the second to the constantly revolving wheel of his father, Ixion.
+
+ [Illustration: THESEUS.--Canova. (Volksgarten, Vienna.)]
+
+When Hercules was in Hades in search of Cerberus (p. 229), he
+delivered Theseus from his unpleasant position, and thus enabled him
+to return to his own home, where he now expected to spend the
+remainder of his life in peace.
+
+[Sidenote: Phaedra and Hippolytus.]
+
+Although somewhat aged by this time, Theseus was still anxious to
+marry, and looked about him for a wife to cheer his loneliness.
+Suddenly he remembered that Ariadne's younger sister, Phaedra, must be
+a charming young princess, and sent an embassy to obtain her hand in
+marriage. The embassy proved successful, and Phaedra came to Athens;
+but, young and extremely beautiful, she was not at all delighted with
+her aged husband, and, instead of falling in love with him, bestowed
+all her affections upon his son, Hippolytus, a virtuous youth, who
+utterly refused to listen to her proposals to elope. In her anger at
+finding her advances scorned, Phaedra went to Theseus and accused
+Hippolytus of attempting to kidnap her. Theseus, greatly incensed at
+what he deemed his son's dishonorable behavior, implored Neptune to
+punish the youth, who was even then riding in his chariot close by the
+shore. In answer to this prayer, a great wave suddenly arose, dashed
+over the chariot, and drowned the young charioteer, whose lifeless
+corpse was finally flung ashore at Phaedra's feet. When the unfortunate
+queen saw the result of her false accusations, she confessed her
+crime, and, in her remorse and despair, hung herself.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Theseus.]
+
+As for Theseus, soured by these repeated misfortunes, he grew so stern
+and tyrannical, that he gradually alienated his people's affections,
+until at last they hated him, and banished him to the Island of
+Scyros, where, in obedience to a secret order, Lycomedes, the king,
+treacherously slew him by hurling him from the top of a steep cliff
+into the sea. As usual, when too late, the Athenians repented of their
+ingratitude, and in a fit of tardy remorse deified this hero, and
+built a magnificent temple on the Acropolis in his honor. This
+building, now used as a museum, contains many relics of Greek art.
+Theseus' bones were piously brought back, and inhumed in Athens, where
+he was long worshiped as a demigod.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+JASON.
+
+
+At Iolcus, in Thessaly, there once reigned a virtuous king, AEson, with
+his good wife, Alcimede. Their happiness, however, was soon disturbed
+by Pelias, the king's brother, who, aided by an armed host, took
+forcible possession of the throne. AEson and Alcimede, in fear of their
+lives, were forced to resort to a hasty and secret flight, taking with
+them their only son, Jason.
+
+The king and queen soon found a place of refuge, but, afraid lest
+their hiding place should be discovered and they should all be slain
+by the cruel Pelias, they intrusted their son to the Centaur Chiron,
+revealing to him alone the secret of the child's birth, and bidding
+him train him up to avenge their wrongs.
+
+Chiron discharged his duties most faithfully, trained the young prince
+with great care, and soon made him the wisest and most skillful of his
+pupils. The years spent by Jason in the diligent acquisition of
+knowledge, strength, and skill, passed very quickly; and at last the
+time came when Chiron made known to him the secret of his birth, and
+the story of the wrongs inflicted by Pelias, the usurper, upon his
+unfortunate parents.
+
+[Sidenote: Jason's vow.]
+
+This tale aroused the young prince's anger, and made him solemnly vow
+to punish his uncle, or perish in the attempt. Chiron encouraged him
+to start, and in parting bade him remember that Pelias alone had
+injured him, but that all the rest of the human race were entitled to
+any aid he could bestow. Jason listened respectfully to his tutor's
+last instructions; then, girding his sword and putting on his sandals,
+he set out on his journey to Iolcus.
+
+It was early in the spring, and the young man had not gone very far
+before he came to a stream, which, owing to the usual freshets of the
+season, was almost impassable. Jason, however, quite undaunted by the
+rushing, foaming waters, was about to attempt the crossing, when he
+saw an aged woman not far from him, gazing in helpless despair at the
+waters she could not cross.
+
+Naturally kind-hearted and helpful, and, besides that, mindful of
+Chiron's last recommendation, Jason offered the old woman his
+assistance, proposing to carry her across on his back if she would but
+lend him her staff to lean upon. The old woman gladly accepted this
+offer; and a few moments later, Jason, bending beneath his strange
+load, was battling with the rapid current.
+
+After many an effort, breathless and almost exhausted, Jason reached
+the opposite bank, and, after depositing his burden there, scrambled
+up beside her, casting a rueful glance at the torrent, which had
+wrenched off one of his golden sandals. He was about to part from the
+old dame with a kindly farewell, when she was suddenly transformed
+into a large, handsome, imperious-looking woman, whom, owing to the
+peacock by her side, he immediately recognized as Juno, queen of
+heaven. He bent low before her, and claimed her aid and protection,
+which she graciously promised ere she vanished from his sight.
+
+With eager steps Jason now pressed onward, nor paused until he came in
+view of his native city. As he drew near, he noticed an unusual
+concourse of people, and upon inquiry discovered that Pelias was
+celebrating a festival in honor of the immortal gods. Up the steep
+ascent leading to the temple Jason hastened, and pressed on to the
+innermost circle of spectators, until he stood in full view of his
+enemy Pelias, who, unconscious of coming evil, continued offering the
+sacrifice.
+
+[Sidenote: The one sandal.]
+
+At last the ceremony was completed, and the king cast an arrogant
+glance over the assembled people. His eyes suddenly fell upon Jason's
+naked foot, and he grew pale with horror as there flashed into his
+memory the recollection of an ancient oracle, warning him to beware of
+the man who appeared before him wearing but one sandal. Pelias
+tremblingly bade the guards bring forth the uninvited stranger. His
+orders were obeyed; and Jason, confronting his uncle boldly, summoned
+him to make a full restitution of the power he had so unjustly seized.
+
+[Sidenote: Phryxus and Helle.]
+
+To surrender power and wealth and return to obscurity was not to be
+thought of; but Pelias artfully concealed his displeasure, and told
+his nephew that they would discuss the matter and come to an amicable
+understanding after the banquet, which was already spread and awaiting
+their presence. During the festive meal, bards sang of all the heroic
+deeds accomplished by great men; and Pelias, by judicious flattery,
+stimulated Jason to attempt similar feats. At last the musicians
+recited the story of Phryxus and Helle, the son and daughter of
+Athamas and Nephele, who, to escape the cruel treatment of their
+stepmother, Ino (p. 174), mounted a winged, golden-fleeced ram sent by
+Neptune to transport them to Colchis.
+
+The ram flew over land and sea; but Helle, frightened at the sight of
+the waves tossing far beneath her, suddenly lost her hold on the
+golden fleece, and tumbled off the ram's back into a portion of the
+sea since known as the Hellespont,
+
+ "Where beauteous Helle found a watery grave."
+
+ Meleager.
+
+Phryxus, more fortunate than his sister, reached Colchis in safety,
+and in gratitude to the gods sacrificed the ram they had sent to
+deliver him, and hung its golden fleece on a tree, near which he
+stationed a dragon to guard it night and day. The bards then went on
+to relate that the glittering trophy still hung there, awaiting a hand
+bold enough to slay the dragon and bear it off.
+
+[Sidenote: The golden fleece.]
+
+This tale and his liberal potations greatly excited the youth Jason;
+and Pelias, perceiving it, hypocritically regretted his inability to
+win the golden fleece, and softly insinuated that young men of the
+present generation were not brave enough to risk their lives in such
+a glorious cause. The usurper's crafty remarks had the desired effect;
+for Jason suddenly sprang from his seat, and vowed he would go in
+quest of the golden fleece. Pelias, quite certain that the rash youth
+would lose his life in the attempt, and thus cause no more trouble,
+with much difficulty restrained all expressions of joy, and dared him
+to make the attempt.
+
+ "With terror struck, lest by young Jason's hand
+ His crown should be rent from him, Pelias sought
+ By machinations dark to slay his foe.
+ From Colchis' realm to bring the golden fleece
+ He charged the youth."
+
+ Orphic Argonautics.
+
+[Sidenote: The Speaking Oak.]
+
+When Jason, sobered and refreshed by a long night's rest, perceived
+how foolish had been his vow, he would fain have recalled it; but,
+mindful of Chiron's teachings ever to be true to his word, he resolved
+to depart for Colchis. To secure Juno's assistance, he began by
+visiting her shrine at Dodona, where the oracle, a Speaking Oak,
+assured him of the goddess's good will and efficacious protection.
+Next the Speaking Oak bade him cut off one of its own mighty limbs,
+and carve from it a figurehead for the swift-sailing vessel which
+Minerva, at Juno's request, would build for his use from pine trees
+grown on Mount Pelion.
+
+[Sidenote: The Argo and crew.]
+
+Jason, having finished his figurehead, found that it too had the gift
+of speech, and that it would occasionally vouchsafe sage counsel in
+the direction of his affairs. When quite completed, Jason called his
+vessel the Argo (swift-sailing), and speedily collected a crew of
+heroes as brave as himself, among whom were Hercules, Castor, Pollux,
+Peleus, Admetus, Theseus, and Orpheus, who were all glad to undertake
+the perilous journey to lands unknown. To speed them on their way,
+Juno then bargained with AEolus for favorable winds, and forbade any
+tempest which might work them harm.
+
+ "Then with a whistling breeze did Juno fill the sail,
+ And Argo, self-impell'd, shot swift before the gale."
+
+ Onomacritus (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Hylas.]
+
+On several occasions the heroes landed, either to renew their stock of
+provisions or to recruit their strength, but in general every delay
+brought them some misfortune. Once Hercules, having landed with a
+youth named Hylas to cut wood for new oars, bade the youth go to a
+neighboring spring and draw a pitcher of water to quench the thirst
+produced by his exertions. The youth promptly departed; but as he bent
+over the fountain, the nymphs, enamored with his beauty, drew him down
+into their moist abode to keep them company. Hercules, after vainly
+waiting for Hylas' return, went in search of him, but could find no
+trace of him, and, in his grief and disappointment at the death of his
+young friend, refused to continue the expedition, and, deserting the
+Argonauts, made his way home alone and on foot.
+
+[Sidenote: Phineus and the Harpies.]
+
+On another occasion, when Jason visited Phineus, the blind king of
+Thrace, he heard that this monarch's life was imbittered by the
+Harpies, vile monsters, part woman, part bird, who ate or befouled all
+the food placed before him, and never let him eat a mouthful in peace.
+Having repeated this tale to his companions, the two sons of Boreas,
+who were also in the Argo, begged permission to drive them away. Jason
+could not refuse their request; and the two youths, with drawn swords,
+pursued the Harpies to the Strophades Islands, where the birds
+promised to remain.
+
+Jason, sailing on in the mean while, was attacked by a flock of
+brazen-feathered birds, which rained their sharp plumage down upon the
+Argonauts, wounding many of them sorely. The captain of the
+expedition, seeing weapons were of no avail against these foes,
+consulted the figurehead, and, in obedience to its directions, clashed
+his arms against his shield, until, terrified by the din, the
+brazen-feathered birds flew rapidly away, uttering discordant cries of
+terror.
+
+[Sidenote: The Symplegades.]
+
+Some time during the course of their journey the Argonauts came to the
+Symplegades,--floating rocks which continually crashed together, and
+ground to powder all objects caught between them. Jason knew he was
+obliged to pass between these rocks or give up the expedition: so,
+calculating that the speed of his vessel was equal to that of a dove
+on the wing, he sent one out before him. The dove flew safely between
+the rocks, losing only one of its tail feathers as they again clashed
+together. Watching his opportunity, therefore, Jason bade his men row
+swiftly. The Argo darted through the opening, and, when the rocks
+again came into contact, they merely grazed the rudder. As a vessel
+had passed between them unharmed, their power for evil left them, and
+they were chained fast to the bottom of the sea, near the mouth of the
+Bosporus, where they remained immovable like any other rocks.
+
+[Sidenote: Arrival at Colchis.]
+
+The Argonauts, after other adventures far too numerous to recount in
+detail, reached the Colchian shores, and presented themselves before
+AEetes, the king, to whom they made known their errand. Loath to part
+with his golden treasure, AEetes declared, that, before Jason could
+obtain the fleece, he must catch and harness two wild, fire-breathing
+bulls dedicated to Vulcan, and make use of them to plow a stony piece
+of ground sacred to Mars. This done, he must sow the field with some
+dragon's teeth, as Cadmus had done (p. 48), conquer the giants which
+would spring up, and, last of all, slay the guardian dragon, or the
+fleece would never be his.
+
+[Sidenote: Medea's aid.]
+
+One of these tasks would have sufficed to dismay many a brave youth;
+but Jason was of the dauntless kind, and merely hastened down to his
+vessel to ask the figurehead how he had better proceed. On his way to
+the seashore he met the king's daughter, Medea, a beautiful young
+sorceress, who had been charmed by his modest but firm bearing, and
+who was quite ready to bring her magic to his aid if he would but
+promise to marry her. Jason, susceptible to her attractions, and free
+from any conflicting ties, readily agreed to her proposal, and,
+carrying out her directions, caught and harnessed the fiery bulls,
+plowed the field, and sowed it with the dragon's teeth.
+
+ "And how he yoked the bulls, whose breathings fiery glow'd,
+ And with the dragons' teeth the furrow'd acres sow'd."
+
+ Onomacritus (Elton's tr.).
+
+But when he saw glittering spears and helmets grow out of the ground,
+and beheld the close ranks of giants in full armor, he was filled with
+dismay, and would have fled had it been possible. However, aware that
+such a performance would insure his ruin, he stood his ground, and,
+when the phalanx was quite near him, threw a handful of dust full in
+the giants' faces. Blinded with the sand, the giants attacked one
+another, and in a short time were exterminated.
+
+ "They, like swift dogs,
+ Ranging in fierceness, on each other turn'd
+ Tumultuous battle. On their mother earth
+ By their own spears they sank; like pines, or oaks,
+ Strew'd by a whirlwind in the mountain dale."
+
+ Apollonius Rhodius (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The fleece captured.]
+
+Accompanied by Medea, Jason next hastened to the tree where the dragon
+kept guard over his treasure. An opiate prepared by Medea's magic
+skill soon made the dragon forget his charge in a profound sleep, and
+enabled Jason to draw near enough to sever his frightful head from his
+hideous trunk. Jason then tore the coveted fleece from the branch
+where it had hung for many a year, and bore it in triumph to the Argo.
+
+ "Exulting Jason grasped the shining hide,
+ His last of labors, and his envied pride.
+ Slow from the groaning branch the fleece was rent."
+
+ Flaccus (Elton's tr.).
+
+His companions, who had made ready for a hasty departure, were already
+seated at their oars; and, as soon as he had embarked with Medea and
+her attendants, the Argo shot out of the Colchian harbor.
+
+ [Illustration: JASON AND THE DRAGON.--Salvator Rosa.]
+
+ "How softly stole from home the luckless-wedded maid,
+ Through darkness of the night, in linen robe array'd;
+ By Fate to Argo led, and urged by soft desire,
+ Nor yet regarding aught her father's furious ire."
+
+ Onomacritus (Elton's tr.).
+
+When morning dawned and AEetes awoke, he heard that the dragon was
+slain, the fleece stolen, his daughter gone, and the Grecian ship far
+out of sight. No time was lost in useless wailing, but a vessel was
+hurriedly launched and manned, and the king in person set out in
+pursuit of the fugitives, who had, moreover, taken his most precious
+treasure, his only son and heir, Absyrtus. Although the Colchian men
+were good sailors and skillful rowers, they did not catch sight of the
+Argo until they came near the mouth of the Danube, and AEetes wildly
+called to his daughter to return to her home and to her father.
+
+ "'Stay thy rash flight! and, from the distant main,--
+ For oh! thou canst, my daughter,--turn again.
+ Whither depart? the vessel backward steer;
+ Thy friends, thy still fond father, wait thee here.'"
+
+ Flaccus (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Absyrtus.]
+
+But Medea had no wish to be torn away from Jason's arms, and, instead
+of listening to her father's entreaties, urged the Argonauts to
+redoubled efforts. Little by little the distance between the two
+vessels grew less; the Colchian rowers were gaining upon the Greek;
+and Medea saw, that, unless she found means to delay her father, he
+would overtake her and compel her to return. With her own hands she
+therefore slew her little brother, Absyrtus, and cut his body into
+pieces, which she dropped over the side of the vessel one by one.
+AEetes, a helpless witness of this cruel, awful deed, piously collected
+his son's remains, and, in pausing to do so, lost sight of the Argo,
+and all hope of recovering his unnatural daughter: so he returned
+sadly to Colchis, where he buried his son's remains with due
+solemnity.
+
+ [Illustration: MEDEA.--Sichel.]
+
+[Sidenote: Pelias dethroned.]
+
+In the mean while, Pelias had reigned contentedly over Thessaly,
+confident that Jason would never return. Imagine his dismay,
+therefore, when he heard that the Argo had arrived, bearing Jason, now
+the proud possessor of the renowned golden fleece. Ere he could take
+measures to maintain his usurped authority, Jason appeared, and
+compelled him to resign the throne in favor of the rightful king,
+AEson.
+
+Unfortunately, AEson was now so old and decrepit, that power had no
+charms for him: so Jason begged Medea to use her magic in his behalf,
+and restore him to the vigor and beauty of his early manhood. To
+gratify Jason, Medea called all her magic into play, and by some
+mysterious process restored AEson to all his former youth, strength,
+activity, and grace.
+
+ "Medea's spells dispersed the weight of years,
+ And AEson stood a youth 'mid youthful peers."
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+[Sidenote: The magic recipe.]
+
+As soon as Pelias' daughters heard of this miraculous transformation,
+they hastened to Medea and implored her to give them the recipe, that
+they might rejuvenate their father also. The sorceress maliciously
+bade them cut their father's body into small pieces, and boil them in
+a caldron with certain herbs, declaring that, if the directions were
+carefully carried out, the result would be satisfactory; but, when the
+too credulous maidens carried out these instructions, they only slew
+the father whom they had so dearly loved.
+
+Days and years now passed happily and uneventfully for Jason and
+Medea; but at last their affection for each other cooled, and Jason
+fell in love with Glauce, or Creusa. Frantic with jealousy, Medea
+prepared and sent the maiden a magic robe, which she no sooner donned
+than she was seized with terrible convulsions, in which she died.
+Medea, still full of resentment against Jason, then slew her own
+children, and, mounting her dragon car, departed, leaving a message
+for Jason, purporting that the Argo would yet cause his death.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Jason.]
+
+Jason, a victim of remorse and despair, now led a weary and sorrowful
+life, and every day he wandered down to the shore, where he sat under
+the shade of the Argo's hulk, which was slowly rotting away. One day,
+while he was sitting there musing over his youthful adventures and
+Medea's strange prophecy, a sudden gale detached a beam, which,
+falling on his head, fractured his skull and caused instantaneous
+death.
+
+The Argonautic expedition is emblematic of the first long maritime
+voyage undertaken by the Greeks for commercial purposes; while the
+golden fleece which Jason brought back from Colchis is but a symbol of
+the untold riches they found in the East, and brought back to their
+own native land.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+THE CALYDONIAN HUNT.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Birth of Meleager.]
+
+Oeneus and Althaea, King and Queen of Calydon, in AEtolia, were very
+happy in the possession of a little son, Meleager, only a few days
+old, until they heard that the Fates had decreed the child should live
+only as long as the brand then smoking and crackling on the hearth.
+The parents were motionless with grief, until Althaea, with true
+mother's wit, snatched the brand from the fire, plunged it into an
+earthen jar filled with water, quenched the flames which were
+consuming it, and, carefully laying it aside, announced her intention
+to keep it forever.
+
+Meleager, thus saved from an untimely death by his mother's presence
+of mind, grew up a brave and handsome youth, and joined the Argonautic
+expedition. While he was absent, his father omitted the yearly
+sacrifice to Diana, who, enraged at his neglect, sent a monstrous boar
+to devour his subjects and devastate his realm. Meleager, on his
+return, gathered together all the brave men of the country, and
+instituted a great hunt, whose main object was the capture or death of
+the obnoxious boar.
+
+[Sidenote: The hunters.]
+
+Jason, Nestor, Peleus, Admetus, Theseus, Pirithous, and many other
+noted heroes, came at his call; but the attention of all the
+spectators was specially attracted by Castor and Pollux, and by the
+fair Atalanta, daughter of Iasius, King of Arcadia. This princess had
+led a very adventurous life; for when but a babe, her father,
+disappointed to see a daughter instead of the longed-for son, had
+exposed her on Mount Parthenium to the fury of the wild beasts. Some
+hunters, passing there shortly after this, found the babe fearlessly
+nursing from a she-bear, and in compassion carried her home, where
+they trained her to love the chase.
+
+The grand Calydonian Hunt was headed by Meleager and Atalanta, who
+were very fond of each other, and who boldly led the rest in pursuit
+of the boar. From one end of the Calydonian forest to the other the
+boar fled, closely pursued by the hunt, and was at last brought to bay
+by Atalanta, who succeeded in dealing him a mortal wound. But even in
+his dying struggles the boar would have killed her, had not Meleager
+come to her rescue and given him his deathblow.
+
+[Sidenote: Meleager slays his uncles.]
+
+All the hunt now gathered around the boar's corpse, and watched
+Meleager take its spoil, which he gallantly bestowed upon Atalanta.
+Althaea's two brothers were present at the hunt; and, as they wished to
+possess the skin, they bitterly reproved their nephew on their way
+home for giving it to a stranger. They added taunts to this reproof,
+which so angered Meleager, that, in a sudden fit of passion, he slew
+them both. When Althaea saw her brothers' corpses, and heard that they
+had been slain by her son, she vowed to avenge their death, drew the
+carefully cherished brand from its hiding place, and threw it upon the
+fire burning brightly on her hearth. When the last bit of the precious
+wood crumbled away into ashes, Meleager died. All Althaea's affection
+for her son returned when his lifeless corpse was brought to her, and
+in her despair she committed suicide.
+
+ [Illustration: ATALANTA'S RACE.--Poynter.]
+
+[Sidenote: Atalanta's race.]
+
+In the mean while, Atalanta, proud of her skill and of her spoil, had
+returned to her father's court, where, no other heir having appeared,
+she was joyfully received, and entreated to marry. Many suitors came
+to woo the fair princess, but most of them refrained from pressing
+their suit when they heard what conditions were imposed upon all who
+would obtain her hand; for Atalanta disapproved of marriage, and,
+anxious to keep her freedom, decreed that she should marry only on
+condition that her suitor would beat her in a foot race. If he were
+beaten, however, he must pay for his defeat by forfeiting his life.
+
+[Sidenote: The golden apples.]
+
+In spite of these barbarous terms, a few youths had tried to outrun
+her; but they failed, and their lifeless heads were exposed on the
+racing ground to deter all other suitors. Undaunted by these ghastly
+trophies, Hippomenes, or Milanion, once came to Atalanta and expressed
+a desire to race with her. This youth had previously obtained Venus'
+protection, and concealed under his garment her gift of three golden
+apples. Atalanta prepared for her race as usual, and, as usual, passed
+her rival; but just as she did so, one of the golden apples rolled at
+her feet. For a moment she paused, then stooped and picked it up ere
+she resumed the race. Her adversary had passed her and won some
+advance; but she soon overtook him, when a second golden apple caused
+a second delay. She was about to reach the goal first, as usual, when
+a third golden treasure tempted her to pause, and enabled Hippomenes
+to win the race.
+
+ "Hippomenes turns her astray
+ By the golden illusions he flings on her way."
+
+ Moore.
+
+Atalanta could now no longer refuse to marry, and her nuptials were
+soon celebrated. In his happiness at having won such a peerless bride,
+Hippomenes forgot to pay the promised thanks to Venus, for which
+offense he and his wife were severely punished by being transformed
+into a pair of lions, and doomed to drag Cybele's car (p. 19).
+
+[Sidenote: Castor and Pollux.]
+
+The twin brothers Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri, or Gemini, who had
+greatly distinguished themselves by their daring in the Calydonian
+Hunt, were made the deities of boxing, wrestling, and all equestrian
+exercises.
+
+ "Leda's sons I'll sound,
+ Illustrious twins, that are
+ For wrestling this, and for the race renown'd."
+
+ Horace.
+
+One of these twins, Castor, was a mortal, and in a combat with the
+sons of Aphareus was slain. Pollux, who was immortal, then implored
+Jupiter to allow him to die also, that he might not be parted from his
+brother,--a proof of brotherly affection which so touched the father
+of the gods, that he permitted Castor to return to life on condition
+that Pollux would spend half his time in Hades.
+
+Later on, satisfied that even this sacrifice was none too great for
+their fraternal love, he translated them both to the skies, where they
+form a bright constellation, one of the signs of the zodiac. Castor
+and Pollux are generally represented as handsome youths, mounted on
+snowy chargers.
+
+ "So like they were, no mortal
+ Might one from other know:
+ White as snow their armor was:
+ Their steeds were white as snow."
+
+ Macaulay.
+
+Their appearance under certain circumstances foretold success in war,
+and the Romans believed that they fought at the head of their legions
+at the celebrated battle of Lake Regillus. Their name was also given
+to meteors, sometimes seen at sea, which attach themselves like balls
+of fire to the masts of ships,--a sure sign, according to the sailors,
+of fine weather and an auspicious journey.
+
+ "Safe comes the ship to haven,
+ Through billows and through gales,
+ If once the Great Twin Brethren
+ Sit shining on the sails."
+
+ Macaulay.
+
+Festivals celebrated in honor of these twin brethren, and called the
+Dioscuria, were held in many places, but specially in Sparta, their
+birthplace, where they had world-renowned wrestling matches.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+OEDIPUS.
+
+
+Laius and Jocasta, King and Queen of Thebes, in Boeotia, were greatly
+delighted at the birth of a little son. In their joy they sent for the
+priests of Apollo, and bade them foretell the glorious deeds their
+heir would perform; but all their joy was turned to grief when told
+that the child was destined to kill his father, marry his mother, and
+bring great misfortunes upon his native city.
+
+ "Laius once,
+ Not from Apollo, but his priests, receiv'd
+ An oracle, which said, it was decreed
+ He should be slain by his own son."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+To prevent the fulfillment of this dreadful prophecy, Laius bade a
+servant carry the new-born child out of the city, and end its feeble
+little life. The king's mandate was obeyed only in part; for the
+servant, instead of killing the child, hung it up by its ankles to a
+tree in a remote place, and left it there to perish from hunger and
+exposure if it were spared by the wild beasts.
+
+When he returned, none questioned how he had performed the appointed
+task, but all sighed with relief to think that the prophecy could
+never be accomplished. The child, however, was not dead, as all
+supposed. A shepherd in quest of a stray lamb had heard his cries,
+delivered him from his painful position, and carried him to Polybus,
+King of Corinth, who, lacking an heir of his own, gladly adopted the
+little stranger. The Queen of Corinth and her handmaidens hastened
+with tender concern to bathe the swollen ankles, and called the babe
+Oedipus (swollen-footed).
+
+Years passed by. The young prince grew up in total ignorance of the
+unfortunate circumstances under which he had made his first appearance
+at court, until one day at a banquet one of his companions, heated by
+drink, began to quarrel with him, and taunted him about his origin,
+declaring that those whom he had been accustomed to call parents were
+in no way related to him.
+
+ "A drunken rev'ler at a feast proclaim'd
+ That I was only the supposed son
+ Of Corinth's king."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Oedipus consults the oracle.]
+
+These words, coupled with a few meaning glances hastily exchanged by
+the guests, excited Oedipus' suspicions, and made him question the
+queen, who, afraid lest he might do himself an injury in the first
+moment of his despair if the truth were revealed to him, had recourse
+to prevarication, and quieted him by the assurance that he was her
+beloved son.
+
+Something in her manner, however, left a lingering doubt in Oedipus'
+mind, and made him resolve to consult the oracle of Delphi, whose
+words he knew would reveal the exact truth. He therefore went to this
+shrine; but, as usual, the oracle answered somewhat ambiguously, and
+merely warned him that fate had decreed he should kill his father,
+marry his mother, and cause great woes to his native city.
+
+ "I felt
+ A secret anguish, and unknown to them
+ Sought out the Pythian oracle; in vain;
+ Touching my parents, nothing could I learn;
+ But dreadful were the mis'ries it denounc'd
+ Against me; 'twas my fate, Apollo said,
+ To wed my mother, to produce a race
+ Accursed and abhorr'd; and last, to slay
+ My father."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Oedipus leaves Corinth.]
+
+What! kill Polybus, who had ever been such an indulgent father, and
+marry the queen, whom he revered as his mother! Never! Rather than
+perpetrate these awful crimes, and bring destruction upon the people
+of Corinth, whom he loved, he would wander away over the face of the
+earth, and never see city or parents again.
+
+ "Lest I should e'er fulfill the dire prediction,
+ Instant I fled from Corinth, by the stars
+ Guiding my hapless journey."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+But his heart was filled with intense bitterness, and as he journeyed
+he did not cease to curse the fate which drove him away from home.
+After some time, he came to three crossroads; and while he stood
+there, deliberating which direction to take, a chariot, wherein an
+aged man was seated, came rapidly toward him.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Laius.]
+
+The herald who preceded it haughtily called to the youth to stand
+aside and make way for his master; but Oedipus, who, as Polybus' heir,
+was accustomed to be treated with deference, resented the commanding
+tone, and refused to obey. Incensed at what seemed unparalleled
+impudence, the herald struck the youth, who, retaliating, stretched
+his assailant lifeless at his feet.
+
+This affray attracted the attention of the master and other servants.
+They immediately attacked the murderer, who slew them all, thus
+unconsciously accomplishing the first part of the prophecy; for the
+aged man was Laius, his father, journeying _incognito_ from Thebes to
+Delphi, where he wished to consult the oracle.
+
+Oedipus then leisurely pursued his way until he came to the gates of
+Thebes, where he found the whole city in an uproar, "because the king
+had been found lifeless by the roadside, with all his attendants slain
+beside him, presumably the work of a band of highway robbers or
+assassins."
+
+ "He fell
+ By strangers, murdered, for so fame reports,
+ By robbers in the place where three ways meet."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+Of course, Oedipus did not connect the murder of such a great
+personage as the King of Thebes by an unknown band of robbers, with
+the death he had dealt to an arrogant old man, and he therefore
+composedly inquired what the second calamity alluded to might be.
+
+[Sidenote: The Sphinx.]
+
+With lowered voices, as if afraid of being overheard, the Thebans
+described the woman's head, bird's wings and claws, and lion's body,
+which were the outward presentment of a terrible monster called the
+Sphinx, which had taken up its station without the city gates beside
+the highway, and would allow none to pass in or out without
+propounding a difficult riddle. Then, if any hesitated to give the
+required answer, or failed to give it correctly, they were mercilessly
+devoured by the terrible Sphinx, which no one dared attack or could
+drive away.
+
+While listening to these tidings, Oedipus saw a herald pass along the
+street, proclaiming that the throne and the queen's hand would be the
+reward of any man who dared encounter the Sphinx, and was fortunate
+enough to free the country of its terrible presence.
+
+[Sidenote: The riddle.]
+
+As Oedipus attached no special value to the life made desolate by the
+oracle's predictions, he resolved to slay the dreaded monster, and,
+with that purpose in view, advanced slowly, sword in hand, along the
+road where lurked the Sphinx. He soon found the monster, which from
+afar propounded the following enigma, warning him, at the same time,
+that he forfeited his life if he failed to give the right answer:--
+
+ "Tell me, what animal is that
+ Which has four feet at morning bright,
+ Has two at noon, and three at night?"
+
+ Prior.
+
+ [Illustration: OEDIPUS AND THE SPHINX.--Ingres. (Louvre, Paris.)]
+
+Oedipus was not devoid of intelligence, by any manner of means, and
+soon concluded that the animal could only be man, who in infancy, when
+too weak to stand, creeps along on hands and knees, in manhood walks
+erect, and in old age supports his tottering steps with a staff.
+
+[Sidenote: Oedipus marries his mother.]
+
+This reply, evidently as correct as unexpected, was received by the
+Sphinx with a hoarse cry of disappointment and rage as it turned to
+fly; but ere it could effect its purpose, it was stayed by Oedipus,
+who drove it at his sword's point over the edge of a neighboring
+precipice, where it was killed. On his return to the city, Oedipus was
+received with cries of joy, placed on a chariot, crowned King of
+Thebes, and married to his own mother, Jocasta, unwittingly fulfilling
+the second fearful clause of the prophecy.
+
+[Sidenote: The plague.]
+
+A number of happy and moderately uneventful years now passed by, and
+Oedipus became the father of two manly sons, Eteocles and Polynices,
+and two beautiful daughters, Ismene and Antigone; but prosperity was
+not doomed to favor him long.
+
+Just when he fancied himself most happy, and looked forward to a
+peaceful old age, a terrible scourge visited Thebes, causing the death
+of many faithful subjects, and filling the hearts of all with great
+terror. The people now turned to him, beseeching him to aid them, as
+he had done once before when threatened by the Sphinx; and Oedipus
+sent messengers to consult the Delphic oracle, who declared the plague
+would cease only when the former king's murderers had been found and
+punished.
+
+ "The plague, he said, should cease,
+ When those who murder'd Laius were discover'd,
+ And paid the forfeit of their crime by death,
+ Or banishment."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+Messengers were sent in every direction to collect all possible
+information about the murder committed so long ago, and after a short
+time they brought unmistakable proofs which convicted Oedipus of the
+crime. At the same time the guilty servant confessed that he had not
+killed the child, but had exposed it on a mountain, whence it was
+carried to Corinth's king.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Jocasta.]
+
+The chain of evidence was complete, and now Oedipus discovered that he
+had involuntarily been guilty of the three crimes to avoid which he
+had fled from Corinth. The rumor of these dreadful discoveries soon
+reached Jocasta, who, in her despair at finding herself an accomplice,
+committed suicide.
+
+Oedipus, apprised of her intention, rushed into her apartment too late
+to prevent its being carried out, and found her lifeless. This sight
+was more than the poor monarch could bear, and in his despair he
+blinded himself with one of her ornaments.
+
+ "He pluck'd from off the robe she wore
+ A golden buckle that adorn'd her side,
+ And buried in his eyes the sharpen'd point,
+ Crying, he ne'er again would look on her,
+ Never would see his crimes or mis'ries more,
+ Or those whom guiltless he could ne'er behold,
+ Or those to whom he now must sue for aid."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Oedipus.]
+
+Penniless, blind, and on foot, he then left the scene of his awful
+crimes, accompanied by his daughter Antigone, the only one who loved
+him still, and who was ready to guide his uncertain footsteps wherever
+he wished to go. After many days of weary wandering, father and
+daughter reached Colonus, where grew a mighty forest sacred to the
+avenging deities, the Furies, or Eumenides.
+
+Here Oedipus expressed his desire to remain, and, after bidding his
+faithful daughter an affectionate farewell, he groped his way into the
+dark forest alone. The wind rose, the lightning flashed, the thunder
+pealed; but although, as soon as the storm was over, a search was made
+for Oedipus, no trace of him was ever found, and the ancients fancied
+that the Furies had dragged him down to Hades to receive the
+punishment of all his crimes.
+
+[Sidenote: Eteocles and Polynices.]
+
+Antigone, no longer needed by her unhappy father, slowly wended her
+way back to Thebes, where she found that the plague had ceased, but
+that her brothers had quarreled about the succession to the throne. A
+compromise was finally decided upon, whereby it was decreed that
+Eteocles, the elder son, should reign one year, and at the end of that
+period resign the throne to Polynices for an equal space of time, both
+brothers thus exercising the royal authority in turn. This arrangement
+seemed satisfactory to Eteocles; but when, at the end of the first
+year, Polynices returned from his travels in foreign lands to claim
+the scepter, Eteocles refused to relinquish it, and, making use of his
+power, drove the claimant away.
+
+ "Thou seest me banish'd from my native land,
+ Unjustly banish'd, for no other crime
+ But that I strove to keep the throne of Thebes,
+ By birthright mine, from him who drove me thence,
+ The young Eteocles: not his the claim
+ By justice, nor to me his fame in arms
+ Superior; but by soft, persuasive arts
+ He won the rebel city to his love."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The seven chiefs before Thebes.]
+
+Polynices' nature was not one to endure such a slight patiently; and
+he hastened off to Argos, where he persuaded Adrastus, the king, to
+give him his daughter in marriage, and aid him to recover his
+inheritance. True to his promise, Adrastus soon equipped a large army,
+which was led by seven determined and renowned chiefs, ready to risk
+all in the attempt, and either win or perish.
+
+ "Seven valiant leaders march
+ To Thebes, resolved to conquer or to die."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+Their bravery was of no avail, however, for Thebes was well fortified
+and defended; and after a seven-years' siege they found themselves no
+nearer their goal than at the beginning of the war. Weary of the
+monotony of this quarrel, the conflicting armies finally decreed that
+the difference should be settled by a duel between the inimical
+brothers, who no sooner found themselves face to face, than they
+rushed upon each other with such animosity that both fell.
+
+By order of Jocasta's father, Creon, the corpse of Eteocles received
+all the honors of a Greek burial, while that of Polynices was left on
+the plain, a prey to the birds and wild beasts.
+
+ "Polynices' wretched carcass lies
+ Unburied, unlamented, left expos'd
+ A feast for hungry vultures on the plain."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Antigone's devotion.]
+
+Then a proclamation was issued, that, if any dared bury the body of
+the fallen prince, he would incur the penalty of being buried alive.
+Heedless of this injunction and Ismene's prayers to refrain from
+endangering her own life, Antigone dug a grave for her brother's
+remains, and, unaided, fulfilled the various customary funeral rites.
+Her task was almost completed, when the guards discovered her, and
+dragged her into the presence of Creon, who, although she was a
+relative and the promised wife of his son Haemon, condemned her to
+death.
+
+ "Let her be carried instant to the cave,
+ And leave her there alone, to live, or die;
+ Her blood rests not on us: but she no longer
+ Shall breathe on earth."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Antigone and Haemon.]
+
+Haemon pleaded passionately for her life; but, when he saw his prayers
+were vain, he ran to the place where Antigone was confined, sprang
+into her narrow cell, wound his arms closely around her, and refused
+to leave her. There they were walled in; Antigone's sufferings were
+cut mercifully short by asphyxiation; and, when Haemon saw she was no
+more, he, in utter despair, thrust his dagger into his side, and
+perished too.
+
+ [Illustration: ANTIGONE AND ISMENE.--Teschendorf.]
+
+ "On himself bent all his wrath,
+ Full in his side the weapon fix'd, but still,
+ Whilst life remain'd, on the soft bosom hung
+ Of the dear maid, and his last spirit breath'd
+ O'er her pale cheek, discolor'd with his blood.
+ Thus lay the wretched pair in death united,
+ And celebrate their nuptials in the tomb."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+Ismene, the last of Oedipus' unfortunate race, died of grief, and thus
+the prophecy was fully accomplished. The Theban war was not, however,
+entirely ended, for, when both brothers fell, the two armies flew to
+attack each other; and such was their courage, that many fell, and
+only one of the seven chiefs returned to Argos. There he patiently
+waited until the children of these brave captains were old enough to
+bear arms, and then proposed to them to attack Thebes and avenge their
+fathers' death.
+
+The Epigoni (or those who come after), as these youths are
+collectively designated, received this proposal with rapture; and
+Thebes, again besieged, fell into their hands, and was duly sacked,
+burned, and destroyed, as the Delphic oracle had foretold so many
+years before.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+BELLEROPHON.
+
+
+Bellerophon, a brave young prince, the grandson of Sisyphus, King of
+Corinth, had the great misfortune to kill his own brother while
+hunting in the forest. His grief was, of course, intense; and the
+horror he felt for the place where the catastrophe had occurred, added
+to his fear lest he should incur judicial punishment for his
+involuntary crime, made him flee to the court of Argos, where he took
+refuge with Proetus, the king, who was also his kinsman.
+
+[Sidenote: Anteia's treachery.]
+
+He had not sojourned there very long, before Anteia, the queen, fell
+in love with him; and although her husband, Proetus, treated her with
+the utmost kindness, she made up her mind to desert him, and tried to
+induce Bellerophon to elope with her. Too honest to betray a man who
+had treated him as a friend, the young prince refused to listen to the
+queen's proposals. His refusal was to cost him dear, however; for,
+when Anteia saw that the youth would never yield to her wishes, she
+became very angry indeed, sought her husband, and accused the young
+stranger of crimes he had never even dreamed of committing.
+
+Proetus, indignant at what he deemed deep treachery on the part of an
+honored guest, yet reluctant to punish him with his own hand as he
+deserved, sent Bellerophon to Iobates, King of Lycia, with a sealed
+message bidding him put the bearer to death.
+
+Quite unconscious of the purport of this letter, Bellerophon traveled
+gayly onward, and presented himself before Iobates, who received him
+very hospitably, and, without inquiring his name or errand,
+entertained him royally for many days. After some time, Bellerophon
+suddenly remembered the sealed message intrusted to his care, and
+hastened to deliver it to Iobates, with many apologies for his
+forgetfulness.
+
+[Sidenote: The Chimaera.]
+
+With blanched cheeks and every outward sign of horror, the king read
+the missive, and then fell into a deep reverie. He did not like to
+take a stranger's life, and still could not refuse to comply with
+Proetus' urgent request: so, after much thought, he decided to send
+Bellerophon to attack the Chimaera, a terrible monster with a lion's
+head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail.
+
+ "Dire Chimaera's conquest was enjoin'd;
+ A mingled monster, of no mortal kind;
+ Behind, a dragon's fiery tail was spread;
+ A goat's rough body bore a lion's head;
+ Her pitchy nostrils flaky flames expire;
+ Her gaping throat emits infernal fire."
+
+ Homer (Pope's tr.).
+
+His principal motive in choosing this difficult task was, that,
+although many brave men had set forth to slay the monster, none had
+ever returned, for one and all had perished in the attempt.
+
+Although very courageous, Bellerophon's heart beat fast with fear when
+told what great deed he must accomplish; and he left Iobates' palace
+very sorrowfully, for he dearly loved the king's fair daughter,
+Philonoe, and was afraid he would never see her again.
+
+[Sidenote: Minerva's advice.]
+
+While thus inwardly bewailing the ill luck which had so persistently
+dogged his footsteps, Bellerophon suddenly saw Minerva appear before
+him in all her splendor, and heard her inquire in gentle tones the
+cause of his too evident dejection. He had no sooner apprised her of
+the difficult task appointed him, than she promised him her aid, and
+before she vanished gave him a beautiful golden bridle, which she bade
+him use to control Pegasus.
+
+ [Illustration: CHIMAERA. (Egyptian Museum, Florence.)]
+
+Bridle in hand, Bellerophon stood pondering her words, and gradually
+remembered that Pegasus was a wonderful winged steed, born from the
+blood which fell into the foam of the sea from Medusa's severed head
+(p. 244). This horse, as white as snow, and gifted with immortal life
+as well as incredible speed, was the favorite mount of Apollo and the
+Muses, who delighted in taking aerial flights on his broad back; and
+Bellerophon knew that from time to time he came down to earth to drink
+of the cool waters of the Hippocrene (a fountain which had bubbled
+forth where his hoofs first touched the earth), or to visit the
+equally limpid spring of Pirene, near Corinth.
+
+[Sidenote: Pegasus bridled.]
+
+Bellerophon now proceeded to the latter fountain, where, after
+lingering many days in the vain hope of catching even a glimpse of the
+winged steed, he finally beheld him sailing downward in wide curves,
+like a bird of prey. From his place of concealment in a neighboring
+thicket, Bellerophon watched his opportunity, and, while the winged
+steed was grazing, he boldly vaulted upon his back.
+
+Pegasus, who had never before been ridden by a mortal, reared and
+pranced, and flew up to dizzy heights; but all his efforts failed to
+unseat the brave rider, who, biding his time, finally thrust Minerva's
+golden bit between his teeth, and immediately he became gentle and
+tractable. Mounted upon this incomparable steed, Bellerophon now went
+in search of the winged monster Chimaera, who had given birth to the
+Nemean lion and to the riddle-loving Sphinx.
+
+[Sidenote: Chimaera slain.]
+
+From an unclouded sky Bellerophon and Pegasus swooped suddenly and
+unexpectedly down upon the terrible Chimaera, whose fiery breath and
+great strength were of no avail; for after a protracted struggle
+Bellerophon and Pegasus were victorious, and the monster lay lifeless
+upon the blood-soaked ground.
+
+This mighty deed of valor accomplished, Bellerophon returned to
+Iobates, to report the success of his undertaking; and, although the
+king was heartily glad to know the Chimaera was no more, he was very
+sorry to see Bellerophon safe and sound, and tried to devise some
+other plan to get rid of him.
+
+He therefore sent him to fight the Amazons; but the hero, aided by the
+gods, defeated these warlike women also, and returned to Lycia, where,
+after escaping from an ambush posted by the king for his destruction,
+he again appeared victorious at court.
+
+These repeated and narrow escapes from certain death convinced Iobates
+that the youth was under the special protection of the gods; and this
+induced the king not only to forego further attempts to slay him, but
+also to bestow upon the young hero his daughter's hand in marriage.
+
+Bellerophon, having now attained his dearest wishes, might have
+settled down in peace; but his head had been utterly turned by the
+many lofty flights he had taken upon Pegasus' back, and, encouraged by
+the fulsome flattery of his courtiers, he finally fancied himself the
+equal of the immortal gods, and wished to join them in their celestial
+abode.
+
+[Sidenote: Bellerophon's fall.]
+
+Summoning his faithful Pegasus once more, he rose higher and higher,
+and would probably have reached Olympus' heights, had not Jupiter sent
+a gadfly, which stung poor Pegasus so cruelly, that he shied
+viciously, and flung his too confident rider far down to the earth
+below.
+
+ "Bold Bellerophon (so Jove decreed
+ In wrath) fell headlong from the fields of air."
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+This fall, which would doubtless have killed any one but a
+mythological hero, merely deprived Bellerophon of his eyesight; and
+ever after he groped his way disconsolately, thinking of the happy
+days when he rode along the paths of air, and gazed upon the beautiful
+earth at his feet.
+
+Bellerophon, mounted upon Pegasus, winging his flight through the air
+or fighting the Chimaera, is a favorite subject in sculpture and
+painting, which has frequently been treated by ancient artists, a few
+of whose most noted works are still extant in various museums.
+
+This story, like many others, is merely a sun myth, in which
+Bellerophon, the orb of day, rides across the sky on Pegasus, the
+fleecy white clouds, and slays Chimaera, the dread monster of darkness,
+which he alone can overcome. Driven from home early in life,
+Bellerophon wanders throughout the world like his brilliant prototype,
+and, like it, ends his career in total darkness.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+MINOR DIVINITIES.
+
+
+[Sidenote: Naiades and Oreades.]
+
+According to the ancients' belief, every mountain, valley, plain,
+lake, river, grove, and sea was provided with some lesser deity, whose
+special duty was assigned by the powerful gods of Olympus. These were,
+for instance, the Naiades, beautiful water nymphs, who dwelt in the
+limpid depths of the fountains, and were considered local patrons of
+poetry and song.
+
+The Oreades, or mountain nymphs, were supposed to linger in the
+mountain solitudes, and guide weary travelers safely through their
+rocky mazes.
+
+ "Mark how the climbing Oreads
+ Beckon thee to their Arcades!"
+
+ Emerson.
+
+[Sidenote: Napaeae and Dryades.]
+
+As for the Napaeae, they preferred to linger in the valleys, which were
+kept green and fruitful by their watchful care, in which task they
+were ably seconded by the Dryades, the nymphs of vegetation.
+
+The very trees in the forest and along the roadside were supposed to
+be each under the protection of a special divinity called Hamadryad,
+said to live and die with the tree intrusted to her care.
+
+ "When the Fate of Death is drawing near,
+ First wither on the earth the beauteous trees,
+ The bark around them wastes, the branches fall,
+ And the nymph's soul, at the same moment, leaves
+ The sun's fair light."
+
+ Homer.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Dryope.]
+
+A sweet and touching story was told by the ancients of a mortal who
+was changed into a Hamadryad. This young girl, whose name was Dryope,
+was a beautiful young princess, the daughter of Baucis, so bright and
+clever, that all who knew her loved her dearly. Of course, as soon as
+she was old enough to think of marriage, a host of suitors asked her
+hand, each eager to win for his bride one so beautiful and gifted.
+
+ "No nymph of all Oechalia could compare,
+ For beauteous form, with Dryope the fair."
+
+ Ovid (Pope's tr.).
+
+Fully aware of the importance of making a wise choice, Dryope took her
+time, and finally decided to marry Andraemon, a worthy young prince,
+who possessed every charm calculated to win a fair girl's heart. The
+young people were duly married, and daily rejoiced in their happiness,
+which seemed almost too great for earth, when they became the parents
+of a charming little son.
+
+Every day Dryope carried the child along the banks of a little lake
+close by the palace, where bloomed a profusion of gay-colored flowers.
+
+ "A lake there was, with shelving banks around,
+ Whose verdant summit fragrant myrtles crown'd.
+ Those shades, unknowing of the Fates, she sought,
+ And to the Naiads flowery garlands brought;
+ Her smiling babe (a pleasing charge) she press'd
+ Between her arms."
+
+ Ovid (Pope's tr.).
+
+One day, while wandering there as usual, accompanied by her sister,
+she saw a lotus blossom, and pointed it out to her little son. He no
+sooner saw the brilliant flower, than he stretched out his little
+hands. To please him, the fond mother plucked it and gave it to him.
+
+She had scarcely done so, when she noticed drops of blood trickling
+from the broken stem; and while she stood there, speechless with
+wonder, a voice was heard accusing her of having slain Lotis, a nymph,
+who, to escape the pursuit of Priapus, god of the shade, had assumed
+the guise of a flower.
+
+ "Lotis the nymph (if rural tales be true),
+ As from Priapus' lawless love she flew,
+ Forsook her form; and fixing here became
+ A flowery plant, which still preserves her name."
+
+ Ovid (Pope's tr.).
+
+Recovering from her first speechless terror, Dryope turned to flee,
+with a pitiful cry of compassion on her pale lips, but, to her
+astonishment, she could not leave the spot: her feet seemed rooted to
+the ground. She cast a rapid glance downward to ascertain what could
+so impede her progress, and noticed the rough bark of a tree growing
+with fearful rapidity all around her.
+
+Higher and higher it rose, from her knees to her waist, and still it
+crept upward, in spite of her frantic attempts to tear it away from
+her shapely limbs. In despair she raised her trembling hands and arms
+to heaven to implore aid; but, ere the words were spoken, her arms
+were transformed into twisted branches, and her hands were filled with
+leaves.
+
+Nothing human now remained of poor Dryope except her sweet,
+tear-stained face; but this too would soon vanish under the
+all-involving bark. She therefore took hasty leave of her father,
+sister, husband, and son, who, attracted by her first cry, had rushed
+to give her all the assistance in their power. The last words were
+quickly spoken, but none too soon, for the bark closed over the soft
+lips and hid the lovely features from view.
+
+ "She ceased at once to speak, and ceased to be,
+ And all the nymph was lost within the tree:
+ Yet latent life through her new branches reign'd,
+ And long the plant a human heat retain'd."
+
+ Ovid (Pope's tr.).
+
+One of Dryope's last requests had been that her child might often play
+beneath her shady branches; and when the passing winds rustled
+through her leaves, the ancients said it was "Dryope's lone lulling of
+her child."
+
+[Sidenote: Satyrs and Pan.]
+
+The male divinities of the woods, which were also very numerous, were
+mostly Satyrs,--curious beings with a man's body and a goat's legs,
+hair, and horns. They were all passionately fond of music and revelry,
+and were wont to indulge in dancing at all times and in all places.
+The most famous among all the Satyrs was Silenus, Bacchus' tutor; and
+Pan, or Consentes, god of the shepherds, and the personification of
+nature. The latter was the reputed son of Mercury and a charming young
+nymph named Penelope; and we are told, that, when his mother first
+beheld him, she was aghast, for he was the most homely as well as the
+most extraordinary little creature she had ever seen. His body was all
+covered with goat's hair, and his feet and ears were also those of a
+goat.
+
+Amused at the sight of this grotesque little divinity, Mercury carried
+him off to Olympus, where all the gods turned him into ridicule. Pan
+was widely worshiped in olden times, however; and the ancients not
+only decked his altars with flowers, but sang his praises, and
+celebrated festivals in his honor.
+
+ "He is great and he is just,
+ He is ever good, and must
+ Be honored. Daffodillies,
+ Roses, pinks, and loved lilies,
+ Let us fling, while we sing,
+ Ever Holy! Ever Holy!
+ Ever honored! Ever young!
+ The great Pan is ever sung!"
+
+ Beaumont and Fletcher.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Syrinx.]
+
+Pan was equally devoted to music, the dance, and pretty nymphs. He saw
+one of the nymphs, Syrinx, whom he immediately loved; but
+unfortunately for him, she, frightened at his appearance, fled.
+Exasperated by her persistent avoidance of him, Pan once pursued and
+was about to overtake her, when she paused, and implored Gaea to
+protect her. The prayer was scarcely ended, when she found herself
+changed into a clump of reeds, which the panting lover embraced,
+thinking he had caught the maiden, who had stood in that very spot a
+few moments before.
+
+His deception and disappointment were so severe, that they wrung from
+him a prolonged sigh, which, passing through the rustling reeds,
+produced plaintive tones. Pan, seeing Syrinx had gone forever, took
+seven pieces of the reed, of unequal lengths, bound them together, and
+fashioned from them a musical instrument, which was called by the name
+of the fair nymph.
+
+ "Fair, trembling Syrinx fled
+ Arcadian Pan, with such a fearful dread.
+ Poor nymph!--poor Pan!--how he did weep to find
+ Naught but a lovely sighing of the wind
+ Along the reedy stream; a half-heard strain
+ Full of sweet desolation--balmy pain."
+
+ Keats.
+
+Pan was supposed to delight in slyly overtaking belated travelers and
+inspiring them with sudden and unfounded fears,--from him called
+"panic." He is generally represented with a syrinx and shepherd's
+crook, and a pine garland around his misshapen head.
+
+[Sidenote: Silvan deities.]
+
+The Romans also worshiped three other divinities of nature entirely
+unknown to the Greeks; i.e., Silvanus, Faunus, and Fauna, the latter's
+wife, who had charge over the woods and plants. Priapus, god of the
+shade, was also a rural deity, but his worship was only known along
+the shores of the Hellespont.
+
+[Sidenote: Flora and Zephyrus.]
+
+The fairest among all the lesser gods was doubtless Flora, goddess of
+flowers, who married Zephyrus, the gentle god of the south wind, and
+wandered happily with him from place to place, scattering her favors
+with lavish generosity. She was principally worshiped by young girls,
+and the only offerings ever seen on her altars were fruits and
+garlands of beautiful flowers. Her festivals, generally celebrated in
+the month of May, were called the Floralia.
+
+ [Illustration: "A FAVORABLE OPPORTUNITY."--Thumann. (Vertumnus and
+ Pomona.)]
+
+ "Crowds of nymphs,
+ Soft voiced, and young, and gay,
+ In woven baskets bringing ears of corn,
+ Roses and pinks and violets to adorn
+ The shrine of Flora in her early May."
+
+ Keats.
+
+[Sidenote: Vertumnus and Pomona.]
+
+Vertumnus and Pomona were the special divinities of the garden and
+orchard. They are represented with pruning knives and shears,
+gardening implements, and fruits and flowers. Pomona was very coy
+indeed, and had no desire to marry. Vertumnus, enamored of her charms,
+did his best to make her change her mind, but she would not even
+listen to his pleadings.
+
+At last the lover had recourse to stratagem, disguised himself as an
+aged crone, entered Pomona's garden, and inquired how it happened that
+such a very charming young woman should remain so long unmarried.
+Then, having received a mocking answer, he began to argue with her,
+and finally extracted an avowal, that, among all the suitors, one
+alone was worthy of her love, Vertumnus. Vertumnus seized the
+favorable opportunity, revealed himself, and clasped her to his
+breast. Pomona, perceiving that she had hopelessly betrayed herself,
+no longer refused to wed, but allowed him to share her labors, and
+help her turn the luscious fruit to ripen in the autumn sunshine.
+
+[Sidenote: Sea deities.]
+
+The lesser divinities of the sea were almost as numerous as those of
+the land, and included the lovely Oceanides and Nereides, together
+with their male companions the Tritons, who generally formed Neptune's
+regal train.
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Glaucus.]
+
+One of the lesser sea gods, Glaucus, was once a poor fisherman, who
+earned his daily bread by selling the fish he caught in his nets. On
+one occasion he made an extra fine haul, and threw his net full of
+fish down upon a certain kind of grass, which the flapping fish
+immediately nibbled, and, as if endowed with extraordinary powers,
+bounded back into the waves and swam away.
+
+Greatly surprised at this occurrence, Glaucus began chewing a few
+blades of this peculiar grass, and immediately felt an insane desire
+to plunge into the sea,--a desire which soon became so intense, that
+he could no longer resist it, but dived down into the water. The mere
+contact with the salt waves sufficed to change his nature; and
+swimming about comfortably in the element, where he now found himself
+perfectly at home, he began to explore the depths of the sea.
+
+ "'I plung'd for life or death. To interknit
+ One's senses with so dense a breathing stuff
+ Might seem a work of pain; so not enough
+ Can I admire how crystal-smooth it felt,
+ And buoyant round my limbs. At first I dwelt
+ Whole days and days in sheer astonishment;
+ Forgetful utterly of self-intent;
+ Moving but with the mighty ebb and flow.
+ Then, like a new fledg'd bird that first doth show
+ His spreaded feathers to the morrow chill,
+ I try'd in fear the pinions of my will.
+ 'Twas freedom! and at once I visited
+ The ceaseless wonders of this ocean-bed.'"
+
+ Keats.
+
+Glaucus was worshiped most particularly by the fishermen and boatmen,
+whose vessels he was supposed to guard from evil, and whose nets were
+often filled to overflow through his intervention.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+THE TROJAN WAR.
+
+
+Jupiter, father of the gods, once fell deeply in love with a beautiful
+sea nymph named Thetis, the daughter of Nereus and Doris,--
+
+ "Thetis of the silver feet, and child
+ Of the gray Ancient of the Deep."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter and Thetis.]
+
+He was very anxious indeed to marry her, but, before taking such an
+important step, deemed it prudent to consult the Fates, who alone
+could inform him whether this union would be for his happiness or not.
+It was very fortunate for him that he did so, for the three sisters
+told him that Thetis was destined to be the mother of a son who would
+far outshine his father.
+
+Jupiter carefully pondered this reply, and concluded to renounce the
+marriage rather than run any risk of being forced to surrender his
+power to one greater than he. Thetis' hand he then decreed should be
+given in marriage to Peleus, King of Phthia, who had loved her
+faithfully, and had long sued in vain.
+
+Thetis, however, was not at all anxious to accept the hand of a mere
+mortal after having enjoyed the attention of the gods (for Neptune
+also had wooed her), and demurred, until Jupiter promised his own and
+the gods' attendance at the marriage feast. The prospect of this
+signal honor reconciled the maiden, and the wedding preparations were
+made in the coral caves of her father, Nereus, beneath the
+foam-crested waves.
+
+Thither, mindful of his promise, came Jupiter, with all the gods of
+Olympus.
+
+ "Then, with his Queen, the Father of the gods
+ Came down from high Olympus' bright abodes;
+ Came down, with all th' attending deities."
+
+ Catullus.
+
+The guests took their seats, and pledged the bride and groom in
+brimming cups of wine,--Bacchus' wedding gift to Thetis. All was joy
+and merriment, when an uninvited guest suddenly appeared in the
+banquet-hall. All present immediately recognized Eris, or Discordia,
+goddess of discord, whose snaky locks, sour looks, and violent temper
+had caused her to be omitted from the wedding list,--
+
+ "The Abominable, that uninvited came
+ Into the fair Peleian banquet-hall."
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+[Sidenote: The apple of discord.]
+
+This omission angered her, and made her determine to have her revenge
+by troubling the harmony which evidently reigned among all the guests.
+For a moment she stood beside the bountiful board, then threw upon it
+a golden apple, and, exhaling over the assembly her poisoned breath,
+she vanished. The general attention was, of course, turned upon the
+golden fruit, whereon the inscription "To the fairest" was clearly
+traced.
+
+All the ladies were at first inclined to contend for the prize; but
+little by little all the claimants withdrew except Juno, Minerva, and
+Venus, who hotly disputed for its possession. Juno declared that the
+queen of the gods, in her majesty and power, surely had the best
+right; Minerva, that the beauty of wisdom and knowledge far surpassed
+external charms; and Venus smiled, and archly requested to be informed
+who might assert greater claims than the goddess of beauty.
+
+The dispute grew more and more bitter, and the irate goddesses called
+upon the guests to award the prize to the most deserving; but the
+guests, one and all, refused to act as umpires, for the apple could be
+given to but one, and the two others would be sure to vent their anger
+and disappointment upon the judge who passed over their charms in
+favor of a third. The final decision was therefore referred to Paris,
+who, although performing the lowly duties of a shepherd, was the son
+of Priam and Hecuba, King and Queen of Troy.
+
+When but a babe, Paris had been exposed on a mountain to perish,
+because an oracle had predicted that he would cause the death of his
+family and the downfall of his native city. Although thus cruelly
+treated, he had not perished, but had been adopted by a shepherd, who
+made him follow his own calling.
+
+[Sidenote: Paris and Oenone.]
+
+When Paris reached manhood, he was a very handsome and attractive
+young man, and won the love of Oenone, a beautiful nymph to whom he
+was secretly united. Their happiness, however, was but fleeting, for
+the Fates had decreed that Paris' love for the fair Oenone would soon
+die.
+
+ "The Fate,
+ That rules the will of Jove, had spun the days
+ Of Paris and Oenone."
+
+ Quintus Smyrnaeus (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Judgment of Paris.]
+
+Instead of lingering by the fair nymph's side, Paris wandered off to a
+lonely mountain top, where the three goddesses sought him to judge
+their quarrel. Minerva, in glittering armor, first appeared before his
+dazzled eyes, and proffered the bribe of extensive wisdom if he would
+but give her the preference.
+
+Juno, queen of heaven, next appeared in royal robes and insignia, and
+whispered that he should have great wealth and unlimited power were he
+only to award the prize to her.
+
+ "She to Paris made
+ Proffer of royal power, ample rule
+ Unquestion'd, overflowing revenue
+ Wherewith to embellish state, 'from many a vale
+ And river-sunder'd champaign clothed with corn,
+ Or labor'd mine undrainable of ore.
+ Honor,' she said, 'and homage, tax and toll,
+ From many an inland town and haven large,
+ Mast-throng'd beneath her shadowing citadel
+ In glassy bays among her tallest towers.'"
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+But all Minerva's and Juno's charms and bribes were forgotten when
+Venus, in her magic cestus, appeared before the judge. This artful
+simplicity was the result of much thought, for we are told that
+
+ "Venus oft with anxious care
+ Adjusted twice a single hair."
+
+ Cowper.
+
+Then, trembling lest her efforts should prove vain, she gently drew
+near the youth, and softly promised him a bride as fair as herself, in
+return for the coveted golden apple.
+
+Won either by her superior attractions or by her alluring bribe, Paris
+no longer hesitated, but placed the prize in her extended palm.
+
+ "Ere yet her speech was finished, he consign'd
+ To her soft hand the fruit of burnished rind;
+ And foam-born Venus grasp'd the graceful meed,
+ Of war, of evil war, the quickening seed."
+
+ Coluthus (Elton's tr.).
+
+This act of partiality, of course, called down upon him the wrath and
+hatred of Juno and Minerva, who, biding their time, watched for a
+suitable opportunity to avenge themselves; while Venus, triumphant,
+and anxious to redeem her promise, directed Paris to return to Troy,
+make himself known to his parents,--who, the goddess promised, would
+welcome him warmly,--and obtain from them a fleet in which he might
+sail to Greece.
+
+ [Illustration: PARIS. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+In obedience to these instructions, Paris ruthlessly abandoned the
+fair and faithful Oenone, and, joining a band of youthful shepherds,
+went to Troy, under pretext of witnessing a solemn festival. There
+he took part in the athletic games, distinguished himself, and
+attracted the attention of his sister Cassandra.
+
+[Sidenote: Paris' return to Troy.]
+
+This princess was noted for her beauty, and it is said had even been
+wooed by Apollo, who, hoping to win her favor, bestowed upon her the
+gift of prophecy. For some reason the god's suit had not prospered;
+and, as he could not take back the power conferred, he annulled it by
+making her hearers refuse to credit her words.
+
+Cassandra immediately called her parents' attention to the
+extraordinary likeness Paris bore to her other brothers; and then,
+breaking out into a prophetic strain, she foretold that he would bring
+destruction upon his native city. Priam and Hecuba, scorning her
+prophecy, joyfully received their long-lost son, lovingly compelled
+him to take up his abode in their palace, and promised to atone for
+their past neglect by granting his every wish.
+
+[Sidenote: Paris sails for Greece.]
+
+Still advised by Venus, Paris soon expressed a desire to sail for
+Greece, under the pretext of rescuing Hesione, his father's sister,
+whom Hercules had carried off, after besieging Troy. He was promptly
+provided with several well-manned galleys, and soon after appeared at
+the court of Menelaus, King of Sparta, whose young wife, Helen, was
+the most beautiful woman of her time, if we are to believe the
+testimony of her contemporaries.
+
+ "Full threescore girls, in sportive flight we stray'd,
+ Like youths anointing, where along the glade
+ The baths of cool Eurotas limpid play'd.
+ But none, of all, with Helen might compare,
+ Nor one seem'd faultless of the fairest fair.
+ As morn, with vermeil visage, looks from high,
+ When solemn night has vanish'd suddenly;
+ When winter melts, and frees the frozen hours,
+ And spring's green bough is gemm'd with silvery flowers:
+ So bloom'd the virgin Helen in our eyes,
+ With full voluptuous limbs, and towering size:
+ In shape, in height, in stately presence fair,
+ Straight as a furrow gliding from the share;
+ A cypress of the gardens, spiring high,
+ A courser in the cars of Thessaly.
+ So rose-complexion'd Helen charm'd the sight;
+ Our Sparta's grace, our glory, and delight."
+
+ Theocritus (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Helen's suitors.]
+
+A daughter of Jupiter and Leda (whom Jove had courted in the guise of
+a snow-white swan), Helen had many suitors who ardently strove to win
+her favor. The noblest, bravest, and best came to woo and hoped to
+win; but all were left in suspense, as the maiden did not show any
+preference, and refused to make known her choice.
+
+Tyndareus, Helen's stepfather, thinking the rejected suitors might
+attempt to steal her away from any husband she selected, proposed that
+all the candidates for her hand should take a solemn oath, binding
+themselves to respect the marital rights of the favored suitor, and
+help him regain possession of his wife should any one venture to
+kidnap her.
+
+ "This was cause
+ To Tyndarus her father of much doubt,
+ To give, or not to give her, and how best
+ To make good fortune his: at length this thought
+ Occurr'd, that each to each the wooers give
+ Their oath, and plight their hands, and on the flames
+ Pour the libations, and with solemn vows
+ Bind their firm faith that him, who should obtain
+ The virgin for his bride, they all would aid;
+ If any dar'd to seize and bear her off,
+ And drive by force her husband from her bed,
+ All would unite in arms, and lay his town,
+ Greek or Barbaric, level with the ground."
+
+ Euripides (Potter's tr.).
+
+All agreed to this proposal, the oath was taken, and Helen, whose
+deliberations had come to an end, bestowed her hand upon Menelaus,
+King of Sparta.
+
+[Sidenote: Abduction of Helen.]
+
+On his arrival at Sparta, in Lacedaemonia, Paris was received with
+graceful hospitality by Menelaus and Helen. He had not sojourned there
+many days, however, before the king was called away from home, and
+departed, confiding to his wife the care of entertaining his princely
+guest. During his absence, Paris, urged by Venus, courted Helen so
+successfully, that she finally consented to elope with him, and
+allowed herself to be borne away in triumph to Troy.
+
+ "Then from her husband's stranger-sheltering home
+ He tempted Helen o'er the ocean foam."
+
+ Coluthus (Elton's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Preparations for war.]
+
+Menelaus, on his return from Crete, discovered his guest's treachery,
+and swore never to rest satisfied until he had recovered his truant
+wife, and punished her seducer. Messengers were sent in haste in every
+direction, to summon Helen's former suitors to keep their oath, and
+join Menelaus at Aulis with men and weapons. All came promptly at his
+call except Ulysses, King of Ithaca, who, to console himself for
+Helen's refusal of his suit, had married her cousin, Penelope, and had
+now no dearer wish than to linger by her side and admire his infant
+son, Telemachus.
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses feigns madness.]
+
+In the presence of the messenger Palamedes, Ulysses feigned insanity,
+hoping thereby to elude the tedious journey to Troy; but the messenger
+was not so easily duped, and cleverly determined to ascertain the
+truth by stratagem. One day, therefore, when the king was plowing the
+seashore with an ox and horse harnessed together, and sowing this
+strange field with salt, Palamedes placed the babe Telemachus in the
+furrow, directly in front of the plow, and marked how skillfully
+Ulysses turned his ill-assorted team aside to avoid harming his heir.
+This action sufficed to prove to Palamedes that the king had not lost
+all control of his senses, and enabled him to force Ulysses to obey
+Menelaus' summons.
+
+ [Illustration: ABDUCTION OF HELEN.--Deutsch.]
+
+[Sidenote: Agamemnon made chief.]
+
+At Aulis the assembled army with unanimous consent elected
+Agamemnon, Menelaus' brother, chief of the expedition, which
+numbered, among many others, Nestor, noted for his wise counsel; Ajax,
+gigantic in strength and courage; and Diomedes, the renowned warrior.
+
+The troops were assembled, the vessels freighted; but before they
+departed, the chiefs considered it expedient to consult an oracle, to
+ascertain whether their expedition was destined to succeed. In a
+somewhat veiled and ambiguous manner, they received answer that Troy
+could never be taken without the aid of the son of Peleus and Thetis,
+Achilles, of whom the Fates had predicted that he would surpass his
+father in greatness (p. 305).
+
+[Sidenote: Achilles' early life.]
+
+Thetis loved this only child so dearly, that when he was but a babe,
+she had carried him to the banks of the Styx, whose waters had the
+magic power of rendering all the parts they touched invulnerable.
+Premising that her son would be a great warrior, and thus exposed to
+great danger, she plunged him wholly into the tide with the exception
+of one heel, by which she held him, and then returned home.
+
+Some time after, an oracle foretold that Achilles would die beneath
+the walls of Troy from a wound in his heel, the only vulnerable part
+of his body. With many tears Thetis vowed that her son should never
+leave her to encounter such a fate, and intrusted the care of his
+education to the Centaur Chiron, who had taught all the greatest
+heroes in turn.
+
+From this instructor Achilles learned the arts of war, wrestling,
+poetry, music, and song,--all, in short, that an accomplished Greek
+warrior was expected to know,--and, when his studies were finished,
+returned to his father's court to gladden his fond mother's heart by
+his presence.
+
+Thetis' joy was all turned to grief, however, when rumors of the war
+imminent between Greece and Troy came to her ears. She knew her son
+would soon be summoned, and, to prevent his going, sent him off to the
+court of Lycomedes, where, under some pretext, he was prevailed upon
+to assume a disguise and mingle with the king's daughters and their
+handmaidens.
+
+One messenger after another was dispatched to summon Achilles to join
+the fleet at Aulis, but one after another returned without having seen
+him, or being able to ascertain where he was hiding. The Greeks,
+however anxious to depart, dared not sail without him. They were in
+despair, until Ulysses, the wily, proposed a plan, and offered to
+carry it out.
+
+ "Ulysses, man of many arts,
+ Son of Laertes, reared in Ithaca,
+ That rugged isle, and skilled in every form
+ Of shrewd device and action wisely planned."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses discovers Achilles.]
+
+Arrayed in peddler's garb, with a pack upon his shoulders, Ulysses
+entered Lycomedes' palace, where he shrewdly suspected Achilles was
+concealed, and offered his wares for sale. The maidens selected
+trinkets; but one of them, closely veiled, seized a weapon concealed
+among the ornaments, and brandished it with such skill, that Ulysses
+saw through the assumed disguise, explained his presence and purpose,
+and by his eloquence persuaded the young Achilles to accompany him to
+Aulis.
+
+The Greeks were now ready to embark; but no favorable wind came to
+swell the sails, which day after day hung limp and motionless against
+the tall masts of their vessels.
+
+ "The troops
+ Collected and imbodied, here we sit
+ Inactive, and from Aulis wish to sail
+ In vain."
+
+ Euripides (Potter's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Sacrifice of Iphigenia.]
+
+Calchas, the soothsayer of the expedition, was again consulted, to
+discover how they might best win the favor of the gods; and the reply
+given purported that no favorable wind would blow until Iphigenia,
+daughter of Agamemnon, was offered up in sacrifice to appease the
+everlasting gods.
+
+Many other propitiatory methods were tried; but as they all proved
+ineffective, Agamemnon, urged by his companions, sent for his
+daughter, feigning that he wished to celebrate her nuptials with
+Achilles before his departure.
+
+ "I wrote, I seal'd
+ A letter to my wife, that she should send
+ Her daughter, to Achilles as a bride
+ Affianc'd."
+
+ Euripides (Potter's tr.).
+
+Iphigenia came to her father secretly delighted at being the chosen
+bride of such a hero; but, instead of being led to the hymeneal altar,
+she was dragged to the place of sacrifice, where the priest, with
+uplifted knife, was about to end her sufferings, when Diana suddenly
+appeared, snatched her up in a cloud, and left in her stead a deer,
+which was duly sacrificed, while Iphigenia was borne in safety to
+Tauris, where she became a priestess in one of the goddess's temples.
+
+[Sidenote: Arrival at Troy.]
+
+The gods were now propitious, and the wind slowly rose, filled the
+sails of the waiting vessels, and wafted them swiftly and steadily
+over the sea to the Trojan shores, where an army stood ready to
+prevent the Greek troops from disembarking. The invaders were eager to
+land to measure their strength against the Trojans; yet all hesitated
+to leave the ships, for an oracle had foretold that the first warrior
+who attempted to land would meet with instant death.
+
+ "'The Delphic oracle foretold
+ That the first Greek who touched the Trojan strand
+ Should die.'"
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+[Sidenote: Protesilaus and Laodamia.]
+
+Protesilaus, a brave chief, seeing his comrades' irresolution, and
+animated by a spirit of self-sacrifice, sprang boldly ashore, and
+perished, slain by the enemy, as soon as his foot had touched the
+foreign soil. When the tidings of his death reached his beloved wife,
+Laodamia, whom he had left in Thessaly, they well-nigh broke her
+heart; and in her despair she entreated the gods to let her die, or
+allow her to see her lord once more, were it but for a moment. Her
+appeal was so touching, that the gods could not refuse to hear it, and
+bade Mercury conduct her husband's shade back to earth, to tarry with
+her for three hours' time.
+
+ "'Such grace hath crowned thy prayer,
+ Laodamia! that at Jove's command
+ Thy husband walks the paths of upper air:
+ He comes to tarry with thee three hours' space;
+ Accept the gift, behold him face to face!'"
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+With an inarticulate cry of joy, Laodamia beheld the beloved
+countenance of Protesilaus once more, and from his own lips heard the
+detailed account of his early death. The three hours passed all too
+quickly in delicious intercourse; and when Mercury reappeared to lead
+him back to Hades, the loving wife, unable to endure a second parting,
+died of grief.
+
+The same grave, it is said, was the resting place of this united pair,
+and kind-hearted nymphs planted elm trees over their remains. These
+trees grew "until they were high enough to command a view of Troy, and
+then withered away, while fresh branches sprang from the roots."
+
+ "Upon the side
+ Of Hellespont (such faith was entertained)
+ A knot of spiry trees for ages grew
+ From out the tomb of him for whom she died;
+ And ever, when such stature they had gained
+ That Ilium's walls were subject to their view,
+ The trees' tall summits withered at the sight;
+ A constant interchange of growth and blight!"
+
+ Wordsworth.
+
+Hostilities had now begun, and the war between the conflicting hosts
+was waged with equal courage and skill. During nine long years of
+uninterrupted strife, the Greeks' efforts to enter Troy, or Ilium, as
+it was also called, were vain, as were also the Trojans' attempts to
+force the foe to leave their shores. This memorable struggle is the
+theme of many poems. The oldest and most renowned of all, the Iliad,
+begins with the story of the tenth and last year's events.
+
+[Sidenote: Chryseis and Briseis.]
+
+Among a number of captives taken in a skirmish by the Hellenic troops,
+were two beautiful maidens, Chryseis, daughter of Chryses, priest of
+Apollo, and Briseis. The prisoners were, as usual, allotted to various
+chiefs, and Agamemnon received the priest's daughter as reward for his
+bravery, while Achilles triumphantly led to his tent the equally fair
+Briseis.
+
+When Chryses heard that his child had fallen into the hands of the
+enemy, he hastened to Agamemnon's tent to offer a rich ransom for her
+recovery; but the aged father's entreaties were all unheeded, and he
+was dismissed with many heartless taunts. Exasperated by this cruel
+treatment, he raised his hands to heaven, and implored Apollo to
+avenge the insults he had received by sending down upon the Greeks all
+manner of evil. This prayer was no sooner heard than answered, by the
+sun god's sending a terrible plague to decimate the enemy's troops.
+
+ "The aged man indignantly withdrew;
+ And Phoebus--for the priest was dear to him--
+ Granted his prayer, and sent among the Greeks
+ A deadly shaft. The people of the camp
+ Were perishing in heaps."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+The Greeks, in terror, now consulted an oracle to know why this
+calamity had come upon them, and how they might check the progress of
+the deadly disease which was so rapidly reducing their forces. They
+were told that the plague would never cease until Agamemnon
+surrendered his captive, and thus disarmed Apollo's wrath, which had
+been kindled by his rude refusal to comply with the aged priest's
+request.
+
+All the Greek chiefs, assembled in council, decided to send Achilles
+to Agamemnon to apprise him of their wish that he should set Chryseis
+free,--a wish which he immediately consented to grant, if Briseis were
+given him in exchange.
+
+The plague was raging throughout the camp; the cries of the sufferers
+rent the air; many had already succumbed to the scourge, and all were
+threatened with an inglorious death. Achilles, mindful of all this,
+and anxious to save his beloved companions, consented to comply with
+this unreasonable request; but at the same time he swore, that, if
+Agamemnon really took his captive away, he would not strike another
+blow.
+
+Chryseis was immediately consigned to the care of a herald, who led
+her back to her aged father's arms. Ready to forgive all, now that his
+child was restored to him, Chryses implored Apollo to stay his hand,
+and the plague instantly ceased.
+
+As for Agamemnon, he sent his slaves to Achilles' tent to lead away
+Briseis; and the hero, true to his promise, laid aside his armor,
+determined to fight no more.
+
+ "The great Achilles, swift of foot, remained
+ Within his ships, indignant for the sake
+ Of the fair-haired Briseis."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Achilles' wrath.]
+
+Thetis, hearing of the wanton insult offered her son, left her coral
+caves, ascended to Olympus, cast herself at Jupiter's feet, and with
+many tears tremulously prayed he would avenge Achilles and make the
+Greeks fail in all their attempts as long as her son's wrath remained
+unappeased.
+
+Jupiter, touched by her beauty and distress, frowned until the very
+firmament shook, and swore to make the Greeks rue the day they left
+their native shores,
+
+ "To give Achilles honor and to cause
+ Myriads of Greeks to perish by their fleet."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Agamemnon misled.]
+
+In consequence of a treacherous dream purposely sent by Jupiter to
+delude him, Agamemnon again assembled his troops, and proposed a new
+onslaught upon the Trojan forces. But when the army was drawn up in
+battle array, Hector, the eldest son of Priam, and therefore leader of
+his army, stepping forward, proposed that the prolonged quarrel should
+be definitely settled by a single combat between Paris and Menelaus.
+
+ "Hector then stood forth and said:--
+ 'Hearken, ye Trojans and ye nobly-armed
+ Achaians, to what Paris says by me.
+ He bids the Trojans and the Greeks lay down
+ Their shining arms upon the teeming earth,
+ And he and Menelaus, loved of Mars,
+ Will strive in single combat, on the ground
+ Between the hosts, for Helen and her wealth;
+ And he who shall o'ercome, and prove himself
+ The better warrior, to his home shall bear
+ The treasure and the woman, while the rest
+ Shall frame a solemn covenant of peace.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Menelaus and Paris fight.]
+
+This proposal having been received favorably, Menelaus and Paris soon
+engaged in a duel, which was witnessed by both armies, by Helen and
+Priam from the Trojan walls, and by the everlasting gods from the
+wooded heights of Mount Ida; but in the very midst of the fight,
+Venus, seeing her favorite about to succumb, suddenly snatched him
+away from the battlefield, and bore him unseen to his chamber, where
+he was joined by Helen, who bitterly reproached him for his cowardly
+flight.
+
+Indignant at this interference on Venus' part, the gods decreed that
+the war should be renewed; and Minerva, assuming the form of a Trojan
+warrior, aimed an arrow at Menelaus, who was vainly seeking his
+vanished opponent. This act of treachery was the signal for a general
+call to arms and a renewal of hostilities. Countless deeds of valor
+were now performed by the heroes on both sides, and also by the gods,
+who mingled in the ranks and even fought against each other, until
+recalled by Jupiter, and forbidden to fight any more.
+
+[Sidenote: Hector and Andromache.]
+
+For a little while fortune seemed to favor the Greeks; and Hector,
+hastening back to Troy, bade his mother go to the temple with all her
+women, and endeavor by her prayers and gifts to propitiate Minerva and
+obtain her aid. Then he hastened off in search of his wife Andromache
+and little son Astyanax, whom he wished to embrace once more before
+rushing out to battle and possible death.
+
+He found his palace deserted, and, upon questioning the women, heard
+that his wife had gone to the Scaean Gate, where he now drove as fast
+as his noble steeds could drag him. There, at the gate, took place the
+parting scene, which has deservedly been called the most pathetic in
+all the Iliad, in which Andromache vainly tried to detain her husband
+within the walls, while Hector gently reproved her, and demonstrated
+that his duty called him out upon the field of battle, where he must
+hold his own if he would not see the city taken, the Trojans slain,
+and the women, including his mother and beloved Andromache, borne away
+into bitter captivity.
+
+ [Illustration: PARTING OF HECTOR AND ANDROMACHE.--Maignan.]
+
+ "Andromache
+ Pressed to his side meanwhile, and, all in tears,
+ Clung to his hand, and, thus beginning, said:--
+ 'Too brave! thy valor yet will cause thy death.
+ Thou hast no pity on thy tender child,
+ Nor me, unhappy one, who soon must be
+ Thy widow. All the Greeks will rush on thee
+ To take thy life. A happier lot were mine,
+ If I must lose thee, to go down to earth,
+ For I shall have no hope when thou art gone,--
+ Nothing but sorrow. Father have I none,
+ And no dear mother.
+
+ * * * * *
+
+ Hector, thou
+ Art father and dear mother now to me,
+ And brother and my youthful spouse besides.
+ In pity keep within the fortress here,
+ Nor make thy child an orphan nor thy wife
+ A widow.'
+ Then answered Hector, great in war: 'All this
+ I bear in mind, dear wife; but I should stand
+ Ashamed before the men and long-robed dames
+ Of Troy, were I to keep aloof and shun
+ The conflict, coward-like.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Then he stretched out his arms for his infant son, who, however,
+shrank back affrighted at the sight of his brilliant helmet and
+nodding plumes, and would not go to him until he had set the gleaming
+headdress aside. After a passionate prayer for his little heir's
+future welfare, Hector gave the child back to Andromache, and, with a
+last farewell embrace, sprang into his chariot and drove away.
+
+ "'Sorrow not thus, beloved one, for me.
+ No living man can send me to the shades
+ Before my time; no man of woman born,
+ Coward or brave, can shun his destiny.
+ But go thou home, and tend thy labors there,--
+ The web, the distaff,--and command thy maids
+ To speed the work. The cares of war pertain
+ To all men born in Troy, and most to me.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Greeks repelled.]
+
+Paris, ashamed now of his former flight, soon joined his brother upon
+the battlefield, and together they performed many deeds of valor. The
+time had now come when Jupiter was about to redeem the promise given
+to Thetis, for little by little the Greeks were forced to yield before
+the might of the Trojans, who, stimulated by their partial success,
+and fired by Hector's example, performed miracles of valor, and
+finally drove their assailants into their intrenchments.
+
+Death and defeat now dogged the very footsteps of the Greek forces,
+who were driven, inch by inch, away from the walls, ever nearer the
+place where their vessels rode at anchor. They now ardently longed for
+the assistance of Achilles, whose mere presence, in days gone by, had
+filled the Trojan hearts with terror; but the hero, although Briseis
+had been returned unmolested, paid no heed to their entreaties for
+aid, and remained a sullen and indifferent spectator of their flight,
+while the Trojans began to set fire to some of the vessels of their
+fleet.
+
+ "The goddess-born Achilles, swift of foot,
+ Beside his ships still brooded o'er his wrath,
+ Nor came to counsel with the illustrious chiefs,
+ Nor to the war, but suffered idleness
+ To eat his heart away; for well he loved
+ Clamor and combat."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Discouraged by all these reverses, in spite of their brave resistance,
+the Greeks, in despair, concluded that the gods had entirely forsaken
+them, and beat a hasty and ignominious retreat to the shore, closely
+followed by the enemy, who uttered loud cries of triumph.
+
+[Sidenote: Patroclus dons Achilles' armor.]
+
+Patroclus, Achilles' intimate friend, then hastened to the hero's side
+to inform him of his comrades' flight, and implore him once more to
+rescue them from inevitable death. But Achilles, summoning all his
+pride to his assistance, did not waver in his resolve. Suddenly
+Patroclus remembered that the mere sight of Achilles' armor might
+suffice to arrest the enemy's advance and produce a diversion in favor
+of the Greeks: so he asked permission to wear it and lead the
+Myrmidons, Achilles' trusty followers, into the fray.
+
+ "Send me at least into the war,
+ And let me lead thy Myrmidons, that thus
+ The Greeks may have some gleam of hope. And give
+ The armor from thy shoulders. I will wear
+ Thy mail, and then the Trojans, at the sight,
+ May think I am Achilles, and may pause
+ From fighting, and the warlike sons of Greece,
+ Tired as they are, may breathe once more, and gain
+ A respite from the conflict."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Achilles had sworn, it is true, not to return to the scene of strife,
+but was quite willing to lend men and arms, if they might be of any
+use, and immediately placed them at his friend's disposal. Hastily
+Patroclus donned the glittering armor, called aloud to the Myrmidons
+to follow his lead, and rushed forth to encounter the enemy.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Patroclus.]
+
+The Trojans paused in dismay, thinking Achilles had come, and were
+about to take flight, when all at once they discovered the fraud. With
+renewed courage, they opposed the Greek onslaught. Many heroes bit the
+dust in this encounter, among others Sarpedon, the son of Jupiter and
+Europa (p. 45),--whose remains were borne away from the battlefield by
+the twin divinities Sleep and Death,--ere Hector, son of Priam, and
+chief among the Trojan warriors, challenged Patroclus to single
+combat. Needless to say, the two closed in deadly battle, and fought
+with equal valor, until Patroclus, already exhausted by his previous
+efforts, and betrayed by the gods, finally succumbed.
+
+ "The hero fell
+ With clashing mail, and all the Greeks beheld
+ His fall with grief."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+With a loud cry of victory, Hector wrenched the armor off the mangled
+corpse, and quickly withdrew to array himself in the brilliant spoils.
+The tidings of Patroclus' fall spread rapidly all through the Grecian
+camp, and reached Achilles, who wept aloud when he heard that his
+beloved friend, who had left him but a short time before full of life
+and energy, was now no more. So noisily did the hero mourn his loss,
+that Thetis, in the quiet ocean depths, heard his groans, and rushed
+to his side to ascertain their cause.
+
+[Sidenote: Achilles' grief.]
+
+Into his mother's sympathetic ear Achilles poured the whole story of
+his grief and loss, while she gently strove to turn his thoughts aside
+from the sad event, and arouse an interest for some pursuit less
+dangerous than war. All her efforts were vain, however; for Achilles'
+soul thirsted for revenge, and he repeatedly swore he would go forth
+and slay his friend's murderer.
+
+ "No wish
+ Have I to live, or to concern myself
+ In men's affairs, save this: that Hector first,
+ Pierced by my spear, shall yield his life, and pay
+ The debt of vengeance for Patroclus slain."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Then, in sudden dread lest Hector should fall by another's hand, or
+withdraw from the battlefield and thus escape his vengeance, Achilles
+would have rushed from his tent unarmed; but his mother prevailed upon
+him to wait until the morrow, when she promised to bring him a full
+suit of armor from Vulcan's own hand. Rapidly Thetis then traversed
+the wide space which separates the coast of Asia Minor from Mount
+AEtna, where Vulcan labored at his forge.
+
+ "She found him there
+ Sweating and toiling, and with busy hand
+ Plying the bellows."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Achilles' armor.]
+
+Arrived before him, she breathlessly made known her errand, and the
+god promised that the arms should be ready within the given time, and
+immediately set to work to fashion them. By his skillful hands the
+marvelous weapons were forged; and when the first streak of light
+appeared above the horizon, he consigned them to Thetis, who hastened
+back to her son's tent, where she found him still bewailing the loss
+of Patroclus.
+
+ [Illustration: THETIS BEARING THE ARMOR OF ACHILLES.--Gerard.]
+
+During Thetis' absence, messengers had come to Achilles' tent to warn
+him that Patroclus' body was still in the enemy's hands, and to
+implore him to come and rescue the precious corpse. Mindful of his
+promise to his mother, Achilles still refused to fight, but, springing
+upon the rampart, uttered his mighty war-cry, the sound of which
+filled the enemy's hearts with terror, and made them yield to the
+well-directed onslaught of Ajax and Diomedes, who finally succeeded in
+recovering the body, which they then reverently bore to Achilles'
+tent.
+
+To console Achilles for his friend's death, Thetis exhibited the
+glorious armor she had just obtained, helped him put it on, and then
+bade him go forth and conquer.
+
+ "'Leave we the dead, my son, since it hath pleased
+ The gods that he should fall; and now receive
+ This sumptuous armor, forged by Vulcan's hand,
+ Beautiful, such as no man ever wore.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Hector.]
+
+Thus armed, mounted in his chariot drawn by his favorite steeds, and
+driven by his faithful charioteer Automedon, Achilles went forth to
+battle, and finally seeing Hector, whom alone he wished to meet, he
+rushed upon him with a hoarse cry of rage. The Trojan hero, at the
+mere sight of the deadly hatred which shone in Achilles' eyes, turned
+to flee. Achilles pursued him, and taunted him with his cowardice,
+until Hector turned and fought with all the courage and recklessness
+of despair.
+
+Their blows fell like hail, a cloud of dust enveloped their struggling
+forms, and the anxious witnesses only heard the dull thud of the blows
+and the metallic clash of the weapons. Suddenly there came a loud cry,
+then all was still; and when the dust-cloud had blown away, the
+Trojans from the ramparts, where they had waited in agony for the
+issue of the fight, beheld Achilles tear the armor from their
+champion's body, bind the corpse to his chariot, and drive nine times
+round the city walls, Hector's princely head dragging in the dust.
+Priam, Hecuba, and Andromache, Hector's beautiful young wife,
+tearfully watched this ignominious treatment, and finally saw Achilles
+drive off to the spot where Patroclus' funeral pile was laid, and
+there abandon the corpse.
+
+Achilles then returned to his tent, where for a long time he
+continued to mourn his friend's untimely end, refusing to be
+comforted.
+
+[Sidenote: The gods' decree.]
+
+The gods, from their celestial abode, had also witnessed this
+heartrending scene, and now Jupiter sent Iris to Thetis, and bade her
+hasten down to Achilles and command him to restore Hector's body to
+his mourning family. He also directed Mercury to lead Priam, unseen,
+into Achilles' tent, to claim and bear away his son's desecrated
+corpse. Thetis, seeking Achilles in his tent, announced the will of
+Jove:--
+
+ "I am come
+ A messenger from Jove, who bids me say
+ The immortals are offended, and himself
+ The most, that thou shouldst in thy spite detain
+ The corse of Hector at the beaked ships,
+ Refusing its release. Comply thou, then,
+ And take the ransom and restore the dead."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Return of Hector's body.]
+
+Mercury acquitted himself with his usual dispatch, and soon guided
+Priam in safety through the Grecian camp to Achilles' tent, where the
+aged king fell at the hero's feet, humbly pleading for his son's body,
+and proffering a princely ransom in exchange.
+
+Achilles, no longer able to refuse this entreaty, and touched by a
+father's tears, consigned Hector's corpse to the old man's care, and
+promised an armistice of fourteen days, that the funeral rites in both
+camps might be celebrated with all due pomp and solemnity; and with
+the burial of Hector the Iliad comes to a close.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Penthesilea.]
+
+At the end of the truce the hostilities were renewed, and the Trojans
+were reinforced by the arrival of Penthesilea, queen of the Amazons,
+who, with a chosen troop of warrior maidens, came to offer her aid.
+The brave queen afforded them, however, only temporary relief, as she
+was slain by Achilles in their very first encounter.
+
+He, too, however, was doomed to die "in the flower of his youth and
+beauty," and the Fates had almost finished spinning his thread of
+life. In an early skirmish, while in close pursuit of the Trojans,
+Thetis' son had once caught sight of Polyxena, daughter of Priam, and
+had been deeply smitten by her girlish charms. He now vainly tried to
+make peace between the conflicting nations, hoping that, were the war
+but ended, he might obtain her hand in marriage.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Achilles.]
+
+His efforts to make peace failed; but at last he prevailed upon Priam
+to celebrate his betrothal with Polyxena, with the stipulation that
+the marriage would take place as soon as the war was over. The
+betrothal ceremony was held without the city gates; and Achilles was
+just about to part from his blushing betrothed, when Paris, ever
+treacherous, stole behind him and shot a poisoned arrow into his
+vulnerable heel, thus slaying the hero who had caused so many brave
+warriors to bite the dust.
+
+ "Thus great Achilles, who had shown his zeal
+ In healing wounds, died of a wounded heel."
+
+ O. W. Holmes.
+
+His armor--the glorious armor forged by Vulcan--was hotly contested
+for by Ulysses and Ajax. The former finally obtained the coveted
+weapons; and Ajax' grief at their loss was so intense, that he became
+insane, and killed himself in a fit of frenzy, while Polyxena,
+inconsolable at her betrothed's death, committed suicide on the
+magnificent tomb erected over his remains on the Trojan plain.
+
+[Sidenote: Philoctetes' arrows.]
+
+The oracles, silent so long, now announced that Troy could never be
+taken without the poisoned arrows of Hercules, then in the keeping of
+Philoctetes (p. 238). This hero had started with the expedition, but
+had been put ashore on the Island of Lemnos on account of a wound in
+his foot, which had become so offensive that none of the ship's
+company could endure his presence on board.
+
+Ten long years had already elapsed since then, and, although a party
+of Greeks immediately set out in search of him, they had but little
+hope of finding him alive. They nevertheless wended their way to the
+cave where they had deposited him, where, to their unbounded surprise,
+they still found him. The wound had not healed, but he had managed to
+exist by killing such game as came within reach of his hand.
+
+ "Exposed to the inclement skies,
+ Deserted and forlorn he lies;
+ No friend or fellow-mourner there,
+ To soothe his sorrows, and divide his care;
+ Or seek the healing plant, of power to 'suage
+ His aching wound, and mitigate its rage."
+
+ Sophocles (Francklin's tr.).
+
+Incensed by the Greeks' former cruel desertion, no entreaty could now
+induce Philoctetes to accompany the messengers to Troy, until Hercules
+appeared to him in a dream, and bade him go without delay, for there
+he would find Machaon (p. 64), AEsculapius' son, who was to heal his
+wound.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Paris and Oenone.]
+
+The dream was realized. Philoctetes, whole once more, joined the Greek
+host, and caused great dismay in the enemy's ranks with his poisoned
+arrows. One of his deadly missiles even struck Paris, and, as the
+poison entered his veins, it caused him grievous suffering. Paris then
+remembered that his first love, Oenone, who knew all remedies and the
+best modes of applying them, had once told him to send for her should
+he ever be wounded. He therefore sent for Oenone; but she, justly
+offended by the base desertion and long neglect of her lover, refused
+her aid, and let him die in torture. When he was dead, Oenone repented
+of this decision; and when the flames of his funeral pyre rose around
+him, she rushed into their midst, and was burned to death on his
+corpse.
+
+ "But when she gain'd the broader vale and saw
+ The ring of faces redden'd by the flames
+ Infolding that dark body which had lain
+ Of old in her embrace, paused--and then ask'd
+ Falteringly, 'Who lies on yonder pyre?'
+ But every man was mute for reverence.
+ Then moving quickly forward till the heat
+ Smote on her brow, she lifted up a voice
+ Of shrill command, 'Who burns upon the pyre?'
+ Whereon their oldest and their boldest said,
+ 'He, whom thou would'st not heal!' and all at once
+ The morning light of happy marriage broke,
+ Thro' all the clouded years of widowhood,
+ And muffling up her comely head, and crying
+ 'Husband!' she leapt upon the funeral pile,
+ And mixt herself with _him_ and past in fire."
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+[Sidenote: The Palladium.]
+
+Two of Priam's sons had already expired, and yet Troy had not fallen
+into the hands of the Greeks, who now heard another prophecy, to the
+effect that Troy could never be taken as long as the Palladium--a
+sacred statue of Minerva, said to have fallen from heaven--remained
+within its walls (p. 60). So Ulysses and Diomedes in disguise effected
+an entrance into the city one night, and after many difficulties
+succeeded in escaping with the precious image.
+
+[Sidenote: The wooden horse.]
+
+Men and chiefs, impatient of further delay, now joyfully hailed
+Ulysses' proposal to take the city by stratagem. They therefore
+secretly built a colossal wooden horse, within whose hollow sides a
+number of brave warriors might lie concealed. The main army feigned
+weariness of the endless enterprise, and embarked, leaving the horse
+as a pretended offering to Minerva; while Sinon, a shrewd slave,
+remained to persuade the Trojans to drag the horse within their gates
+and keep him there, a lasting monument of their hard-won triumph.
+
+To the unbounded joy of the long-besieged Trojans, the Greek fleet
+then sailed away, until the Island of Tenedos hid the ships from view.
+All the inhabitants of Troy poured out of the city to view the wooden
+horse, and question Sinon, who pretended to have great cause of
+complaint against the Greeks, and strongly advised them to secure
+their last offering to Minerva.
+
+The Trojans hailed this idea with rapture; but Laocoon, a Trojan
+priest, implored them to leave the horse alone, lest they should bring
+untold evil upon their heads.
+
+ "'Wretched countrymen,' he cries,
+ 'What monstrous madness blinds your eyes?
+
+ * * * * *
+
+ Perchance--who knows?--these planks of deal
+ A Grecian ambuscade conceal,
+ Or 'tis a pile to o'erlook the town,
+ And pour from high invaders down,
+ Or fraud lurks somewhere to destroy:
+ Mistrust, mistrust it, men of Troy!'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Laocoon.]
+
+Deaf to all warnings and entreaties, they dragged the colossal image
+into the very heart of their city, tearing down a portion of their
+ramparts to allow its passage, while Laocoon hastened down to the
+shore to offer sacrifice to the gods. As he stood there by the
+improvised altar, with one of his sons on either side to assist him in
+his office, two huge serpents came out of the sea, coiled themselves
+around him and his sons, and crushed and bit them to death.
+
+ "Unswerving they
+ Toward Laocoon hold their way;
+ First round his two young sons they wreathe,
+ And grind their limbs with savage teeth:
+ Then, as with arms he comes to aid,
+ The wretched father they invade
+ And twine in giant folds: twice round
+ His stalwart waist their spires are wound,
+ Twice round his neck, while over all
+ Their heads and crests tower high and tall.
+ He strains his strength their knots to tear,
+ While gore and slime his fillets smear,
+ And to the unregardful skies
+ Sends up his agonizing cries."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+ [Illustration: LAOCOON. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+The awestruck witnesses of this terrible scene, of course, declared
+that the gods resented his interference concerning the wooden horse,
+and had justly punished the sacrilegious hand which had dared strike
+it with a spear, merely to demonstrate, that, being hollow, it might
+contain an armed band. Ever since then, Laocoon and his sons' struggle
+with the serpents has been a favorite subject for poets and artists.
+
+[Sidenote: Fall of Troy.]
+
+In the mean while, the Greeks had been hiding behind Tenedos; but when
+night came on, they returned to the site of their ten-years'
+encampment, and were let into the city by Sinon, who also released
+their companions from their prison within the wooden horse. Although
+taken by surprise, the city guards made desperate attempts to repel
+the Greeks; but it was now too late, for the enemy had already broken
+into houses and palaces, and were killing, pillaging, and burning all
+in their way.
+
+ "The melancholy years,
+ The miserable melancholy years,
+ Crept onward till the midnight terror came,
+ And by the glare of burning streets I saw
+ Palace and temple reel in ruin and fall,
+ And the long-baffled legions, bursting in
+ Through gate and bastion, blunted sword and spear
+ With unresisted slaughter."
+
+ Lewis Morris.
+
+The royal family, even, was not exempt from the general massacre; and
+the aged Priam, who lived to see his last son perish before his eyes,
+finally found relief in death.
+
+[Sidenote: Return of the Greeks.]
+
+Their object accomplished, the Greeks immediately sailed for home,
+their vessels heavily laden with plunder and slaves. But the homeward
+journey was not as joyful as might have been expected; and many, after
+escaping from the enemy's hands, perished in the waves, or found death
+lying in wait for them by their own fireside.
+
+Menelaus, with his wife Helen, who, in spite of the added ten years,
+retained all her youthful beauty, were detained in Egypt by contrary
+winds, sent to punish them for omitting the usual sacrifice to the
+gods. He at last consulted Proteus, who revealed how the wrath of the
+gods could best be allayed, and how favorable winds could be secured
+to waft him home.
+
+As for Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks, he returned to Argos only to
+be murdered by his wife Clytaemnestra and her paramour AEgisthus.
+
+ "'AEgisthus, bent upon my death,
+ Plotted against me with my guilty wife,
+ And bade me to his house, and slew me there,
+ Even at the banquet.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Then, mortally afraid lest Orestes, Agamemnon's son, should avenge his
+father's death, AEgisthus prepared to slay him too; but Electra, the
+boy's sister, discovering this intention, helped him to escape, and
+placed him under the fatherly protection of Strophius, King of Phocis,
+whose son, Pylades, became his inseparable friend. In fact, their
+devotion to each other was so great, that it has become proverbial in
+every tongue.
+
+Electra had not forgotten her father's base murder, although years had
+elapsed since it occurred; and when Orestes had attained manhood, she
+bade him come and punish those who had committed the crime. Orestes
+came, slew AEgisthus and Clytaemnestra, and then, terrified at what he
+had done, took flight, but only to be pursued by the Furies and
+Nemesis, goddess of revenge, sent by the gods to punish him for taking
+justice into his own hands.
+
+Arrived at Delphi, Orestes consulted the oracle, and learned that his
+crime would be forgiven if he brought a statue of Diana in Tauris back
+to Greece. The young prince hastened thither, accompanied by the
+ever-faithful Pylades, who never left his side; and there, in a
+temple, he found his long-lost sister Iphigenia, who helped him obtain
+the image he sought, and accompanied him back to his native land,
+where Nemesis left him forever.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES.
+
+
+The Greek chiefs, on their return from Troy, were, as we have seen,
+all more or less visited by the wrath of the gods; but none of them
+endured as many hardships as Ulysses (Odysseus), King of Ithaca, the
+hero of Homer's world-renowned epic the Odyssey. During ten long years
+he roamed the seas, driven away from his native land by adverse winds,
+sailing about from place to place, losing his ships and companions,
+until at last the gods allowed him to return home. His marvelous
+adventures and numerous mishaps during these ten years form the theme
+of the Odyssey, which is about as follows.
+
+[Sidenote: Siege of Ismarus.]
+
+After leaving Troy in ruins, Ulysses embarked with his men and spoils,
+and, favored by a good wind, soon came within sight of Ismarus, the
+home of the worthy and wealthy Ciconians. To increase the riches he
+was carrying home, he proposed to his army to land and storm the
+city,--a proposal which was enthusiastically received and immediately
+carried out.
+
+But when the men collected near the fleet, instead of embarking as
+Ulysses urged them to do, they began to drink the rich wine, to roast
+oxen whole, and to indulge in games and revelry. While they were thus
+employed and entirely off their guard, the neighbors and allies of the
+Ciconians came upon them unawares, and put many to death.
+
+The Greeks, although taken by surprise, fought bravely; but it was
+only when the sun was fast sinking, that they finally embarked, and
+left the fatal Ciconian shores.
+
+ "Onward we sailed, lamenting bitterly
+ Our comrades slain, yet happy to escape
+ From death ourselves."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The Lotus-eaters.]
+
+A hurricane soon arose. The flying clouds blotted the stars from view.
+The vessels, with broken masts and torn sails, were driven far out of
+their course, and, after ten days, reached the land of the Lotophagi
+or Lotus-eaters,--a people whose sole food consisted of lotus fruit
+and blossoms.
+
+Three of Ulysses' best men were sent ashore to reconnoiter: but they
+had not gone very far before they met the natives, seated under their
+favorite trees, banqueting on their sweet food. These received the
+strangers hospitably, and made them partake of the lotus blossoms; but
+no sooner had the three men done so, than all recollection of their
+waiting companions or distant homes passed from their minds, while a
+dreamy, lethargic sensation stole over them, and made them long to
+recline there and feast forever.
+
+ "Whoever tasted once of that sweet food
+ Wished not to see his native country more,
+ Nor give his friends the knowledge of his fate.
+ And then my messengers desired to dwell
+ Among the Lotus-eaters, and to feed
+ Upon the lotus, never to return."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Ulysses impatiently watched for their return; then, seeing they did
+not appear, feared some evil had befallen them, and set out, with a
+few well-armed men, to go in search of them. Instead of finding them
+in chains, as he fully expected, he soon perceived them feasting among
+the Lotus-eaters. Their eyes had lost all animation, and rested upon
+him in a vague, dreamy way, which aroused his suspicions. At the same
+moment some of the Lotus-eaters advanced to invite him and his troop
+to join in their feast.
+
+ "Branches they bore of that enchanted stem,
+ Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave
+ To each, but whoso did receive of them,
+ And taste, to him the gushing of the wave
+ Far, far away did seem to mourn and rave
+ On alien shores; and if his fellow spake,
+ His voice was thin, as voices from the grave;
+ And deep asleep he seem'd, yet all awake,
+ And music in his ears his beating heart did make."
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+In peremptory tones Ulysses quickly forbade his men to taste of the
+magic food, directed them to seize and bind their unwilling comrades,
+and forcibly take them back to their ships. There the magic effect of
+the lotus food soon wore away, and the men rowed steadily westward,
+until they came to the Island of Sicily, then inhabited by the
+Cyclopes, a rude race of one-eyed giants.
+
+ "A single ball of sight was fix'd
+ In their mid-forehead: hence the Cyclops' name:
+ For that one circular eye was broad infix'd
+ In the mid-forehead:--strength was theirs, and force,
+ And craft of curious toil."
+
+ Hesiod (Elton's tr.).
+
+The main part of the fleet was stationed at another island not far
+distant, but Ulysses and twelve companions landed in Sicily in search
+of food. The prospect was promising, for on the plains and hillsides
+great flocks of sheep cropped the tender grass; and Ulysses and his
+followers soon came to a great cave filled with rich stores of milk
+and cheese. This was the abode of Polyphemus, son of Neptune, the
+largest and fiercest among the gigantic Cyclopean race. The Greeks'
+first impulse was to help themselves, since no one was there to say
+them nay; but they finally decided to await the master's home-coming,
+and courteously ask his assistance. They had moored their vessel under
+an overhanging cliff, where no one would be likely to find it, and had
+therefore no fear lest their means of escape should be cut off.
+
+ [Illustration: TRIUMPH OF GALATEA.--Raphael.]
+
+[Sidenote: Polyphemus and Galatea.]
+
+Polyphemus, the ugly giant in whose cave they were waiting, had once
+seen the charming sea nymph Galatea riding in her pearl-shell chariot
+drawn by bounding dolphins. Her unsurpassed loveliness made a vivid
+impression upon him, and he was soon deeply in love with her. He
+neglected his flocks, shunned his companions, and spent all his time
+near the seashore, watching for her, and bitterly cursing his fate,
+which prevented his seeking her in her native element, for the gods
+had cursed the race of Cyclops with an unconquerable aversion to
+water. He
+
+ --"lov'd
+ Not in the little present-making style,
+ With baskets of new fruit and pots of roses,
+ But with consuming passion. Many a time
+ Would his flocks go home by themselves at eve,
+ Leaving him wasting by the dark seashore,
+ And sunrise would behold him wasting still."
+
+ Theocritus (Hunt's tr.).
+
+To induce Galatea to leave the salt sea waves and linger by his side
+on the white sandy beach, Polyphemus constantly made the most
+extravagant promises; but the dainty nymph merely laughed at all his
+professions, and strolled on the shore only when he was sound asleep.
+Although she made fun of his love, she was not so obdurate to the suit
+of Acis, a very fascinating young shepherd, who had no need to call
+her repeatedly; for she always yielded to his first appeal, joyfully
+joined him, and sat beside him under the shade of some great rock,
+listening to his tender wooing.
+
+ [Illustration: ACIS AND GALATEA (Evening).--Claude Lorraine. (St.
+ Petersburg.)]
+
+Polyphemus once accidentally came upon them thus, ere they were aware
+of his proximity. For a moment he glared down upon them; then, seizing
+a huge rock, he vowed his rival Acis should not live to enjoy the love
+which was denied him, and hurled it down upon the unsuspecting lovers.
+Galatea, the goddess, being immortal, escaped unhurt; but poor Acis,
+her beloved, was crushed to death. The stream of blood from his
+mangled remains was changed by the gods into an exhaustless stream
+of limpid water, which ever hastened down to the sea to join Galatea.
+
+[Sidenote: Polyphemus' cave.]
+
+Ulysses and his companions, waiting in the cave, soon felt the ground
+shake beneath their feet, and saw the sheep throng into the cave and
+take their usual places; then behind them came the horrible apparition
+of Polyphemus, who picked up a huge rock and placed it before the
+opening of the cave, preventing all egress. Ulysses' companions had
+shrunk with fear into the darkest corners of the cave, whence they
+watched the giant milk his ewes, dispose of his cheeses, and make his
+evening meal. But the firelight soon revealed the intruders; and
+Polyphemus immediately demanded who they were, whence they came, and
+what they were seeking.
+
+Ulysses, ever wily, replied that his name was No man, that he and his
+companions were shipwrecked mariners, and that they would fain receive
+his hospitality. In answer to this statement, the Cyclops stretched
+forth his huge hand and grasped two of the sailors, whom he proceeded
+to devour for dessert. Then, his frightful repast being ended, he lay
+down on the rushes and fell asleep, his loud snores reverberating like
+thunder through the great cave.
+
+Ulysses silently crept to his side, sword in hand, and was about to
+kill him, when he suddenly recollected that neither he nor his men
+could move the rock at the cave's mouth, and that they would never be
+able to escape. He therefore resolved to have recourse to a stratagem.
+
+When morning came, the giant rose, milked his flock, made his cheese,
+arranged the vessels, and then, without the least warning, again
+seized and devoured two of the Greeks. His brawny arm next pushed
+aside the rock, and he stood beside it with watchful eye, until all
+his herd had passed out; then, replacing the stone to prevent the
+escape of his prisoners, he went off to the distant pasture ground.
+
+During his absence, Ulysses and his men devised a cunning plan
+whereby they hoped to effect their escape, and made all their
+preparations to insure its complete success. A huge pine club which
+they found in the cave was duly pointed, hardened in the fire, and set
+aside for future use.
+
+When the darkness began to fall over the earth, Polyphemus again
+rolled the stone away to admit his flocks, keeping careful guard upon
+the Greeks. The sheep all in, he replaced the rock, performed his
+usual evening duties, and then devoured two of Ulysses' crew.
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses blinds Polyphemus.]
+
+When this part of the evening meal was over, Ulysses drew near and
+offered him a leather flask full of heady wine, which the giant took
+down at a gulp, little suspecting its effect. Very soon he sank into a
+deep drunken sleep; and then the men, at a sign from Ulysses, heated
+the point of the huge club and put out his sole eye, in spite of his
+frightful cries and execrations, which soon attracted the attention of
+the other Cyclopes.
+
+They thronged without the cave, clamoring to know who was hurting him.
+"No man!" replied the Cyclops, howling with pain, "No man!" which
+answer convinced his would-be helpers that he needed no assistance,
+and made them disperse.
+
+ "'If no man does thee violence, and thou
+ Art quite alone, reflect that none escape
+ Diseases; they are sent by Jove.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses' escape.]
+
+Deserted by his companions, Polyphemus spent the night in agony; and,
+when the anxious lowing of his herd roused him at break of day, he
+fumblingly milked them, and prepared to let them go forth, as usual,
+in search of their morning meal. To avoid the Greeks escaping, he
+rolled the stone only partly aside, and allowed the sheep to pass out
+a few at a time, carefully running his hand over each broad back to
+make sure that none of the prisoners were mounted upon them.
+
+Ulysses, in the mean while, having observed this maneuver, fastened
+his companions under the rams, reserving one for his own use, and
+watched them pass out one after the other undetected. Then, clinging
+to the wool of the largest ram, he too was slowly dragged out; while
+Polyphemus petted the ram, and inquired how he came to pass out last
+of all.
+
+ "'My favorite ram, how art thou now the last
+ To leave the cave? It hath not been thy wont
+ To let the sheep go first, but thou didst come
+ Earliest to feed among the flowery grass,
+ Walking with stately strides, and thou wert first
+ At the fresh stream, and first at eve to seek
+ The stable; now thou art the last of all.
+ Grievest thou for thy master, who has lost
+ His eye, put out by a deceitful wretch
+ And his vile crew?'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Ulysses, having thus escaped, sprang to his feet, set his companions
+free, rushed with them down to the seashore, taking the choice animals
+on board, and then, when his men had rowed some distance, raised his
+voice and taunted Polyphemus, revealing at the same time his identity.
+
+ "'Ha! Cyclops! those whom in thy rocky cave
+ Thou, in thy brutal fury, hast devoured,
+ Were friends of one not unexpert in war;
+ Amply have thy own guilty deeds returned
+ Upon thee. Cruel one! who didst not fear
+ To eat the strangers sheltered by thy roof,
+ Jove and the other gods avenge them thus!
+
+ * * * * *
+
+ Cyclops, if any man of mortal birth
+ Note thine unseemly blindness, and inquire
+ The occasion, tell him that Laertes' son,
+ Ulysses, the destroyer of walled towns,
+ Whose home is Ithaca, put out thine eye.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+With a cry of rage, Polyphemus then ran down to the shore, tore up
+some huge rocks, which he hurled in the direction whence the taunting
+voice came, and in his rage almost destroyed the Greeks; for one piece
+of rock fell very near their vessel, and they were forced to redouble
+their efforts to row out of reach and prevent disaster.
+
+[Sidenote: Gift of AEolus.]
+
+The Greeks now sailed on until they reached the AEolian Islands, where
+dwelt AEolus, king and father of the winds. He had heard of Ulysses'
+prowess, received him kindly, and at parting gave him a leather bag
+containing all the contrary winds, which Ulysses was thus at liberty
+to retain imprisoned until he had safely reached home (p. 214).
+
+Day and night Ulysses' barks now bounded over the blue waves. On the
+ninth evening the shores of Ithaca were discerned by the eager eyes on
+board, and all made their preparations for landing early the next
+morning. For the first time since he had left the AEolian shores,
+Ulysses now indulged in sleep; and while he was lost in oblivion his
+sailors opened the leather bag, intending to rob their master of a
+portion of his treasure, for they imagined that AEolus had given him
+much gold.
+
+The bag was no sooner opened, than the contrary winds, weary and
+cramped with their uncomfortable position, sprang out with a rush and
+a roar, and in a few moments stirred up a terrible storm, which tore
+the ships from their anchors, and soon drove them far out to sea.
+
+After untold suffering, the Greeks landed again upon the AEolian Isle,
+and Ulysses sought the king, to beseech his aid once more; but this
+time the god received him coldly, and bade him depart, as his cruelty
+to Polyphemus had awakened the gods' wrath.
+
+ "'Hence with thee! Leave our island instantly,
+ Vilest of living men! It may not be
+ That I receive or aid as he departs
+ One who is hated by the blessed gods,--
+ And thou art hated by the gods. Away!'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The Laestrygonians.]
+
+Sorrowfully now the Greeks embarked; but, instead of being hurried
+along by favorable winds, they were obliged to row against wind and
+waves, and only after many days came to the land of the Laestrygonians,
+where fresh losses awaited them. These people were cannibals, who were
+in the habit of slaying all the strangers who visited their shores, to
+satisfy their horrible appetites. When they saw the vessels enter
+their harbor, they sunk some of them by casting huge rocks at them
+from their tall cliffs, and speared and devoured the unfortunate
+crews.
+
+Ulysses, ever cautious, had lingered without the harbor; and when,
+from afar, he saw his companions' horrible fate, he bade his men
+strike the waves with their "sounding oars" and escape.
+
+[Sidenote: Circe, the enchantress.]
+
+The Greeks went on again until they came to AEaea, an island inhabited
+by the golden-haired enchantress Circe, sister of AEetes, and aunt of
+Medea. Here Ulysses' crew was divided into two parties, one of which,
+led by Eurylochus, set out to explore the island, while the other,
+headed by Ulysses, remained to guard the ships. Through a dense
+forest, peopled with strangely gentle wild beasts, Eurylochus led his
+force, until they came in sight of the beautiful palace home of Circe.
+From afar they could hear her sweet voice raised in song, as she wove
+a beautiful web for her own adornment: so they pressed eagerly on, and
+entered the palace hall, Eurylochus alone lingering on the porch,
+fearing lest some fraud might suddenly be revealed.
+
+Circe received her self-invited guests most graciously, seated them on
+tapestry-covered couches, and bade her numerous handmaidens speedily
+set before them all manner of good cheer,--an order which was
+immediately carried out. The men feasted greedily, for they had fasted
+for many days, and Circe watched them with ill-concealed disgust.
+Suddenly she started from her seat, waved her wand over their heads,
+and bade them assume the form of swine (which obscene animals their
+gluttony suggested), and hie them to their sties.
+
+ [Illustration: CIRCE AND THE FRIENDS OF ULYSSES.--Riviere.]
+
+ "Then instantly
+ She touched them with a wand, and shut them up
+ In sties, transformed to swine in head and voice,
+ Bristles and shape, though still the human mind
+ Remained to them. Thus sorrowing they were driven
+ Into their cells, where Circe flung to them
+ Acorns of oak and ilex, and the fruit
+ Of cornel, such as nourish wallowing swine."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+Eurylochus, meanwhile, vainly awaited their return, and finally
+resolved to go back alone to the ships and report what had happened.
+Sword in hand, Ulysses then set out alone to rescue his comrades; but
+he had not gone far before he met a youth,--Mercury in disguise,--who
+warned him not to approach any nearer Circe, and told him of his
+companions' transformation.
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses and Circe.]
+
+As Ulysses would not be dissuaded from his purpose, Mercury gave him
+some moly, an herb warranted to preserve him from Circe's magic
+spells, and sundry important directions, which were all duly listened
+to and observed.
+
+Pressing onward, Ulysses reached the palace, entered the banquet room,
+drank Circe's mixture, which was rendered ineffective by the moly's
+power, and, when she waved her wand over his head and bade him join
+his fellows, drew his sword and rushed upon her, threatening to take
+her life if she did not immediately restore his friends to their human
+forms, and promise to do them no further harm.
+
+Circe, terrified at the threat, agreed to comply with all his demands;
+and in a few moments Ulysses was again surrounded by his companions,
+who were touchingly grateful for their rescue. Circe now prepared a
+second feast, and entertained them all so well, that Ulysses lingered
+there for one whole year.
+
+ "And there from day to day
+ We lingered a full year, and banqueted
+ Nobly on plenteous meats and delicate wines."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses visits Cimmeria.]
+
+At the end of that time, Ulysses' companions began to long for their
+own homes, and prevailed upon their chief to leave the fair
+enchantress Circe. At first she was loath to let him go; but, seeing
+that her efforts to detain him longer would be of no avail, she bade
+him seek the Cimmerian shores, and there consult the seer Tiresias.
+This land, which lay on the confines of Pluto's dark realm, was
+inhabited by shadows, the spirits of the dead, condemned to sojourn
+there a while ere they were admitted into Hades.
+
+Ulysses embarked, and, according to Circe's directions, let his vessel
+drift along until its prow grated on a pebbly beach, where he landed.
+Then, walking straight before him, he came to a spot whence he could
+hear the roar of the Phlegethon as it joined the Acheron, and here he
+dug a trench with his sword.
+
+The trench finished, he killed two black victims, furnished by Circe,
+and made their blood flow into the trench. Immediately all the spirits
+crowded about him, eager to drink the fresh blood; but Ulysses, with
+drawn sword, forced them back, until at last Tiresias, the blind seer,
+approached.
+
+He was allowed to stoop down and drink; and, as soon as he had done
+so, he recovered the power of human speech, and warned Ulysses of the
+many trials still awaiting him. Then, his prophecy concluded, he
+vanished; but Ulysses lingered a little longer to allow his mother to
+drink some blood, and explain how she came to be here in the spirit
+land.
+
+Many others came and conversed with him; but at last he was forced to
+depart, and return to AEaea, where he lingered to perform the funeral
+rites for Elpenor,--one of his followers, a youth who had fallen
+asleep on one of the palace turrets, and by an inadvertent movement
+had fallen to the ground, where he had been found dead.
+
+ [Illustration: SIREN. (Acropolis Museum, Athens.)]
+
+[Sidenote: The Sirens.]
+
+These obsequies over, the Greeks, favored by a fresh wind, left
+Circe's isle, and sailed along until they drew near the rocky ledge
+where the Sirens had their abode. These maidens were wont to sit on
+the rocks and sing entrancing songs, which allured the mariners
+until they turned aside from their course, and their vessels were
+dashed to pieces on the rocks.
+
+According to Circe's advice, Ulysses bade his men bind him fast to the
+mast, disregard his cries and gestures of command, and keep on their
+course until the dangerous rocks were lost to view; but, before he
+allowed them to execute these orders, he stopped their ears with
+melted wax, so they could not hear a sound, for he alone could hear
+the Sirens' song and live.
+
+The men then bound him hand and foot to the mast, returned to their
+oars, and rowed steadily on. Soon the Sirens' melody fell upon
+Ulysses' charmed ears; but, although he commanded and implored his men
+to set him free and alter their course, they kept steadily on until no
+sound of the magic song could reach them, when they once more set
+their leader free.
+
+[Sidenote: Charybdis and Scylla.]
+
+Now, although this danger had been safely passed, Ulysses was troubled
+in spirit, for he knew he would soon be obliged to steer his course
+between two dread monsters, Charybdis and Scylla, who lay so close
+together, that, while striving to avoid one, it was almost impossible
+not to fall an easy prey to the other.
+
+Charybdis' den lay under a rock crowned with a single wild fig tree;
+and three times daily she ingulfed the surrounding waters, drawing
+even large galleys into her capacious jaws.
+
+As for Scylla, she too dwelt in a cave, whence her six ugly heads
+protruded to devour any prey that came within reach.
+
+ "No mariner can boast
+ That he has passed by Scylla with a crew
+ Unharmed; she snatches from the deck, and bears
+ Away in each grim mouth, a living man."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+This selfsame Scylla, once a lovely maiden, had won the heart of the
+sea god Glaucus (p. 303), but coquettishly tormented him until he
+implored Circe to give him some love potion strong enough to compel
+her love.
+
+Circe, who had long nursed a secret passion for Glaucus, was angry at
+him, and jealous of her rival, and, instead of a love potion, prepared
+a loathsome drug, which she bade him pour into the water where Scylla
+was wont to bathe. Glaucus faithfully did as she commanded; but when
+Scylla plunged into the water, her body, and not her feelings,
+changed, and she became a loathsome monster, a terror to gods and men.
+
+When in sight of the fig tree, Ulysses, cased in armor, stood on the
+prow to attack Scylla should she attempt to seize one of his crew. The
+sound of the rushing waters whirling around Charybdis made all on
+board tremble with fear, and the pilot steered nearer still to dread
+Scylla's den.
+
+Suddenly a piercing cry was heard, as the monster seized six of the
+men and devoured them. The rest passed on unharmed; but since then, in
+speaking of conflicting dangers, it has been customary to use the
+expression, "falling from Charybdis into Scylla."
+
+[Sidenote: Cattle of the sun.]
+
+Only too glad to effect an escape at any price, the Greeks again rowed
+on until they sighted Trinacria, the island of the sun, where Phaetusa
+and Lampetia watched over the sun god's sacred herds. The men wished
+to land here to rest; but Ulysses reminded them that Tiresias, the
+blind seer, had warned them to avoid it, lest by slaying any of the
+sacred animals they should incur divine wrath.
+
+The men, however, worn out with the toil of many days' rowing,
+entreated so piteously to be allowed to rest, voluntarily pledging
+themselves to be content with their own provisions and not to slay a
+single animal, that Ulysses reluctantly yielded to their entreaties,
+and all went ashore.
+
+After they had duly rested, they were still detained by unfavorable
+winds, until all their provisions were exhausted, and the few birds
+and fishes they managed to secure no longer sufficed to still the
+pangs of hunger.
+
+Led by Eurylochus, some of the men, during one of Ulysses' temporary
+absences, caught and slew some of the sun god's cattle. To the
+general amazement and terror, the meat lowed while roasting on the
+spit, and the empty skins moved and crawled as if alive. All these
+sounds and sights could not, however, deter the sailors, who were
+bound to have a good feast, which they kept up for seven days, ere
+Ulysses could make them leave the Trinacrian shores.
+
+In the mean while, Lampetia had hastened to Apollo to apprise him of
+the crime committed by Ulysses' men. In anger he appeared before the
+assembled gods and demanded amends, threatening to withdraw the light
+of his countenance if he were not properly indemnified. Jupiter, to
+appease his hot anger, immediately promised that all the offenders
+should perish.
+
+ "'Still shine, O Sun! among the deathless gods
+ And mortal men, upon the nourishing earth.
+ Soon will I cleave, with a white thunderbolt,
+ Their galley in the midst of the black sea!'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+This promise he immediately fulfilled by drowning all except Ulysses,
+who alone had not partaken of the sacred flesh, and who, after
+clinging to the rudder for nine long days, a plaything for the wind
+and waves, was washed ashore on the Island of Ogygia, where the fair
+sea nymph Calypso had taken up her abode.
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses and Calypso.]
+
+There he was kindly and most hospitably entertained during eight long
+years; but he could not depart, as he had no vessel or crew to bear
+him away. At last Minerva, who had always befriended him, prevailed
+upon Jupiter to allow him to return to Ithaca. Mercury was sent to
+Ogygia to bid Calypso furnish all things necessary for his comfort,
+and aid in the construction of a huge raft, whereon our hero found
+himself afloat after many years of reluctant lingering on the land.
+
+All seemed well now; but Neptune suddenly became aware that his old
+enemy, the torturer of Polyphemus, was about to escape from his
+clutches. With one blow of his trident he stirred up one of those
+sudden tempests whose fury nothing can withstand, shattered Ulysses'
+raft, and buffeted him about on the waves, until the goddess Leucothea
+(p. 174), seeing his distress, helped him to reach the Phaeacian shore.
+
+[Sidenote: Nausicaa and Ulysses.]
+
+Too weary to think of aught but rest, Ulysses dragged himself into a
+neighboring wood, where he fell asleep on a bed of dry leaves. While
+he was thus resting, Minerva visited Nausicaa, daughter of Alcinous,
+King of the Phaeacians, in a dream, and bade her go down to the shore
+and wash her linen robes in readiness for her wedding day, which the
+goddess assured her was near at hand. Nausicaa obeyed, and drove with
+her maidens down to the shore, where, after their labors were duly
+finished, they all indulged in a game of ball, with the usual
+accompaniment of shrill cries and much laughter. Their cries awoke
+Ulysses, who came on the scene just in time to save their ball from
+the waves, and claimed Nausicaa's protection for a shipwrecked
+mariner.
+
+She graciously permitted him to follow her to her father's palace, and
+presented him to Alcinous and Arete, who bade him welcome, and invited
+him to join in the games then taking place. He did so, and displayed
+such strength and skill that his identity was revealed. Alcinous then
+promised to send him safely home in a Phaeacian bark, which reached
+Ithaca in safety, and deposited Ulysses, asleep, on his native shore.
+
+[Sidenote: The petrified ship.]
+
+When Neptune discovered that the Phaeacians had outwitted him, he was
+so angry that he changed the returning vessel into a rock, which
+blocked the harbor and put an end to further maritime excursions on
+their part.
+
+ "He drew near
+ And smote it with his open palm, and made
+ The ship a rock, fast rooted in the bed
+ Of the deep sea."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+ [Illustration: PENELOPE. (Vatican, Rome.)]
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses' return to Ithaca.]
+
+Disguised as a beggar by Minerva's kindly care, Ulysses sought the
+lowly dwelling of Eumaeus, his swineherd, and from him learned all he
+wished to know about his wife and son. He heard that Penelope was
+fairly besieged with suitors, who were even now feasting and reveling
+in his palace, whence they refused to depart until she had made choice
+of a second husband; and also that Telemachus, now a young man,
+indignant and displeased with the suitors' conduct, and guided and
+accompanied by his tutor Mentor, had set out in search of the father
+whom he could not believe dead.
+
+Mentor was Minerva in disguise, who guided the young man to the courts
+of Nestor and Menelaus, and finally in a dream bade him return to
+Ithaca, where he would find the parent he sought. The young prince
+immediately obeyed, and landed near Eumaeus' hut, escaping a clever
+ambuscade posted by the suitors at the entrance of the port.
+
+Minerva now permitted the father and son to recognize each other, in
+spite of their twenty years' separation, and together they planned how
+best to punish the insolent suitors. They finally agreed that
+Telemachus should return to the palace and make no mention of his
+father's return; while Ulysses, still in the guise of a beggar, should
+enter his home and claim the usual hospitality.
+
+All was executed as they had planned. No one recognized the
+long-expected hero in the miserable old beggar--no one save his aged
+nurse Euryclea, and his faithful old dog Argus, who died for joy at
+his long-lost master's feet.
+
+ "While over Argus the black night of death
+ Came suddenly as soon as he had seen
+ Ulysses, absent now for twenty years."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Penelope's web.]
+
+Penelope, hearing that a stranger was within her gates, sent for him,
+to inquire whether he knew aught of her husband. She too failed to
+pierce his disguise, and languidly continued a piece of work which she
+cleverly used to baffle her suitors; for once, when urged to marry,
+she had replied that she would do so as soon as her work was finished.
+
+As she was a diligent worker, the suitors expected soon to hear her
+decision, little knowing that she raveled at night all the web so
+carefully woven during the day.
+
+ "Three full years
+ She practiced thus, and by the fraud deceived
+ The Grecian youths."
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses' bow.]
+
+At last the subterfuge was discovered, and the unfortunate Penelope
+was forced to finish her work; but ere it was quite done, she found
+another expedient to postpone her choice of a husband. She brought
+Ulysses' bow, and announced that she would marry the man who could
+bend it and send an arrow through twelve rings which she pointed out.
+
+ "'I bring to you
+ The mighty bow that great Ulysses bore.
+ Whoe'er among you he may be whose hand
+ Shall bend this bow, and send through these twelve rings
+ An arrow, him I follow hence, and leave
+ This beautiful abode of my young years,
+ With all its plenty,--though its memory,
+ I think, will haunt me even in my dreams.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Death of the suitors.]
+
+The suitors all vainly strove to bend the mighty bow, which was then
+seized by the disguised Ulysses, while the youths laughed aloud in
+scorn, until Telemachus bade them let the old man try his strength. To
+the amazement of all, Ulysses easily performed the required feat; and
+then, turning his aim toward Antinous, the handsomest and most
+treacherous of all the suitors, he pierced his heart.
+
+A scene of wild commotion ensued, in which Ulysses, Telemachus,
+Eumaeus, and Minerva disguised as Mentor, opposed and slew all the
+wooers. Penelope, unconscious of all this bloodshed, slept in her
+room, until she was gently awakened by Euryclea, who announced the
+return of her long-absent husband.
+
+ "'Awake, Penelope, dear child, and see
+ With thine own eyes what thou hast pined for long.
+ Ulysses has returned; thy lord is here,
+ Though late, and he has slain the arrogant crew
+ Of suitors, who disgraced his house, and made
+ His wealth a spoil, and dared insult his son.'"
+
+ Homer (Bryant's tr.).
+
+But Penelope had too long believed her husband dead to credit this
+marvelous news; and it was only after Ulysses had given her an
+infallible proof of his identity, by telling her a secret which was
+shared by her alone, that she received him.
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses' last journey.]
+
+Ulysses was now safe at home, after twenty years of warfare and
+adventure, and at first greatly enjoyed the quiet and peace of his
+home life; but after a while these tame joys grew wearisome, and he
+decided to renew his wanderings. He therefore prepared a fleet, and
+sailed "out into the West," whence he never returned. The Greeks,
+however, averred that he had gone in search of the Isles of the Blest,
+where he dwelt in perfect peace, and enjoyed the constant society of
+heroes as brave and renowned as himself.
+
+ "'Come, my friends,
+ 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
+ Push off, and sitting well in order smite
+ The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
+ To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
+ Of all the western stars, until I die.
+ It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
+ It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
+ And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
+ Tho' much is taken, much abides: and tho'
+ We are not now that strength which in old days
+ Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
+ One equal temper of heroic hearts,
+ Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
+ To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'"
+
+ Tennyson.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+ADVENTURES OF AENEAS.
+
+
+You have already heard how the Greeks entered the city of Troy in the
+dead of night, massacred the inhabitants, and set fire to the
+beautiful buildings which had been the king's pride and delight. Now
+you shall hear how Virgil relates the escape of some of the Trojans
+from general destruction.
+
+Unconscious of coming danger, AEneas, son of Venus and Anchises, lay
+fast asleep in his palace; but the gods had not doomed him to perish,
+and sent the shade of Hector to warn him in a dream to arise, leave
+the city, and fly to some distant land.
+
+ "'Ah, goddess-born,' he warns me, 'fly!
+ Escape these flames: Greece holds the walls;
+ Proud Ilium from her summit falls.
+ Think not of king's or country's claims:
+ Country and king, alas! are names:
+ Could Troy be saved by hands of men,
+ This hand had saved her then, e'en then.
+ The gods of her domestic shrines
+ That country to your care consigns:
+ Receive them now, to share your fate:
+ Provide them mansions strong and great,
+ The city's walls, which Heaven has willed
+ Beyond the seas you yet shall build.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: AEneas goes to save Priam.]
+
+Awakened at last by the ever-increasing tumult without, AEneas seized
+his arms and hastened forth, attended by many of his fellow-citizens,
+to ascertain the cause of the great uproar. A few minutes later he
+discovered that the Greek army had entered the town, and was even now
+killing, plundering, and burning without mercy. The men were all
+slain, but the fairest women were dragged away to be sold as slaves in
+Greece; and among them AEneas beheld in the hands of Agamemnon's
+soldiers the unfortunate daughter of Priam, Cassandra, whom the gods
+had endowed with prophetic powers (p. 310), but whom no one would
+heed.
+
+AEneas, seeing ere long that there was no hope of saving the doomed
+city, quickly disguised himself in a Greek armor which he tore from
+the corpse of one of his foes, and rushed on to the palace, hoping to
+save the aged king, who, at the first alarm, had seized his weapons,
+determined to fight to the very last.
+
+Hecuba, his wife, was clinging to him, imploring him to remain, when
+suddenly Polites, their son, rushed into their presence, closely
+followed by Pyrrhus, or Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who thrust his
+sword into the youth, and then murdered Priam also.
+
+ "So Priam's fortunes closed at last:
+ So passed he, seeing as he passed
+ His Troy in flames, his royal tower
+ Laid low in dust by hostile power,
+ Who once o'er land and peoples proud
+ Sat, while before him Asia bowed:
+ Now on the shore behold him dead,
+ A nameless trunk, a trunkless head."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+AEneas, who arrived just too late to hinder this frightful catastrophe,
+now suddenly remembered that a similar fate awaited his aged father
+Anchises, his wife Creusa, and little son Iulus, who were at home
+without any protector near them. The hero therefore madly cut his way
+through the foe, and rushed through the once magnificent palace, which
+was now stripped of its rarest treasures and desecrated by an enemy's
+tread.
+
+[Sidenote: Venus appears to AEneas.]
+
+There, in one of the abandoned halls, he saw Helen, the fair cause of
+all this war and bloodshed,--who, after Paris' death, had married
+Deiphobus, his brother,--and for a moment he determined to take her
+life; but ere he could do so, Venus, his mother, stayed his hand, and
+bade him remember that the immortal gods had long ago decreed that the
+city should fall, and that Helen was merely the pretext used to induce
+the rival nations to fly to arms.
+
+Further to convince him of the truth of her assertions, she enabled
+him to see what was hidden from mortal eyes: i.e., Neptune, Minerva,
+Juno, and Jupiter even, fighting and leveling the walls with mighty
+blows. She then vehemently implored her son to leave this scene of
+carnage, and fly, with his family and followers, to some safe place
+without the city, whence he could embark, and sail away to a more
+fortunate land; and her entreaties finally prevailed.
+
+[Sidenote: Anchises' escape.]
+
+AEneas rushed home and bade his father prepare to leave Troy; but
+Anchises obstinately refused to leave his post, until he saw a bright
+flame hover for a moment above his grandson's head, which sign he
+interpreted as an omen that his race should endure. He no longer
+resisted; and, as he was too weak to walk, AEneas bade him hold the
+Lares and Penates, and, taking him on his back, carried him off, while
+with one hand he led his little son, and bade Creusa closely follow
+him.
+
+ "'Come, mount my shoulders, dear my sire:
+ Such load my strength shall never tire.
+ Now, whether fortune smiles or lowers,
+ One risk, one safety shall be ours.
+ My son shall journey at my side,
+ My wife her steps by mine shall guide,
+ At distance safe.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Creusa's ghost.]
+
+A trysting place near a ruined temple had already been appointed for
+his servants, and thither AEneas turned his steps. When he arrived
+there, he found many awaiting him, and counted them carefully to make
+sure none were missing. All were there except Creusa, his beloved
+young wife; and he retraced his steps with anxious haste, hoping to
+find her still alive. But on the threshold of his once happy home he
+met her disembodied spirit, and heard her bid him seek the banks of
+the Tiber, where a beautiful young bride would comfort him for her
+loss. This speech ended, Creusa's ghost vanished, and AEneas sadly
+returned to the ruined temple, where he found many fugitives ready to
+follow him wherever he went, and eager to obey his every command.
+Their preparations for departure were speedily completed, the sails
+unfurled, and the little exiled band soon lost sight of the shores of
+Troy.
+
+ "Weeping I quit the port, the shore,
+ The plains where Ilium stood before,
+ And homeless launch upon the main,
+ Son, friends, and home gods in my train."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Arrival in Thrace.]
+
+Although they had escaped from burning Troy and the swords of the
+Greeks, their trials had only just begun. After many days' sailing,
+they landed in Thrace, viewed the country, decided to settle there,
+and began to trace the foundations of a new city, which they decided
+to call the AEneadae, in honor of their leader.
+
+Their next care was to offer a sacrifice to the gods; but when AEneas,
+with due ceremony, cut down a sapling, he was startled to see blood
+flow from its severed stem. At the same time a mysterious voice was
+heard, bidding him forbear, for his former friend Polydorus, sent to
+Thrace to conceal some treasures, had been murdered there by an
+avaricious king, and this grove of trees had sprouted from the spear
+handles driven into his unhappy breast.
+
+[Sidenote: Delos and Crete.]
+
+After paying the customary funeral rites to appease the soul of his
+unfortunate friend, AEneas easily prevailed upon his followers to leave
+these inhospitable shores and seek another resting place. They rowed
+over the briny deep until they came to Delos, where they stopped to
+consult the oracle, who bade them seek the cradle of their race, and
+settle there.
+
+ "'Stout Dardan hearts, the realm of earth
+ Where first your nation sprang to birth,
+ That realm shall now receive you back:
+ Go, seek your ancient mother's track.
+ There shall AEneas' house, renewed
+ For ages, rule a world subdued.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+This obscure command left them uncertain what course to pursue, until
+the aged Anchises remembered that one of his ancestors, Teucer, had
+once reigned in Crete. Thither they sailed, and hoped to settle; but a
+terrible pestilence came upon them, and decimated their already sparse
+ranks.
+
+[Sidenote: AEneas' vision.]
+
+One night AEneas had a vision, in which his household gods bade him
+seek the Italian or Hesperian shores; and when, on waking, he imparted
+this advice to Anchises, the latter remembered a long-forgotten
+prophecy of Cassandra, purporting that they would settle there, and
+also that Dardanus, their first progenitor, was reported to have come
+from thence.
+
+ "There is a land, by Greece of old
+ Surnamed Hesperia, rich its mold,
+ Its children brave and free:
+ Oenotrians were its settlers: fame
+ Now gives the race its leader's name,
+ And calls it Italy.
+ Here Dardanus was born, our king,
+ And old Iasius, whence we spring:
+ Here our authentic seat."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Celaeno, the Harpy.]
+
+Ere many days AEneas and his trusty followers were once more afloat,
+and forced to battle with fierce storms sent by Juno to hinder their
+advance. Exhausted, they landed on the Strophades Islands, where they
+proposed to recruit their strength by a hearty meal; but no sooner
+was their table spread, than the meats were devoured and destroyed by
+the loathsome Harpies. A terrible prophecy uttered by Celaeno, one of
+these monsters,--half woman and half bird,--made them embark again in
+great haste, and row on until they came to Epirus, where they again
+effected a landing. In this country they met the sorrowing Andromache,
+Hector's widow, the slave of King Helenus, who entertained them
+royally and sent them on their way again, with many kindly cautions to
+beware of the Cyclopes and avoid Charybdis and Scylla by
+circumnavigating the whole island of Sicily.
+
+[Sidenote: Rescue of Achemenides.]
+
+This advice was duly followed by AEneas, who, while rounding one of the
+promontories of the island, saw and rescued Achemenides, one of
+Ulysses' companions, accidentally left behind when they escaped from
+the rage of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. This giant now came down to the
+shore, and was regarded with unconcealed horror by the Trojans, who
+rowed away in haste. Soon after, AEneas moored his ships in the harbors
+of Sicania and Drepanum, and while there lost his aged father
+Anchises.
+
+ "There
+ I lose my stay in every care,
+ My sire Anchises!"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+Juno, in the mean while, had not been idle, and gloated over the
+dangers she had forced the unhappy Trojans to encounter during the
+seven years which had already elapsed since they first sailed from
+Troy. She was not yet weary of persecuting them, however; and as soon
+as she saw them once more afloat, she hurried off to AEolus, and bade
+him let loose his fiercest children, and scatter the fleet by a
+terrible storm.
+
+ "'O AEolus! since the Sire of all
+ Has made the wind obey thy call
+ To raise or lay the foam,
+ A race I hate now plows the sea,
+ Transporting Troy to Italy
+ And home gods reft of home:
+ Lash thou thy winds, their ships submerge,
+ Or toss them weltering o'er the surge.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: The tempest.]
+
+This request was immediately granted. The vessels, tossed hither and
+thither, lost sight of each other. Some were stranded, some sank, and
+still the tempest raged on with unabated fury, and death stared the
+unhappy Trojans in the face. The commotion on the deep finally aroused
+Neptune, who came to the surface just in time to see all the
+misfortunes which had overwhelmed AEneas. He imperiously sent the winds
+away, and lent a helping hand to float the stranded ships once more.
+
+ "'Back to your master instant flee,
+ And tell him, not to him but me
+ The imperial trident of the sea
+ Fell by the lot's award.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+The Trojans, grateful for his timely aid, and reassured by the calm
+which now reigned supreme, steered for the nearest port, where they
+anchored their seven vessels, all that now remained of their once
+large fleet.
+
+[Sidenote: Arrival in Libya.]
+
+AEneas and Achates, his faithful friend, immediately set out to view
+the land, and ere long encountered Venus, disguised as a mortal, who
+informed them that they had landed upon the Libyan coast, which was
+under the sway of Dido, a fugitive from Tyre. Dido's husband, Sychaeus,
+King of Tyre, the possessor of untold riches, had been murdered by
+Pygmalion, his brother-in-law; but the queen was kept in complete
+ignorance of this crime, until visited in a dream by the shade of
+Sychaeus, which bade her fly with his treasures, whose place of
+concealment she alone knew.
+
+Dido obeyed the ghost's commands, and, accompanied by a number of
+faithful subjects, landed on the Libyan coast, where she entreated
+the inhabitants to sell her as much land as an ox-hide would inclose.
+This seemingly modest request was immediately granted; but the Libyans
+regretted their compliance when they saw the ox-hide cut up into tiny
+strips, which inclosed a considerable tract of land, the site of
+Dido's beautiful capital, Carthage.
+
+[Sidenote: AEneas and Dido.]
+
+Thither Venus advised her son to proceed and claim the queen's
+protection. AEneas and Achates obediently hastened onward, and entered
+the town unseen, for Venus had enveloped them both in a mist. Their
+attention was first attracted by the festive appearance of the people
+assembled together, and by the beauty of the queen, giving audience to
+some of their companions, who had miraculously escaped from the waves.
+
+These men spoke to the queen of their renowned chief, whose fame had
+already reached her ear; and she gladly promised to send out a search
+party to discover him, and aid him if necessary.
+
+ "'I will send
+ And search the coast from end to end,
+ If haply, wandering up and down,
+ He bide in woodland or in town.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+At these gracious words, AEneas stepped forward, the mist vanished, and
+he stood before the queen in all his manly beauty.
+
+Dido then led her guests to the banquet hall, where they recounted
+their adventures by land and sea, while partaking of the viands and
+wines set before them. At this feast, Cupid, at Venus' request,
+assumed the face and form of Iulus, AEneas' young son, and, reclining
+on the queen's bosom, secretly thrust one of his darts into her heart,
+and made her fall in love with AEneas.
+
+ [Illustration: AENEAS AT THE COURT OF DIDO.--Guerin.]
+
+Day after day now passed in revelry and pleasure, and still AEneas
+lingered by Dido's side, forgetful of the new kingdom he was destined
+to found. One whole year passed thus; and the gods, impatient of
+delay, finally sent Mercury to remind AEneas of his duty.
+
+To avoid Dido's tears and recriminations, the hero kept his
+preparations for departure a complete secret, and finally set sail
+while she was wrapt in slumber. When she awoke and looked out of her
+palace window, it was only to see the last vessel sink beneath the
+horizon.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Dido.]
+
+Concealing her grief, and pretending an anger she did not feel, she
+bade her servants make a funeral pyre, and place upon it all the
+objects AEneas had used during his sojourn in her palace; then, on top
+of it all, she set an effigy of her false lover, set fire to the pyre,
+sprang into the midst of the flames, and there stabbed herself.
+
+ "'Yet let me die: thus, thus I go
+ Exulting to the shades below.
+ Let the false Dardan feel the blaze
+ That burns me pouring on his gaze,
+ And bear along, to cheer his way,
+ The funeral presage of to-day.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+From the mast of his vessel AEneas saw the rising column of smoke, and
+his heart sank within him; for he suspected its fatal import, and
+honestly mourned the death of the beautiful queen.
+
+[Sidenote: Funeral games.]
+
+The Trojans sailed onward until the threatening clouds made them take
+refuge in the Sicanian port, where they celebrated the usual games to
+commemorate Anchises' death, which had occurred there just one year
+previous. While the men were engaged in the customary naval, foot, and
+horse races, boxing, wrestling, and archery matches, the women
+gathered together, and, instigated by Juno, began to bewail the hard
+lot which compelled them to encounter again the perils of the sea.
+Their discontent ultimately reached such a pitch that they set fire to
+the vessels. When AEneas heard of this new misfortune, he rushed down
+to the shore, tore his costly festal garments, and cried to Heaven
+for assistance in this his time of direst need.
+
+ "'Dread Sire, if Ilium's lorn estate
+ Deserve not yet thine utter hate,
+ If still thine ancient faithfulness
+ Give heed to mortals in distress,
+ Oh, let the fleet escape the flame!
+ Oh, save from death Troy's dying name!'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Apparition of Anchises.]
+
+This prayer was instantly answered by a sudden severe shower, which
+quenched the devouring flames. Soon after this miracle, Anchises
+appeared to AEneas, and bade him leave the women, children, and aged
+men in Sicily, and travel on to Cumae, where he was to consult the
+Sibyl, visit the Infernal Regions, and there receive further advice
+from him.
+
+ "First seek the halls of Dis below,
+ Pass deep Avernus' vale, and meet
+ Your father in his own retreat."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+AEneas again dutifully obeyed; but when Venus saw him afloat once more,
+she hastened to Neptune, and bade him watch over her unfortunate son.
+Neptune listened very graciously to her appeal, and promised to take
+but one of all the many lives intrusted to his care. That one was
+AEneas' pilot, Palinurus, who, falling asleep at the helm, fell
+overboard and was drowned.
+
+[Sidenote: The Cumaean Sibyl.]
+
+As for the fleet, it reached the Cumaean shore in safety; and AEneas
+hastened off to the Sibyl's cave, made known his wish to visit Hades,
+and entreated her to serve as his guide in that perilous journey. She
+consented, but at the same time informed him that he must first obtain
+a golden twig, which grew in a dark forest.
+
+ "None may reach the shades without
+ The passport of that golden sprout."
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+ [Illustration: CUMAEAN SIBYL.--Domenichino. (Borghese Gallery, Rome.)]
+
+Almost despairing, AEneas now prayed for assistance; for how could he
+find a tiny golden sprig in the midst of the dense forest foliage
+without the gods' aid? In answer to this appeal, Venus, ever mindful
+of her son, sent two of her snowy doves to lead the way and alight on
+the tree, where AEneas readily found the object of his search.
+
+Armed with this branch as key, he and the Sibyl boldly entered the
+Lower Regions, where all the ghastly sights and sounds we have already
+described (p. 167) met them on every side. Charon quickly ferried them
+over the Acheron, on whose bank they saw the wandering shade of
+Palinurus, who had no obolus to pay his way across, and that of Dido,
+with a gaping wound in her breast.
+
+They did not pause, however, until they reached the Elysian Fields,
+where they found Anchises, gravely considering among the unborn souls
+those who were destined to animate his race and make it illustrious in
+the future. These he carefully pointed out to AEneas, foretelling their
+future achievements, and called by name Romulus, Brutus, Camillus, the
+Gracchi, Caesar,--in fact, all the heroes of Roman history.
+
+ "Anchises showed AEneas, in long line,
+ The illustrious shades of those who were to shine
+ One day the glory of the Italian shore."
+
+ Tomas de Iriarte.
+
+[Sidenote: Arrival in Latium.]
+
+After a prolonged conversation with his father, AEneas returned to his
+companions, and led them to the mouth of the Tiber, whose course they
+followed until they reached Latium, where their wanderings were to
+cease. Latinus, king of the country, received them hospitably, and
+promised the hand of his daughter Lavinia in marriage to AEneas.
+
+Lavinia was very beautiful, and had already had many suitors, among
+whom Turnus, a neighboring prince, boasted of the most exalted rank.
+The queen, Amata, specially favored this youth's suit; and the king
+would gladly have received him for a son-in-law, had he not twice
+been warned by the gods to reserve his daughter for a foreign prince,
+who had now appeared.
+
+In spite of all the years which had elapsed since Paris scorned her
+attractions and bribes (p. 307), Juno had not yet forgotten her hatred
+of the Trojan race, and, afraid lest her enemy's course should now
+prove too smooth, she sent Alecto, the Fury, down upon earth to stir
+up war, and goad Amata to madness. The Fury executed both commands,
+and Amata fled to the woods, where she concealed her daughter Lavinia,
+to keep her safe for Turnus, whom she preferred to AEneas.
+
+[Sidenote: War with the Latins.]
+
+As Iulus and some companions had unfortunately wounded the pet stag of
+Silvia, daughter of the head shepherd, a brawl ensued, which, fomented
+by Alecto, soon developed into a bloody war. Hostilities having thus
+begun, Turnus, with the various Latin chiefs, immediately besought
+Latinus to open the gates of Janus' temple. He refused; but Juno,
+afraid lest even now her plans might be set at naught, came down from
+Olympus, and with her own hand flung wide the brazen doors. This
+unexpected apparition kindled a general ardor; new troops enlisted;
+and even Camilla, the Volscian warrior-maiden, came to proffer her aid
+to Turnus.
+
+ "Last marches forth for Latium's sake
+ Camilla fair, the Volscian maid,
+ A troop of horsemen in her wake
+ In pomp of gleaming steel arrayed;
+ Stern warrior queen!"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: Story of Camilla.]
+
+When but a babe in arms, Camilla had been carried off by her father,
+as he fled before the Volscian troops. When he came to the Amasenus
+River, he found his pursuers close at his heels. Tying his infant
+daughter to his spear, he hurled her to the opposite bank, which,
+thanks to Diana's aid, she reached unharmed, while her father plunged
+into the waves to join her. In his gratitude to find her safe, he
+dedicated her to Diana, who trained her to love the chase and all
+manly pursuits.
+
+Surprised to see Latinus' friendly offers of hospitality so suddenly
+withdrawn, AEneas made rapid preparations for war, and sailed farther
+up the Tiber to secure the aid of Evander, king of the Tuscans, the
+hereditary foe of the Latins. This monarch, too old to lead his troops
+in person, nevertheless promised his aid, and sent his beloved son
+Pallas in his stead to command the troops he supplied.
+
+[Sidenote: Nisus and Euryalus.]
+
+Juno, still implacable, had in the mean while sent Iris to apprise
+Turnus of AEneas' departure, and to urge him to set fire to the
+remainder of the fleet,--a suggestion which Turnus joyfully obeyed.
+The Trojans, headed by young Iulus, AEneas' son, defended themselves
+with their usual courage; but, seeing the enemy would soon overpower
+them, they dispatched Nisus and Euryalus, two of their number, to warn
+AEneas of their danger, and entreat him to hasten up with his
+reenforcements. These unfortunate youths passed through the camp
+unseen, but farther on fell into the hands of a troop of Volscian
+horsemen, who cruelly put them to death, and then hurried with the
+Rutules to lend assistance to Turnus. Next some of the Trojan vessels
+were fired by the enemy; but, instead of being consumed by the flames,
+they were changed into water nymphs by the intervention of the gods,
+and, sailing down the Tiber, met AEneas, and warned him to hasten to
+his son's rescue.
+
+ "His vessels change their guise,
+ And each and all as Nereids rise."
+
+ Virgil.
+
+[Sidenote: The armor.]
+
+In the mean while, Venus, who befriended the Trojans, had sought
+Vulcan's detested abode, and had prevailed upon him to forge a
+beautiful armor for AEneas. On the shield, which is minutely described
+in one of the books of Virgil's celebrated epic poem, the AEneid, were
+depicted many of the stirring scenes in the lives of the future
+descendants of AEneas, the heroes of Roman history. As soon as this
+armor was completed, Venus brought it to her son, who donned it with
+visible pleasure, and, encouraged by his mother's words, prepared to
+meet the Latins and hold his own.
+
+Venus and Juno were not the only deities interested in the coming
+struggle; for all the gods, having watched AEneas' career, were anxious
+about his fate. Seeing this, and fearful lest their interference
+should still further endanger the hero whom he favored, Jupiter
+assembled the gods on high Olympus, and sternly forbade their taking
+any active part in the coming strife, under penalty of his severe
+displeasure.
+
+[Sidenote: AEneas' arrival.]
+
+AEneas and his Tuscan allies arrived on the battle scene just in time
+to give the necessary support to the almost exhausted Trojans; and now
+the fight raged more fiercely than ever, and prodigies of valor were
+accomplished on both sides, until finally young Pallas fell, slain by
+Turnus. When aware of the death of this promising young prince, AEneas'
+heart was filled with grief, for he could imagine the sorrow of the
+aged Evander when he saw his son's corpse brought home for burial; and
+he then and there registered a solemn vow to avenge Pallas' death by
+slaying Turnus, and immediately hastened forth to keep his word.
+
+[Sidenote: Juno's treachery.]
+
+In the mean while, Juno, suspecting what his purpose would be, and
+afraid to allow Turnus to encounter such a formidable antagonist as
+AEneas, had determined to lure her favorite away from the field. To
+compass this, she assumed the form of AEneas, challenged Turnus, and,
+as soon as he began the fight, fled toward the river, and took refuge
+on one of the vessels, closely pursued by him. No sooner did she see
+the Rutule chief safe on board, than she loosed the vessel from its
+moorings, and allowed it to drift down the stream, bearing Turnus away
+from the scene of battle. Aware now of the delusion practiced, Turnus
+raved, and accused the gods, and then eagerly watched for an
+opportunity to land, and make his way, alone and on foot, back to the
+scene of conflict.
+
+[Sidenote: AEneas' prowess.]
+
+During Turnus' involuntary absence, AEneas had ranged all over the
+battlefield in search of him, and had encountered and slain many
+warriors, among others Lausus and his aged father Mezentius, two
+allies of Latinus, who had specially distinguished themselves by their
+great valor. The dead and dying covered the field, when Latinus, weary
+of bloodshed, summoned a council, and again vainly tried to make
+peace. But his efforts were of no avail. The war was renewed more
+fiercely than ever; and in the next encounter, Camilla, the brave
+Volscian maiden, fell at last, breathing a fervent entreaty that
+Turnus should hasten to the succor of his despairing people if he
+would not see them all slain and the town in the hands of the Trojans.
+
+ "'Go: my last charge to Turnus tell,
+ To haste with succor, and repel
+ The Trojans from the town--farewell.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: AEneas' wound.]
+
+Shortly after her death, in the very midst of the fray, AEneas suddenly
+felt himself wounded by an arrow sent by some mysterious hand. He
+hastened to seek the aid of the leech Iapis; but, in spite of his
+ministrations, the barb could not be removed nor the wound dressed,
+until Venus brought a magic herb, which instantly healed the hero, and
+enabled him to return to the fight with unabated strength and energy.
+
+The tide was now decidedly turning in favor of the Trojans; for Amata,
+the Latin queen, sorry for her ill-advised opposition to her
+daughter's marriage with AEneas, brought Lavinia home and hung herself
+in a fit of remorse.
+
+[Sidenote: Death of Turnus.]
+
+AEneas, appearing once more on the battlefield, finally encountered the
+long-sought Turnus, who had made his way back, and was now driving
+about in his chariot, jealously guarded by his sister Juturna, who,
+the better to watch over his safety, had taken the place of his
+chariot driver. The two heroes, having met, instantly closed in deadly
+fight; but, in spite of Turnus' bravery, he was finally obliged to
+succumb, and sank to the ground, frankly acknowledging himself beaten
+as he exhaled his last sigh.
+
+ "'Yours is the victory: Latian bands
+ Have seen me stretch imploring hands:
+ The bride Lavinia is your own:
+ Thus far let foeman's hate be shown.'"
+
+ Virgil (Conington's tr.).
+
+[Sidenote: AEneas' progeny.]
+
+With the death of Turnus the war came to an end. A lasting peace was
+made with Latinus; and the brave Trojan hero, whose woes were now
+over, was united in marriage with Lavinia. In concert with Latinus, he
+ruled the Latins, and founded a city, which he called Lavinia in honor
+of his bride, and which became for a time the capital of Latium.
+
+AEneas, as the gods had predicted, became the father of a son named
+AEneas Silvia, who founded Alba Longa, where his descendants reigned
+for many a year, and where one of his race, the Vestal Virgin Ilia,
+after marrying Mars, gave birth to Remus and Romulus, the founders of
+Rome (p. 142).
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+ANALYSIS OF MYTHS.
+
+ "I shall indeed interpret all that I can, but I cannot
+ interpret all that I should like."--_Grimm._
+
+
+[Sidenote: Early theories.]
+
+In attempting an analysis of the foregoing myths, and an explanation
+of their origin, it is impossible, in a work of this kind, to do more
+than give a very superficial idea of the scientific theories of
+various eminent mythologists, who, on this subject, like doctors, are
+sure to disagree.
+
+These myths, comprising "the entire intellectual stock of the age to
+which they belonged," existed as "floating talk among the people" long
+ere they passed into the literature of the nation; and while to us
+mythology is merely "an affair of historical or antiquarian study, we
+must remember that the interpretation of myths was once a thing full
+of vital interest to men whose moral and religious beliefs were deeply
+concerned." Received at first with implicit faith, these myths became
+a stumbling block as civilization advanced. Cultured man recoiled from
+much of the grossness which had appeared quite natural to his
+ancestors in a savage state, and made an attempt to find out their
+primitive meaning, or an explanation which would satisfy his purer
+taste.
+
+With the latter object in view, the sages and writers of old
+interpreted all that seemed "silly and senseless" in mythology as
+physical allegories,--a system subsequently carried to extremes by
+many heathen philosophers in the vain hope of evading Christian
+satire.
+
+Learned men have also explained these selfsame myths as historical
+facts disguised as metaphors, or as moral allegories, which the choice
+of Hercules (p. 218) undoubtedly is. Euhemerus (316 B.C.) was the
+pioneer of the former theory, and Bacon an exponent of the latter.
+Euhemerus' method was exaggerated by his disciples, who declared Zeus
+was merely a king of Crete; his war with the giants, an attempt to
+repress a sedition; Danae's shower of gold (p. 240), the money with
+which her guards were bribed; Prometheus, a maker of clay images,
+"whence it was hyperbolically said he created man out of clay;" and
+Atlas, an astronomer, who was therefore spoken of as supporting the
+weight of the heavens. This mode of interpretation was carried to such
+an extreme that it became ridiculous, and the inevitable reaction took
+place. In the course of time, however, the germ of truth it contained
+was again brought to light; and very few persons now refuse to believe
+that some of the heroic myths have some slight historical basis, the
+"silly and senseless" element being classed as accretions similar to
+the fabulous tales attached to the indubitably historical name of
+Charlemagne. During the seventeenth century, some philosophers,
+incited by "the resemblance between biblical narrative and ancient
+myths, came to the conclusion that the Bible contained a pure and the
+myths a distorted form of an original revelation." But within the past
+century new theories have gradually gained ground: for the
+philologists have attempted to prove that the myths arose from a
+"disease of language;" while the anthropologists, basing their theory
+on comparative mythology, declare "it is man, it is human thought and
+human language combined, which naturally and necessarily produced the
+strange conglomerate of ancient fable."
+
+[Sidenote: Modern theories.]
+
+As these two last-named schools have either successfully confuted or
+incorporated the theories of all their predecessors, a brief outline
+of their respective beliefs will not be out of place. While philology
+compares only the "myths of races which speak languages of the same
+family" (as will shortly be demonstrated), anthropology resorts to all
+folklore, and seeks for the origin of myths, not in language, which
+it considers only as a subordinate cause, but in the "condition of
+thought through which all races have passed."
+
+[Sidenote: Anthropological theory.]
+
+The anthropologists, or comparative mythologists, do not deny that
+during the moderate allowance of two hundred and fifty thousand years,
+which they allot to the human race on earth, the myths may have spread
+from a single center, and either by migration, or by slave or wife
+stealing, or by other natural or accidental methods, may have
+"wandered all around the globe;" but they principally base their
+arguments on the fact that just as flint arrowheads are found in all
+parts of the world, differing but slightly in form and manufacture, so
+the myths of all nations "resemble each other, because they were
+formed to meet the same needs, out of the same materials."
+
+They argue that this similarity exists, "not because the people came
+from the same stock" (which is the philologist's view), "but because
+they passed through the same savage intellectual condition." By
+countless examples taken from the folklore of all parts of the earth,
+they prove that the savage considers himself akin to beasts (generally
+to the one whose image is used as a tribal or family badge or totem),
+and "regards even plants, inanimate objects, and the most abstract
+phenomena, as persons with human parts and passions." To the savage,
+"sun, moon, and stars are persons, but savage persons;" and, as he
+believes "many of his own tribe fellows to have the power of assuming
+the form of animals," he concedes the same privilege and power to sun,
+moon, and stars, etc. This school further prove that all pre-Christian
+religions have idols representing beasts, that all mythologies
+represent the gods as fond of appearing in animal forms, and declare,
+that, although the Greeks were a thoroughly civilized people, we can
+still find in their mythology and religion "abundant survivals of
+savage manners and savage myths." They claim, that, during the
+myth-making age, the ancestors of the Greeks were about on an
+intellectual level with the present Australian Bushmen, and that
+"everything in civilized mythologies which we regard as irrational,
+seems only part of the accepted and rational order of things to the
+contemporary savages, and in the past seemed equally rational and
+natural to savages concerning whom we have historical information." Of
+course it is difficult, not to say impossible, for civilized man to
+put himself in the savage's place, and regard things from his point of
+view. The nearest approach to primitive intelligence which comes under
+our immediate observation is the working of the minds of small
+children, who, before they can talk intelligibly, whip the table or
+chair against which they have bumped their heads, and later on delight
+in weaving the most extraordinary tales. A little four-year-old seized
+a book and began to "read a story;" that is to say, to improvise a
+very improbable and highly colored tale of a pony. Forced to pause
+from lack of breath, she resumed the thread of her narrative with the
+words, "Now, this dog;" and, when it was suggested that the story was
+about a pony, she emphatically replied, "Well, this pony was a dog,"
+and continued. Now, either because she perceived that the
+transformation had attracted attention, or to satisfy the childish
+inborn taste for the marvelous, in the course of the next few minutes
+the pony underwent as many transformations as Proteus, all of which
+apparently seemed perfectly natural to her. The anthropologists
+explain the tales of the various transformations of Jupiter and his
+animal progeny "as in many cases survivals of the totemistic belief in
+descent from beasts," while the mythologists explain them as
+"allegories of the fruitful union of heaven and earth, of rain and
+grain." The former school also declare that the myth of Cupid and
+Psyche, which has its parallel in stories found in all parts of the
+world, was invented to explain curious marriage customs (for in some
+countries it is unlawful for the husband to see his wife's face until
+after she has given birth to her first child, and in others a wife may
+not speak her husband's name): the latter school interpret the same
+myth as a beautiful allegory of the soul and the union of faith and
+love.
+
+[Sidenote: Philological theory.]
+
+The philologists' interpretation of myths is not only the most
+accredited at the present time, but also the most poetical. We
+therefore give a brief synopsis of their theory, together with an
+analysis, from their point of view, of the principal myths told at
+length in the course of this work. According to this school, "myths
+are the result of a disease of language, as the pearl is the result of
+a disease of the oyster;" the key to all mythologies lies in language;
+and the original names of the gods, "ascertained by comparative
+philology, will be found, as a rule, to denote elemental or physical
+phenomena," that is, phenomena of the sunshine, the clouds, rain,
+winds, fire, etc.
+
+To make their process of reasoning plain, it should be explained, that
+as French, Spanish, and Italian are derived from the Latin, even so
+Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit have a common source in a much older
+language; that, even if Latin were entirely lost, the similarity of
+the word "bridge," for instance (_pons_ in Latin), in French (_pont_),
+in Spanish (_puente_), and in Italian (_ponte_), would justify the
+conclusion that these terms had their origin in a common language, and
+that the people who spoke it were familiar with bridges, which they
+evidently called by some name phonetically the same.
+
+Further to prove their position, they demonstrate the similarity of
+the most common words in all the languages of the same family, showing
+(as is the case with the word "father" in the accompanying table) that
+they undergo but few changes in sixteen different languages.
+
+ Sanskrit, _pitri_.
+ Zend, _paitar_.
+ Persian, _pader_.
+ Erse, _athair_.
+ Italian, _padre_.
+ Spanish, _padre_.
+ French, _pere_.
+ Saxon, _faeder_.
+ Latin, _pater_.
+ Greek, pronounced _paetair_.
+ Gothic, _vatar_.
+ German, _vater_.
+ Dutch, _fader_.
+ Danish, _fader_.
+ Swedish, _fader_.
+ English, _father_.
+
+The most learned of all these philologists argues that during the
+first or Rhematic period, there existed a tribe in Central Asia which
+spoke a monosyllabic language, in which lay the germs of the Turanian,
+Aryan, and Semitic forms of speech. This Rhematic period was followed
+by the Nomadic or Agglutinative age, when, little by little, the
+languages "received once for all that peculiar impress of their
+formative system which we still find in all the dialects and national
+idioms comprised under the name of Aryan or Semitic;" that is to say,
+in the Hindoo, Persian, Greek, Roman, Celt, Slav, and Teutonic
+languages, and in some three thousand kindred dialects.
+
+After the Agglutinative period, and previous to the National era and
+"the appearance of the first traces of literature," he places "a
+period represented everywhere by the same characteristic features,
+called the Mythological or Mythopoeic age."
+
+It was during this period that the main part of the vast fund of
+mythic lore is supposed to have crystallized; for primitive man,
+knowing nothing whatever of physical laws, cause and effect, and the
+"necessary regularity of things," yet seeking an explanation of the
+natural phenomena, described them in the only way possible to him, and
+attributed to all inanimate objects his own sentiments and passions,
+fancying them influenced by the same things, in the same way. This
+tendency to personify or animate everything is universal among
+savages, who are nothing but men in the primitive state; and "in early
+philosophy throughout the world, the sun, moon, and stars are alive,
+and, as it were, human in their nature." "Poetry has so far kept alive
+in our minds the old animative theory of nature, that it is no great
+effort in us to fancy the waterspout a huge giant or a sea monster,
+and to depict, in what we call appropriate metaphor, its march across
+the field of ocean."
+
+As the names of the Greek gods and heroes have in a great measure been
+found to correspond with the Sanskrit names of physical things, we
+have been able to read some of the first thoughts of primitive man;
+and "the obvious meaning" of many words "did much to preserve vestiges
+of plain sense in classic legend, in spite of all the efforts of the
+commentators."
+
+According to the philologists, therefore, these thoughts had already
+assumed a definite form in the remote epoch when many nations, now
+scattered over the face of the earth, occupied the same country, spoke
+the same language, and formed but one people. Of course, "as long as
+such beings as Heaven or Sun are consciously talked of in mythic
+language, the meaning of their legends is open to no question, and the
+action ascribed to them will as a rule be natural and appropriate;"
+but with the gradual diffusion of this one people to various parts of
+the earth, the original meaning of these words was entirely lost, and
+they came to be looked upon eventually simply as the names of deities
+or heroes--very much in the way that the word "good-by" has long
+survived its original form as a conscious prayer, "God be with you!"
+and the word "ostracism" has lost all connection with an oyster shell.
+
+The primitive meaning of a myth died away with the original meaning of
+a word; and it is because "the Greek had forgotten that Zeus (Jupiter)
+meant 'the bright sky,' that he could make him king" over a company of
+manlike deities on Olympus.
+
+We can best explain how the many anomalies occur, and how the myths
+got so tangled up together that now it is almost impossible to
+disentangle them and trace them back to their original meanings, by
+comparing their descent through the ages to the course of a snowball,
+which, rolling down a mountain side, gathers to itself snow, earth,
+rocks, etc., until, in the vast agglomeration of kindred and foreign
+substances, the original nucleus is entirely lost to sight.
+
+The fact that there are many different myths to explain the same
+phenomenon can readily be accounted for by the old saying,
+"circumstances alter cases." Thus the heat of the sun, for example, so
+beneficial at certain times, may prove baleful and injurious at
+others.
+
+The philologists, who believe that all myths (except the imitative
+myths, of which the tale of Berenice is a fair example) were
+originally nature myths, have divided them into a few large classes,
+which include the myths of the sky, the sun, dawn, daylight, night,
+moon, earth, sea, clouds, fire, wind, and finally those of the
+underworld and of the demons of drought and darkness.
+
+
+SKY MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Uranus.]
+
+Taking them in the order in which they are presented in this work, we
+find among the myths of the sky, Uranus, whose name, like that of the
+old Hindoo god Varuna, is derived from the Sanskrit root _var_ ("to
+veil, conceal, or cover"). This god was therefore a personification of
+the heavens, which are spread out like a veil, and cover all the
+earth; and we are further told that he hurled the thunder and
+lightning, his Cyclop children, down from his abode into the abyss
+called Tartarus.
+
+[Sidenote: Jupiter.]
+
+Zeus (or Jupiter), whose name is the same as the Hindoo Dyaus Pitar,
+the god and personification of the bright sky or the heavens, has
+likewise been traced to the Sanskrit root _div_ or _dyu_, meaning "to
+shine;" and there is also a noun _dyu_ in that language which means
+either "sky" or "day." In early times the name was applied to the one
+God, and was therefore "retained by the Greeks and all other kindred
+people to express all they felt toward God;" but as the word also
+meant the visible sky, with its ever-changing aspect, some of the
+phrases used to describe it came, in the course of time, to denote
+vile and fickle actions, and apparently inconsistent behavior.
+
+[Sidenote: Juno.]
+
+The name of Hera (or Juno), the heavenly light, and therefore the
+complement and consort of the sky, is supposed to be derived from the
+Sanskrit _soar_ ("the bright sky") and _surya_ ("the sun"); and all
+the manifold changes which at first merely denoted the varying
+atmosphere, by being personified, gradually gave the impression of the
+jealous, capricious, vengeful person whom poets and writers have taken
+pleasure in depicting ever since.
+
+[Sidenote: Argus.]
+
+Another personification of the sky, this time under the nocturnal and
+starry aspect, is Argus, whose many bright eyes never closed all at
+once, but kept constant watch over the moon (Io)--confided to his care
+by the heavenly light (Juno)--until at last their beams were quenched
+by the wind and rain (Mercury).
+
+
+SUN AND DAWN MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Europa.]
+
+The myths of the sun, from which it is almost impossible to separate
+those of the dawn, are probably more numerous than any others, and
+have some main features of resemblance in all cases. The first sun
+myth mentioned in the course of this work is the story of Europa, in
+which Europa is "the broad spreading light," born in Phoenicia (the
+"purple land of morn"), the child of Telephassa ("she who shines from
+afar"), carried away from her eastern birthplace by the sky (Jupiter),
+closely pursued by the sun (her brother Cadmus), who, after passing
+through many lands, slays a dragon (the usual demon of drought or
+darkness), and sets (dies) at last without having ever overtaken the
+light of dawn (Europa).
+
+[Sidenote: Apollo.]
+
+Apollo, whose name of Helios is pure Greek for "the sun," had
+therefore not lost all physical significance for the Hellenic race,
+who worshiped in him the radiant personification of the orb of day.
+Another of his appellations, Phoebus ("the lord of life and light"),
+still further emphasizes his character; and we are informed that he
+was born of the sky (Jupiter) and of the dark night (Leto), in the
+"bright land" (Delos), whence he daily starts on his westward journey.
+
+Like all other solar heroes, Apollo is beautiful and golden-haired,
+radiant and genial, armed with unerring weapons, which he wields for
+good or evil, as the mood sways him. He is forced to labor, against
+his will at times, for the benefit of man, as, for instance, when he
+serves Admetus and Laomedon; and the cattle, by which he evidently
+sets such store, are the fleecy clouds, pasturing "in the infinite
+meadows of heaven," whose full udders drop down rain and fatness upon
+the land, which are stolen away either by the wind (Mercury), or the
+storm demon (Cacus), or the impious companions of Ulysses, who pay for
+their sacrilegious temerity with their lives.
+
+[Sidenote: Coronis.]
+
+The sun's affinity for the dawn is depicted by his love for Coronis,
+who, however beloved, falls beneath his bright darts; and, as "the
+sun was regarded naturally as the restorer of life" after the
+blighting influence of winter and disease, so their offspring
+(AEsculapius) was naturally supposed to have been endowed with
+marvelous curative powers.
+
+The sun, for the same reason, was supposed to wage continual warfare
+against cold, sickness, and disease, and to use his bright beams or
+arrows against the demon of drought, darkness, or illness (Python),
+which in some form or other inevitably appears in every solar myth.
+
+[Sidenote: Daphne.]
+
+In the story of Daphne, a name derived from _Dahana_, the Sanskrit
+_dawn_, we find another version of the same story, where the sun,
+although enamored with the dawn, causes her death. As some
+mythologists have interpreted it, Daphne is a personification of the
+morning dew, which vanishes beneath the sun's hot breath, and leaves
+no trace of its passage except in the luxuriant verdure.
+
+[Sidenote: Cephalus and Procris.]
+
+In Cephalus and Procris the sun again appears, and his unerring spear
+unwittingly causes the death of his beloved Procris "while she lingers
+in a thicket (a place where the dew lingers longest)." This
+interpretation has been further confirmed by philological researches,
+which prove that the name "Procris" originated from a Sanskrit word
+meaning "to sprinkle;" and the stories evidently arose from three
+simple phrases,--"'the sun loves the dew,' 'the morning loves the
+sun,' and 'the sun kills the dew.'"
+
+[Sidenote: Orpheus and Eurydice.]
+
+In the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, while some mythologists see in
+him a personification of the winds, which "tear up trees as they
+course along, chanting their wild music," others see an emblem of "the
+morning, with its short-lived beauty." Eurydice, whose name, like that
+of Europa, comes from a Sanskrit word denoting "the broad spreading
+flush of the dawn across the sky," is, of course, a personification of
+that light, slain by "the serpent of darkness at twilight."
+
+Orpheus is also sometimes considered as the sun, plunging into an
+abyss of darkness, in hopes of overtaking the vanishing dawn,
+Eurydice; and as the light (Eurydice) reappears opposite the place
+where he disappeared, but is no more seen after the sun himself has
+fairly risen, "they say that Orpheus has turned around too soon to
+look at her, and so was parted from the wife he loved so dearly."
+
+His death in the forest, when his strength had all forsaken him, and
+his severed head floated down the stream murmuring "Eurydice," may
+also, perchance, have been intended to represent either the last faint
+breath of the expiring wind, or the setting of the sun in blood-tinged
+clouds.
+
+[Sidenote: Phaeton.]
+
+In the story of Phaeton, whose name means "the bright and shining
+one," a description of the golden palace and car of the sun is given
+us. We are told that the venturesome young charioteer, by usurping his
+father's place, causes incalculable mischief, and, in punishment for
+his mismanagement of the solar steeds (the fleecy white clouds), is
+hurled from his exalted seat by a thunderbolt launched by the hand of
+Jupiter.
+
+"This story arose from phrases which spoke of drought as caused by the
+chariot of Helios, when driven by some one who knew not how to guide
+his horses; and the smiting of Phaeton by the bolt of Zeus is the
+ending of the time of drought by a sudden storm of thunder."
+
+[Sidenote: Endymion.]
+
+The story of Diana and Endymion has also been interpreted as a sun
+myth, in which the name "Endymion" refers specially to the dying or
+setting sun, who sinks to rest on Mount Latmus ("the land of
+forgetfulness," derived from the same root as "Leto"). Mueller, the
+great authority in philology, tells us, that, in the ancient poetical
+and proverbial language of Elis, people said, "Selene loves and
+watches Endymion," instead of saying, "It is getting late;" "Selene
+embraces Endymion," instead of, "The sun is setting and the moon is
+rising;" "Selene kisses Endymion into sleep," instead of, "It is
+night."
+
+These expressions remained long after their real meaning had ceased
+to be understood; and, as the human mind is generally as anxious for a
+reason as ready to invent one, a story arose without any conscious
+effort, that Endymion must have been a young lad loved by a young
+maiden, Selene.
+
+[Sidenote: Adonis.]
+
+In the story of Adonis some mythologists find another sun myth, in
+which Adonis, the short-lived sun, is slain by the boar, the demon of
+darkness, and passionately mourned by the dawn or twilight (Venus),
+who utterly refuses to exist without him.
+
+[Sidenote: Tantalus.]
+
+In the story of Tantalus (the sun), who in time of drought offers to
+Jupiter the flesh of his own offspring, Pelops (the withered fruits),
+and in punishment for his impiety is doomed to hunger and torturing
+thirst, we have again merely a story founded upon an expression used
+in time of drought, when the sun's heat, becoming too intense, burns
+up the fruit his fostering rays had produced, and men exclaimed,
+"Tantalus is slaying and roasting his own child!"
+
+[Sidenote: Sisyphus.]
+
+In the same way the stone which Sisyphus painfully forced up a steep
+ascent, only to see it go rolling down and plunge into a dark abyss
+enveloped in a great cloud of dust, has been interpreted to represent
+the sun, which is no "sooner pushed up to the zenith, than it rolls
+down to the horizon."
+
+[Sidenote: Ixion.]
+
+The name of Ixion has been identified with the Sanskrit word
+_Akshanah_, denoting one who is bound to a wheel, and has been proved
+akin "to the Greek _axon_, the Latin _axis_, and the English _axle_."
+This whirling wheel of fire is the bright orb of day, to which he was
+bound by order of Jupiter (the sky) because he dared insult Juno (the
+queen of the blue air); while Dia, his wife, is the dawn, the
+counterpart of Europa, Coronis, Daphne, Procris, Eurydice, and Venus,
+in the foregoing illustrations.
+
+[Sidenote: Hercules.]
+
+One of the greatest of all the solar heroes is doubtless the demigod
+Hercules, born at Argos (a word signifying "brightness") from the sky
+(Jupiter) and the dawn (Alcmene), who, in early infancy, throttles
+the serpents of darkness, and who, with untiring strength and
+patience, plods through life, never resting, and always on his journey
+performing twelve great tasks, interpreted to represent either the
+twelve signs of the Zodiac, or the twelve months of the solar year, or
+the twelve hours of daylight.
+
+[Sidenote: Iole.]
+
+Like Apollo and Cadmus, Hercules is forced to labor for mankind
+against his will. We see him early in life united to Megara, and, like
+Tantalus, slaying his own offspring in a sudden fit of madness. He
+loves and is soon forced to leave Iole, the violet-colored clouds. He
+performs great deeds, slays innumerable demons of drought and darkness
+on his way, and visits the enchanted land of the Hesperides,--a symbol
+of the western sky and clouds at sunset.
+
+[Sidenote: Deianeira.]
+
+The main part of his life is spent with Deianeira ("the destroying
+spouse"), a personification of the daylight; but toward the end of his
+career he again encounters Iole, now the beautiful twilight. It is
+then that Deianeira (the daylight), jealous of her rival's charms,
+sends him the bloody Nessus robe, which he has no sooner donned, than
+he tears it from his bleeding limbs, ascends the burning pile, and
+ends his career in one grand blaze,--the emblem of the sun setting in
+a framework of flaming crimson clouds.
+
+Like all solar heroes, he too has unerring poisoned weapons ("the word
+_ios_, 'a spear,' is the same in sound as the word _ios_, 'poison'"),
+of which he is shorn only at death.
+
+[Sidenote: Perseus.]
+
+Perseus also belongs to this category of myths. Danae, his mother,
+either the earth (_dano_ means "burnt earth") or the dawn, a daughter
+of Acrisius (darkness), is born in Argos (brightness). Loved by
+Jupiter, the all-embracing sky, she gives birth to the golden-haired
+Perseus, a personification of the radiant orb of day; and he, like
+many another solar hero, is cast adrift immediately after his birth,
+owing to an ominous prophecy that he will slay the darkness from which
+he originally sprang.
+
+As soon as Perseus attains manhood, he is forced to journey against
+his will into the distant land of the mists (the Graeae), and conquer
+the terrible Medusa, "the starlit night, solemn in its beauty, but
+doomed to die when the sun rises." He accomplishes this by means of
+his irresistible sword, the piercing rays of the sun, and then passes
+on to encounter the monster of drought, and to marry Andromeda,
+another personification of the dawn, the offspring of Celeus and
+Cassiopeia, who also represent night and darkness.
+
+In company with Andromeda, Perseus, whose name also signifies "the
+destroyer," revisits his native land, and fulfills the prophecy by
+slaying Acrisius (the darkness), whence he originally sprang.
+
+[Sidenote: Theseus.]
+
+In the Athenian solar myth, Theseus is the sun, born of AEgeus (the
+sea, derived from _aisso_, "to move quickly like the waves") and AEthra
+(the pure air). He lingers in his birthplace, Troezene, until he has
+acquired strength enough to wield his invincible sword, then journeys
+onward in search of his father, performing countless great deeds for
+the benefit of mankind. He slays the Minotaur, the terrible monster of
+darkness, and carries off the dawn (Ariadne); whom he is, however,
+forced to abandon shortly after on the Island of Naxos.
+
+In his subsequent career we find him the involuntary cause of his
+father's death, then warring against the Centaurs (personifications of
+the clouds, through which the victorious sun is sometimes forced to
+fight his way), then again plunging for a short space of time into the
+depths of Tartarus, whence he emerges once more; and finally we see
+him uniting his fate to Phaedra (the twilight), a sister of the
+beautiful dawn he loved in his youth. He ends his eventful career by
+being hurled headlong from a cliff into the sea,--an emblem of the
+sun, which often seems to plunge into the waves at eventide.
+
+[Sidenote: Argonauts.]
+
+In the story of the Argonautic expedition we have Athamas, who marries
+Nephele (the mist). Their children are Phryxus and Helle (the cold and
+warm air, or personifications of the clouds), carried off to the far
+east by the ram--whose golden fleece was but an emblem of the rays of
+the sun--to enable them to escape from the baleful influence of their
+stepmother Ino (the broad daylight), who would fain encompass their
+destruction.
+
+[Sidenote: Medea.]
+
+Helle, an emblem of the condensation of vapor, falls from her exalted
+seat into the sea, where she is lost. The ship Argo "is a symbol of
+the earth as a parent, which contains in itself the germs of all
+living things." Its crew is composed mainly of solar heroes, all in
+quest of the golden fleece (the rays of the sun), which Jason recovers
+by the aid of Medea (the dawn), after slaying the dragon (the demon of
+drought). AEetes, Medea's father, is a personification of the darkness,
+which vainly attempts to recover his children, the dawn and light (?),
+after they have been borne away by the all-conquering sun.
+
+[Sidenote: Glauce.]
+
+Glauce (the broad daylight) next charms Jason; and the poisoned robe
+which causes her death is woven by Medea, now the evening twilight,
+who mounts her dragon car and flies to the far east, forsaking her
+husband (the sun) in his old age, when he is about to sink into the
+sleep of death.
+
+[Sidenote: Meleager.]
+
+Meleager is also a solar hero. After joining the Argonautic
+expedition, and wandering far and wide, he returns home, slays the
+boar (or drought fiend), loves, but parts from, Atalanta (the dawn
+maiden), and is finally slain by his own mother, who casts into the
+flames the brand upon which his existence depends.
+
+[Sidenote: Oedipus.]
+
+In the Theban solar myth, Laius (derived from the same root as "Leto"
+and "Latmus") is the emblem of darkness, who, after marrying Jocasta
+(like Iole, a personification of the violet-tinted clouds of dawn),
+becomes the father of Oedipus, doomed by fate to be the murderer of
+his father. Early in life Oedipus is exposed on the barren hillside to
+perish,--an emblem of the horizontal rays of the rising sun, which
+seem to lie for a while upon the mountain slopes, ere they rise to
+begin their journey.
+
+He too, like Cadmus, Apollo, Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, and Jason, is
+forced to wander far from home, and, after a prolonged journey,
+encounters and slays Laius (the darkness), from whom he derived his
+existence, and kills the dread monster of drought, the Sphinx, whose
+very name means "one who binds fast,"--a creature who had imprisoned
+the rain in the clouds, and thus caused great distress.
+
+Urged on by unrelenting fate, he marries his own mother, Jocasta, now
+the violet-tinted twilight, and ends his life amid lightning flashes
+and rolls of thunder, after being accompanied to the end of his course
+by Antigone ("the pale light which springs up opposite the sun at his
+setting"). This story--which at first was merely intended to signify
+that the sun (Oedipus) must slay the darkness (Laius) and linger for a
+while beside the violet-colored clouds (Jocasta)--having lost its
+physical meaning, the Thebans added the tragic sequel, for it seemed
+but poetic justice that the author of such crimes should receive
+signal punishment.
+
+[Sidenote: Eumenides.]
+
+As the Eumenides, or Erinnyes, were at first merely the searching
+light of day, from which nothing can be hidden, they came gradually to
+be considered the detectives and avengers of crime, and were therefore
+said to take possession of a criminal at the end of his course, and
+hurry him down into darkness to inflict horrible torments upon him.
+
+[Sidenote: Bellerophon.]
+
+In the story of Bellerophon, although the name originally came from
+_Bellero_ (some "power of darkness, drought, winter, or moral evil")
+and from _phon_ or _phontes_ (a word derived from the Sanskrit
+_han-ta_, "the killer"), the Greeks, having forgotten the
+signification of the first part of the word, declared this hero was
+the murderer of Bellero, his brother, for which involuntary crime he
+was driven from home, and forced to wander about in search of shelter.
+
+We find this hero, although enticed by Anteia (the dawn), virtuously
+hastening away, then sent against his will to fight the Chimaera (the
+monster of drought), whom he overcomes, thanks to his weapon and to
+Pegasus (the clouds), born from the mist of the sea, beneath whose
+hoofs fresh fountains were wont to spring.
+
+Bellerophon, after many journeys, is finally united to Philonoe, a
+personification of the twilight, and ends his career by being hurled
+from the zenith into utter darkness by one of Jupiter's deadly
+thunderbolts.
+
+"The fall of Bellerophon is the rapid descent of the sun toward
+evening, and the Alein plain is that broad expanse of somber light
+through which the sun sometimes seems to travel sullenly and alone to
+his setting."
+
+[Sidenote: Trojan war.]
+
+In the story of the Trojan war there are several sun myths; for Paris,
+Menelaus, Agamemnon, and Achilles have equal claims to be considered
+personifications of the sun. They love Oenone, Helen, Clytaemnestra,
+Briseis, various impersonations of the dawn, and forsake, or are
+forsaken by, their ladyloves, whom they meet again at the end of their
+career: for Paris sees Oenone, and expires with her on the burning
+pile; Menelaus recovers Helen, with whom he vanishes in the far west;
+Agamemnon rejoins Clytaemnestra, and dies by her hand in a bloody bath;
+while Achilles, after a period of sullen gloom, meets with an untimely
+death shortly after recovering the beautiful Briseis.
+
+Like Perseus and Oedipus, Paris is exposed in early infancy, and lives
+to fulfill his destiny, and cause, though indirectly, the death of his
+parents.
+
+In this myth, Helen (the beautiful dawn or twilight), whose name
+corresponds phonetically with the Sanskrit _Sarama_, born of the sky
+(Jupiter) and of the night (Leda, derived from the same root as
+"Leto," "Latmus," and "Laius"), is carried away by Paris, whom some
+mythologists identify with the Hindoo _Panis_ (or "night demons")
+instead of the sun. In this character he entices away the fickle
+twilight (Helen) during her husband's temporary absence, and bears her
+off to the far east, where, after struggling for a while to retain
+possession of her and her treasures, he is finally forced to
+relinquish her, and she returns to her husband and her allegiance.
+
+The siege of Troy has thus been interpreted to signify "a repetition
+of the daily siege of the east by the solar powers, that every evening
+are robbed of their brightest treasures in the west."
+
+Achilles, like several of his brother heroes, "fights in no quarrel of
+his own; his wrath is the sun hiding his face behind the clouds; the
+Myrmidons are his attendant beams, who no longer appear when the sun
+is hidden; Patroclus is the feeble reflection of the sun's splendor,
+and stands to him in precisely the same relation as Phaeton to
+Helios," and, like him, meets with an early death.
+
+[Sidenote: Ulysses.]
+
+In the story of Ulysses we find a reproduction of the story of
+Hercules and Perseus: for Ulysses, early in life, after wedding
+Penelope, is forced to leave her to fight for another; and on his
+return, although longing to rejoin his morning bride, he cannot turn
+aside from the course marked out for him. He is detained by Circe (the
+moon), who weaves airy tissues, and by Calypso (the nymph of
+darkness); but neither can keep him forever, and he returns home
+enveloped in an impenetrable disguise, after having visited the
+Phaeacian land (the land of clouds or mists). It is only after he has
+slain the suitors of Penelope (the weaver of bright evening clouds)
+that he casts aside his beggar's garb to linger for a short time
+beside her ere he vanishes in the west.
+
+[Sidenote: Minerva.]
+
+The greater part of the dawn myths have been explained simultaneously
+with the sun myths, with which they are inextricably interwoven. One
+personification of the dawn, however, stands apart. It is Minerva,
+whose Greek name, Athene, is derived, like Daphne, from the Sanskrit
+_Dahana_, or _ahana_ (meaning "the light of daybreak"), and we are
+thus enabled to understand why the Greeks described her as sprung from
+the forehead of Zeus (the heavens). She gradually became the
+impersonation of the illuminating and knowledge-giving light of the
+sky; for in Sanskrit the same word also means "to wake" and "to know,"
+while the Latins connected her name of Minerva with _mens_, the same
+as the Greek _menos_ and the English _mind_.
+
+
+MOON MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Diana, Io, and Circe.]
+
+In the moon myths the most important personification is first Diana,
+the horned huntress, "for to the ancients the moon was not a lifeless
+ball of stones and clods." Diana, like Apollo, her twin brother, was
+also a child of the sky (Jupiter) and of night (Latona), and, like
+him, was born in the "bright land" (Delos). She also possessed bright
+and unerring arrows, and in the course of her nightly journey she
+looked lovingly down upon the sleeping face of the setting sun
+(Endymion).
+
+Io and Circe, already mentioned, are also personifications of the
+moon, and Io's wanderings represent its journeys across the sky.
+
+
+EARTH MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Gaea and Rhea.]
+
+In the earth myths, beside those already mentioned in connection with
+the sun myths, we have Gaea and Rhea, the mothers and consorts of the
+Sky and of Time, who swallows his own children, "the Days, as they
+come each in order."
+
+[Sidenote: Ceres and Proserpina.]
+
+We have also Ceres or Demeter, "the mother of all things," and more
+particularly of "the maiden" Cora (or Proserpina), whose loss she
+grievously mourned; for she had been carried away by Pluto to the
+underworld, whence she could only emerge at the command of Jupiter.
+During the time of Ceres' mourning, the earth remained barren, and it
+seemed as though all mortal things must die. But when Proserpina (the
+spring or vegetation) returned from her sojourn under the ground,
+people said "that the daughter of the earth was returning in all her
+beauty; and when summer faded into winter, they said that the
+beautiful child had been stolen away from her mother by dark beings,
+who kept her imprisoned beneath the earth." The sorrow of Ceres was
+therefore merely a poetical way of expressing "the gloom which falls
+on the earth during the cheerless months of winter."
+
+[Sidenote: Danae and Semele.]
+
+Danae, as a personification of the earth, was quickened by the golden
+shower, the light of the morning, which streamed in upon the darkness
+of the night. Semele has also been interpreted as the earth, the
+chosen bride of the sky, who brings forth her offspring in the midst
+of the thunder and lightning of a summer storm.
+
+
+SEA MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Oceanus and Neptune.]
+
+The myths of the sea comprise, of course, Oceanus and Neptune (the
+earth-shaker), whose name is connected with such words as "potent" and
+"despot," and whose "green hair circles all the earth." We are further
+informed that he loves the earth (Ceres), whom he embraces, and that
+he marries the graceful undulating Amphitrite, whose gliding charms
+appeal to him. Neptune's palace is beneath the deep waters near
+Greece, and he is said to ride about his realm in a swift chariot
+drawn by golden or white maned steeds.
+
+[Sidenote: Nereus.]
+
+Nereus, another personification of the sea, whose name is derived from
+_nao_ ("to flow"), is quite inseparable from his native element, even
+in the Greeks' conception of him, as are also the Tritons, Oceanides,
+Nereides, and the alluring Sirens; who, however, have also been viewed
+as personifications of the winds.
+
+
+CLOUD MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Charon.]
+
+The cloud myths, to which frequent allusion has already been made,
+comprise not only the cattle of the sun, the Centaurs, Nephele,
+Phryxus, Helle, and Pegasus, but as, "in primitive Aryan lore, the sky
+itself was a blue sea, and the clouds were ships sailing over it," so
+Charon's boat was supposed to be one of these vessels, and the gilded
+shallop in which the sun daily made his pilgrimage back to the far
+east, another.
+
+[Sidenote: Niobe.]
+
+As the ancient Aryan had the same word to denote cloud and mountain
+("for the piles of vapor on the horizon were so like Alpine ranges"),
+the cloud and mountain myths are often the same. In the story of Niobe
+we have one of the cloud myths. According to some mythologists, Niobe
+herself is a personification of the clouds. Her many children, the
+mists, are fully as beautiful as Apollo and Diana, by whose bright
+darts they are ruthlessly slain. Niobe grieves so sorely at their
+untimely death, that she dissolves in a rain of tears, which turns
+into hard ice on the mountain summit. According to other authorities,
+she was a personification of winter, and her tears represented the
+thaw occasioned by the sunbeams (Apollo's arrows).
+
+
+FIRE MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Cyclopes.]
+
+The fire myths also form quite a large class, and comprise the
+Cyclopes (the thunder and lightning), children of Heaven and Earth,
+whose single blazing eye has been considered an emblem of the sun.
+They forge the terrible thunderbolts, the weapons of the sky
+(Jupiter), by means of which he is enabled to triumph over all his
+enemies, and rule supreme.
+
+[Sidenote: Titans.]
+
+The Titans are emblems of the subterranean fires and the volcanic
+forces of nature, which, hidden deep underground, occasionally emerge,
+heave up great masses of rock, and hurl them about with an
+accompaniment of deafening roars, while their ponderous tread causes
+the very earth beneath them to tremble.
+
+[Sidenote: Prometheus.]
+
+In this group we also find Prometheus, whose name has been traced to
+the Sanskrit _pramantha_ (or "fire drill"). Learned men have therefore
+proved that the "beneficent Titan, who stole fire from heaven and
+bestowed it upon mankind as the richest of boons," was originally
+nothing but the lightning ("the celestial drill which churns fire out
+of the clouds"); but the Greeks had so entirely forgotten this
+etymological meaning, that they interpreted his name as the
+"fore-thinker," and considered him endowed with extraordinary
+prophetic powers.
+
+[Sidenote: Vulcan.]
+
+Vulcan (or Hephaestus), strictly "the brightness of the flame," another
+fire hero, is represented as very puny at birth, because the flame
+comes from a tiny spark. His name is derived from the Hindoo _agni_,
+whence come the Latin _ignis_ and the English verb _to ignite_. Vulcan
+dwells by preference in the heart of volcanoes, where the intense heat
+keeps the metals in fusion, and so malleable that he can mold them at
+will; and, as "the association of the heavenly fire with the
+life-giving forces of nature is very common," the Hindoo Agni was
+considered the patron of marriage as well as of fire; and the Greeks,
+to carry out this idea, united their fire god, Hephaestus, to the
+goddess of marriage, Aphrodite.
+
+[Sidenote: Vesta.]
+
+The Greek Hestia (or Latin Vesta) was also a personification of fire;
+and, her name having retained its primitive meaning to a great extent,
+"she continued to the end, as she had been from the beginning, the
+household altar, the sanctuary of peace and equity, and the source of
+all happiness and wealth." Her office was not limited merely to the
+hearths of households and cities, for it was supposed "that in the
+center of the earth there was a hearth which answered to the hearth
+placed in the center of the universe."
+
+
+WIND MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Mercury.]
+
+In the myths of the wind, Mercury (or Hermes) was one of the principal
+personifications. According to the ancients, he was born of the sky
+(Jupiter) and the plains (Maia), and after a very few hours' existence
+assumed gigantic proportions, stole away the cattle of the sun (the
+clouds), and, after fanning up a great fire in which he consumed some
+of the herd, glided back into his cradle at dawn. With a low, mocking
+chuckle at the recollection of the pranks he had played, he sank
+finally into rest. His name, derived from the Sanskrit _Sarameias_,
+means "the breeze of a summer morning;" and it is in his capacity of
+god of the wind that he is supposed to waft away the souls of the
+dead; for "the ancients held that in the wind were the souls of the
+dead." Mercury is the "lying, tricksome wind god who invented music,"
+for his music is but "the melody of the winds, which can awaken
+feelings of joy and sorrow, of regret and yearning, of fear and hope,
+of vehement gladness and utter despair."
+
+[Sidenote: Mars.]
+
+Another personification of the wind was Mars (or Ares), born of the
+sky (Jupiter) and of the heavenly light (Juno) in the bleak land of
+Thrace, rejoicing in din and in the noise of warfare. His nature is
+further revealed by his inconstancy and capriciousness; and whenever
+he is overcome, he is noted for his great roar. His name comes from
+the same root as Maruts, the Indian god, and means the "grinder" or
+"crusher." It was first applied "to the storms which throw heaven and
+earth into confusion, and hence the idea of Ares is confined to mere
+disorder and tumult."
+
+[Sidenote: Otus and Ephialtes.]
+
+Otus and Ephialtes, the gigantic sons of Neptune, were also at first
+merely personifications of the wind and hurricanes. The name of the
+latter indicates "one who leaps." Although very short-lived, these
+giants were supposed to increase rapidly in size, and assume colossal
+proportions, which inspired the hearts of men and gods with terror,
+until they saw them finally slain by the unfailing arrows of the sun.
+
+[Sidenote: Pan, AEolus, and the Harpies.]
+
+Pan, AEolus, his numerous progeny, and the Harpies, were also wind
+divinities who never entirely lost their original character with the
+Greeks, and were therefore worshiped merely as personifications of the
+elements.
+
+
+UNDERWORLD MYTHS.
+
+[Sidenote: Cerberus and Pluto.]
+
+The myths of drought, darkness, and of the underworld have
+sufficiently been dwelt upon as personified by Python, the Hydra,
+Geryones, the Gorgons, Graeae, Minotaur, Sphinx, Chimaera, etc.; but
+their main personifications were Cerberus (the grim three-headed
+guardian of the nether world) and Pluto (or Aides), whose name means
+"the wealth-giver," or "the unseen," who greedily drew all things down
+into his realm, never to relinquish his grasp upon them.
+
+Such is the physical explanation of the various poetical myths which
+form the staple of classic literature, and which have been a fount of
+inspiration for poets and artists of all ages.
+
+
+
+
+GENEALOGICAL TABLE.
+
+
+Note.--Double vertical lines indicate that several generations intervene.
+
+ Chaos-_Nyx_
+ |
+ +-Erebus-_Nyx_
+ |
+ +-_Hemera_-
+ +-AEther
+ | |
+ | +-_Gaea_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Uranus-_Gaea_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Oceanus-
+ | | +-_Thetis_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Achelous-_Calliope_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Sirens_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Alpheus-_Arethusa_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Peneus-_Gaea_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Daphne_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Inachus
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Io_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Proteus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Doris_-Nereus
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Amphitrite_-Neptune
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Triton
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Dione_-Jupiter
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Venus_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Arethusa_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Galatea_-Acis
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Peleus-_Thetis_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | Jupiter-_Antiope_-Lycus-_Dirce_
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Zethus Tantalus
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Amphion-_Niobe_-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | Pelops-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | Atreus-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | Tyndareus-_Leda_-Jupiter |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-_Helen_ |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Castor |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Pollux |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-_Clytaemnestra_-Agamemnon-+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | _Iphigenia_-+ |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | Pylades-_Electra_+ |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | Orestes-+ |
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Achilles _Helen_-Menelaus-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Pyrrhus-_Hermione_-+
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Clymene_-Apollo
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Heliades_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Phaeton
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Metis_-Jupiter
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Minerva_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Clymene_-Iapetus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_AEthra_-Atlas
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Pleiades_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Maia_-Jupiter
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Mercury-_Penelope_-Ulysses
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Pan +-Telemachus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Calypso_-Ulysses
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Clytie_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Electra_-Jupiter
+ | | | |
+ | | | | Teucer
+ | | | | |
+ | | | +-Dardanus-_Batea_-+
+ | | | ||
+ | | | +-Laomedon
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Priam-_Hecuba_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Hector-_Andromache_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Paris-_Helen_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Cassandra_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Polites
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Polyxena_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Deiphobus-_Helen_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Hesione_-Telamon
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Ajax
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Tithonus-_Aurora_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Themis_-Capys
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Anchises-_Venus_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-AEneas-_Creusa_
+ | | | & |
+ | | | -_Lavinia_ +-Iulus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-AEneas Silvia
+ | | | ||
+ | | | +-Numitor
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Ilia_-Mars
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Remus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Romulus
+ | | |
+ | | +-Coeus-
+ | | +-_Phoebe_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Latona_-Jupiter Mars
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | _Dia_-Ixion-+
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | Centaurs-+ |
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | _Hippodamia_-Pirithous-+ |
+ | | | | |
+ | | | +-Apollo- & -_Coronis_--------+
+ | | | +-_Diana_ |
+ | | | +-AEsculapius
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Machaon
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Hygeia_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Iapetus-_Clymene_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Menetius
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Atlas
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Hesperus
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Hesperides_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Epimetheus-_Pandora_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Pyrrha_-Deucalion
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Hellen Sol
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | +-AEolus _Pasiphae_-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Salmoneus _Circe_-+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-_Tyro_-Neptune AEetes-+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-AEson Absyrtus-+
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | +-Jason-_Medea_-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Pelias
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Neleus
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Nestor
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Sisyphus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Glaucus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Bellerophon-_Philonoe_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Dorus
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Xuthus
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Ion
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Achaeus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Prometheus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Deucalion-_Pyrrha_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Hyperion-_Gaea_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Aurora_-AEolus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Boreas-_Orithyia_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Zetus
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Calais
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Cleopatra_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Chione_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Corus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Eurus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Notus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Aquilo
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Zephyrus-_Flora_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Crius
+ | | |
+ | | +-_Themis_-Jupiter
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Parcae_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Horae_
+ | | |
+ | | +-_Ilia_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Cronus-
+ | | +-_Rhea_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Vesta_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Juno_-
+ | | | +-Jupiter
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Mars-_Venus_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Anteros
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Cupid-_Psyche_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | Jupiter-_Io_
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Epaphus
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-_Libya_-Neptune
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | _Telephassa_- |
+ | | | | | | Agenor-+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | +-Belus
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | +-Pygmalion
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | +-_Dido_-Sychaeus
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | +-Danaus
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | +-_Danaides_-50 Sons
+ | | | | | | | | ||
+ | | | | | | | | +-Acrisius
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | +-_Danae_-Jupiter
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | Celeus- |
+ | | | | | | | | _Cassiopeia_ |
+ | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | _Andromeda_-+ |
+ | | | | | | | | -Perseus----+
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | +-Alcaeus
+ | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | +-Amphitryon-_Alcmene_
+ | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | +-Iphicles
+ | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | +-Iolaus
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | +-Electryon
+ | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | +-_Alcmene_-Jupiter
+ | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | | Oeneus-_Althaea_
+ | | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | | Meleager-+
+ | | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | | _Deianeira_- -+
+ | | | | | | | | | +-Hercules
+ | | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | | +-Hyllus-_Iole_
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | +-Sthenelus
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | +-Eurystheus
+ | | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | | +-_Admete_
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | +-AEgyptus
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | +-50 Sons
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Harmonia_ |
+ | | | | | | -Cadmus-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Cilix
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Phoenix
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-_Europa_-Jupiter
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Sarpedon
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Rhadamanthus
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Minos
+ | | | | | | ||
+ | | | | | | +-Minos-_Pasiphae_
+ | | | | | | AEgeus-_AEthra_ |
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | _Hippolyte_ |
+ | | | | | | | & |
+ | | | | | | +----Theseus-_Phaedra_-+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Hippolytus |
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-_Ariadne_-Bacchus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Ino_-Athamas-_Nephele_
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | Phryxus-+
+ | | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | | _Helle_-+
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Palaemon
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Learchus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Autonoe_-Aristaeus
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Actaeon
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Agave_
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Pentheus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Semele_-Jupiter
+ | | | | | | |
+ | | | | | | +-Bacchus-_Ariadne_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Polydorus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Labdacus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Laius-_Jocasta_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Oedipus-_Jocasta_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Eteocles
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Polynices
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Antigone_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-_Ismene_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Vulcan-_Medusa_
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Cacus
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Periphetes
+ | | | | | |
+ | | | | | +-Cercyon
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Hebe_-Hercules
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Neptune-_Amphitrite_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Triton
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Ceres_-Jupiter
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-_Proserpina_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Pluto-_Proserpina_
+ | | |
+ | | +-_Mnemosyne_-Jupiter
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Clio_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Hymen
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Calliope_
+ | | | | |
+ | | | | +-Orpheus-_Eurydice_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Thalia_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Euterpe_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Urania_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Melpomene_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Terpsichore_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Polyhymnia_
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Erato_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Brontes
+ | | |
+ | | +-Steropes
+ | | |
+ | | +-Arges
+ | | |
+ | | +-Briareus
+ | | |
+ | | +-Cottus
+ | | |
+ | | +-Gyes
+ | | |
+ | | +-Typhoeus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Hydra
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Cerberus
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Chimaera
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-Nemean Lion
+ | | | |
+ | | | +-_Sphinx_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Enceladus
+ | | |
+ | | +-Antaeus
+ | | |
+ | | +-_Harpies_
+ | | |
+ | | +-Tityus
+ | | |
+ | | +-Nereus
+ | |
+ | +-Eros
+ | |
+ | +-Pontus
+ | |
+ | +-Phorcys
+ | |
+ | +-_Bellona_
+ | |
+ | +-_Stheno_
+ | |
+ | +-_Euryale_
+ | |
+ | +-_Medusa_-Neptune
+ | |
+ | +-Pegasus
+ | |
+ | +-Polyphemus
+ |
+ +-Charon
+ |
+ +-_Eris_
+ |
+ +-Somnus
+ | |
+ | +-Morpheus
+ |
+ +-Mors
+
+
+{Transcription:
+
+Chaos (M) married Nyx (F).
+Their child was Erebus (M).
+
+ Erebus (M) married Nyx (F).
+ Their children were Hemera (F), AEther (M), Charon (M), Eris (F),
+ Somnus (M) and Mors (M).
+
+ Hemera (F) married AEther (M).
+ Their children were Gaea (F), Eros (M) and Pontus (M).
+
+ Gaea (F) had a child, Uranus (M).
+
+ Uranus (M) married Gaea (F).
+ Their children were Oceanus (M), Thetis (F), Coeus (M), Phoebe
+ (F), Iapetus (M), Hyperion (M), Crius (M), Themis (F),
+ Ilia (F), Cronus (M), Rhea (F), Mnemosyne (F), Brontes
+ (M), Steropes (M), Arges (M), Briareus (M), Cottus (M),
+ Gyes (M), Typhoeus (M), Enceladus (M), Antaeus (M), Harpies
+ (F), Tityus (M) and Nereus (M).
+
+ Oceanus (M) married Thetis (F).
+ Their children were Achelous (M), Alpheus (M), Peneus (M),
+ Inachus (M), Proteus (M), Doris (F), Metis (F), Clymene
+ (F), AEthra (F), Calypso (F), Clytie (F) and Electra (F).
+
+ Achelous (M) married Calliope (F).
+ Their children were Sirens (F).
+
+ Alpheus (M) married Arethusa (F).
+
+ Peneus (M) married Gaea (F).
+ Their child was Daphne (F).
+
+ Inachus (M) had a child, Io (F).
+
+ Doris (F) married Nereus (M).
+ Their children were Amphitrite (F), Dione (F), Arethusa
+ (F), Galatea (F), Thetis (F) and Clymene (F).
+
+ Amphitrite (F) married Neptune (M).
+ Their child was Triton (M).
+
+ Dione (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Venus (F).
+
+ Galatea (F) married Acis (M).
+
+ Thetis (F) married Peleus (M).
+ Their child was Achilles (M).
+
+ Achilles (M) had a child, Pyrrhus (M).
+
+ Pyrrhus (M) married Hermione (F).
+ Hermione's parents were Menelaus (M) and Helen (F).
+ Menelaus (M) had a sibling, Agamemnon (M).
+ Their parent was Atreus (M).
+ Atreus' (M) parent was Pelops (M).
+ Pelops (M) had a sibling, Niobe (F).
+ Their parent was Tantalus (M).
+ Niobe (F) married Amphion (M).
+ Amphion (M) had a sibling, Zethus (M).
+ Their parents were Jupiter (M) and Antiope (F).
+ Antiope (F) also married Lycus (M), and Lycus (M)
+ also married Dirce (F).
+ Agamemnon (M) married Clytaemnestra (F).
+ Their children were Iphigenia (F), Electra (F) and
+ Orestes (M).
+ Electra (F) married Pylades (M).
+ Clytaemnestra (F) had three siblings, Helen (F),
+ Castor (M) and Pollux (M)
+ Their parents were Tyndareus (M) and Leda (F).
+ Leda (F) also married Jupiter (M).
+
+ Clymene (F) married Apollo (M).
+ Their children were Heliades (F) and Phaeton (M).
+
+ Metis (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Minerva (F).
+
+ Clymene (F) married Iapetus (M).
+
+ AEthra (F) married Atlas (M).
+ Their children were Pleiades (F) and Maia (F).
+
+ Maia (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Mercury (M).
+
+ Mercury (M) married Penelope (F).
+ Their child was Pan (M).
+ Penelope (F) also married Ulysses (M).
+ Their child was Telemachus (M).
+
+ Calypso (F) married Ulysses (M).
+
+ Electra (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Dardanus (M).
+
+ Dardanus (M) married Batea (F), whose parent was
+ Teucer (M).
+ Their descendants were Laomedon (M) and Themis (F).
+
+ Laomedon (M) had three children, Priam (M), Hesione
+ (F) and Tithonus (M).
+
+ Priam (M) married Hecuba (F).
+ Their children were Hector (M), Paris (M), Cassandra
+ (F), Polites (M), Polyxena (F) and Deiphobus (M).
+
+ Hector (M) married Andromache (F).
+
+ Paris (M) married Helen (F).
+
+ Deiphobus (M) married Helen (F).
+
+ Hesione (F) married Telamon (M).
+ Their child was Ajax (M).
+
+ Tithonus (M) married Aurora (F).
+
+ Themis (F) married Capys (M).
+ Their child was Anchises (M).
+
+ Anchises (M) married Venus (F).
+ Their child was AEneas (M).
+
+ AEneas (M) married Lavinia (F).
+ Their child was AEneas Silvia (M).
+ AEneas (M) also married Creusa (F).
+ Their child was Iulus (M).
+
+ AEneas Silvia's (M) descendant was Numitor (M).
+
+ Numitor (M) had a child, Ilia (F).
+
+ Ilia (F) married Mars (M).
+ Their children were Remus (M) and Romulus (M).
+
+ Coeus (M) married Phoebe (F).
+ Their child was Latona (F).
+
+ Latona (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their children were Apollo (M) and Diana (F).
+
+ Apollo (M) married Diana (F).
+ Apollo (M) also married Coronis (F).
+ Their child was AEsculapius (M).
+ Coronis (F) had a sibling, Ixion (M)
+ Their parent was Mars (M).
+ Ixion (M) married Dia (F).
+ Their children were Centaurs (M) and Pirithous (M).
+
+ AEsculapius (M) had two children, Machaon (M) and
+ Hygeia (F).
+
+ Pirithous married Hippodamia (F).
+
+ Iapetus (M) married Clymene (F).
+ Their children were Menetius (M), Atlas (M), Hesperus (M),
+ Epimetheus (M) and Prometheus (M).
+
+ Hesperus (M) had a child, Hesperides (F).
+
+ Epimetheus (M) married Pandora (F).
+ Their child was Pyrrha (F).
+
+ Prometheus (M) had a child, Deucalion (M).
+
+ Pyrrha (F) married Deucalion (M).
+ Their child was Hellen (M).
+
+ Hellen (M) had three children, AEolus (M), Dorus (M)
+ and Xuthus (M).
+
+ AEolus (M) had two children, Salmoneus (M) and
+ Sisyphus (M).
+
+ Salmoneus (M) had a child, Tyro (F).
+
+ Tyro (F) married Neptune (M).
+ Their children were AEson (M), Pelias (M) and
+ Neleus (M).
+
+ AEson (M) had a child, Jason (M).
+
+ Jason (M) married Medea (F).
+ Medea (F) had a sibling, Absyrtus (M).
+ Their parent was AEetes (M).
+ AEetes (M) had two siblings, Pasiphae (F) and
+ Circe (F).
+ Their parent was Sol (M).
+
+ Neleus (M) had a child, Nestor (M).
+
+ Sisyphus (M) had a child, Glaucus (M).
+
+ Glaucus (M) had a child, Bellerophon (M).
+
+ Bellerophon (M) married Philonoe (F).
+
+ Xuthus (M) had two children, Ion (M) and Achaeus (M).
+
+ Hyperion (M) married Gaea (F).
+ Their child was Aurora (F).
+
+ Aurora (F) married AEolus (M).
+ Their children were Boreas (M), Corus (M), Eurus (M),
+ Notus (M), Aquilo (M) and Zephyrus (M).
+
+ Boreas (M) married Orithyia (F).
+ Their children were Zetus (M), Calais (M), Cleopatra (F)
+ and Chione (F).
+
+ Zephyrus (M) married Flora (F).
+
+ Themis (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their children were Parcae (F) and Horae (F).
+
+ Cronus (M) married Rhea (F).
+ Their children were Vesta (F), Juno (F), Jupiter (M),
+ Neptune (M), Ceres (F) and Pluto (M).
+
+ Juno (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their children were Mars (M), Vulcan (M) and Hebe (F).
+
+ Mars (M) married Venus (F).
+ Their children were Anteros (M), Cupid (M) and
+ Harmonia (F).
+
+ Cupid (M) married Psyche (F).
+
+ Harmonia (F) married Cadmus (M).
+
+ Vulcan (M) married Medusa (F).
+ Their children were Cacus (M), Periphetes (M) and
+ Cercyon (M).
+
+ Hebe (F) married Hercules (M).
+
+ Jupiter (M) married Io (F).
+ Their child was Epaphus (M).
+
+ Epaphus (M) had a child, Libya (F).
+
+ Libya (F) married Neptune (M).
+ Their children were Agenor (M) and Belus (M).
+
+ Agenor (M) married Telephassa (F).
+ Their children were Cadmus (M), Cilix (M), Phoenix
+ (M) and Europa (F).
+
+ Cadmus (M) married Harmonia (F).
+ Their children were Ino (F), Autonoe (F), Agave
+ (F), Semele (F) and Polydorus (M).
+
+ Ino (F) married Athamas (M).
+ Their children were Palaemon (M) and Learchus (M).
+ Athamas (M) also married Nephele (F).
+ Their children were Phryxus (M) and Helle (F).
+
+ Autonoe (F) married Aristaeus (M).
+ Their child was Actaeon (M).
+
+ Agave (F) had a child, Pentheus (M).
+
+ Semele (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Bacchus (M).
+
+ Bacchus (M) married Ariadne (F).
+
+ Polydorus (M) had a child, Labdacus (M).
+
+ Labdacus (M) had a child, Laius (M).
+
+ Laius (M) married Jocasta (F).
+ Their child was Oedipus (M).
+
+ Oedipus married Jocasta (F).
+ Their children were Eteocles (M), Polynices
+ (M), Antigone (F) and Ismene (F).
+
+ Europa (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their children were Sarpedon (M), Rhadamanthus (M)
+ and Minos (M).
+
+ Minos' (M) descendant was Minos (M).
+
+ Minos (M) married Pasiphae (F).
+ Their children were Phaedra (F) and Ariadne (F).
+
+ Phaedra (F) married Theseus (M), whose parents
+ were AEgeus (M) and AEthra (F).
+ Theseus (M) also married Hippolyte (F).
+ Their child was Hippolytus (M).
+
+ Ariadne (F) married Bacchus (M).
+
+ Belus (M) had four children, Pygmalion (M), Dido (F),
+ Danaus (M) and AEgyptus (M).
+
+ Dido (F) married Sychaeus (M).
+
+ Danaus' (M) children were the Danaides (F).
+
+ AEgyptus (M) had 50 sons.
+
+ The Danaides (F) married the 50 sons.
+ Their descendant was Acrisius (M).
+
+ Acrisius (M) had a child, Danae (F).
+
+ Danae (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Perseus (M).
+
+ Perseus (M) married Andromeda (F), whose
+ parents were Celeus (M) and Cassiopeia (F).
+ Their children were Alcaeus (M), Electryon (M)
+ and Sthenelus (M).
+
+ Alcaeus (M) had a child, Amphitryon (M).
+
+ Electryon (M) had a child, Alcmene (F).
+
+ Amphitryon (M) married Alcmene (F).
+ Their child was Iphicles (M).
+
+ Iphicles (M) had a child, Iolaus (M).
+
+ Alcmene (F) also married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Hercules (M).
+
+ Hercules (M) married Deianeira (F),
+ whose sibling was Meleager (M),
+ and whose parents were Oeneus (M)
+ and Althaea (F).
+ Their child was Hyllus (M), who married
+ Iole (F).
+
+ Sthenelus (M) had a child, Eurystheus (M).
+
+ Eurystheus (M) had a child, Admete (F).
+
+ Neptune (M) married Amphitrite (F).
+ Their child was Triton (M).
+
+ Ceres (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their child was Proserpina (F).
+
+ Pluto (M) married Proserpina (F).
+
+ Mnemosyne (F) married Jupiter (M).
+ Their children were Clio (F), Calliope (F), Thalia (F),
+ Euterpe (F), Urania (F), Melpomene (F), Terpsichore
+ (F), Polyhymnia (F) and Erato (F).
+
+ Clio (F) had a child, Hymen (M).
+
+ Calliope (F) had a child, Orpheus (M).
+
+ Orpheus (M) married Eurydice (F).
+
+ Typhoeus (M) had three children, Hydra (M), Cerberus (M)
+ and Chimaera (M).
+
+ Chimaera (M) had two children, Nemean Lion (M) and
+ Sphinx (F).
+
+ Pontus (M) had a child, Phorcys (M).
+
+ Phorcys (M) had four children, Bellona (F), Stheno (F), Euryale
+ (F) and Medusa (F).
+
+ Medusa (F) married Neptune (M).
+ Their children were Pegasus (M) and Polyphemus (M).
+
+ Somnus (M) had a child, Morpheus (M).}
+
+
+
+
+INDEX TO POETICAL QUOTATIONS.
+
+
+ Addison, 24, 49, 83, 85, 165, 172, 173.
+
+ AEschylus, 246.
+
+ Akenside, 163.
+
+ Apollonius, 126.
+
+ Apollonius Rhodius, 181, 269.
+
+ Arion, 158.
+
+ Aristophanes, 15.
+
+ Arnold, Edwin, 111, 112, 114.
+
+ Arnold, Matthew, 74.
+
+
+ Beaumont and Fletcher, 300.
+
+ Bion, 108, 110.
+
+ Boyesen, 97, 137.
+
+ Browning, E. B., 22, 108, 137.
+
+ Bryant, 41, 43, 58, 94, 145, 153, 172, 211, 305, 315, 318, 319,
+ 320, 321, 323, 324, 325, 326, 328, 329, 336, 338, 344, 345,
+ 346, 349, 352, 354, 355, 357, 358, 359.
+
+ Byron, 49, 91, 93, 116.
+
+
+ Catullus, 226, 255, 257, 259, 306.
+
+ Chapman, 149.
+
+ Coluthus, 308, 312.
+
+ Conington, 41, 51, 64, 142, 193, 202, 213, 224, 333, 360, 361,
+ 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 369, 370, 373, 376, 377.
+
+ Cornwall, 184.
+
+ Cowper, 131, 156, 308.
+
+ Croxall, 177, 178.
+
+
+ Darwin, 123, 187, 218, 219, 228, 230.
+
+ Dryden, 35, 37, 44, 70, 161, 168, 169, 208.
+
+
+ Elton, 12, 15, 21, 29, 33, 45, 52, 108, 110, 136, 138, 154, 171,
+ 220, 241, 255, 267, 269, 271, 307, 308, 310, 312, 339.
+
+ Emerson, 297.
+
+ Euripides, 166, 229, 311, 315, 316.
+
+ Eusden, 118.
+
+
+ Flaccus, 52, 220, 269, 271.
+
+ Fletcher, 38.
+
+ Francklin, 169, 232, 234, 236, 280, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 287,
+ 288, 290, 331.
+
+ Frere, 15.
+
+
+ Goldsmith, 134.
+
+ Gray, 179.
+
+
+ Hemans, 60, 98.
+
+ H. H. (Helen Hunt Jackson), 73.
+
+ Hesiod, 15, 21, 29, 33, 154, 229, 339.
+
+ Holmes, 330.
+
+ Homer, 23, 39, 41, 43, 58, 94, 145, 147, 149, 153, 156, 161, 167,
+ 168, 172, 211, 292, 297, 305, 315, 318, 319, 320, 321, 323,
+ 324, 325, 326, 328, 329, 336, 338, 344, 345, 346, 349, 352,
+ 354, 355, 357, 358, 359.
+
+ Homeric Hymn, 190, 195.
+
+ Horace, 27, 75, 278.
+
+ Hunt, 114, 216, 341.
+
+
+ Ingelow, 187, 194.
+
+ Iriarte, Tomas de, 372.
+
+
+ Keats, 67, 90, 98, 105, 119, 120, 134, 149, 176, 179, 192, 301,
+ 303, 304.
+
+
+ Landon, 113.
+
+ Longfellow, 27, 88, 99, 107, 206.
+
+ Lowell, 23, 64, 79, 131.
+
+ Lucan, 214.
+
+
+ Macaulay, 130, 279.
+
+ Martinez de la Rosa, 177.
+
+ Melanippides, 73.
+
+ Meleager, 94, 265.
+
+ Meredith, Owen, 72.
+
+ Milton, 79, 144, 163, 238.
+
+ Moore, 16, 71, 72, 193, 278.
+
+ Morris, 97, 100, 101, 110, 123, 127, 128, 151, 183, 194, 235, 248,
+ 252, 335.
+
+ Moschus, 45, 137.
+
+
+ Nonnus, 171.
+
+
+ Onomacritus, 267, 269, 271.
+
+ Orphic Argonautics, 266.
+
+ Orphic Hymn, 188.
+
+ Ovid, 12, 35, 37, 44, 70, 118, 172, 173, 177, 178, 208, 255, 298, 299.
+
+
+ Pike, 61.
+
+ Pindar, 17, 168.
+
+ Pitt, 163, 196, 205.
+
+ Pope, 23, 39, 57, 77, 147, 156, 167, 168, 239, 292, 298, 299.
+
+ Potter, 166, 229, 246, 311, 315, 316.
+
+ Prior, 68, 143, 148, 174, 243, 283.
+
+
+ Quintus Smyrnaeus, 307.
+
+
+ St. John, 242, 244.
+
+ Saxe, 62, 63, 77, 84, 119, 160, 253, 255.
+
+ Schiller, 121, 238.
+
+ Scott, 165.
+
+ S. G. B., 238.
+
+ Shakespeare, 44, 76, 139.
+
+ Shelley, 55, 103, 241.
+
+ Simonides, 241.
+
+ Somerville, 90.
+
+ Sophocles, 169, 232, 234, 236, 280, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 287,
+ 288, 290, 331.
+
+ Southey, 91.
+
+ Spenser, 59, 82, 105.
+
+ Statius, 136, 138.
+
+ Swift, 75.
+
+
+ Tennyson, 59, 80, 105, 306, 307, 331, 339, 359.
+
+ Theocritus, 216, 310, 341.
+
+ Timocreon of Rhodes, 159.
+
+
+ Virgil, 41, 51, 64, 131, 142, 160, 161, 163, 168, 169, 182, 193,
+ 196, 202, 205, 213, 224, 333, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365,
+ 366, 367, 369, 370, 373, 374, 376, 377.
+
+
+ Warton, 182.
+
+ Wordsworth, 33, 65, 88, 223, 273, 295, 316, 317.
+
+ Worsley, 87.
+
+
+ Young, 202.
+
+
+
+
+GLOSSARY AND INDEX.
+
+
+ Ab-syr'tus.
+ Son of King AEetes of Colchis;
+ slain by Medea, 271.
+
+ A-by'dus.
+ A city of Asia Minor;
+ the home of Leander, 111-116.
+
+ A-chae'us.
+ Grandson of Hellen, and ancestor of the Achaians, 38.
+
+ A-cha'i-ans.
+ Inhabitants of the province of Achaia, 38.
+
+ A-cha'tes.
+ Friend and inseparable companion of AEneas, 366, 367.
+
+ Ach-e-lo'us.
+ River in Greece, bearing the name of its god, 232.
+
+ Ach-e-men'i-des.
+ Ulysses' sailor, rescued from Polyphemus by AEneas, 365.
+
+ Ach'e-ron.
+ 1. River in Hades, 161;
+ Ulysses visits, 350;
+ AEneas crosses, 372.
+ 2. Father of Furies, 163.
+
+ A-chil'les.
+ Son of Peleus and Thetis, 314-316;
+ surrenders Briseis, 318, 319;
+ the Greeks appeal to, 323-325;
+ slays Hector, 326-329;
+ death, 330;
+ in Happy Isles, 359;
+ father of Pyrrhus, 361;
+ significance, 394, 395.
+
+ A'cis.
+ Youth loved by Galatea, and slain by Polyphemus, 341.
+
+ A-cris'i-us.
+ King of Argos, and father of Danae, 240, 241, 249;
+ significance, 390, 391.
+
+ A-crop'o-lis.
+ Hill in Athens, the site of the Parthenon and Theseus' temple, 262.
+
+ Ac-tae'on.
+ Hunter changed to a stag by Diana, 100, 101.
+
+ Ad-me'te.
+ Daughter of Eurystheus, covets Hippolyte's girdle, 223.
+
+ Ad-me'tus.
+ King of Thessaly, served by Apollo, and saved from death by
+ Alcestis, 64, 65;
+ Hercules restores Alcestis to, 230;
+ one of the Argonauts, 266;
+ in Calydonian Hunt, 275;
+ significance, 386.
+
+ A-do'nis.
+ Hunter loved by Venus and slain by a boar, 108-110;
+ significance, 195, 389.
+
+ A-dras'tus.
+ King of Argos;
+ his horse Arion, 153;
+ father of Hippodamia, 260;
+ sends expedition against Thebes, 287.
+
+ AE'a-cus.
+ One of the three judges of the dead in Hades, 163.
+
+ AE-ae'a.
+ Island inhabited by Circe and visited by Ulysses, 347-350.
+
+ AE-e'tes.
+ King of Colchis, father of Medea and Absyrtus, 268, 271;
+ brother of Circe, 347;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ AE-ge'an Sea.
+ Delos chained in, 62;
+ Arion borne by dolphins in, 82, 83;
+ named after AEgeus, 259.
+
+ AE-ge'us.
+ King of Athens;
+ father of Theseus, 250, 252, 253;
+ drowns himself, 259;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ AE'gis.
+ Shield or breastplate of Minerva and Jupiter, 58;
+ loaned to Perseus, 243;
+ bears Medusa's head, 249.
+
+ AE-gis'thus.
+ Murderer of Agamemnon;
+ slain by Orestes, 336.
+
+ AEg'le.
+ One of the Heliades;
+ changed to a poplar tree, 87.
+
+ AE-gyp'tus.
+ Brother of Danaus, 166.
+
+ AE-ne'a-dae.
+ City which AEneas proposed to found in Thrace, 363.
+
+ AE-ne'as.
+ Son of Venus and Anchises, 111;
+ AEneas' descendants, 140;
+ worship introduced into Italy by, 198;
+ hero of Virgil's AEneid, 360-377.
+
+ AE-ne'as Sil'vi-a.
+ Son of AEneas;
+ founder of Alba Longa, 377.
+
+ AE-ne'id.
+ Virgil's epic poem on the adventures of AEneas, 374.
+
+ AE-o'li-a.
+ 1. Same as AEolian Islands.
+ 2. In Asia Minor, near AEgean Sea, 214.
+
+ AE-o'li-an Islands.
+ The home of AEolus, god of the winds, 213, 346;
+ supposed to be Lipari Islands, 213.
+
+ AE-o'li-an Race.
+ Descendants of AEolus, son of Hellen, 38.
+
+ AE'o-lus.
+ 1. God of the winds, 213-215;
+ Juno's bargain with, 266;
+ gift to Ulysses, 346;
+ destruction of AEneas' fleet, 365;
+ significance, 400.
+ 2. Son of Hellen, founder of the AEolian race, 38.
+
+ AEs-cu-la'pi-us.
+ Son of Apollo and Coronis, 63, 64;
+ Machaon, son of, 331;
+ significance, 387.
+
+ AE'son.
+ Father of Jason, 263;
+ rejuvenated by Medea, 273.
+
+ AE'ther.
+ God of light, 13;
+ dethroned, 17.
+
+ AE'thra.
+ Princess of Troezene, 250;
+ mother of Theseus, 253;
+ Helen intrusted to, 260;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ AEt'na.
+ Volcano in Sicily, 183;
+ the tomb of Enceladus, 24;
+ forge of Vulcan, 145, 148, 326;
+ Ceres' visit to, 187.
+
+ AE-to'li-a.
+ Country between Epirus and Locris, 275.
+
+ Af'ri-ca.
+ Hercules' visit to, 226, 227.
+
+ Afterthought.
+ Name given to Epimetheus, 25.
+
+ Ag-a-mem'non.
+ Chief of the expedition against Troy, 314-319;
+ return of, 336;
+ troops of, 361;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ A-ga've.
+ Mother of Pentheus;
+ infuriated by Bacchus, slays her son, 182.
+
+ A-ge'nor.
+ Father of Europa, Cadmus, Cilix, Phoenix, 44-47.
+
+ Ag-la'ia.
+ One of the Graces;
+ an attendant of Venus, 105.
+
+ A-i'des.
+ Same as Pluto;
+ significance, 401.
+
+ A-i-do'neus.
+ Same as Pluto, god of the Infernal Regions, 159.
+
+ A'jax.
+ Greek hero in Trojan war, 314;
+ Patroclus' corpse recovered by, 328;
+ insanity of, 330.
+
+ Al'ba Lon'ga.
+ City in Italy founded by AEneas Silvia, 377.
+
+ Al-ces'tis.
+ Wife of Admetus;
+ dies to save his life, 65;
+ restored by Hercules, 230.
+
+ Al-ci'des.
+ Same as Hercules, 216;
+ lion skin of, 220;
+ Deianeira accompanies, 234;
+ Deianeira's charm for, 236;
+ pose of, 239.
+
+ Al-cim'e-de.
+ Queen of Iolcus;
+ mother of Jason, 263.
+
+ Al-cin'o-us.
+ Phaeacian king, enables Ulysses to reach Ithaca, 355.
+
+ Al-cip'pe.
+ Daughter of Mars;
+ carried off by Halirrhothius, 139.
+
+ Alc-me'ne.
+ Wife of Jupiter, and mother of Hercules, 28, 216;
+ significance, 389.
+
+ A-lec'to.
+ One of the Furies, 163;
+ sent by Juno to kindle war between AEneas and the Latins, 373.
+
+ A-lec'try-on.
+ Servant of Mars;
+ changed to a cock, 106, 107.
+
+ Al-phe'us.
+ 1. River of Peloponnesus;
+ dammed to clean Augean stable, 221.
+ 2. The river god who pursued Arethusa, 190-193.
+
+ Al-thae'a.
+ Mother of Meleager, 275, 276.
+
+ Am-al-the'a.
+ Goat which nursed Jupiter, 21.
+
+ Am-a-se'nus.
+ River over which Metabus flung Camilla, 373.
+
+ A-ma'ta.
+ Wife of Latinus, 372;
+ driven mad by Alecto, 373;
+ suicide of, 376.
+
+ Am'a-zons.
+ Nation of warlike women;
+ Hercules visits, 224;
+ Theseus visits, 259;
+ Bellerophon visits, 295;
+ Queen of the, 329.
+
+ Am-bro'si-a.
+ Celestial food used by the gods, 41;
+ gods deprived of, 84.
+
+ Am'mon.
+ Temple of Jupiter in Libya, 48.
+
+ A'mor.
+ Same as Eros, Cupid, etc.;
+ god of love, 13;
+ son of Venus and Mars, 107.
+
+ Am-phi'on.
+ Son of Jupiter and Antiope;
+ musician;
+ King of Thebes, 80-82.
+
+ Am-phi-tri'te.
+ Same as Salacia, queen of the sea;
+ wife of Neptune, 154, 158;
+ train of, 155;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ An-chi'ses.
+ Husband of Venus, 111;
+ father of AEneas, 360-362;
+ prophecy recalled by, 364;
+ death of, 365;
+ death anniversary of, 369;
+ AEneas' visit to, 370-372.
+
+ An-ci'le.
+ Shield of Mars, guarded by the Salii in Rome, 143.
+
+ An-drae'mon.
+ Husband of Dryope;
+ saw her changed to a tree, 298.
+
+ An-drom'a-che.
+ Wife of Hector;
+ parting of Hector and, 321-323;
+ grief of, 328;
+ captivity of, 365.
+
+ An-drom'e-da.
+ Daughter of Celeus and Cassiopeia;
+ saved by Perseus, 246-249;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ An-tae'us.
+ Giant son of Gaea;
+ defender of the Pygmies;
+ slain by Hercules, 227, 228.
+
+ An-te'i-a.
+ Wife of Proetus;
+ accuses Bellerophon falsely, 291;
+ significance, 393.
+
+ An'te-ros.
+ God of passion, 107, 108;
+ son of Venus and Mars, 140.
+
+ An-tig'o-ne.
+ Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta;
+ buried alive, 285-288;
+ significance, 393.
+
+ An-tin'o-us.
+ One of Penelope's suitors;
+ slain by Ulysses, 358.
+
+ An-ti'o-pe.
+ Wife of Jupiter;
+ mother of Amphion and Zethus;
+ persecuted by Dirce, 80.
+
+ A-pha're-us.
+ Father of Castor's murderer, 279.
+
+ Aph-ro-di'te.
+ Same as Venus, Dione, etc., 103, 105;
+ significance, 399.
+
+ A-pol'lo.
+ Same as Phoebus, Sol, and Helios, 61-91;
+ god of the sun, music, poetry, and medicine, 55;
+ Diana's brother, 93;
+ Niobe's sons slain by, 94;
+ Mars and Venus seen by, 106, 107;
+ Mercury steals cattle of, 132-134;
+ giants slain by, 139;
+ walls built by, 151, 152;
+ Marpessa claimed by, 155;
+ Vesta loved by, 198;
+ Janus, son of, 205;
+ oracles of, 280, 281;
+ steed of, 294;
+ Cassandra loved by, 310;
+ Chryses appeals to, 318, 319;
+ Ulysses incurs anger of, 354;
+ significance, 386, 390, 393, 396, 398.
+
+ Aq'ui-lo.
+ West wind, son of AEolus and Aurora, 213, 215.
+
+ A-rach'ne.
+ Minerva's needlework contest with, 58, 59.
+
+ Ar-ca'di-a.
+ Province of Peloponnesus, 221, 275;
+ Mercury's birthplace, 131.
+
+ Ar'cas.
+ Son of Jupiter and Callisto;
+ constellation of the Little Bear, 52.
+
+ A-re-o-pa-gi'tae.
+ Judges of the criminal court of Athens, 140.
+
+ A-re-op'a-gus.
+ Hill near Athens;
+ site of the Parthenon, 140.
+
+ A'res.
+ Same as Mars, 138;
+ significance, 400.
+
+ A-re'te.
+ 1. Goddess of virtue;
+ takes charge of Hercules, 218-220.
+ 2. Wife of Alcinous;
+ mother of Nausicaa, 355.
+
+ Ar-e-thu'sa.
+ Nymph of Diana;
+ changed to a fountain, 190-193.
+
+ Ar'ges (Sheet-lightning).
+ A Cyclop;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 18.
+
+ Ar'go.
+ Vessel in which Jason set sail in search of the golden fleece,
+ 266-274;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ Ar-go-nau'tic Expedition
+ in search of golden fleece, 154;
+ Zetes and Calais in, 215;
+ Hercules in, 230;
+ Meleager in, 275;
+ significance, 391, 392.
+
+ Ar'go-nauts.
+ Name given to Jason and crew, 267-271;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ Ar'gos.
+ City in Argolis, dedicated to Juno, 52-54;
+ Eurystheus, king of, 218-220;
+ Acrisius, king of, 240, 249;
+ Adrastus, king of, 260, 287;
+ Proetus, king of, 291;
+ Agamemnon's return to, 336;
+ significance, 389, 390.
+
+ Ar'gus.
+ 1. Name of myriad-eyed giant who watched Io, 135-137;
+ significance, 385.
+ 2. Name of Ulysses' faithful hound, 357.
+
+ A-ri-ad'ne.
+ Daughter of Minos;
+ Theseus aided by, 256, 257;
+ deserted by Theseus, 179, 257;
+ marries Bacchus, 181;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ A-ri'on.
+ 1. Winged steed;
+ the offspring of Neptune and Ceres, 153.
+ 2. Musician;
+ thrown into the sea by pirates, saved by a dolphin, 82, 83.
+
+ Ar-is-tae'us.
+ Youth who indirectly causes Eurydice's death, 76.
+
+ Ar'te-mis.
+ Same as Diana, goddess of the moon and the chase, 93, 97.
+
+ As-cal'a-phus.
+ Spirit in Hades who saw Proserpina eat pomegranate seeds, 195.
+
+ A'si-a Mi'nor.
+ West of Asia;
+ Bacchus' visit to, 176;
+ Vesta's shrine in, 198;
+ Thetis' flight from, 326.
+
+ As-kle'pi-os.
+ Same as AEsculapius;
+ son of Apollo and Coronis, 63.
+
+ As-ty'a-nax.
+ Infant son of Hector and Andromache, 321.
+
+ At-a-lan'ta.
+ Maiden who takes part in Calydonian Hunt and races with Milanion
+ or Hippomenes, 275-278;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ Ath'a-mas.
+ King of Thebes;
+ father of Phryxus and Helle, 265;
+ Ino in madness slain by, 174;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ A-the'ne.
+ Same as Minerva, 55;
+ tutelary goddess of Athens, 57;
+ significance, 395.
+
+ A-the'ni-ans.
+ Inhabitants of Athens, 215;
+ tribute of, 253, 256;
+ ingratitude of, 262.
+
+ Ath'ens.
+ Minerva's festivals at, 60;
+ tribunal at, 139, 140;
+ contest for, 152;
+ AEgeus, king of, 250;
+ Theseus' arrival at, 252, 253;
+ Ariadne elopes to, 256;
+ Castor and Pollux' visit to, 260;
+ Theseus, king of, 262;
+ Peleus, king of, 305.
+
+ At'las.
+ 1. Mountains.
+ 2. One of Iapetus' sons, 25;
+ daughters of, 98;
+ heavens supported by, 227-229;
+ Perseus petrifies, 244-246;
+ significance, 379.
+
+ At'ro-pos.
+ One of the Fates;
+ cuts the thread of life, 165.
+
+ At'ti-ca.
+ Province of Greece;
+ Cecrops founds city in, 57;
+ oppression of, 255;
+ shores of, 259.
+
+ Au-ge'as.
+ King of Elis;
+ his stables were cleansed by Hercules, 221-223.
+
+ Au'lis.
+ Port in Boeotia, the meeting-place of the Greek expedition
+ against Troy, 312, 315.
+
+ Au-ro'ra.
+ Same as Eos, goddess of dawn;
+ attendant of Apollo, 85, 107;
+ jealousy of, 70;
+ Tithonus loved by, 90;
+ AEolus' wife, 213.
+
+ Aus'ter.
+ Southwest wind, same as Notus;
+ a son of AEolus and Aurora, 215.
+
+ Au-tom'e-don.
+ Achilles' charioteer, 328.
+
+ Av'en-tine.
+ One of the seven hills on which Rome is built, 226.
+
+ A-ver'nus.
+ Lake near Naples;
+ the entrance to Hades in Italy, 160;
+ AEneas' visit to, 370.
+
+
+ Bab'y-lon.
+ The home of Pyramus and Thisbe, 117.
+
+ Bac-cha-na'li-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Bacchus, 182.
+
+ Bac-chan'tes.
+ Female followers of Bacchus, 176, 182;
+ Orpheus slain by, 79, 80.
+
+ Bac'chus.
+ Same as Dionysus, god of wine and revelry;
+ son of Jupiter and Semele, 171-182;
+ Vulcan visited by, 147;
+ Ariadne rescued by, 257;
+ tutor of, 300;
+ gift from, 306.
+
+ Bau'cis.
+ 1. The mortal who showed hospitality to Jupiter and Mercury;
+ wife of Philemon, 43, 44.
+ 2. Father of Dryope (changed to a tree), 298.
+
+ Bel-ler'o-phon.
+ Demigod;
+ mounts Pegasus and slays the dread Chimaera, 291-296;
+ significance, 393, 394.
+
+ Bel-lo'na.
+ Goddess of war;
+ attendant of Mars, 138.
+
+ Ber-e-ni'ce.
+ Queen whose hair was changed into a comet, 130, 384.
+
+ Ber'o-e.
+ Nurse of Semele, whose form Juno assumes to arouse Semele's
+ jealousy, 171, 172.
+
+ Bi'ton.
+ Brother of Cleobis;
+ draws his mother to the temple, 54.
+
+ Boe-o'ti-a.
+ Province in Greece, whose principal city was Thebes, 47, 280.
+
+ Bo're-as.
+ North wind;
+ son of AEolus and Aurora;
+ kidnaps Orithyia, 213-215;
+ sons of, 267.
+
+ Bos'po-rus.
+ Channel connecting Black Sea and Sea of Marmora, on route of
+ Argonauts, 268.
+
+ Brass Age.
+ Third age of world, 35.
+
+ Bri-a're-us.
+ One of the Centimani;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 18;
+ umpire, 152.
+
+ Bri-se'is.
+ Captive of Achilles during Trojan war;
+ claimed by Agamemnon, 318, 319, 324;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Bron'tes (Thunder).
+ A Cyclop;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 18.
+
+ Bru'tus.
+ Unborn soul of Roman hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.
+
+
+ Ca'cus.
+ Son of Vulcan, 148;
+ giant slain by Hercules on Mount Aventine, 226;
+ significance, 386.
+
+ Cad'mus.
+ Brother of Europa;
+ founder of Thebes, 45-48;
+ husband of Harmonia, 107;
+ daughter of, 171;
+ dragon-tooth seed of, 268;
+ significance, 386, 390, 393.
+
+ Ca-du'ce-us.
+ Wand given to Mercury by Apollo, 134.
+
+ Cae'sar.
+ Unborn soul of Roman hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.
+
+ Cal'a-is.
+ Son of Boreas and Orithyia, 215.
+
+ Cal'chas.
+ Soothsayer of the Greeks during the Trojan war, 315.
+
+ Cal-li'o-pe.
+ One of the nine Muses, loved by Apollo, 90;
+ mother of Orpheus, 75.
+
+ Cal-lis'to.
+ Maiden loved by Jupiter;
+ changed into a bear by Juno;
+ the Great Bear, 52.
+
+ Cal'y-don.
+ Home of Meleager;
+ site of Calydonian Hunt, 275.
+
+ Cal-y-do'ni-an Hunt.
+ Organized by Meleager to slay a boar, 275-279.
+
+ Ca-lyp'so.
+ Nymph who detained Ulysses on Ogygia seven years, 354;
+ significance, 395.
+
+ Ca-mil'la.
+ Volscian maiden;
+ fights, and is slain by, AEneas, 373, 376;
+ dedicated to Diana, 374.
+
+ Ca-mil'lus.
+ Unborn soul of Roman hero, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.
+
+ Cam'pus mar'ti-us.
+ Roman exercising grounds sacred to Mars, 143.
+
+ Can'cer.
+ Crab which attacked Hercules to defend the Hydra;
+ a constellation, 221.
+
+ Cap'i-tol.
+ Temple dedicated to Jupiter in Rome, 48.
+
+ Car'thage.
+ A city in Africa, built by Dido, visited by AEneas, 367.
+
+ Cas-san'dra.
+ Daughter of Priam;
+ her prophecies, though true, were always disbelieved, 310, 364;
+ captivity of, 361.
+
+ Cas-si-o-pe'ia.
+ Mother of Andromeda, 246;
+ a constellation, 249;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ Cas'tor.
+ One of the Dioscuri or Gemini, 278, 279;
+ rescue of Helen by, 260;
+ Argonauts joined by, 266;
+ Calydonian Hunt joined by, 275.
+
+ Cau-ca'si-an Mountains.
+ Same as Caucasus;
+ Prometheus chained to, 28, 227.
+
+ Ce'crops.
+ Founder of Athens, 57;
+ descendants of, 255.
+
+ Ce-lae'no.
+ One of the Harpies;
+ frightens AEneas by prophesying harm, 365.
+
+ Ce'le-us.
+ 1. King of Eleusis;
+ father of Triptolemus, 188.
+ 2. Father of Andromeda;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ Cen'taurs.
+ Children of Ixion, half man, half horse;
+ Chiron, 218, 263, 314;
+ Hercules fights, 221;
+ battle of, 230, 260;
+ Nessus, 234-236;
+ significance, 391, 397.
+
+ Cen-tim'a-ni (Hundred-handed).
+ Three sons of Uranus and Gaea, 17, 18.
+
+ Ceph'a-lus.
+ Hunter loved by Procris and Aurora, 70, 71, 90;
+ significance, 387.
+
+ Cer'be-rus.
+ Three-headed dog which guarded the entrance of Hades, 76, 77, 160;
+ Hercules captures, 229, 260;
+ significance, 401.
+
+ Cer'cy-on.
+ Son of Vulcan, 148;
+ encountered by Theseus, 252.
+
+ Ce-re-a'li-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Ceres, goddess of agriculture, 196.
+
+ Ce'res.
+ Same as Demeter, goddess of agriculture and civilization, 159,
+ 183-197;
+ Cronus disgorges, 22;
+ Psyche consults, 127, 128;
+ Neptune loves, 153;
+ Pelops' shoulder eaten by, 167;
+ significance, 396, 397.
+
+ Cer-y-ne'a.
+ Town of Achaia, 221.
+
+ Cer-y-ne'ian Stag.
+ Stag taken by Hercules;
+ one of his labors, 221.
+
+ Ces'tus.
+ Venus' magic, love-inspiring girdle, 130, 308.
+
+ Ce'yx.
+ King of Thessaly;
+ shipwrecked, and changed with his wife Halcyone into birds, 211, 212.
+
+ Cha'os.
+ The first of all divinities, who ruled over confusion, 12, 13;
+ ejection of, 17;
+ daughter of, 57.
+
+ Char'i-tes.
+ The three Graces;
+ attendants of Venus, 105.
+
+ Cha'ron.
+ The boatman who ferries the souls over Acheron, 161;
+ AEneas ferried by, 372;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ Cha-ryb'dis.
+ Whirlpool near the coast of Sicily, 352, 353, 365.
+
+ Chi-mae'ra.
+ Monster slain by Bellerophon, 292-296;
+ significance, 394, 401.
+
+ Chi'o-ne.
+ Daughter of Boreas and Orithyia, 215.
+
+ Chi'os.
+ One of the islands of the Archipelago, 99.
+
+ Chi'ron.
+ Learned Centaur, 218, 263, 266, 314;
+ death of, 221.
+
+ Chry-se'is.
+ Daughter of Chryses;
+ taken by Agamemnon, 318, 319.
+
+ Chry'ses.
+ Father of Chryseis;
+ priest of Apollo;
+ brings a plague on the Greek camp, 318, 319.
+
+ Ci-co'ni-ans.
+ Inhabitants of Ismarus, visited by Ulysses, 337.
+
+ Ci-lic'i-a.
+ Province in Asia Minor, between AEolia and Troas, 47.
+
+ Ci'lix.
+ Brother of Europa;
+ founder of Cilicia, 45, 47.
+
+ Cim-me'ri-an Shores.
+ Land visited by Ulysses to consult Tiresias, 350.
+
+ Cir'ce.
+ Sister of AEetes;
+ sorceress who changes Ulysses' men into swine, 347-353;
+ significance, 395, 396.
+
+ Cle'o-bis.
+ Brother of Biton;
+ a devoted son, 54.
+
+ Cle-o-pa'tra.
+ Daughter of Boreas and Orithyia, 215.
+
+ Cli'o.
+ One of the nine Muses, 88.
+
+ Clo'tho.
+ One of the Fates;
+ she spins the thread of life, 165.
+
+ Clym'e-ne.
+ 1. Wife of Iapetus;
+ an ocean nymph, 25.
+ 2. Nymph loved by Apollo;
+ mother of Phaeton, 83, 87.
+
+ Clyt-aem-nes'tra.
+ Wife of Agamemnon;
+ slain by Orestes, 336;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Clyt'i-e.
+ Maiden who loves Apollo, and is changed into a sunflower, 72.
+
+ Co-cy'tus.
+ River in Hades, formed of tears of the condemned, 160, 161.
+
+ Coe'us.
+ One of the Titans;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 17.
+
+ Col'chi-an Land.
+ Ram bears Phryxus to, 154;
+ Argonauts arrive at, 268;
+ Argonauts depart from, 269;
+ sailors of, 271.
+
+ Col'chis.
+ Land in Asia ruled by AEetes, where the golden fleece was kept,
+ 265, 266;
+ return from, 274.
+
+ Co-lo'nus.
+ Forest sacred to Furies, where Oedipus vanished in a storm, 286.
+
+ Co-los'sus.
+ Statue of Apollo in the Island of Rhodes, 91.
+
+ Con-sen'tes.
+ Same as Pan, god of the universe and of nature, 300.
+
+ Co'pre-us.
+ Son of Pelops;
+ owner of the marvelous horse Arion, 153.
+
+ Co'ra.
+ Same as Proserpina, goddess of vegetation, 183;
+ significance, 396.
+
+ Cor'inth.
+ City and isthmus between Greece proper and the Peloponnesus,
+ 152, 158, 294;
+ Sisyphus, king of, 167, 291;
+ Sciron at, 251;
+ Polybus, king of, 280-282, 286.
+
+ Co-ro'na.
+ Constellation, also known as Ariadne's Crown, 181.
+
+ Co-ro'nis.
+ Maiden loved by Apollo;
+ mother of AEsculapius, 62, 63;
+ significance, 386, 389.
+
+ Co'rus.
+ Northwest wind;
+ son of AEolus and Aurora, 213-215.
+
+ Cor-y-ban'tes.
+ Same as Curetes;
+ Rhea's priests, 21.
+
+ Cot'tus.
+ One of the Centimani;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 18.
+
+ Cre'on.
+ Father of Jocasta and of Megara, 219;
+ King of Thebes, 288.
+
+ Cre'tan Bull.
+ Hercules captures, 223.
+
+ Crete.
+ Island home of Minos, 223, 253, 256;
+ Menelaus' journey to, 312;
+ AEneas' sojourn in, 364;
+ Zeus, king of, 379.
+
+ Cre-u'sa.
+ 1. Wife of AEneas;
+ killed in attempting to fly from Troy, 361-363.
+ 2. Same as Glauce;
+ maiden loved by Jason, 273.
+
+ Cri'us.
+ One of the Titans;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 17.
+
+ Cro'nus.
+ Same as Saturn;
+ a Titan who rules supreme;
+ father of Jupiter, 17-23, 25, 35;
+ daughters of, 51, 183, 198;
+ son of, 159.
+
+ Cru'mis-sa.
+ Island where Neptune carried Theophane;
+ birthplace of the golden-fleeced ram, 154.
+
+ Cu'mae.
+ Cave where the Sibyl gave her prophecies, 370.
+
+ Cu'pid, or Cu-pi'do.
+ Same as Amor, god of love;
+ son of Venus and Mars, 107, 140;
+ growth of, 108;
+ darts of, 112, 147, 367;
+ Psyche and, 121-130, 381.
+
+ Cu-re'tes.
+ Same as Corybantes;
+ Rhea's priests, 21.
+
+ Cy'a-ne.
+ River which tried to stop Pluto when he kidnapped Proserpina, 186.
+
+ Cyb'e-le.
+ Same as Rhea, goddess of the earth, 20;
+ chariot of, 278.
+
+ Cy-clo'pes.
+ Three children of Uranus and Gaea, 17, 18;
+ thunderbolts forged by, 22, 64, 147;
+ Orion visits the, 99;
+ Vulcan and the, 145;
+ Island of the, 339;
+ AEneas warned against, 365;
+ significance, 385, 398.
+
+ Cy'clops.
+ Polyphemus the, 339-345, 365.
+
+ Cyc'nus.
+ Intimate friend of Phaeton, 87.
+
+ Cyl-le'ne.
+ Mountain upon which Mercury was born, 131, 132.
+
+ Cyn'thi-a.
+ Same as Diana, goddess of the moon and the chase, 93, 96.
+
+ Cyn'thi-us.
+ Name given to Apollo, god of the sun and fine arts, 61.
+
+ Cyp-a-ris'sus.
+ Friend of Apollo;
+ turned to a cypress tree, 67.
+
+ Cy'prus.
+ Island in the Mediterranean sacred to Venus, 105, 120, 123.
+
+ Cyth-e-re'a.
+ Name given to Venus, goddess of beauty, love, and laughter, 103.
+
+
+ Daed'a-lus.
+ Architect who planned the Cretan Labyrinth, 253-255;
+ inventor of sails, 214.
+
+ Dan'a-e.
+ Maiden visited by Jupiter as a golden shower;
+ mother of Perseus, 240-242;
+ significance, 379, 390, 397.
+
+ Da-na'i-des.
+ Daughters of Danaus, who slay their husbands, 166, 167.
+
+ Dan'a-us.
+ King of Argos;
+ father of the fifty Danaides, 166.
+
+ Dan'ube.
+ River of Europe;
+ Medea slays Absyrtus near its mouth, 271.
+
+ Daph'ne.
+ Maiden loved by Apollo, and changed into a laurel tree, 68-70;
+ significance, 387, 389, 395.
+
+ Dar'da-nus.
+ Ancient king of Troy, who gives his name to his race, 364;
+ mares of, 215.
+
+ De-i-a-nei'ra.
+ Wife of Hercules, 232-236;
+ causes Hercules' death by using the Nessus robe, 235, 236;
+ significance, 390.
+
+ De-iph'o-bus.
+ Son of Priam and Hecuba;
+ married Helen after the death of Paris, 362.
+
+ De'los.
+ Floating island;
+ birthplace of Apollo and Diana, 62;
+ shrine of Apollo at, 91, 363, 364;
+ significance, 386, 396.
+
+ Del'phi.
+ Shrine of Apollo, famed for its oracles, 37, 47, 91;
+ Ceyx visits, 211;
+ Oedipus consults oracle at, 281, 282, 285, 290;
+ Orestes at, 336.
+
+ Del'uge.
+ Caused by Jupiter's wrath, 36;
+ slime from, 65.
+
+ De-me'ter.
+ Same as Ceres;
+ goddess of agriculture, 183, 187;
+ significance, 396.
+
+ De'mi-os (Dread).
+ Attendant or son of Mars, 138.
+
+ Des'ti-ny.
+ One of the ancient deities not subjected to Jupiter, 39.
+
+ Deu-ca'li-on.
+ Only male survivor of Deluge;
+ father of Hellen, 37, 38.
+
+ Di'a.
+ Maiden loved and deserted by Ixion, king of the Lapithae, 169;
+ significance, 389.
+
+ Di-a'na.
+ Goddess of the moon and chase;
+ daughter of Jupiter and Latona, 93-101;
+ birth of, 62;
+ nymphs of, 70, 190;
+ arrows of, 139;
+ Arethusa protected by, 192;
+ Oeneus neglects, 275;
+ Iphigenia saved by, 316;
+ temple of, 336;
+ Camilla rescued by, 373, 374;
+ significance, 388, 396, 398.
+
+ Di'do.
+ Queen of Tyre and Carthage;
+ loved and deserted by AEneas, 366-369;
+ AEneas sees, in Hades, 372.
+
+ Di-o-me'des.
+ 1. Greek hero during Trojan war, 314;
+ recovers Patroclus' body, 328;
+ helps Ulysses secure the Palladium, 332.
+ 2. The possessor of horses taken by Hercules, 223.
+
+ Di-o'ne.
+ 1. Name given to Venus, goddess of beauty, love, laughter, etc., 103.
+ 2. Mother of Venus by Jupiter;
+ goddess of moisture, 44.
+
+ Di-o-nys'i-a.
+ Festivals held in Greece in honor of Bacchus, 182.
+
+ Di-o-nys'us.
+ Same as Bacchus, god of wine and revelry, 174.
+
+ Di-os-cu'ri.
+ Collective name given to Castor and Pollux, 278.
+
+ Di-os-cu'ri-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Castor and Pollux, 279.
+
+ Dir'ce.
+ Wife of Lycus;
+ bound to a bull by Amphion and Zethus, 80-82.
+
+ Dis.
+ Same as Pluto, god of Infernal Regions, 159, 370.
+
+ Dis-cor'di-a, or Eris.
+ Goddess of discord, 138;
+ she appears at Peleus' marriage feast, 306.
+
+ Do-do'na.
+ Temple and grove sacred to Jupiter, 48, 49, 266.
+
+ Dol'phin.
+ Constellation, 82.
+
+ Do'ri-an Race.
+ Descendants of Dorus, 38.
+
+ Do'ris.
+ Wife of Nereus, 154, 305.
+
+ Do'rus.
+ Son of Hellen;
+ ancestor of Dorian race, 38.
+
+ Dreams.
+ Spirits in cave of Somnus;
+ passed out through gates of ivory and horn, 210, 211;
+ Mercury, leader of, 137.
+
+ Drep'a-num.
+ Land visited by AEneas, where Anchises died, 365.
+
+ Dry'a-des.
+ Plant nymphs, supposed to watch over vegetation, 297.
+
+ Dry'o-pe.
+ Princess changed into a tree, 298-300.
+
+ Dull'ness.
+ Obscure deity put to flight by Minerva, 55, 57.
+
+
+ Earth.
+ AEther and Hemera create the, 13;
+ divisions of the, 15;
+ realm of the, 25;
+ the mother of all, 38;
+ oath by the, 172;
+ Antaeus, son of the, 228;
+ significance, 398.
+
+ E'cho.
+ Nymph who pined for love of Narcissus;
+ changed to a voice, 118, 119;
+ answers Cephalus, 71;
+ mocks Ariadne, 179.
+
+ Egg.
+ Earth hatched from a mythical, 15.
+
+ E'gypt.
+ Gods take refuge in, 24;
+ Io takes refuge in, 136;
+ Menelaus and Helen detained in, 336.
+
+ E-lec'tra.
+ Daughter of Agamemnon;
+ saves Orestes, 336.
+
+ El-eu-sin'i-a.
+ Festivals at Eleusis, in honor of Ceres and Proserpina, 196.
+
+ E-leu'sis.
+ City in Greece visited by Ceres during her search for
+ Proserpina, 188, 196.
+
+ E'lis.
+ Province of the Peloponnesus;
+ Alpheus in, 193;
+ Augeas, king of, 221;
+ significance, 388.
+
+ El-pe'nor.
+ Follower of Ulysses;
+ dies in Island of AEaea, 350.
+
+ E-lys'i-an Fields.
+ Abode of the blessed in Hades, 161, 163, 169;
+ Cleobis and Biton conveyed to, 54;
+ Adonis conveyed to, 110.
+
+ En-cel'a-dus.
+ Giant defeated by Jupiter;
+ buried under Mt. AEtna, 24.
+
+ En-dym'i-on.
+ Youth loved by Diana, who carries him to a cave on Mt. Latmus, 96-98;
+ significance, 388, 389, 396.
+
+ En'na.
+ Plain in Sicily;
+ favorite resort of Proserpina, 183.
+
+ E-ny'o.
+ Name given to Bellona, goddess of war, 138.
+
+ E'os.
+ Name given to Aurora, goddess of dawn, 72, 90;
+ jealousy of, 70, 71;
+ winds, offspring of, 213.
+
+ Ep'a-phus.
+ Son of Jupiter and Io;
+ founder of Memphis, 136.
+
+ Eph'e-sus.
+ City in Asia Minor sacred to Diana, 101.
+
+ Eph-i-al'tes.
+ Giant son of Neptune, 154;
+ brother of Otus;
+ imprisons Mars, 139;
+ significance, 400.
+
+ E-pig'o-ni.
+ Sons of the seven chiefs who besieged Thebes, 290.
+
+ Ep-i-me'theus (Afterthought).
+ Son of Iapetus, 25;
+ husband of Pandora, 28-34, 37.
+
+ E-pi'rus.
+ Country visited by AEneas, who meets Andromache there, 365.
+
+ Er'a-to.
+ One of the Muses;
+ daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 90.
+
+ Er'e-bus.
+ God of darkness, 13;
+ marries his mother, Night, 13;
+ progenitor of egg, 15;
+ dethroned, 17.
+
+ E-rid'a-nus.
+ River into which Phaeton fell from the sun chariot, 87;
+ Hercules consults nymphs of, 226.
+
+ E-rin'ny-es.
+ Collective name given to the Furies, 163;
+ significance, 393.
+
+ E'ris.
+ Same as Discordia, goddess of discord and strife, 138;
+ apple cast by, 306.
+
+ Er-i-sich'thon.
+ An unbeliever;
+ punished by famine, 197.
+
+ E'ros.
+ Same as Cupid, 107;
+ child of Light and Day, 13;
+ arrows of, 13, 112;
+ egg produces, 15;
+ causes man's creation, 25;
+ man's life given by, 27.
+
+ Er-y-man'thus.
+ Place where Hercules slew the wild boar, 221.
+
+ Er-y-the'a.
+ Island home of Geryones;
+ visited by Hercules, 226.
+
+ E-te'o-cles.
+ Son of Oedipus and Jocasta, 285;
+ reigns one year, 287;
+ slain by his brother, 288.
+
+ E-thi-o'pi-a.
+ Country visited by Bacchus, 176.
+
+ E-thi-o'pi-ans.
+ Happy race of Africa, south of the river Oceanus;
+ visited by the gods, 16.
+
+ Eu-boe'an or Eu-bo'ic Sea.
+ Sea where Hercules cast Lichas, 238.
+
+ Eu-mae'us.
+ Swineherd visited by Ulysses on his return to Ithaca, 355, 357;
+ Ulysses aided by, 358.
+
+ Eu-men'i-des.
+ Collective name given to Furies, 163;
+ forest sacred to, 286;
+ significance, 393.
+
+ Eu-phros'y-ne.
+ One of the three Graces or Charites;
+ attendant of Venus, 105.
+
+ Eu-ro'pa.
+ Daughter of Agenor;
+ wife of Jupiter, 44-48, 59;
+ mother of Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon, 45, 325;
+ significance, 386.
+
+ Eu-ro'tas.
+ River near Sparta, where Helen bathed, 310.
+
+ Eu'rus.
+ East wind;
+ son of AEolus and Aurora, 213-215.
+
+ Eu-ry'a-le.
+ One of the three terrible Gorgons, 242.
+
+ Eu-ry'a-lus.
+ Youth sent with Nisus to warn AEneas that his son was in danger, 374.
+
+ Eu-ry-cle'a.
+ Nurse of Ulysses;
+ recognizes him after twenty years' absence, 357;
+ Penelope awakened by, 358.
+
+ Eu-ryd'i-ce.
+ Wife of Orpheus, who seeks her in Hades, 75-80;
+ significance, 387-389.
+
+ Eu-ryl'o-chus.
+ Leader of Ulysses' men, 347;
+ escaped Circe's spell, 349;
+ Ulysses' men misled by, 353.
+
+ Eu-ryn'o-me.
+ Wife of Jupiter;
+ mother of the Graces, 105.
+
+ Eu-rys'theus.
+ Hercules' taskmaster;
+ appointed twelve labors, 218-229.
+
+ Eu'ry-tus.
+ Iole's father;
+ visited twice by Hercules, 235.
+
+ Eu-ter'pe.
+ One of the Muses;
+ presided over music, 88.
+
+ Eux'ine Sea.
+ Same as Pontus Euxinus, or the Black Sea, 15.
+
+ E-van'der.
+ King of Tuscans;
+ ally of AEneas;
+ father of Pallas, 374, 375.
+
+ E-ve'nus.
+ Father of Marpessa;
+ drowned himself in river of same name, 155;
+ Hercules crosses, 234.
+
+
+ Fa'ma.
+ Attendant of Jupiter, goddess of fame, 41.
+
+ Fates.
+ Three sisters;
+ also known as Moerae or Parcae, 165.
+
+ Fau'na.
+ Wife of Faunus;
+ a rural divinity of the Romans, 301.
+
+ Fau'nus.
+ Rural divinity of the Romans;
+ husband of Fauna, 301.
+
+ Flo'ra.
+ Goddess of flowers, 301, 303;
+ wife of Zephyrus, 215, 301.
+
+ Flo-ra'li-a.
+ Festivals in May in honor of Flora, 301.
+
+ Forethought.
+ Name given to Prometheus, 25.
+
+ For-tu'na.
+ 1. Goddess of fortune;
+ an attendant of Jupiter, 41.
+ 2. Goddess of plenty, 232.
+
+ Fo'rum.
+ Chief place in Rome where public matters were discussed, 142.
+
+ Fu'ries.
+ The Eumenides, or avenging deities, 163;
+ Oedipus punished by, 286;
+ Orestes pursued by, 336.
+
+
+ Gae'a.
+ Same as Tellus and Terra, 13;
+ wife of Uranus, 15;
+ reign of, 17;
+ conspiracy of, 18;
+ Typhoeus created by, 23;
+ Enceladus created by, 24;
+ Antaeus, son of, 227;
+ Syrinx protected by, 300;
+ significance, 396.
+
+ Gal-a-te'a.
+ 1. Nymph loved by Polyphemus and Acis, 341-343.
+ 2. Statue loved by Pygmalion, who prays Venus to give it life, 121.
+
+ Gan'y-mede.
+ Trojan prince carried off by Jupiter to act as cup-bearer, 43.
+
+ Ge.
+ Same as Gaea, Tellus, Terra, the Earth, 13.
+
+ Gem'i-ni.
+ Same as Dioscuri;
+ Castor and Pollux, 278.
+
+ Ge-ry'o-nes.
+ Giant whose cattle are taken by Hercules, 226;
+ significance, 401.
+
+ Glau'ce.
+ Maiden loved by Jason;
+ slain by Medea, 273;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ Glau'cus.
+ Fisherman changed to a sea god, 303, 304;
+ lover of Scylla, 352, 353.
+
+ Golden Age.
+ First age of the ancient world, when all was bliss, 35;
+ Janus' reign, 205.
+
+ Gor'gons.
+ Three sisters,--Euryale, Stheno, and Medusa, 242-246;
+ AEgis decorated by head of one of, 58;
+ significance, 401.
+
+ Grac'chi, The.
+ Unborn souls of Roman heroes, seen by Anchises in Hades, 372.
+
+ Gra'ces.
+ Same as Gratiae;
+ the three attendants of Venus, 105.
+
+ Gra-di'vus.
+ Name given to Mars when leader of armies, 143.
+
+ Grae'ae.
+ Three sisters with but one eye and tooth among them, 243;
+ significance, 391, 401.
+
+ Gra'ti-ae.
+ Same as Graces, or Charites;
+ Venus' attendants, 105.
+
+ Great Bear.
+ Constellation formed by Callisto, 52.
+
+ Gre'ci-an.
+ Mythology, 25;
+ camp, 329.
+
+ Greece.
+ Highest peak in, 37;
+ alphabet introduced into, 48;
+ nations of, 49;
+ art in, 52;
+ Cecrops comes to, 57;
+ Pelops takes refuge in, 167;
+ Paris visits, 310;
+ war between Troy and, 314;
+ Orestes' return to, 336;
+ captives taken to, 361.
+
+ Greek Divinities, 39;
+ Panathenaea, 60;
+ fleet, 332.
+
+ Greeks.
+ Departure of, 315;
+ plague visits, 318;
+ defeat of, 323, 324;
+ return of, 335;
+ Agamemnon, chief of, 336;
+ attack Ciconians, 337;
+ Polyphemus visited by, 343-346;
+ Circe visited by, 347;
+ a civilized nation, 380.
+
+ Gy'es.
+ One of the three Centimani;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 18.
+
+
+ Ha'des.
+ The Infernal Region, kingdom of Pluto, 159-170;
+ Hercules' visit to, 65, 229, 230;
+ Orpheus' visit to, 76-79;
+ Adonis' visit to, 110;
+ Psyche's visit to, 128;
+ Mercury conducts souls to, 137, 317;
+ Proserpina's visit to, 194, 195;
+ Lara conducted to, 203;
+ Theseus' visit to, 260;
+ Pollux in, 279;
+ Oedipus in, 286;
+ Ulysses' visit to, 350;
+ AEneas' visit to, 370.
+
+ Hae'mon.
+ Son of Creon;
+ lover of Antigone, 288.
+
+ Hal-cy'o-ne.
+ Wife of Ceyx, King of Thessaly, 211, 212.
+
+ Hal-irr-ho'thi-us.
+ Son of Neptune;
+ slain by Mars, 139.
+
+ Ham-a-dry'a-des.
+ Nymphs who lived and died with the trees they inhabited, 297, 298.
+
+ Har-mo'ni-a.
+ Daughter of Mars and Venus, 107, 140;
+ wife of Cadmus, 48;
+ mother of Semele, 171.
+
+ Har'pies.
+ Monsters, half woman, half bird;
+ banished to Strophades Islands, 267;
+ AEneas sees, 365;
+ significance, 400.
+
+ Heav'en.
+ Creation of, 15;
+ realm of, 25;
+ Atlas, supporter of, 244;
+ significance, 384, 398.
+
+ He'be.
+ Goddess of youth;
+ cup-bearer of the gods, 41;
+ wife of Hercules, 238.
+
+ He'brus.
+ River in which the Bacchantes cast Orpheus' remains, 80.
+
+ Hec'a-te.
+ Name given to Proserpina as Queen of Hades, 195.
+
+ Hec'tor.
+ Son of Priam;
+ leader of Trojan army, 320-326;
+ slain by Achilles, 328;
+ Priam buries, 329;
+ shade of, 360;
+ widow of, 365.
+
+ Hec'u-ba.
+ Wife of Priam;
+ mother of Paris and Hector, 307, 310;
+ Hector seen by, 328;
+ captivity of, 361.
+
+ Hel'en.
+ Daughter of Jupiter and Leda;
+ wife of Menelaus;
+ kidnapped by Paris, 310-312;
+ kidnapped by Theseus, 260;
+ Paris upbraided by, 320;
+ return of, 335;
+ AEneas wishes to slay, 361;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Hel'e-nus.
+ King of Epirus, whose slave Andromache became after the death
+ of Hector, 365.
+
+ He-li'a-des.
+ Sisters of Phaeton;
+ changed into trees, 87.
+
+ Hel'i-con.
+ Mountain in Greece, sacred to Apollo and Muses, 90, 149.
+
+ He'li-os.
+ Name of Apollo as god of the sun, 61, 72;
+ significance, 386, 388, 395.
+
+ Hel'le.
+ Daughter of Athamas and Nephele;
+ drowned in the Hellespont, 265;
+ significance, 391, 392, 397.
+
+ Hel'len.
+ Son of Deucalion;
+ ancestor of the Hellenes, 38.
+
+ Hel-le'nes.
+ Name given to ancient Greeks, 38.
+
+ Hel'les-pont.
+ Name given to the strait from Helle, 265;
+ Leander swims across the, 111-117.
+
+ He-me'ra (Day).
+ One of the first divinities, who rules with AEther (Light), 13, 17.
+
+ Heph-aes-ti'a.
+ Festivals in honor of Hephaestus, or Vulcan, 148.
+
+ He-phaes'tus.
+ Name given to Vulcan, god of the forge, 144;
+ significance, 399.
+
+ He'ra, or He're.
+ Name given to Juno, queen of heaven, and goddess of the
+ atmosphere and of marriage, 51;
+ significance, 385.
+
+ Her'a-cles.
+ Same as Hercules;
+ son of Jupiter and Alcmene, 216.
+
+ He-rae'um.
+ Town dedicated to the service of Juno, 52.
+
+ Her'cu-les.
+ Same as Heracles, god of all athletic games, 216-239;
+ Prometheus delivered by, 28;
+ Hades visited by, 65;
+ Hesione delivered by, 152;
+ Centaurs defeated by, 260;
+ Argonautic expedition joined by, 266, 267;
+ arrows of, 330;
+ apparition of, 331;
+ significance, 379, 389, 390, 393, 395.
+
+ Her'mes.
+ Same as Mercury, messenger of the gods, 131;
+ significance, 399.
+
+ Her-mi'o-ne.
+ Same as Harmonia;
+ daughter of Venus and Mars, 107.
+
+ He'ro.
+ Maiden loved by Leander, who swam the Hellespont to visit her,
+ 111-117.
+
+ He-si'o-ne.
+ Daughter of Laomedon;
+ rescued from sea monster by Hercules, 151, 152, 224.
+
+ Hes-pe'ri-a.
+ Ancient name of Italy, so called by AEneas, 23, 364.
+
+ Hes-per'i-des.
+ Daughters of Hesperus, guardians of golden apples, 226;
+ significance, 390.
+
+ Hes'pe-rus.
+ God of the West;
+ father of the Hesperides, 72, 226.
+
+ Hes'ti-a.
+ Same as Vesta, goddess of the family hearth, 198;
+ significance, 399.
+
+ Him'e-rus.
+ God of the desire of love;
+ attendant in Venus' numerous train, 106.
+
+ Hip-po-cre'ne.
+ Fountain created by Pegasus, 294.
+
+ Hip-po-da-mi'a.
+ Wife of Pirithous;
+ almost carried off by the Centaurs, 260.
+
+ Hip-pol'y-te.
+ Queen of the Amazons, 223, 224;
+ Theseus' wife, 259.
+
+ Hip-pol'y-tus.
+ Son of Theseus and Hippolyte, 259;
+ loved by Phaedra, 262.
+
+ Hip-pom'e-nes.
+ Same as Milanion;
+ lover of Atalanta, 278.
+
+ Hope.
+ The good spirit in Pandora's box;
+ an ancient deity, 33-35.
+
+ Ho'rae.
+ Collective name of the seasons;
+ Venus' attendants, 105.
+
+ Horn Gate.
+ Gate leading from cave of Somnus to outer world, 210, 211.
+
+ Hours.
+ Attendants of Apollo, 85;
+ attendants of Venus, 105.
+
+ Hundred-handed, the.
+ Same as Centimani, 18.
+
+ Hup'nos.
+ Same as Somnus, god of sleep, 208.
+
+ Hy-a-cin'thus.
+ Youth loved by Apollo and Zephyrus;
+ changed to a flower, 67.
+
+ Hy'dra.
+ Monster serpent slain by Hercules in the swamp of Lerna, 220, 221;
+ significance, 400.
+
+ Hy-ge'ia.
+ Daughter of AEsculapius;
+ watched over health of man, 64.
+
+ Hy'las.
+ Youth loved by Hercules;
+ stolen by the water nymphs, 267.
+
+ Hy'men.
+ God of marriage;
+ attendant of Venus, 106.
+
+ Hy-met'tus. Mountain in Attica, 90.
+
+ Hyp-er-bo're-an Mountains.
+ The mountains separating the land of the Hyperboreans from
+ Thrace, 215.
+
+ Hyp-er-bo're-ans.
+ People north of Oceanus, a virtuous race, 16.
+
+ Hy-pe'ri-on.
+ The Titan who had charge of the sun chariot, 17, 20, 22.
+
+ Hyp-erm-nes'tra.
+ Daughter of Danaus;
+ saves her husband, 166.
+
+
+ I-ap'e-tus.
+ One of the Titans;
+ father of Prometheus, 17, 25, 229.
+
+ I-a'pis.
+ Leech consulted by AEneas;
+ cures AEneas with Venus' aid, 376.
+
+ I-a'si-us.
+ Same as Iasion;
+ father of Atalanta, 275, 364.
+
+ Ic'a-rus.
+ Son of Daedalus;
+ fell into the Icarian Sea, 253-255.
+
+ I'da.
+ Mountain in Crete, and near Troy also, 21, 320.
+
+ I'das.
+ A mortal befriended by Neptune;
+ elopes with Marpessa, 155.
+
+ Il'i-a.
+ 1. One of the Titanides;
+ daughter of Uranus and Gaea, 17.
+ 2. Priestess of Vesta;
+ wife of Mars;
+ mother of Romulus and Remus, 140, 377.
+
+ Il'i-ad.
+ Homer's epic poem on the Trojan war, 318, 321, 329.
+
+ Il'i-um.
+ Same as Troy whence comes the Iliad's name, 317, 360, 363, 370.
+
+ In'a-chus.
+ River god (father of Io), 134, 136.
+
+ Infernal Regions.
+ Judges in the, 45;
+ Orpheus visits, 76-79;
+ Adonis visits, 108;
+ Pluto's realm, 159;
+ Proserpina's sojourn in, 194;
+ AEneas visits, 370.
+
+ I'no.
+ Same as Leucothea;
+ second wife of Athamas;
+ daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, 174, 265;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ I'o.
+ Maiden loved by Jupiter;
+ changed into a heifer, 134-137;
+ significance, 385, 396.
+
+ I-ob'a-tes.
+ King of Lycia;
+ recipient of the sealed letter carried by Bellerophon, 291-295.
+
+ I-o-la'us.
+ Friend of Hercules;
+ helped slay the Hydra, 220.
+
+ I-ol'cus.
+ Kingdom of AEson and Jason;
+ usurped by Pelias, 263.
+
+ I'o-le.
+ Maiden loved by Hercules, 235, 236;
+ significance, 390, 392.
+
+ I'on.
+ Grandson of Hellen;
+ ancestor of Ionian race, 38.
+
+ I-o'ni-an Race.
+ Race descended from Ion, grandson of Hellen, 38.
+
+ I-o'ni-an Sea.
+ Sea west of Greece, named after Io, 136, 137.
+
+ Iph-i-ge-ni'a.
+ Daughter of Agamemnon;
+ sacrificed to Diana, 315, 316;
+ Orestes finds, 336.
+
+ I'ris (the Rainbow).
+ Attendant of Juno, 52, 329, 374.
+
+ Iron Age.
+ Fourth and last age previous to the Deluge, 36.
+
+ Isles of the Blest.
+ Islands west of Oceanus, inhabited by the virtuous dead, 16, 17;
+ Ulysses searches for, 359.
+
+ Is'ma-rus.
+ Town in Thrace, spoiled by Ulysses, 337.
+
+ Is-me'ne.
+ Daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, 285;
+ dies of grief, 290.
+
+ Isth'mi-an Games.
+ Games held in honor of Neptune, at Corinth, every four years, 158.
+
+ It'a-ly.
+ Saturn retires to, 23;
+ Ceres returns to, 190;
+ Janus, king of, 205.
+
+ Ith'a-ca.
+ Ulysses' island kingdom, 214, 312, 337;
+ Ulysses arrives in sight of, 346;
+ Ulysses returns to, 354, 355;
+ Telemachus returns to, 357;
+ home of Penelope.
+
+ I-u'lus.
+ AEneas' son;
+ AEneas saves, 361;
+ Cupid assumes form of, 367;
+ stag wounded by, 373;
+ brave defense by, 374.
+
+ Ivory Gate.
+ Gate leading from cave of Somnus to outer world, 210, 211.
+
+ Ix-i'on.
+ Criminal in Tartarus;
+ bound to wheel of fire, 77, 169, 260;
+ significance, 389.
+
+
+ Ja-nic'u-lum.
+ City on the Tiber, founded by Janus, 205.
+
+ Ja'nus.
+ God of all beginnings, of entrances, gates, etc., 205-207;
+ opening of temple of, 373.
+
+ Ja'nus Quad'ri-fons.
+ A square temple dedicated to Janus, 206.
+
+ Ja'son.
+ Son of AEson;
+ captured the golden fleece, 263-274;
+ significance, 392, 393.
+
+ Jo-cas'ta.
+ Wife of Laius, 280;
+ marries Oedipus, her son, 285;
+ commits suicide, 286;
+ significance, 392, 393.
+
+ Jove.
+ Same as Jupiter, 39;
+ birth of, 20;
+ day of, 207;
+ Leda courted by, 311;
+ decree of, 329.
+
+ Ju'no.
+ Birth of, 22;
+ flight of, 24;
+ Jupiter's wife, 44;
+ same as Hera, 51-54;
+ jealousy of, 61, 62, 135-137, 171, 172, 174, 203, 216;
+ Mars, son of, 138;
+ Vulcan, son of, 144;
+ Tityus insults, 169;
+ AEolus, servant of, 213;
+ Hercules persecuted by, 216-218, 219, 224;
+ Jason carries, 264;
+ Jason aided by, 266, 267;
+ contest of Minerva and Venus with, 306-308;
+ Troy destroyed by, 362;
+ AEneas persecuted by, 364, 365, 369, 373-375;
+ significance, 385, 389, 400.
+
+ Ju'pi-ter.
+ Birth of, 20;
+ supremacy of, 21;
+ giants defeated by, 22-24;
+ kingdom divided by, 25;
+ Prometheus punished by, 28;
+ Mercury, messenger of, 31, 134;
+ Deluge caused by, 36;
+ same as Jove, 39-49;
+ Juno courted by, 51;
+ Minerva borne by, 55;
+ Latona courted by, 61;
+ AEsculapius slain by, 64;
+ Amphion, son of, 80;
+ Phaeton slain by, 87;
+ Muses, daughters of, 88;
+ Venus, daughter of, 103;
+ Graces, daughters of, 105;
+ Venus borrows thunderbolts of, 111;
+ Mercury, son of, 131;
+ Io courted by, 135, 136;
+ Mars, son of, 138;
+ Vulcan, son of, 144;
+ thunderbolts of, 147, 155;
+ Neptune exiled by, 151;
+ Semele courted by, 171-174;
+ Ceres, wife of, 183;
+ Hercules, son of, 216, 218;
+ games in honor of, 230, 239;
+ Hercules saved by, 238;
+ Danae courted by, 240, 241;
+ Helen, daughter of, 260, 311;
+ Bellerophon punished by, 295;
+ Thetis loved by, 305, 306;
+ Thetis seeks, 319;
+ interference of, 320, 362, 375;
+ Sarpedon, son of, 325;
+ Apollo appeased by, 354;
+ significance, 381, 384, 385, 386, 388, 389, 390, 394, 396, 398-400.
+
+ Jus'tice.
+ Same as Themis, 44;
+ mother of seasons, 105.
+
+ Ju-tur'na.
+ Sister and charioteer of Turnus, 376.
+
+ Ju-ven'tas.
+ Same as Hebe, goddess of youth, 41.
+
+
+ Ka'kia.
+ Goddess of vice;
+ tries to mislead Hercules, 218.
+
+
+ Lab'y-rinth.
+ A maze in Crete, constructed by Daedalus for the Minotaur, 253-257.
+
+ Lac-e-dae-mo'ni-a.
+ Province in Peloponnesus;
+ capital Sparta, also name of Sparta, 312.
+
+ Lac-e-dae-mo'ni-ans.
+ Inhabitants of Lacedaemonia, or Sparta, 212.
+
+ Lach'e-sis.
+ One of the Fates;
+ twists the thread of life, 165.
+
+ La'don.
+ Dragon which guarded golden apples of Hesperides, 226.
+
+ La-er'tes.
+ Father of Ulysses, 315, 345;
+ Penelope weaves his shroud, 357.
+
+ Laes-try-go'ni-ans.
+ Cannibals visited by Ulysses, 347.
+
+ La'ius.
+ Father of Oedipus, 280;
+ slain by him, 282;
+ significance, 392-394.
+
+ Lam-pe'tia.
+ One of the Heliades, 87;
+ guards the cattle of the sun, 353, 354.
+
+ La-oc'o-on.
+ Trojan priest;
+ crushed to death by two serpents, 333-335.
+
+ La-od-a-mi'a.
+ Wife of Protesilaus;
+ dies of grief, 316, 317.
+
+ La-om'e-don.
+ King of Troy;
+ employs Neptune and Apollo to build walls, 151, 152;
+ significance, 386.
+
+ Lap'i-thae.
+ People who dwelt in Thessaly and fought the Centaurs, 230, 260;
+ Ixion, king of, 169;
+ Pirithous, king of, 259.
+
+ La'ra.
+ Wife of Mercury;
+ mother of the two Lares, 203.
+
+ La'res.
+ Two tutelary divinities of ancient Roman households, 203;
+ saved by Anchises, 362.
+
+ Lat'in.
+ Names of days in, 207.
+
+ Lat'ins.
+ People of Latinus and AEneas, 377;
+ AEneas fights, 375.
+
+ La-ti'nus.
+ King of Latium, 372;
+ welcomes and then wars against AEneas, 373, 374, 376;
+ AEneas makes peace with, 377.
+
+ La'ti-um.
+ Province of Italy, ruled by Latinus, 377;
+ AEneas comes to, 372.
+
+ Lat'mus.
+ Mountain in Asia Minor, where Endymion lies asleep, 97;
+ significance, 388, 392, 394.
+
+ La-to'na.
+ Same as Leto;
+ wife of Jupiter;
+ mother of Apollo and Diana, 61, 62;
+ boast of, 93;
+ significance, 396.
+
+ Lau'sus.
+ Hero slain by AEneas during wars against the Rutules, 376.
+
+ La-vin'i-a.
+ Daughter of Latinus, 372, 373;
+ AEneas' second wife, 376, 377.
+
+ Le-an'der.
+ Youth of Abydus;
+ Hero's lover, who swam the Hellespont, 111-117.
+
+ Le-ar'chus.
+ Son of Athamas and Ino;
+ slain by his father, 174.
+
+ Le'da.
+ Mother of Castor and Pollux, Helen and Clytaemnestra, 311;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Le'laps.
+ The tireless hunting dog given by Procris to Cephalus, 70.
+
+ Lem'nos.
+ Island in the Grecian Archipelago;
+ Vulcan landed there, 144;
+ Philoctetes on, 330.
+
+ Ler'na.
+ Marsh where the Hydra lay concealed, 220.
+
+ Le'the.
+ River of forgetfulness, which separated the Elysian Fields from
+ Hades, 161, 163, 208, 210.
+
+ Le'to.
+ Same as Latona;
+ mother of Apollo and Diana, 61;
+ significance, 386, 388, 392, 394.
+
+ Leu-co'the-a.
+ Same as Ino, Athamas' wife;
+ sea goddess, 174;
+ Ulysses rescued by, 355.
+
+ Li'ber.
+ Same as Bacchus, god of wine and revelry, 174.
+
+ Lib-er-a'li-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Liber, or Bacchus, held in the autumn, 182.
+
+ Lib'y-a.
+ Ancient name of Africa;
+ coast upon which AEneas landed, 48, 366.
+
+ Li'chas.
+ Bearer of the Nessus robe;
+ slain by Hercules, 236-238.
+
+ Light.
+ Same as AEther, 13.
+
+ Lip'a-ri Islands.
+ Same as AEolian Islands, where Ulysses landed, 213.
+
+ Little Bear.
+ Arcas changed into the constellation of the, 52.
+
+ Lo'tis.
+ Nymph changed into a lotus blossom, 299.
+
+ Lo-toph'a-gi.
+ People whose food was the lotus;
+ the Lotus-eaters, 338.
+
+ Love.
+ Same as Eros, Cupid, etc., 13;
+ Psyche courted by, 124-127.
+
+ Loves.
+ Attendants of Venus, 148.
+
+ Lower Regions.
+ Visited by AEneas, 372.
+
+ Lu'nae.
+ Same as Diana, 207.
+
+ Lyc'i-a.
+ Land ruled by Iobates, who sends Bellerophon to slay the
+ Chimaera, 291, 295.
+
+ Lyc-o-me'des.
+ King of Scyros;
+ treacherously slays Theseus, 262;
+ shelters Achilles, 314, 315.
+
+ Ly'cus.
+ Antiope's second husband;
+ slain by Amphion and Zethus, 80-82.
+
+ Lyd'i-a.
+ Kingdom of Midas, in Asia Minor, 177, 230.
+
+ Lyn'ceus.
+ Husband of Hypermnestra, who spared his life, 166.
+
+ Lyn'cus.
+ King of Scythia;
+ changed into a lynx by Ceres, 196.
+
+ Ly'ra.
+ Orpheus' lute;
+ placed in heavens as a constellation, 80.
+
+
+ Ma-cha'on.
+ Celebrated leech;
+ son of AEsculapius, 64;
+ Philoctetes healed by, 331.
+
+ Ma'ia.
+ Goddess of the plains;
+ mother of Mercury, 131;
+ significance, 399.
+
+ Ma'nes.
+ Tutelary divinities of Roman households, with the Lares and
+ Penates, 203.
+
+ Mar-pes'sa.
+ Daughter of Evenus;
+ marries Idas, 155.
+
+ Mars.
+ Same as Ares;
+ son of Jupiter and Juno, 52;
+ god of war, 138-143;
+ Venus courted by, 106-108;
+ day of, 207;
+ descendants of, 377;
+ significance, 400.
+
+ Mar'sy-as.
+ 1. Shepherd who enters into competition with Apollo, 73, 74.
+ 2. Name of river, 74.
+
+ Mar'ti-us, Cam'pus.
+ Roman exercising grounds, 143.
+
+ Mat-ro-na'li-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Juno, in Rome, 54.
+
+ Me-de'a.
+ Daughter of AEetes, 268, 269;
+ wife of Jason, 271, 273, 274;
+ wife of AEgeus, 252, 253;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ Me'di-a.
+ Country in Asia Minor, where Medea took refuge, 253.
+
+ Med-i-ter-ra'ne-an.
+ Sea dividing world in two, 15.
+
+ Me-du'sa.
+ Gorgon slain by Perseus, whose hair was turned into snakes, 242-249;
+ Neptune marries, 154;
+ Pegasus, offspring of, 294;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ Me-gae'ra.
+ One of the Furies, Eumenides, or Erinnyes, 163.
+
+ Meg'a-ra.
+ First wife of Hercules, whose three children he burns in his
+ madness, 219;
+ significance, 390.
+
+ Me-le-a'ger.
+ Son of Oeneus and Althaea;
+ leader of Calydonian Hunt, 275, 276;
+ significance, 392.
+
+ Me'li-an Nymphs.
+ Nymphs who nursed Jupiter in infancy, 21.
+
+ Mel-pom'e-ne.
+ One of the Muses;
+ presides over tragedy, 88.
+
+ Mem'phis.
+ Town in Egypt, founded by Epaphus, 136.
+
+ Men-e-la'us.
+ King of Sparta;
+ husband of Helen of Troy, 310-314;
+ Paris fights, 320;
+ return of, 335;
+ Telemachus visits, 357;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Men'e-ti-us.
+ One of the four sons of Iapetus and Clymene, 25.
+
+ Men'tor.
+ Name assumed by Minerva to act as a guide for Telemachus, 357, 358.
+
+ Mer-cu-ra'li-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Mercury, the messenger god, 137.
+
+ Mer'cu-ry.
+ Same as Hermes;
+ son of Jupiter and Maia, 131-137;
+ Pandora guided by, 29, 31;
+ Jupiter's ally, 43;
+ Adonis guided by, 108;
+ Mars delivered by, 139;
+ Bacchus guarded by, 174;
+ Proserpina guided by, 195;
+ Lara loved by, 203;
+ day of, 207;
+ leader of dreams, 210;
+ Perseus helped by, 243;
+ Pan, son of, 300;
+ Protesilaus guided by, 317;
+ Priam led by, 329;
+ Ulysses aided by, 349, 354;
+ AEneas aided by, 369;
+ significance, 385, 386, 399, 400.
+
+ Mer'o-pe.
+ Daughter of Oenopion;
+ promised bride of Orion, 99.
+
+ Met-a-nei'ra.
+ Wife of Celeus, king of Eleusis;
+ mother of Triptolemus, 188.
+
+ Me'tis.
+ Daughter of Oceanus;
+ gives a potion to Cronus, 22.
+
+ Me'tus.
+ Attendant of Mars;
+ god of war and strife, 138.
+
+ Me-zen'ti-us.
+ Father of Lausus;
+ slain by AEneas, 376.
+
+ Mi'das.
+ King of Lydia, 74, 75;
+ changed all he touched to gold, 177-179.
+
+ Mi-la'ni-on.
+ Same as Hippomenes;
+ husband of Atalanta, 278.
+
+ Mi'lo.
+ Island where statue of Venus was found, 130.
+
+ Mi-ner'va.
+ Same as Athene, goddess of wisdom;
+ daughter of Jupiter, 55-60;
+ man given soul by, 27;
+ flute of, 73;
+ Vulcan wooes, 147;
+ contest of Neptune and, 152;
+ Medusa punished by, 242;
+ Perseus aided by, 243;
+ gift to, 249;
+ Argo built by, 266;
+ Bellerophon helped by, 292;
+ Juno and Venus dispute with, 306-308;
+ Ulysses aided by, 354-358;
+ significance, 395, 396.
+
+ Min-er-va'li-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Minerva, in Rome, 60.
+
+ Mi'nos.
+ 1. King of Crete, 223;
+ father of Ariadne and Phaedra, 253, 256.
+ 2. Son of Jupiter and Europa;
+ judge in Hades, 45, 163.
+
+ Min'o-taur.
+ Monster which Minos kept in the Labyrinth, 253-257;
+ significance, 391, 401.
+
+ Mne-mos'y-ne.
+ A Titanide, 17, 22;
+ goddess of memory;
+ wife of Jupiter;
+ mother of the Muses, 88.
+
+ Moe'rae.
+ The Fates, or Parcae, who spin, twist, and cut the thread of
+ life, 165.
+
+ Mor'pheus.
+ Prime minister of Somnus, god of sleep, 208, 212.
+
+ Mors.
+ Same as Thanatos, god of death, 208-212, 213.
+
+ Mo-sych'lus.
+ Mountain in Lemnos, where Vulcan fell from heaven, 144.
+
+ Mu-sag'e-tes.
+ Apollo's name when he led the choir of the Muses, 88.
+
+ Mu'ses, the Nine.
+ Daughters of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 73-75, 88-90;
+ mount of the, 294.
+
+ My-ce'nae.
+ Favorite city of Juno, with Sparta and Argos, 52;
+ Perseus exchanges Argos for, 249.
+
+ Myr'mi-dons.
+ Achilles' followers;
+ led by Patroclus, 324, 325;
+ significance, 395.
+
+ Mys'ter-ies.
+ Religious rites celebrated in honor of the God of Wine, 182.
+
+ Myths.
+ Fabulous tales, 378-401.
+
+
+ Na-i'a-des.
+ Fountain nymphs subject to Neptune, 297, 298.
+
+ Na-pae'ae.
+ Valley nymphs, who looked after the flocks also, 297.
+
+ Nar-cis'sus.
+ Youth loved by Echo;
+ enamored with his own image, 118-120.
+
+ Nau-sic'a-a.
+ Daughter of Alcinous and Arete;
+ befriends Ulysses, 355.
+
+ Nax'os.
+ Island visited by Theseus and Bacchus, 179, 257;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ Nec'tar.
+ Beverage of the gods, poured out by Hebe and Ganymede, 41, 84.
+
+ Ne'leus.
+ Son of Neptune;
+ brother of Pelias, 154.
+
+ Ne'me-a.
+ Forest in Greece, devastated by a lion slain by Hercules, 220.
+
+ Ne'me-an Games.
+ Games in honor of Jupiter and Hercules, 239.
+
+ Ne'me-an Lion.
+ Monster slain by Hercules, 220.
+
+ Nem'e-sis.
+ Goddess of vengeance, 163;
+ pursues Orestes, 336.
+
+ Ne-op-tol'e-mus.
+ Same as Pyrrhus;
+ Achilles' son;
+ slays Priam, 361.
+
+ Neph'e-le.
+ Wife of Athamas;
+ mother of Phryxus and Helle, 265;
+ significance, 391, 397.
+
+ Nep'tune.
+ Same as Poseidon, god of the sea, 149-158;
+ son of Cronus, 22;
+ kingdom given to, 25;
+ Deluge controlled by, 36, 37;
+ horse created by, 57;
+ Delos created by, 62;
+ walls built by, 65;
+ Mars punished by, 139;
+ girl protected by, 197;
+ Vesta wooed by, 198;
+ Minos punished by, 223;
+ Pegasus created by, 244;
+ Hippolytus slain by, 262;
+ Thetis wooed by, 305;
+ Trojans punished by, 332, 333;
+ Polyphemus, son of, 339;
+ Ulysses' men slain by, 354, 355;
+ AEneas saved by, 366, 370;
+ significance, 397, 400.
+
+ Ne-re'i-des.
+ Water nymphs;
+ daughters of Nereus and Doris, 153, 155;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ Ne're-us.
+ God of the sea;
+ the personification of its pleasant aspect, 154, 226;
+ father of Thetis, 305;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ Nes'sus.
+ The Centaur who carries Deianeira across the river;
+ slain by Hercules, 234, 235;
+ significance, 390.
+
+ Nes'tor.
+ Greek hero during Trojan war;
+ noted for wise counsel, 275, 314, 357.
+
+ Ni'ce.
+ Same as Victory;
+ attendant of Jupiter, 41.
+
+ Night.
+ Same as Nyx or Nox, 13, 15, 57, 208.
+
+ Nightmares.
+ Attendants of Somnus, crouching in his cave, 210.
+
+ Ni'o-be.
+ Daughter of Tantalus, whose children are slain by Apollo and
+ Diana, 93-96, 167;
+ significance, 398.
+
+ Ni'sus.
+ Youth who accompanies Euryalus to summon AEneas back to camp, 374.
+
+ No'man.
+ Name assumed by Ulysses to mislead Polyphemus, 343, 344.
+
+ No'tus or Auster.
+ Southwest wind;
+ son of AEolus and Aurora, 213-215.
+
+ Nox.
+ Same as Nyx, goddess of night;
+ marries Chaos and Erebus, 13.
+
+ Nu'ma Pom-pil'i-us.
+ Second king of Rome;
+ built Vesta's temple, 200.
+
+ Nymphs.
+ Name given to female minor divinities, 297.
+
+ Ny-si'a-des.
+ Nymphs who cared for Bacchus, and form a constellation, 174.
+
+ Nyx.
+ Same as Nox, goddess of night;
+ mother of Day and Light, 13, 15, 17, 163.
+
+
+ O-ce-an'i-des.
+ Daughters of Oceanus;
+ nymphs of the ocean, 25, 103, 303;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ O-ce'a-nus.
+ 1. River surrounding the earth, according to ancients, 15, 16, 229.
+ 2. One of the Titans;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 17, 20, 22, 25, 149;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ O-cris'i-a.
+ A slave;
+ wife of Vulcan;
+ mother of Servius Tullius, 148.
+
+ O-dys'seus.
+ Same as Ulysses;
+ hero of the Odyssey, 337.
+
+ Od'ys-sey.
+ Epic poem of Homer on the adventures of Ulysses, 337.
+
+ Oed'i-pus.
+ Son of Laius and Jocasta;
+ King of Thebes, 280-290;
+ significance, 392, 393, 394.
+
+ Oe'neus.
+ Father of Meleager and Deianeira;
+ husband of Althaea, 232, 275.
+
+ Oe-no'ne.
+ Wife of Paris, son of Priam, 307, 308;
+ she dies on his funeral pyre, 331;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Oe-no'pi-on. Father of Merope;
+ blinds Orion, 99.
+
+ Oe'ta.
+ Mountain on whose summit Hercules builds his funeral pyre, 238.
+
+ O-gyg'i-a.
+ Island where Calypso detains Ulysses seven years, 354.
+
+ O-lym'pi-a.
+ City in Elis noted for its temple and games, 49, 230, 239.
+
+ O-lym'pi-ad.
+ Time between Olympian Games; i.e., four years, 49.
+
+ O-lym'pi-an Games.
+ Games instituted by Hercules in honor of Jupiter, 49, 230.
+
+ O-lym'pus.
+ Mountain north of Greece;
+ the abode of the gods, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29, 39, 51, 55,
+ 58, 70, 76, 96, 106, 120, 128, 132, 135, 153, 171, 240, 297,
+ 373, 375;
+ gods fly from, 24;
+ Prometheus visits, 28;
+ Ganymede transported to, 43;
+ Vulcan expelled from, 144;
+ Ceres visits, 194;
+ Bellerophon storms, 295;
+ Thetis visits, 319;
+ significance, 384.
+
+ Om'pha-le.
+ Queen of Lydia;
+ the taskmistress of Hercules, 230.
+
+ O-ne-i-co-pom'pus.
+ Name borne by Mercury as conductor of dreams, 131, 137.
+
+ Ops.
+ Same as Cybele;
+ name given to Rhea, and also to Ceres, 20.
+
+ O-re'a-des.
+ Mountain nymphs who guided travelers, 297.
+
+ O-res'tes.
+ Son of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra;
+ friend of Pylades, 336.
+
+ O-ri'on.
+ Youth loved by Diana, and accidentally slain by her, 98-100.
+
+ Or-i-thy'i-a.
+ Wife of Boreas;
+ mother of Calais, Zetus, Cleopatra, and Chione, 215.
+
+ Or'pheus.
+ Musician;
+ son of Apollo and Calliope, 75-80, 266;
+ significance, 387, 388.
+
+ Os'sa.
+ Mountain in Thessaly, upon which the Titans piled Pelion, 23.
+
+ O'tus.
+ Giant son of Neptune;
+ slain by Diana and Apollo, 139, 154;
+ significance, 400.
+
+
+ Pac-to'lus.
+ River in Asia Minor in which Midas washed, to remove his golden
+ plague, 179.
+
+ Pa-lae'mon.
+ Son of Athamas and Ino;
+ changed into sea god, 174.
+
+ Pal-a-me'des.
+ Messenger sent to summon Ulysses to war against Troy, 312.
+
+ Pal-i-nu'rus.
+ AEneas' pilot;
+ lost at sea off Cape Misenum, 370, 372.
+
+ Pal-la'di-um.
+ Statue of Minerva, 60;
+ stolen from Troy by Ulysses and Diomedes, 198, 332.
+
+ Pal'las.
+ 1. Name given to Minerva in Athens, 27, 55, 57.
+ 2. Son of Evander;
+ slain by Turnus while fighting for AEneas, 374, 375.
+
+ Pal'lor.
+ Special attendant of Mars;
+ lover of strife, 138.
+
+ Pan.
+ Same as Consentes, god of nature and the universe, 74, 127, 300, 301;
+ significance, 400.
+
+ Pan-ath-e-nae'a.
+ Festivals held in honor of Minerva, 60.
+
+ Pan-do'ra.
+ First woman;
+ created in heaven, she brings evil into the world, 29-35, 37.
+
+ Par'cae.
+ The Fates, or Moerae;
+ they spin the thread of destiny, 165.
+
+ Par'is.
+ Son of Priam and Hecuba, 307;
+ judgment of, 308;
+ visits Troy, 308, 310;
+ elopes with Helen, 312;
+ duel with Menelaus, 320;
+ in battle, 323;
+ Achilles slain by, 330;
+ death of, 331;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Par-nas'sus.
+ Mountain in Greece, 37, 38;
+ sacred to Apollo and the Muses, 90.
+
+ Par-the'ni-um.
+ Mountain upon which Atalanta was exposed, 275.
+
+ Par'the-non.
+ Temple dedicated to Minerva at Athens, 60.
+
+ Pa-tro'clus.
+ Friend of Achilles;
+ slain by Hector, 324-328;
+ significance, 395.
+
+ Peg'a-sus.
+ Steed born from the sea foam and the blood of Medusa, 154, 244;
+ Bellerophon rides, 292-296;
+ significance, 394, 397.
+
+ Pe'leus.
+ Husband of Thetis;
+ father of Achilles, 266, 275, 305, 314.
+
+ Pe'li-as.
+ Uncle of Jason;
+ brother of Neleus, 154;
+ usurps the throne of AEson, 263-266, 273.
+
+ Pe'li-on.
+ A high mountain in Thessaly, piled upon Ossa by the giants to
+ reach Olympus, 23, 266.
+
+ Pel-o-pon-ne'sus.
+ The peninsula south of Greece, 49, 167.
+
+ Pe'lops.
+ Son of Tantalus;
+ gave his name to the Peloponnesus, 167;
+ father of Copreus, 153;
+ significance, 389.
+
+ Pe-na'tes.
+ Household gods worshiped in Rome with the Lares, 203, 204;
+ AEneas saves the, 362.
+
+ Pe-nel'o-pe.
+ 1. Wife of Ulysses, 312;
+ suitors of, 357-359;
+ significance, 395.
+ 2. A nymph, the mother of Pan, 300.
+
+ Pe-ne'us.
+ 1. River god;
+ father of Daphne;
+ changes Daphne into a laurel.
+ 2. Name of a river in Greece, 68.
+
+ Pen-the-si-le'a.
+ Queen of Amazons;
+ slain during Trojan war, 329.
+
+ Pen'theus.
+ King of Thebes;
+ refuses to receive Bacchus, and is slain, 181, 182.
+
+ Per-i-phe'tes.
+ Son of Vulcan, 148;
+ encountered and slain by Theseus, 251.
+
+ Per-seph'o-ne.
+ Same as Proserpina, goddess of vegetation, 183, 187, 194.
+
+ Per'seus.
+ Son of Jupiter and Danae;
+ slays Medusa, 240-249;
+ significance, 390, 391, 393, 394, 395.
+
+ Pet'a-sus.
+ Name given to the winged cap worn by Mercury, 134.
+
+ Phae-a'ci-ans.
+ People who dwelt in Scheria, and sent Ulysses home, 355;
+ significance, 395.
+
+ Phae'dra.
+ Daughter of Minos;
+ wife of Theseus, 262;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ Pha'e-ton.
+ Son of Apollo and Clymene;
+ drives the sun car, and is slain, 83-88;
+ significance, 388, 395.
+
+ Pha-e-tu'sa.
+ Sister of Phaeton;
+ one of the Heliades, 87;
+ Apollo's flocks guarded by, 353.
+
+ Phe-re-phat'ta.
+ Name given to Persephone, or Proserpina, 183.
+
+ Phid'i-as.
+ Noted Greek sculptor;
+ made statues of the gods, 49, 60.
+
+ Phi-le'mon.
+ Husband of Baucis;
+ changed into an oak, 43, 44.
+
+ Phil-oc-te'tes.
+ Friend of Hercules;
+ receives his arrows, 238, 330, 331.
+
+ Phi-lon'o-e.
+ Daughter of Iobates;
+ wife of Bellerophon, 292;
+ significance, 394.
+
+ Phin'e-us.
+ The blind king of Thrace;
+ annoyed by the Harpies, 248, 249, 267.
+
+ Phleg'e-thon.
+ One of the rivers of Hades;
+ a river of fire, 161, 163, 350.
+
+ Pho'bos.
+ One of the attendants of Mars, god of war, 138.
+
+ Pho'cis.
+ Province in Greece, bounded by Doris, Locris, and the Gulf of
+ Corinth, 336.
+
+ Phoe'be.
+ One of the Titanides, 17, 20;
+ same as Diana, 93.
+
+ Phoe'bus.
+ Name given to Apollo, god of the sun and of medicine, 61, 67,
+ 90, 94, 96, 318;
+ significance, 386.
+
+ Phoe-nic'i-a.
+ Province in Asia Minor, named after Phoenix, 47;
+ significance, 386.
+
+ Phoe'nix.
+ Brother of Europa, who gave his name to Phoenicia, 45, 47.
+
+ Phryx'us.
+ Son of Athamas and Nephele;
+ rides on golden-fleeced ram to Colchis, 154, 265;
+ significance, 391, 397.
+
+ Pi-re'ne.
+ Fountain near Corinth, where Pegasus drinks, 294.
+
+ Pi-rith'o-us.
+ King of the Lapithae;
+ friend of Theseus, 259, 260, 275.
+
+ Ple'ia-des.
+ Seven of Diana's nymphs;
+ pursued by Orion and changed into stars, 98.
+
+ Plu'to.
+ Same as Hades, Dis, Aidoneus, etc., 159-170;
+ god of the Infernal Regions, 25, 76, 77, 79, 110, 208, 350;
+ birth of, 22;
+ Proserpina kidnapped by, 183-187;
+ Arethusa sees, 193;
+ Ceres visits, 195;
+ Perseus aided by, 243;
+ Theseus punished by, 260;
+ significance, 396, 401.
+
+ Plu'tus.
+ Name given to Pluto when invoked as god of wealth, 159.
+
+ Pod-a-lir'i-us.
+ Son of AEsculapius;
+ skilled in medicine, 64.
+
+ Po-dar'ces.
+ Same as Priam, King of Troy;
+ slain by Pyrrhus, 152.
+
+ Po-li'tes.
+ Last of Priam's sons;
+ slain at his feet by Pyrrhus, 361.
+
+ Pol'lux.
+ Son of Jupiter and Leda;
+ brother of Castor, Helen, and Clytaemnestra, 260, 266, 275, 278, 279.
+
+ Pol'y-bus.
+ King of Corinth;
+ adopted Oedipus when forsaken by the servant, 280-282.
+
+ Pol-y-dec'tes.
+ King of Seriphus;
+ sends Perseus in quest of Medusa, 242, 249.
+
+ Pol-y-do'rus.
+ Trojan youth, murdered in Thrace;
+ his grave discovered by AEneas, 363.
+
+ Pol-y-hym'ni-a.
+ Muse of rhetoric;
+ daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 90.
+
+ Pol-y-ni'ces.
+ Son of Oedipus, 285;
+ slain by Eteocles, 287;
+ buried by Antigone, 288.
+
+ Pol-y-phe'mus.
+ Giant son of Neptune, 154;
+ Ulysses visits, 339-346;
+ Galatea loved by, 341;
+ blinded by Ulysses, 344;
+ Achemenides escapes from, 365.
+
+ Po-lyx'e-na.
+ Daughter of Priam;
+ affianced wife of Achilles, 330.
+
+ Po-mo'na.
+ Goddess of the orchards;
+ wife of Vertumnus, 303.
+
+ Pon'tus.
+ Name given to the sea when first created, 13, 15.
+
+ Po-sei'don.
+ Same as Neptune, god of the sea and of horse trainers, 149.
+
+ Po'thos.
+ God of the amities of love;
+ one of the numerous attendants of Venus, 106.
+
+ Pri'am.
+ Same as Podarces, 152;
+ King of Troy, 307;
+ Paris received by, 310;
+ duel witnessed by, 320;
+ Hector, son of, 325;
+ Hector's death seen by, 328;
+ Mercury leads, 329;
+ Polyxena, daughter of, 330;
+ death of, 335, 361.
+
+ Pri-a'pus.
+ God of the shade;
+ pursues the nymph Lotis, 299, 301.
+
+ Pro'cris.
+ Wife of Cephalus;
+ slain by his unerring javelin, 70, 71;
+ significance, 387, 389.
+
+ Pro-crus'tes (The Stretcher).
+ Encountered and slain by Theseus, 252.
+
+ Proe'tus.
+ Husband of Anteia, and kinsman of Bellerophon, 291, 292.
+
+ Pro-me'theus (Forethought).
+ Son of Iapetus;
+ man created by, 25;
+ Olympus visited by, 27;
+ chained to Caucasian Mountains, 28;
+ Hercules delivers, 28, 227;
+ Deucalion, son of, 37;
+ significance, 379, 398.
+
+ Pro-ser'pi-na.
+ Same as Proserpine and Persephone;
+ goddess of vegetation, 183-197;
+ Orpheus visits, 77;
+ Adonis welcomed by, 110;
+ Pluto kidnaps, 159;
+ emblem of death, 212;
+ significance, 396.
+
+ Pro-tes-i-la'us.
+ First Greek who landed on Trojan coast, 316, 317.
+
+ Pro'teus.
+ Inferior sea divinity;
+ shepherd of the deep, 156;
+ Menelaus consults, 336;
+ significance, 381.
+
+ Psy'che.
+ Fair princess loved by Cupid;
+ the emblem of the soul, 121-130;
+ significance, 381.
+
+ Psy-cho-pom'pus.
+ Name given to Mercury as leader of souls to Hades, 131, 137.
+
+ Pyg-ma'li-on.
+ 1. Celebrated sculptor, who loves a statue, 120, 121.
+ 2. Brother of Dido;
+ murderer of Sychaeus, Dido's husband, 366.
+
+ Pyg'mies.
+ Race of small people in Africa;
+ defended by Antaeus, 227, 228.
+
+ Pyl'a-des.
+ Son of Strophius;
+ intimate friend of Orestes, 336.
+
+ Pyr'a-mus.
+ Faithful lover of Thisbe;
+ commits suicide, 117, 118.
+
+ Pyr'rha.
+ Wife of Deucalion;
+ the only woman who survives the Flood, 37, 38.
+
+ Pyr'rhus.
+ Same as Neoptolemus;
+ son of Achilles, 361.
+
+ Pyth'e-us.
+ Surname given to Apollo as python slayer, 61, 65.
+
+ Pyth'i-a.
+ Name given to Apollo's priestess at Delphi, 91.
+
+ Pyth'i-an Games.
+ Games celebrated at Delphi every three years, 91.
+
+ Py'thon.
+ Serpent born of the Deluge slime;
+ slain by Apollo, 65-67;
+ significance, 387, 400.
+
+
+ Quin-qua'tri-a.
+ Festivals in honor of the goddess Minerva, 60.
+
+ Quir'i-nal.
+ One of the seven hills on which Rome is built, 142.
+
+ Quir-i-na'li-a.
+ Festivals in Rome in honor of Quirinus, 142.
+
+ Qui-ri'nus.
+ Name given to Romulus when deified, 142.
+
+
+ Re-gil'lus.
+ Lake in Italy where occurred the battle in which the Dioscuri
+ were supposed to assist, 279.
+
+ Re'mus.
+ Son of Mars and Ilia;
+ twin brother of Romulus, 140-142, 377.
+
+ Rhad-a-man'thus.
+ Son of Jupiter and Europa;
+ judge in Hades, 45, 163.
+
+ Rhe'a.
+ Female Titan;
+ daughter of Uranus and Gaea, 17;
+ wife of Cronus, 18;
+ Jupiter saved by, 20;
+ Corybantes, priests of, 21;
+ Cronus defeated by, 22;
+ Juno, daughter of, 51;
+ Pluto, son of, 159;
+ Ceres, daughter of, 183;
+ Vesta, daughter of, 198;
+ significance, 396.
+
+ Rhodes.
+ Island in the Mediterranean, where the Colossus stood, 91.
+
+ Rome.
+ City founded by Romulus;
+ it comprises seven hills, 142.
+
+ Rom'u-lus.
+ Son of Mars and Ilia;
+ founder of Rome, 140, 142, 372, 377.
+
+ Ru'tu-les.
+ Nation in Italy, governed by Turnus, 374, 375.
+
+
+ Sa-git-ta'ri-us.
+ The constellation formed by Chiron, the Centaur who taught
+ Hercules, 221.
+
+ Sa-la'ci-a.
+ Same as Amphitrite;
+ wife of Neptune, 154.
+
+ Sa'li-i.
+ Priests appointed to watch the sacred shields in Rome, 143.
+
+ Sal-mo'neus.
+ King who wished to emulate Jupiter, 168.
+
+ Sar-pe'don.
+ Son of Jupiter and Europa, 45;
+ slain during the Trojan war, 325.
+
+ Sat'urn, or Cronus.
+ Son of Uranus and Gaea, 18;
+ father of Jupiter, 20;
+ Italy ruled by, 23, 35;
+ husband of Rhea, 25;
+ day of, 207.
+
+ Sa'tyrs.
+ Male divinities of the woods, half man, half goat, 300.
+
+ Scae'an Gate.
+ Gate which led from Troy to the plain, 321.
+
+ Sci'ron.
+ Giant encountered by Theseus on the Isthmus of Corinth, 251, 252.
+
+ Scyl'la.
+ Sea nymph changed to monster by Circe. She lived under rock of
+ same name, 352, 353, 365.
+
+ Scy'ros.
+ Island in the Archipelago, the home of Lycomedes, visited by
+ Achilles and Theseus, 262.
+
+ Scyth'i-a.
+ Country north of the Euxine Sea, 196.
+
+ Seasons.
+ The four daughters of Jupiter and Themis, 105.
+
+ Sec'u-lar Games.
+ Games in honor of Pluto every hundred years, 160.
+
+ Se-le'ne.
+ Name given to Diana as moon goddess, 93;
+ significance, 388, 389.
+
+ Sem'e-le.
+ Daughter of Cadmus;
+ wife of Jupiter;
+ mother of Bacchus, 171-174;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ Se-ri'phus.
+ Island where Danae and Perseus were cast ashore, 242, 249.
+
+ Ser'vi-us Tul'li-us.
+ Sixth king of Rome;
+ son of Vulcan and Ocrisia, 148.
+
+ Ses'tus.
+ City opposite Abydus;
+ the home of Hero, 111, 112, 116.
+
+ Seven Wonders of the World, 49, 91.
+
+ Sheet-lightning.
+ Same as Arges, 18.
+
+ Sib'yl.
+ Prophetess of Cumae, who led AEneas down to the infernal Regions,
+ 370-372.
+
+ Si-ca'ni-a.
+ Land where Anchises died;
+ visited twice by AEneas, 365.
+
+ Sic'i-ly.
+ Island home of Polyphemus;
+ visited by Arion, 82;
+ visited by Proserpina, 183;
+ visited by Ulysses, 339;
+ visited by AEneas, 365, 370.
+
+ Si-le'nus.
+ Tutor of Bacchus;
+ generally represented on an ass, 174-177, 300.
+
+ Sil-va'nus.
+ God of the woods;
+ one of the lesser Roman divinities, 301.
+
+ Silver Age.
+ Second age of the ancient world, 35.
+
+ Sil'vi-a.
+ Daughter of Latin shepherd;
+ her stag was wounded by Iulus, 373.
+
+ Si'nis (The Pine-bender).
+ Giant encountered and slain by Theseus, 251.
+
+ Si'non.
+ Greek slave, who advised the Trojans to secure the wooden horse,
+ 332, 335.
+
+ Sip'y-lus.
+ Mountain where stood the statue of Niobe, 94.
+
+ Si'rens.
+ Maidens who allured mariners by their wondrous songs, 350-352;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ Sir'i-us.
+ Favorite dog of Orion;
+ a constellation, 98, 100.
+
+ Sis'y-phus.
+ King condemned to roll a rock in Tartarus to the top of a steep
+ hill, 77, 167;
+ significance, 389.
+
+ Sol.
+ Name frequently given to Apollo as god of the sun, 61.
+
+ Som'nus.
+ God of sleep;
+ the child of Nox, and twin brother of Mors, 208-212.
+
+ Spar'ta.
+ Capital of Lacedaemon;
+ favorite city of Juno, 52;
+ home of Menelaus, 310-312.
+
+ Sphinx.
+ Riddle-giving monster;
+ slain by Oedipus, 283-285;
+ significance, 393, 401.
+
+ Stel'li-o.
+ Urchin changed to lizard by Ceres when searching for Proserpina, 197.
+
+ Ster'o-pes (Lightning).
+ One of the Cyclopes;
+ son of Uranus and Gaea, 18.
+
+ Sthe'no.
+ One of the three Gorgon sisters, immortal, like Euryale, 242.
+
+ Stroph'a-des.
+ Islands where the Harpies took refuge when driven from Thrace, 267;
+ AEneas visits the, 364.
+
+ Stro'phi-us.
+ Father of Pylades;
+ shelters Orestes, 336.
+
+ Stym-pha'lus.
+ Lake upon whose banks Hercules slew the brazen-clawed birds, 226.
+
+ Styx.
+ River in Hades, by whose waters the gods swore their most
+ sacred oaths, 43, 77, 84, 161, 172;
+ Achilles bathed in the, 314.
+
+ Su-a-de'la.
+ One of Venus' train of attendants;
+ god of the soft speech of love, 106.
+
+ Sy-chae'us.
+ King of Tyre;
+ husband of Dido;
+ murdered by Pygmalion, 366.
+
+ Sym-pleg'a-des.
+ Floating rocks safely passed by the Argo, 268.
+
+ Sy'rinx.
+ Nymph loved by Pan, and changed into reeds, 300, 301.
+
+
+ Taen'a-rum, or Taen'a-rus.
+ The Greek entrance to Hades on Cimmerian coast, 160, 229.
+
+ Ta-la'ri-a.
+ Mercury's winged sandals, given by the gods, 134.
+
+ Ta'lus.
+ Brazen giant;
+ son of Vulcan;
+ the watchman of Minos, 256, 257.
+
+ Tan'ta-lus.
+ Father of Pelops;
+ condemned to hunger and thirst in Hades, 77, 93, 167;
+ significance, 389, 390.
+
+ Tar'ta-rus.
+ Abyss under the earth, where the Titans, etc., were confined,
+ 17, 18, 22, 25;
+ Orpheus' music heard in, 77;
+ wicked in, 161-169;
+ significance, 385, 391.
+
+ Tau'ris.
+ Country to which Diana brought Iphigenia, 316;
+ visited by Orestes, 336.
+
+ Tel'a-mon.
+ Husband of Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon, 152.
+
+ Te-lem'a-chus.
+ Son of Ulysses and Penelope, 312;
+ adventures of, 357, 358.
+
+ Tel-e-phas'sa.
+ Wife of Agenor;
+ mother of Europa, 47;
+ significance, 386.
+
+ Tel'lus.
+ Same as Gaea;
+ name given to Rhea, 13.
+
+ Ten'e-dos.
+ Island off the coast of Troy, 332, 335.
+
+ Terp-sich'o-re.
+ Muse of dancing;
+ daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 88.
+
+ Ter'ra.
+ Same as Gaea, goddess of the earth, 13.
+
+ Teu'cer.
+ Ancient king of the Trojans, 364.
+
+ Tha-li'a.
+ 1. One of the three Graces;
+ daughter of Jupiter and Eurynome, 105.
+ 2. One of the nine Muses;
+ Muse of comedy, 88.
+
+ Than'a-tos.
+ Same as Mors, god of death, 208.
+
+ Thebes.
+ Capital of Boeotia;
+ founded by Cadmus, 47, 48;
+ Amphion, king of, 80-82;
+ Athamas, king of, 174;
+ Pentheus, king of, 181;
+ Oedipus, king of, 280-290.
+
+ The'mis.
+ One of the six female Titans, 17, 22;
+ goddess of justice, 44, 105, 107, 163.
+
+ The-oph'a-ne.
+ Maiden changed by Neptune into a sheep, 153.
+
+ The'seus.
+ Son of AEgeus and AEthra;
+ hero of Athens, 179, 250-262, 266, 275;
+ significance, 391, 393.
+
+ Thes-mo-pho'ri-a.
+ Festivals in Greece in honor of Ceres, 196.
+
+ Thes'sa-ly.
+ A province of Greece, 311;
+ fight of the gods in, 23;
+ Admetus, king of, 64;
+ Ceyx, king of, 211;
+ AEson, king of, 263, 273;
+ Protesilaus of, 316.
+
+ The'tis.
+ 1. Mother of Achilles, 314;
+ a sea nymph, 20.
+ 2. One of the Titanides, 17;
+ marriage feast of, 305, 306;
+ Olympus visited by, 319;
+ Achilles comforted by, 325;
+ Achilles' armor brought by, 326-328;
+ Achilles instructed by, 329.
+
+ This'be.
+ Babylonian maiden loved by Pyramus, 117, 118.
+
+ Thrace.
+ Country on the Black Sea;
+ the home of Mars, 138, 223, 267, 363;
+ significance, 400.
+
+ Thyr'sus.
+ The vine-encircled wand borne by the followers of Bacchus, 182.
+
+ Ti'ber.
+ River in Italy, 200, 202, 205;
+ AEneas sails up the, 363, 372, 374.
+
+ Ti-re'si-as.
+ The blind seer visited by Ulysses on the Cimmerian shore, 350, 353.
+
+ Ti-siph'o-ne.
+ One of the three Furies, or Eumenides, 163, 165, 174.
+
+ Ti-tan'i-des.
+ The six daughters of Uranus and Gaea, 17.
+
+ Ti'tans.
+ Name given to the six sons of Uranus and Gaea, 17, 18;
+ revolt of, 22, 23, 25;
+ significance, 398.
+
+ Ti-tho'nus.
+ Trojan prince who visited Aurora, 90.
+
+ Tit'y-us.
+ Giant in Tartarus, whose prostrate body covered nine acres, 169.
+
+ Tra-chin'i-a.
+ Land where Hercules died, 216.
+
+ Tri-na'cri-a.
+ Land visited by Ulysses, whose men slay the cattle of the sun,
+ 353, 354.
+
+ Trip-tol'e-mus.
+ Nursling and protege of Ceres, 188, 196.
+
+ Tri'ton.
+ Son of Neptune and Amphitrite;
+ father of the Tritons, 154, 303;
+ significance, 397.
+
+ Troe-ze'ne.
+ Ancient city in Argolis, 152;
+ birthplace of Theseus, 250, 251;
+ significance, 391.
+
+ Tro'jans.
+ Inhabitants of Troy, 316-335, 360-376.
+
+ Troy.
+ City of Asia Minor, ruled by Laomedon and Priam;
+ war of, 305-336.
+
+ Tuc'ci-a.
+ Vestal virgin who stood the test of purity, 200.
+
+ Tur'nus.
+ Chief of the Rutules;
+ wars against AEneas, 372-377.
+
+ Tus'cans.
+ People of Tuscania in Italy, governed by Evander;
+ allies of AEneas, 374, 375.
+
+ Tyn-da're-us.
+ Stepfather of Helen;
+ binds her suitors by oath, 311.
+
+ Ty-phoe'us.
+ Same as Typhon;
+ monster sent to dethrone Jupiter, 23, 24.
+
+ Tyre.
+ City in Phoenicia, governed by Sychaeus and Dido, 366.
+
+
+ U-lys'ses.
+ Same as Odysseus, hero of the Odyssey;
+ King of Ithaca, 214, 312, 315, 330, 332;
+ adventures of, 337-359;
+ significance, 386, 395.
+
+ U-ra'ni-a.
+ Muse of astronomy, daughter of Jupiter and Mnemosyne, 88, 90.
+
+ U'ra-nus (Heaven).
+ Husband of Gaea, created by her, 15, 17, 18;
+ significance, 385.
+
+
+ Ve'nus.
+ Same as Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, 103-130;
+ day of, 207;
+ Hippomenes aided by, 278;
+ Juno and Minerva dispute with, 306-308;
+ Paris advised by, 310, 312;
+ Paris saved by, 320;
+ AEneas, son of, 360, 362, 366, 367, 370, 372, 376;
+ significance, 389.
+
+ Ver-tum'nus.
+ God of the orchards;
+ loved by Pomona, 303.
+
+ Ves'ta.
+ Same as Hestia, goddess of fire and of the family hearth, 198-204;
+ birth of, 22;
+ significance, 399.
+
+ Ves-ta'li-a.
+ Festivals in honor of Vesta, held in Rome, 202.
+
+ Ves'tals.
+ Virgins dedicated to the service of Vesta, 200-202, 377.
+
+ Vic-to'ri-a.
+ Same as Nice, goddess of victory, 41.
+
+ Vol'scians.
+ Tribe in Italy who join the Rutules against AEneas, 373, 374, 376.
+
+ Vul'can.
+ Same as Hephaestus, god of the forge, 144-148;
+ Jupiter's head cleft by, 55;
+ Venus, wife of, 106, 107;
+ armor made by, 326, 374;
+ significance, 399.
+
+ Vul-ca-na'li-a.
+ Festivals celebrated in honor of Vulcan, 148.
+
+
+ Zeph'y-rus.
+ God of the south wind;
+ son of AEolus and Aurora, 213;
+ Hyacinthus slain by, 67;
+ Venus conducted by, 105;
+ Psyche saved by, 122, 128;
+ Flora, wife of, 301.
+
+ Ze'tes.
+ Son of Boreas and Orithyia;
+ took part in Argonautic expedition, and drove away Harpies, 215.
+
+ Ze'thus.
+ Twin brother of Amphion;
+ son of Jupiter and Antiope, 80-82.
+
+ Zeus.
+ Same as Jupiter;
+ father of the gods, 39;
+ significance, 379, 385, 388, 395.
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Variations in spelling of proper nouns are preserved as printed.
+
+Minor punctuation errors have been repaired. Hyphenation and accent
+usage has been made consistent.
+
+Page 260--capitivity amended to captivity--"... came to Athens,
+delivered her from captivity, ..."
+
+The transcriptions of the genealogical table have been added by the
+transcriber for the convenience of the reader. Please note that the
+original table stated erroneously that Hemera was male and AEther was
+female. This has been corrected in the transcriptions.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Myths of Greece and Rome, by H. A. Guerber
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