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+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
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+
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #61901 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61901)
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-The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Mythology of Greece and Rome, by Otto
-Seemann, Edited by G. H. (George Henry) Bianchi
-
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-
-
-
-Title: The Mythology of Greece and Rome
- With Special Reference to Its Use in Art
-
-
-Author: Otto Seemann
-
-Editor: G. H. (George Henry) Bianchi
-
-Release Date: April 23, 2020 [eBook #61901]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-
-***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYTHOLOGY OF GREECE AND ROME***
-
-
-E-text prepared by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading
-Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by
-Internet Archive (https://archive.org)
-
-
-
-Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
- file which includes the original illustrations.
- See 61901-h.htm or 61901-h.zip:
- (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/61901/61901-h/61901-h.htm)
- or
- (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/61901/61901-h.zip)
-
-
- Images of the original pages are available through
- Internet Archive. See
- https://archive.org/details/TheMythologyOfGreeceAndRome
-
-
-Transcriber’s note:
-
- Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
-
- Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=).
-
-
-
-
-
-Greek and Roman Mythology
-
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 53.—Head of Niobe. Florence.]
-
-
-THE MYTHOLOGY OF GREECE AND ROME
-
-With Special Reference to Its Use in Art
-
-Edited by
-
-G. H. BIANCHI, M.A.
-
-Late Scholar of St. Peter’S College, Cambridge Brotherton Sanskrit
-Prizeman, 1875
-
-With Sixty-four Illustrations
-
-New and Revised Edition
-
-
-
-
-
-
-London: Chapman and Hall, Ld.
-
-Made and Printed in Great Britain.
-Richard Clay & Sons, Limited.
-Printers, Bungay, Suffolk.
-
-
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- PREFACE.
-
-
-No apology can be needed for introducing to the public a work like the
-present. There has long been a want of a book which should, in a
-moderate compass, give a clear and readable account of these legends;
-for Dictionaries of Mythology do not give a view of the subject as a
-whole; and the price of most other works on the Greek and Roman myths
-would prevent their being used as class-books. These considerations have
-led the publishers to bring out this book in an English dress.
-
-If any should be inclined to ask what Mythology has to do with men of
-the present day, the reply is plain. The works of art in our galleries
-and museums require a certain amount of knowledge of the mythology of
-the Greeks and Romans for the full appreciation of their subjects. There
-is hardly any literature in Europe which has not been more or less
-coloured by these legends; and in our own day their power to inspire the
-poet has by no means ceased. Nay, they have incorporated themselves into
-our very language: “Herculean strength” is almost as common an
-expression now as it was two thousand years ago; and we still talk of
-“chimerical” expectations, describe a man as “tantalised,” and use the
-Sphinx as the symbol of the mysterious.
-
-The present work, translated from the German of O. Seemann, seems well
-adapted to convey a knowledge of these myths. It is illustrated with
-cuts after some of the masterpieces of ancient and modern art.
-Particular attention has been paid to this branch of the subject, and
-the principal works of art in each case are mentioned.
-
-The distinction between Greek and Roman deities and heroes has been
-preserved, but the conventional spelling has been retained. A full index
-is appended, in which the quantities of the vowels are carefully marked.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- TABLE OF CONTENTS.
-
-
- PAGE
-
- INTRODUCTION.
- I. SUBJECTS OF GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY 11
- II. POPULAR IDEAS CONCERNING THE GODS 13
-
- PART I.—COSMOGONY AND THEOGONY 17
-
- PART II.—THE GODS.
-
- THE GODS OF OLYMPUS.
-
- A.—SUPERIOR DEITIES.
- Zeus (Jupiter) 22
- Hera (Juno) 31
- Pallas Athene (Minerva) 34
- Apollo 40
- Artemis (Diana) 48
- Ares (Mars) 51
- Aphrodite (Venus) 56
- Hermes (Mercurius) 62
- Hephæstus (Vulcanus) 68
- Hestia (Vesta) 71
- Janus 74
- Quirinus 77
-
- B.—SECONDARY DEITIES.
- 1. Attendant and Ministering Deities—
- Eros (Amor) 78
- The Muses 80
- The Charites (Gratiæ) 83
- Themis and the Horæ (Seasons) 84
- Nice (Victoria) 85
- Iris 86
- Hebe (Juventas) 87
- Ganymedes 88
- 2. The Phenomena of the Heavens—
- Helios (Sol) 89
- Selene (Luna) 91
- Eos (Aurora) 92
- The Stars 93
- The Winds 93
- 3. Gods of Birth and Healing—
- Asclepius (Æsculapius) 94
- Inferior Deities of Birth and Healing 96
- 4. Deities of Fate—
- The Mœræ (Parcæ) 98
- Nemesis, Tyche (Fortuna), and Agathodæmon (Bonus Eventus) 98
-
- THE GODS OF THE SEA AND WATERS.
- Poseidon (Neptunus) 100
- Amphitrite 104
- Triton and the Tritons 105
- Pontus and his Descendants—
- _Nereus and his Daughters_ 105
- _Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto_ 106
- Proteus 107
- Glaucus 107
- Ino Leucothea, and Melicertes 108
- The Sirens 109
- The Race of Oceanus 109
-
- THE GODS OF THE EARTH AND LOWER WORLD.
- Gæa (Tellus) 112
- Rhea Cybele (Magna Mater Idæa) 113
- Dionysus, or Bacchus (Liber) 114
- The Nymphs 123
- The Satyrs 125
- Silenus 126
- Greek and Roman Wood-Spirits—
- _Pan_ 128
- _Silvanus_ 131
- _Faunus and Fauna_ 131
- Priapus 133
- Saturnus and Ops 133
- Vertumnus and Pomona 135
- Flora 136
- Pales 136
- Terminus 137
- Demeter (Ceres) 137
- Persephone (Proserpina) 143
- Hades (Pluto) 146
- The Lower World 147
- The Erinyes (Furiæ) 150
- Hecate 153
- Sleep and Death 154
-
- ROMAN DEITIES OF THE HOUSE AND FAMILY.
- The Penates 156
- The Lares 157
- The Larvæ, Lemures, and Manes 158
-
-
- PART III.—THE HEROES.
-
- INTRODUCTORY 159
-
- THE CREATION AND PRIMITIVE CONDITION OF MANKIND 162
-
- PROVINCIAL HEROIC LEGENDS—
- The Lapithæ and the Centaurs 165
- Theban Legend—
- _Cadmus_ 170
- _Actæon_ 171
- _Amphion and Zethus_ 172
- Corinthian Legend—
- _Sisyphus_ 179
- _Glaucus_ 180
- _Bellerophon and the Legend of the Amazons_ 180
- Argive Legend—
- _Io_ 185
- _Danaüs and the Danaïds_ 186
- _Prœtus and his Daughters_ 187
- _Perseus_ 188
- The Dioscuri 194
- Heracles (Hercules) 197
- _The Birth and Youth of Heracles_ 198
- _Heracles in the Service of Eurystheus_ 199
- _Deeds of Heracles after his Service_ 206
- _Death and Apotheosis_ 211
- _Heracles as God_ 212
- Attic Legend—
- _Cecrops_ 217
- _Erechtheus, or Erichthonius_ 218
- _Theseus_ 219
- Cretan Legend—
- _Minos and the Minotaur_ 227
- _Talos_ 229
-
- COMBINED UNDERTAKINGS OF THE LATER HEROIC AGE—
- The Calydonian Hunt 230
- The Argonauts 232
- The Theban Cycle 237
- The Trojan Cycle 241
- The Heroic Races of the Trojan War—
- _The Dardanidæ, or Race of Dardanus_ 241
- _The Pelopidæ, or Race of Pelops_ 242
- _The Æacidæ, or Race of Æacus_ 245
- _Nestor, the Locrian Ajax, Diomedes, and Odysseus_ 247
- The War 249
- The Return 257
-
- MYTHIC SEERS AND BARDS 262
-
-[Illustration]
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
-
-
- FIG. PAGE
- 1. Bust of Cronus. Vatican Museum, 20
- 2. Cameo of Athenion 21
- 3. Zeus of Otricoli. Vatican Museum, 27
- 4. Jupiter Verospi. Vatican Museum, 29
- 5. Coins of Elis with Phidias’ Zeus. (After
- Overbeck.) 30
- 6. Barberini Juno. Vatican Museum, 32
- 7. Head of Hera, perhaps after Polycletus. Naples, 33
- 8. Pallas Giustiniani. Vatican, 38
- 9. Athene Polias. Villa Albani, 39
- 10. Pallas Athene. Naples, 40
- 11. Apollo Belvedere. Vatican, 44
- 12. Head of Apollo Belvedere, 45
- 13. Apollo Citharœdus. Munich, 47
- 14. Diana of Versailles, 50
- 15. Mars Ludovisi, 55
- 16. Bust of Ares. Sculpture Gallery at Munich, 56
- 17. Venus of Milo. Louvre, 60
- 18. Venus Genetrix. Villa Borghese, 61
- 19. Resting Hermes. Bronze Statue at Naples, 66
- 20. Statue of Hermes. Capitoline Collection, 67
- 21. Hephæstus. Bronze Figure in the British Museum, 70
- 22. Vesta Giustiniani. Torlonia Collection, 74
- 23. Head of Eros. Vatican, 78
- 24. Eros trying his Bow. Capitoline Museum, 79
- 25. Polyhymnia. Berlin Museum, 80
- 26. Melpomene. Vatican, 81
- 27. Euterpe. Vatican, 82
- 28. The Horæ. Relief from the Villa Albani, 85
- 29. Victoria. United Collections in Munich, 86
- 30. Hebe. From Antonio Canova, 88
- 31. Ganymedes and the Eagle. From Thorwaldsen, 89
- 32. Asclepius. Berlin, 95
- 33. Head of Asclepius. British Museum, 96
- 34. Night and the Fates. From Carstens, 97
- 35. Poseidon. Dolce Gem, 103
- 36. Dionysus and Lion. From the Monument of
- Lysicrates, 116
- 37. The so-called Sardanapalus in the Vatican, 119
- 38. Youthful Dionysus. From the Chateau Richelieu, now
- in the Louvre, 120
- 39. Marble Head of Youthful Dionysus at Leyden, 121
- 40. Sleeping Ariadne. Vatican, 122
- 41. Dannecker’s Ariadne. Frankfort-on-the-Main, 123
- 42. Head of Satyr. Munich Sculpture Gallery, 126
- 43. Pan. From a Mural Painting at Herculaneum, 130
- 44. Demeter Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii. Naples, 142
- 45. Persephone Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii.
- Naples, 145
- 46. Head of Hades. Palazzo Chigi. Rome, 147
- 47. Three-formed Hecate. Capitoline Museum, 154
- 48. Metope of the Parthenon, 166
- 49. From the Frieze of the Temple at Bassæ 167
- 50. Centaur teaching a boy to play upon the Pipe.
- Relief by Kundmann, 169
- 51. Actæon. Group. British Museum, 172
- 52. Farnese Bull. Naples, 174
- 53. Head of Niobe. Florence, _Frontispiece_.
- 54. Niobe. Florence, 178
- 55. Amazon. Berlin, 183
- 56. Perseus and Andromeda. Marble Relief in the Museum
- at Naples, 192
- 57. Rondanini Medusa. Munich, 193
- 58. Farnese Hercules, 215
- 59. Elgin Theseus. British Museum, 225
- 60. Theseus Lifting the Rock. Relief in the Villa
- Albani, 226
- 61. Laocoön. Group, 255
- 62. Priam before Achilles. Relief by Thorwaldsen, 260
- 63. Rape of Helen. Campana Collection. Paris, 261
- 64. Orpheus and Eurydice. Marble Relief in the Villa
- Albani, 263
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY.
-
-
-
-
- INTRODUCTION.
-
-
- I.—SUBJECTS OF GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY.
-
-Myths may be described as poetic narratives of the birth, life, and
-actions of the old heathen gods and heroes or demigods. Both myth and
-legend[1] are distinguished from the “Mährchen,” or popular tale, by not
-being, like the latter, a mere product of the imagination, but always
-being founded on some preceding reality, whether that be an
-oft-recurring phase of nature, or a distinct and real occurrence. It is
-often most difficult to recognise with any precision the true germ of a
-myth, on account of the numerous additions and alterations made by the
-poets. And therefore the question, whether a particular tradition be a
-myth or not, is very hard to answer: on one side we are tempted to view,
-in the god or demigod, the hero of a tribe magnified to superhuman
-proportions by the admiration of posterity; and, on the other side,
-comparison of the legends of different families of nations points us to
-the operations of nature, not only in the demigod or the hero, but in
-the animals of fable and the traditions of the nursery.
-
-Footnote 1:
-
- The German word “sage” (legend) is really only a translation of the
- Greek word “mythos,” and is often used in that sense. But lately the
- custom has tacitly sprung up of employing the term “mythos” when
- speaking of the life or actions of the gods, and “sage” when speaking
- of those of heroes.
-
-A large proportion of these myths are due to men’s observations of
-Nature, and her various active and creative forces, which appeared to
-their lively Southern fancy as manifestations of single supernatural
-beings. These were regarded, now as friendly, now as hostile, to man;
-and men therefore strove as eagerly to gain their favour as to appease
-their wrath. Of the appearance of the deities who thus manifested
-themselves in the workings of nature, men necessarily formed at first
-very crude and fantastic ideas. But later, when men emerged from the
-simple conditions of the early patriarchal epoch, and began to dwell in
-regular political communities, they gradually ceased to regard the gods
-as mere personifications of natural forces. They began to regard them as
-beings acting in accordance with unchangeable moral laws, and endowed
-with forms similar to those of men (Anthropomorphism). They brought the
-gods into connection with each other by means of genealogies in a great
-measure artificial, and built up a vast political system, which has its
-centre in Zeus, the “father of gods and men.”
-
-Strange to say, however, it was only among the Greeks that this system
-of development prevailed. The nations of Italy still continued to regard
-their gods as mere natural forces—that looked down on them in a cold,
-strange fashion—of whose form and mode of life they had no clear idea.
-It was only later, when the Romans came into intellectual contact with
-their Greek neighbours, and began to study their language and
-literature, that they adopted the popular Greek conceptions concerning
-the gods. They now transferred existing myths, and fathered them on
-those of their own gods and goddesses who bore the closest resemblance
-to the Greek divinities, and harmonised best with their natural
-interpretation. Thus it was that the Roman Jupiter was identified with
-the Greek Zeus, Juno with Hera, Minerva with Athene; though for peculiar
-deities, such as Janus, they could find no Greek prototype.
-
-
- II.—POPULAR IDEAS CONCERNING THE GODS.
-
-We learn most concerning the conceptions the ancients formed of their
-gods from the numerous Greek and Roman poets whose works have come down
-to us, and who contributed so largely to the construction of the myths.
-First, both in antiquity and importance, are the poems attributed to
-Homer, in which we find the whole political system of Olympus, with Zeus
-at its head, already constructed.
-
-Henceforth the gods, in outward appearance at least, are endowed with
-forms entirely human; more grand and beautiful and majestic, but still
-not verging on the monstrous or fantastic.
-
-Not only in beauty and grandeur, but also in strength and vigour, do the
-gods surpass men. Let but Zeus shake his ambrosial locks, and the whole
-of Olympus trembles. The other deities are also endowed in proportion
-with great strength. As corporeal, indeed, they are limited in regard to
-space, and cannot therefore be omnipresent; but this restriction affects
-them far less than mortals, for they can compass the greatest distances
-at lightning speed. In a moment Athene drops from the heights of Olympus
-down to Ithaca; and Poseidon, the ocean-god, passes in three or four
-steps from Samothrace to Ægæ in Eubœa. Moreover, the gods can see and
-hear at a much greater distance than men. In regard to hearing, indeed,
-they seem to have unlimited powers. Prayers ascend to them from every
-place, irrespective of their personal presence. In the same manner Zeus,
-from his high throne in Olympus, sees all that passes among men, and,
-sitting on the highest summit of Mount Ida, he can follow all the events
-of the battle that rages before Troy.
-
-On the other hand, the gods are subject to the same bodily wants as men.
-They refresh themselves in the same way with sleep, and have to support
-themselves with food and drink. Here again, however, they are far less
-fettered than mortals, for they can hold out much longer without
-satisfying these wants. Nor is their food so coarse as that of men; they
-live on ambrosia and nectar. Another natural necessity is clothing, on
-the tasteful ordering of which the goddesses even bestow extraordinary
-care, and in this, as in many other respects, greatly resemble the
-daughters of Eve. Although later art delights in representing some of
-the deities either slightly clothed or quite naked, yet we cannot justly
-conclude from this that the popular belief of the ancients conceived
-thus of those gods.
-
-Gods endowed with frames like those of mortals must necessarily be born
-in the same way, and develope gradually both in mind and body. But here,
-again, everything proceeds with the utmost rapidity. For instance, the
-new-born Hermes rises from his cradle to steal the cattle of Apollo,
-and, coming into the world in the morning, he is found in the afternoon
-playing on the lyre, which he has himself invented. The most important
-point, however, in which they surpass mortals is that, when once in full
-possession of bodily and intellectual powers, they never grow old, but
-remain ever young and beautiful, ever free from disease and death.
-Compared with the race of men, who are subject to need and pain, they
-are the “happy,” “blessed” gods, the gods “who live at ease,” who can
-readily gratify every desire. But this does not by any means prevent
-their suffering occasionally from the pangs of sorrow and grief; they
-are vulnerable alike in body and soul, and exposed to every kind of
-painful sensation. So completely did the Greeks subject their gods to
-human passions.
-
-As regards mental qualifications they are naturally far superior to men.
-In the first place, they stand higher morally; they shun all that is
-evil, impure, and unjust, and visit with punishment the impiety and
-injustice of man. This, again, does not prevent their giving way to
-every description of vice and folly, such as deceit, lying, hatred,
-cruelty, jealousy, &c. They are far from holy, therefore, in the sense
-in which we speak of the Supreme Being. Still less are they conceived as
-omniscient or omnipotent. Their powers indeed are great, and so is their
-knowledge. They are able to interrupt the course of nature—to send
-sudden storms, pestilences, and other evils—to endow themselves or
-others with any forms they like, and to do many other things, of which
-we read in fairy tales. But even Zeus, to whom a far greater measure of
-power is accorded than to other gods, and on whose will the government
-of the universe depends, is himself subjected to the immutable decrees
-of fate; whilst the possibility of deceiving and duping him is by no
-means excluded.
-
-Where then are we to seek for the explanation of these apparent
-inconsistencies? We have already said that the active and creative
-forces of Nature were personified by the imagination of men. Let us take
-one of the first conceptions likely to spring up—that of the love of the
-heaven for the earth, from which all nature is born. Different names
-will be used in different localities; men will at last forget that they
-all once meant the same, and out of the simple personification will
-spring a series of divine marriages; or if one be recognised by the
-whole nation as the wife, the other brides will sink into mistresses.
-
-So with the everlasting war of the sun with the clouds; we shall not
-only find several gods of the light in Greece, but almost every tribe
-had a particular hero, whose great deeds we shall generally find to be
-those of the sun. Yet in the midst of all this confusion, men had a
-feeling that there was something above them better and holier than they,
-to which that which is good and holy alone was pleasing. This idea was
-more and more attached to Zeus himself, as the notion grew that Zeus was
-the supreme god, the king of heaven.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- PART I.—COSMOGONY AND THEOGONY.
-
-
-By Cosmogony, we understand the legends relating to the creation of the
-world; by Theogony, those relating to the origin of the gods. On both
-points we have to deal with the Greeks alone, since the Romans never
-indulged in any researches of this kind. All that their poets have to
-say on the subject is, without exception, borrowed from the Greeks.
-
-According to the common account the world was formed out of Chaos. By
-this, however, we must not understand a huge and shapeless mass, but
-merely dark, unbounded space. The accounts of the poets vary very
-materially as to how the world proceeded from Chaos. The most popular
-view is that according to which Gæa or Ge (the earth) first issued from
-Chaos; whereupon Tartarus (the abyss beneath the earth) immediately
-severed itself, and Eros (the love that forms and binds all things)
-sprang into existence. Gæa then begot of herself Uranus (heaven), the
-mountains, and Pontus (the sea).
-
-The first gods who peopled this new world were begotten of the earth
-partly by Uranus and partly by Pontus. From her union with Uranus sprang
-the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Centimanes; from her union with Pontus
-various sea-deities.
-
-1. The race of Uranus. According to Hesiod there were twelve Titans: six
-males—Oceanus, Cœus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Cronus; and six
-females—Thia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phœbe, and Tethys. The
-interpretation of these divinities is somewhat difficult, but they
-doubtless represented the elementary forces of nature. The Cyclopes were
-three in number—Brontes (thunder), Steropes (lightning), and Arges
-(sheet-lightning): these, we can clearly see, refer to the phenomena of
-the storm. The Centimanes (hundred-handed), again, are three in
-number—Cottus, Briareus, and Gyes. These, too, represent destructive
-forces of nature—perhaps the earthquake, the tempestuous sea, and the
-storm-wind.
-
-2. The race of Pontus. By Pontus Gæa became the mother of the fabulous
-sea-deities—Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia. These, again,
-had numerous descendants. Nereus represents the sea in its quiet state:
-we shall have to speak of him and his daughters later on. Thaumas
-represents to us the majesty of the sea. He is the father of Iris (the
-rainbow), and of the Harpies (storm-winds). Lastly, Phorcys and Ceto,
-from whose union the frightful Gorgons and Grææ proceeded, typify all
-the dangers and terrors of the sea.
-
-Many marriages also took place among the Titans themselves. The numerous
-sea-nymphs are descended from Oceanus and Tethys; from Hyperion and Thia
-come the deities of the light—Helios (sun), Selene (moon), and Eos
-(dawn); from Cœus and Phœbe the deities of the night—Leto (dark night)
-and Asteria (starry night).
-
-The most important of all the Titans, however, are Cronus and Rhea, who
-pave the way for the universal dominion of their son Zeus.
-
-Uranus, fearing lest his last-born sons, the powerful Cyclopes and
-Centimanes, might one day seize his power, buried them directly after
-birth in the deep abyss beneath the earth. This displeased Gæa, their
-mother, who thereupon prompted the Titans to conspire against their
-father, and induced Cronus, the youngest and bravest of them, to lay
-violent hands on Uranus. Uranus was mutilated, cast into chains, and
-compelled by his sons to abdicate his sovereignty, which now passed to
-Cronus. But Cronus was not long destined to enjoy the fruits of his
-crime. The curse of Uranus, who prophesied that he would suffer a like
-fate at the hands of his own son, was fulfilled. So anxious was he to
-avert such a catastrophe, that he swallowed his children immediately
-after their birth. Five had already suffered this fate—Hestia, Demeter,
-Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. But their mother Rhea, grieved at their lot,
-determined to rescue her next son, Zeus, by a stratagem. In the place of
-her child, she gave to her suspicious and cruel husband a stone wrapped
-in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed without further examination.
-Zeus, who was thus rescued, was reared by the nymphs in a grotto on
-Mount Dicte, in Crete. The she-goat Amalthea served as his nurse, whilst
-the bees brought him honey to eat. In order that the cries of the child
-might not betray his presence to his suspicious father, the Curetes, or
-attendant priests of Rhea, drowned his voice in the clashing of their
-weapons. Zeus remained thus hidden until he had become a mighty though
-youthful god. He then attacked and overthrew his father Cronus, whom he
-also compelled, by means of a device of Gæa, to bring forth the children
-that he had devoured. One part of the Titans—Oceanus, Themis, Mnemosyne,
-and Hyperion—submitted without hesitation to the dominion of the new
-ruler of the world. The others, however, refused allegiance; but Zeus,
-after a contest of ten years, overthrew them, with the help of the
-Cyclopes and Centimanes. As a punishment, they were cast into Tartarus,
-which was then closed by Poseidon with brazen gates. Thessaly, the land
-which bears the clearest traces of natural convulsions, was supposed to
-have been the scene of this mighty war. Zeus and his adherents fought
-from Olympus; the Titans from the opposite mountain of Othrys.
-
-Comparison of the legends of other nations does not show us any such
-elaborate genealogy. Zeus has his counterparts almost everywhere, and
-Uranus himself appears in India; but Cronus, in the sense of the father
-of Zeus, is probably traceable to the common epithet of Zeus, Cronion,
-which was assumed in later times to be a patronymic. It was natural to
-deduce from the idea that one power of nature sprang from another, the
-expression that the god of the first power was the child of the god of
-the second; it would perhaps be more correct to say that it was the same
-thing to the early races of men. As to the wars, which were so great a
-stumbling-block to the Greek philosophers, we may notice that the
-supreme god must, of course, have been the son of a supreme god; and
-yet, if his predecessor were supreme, must have dispossessed him.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 1.—Bust of Cronus. Vatican Museum.]
-
- The Titans, not being actually objects of worship, were not
- frequently represented in ancient art. Cronus is the only exception,
- which may be explained by the fact that the Romans identified him
- with their own Saturn, or harvest-god. He is generally depicted with
- a severe and gloomy expression of countenance, the back of his head
- being veiled, as a symbol of his reserved character. In the Vatican
- Museum at Rome there is a bust of this kind in good preservation, an
- engraving of which we give (Fig. 1).
-
-After his victory over the Titans, Zeus shared the empire of the world
-with his two brothers, Poseidon and Hades. The former he made ruler of
-the ocean and waters; the latter he set over the infernal regions;
-everything else he retained for himself. This new order of things,
-however, was by no means securely established. The resentment of Gæa led
-her to produce with Tartarus, her youngest and most powerful son, the
-giant Typhoeus, a monster with a hundred fire-breathing dragons’ heads,
-whom she sent to overthrow the dominion of Zeus. A great battle took
-place, which shook heaven and earth. Zeus, by means of his never-ceasing
-thunderbolts, at length overcame Typhoeus, and cast him into Tartarus,
-or, according to later writers (Pindar and Virgil), buried him beneath
-Mount Ætna in Sicily, whence at times he still breathes out fire and
-flames toward heaven.
-
-Some poets tell of another rebellion, that of the Giants, against the
-dominion of Zeus. These are said to have sprung from the drops of blood
-which fell on the earth from the mutilated body of Uranus. From the
-plains of Phlegra, in Thessaly, they sought to storm Olympus by piling
-Pelion on Ossa. But after a bloody battle, in which all the gods took
-part, the two were conquered, and sent to share the fate of the
-vanquished Titans. The dominion of Zeus was now securely established,
-and no hostile attack ever after disturbed the peaceful ease of the
-inhabitants of Olympus.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 2.—Cameo of Athenion.]
-
- The early history of Zeus, as well as his contests for the empire of
- the universe, commonly called the Giganto-machia, was a favourite
- subject with Greek art. In the more ancient of these works the
- Giants do not differ, either in form or appearance, from the Gods
- and Heroes. In later works they are represented with the bodies of
- dragons, only the upper portion of the body being human. They appear
- thus on the celebrated cameo of the Naples Museum, where Zeus, in
- his chariot drawn by four fiery horses, is in the act of charging
- them (Fig. 2).
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- PART II.—THE GODS.
-
-
- I.—THE GODS OF OLYMPUS.
-
-
- A.—SUPERIOR DEITIES.
-
-
-=1. Zeus (Jupiter).=—Chief of the celestial deities is Zeus, called by
-the Romans Jupiter, the controller and ruler of the universe. As being
-the god of heaven _par excellence_, the “Skyfather,” he is to both
-nations the source of all life in nature, and from his gracious hand are
-shed blessing and abundance. All the phenomena of the air were supposed
-to proceed from him. He gathers and disperses the clouds, casts forth
-his lightning, stirs up his thunder, sends down rain, hail, snow, and
-fertilising dew on the earth. With his ægis—an impenetrable shield hung
-with a hundred golden tassels, in the midst of which the fearful head of
-the Gorgon is fastened—he produces storm and tempest. The ægis, though
-often meaning shield, is properly a goat-skin fastened to and supporting
-the true shield; later it appears as a short cloak, and even as a
-breastplate, covered with scales, and fringed with serpents. It is not
-often found in representations of Zeus; though a statue of him at Leyden
-shows it, and in a cameo he is seen with it wrapped around his left arm:
-similarly it was common to wrap the chlamys or scarf round the left arm,
-for purposes of defence. The ægis usually belongs to Athene, who borrows
-it from her father in the _Iliad_. She is seen wearing it in Fig. 9. In
-this word we probably see a confusion of two ideas, different, though of
-similar origin; from the same root that gives us the “springing” goat we
-have the storm-cloud “tossed” over the sky.
-
-The ancients, however, were not content to regard Zeus merely as a
-personification of Nature; they regarded him also from an ethical
-standpoint, from which side he appears far more important and awful.
-They saw in him a personification, so to speak, of that principle of
-undeviating order and harmony which pervades both the physical and moral
-world. The strict unalterable laws by which he rules the community of
-the gods form a strong contrast to the capricious commands of his father
-Cronus. Hence Zeus is regarded as the protector and defender of all
-political order. From him the kings of the earth receive their
-sovereignty and rights; to him they are responsible for a conscientious
-fulfilment of their duties. Those among them who unjustly exceed their
-powers and pervert justice he never fails to punish. Zeus, moreover,
-also presides over councils and assemblies, keeps watch over their
-orderly course, and suggests to them wise counsels. One of the most
-important props of political society is the oath; and accordingly, as
-Zeus Horkios (ὅρκιος, _deus fidius_ of the Romans), he watches over
-oaths, and punishes perjury. He also watches over boundaries, and
-accompanies the youths of the land as they march to the defence of their
-country’s borders, giving them the victory over the invaders. All civil
-and political communities enjoy his protection; but he particularly
-watches over that association which is the basis of the political
-fabric—the family. The head of every household was therefore, in a
-certain sense, the priest of Zeus. It was he who presented the offerings
-to the god in the name of the family. At his altar, which generally
-stood in the middle of the court (in small households this was
-represented by the hearth), all strangers, fugitives, and suppliants
-found shelter. As Zeus Xenius (_hospitalis_) he protects the wanderer,
-and punishes those who violate the ancient laws of hospitality by
-mercilessly turning the helpless stranger from their door.
-
-The superstition of early times saw in all the phenomena of the heavens
-manifestations of the divine will. Thus the chief deity of heaven was
-naturally regarded as the highest source of inspiration, and was
-believed to reveal his will to men in the thunder, the lightning, the
-flight of birds, or dreams. As the supreme oracular deity, Zeus not only
-had an oracle of his own at Dodona in Epirus, which was the most ancient
-in Greece, but also revealed the future by the mouth of his favourite
-son Apollo. Though he possessed no proper oracle among the Romans, yet
-the latter looked with all the more care and anxiety on the phenomena of
-the air and sky, the right interpretation of which formed a special and
-difficult branch of knowledge.
-
-Zeus was the earliest national god of the Greeks. His worship extended
-throughout the whole of Greece, though some of his shrines had a special
-importance. The most ancient of them was that at Dodona, where the
-Pelasgian Zeus was worshipped at a time prior to the existence of any
-temples in Greece. He was here represented in the celebrated form of the
-sacred oak, in the rustling of whose branches the deity revealed himself
-to the faithful. He was also worshipped on the summit of Mount Tomarus,
-at the foot of which lay Dodona—mountain-tops being naturally the
-earliest seats of his worship. But all the earlier shrines were
-overshadowed by the great national seat of the worship of Hellenic Zeus
-at Olympia, on the northern banks of the river Alpheus, in Elis, where
-the renowned Olympian games were celebrated. The magnificent statue of
-Zeus, by Phidias, was an additional inducement to devotees, who flocked
-thither from every quarter.
-
-Neither was the worship of Jupiter any less extensive in Italy. The most
-renowned of all his shrines was undoubtedly the temple erected by
-Tarquin on the Capitol at Rome. This, after being nearly destroyed by
-fire in the time of Sulla, was restored to more than its pristine
-splendour. The original earthen image was replaced by a statue of gold
-and ivory, the work of the Greek artist Apollonius, after the model of
-the Olympian Zeus.
-
-Before proceeding to discuss the god as he appears in art, we must take
-a glance at his numerous family. The mythology of the Greeks stands in
-notorious contrast to that of the Romans, in attributing to Zeus a great
-number of mortal as well as immortal spouses, and an unusually numerous
-posterity. Here we must remark that, in spite of the occasional jokes of
-the comic poets on the numerous amours of the god, and the consequent
-jealousy of Hera, there was nothing farther from the intention of the
-Greeks than to represent the supreme deity of heaven as a sensual and
-lascivious being. The explanation lies partly in the great number of
-contemporaneous local forms of worship that existed independently of
-each other, and partly in the fact that the lively fancy of the Greek
-pictured every new production under the guise of procreation. In that
-part of mythology which teaches the genealogy of the gods, the earliest
-wife of Zeus was Metis (prudence), the daughter of Oceanus. Zeus
-devoured her, fearing lest she should bear a son, who would deprive him
-of the empire it had cost him so much to attain. It was soon after this
-that he produced Pallas Athene from his own head. His second
-goddess-wife was Themis, one of the Titans, by whom he became the father
-of the Horæ and the Mœræ (Fates). Dione appears as the wife of Zeus of
-Dodona, and the mother of Aphrodite; whilst Arcadian Zeus was wedded to
-Maia, by whom he had Hermes. By Demeter (Ceres) he became the father of
-Persephone (Proserpine, goddess of vegetation); by Eurynome, a daughter
-of Oceanus, of the Charites (Graces); by Mnemosyne, of the Muses; by
-Leto (Latona), of Apollo and Artemis. The youngest of all his divine
-wives, who was recognised by later mythology as his only legitimate
-queen, was his sister Hera. By her he became the father of Ares (Mars),
-Hephæstus (Vulcan), and Hebe.
-
-Among his mortal mistresses the most celebrated is Semele, the daughter
-of Cadmus, king of Thebes, and mother of Dionysus. The others—Leda,
-Danaë, Alcmene, Europa, and Io—will be mentioned hereafter.
-
-The mythology of the Romans, as we have already remarked, first depicted
-Jupiter as devoid of all family ties. It was only after their religion
-had been Hellenised that men termed him the son of Saturn and Ops, made
-Juno his wife and Minerva his daughter.
-
- Statues of Zeus were necessarily very numerous, both from the great
- extent of his worship and the great number of his temples that
- existed in Greece. Of all these the most renowned was the
- magnificent statue of Zeus at Olympia, the work of the Athenian
- sculptor Phidias (500–432 B.C.). The figure was seated on a lofty
- throne, and was more than 40 feet high. It was made of gold and
- ivory, or more probably a statue of wood was overlaid with plates of
- ivory and gold. The uncovered parts—the face, throat, breast, and
- hands—were of ivory. In his right hand was a figure of Victory, also
- of gold and ivory; in his left was a royal sceptre, on the top of
- which perched an eagle. The numerous lengthy descriptions that exist
- can give us but a faint idea of the lofty majesty that the sculptor
- diffused over the countenance of the god. The object of Phidias was
- to represent him to mankind, not only as the omnipotent ruler of
- Olympus, far superior to all gods and men, both in power and wisdom;
- but also as the gracious father of all, and the kindly dispenser of
- all good gifts. The hair, which rose straight from the brow, and
- then fell in equal divisions on either side, imparted to the face a
- lion-like expression of conscious power. This was rendered still
- more effective by the high forehead and strongly-formed nose. At the
- same time, the expression of the slightly-opened lips lent an idea
- of kindly benevolence. The story goes that Phidias, after completing
- the statue, prayed of the god a sign that he was well pleased with
- his work. Zeus thereupon caused a flash of lightning to descend
- through the open roof of the temple, and thus acknowledged his own
- image.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 3.—Zeus of Otricoli. Vatican Museum.]
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 4.—Jupiter Verospi. Vatican Museum.]
-
- This sublime masterpiece of Phidias, which was reckoned among the
- seven wonders of the world, continued in existence, though not
- without injury, for upwards of 800 years. It appears to have been
- destroyed by fire in the time of Theodosius III.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 5.—Coins of Elis with Phidias’ Zeus. (After
-Overbeck.)]
-
- The following are the most important of the existing statues of Zeus
- by Greek and Roman sculptors. The first in point of artistic worth
- is a bust of Zeus, in Carrara marble—now in the Vatican Museum at
- Rome—which was discovered in the last century at Otricoli (Fig. 3).
- The union of serene majesty and benevolence is the chief feature in
- the sublime countenance. Next comes a colossal statue in marble,
- known as the Jupiter of Verospi, also in the Vatican Museum (Fig.
- 4). Lastly, there is a bust of Zeus, discovered at Pompeii, and now
- in the Museum at Naples, besides an equally beautiful bronze statue
- in the British Museum, found at Paramythia in Epirus. On comparing
- all the extant art monuments of Zeus, we may gather that the object
- of ancient art was to present him especially as the benign ruler of
- the universe, sitting enthroned in conscious majesty and blissful
- ease on the heights of Olympus. His characteristic features are the
- clustering hair, falling like a mane on either side of his fine
- arched brow, and the rich wavy beard. His attributes consist of the
- sceptre, as a symbol of his sovereignty; the thunderbolt; the eagle;
- the votive bowl, as a symbol of his worship; the ball beneath or
- near his seat, as a symbol of the universe he rules; and, lastly, a
- figure of Victory. His head is sometimes adorned with a garland of
- oak-leaves, the oak being sacred to him; and sometimes with an
- olive-branch or plain band, the latter being a mark of sovereignty.
- In Fig. 5 we give an engraving of two coins of Elis, one of which is
- in the Florentine and the other in the Paris Museum.
-
-
-=2. Hera (Juno).=—Hera, according to Homer, was the eldest of the
-daughters of Cronus and Rhea. She is the feminine counterpart of Zeus,
-her brother and husband. She represents the air or atmosphere; for which
-reason she, like Zeus, was supposed to control the phenomena of the air
-and sky, and, as queen of heaven, shared with him all the honours of his
-position. Her conjugal relations to Zeus, which form the substance of
-all the myths that refer to her, afforded the poets a rich and
-productive material for serious and sportive poetry. They sang of the
-solemn marriage of Zeus and Hera, the remembrance of which was
-celebrated at springtide with festive offerings and marriage rites
-before the shrine of the goddess. Neither did they fail to tell of the
-conjugal strife of the royal pair, and of the cruel fate which overtook
-the mortal women who enjoyed the favours of Zeus. It was thus that
-jealousy and contention became the leading features in the character of
-the goddess; whereas, both in her worship and in the representations of
-artists, she appears as a gracious and kindly deity, the especial
-protectress of her own sex.
-
-The natural signification of Hera appears to have quickly disappeared
-among the Greeks, and she seems to have been chiefly honoured as the
-guardian of the marriage tie. The nobleness of the woman who preserves
-inviolate the sanctity of this bond finds in her its most sublime
-expression. As the special patroness of marriage, she was supposed to
-watch over its sanctity, to vouchsafe the blessing of children, and to
-protect women in childbirth.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 6.—Barberini Juno. Vatican Museum.]
-
-The worship of Hera was originally not very extensive. The cradle of her
-worship was Argos, on which account she is often termed Argive. Argos,
-Mycenæ, and Sparta are pointed out in the time of Homer as her favourite
-towns. Her worship naturally extended as her new character of goddess of
-marriage became more prominent. In Bœotia and Eubœa her worship was very
-ancient, but her chief shrine was the Heræum, between Argos and Mycenæ.
-Here was a most magnificent statue of the goddess, made of ivory and
-gold, the work of the Sicyonian artist, Polycletus.[2]
-
-Footnote 2:
-
- Polycletus, a native of Sicyon, was a sculptor, architect, and caster
- in bronze. He was a contemporary of Phidias, and, next to him, the
- most celebrated artist of antiquity.
-
-Juno (properly Jovino) takes the same place as goddess of childbirth and
-patroness of marriage among the Romans as Hera did among the Greeks. In
-addition to this she was venerated, under the name of Juno Regina, as
-the tutelary deity of the city and empire of Rome. Her chief shrine was
-on the Capitol, where she had a separate chapel in the temple of
-Jupiter. The Matronalia, the chief festival of the goddess, was
-celebrated on the first day of March, when all the matrons of the city
-marched in procession to her temple on the Esquiline, and there offered
-her flowers and libations. The victims usually sacrificed to Juno were
-young heifers: her sacred birds were the goose and the crow, to which
-the peacock of the Greek Hera was afterwards added.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 7.—Head of Hera, perhaps after Polycletus. Naples.]
-
- The most celebrated of the art monuments that relate to Juno is the
- Juno Ludovisi, a colossal marble bust of remarkable beauty, which,
- thanks to casts and photographs, is tolerably well known. Her lofty
- and commanding countenance is the ideal of perfect womanly beauty,
- combining in a rare degree woman’s chief ornaments—dignity and
- grace.
-
- After this comes the Juno Barberini of the Vatican Museum, an entire
- and upright figure of great size (Fig. 6), distinguished by the
- admirable draping of the garments. The Farnese Juno, now in the
- Naples Museum, also deserves mention. In the same museum there is a
- singularly beautiful head of Hera (Fig. 7), which perhaps lays claim
- to reflect the conception of Polycletus.
-
- The characteristic features of Juno are a somewhat prominent chin,
- expressing unbending determination of will; somewhat curling lips,
- well-defined nostrils, large full eyes, and a high and noble
- forehead. The attributes of the goddess consist of the sceptre and
- diadem, significant of her power; the veil (often omitted in the
- statues of later artists), as a symbol of the married woman; the
- votive bowl in the hand, the pomegranate as a symbol of love, and
- the peacock or goose at her feet, also at times the cuckoo, as
- herald of spring.
-
-
-=3. Pallas Athene (Minerva).=—The accounts which the Greeks gave of the
-birth of Pallas vary considerably. The most common is that which has
-been already mentioned. According to this, Zeus produced her from his
-head, which he had ordered Hephæstus to cleave open. The great goddess
-of war, in full armour, with poised spear, then sprang forth from her
-father’s head, chanting a war-song, whilst a mighty commotion both on
-sea and land announced the great event to the world. In her physical
-character Pallas appears as the goddess of the dawn. The birth of the
-dawn from the forehead of the sky is not only a natural idea, but one
-which can be traced in the legends of other nations. Several of the
-other stories of her birth are connected with the name Tritogenia, the
-daughter of Tritos, a god, whose name, though not actually found in
-Greek mythology, may be traced in Amphitrite, Triton, and the Lake
-Tritonis. This name, which originally expressed the birth of the dawn
-from the water, was afterwards explained in various ways, and the first
-part was even derived from a provincial Greek word meaning head. Looked
-at from her ethical side, she appears as the goddess of wisdom, a
-reflection and personification of that profound wisdom and sagacity with
-which Father Zeus controls the destinies of the world. Hence we may
-easily gather the other features of her character. She is, in the first
-place, the protectress of states; and all that their welfare requires in
-peace or war proceeds from her. Thus she appears as goddess of peace as
-well as war. In the latter capacity she accompanies the army on its
-march, inspires the soldiers with ardour for the fray, and rewards them
-with victory and rich spoils; she also affords her mighty protection to
-towns and cities at home. In Homer she figures, besides, as the kindly
-guide and protectress of individual heroes, such as Odysseus, Achilles,
-Diomedes. It was she who first taught mankind to manage the horse, and
-to build ships and chariots; she also invented the war-trumpet and
-flute. As goddess of war she usually wears, besides helmet, shield, and
-spear, the dreadful ægis. The latter, in art monuments, is represented
-as a breastplate covered with dragon’s scales, and surrounded with
-serpents, in the midst of which is the dreadful head of Medusa, which
-has the effect of turning every one that looks on it into stone.
-
-As goddess of peace, Athene is equally lavish in blessing. Everything
-necessary either to the physical or intellectual welfare of mankind was
-believed to proceed from her, and to be subject to her influence.
-Accordingly, useful inventions of all kinds are ascribed to her. It was
-she who first gave men the rake and the plough; it was she who invented
-the distaff and loom, as well as the art of dyeing woven stuffs, and
-many other feminine accomplishments.
-
-By later writers this skill in art is extended to other things, and she
-is represented as the patroness of every branch of science, art, and
-manufacture.
-
-She is also called Athene Hygiea, because she was believed to send pure
-atmosphere, to ward off pestilence, and to promote the growth and health
-of the youth of the land.
-
-We cannot wonder, therefore, that the worship of a goddess so
-benevolent, and exercising such an important influence on human life,
-was very extensive in Greece. Nowhere did she receive a higher degree of
-veneration than at Athens, of which city she was really the tutelary
-deity. Her most important shrine was the Parthenon (temple of the virgin
-goddess), which was erected by Pericles on the Acropolis, and the
-remains of which, even in the present day, excite the wonder and
-admiration of the world. The whole land of Attica was, indeed, in a
-certain measure, the peculiar property of the goddess, which she won
-after her well-known contest with Poseidon. Zeus had decreed the
-sovereignty over Attica to that deity who should bestow on the land the
-most useful present. Poseidon thereupon created the horse; but Athene
-caused the olive-tree to grow, and was thus held to have won the
-victory. The sacred olive-tree, which was thus called into existence,
-was shown in the Temple of Erechtheus on the Acropolis, and possessed
-such a wonderful vitality that, when the Persians burnt it after
-capturing the town, it immediately put forth a fresh shoot. Argos and
-Corinth were also renowned seats of the worship of Pallas Athene; and
-she also enjoyed the highest veneration in Sparta, Bœotia, Thessaly,
-Arcadia, and Rhodes.
-
-The Roman Minerva, whose name was derived from a root meaning “to
-think,” was Hellenised at a very early period, and identified with the
-Greek Pallas. In Rome, however, the warlike character of the goddess was
-completely merged in that of the peaceful inventress and patroness of
-the art and sciences, and of all handiwork of women. She was here
-worshipped, in company with Jupiter and Juno, as the tutelary deity of
-the city and empire, and had, in consequence, her own shrine in the
-temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. She also had temples on the Aventine and
-Cœlian hills, to which a third was added by Pompey, in 61 B.C., in the
-Campus Martius.
-
-_Festivals of the goddess._—The Panathenæa, the chief festival of the
-Greek Pallas, were celebrated with great pomp every four years. A solemn
-procession passed through the streets of Athens up to the Acropolis; and
-an offering was made to the goddess in the shape of a costly garment
-(peplus), artistically embroidered by the Athenian maidens. Horse races,
-athletic and musical contests, took place at the same time. Another
-festival of less importance, called the Lesser Panathenæa, was
-celebrated every year at Athens in honour of the goddess.
-
-At Rome the chief festival of Minerva, the Quinquatrus Majores, was held
-on the 19th of March, and was, in later times, extended to five days. It
-was especially observed by all engaged in intellectual pursuits, and by
-artists and artisans. As Minerva was also patroness of schools, the
-schoolboys also took part in the celebration, and enjoyed a welcome
-holiday.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 8.—Pallas Giustiniani. Vatican.]
-
- The virgin goddess was at all times a favourite subject with ancient
- art. Even in the earliest times, before casting in bronze or marble
- sculpture was known, while the images of the gods were as yet rudely
- carved in wood, Pallas was a frequent subject of delineation. These
- wooden images usually represented the goddess as standing upright
- with poised spear in front of the battle, and were then called
- Palladia. Men delighted to believe them to have fallen from heaven,
- and to be a sure means of protection against hostile attack. When
- Greek art was in its prime, the first masters vied with each other
- in the representation of the goddess. Phidias outdid them all in his
- renowned statue of Athene Parthenos, which stood in the temple on
- the Acropolis. The figure was 39 feet high, and was constructed of
- ivory and gold. Its majestic beauty naturally formed one of the
- chief attractions of the magnificent temple. It disappeared, without
- leaving any clue behind it, during the stormy period of the invasion
- of the nomadic tribes. In proceeding to give an account of the most
- important existing statues of the goddess, we must first mention a
- magnificent marble bust which King Ludwig I. of Bavaria procured for
- the Munich collection, and which was formerly in the Villa Albani,
- at Rome. The goddess here wears a tight-fitting helmet, the top of
- which is decorated with a serpent, the emblem of wisdom. Her
- breastplate, which is bordered with serpents, falls like a cape over
- her shoulders, and is fastened in the middle by the Gorgon’s head, a
- terrible but striking contrast to the pure and noble countenance of
- the goddess. A fine bust, with a delicate and youthful expression of
- countenance, is preserved in the Vatican Museum at Rome.
-
- Another, not less beautiful, but with grave and almost masculine
- features, was discovered in the excavations of Pompeii, and is now
- in the Naples Museum.
-
- Among existing (full-length) statues, the Pallas Giustiniani, of the
- Vatican Museum at Rome, is held to be the finest (Fig. 8). This
- probably once stood in a Roman temple, having been found in a place
- where there was formerly a temple of Minerva. This statue, in
- accordance with the Roman conception, bears a more peaceable
- character, although neither the spear nor helmet are wanting. Next
- come two statues found near Velletri, one of which is in the
- Capitoline Museum at Rome, whilst the other forms a chief ornament
- of the Louvre collection in Paris. Both represent the goddess in the
- character of a benign deity fostering all peaceful works, with a
- gentle but earnest expression of countenance.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 9.—Athene Polias. Villa Albani.]
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 10.—Pallas Athene. Naples.]
-
- The Farnese Minerva of the Naples Museum and the “Hope” copy in
- London betray similar characteristics. On the other hand, in a
- statue discovered at Herculaneum (now at Naples), Minerva appears as
- a warlike goddess, in an evidently hostile attitude (Fig. 10). This
- is also the case with the celebrated statue at the Louvre, which, on
- account of the necklace worn by the goddess, is generally called
- _Minerve au Collier_; and again in a statue of the Villa Albani, in
- which a lion’s skin thrown over the head takes the place of the
- helmet (Fig. 9).
-
- On combining the characteristic features of Minerva, we may gather
- that her most prominent trait is a lofty seriousness, well befitting
- the chaste, grave character of the virgin goddess. The closed lips
- and the prominent chin betray a determined and resolute disposition,
- whilst her mien and bearing give token of strength and dignity.
-
- Among the favourite animals of Minerva we may mention the serpent,
- the owl, and the cock. The first is a symbol of wisdom, the second
- of profound meditation, and the last of eager desire for the fray.
- The attributes of Minerva consist of the ægis, which serves as a
- shield, the spear, and the helmet. The helmet is sometimes adorned
- with the figures of griffins, significant of the overpowering might
- of the wearer. The statues are all fully clothed, in accordance with
- the chaste character of the goddess.
-
-
-=4. Apollo.=—As Athene is the favourite daughter of Zeus, so Apollo
-ranks as the most glorious and beautiful of his sons. Like other sons of
-Zeus, he is a god of light, and, indeed, the purest and highest
-representative of this mighty power in nature. His mother, Leto
-(Latona), is a representative of the darkness of the night. According to
-the sacred legend, she was compelled when pregnant to wander about,
-because mankind, dreading the appearance of the mighty god, refused to
-receive her. This myth was afterwards altered by later writers, who
-assign the jealousy of Hera as the cause of her wanderings. Leto at
-length found a refuge on Delos, which was once a floating island, and
-had to be fastened to the bottom of the sea by means of lofty columns.
-As the bright god of heaven, to whom everything impure and unholy is
-hateful, we find Apollo, soon after his birth, preparing to do battle
-with the evil powers of darkness. With his arrows he slew both the giant
-Tityus and the serpent Python, the latter a monster that inhabited the
-valley of the Plistus, near Delphi, and destroyed both men and cattle.
-These and similar myths are merely a panegyric on the conquering power
-exercised by the genial warmth of Spring over the dark gloom of Winter.
-
-But though Apollo thus appears as the foe of all that is evil and
-impure, ancient myths, nevertheless, represent him also as a terrible
-god of death, sending virulent pestilences and dealing out destruction
-to men and animals by means of his unerring arrows. This may be easily
-explained, however, by glancing at the natural signification of the god.
-The rays of the sun do indeed put to flight the cold of winter, but as
-their heat increases they themselves ultimately become the cause of
-disease and death. This is beautifully portrayed in the fable of the
-death of Hyacinthus.
-
-To proceed further in the analysis of his character as god of light,
-Apollo next appears as the protector of streets and houses. A conical
-pillar was usually erected at the side of the doors of houses as a
-symbol of him, and a defence against all sorceries. Connected with this
-is his repute as a god of health; one who is indeed able to send disease
-and death, but who, on the other hand, is all-powerful to protect
-against physical maladies. This feature in his character, however, is
-more extensively developed in the person of his son, Asclepius
-(Æsculapius). But it is not only outward ills that this wonder-working
-deity can cure: as the true redeemer from sin and crime, he alone can
-afford consolation to guilty souls. Even those pursued by the Furies he
-sometimes receives in tenderness and pity, a fine instance of which is
-found in the story of Orestes. It is here that we must seek the
-explanation of his character as god of music; in the fact that it
-exercises so soothing and tranquillising an influence on the soul of
-man. His favourite instrument was the lyre, which he was wont to play
-with masterly skill at the banquets of the gods, whilst the Muses
-accompanied him with their wondrous strains. Apollo was therefore
-regarded as the leader of the Muses (Musagetes); and all the great
-singers of antiquity, such as Orpheus and Linus, are mythically
-represented as his sons.
-
-But Apollo attained his greatest importance among the Greeks as god of
-prophecy. His oracles continued to exercise an important influence on
-social and political life, even down to the latest times. The
-inspiration of Apollo was distinguished by the fact that the god
-revealed the future less by means of outward signs than by inducing an
-ecstatic condition of mind bordering on madness in those persons through
-whom he wished to proclaim his oracles. These were generally women and
-maidens, who, either at oracular shrines proper, or dwelling alone as
-Sibyls, gave forth the responses of the god. In early times they were
-somewhat numerous. There was an oracle at Clarus, near Colophon; an
-oracle at Didyma, near Miletus; and an oracle on the Ismenus, near
-Thebes. These were eventually all thrown into the shade by that of
-Delphi. The responses of this oracle exercised, during a long period of
-Grecian history, an all-powerful influence, especially on the Dorian
-tribes. The convulsions of the Pythia, or priestess of Apollo, were
-brought about partly by the chewing of laurel leaves, and partly by the
-gaseous vapours that issued from a cleft in the earth beneath the sacred
-tripod. The ecstatic condition in which she gave the responses, which
-were comprehensible only to the initiated priests, manifested itself in
-a foaming at the mouth and in convulsions of the body.
-
-Delphi naturally became the chief seat of the worship of Apollo. The
-gorgeous temple was rebuilt in the time of the Pisistratidæ, after the
-destruction of the old one by fire. Its wealth from offerings became so
-great that their value was computed at 10,000 talents (more than
-£2,000,000). In the neighbourhood of Delphi the Pythian games were
-celebrated in the third year of every Olympiad.
-
-The shrine of the god at Delos, his birthplace, was little less
-renowned. The sanctuary itself was situated at the foot of Mount
-Cynthus; but the whole island was sacred to the god, for which reason no
-one was buried there. Here, too, games, said to have been instituted by
-Theseus, were celebrated every four years in honour of the god. Apollo
-had, besides, a great number of less celebrated shrines and temples, not
-only in Greece, but also in Asia Minor, and wherever the Greek colonies
-extended.
-
-The Apollo of the Romans, as his name indicates, was transferred to Rome
-from Greece. At a comparatively early period men began to feel the want
-of a prophetic deity, as the Roman gods, although they vouchsafed hints
-as to the future, confined their responses to a mere Yea or Nay.
-Moreover, in the character of god of healing, he was early admitted into
-the Roman system, as we gather from the fact that the first temple
-really dedicated to Apollo was erected in 429 B.C., under the pressure
-of a grievous pestilence. The worship of Apollo was especially exalted
-by the Emperor Augustus, who ascribed his victory at Actium chiefly to
-the assistance of the god. He accordingly erected a magnificent temple
-to Apollo on the Palatine, which was embellished with the celebrated
-statue of Apollo Citharœdus, by Scopas.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 11.—Apollo Belvedere. Vatican.]
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 12.—Head of Apollo Belvedere.]
-
- This remark leads us to contemplate the different statues of the
- god. Apollo constantly bears a very youthful appearance, and is
- always beardless. His figure is strong and handsome, his head
- covered with fair clustering locks, and his face expressive of
- majesty, but marked withal by a cheerful serenity. Such is the
- original and fundamental type, which was usually followed in the
- representation of the god. It was principally developed by Scopas
- and Praxiteles, who belonged to the later Attic school, which
- flourished from the end of the Peloponnesian war to the reign of
- Alexander the Great. The principal creation of Scopas was a marble
- statue, representing the god as a Pythian Citharœdus with the lyre
- in his hand, clothed in a long robe reaching to the feet.
-
- This invaluable work was procured by Augustus for the temple he
- erected to Apollo on the Palatine. Praxiteles, a younger
- contemporary of Scopas, acquired considerable renown by his bronze
- figure of a youthful Apollo pursuing a lizard (Apollo Sauroctonus).
-
- In existing art monuments sometimes the conception of a warlike,
- vengeful deity obtains, in which case the god is represented as
- nude, or nearly so, and armed with quiver and bow. At other times
- he wears a mild and benevolent aspect; he is then distinguished by
- his lute, and completely enveloped in a chlamys. Of the former
- kind is the most beautiful and celebrated of all his existing
- statues, the Apollo Belvedere, which was discovered in 1503, near
- Nettuno, the ancient Antium, and is now in the Vatican. The proud
- self-consciousness of a conquering deity is inimitably expressed
- in his whole attitude. He stands with his right hand and leg
- against the trunk of a tree, his left arm outstretched, with the
- ægis, probably as a symbol of fear and terror, in his hand. The
- serpent creeping up the tree is a symbol of the powers of darkness
- vanquished by the god (Fig. 11). It may also be taken as the
- symbol of life and healing, like the serpent of Asclepius (see p.
- 96). We have also given a larger engraving of the head of the
- Belvedere Apollo, in order to afford a clearer idea of its
- wondrous beauty (Fig. 12).
-
- The so-called Apollino, of the Florence gallery, a youthful figure
- resting after battle, is a work of scarcely less beauty. The shape
- of the body, which is entirely nude, is wonderfully soft and
- delicate. With his left arm the god leans upon a tree; in his left
- hand he negligently holds the bow, whilst his right hand is raised
- to his head in a meditative fashion. The Farnese Apollo of the
- Naples Museum possesses an equally graceful form. The god is here
- represented as a musician; in his left hand he holds the lyre,
- whilst his right glides over the strings. The animated expression of
- his face, indicating his entire devotion to his art, is exquisitely
- beautiful. The goose at his feet, which was regarded even by the
- ancients as a music-loving bird, appears to drink in with rapture
- the heavenly tones.
-
- In those works which represent the god as a Pythian lute-player in a
- long Ionian garment, we perceive an almost feminine figure and a
- visionary expression of face. The most important works of this kind
- are the Apollo Citharœdus of the Munich collection (Fig. 13),
- formerly called the Muse of Barberini, which is marked by a somewhat
- quieter attitude; and the so-called Apollo Musagetes of the Vatican
- collection, which is characterised by a lively dancing movement of
- the figure, and is generally regarded as an imitation of the
- masterpiece of Scopas already mentioned. A pure and heavenly
- inspiration seems to pervade the features of the laurel-crowned god;
- his mighty lyre, to the tones of which he appears to be singing, is
- suspended from a band across the chest, and is aptly adorned with
- the portrait of Marsyas, his vanquished rival.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 13.—Apollo Citharœdus. Munich.]
-
- Lastly, the graceful statue of Apollo Sauroctonus (Lizard-slayer)
- deserves mention. Many copies of it still exist, the chief of which
- is a marble statue in the Vatican collection. The delicate figure of
- the god, midway between youth and boyhood, leans carelessly against
- the trunk of a tree, up which a lizard is creeping. The god is
- eagerly watching its movements, in order to seize a favourable
- moment to nail it to the tree with his arrow.
-
- The principle attributes of Apollo are the bow, arrows, quiver,
- laurel crown, and lyre. To these may be added, as symbols of his
- prophetic power, the tripod and the omphalos (navel), the latter
- being a representation of the earth’s centre in the temple at
- Delphi, on which he is often depicted as sitting. The god also
- appears standing on the omphalos; as in the case of a marble statue
- lately found in the theatre of Dionysus. His sacred animals were the
- wolf, the hind, the bat, the swan, the goose, and the dolphin; the
- three last being music-loving creatures.
-
-
-=5. Artemis (Diana).=—Artemis is the feminine counterpart of her twin
-brother Apollo, with whom she entirely harmonises when regarded from her
-physical aspect. Like him, she is a beautiful and propitious deity; but
-like him, too, she can deal out, at times, death and destruction among
-mankind. Like Apollo, she promotes the growth of the young plant, and is
-equally the foe of all that is evil and impure. Like him, she is skilled
-in the use of the bow, of which she avails herself, however, not only
-for the destruction of monsters, but also at times to chastise the
-insolence of man—witness the death of the children of Niobe. Her
-favourite amusement is the chase; armed with quiver and bow she ranges
-mountain and valley, accompanied by a band of nymphs. The chase ended,
-she delights to bathe in some fresh spring, or to lead off some
-favourite dance on the flowery meadows, surrounded by her nymphs, all of
-whom she overtops by a head. Then the heart of her mother, Leto,
-rejoices as she gazes on the innocent sports of her lovely daughter.
-
-As a virgin goddess she was especially venerated by young maidens, whose
-patroness she remained till their marriage, and to whom she afforded an
-example of chastity. The story of Actæon, who was changed into a stag
-and then torn to pieces by his own dogs, shows that she did not suffer
-any injury to her virgin modesty to go unpunished. (For this story see
-the Theban legends.)
-
-Originally, Artemis appears to have been the goddess of the moon, just
-as her brother Apollo is unmistakably identical with the sun. This
-conception, however, continued to grow fainter and fainter, until, in
-the later days of confusion of religions, it was again revived. Artemis
-was frequently confounded with Selene or Phœbe (Luna).
-
-The national Artemis of the Greeks was originally quite distinct from
-the Artemis Orthia, a dark and cruel deity, to whom human sacrifices
-were offered in Laconia. Lycurgus abolished this barbarous custom, but
-caused instead a number of boys to be cruelly whipped before the image
-of the goddess on the occasion of her annual festival. This is the same
-Artemis to whom Agamemnon was about to offer, in Aulis, his daughter
-Iphigenia, previous to the departure of the Greeks for Troy. The
-Scythians in Tauris likewise had a goddess whom they propitiated with
-human sacrifices. This caused her to be confounded with Artemis Orthia,
-and the story arose that Iphigenia was conveyed by the goddess to
-Tauris, from which place she subsequently, assisted by her brother
-Orestes, brought the image of the goddess to Greece.
-
-The Ephesian Artemis, known to us as “Diana of the Ephesians,” was
-distinct from all that have been mentioned. She was, in fact, an
-Asiatic, not a Hellenic deity.
-
-The Roman Diana, who was early identified with the Greek Artemis, was
-likewise originally a goddess of the moon. As such, she possessed a very
-ancient shrine on Mount Algidus, near Tusculum. Like the Greek Artemis,
-she was also regarded as the tutelary goddess of women, and was invoked
-by women in childbirth. This was also the case with Artemis, although
-the matrons of Greece looked for more protection in this respect at the
-hands of Hera. She gained, however, a certain political importance in
-Rome after having been made by Servius Tullius the tutelary deity of the
-Latin League. As such, she possessed a sacred grove and temple on the
-Aventine.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 14.—Diana of Versailles.]
-
- Artemis is a favourite subject with the masters of the later Attic
- school. She is always represented as youthful, slender and light of
- foot, and without womanly fulness. Her devotion to the chase is
- clearly betokened by the quiver and bow which she generally bears,
- and by the high girt robe and Cretan shoes, which allow her to pass
- unencumbered through the thickets of the forest.
-
- Among existing statues, the most celebrated is the so-called Diana
- of Versailles, which came from the Villa of Hadrian, at Tibur (Fig.
- 14). It is now a chief ornament of the Louvre collection, and is a
- worthy companion to the Belvedere Apollo, although it does not quite
- equal this in beauty. In this statue the goddess does not appear as
- a huntress, but rather as the protectress of wild animals. She is
- conceived as having just come to the rescue of a hunted deer, and is
- in the act of turning with angry mien on the pursuers. With her
- right hand she grasps an arrow from the quiver that hangs at her
- back, and in her left she holds the bow.
-
- A really beautiful statue of the Vatican collection depicts the
- goddess in a most striking attitude. She has just sent forth her
- deadly arrow, and is eagerly watching its effect. The hound at her
- side is just about to start in eager pursuit of the mark, which was
- evidently therefore a wild animal. In her left hand is the bow,
- still strung, from which her right hand has just directed the arrow.
- Her foot is likewise upraised in triumph, and her whole deportment
- expresses the proud joy of victory. The chief attributes of Diana
- are bow, quiver, and spear, and also a torch, as an emblem of her
- power to dispense light and life. The hind, the dog, the bear, and
- the wild boar were esteemed sacred to her.
-
-
-=6. Ares (Mars).=—Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera, represents war from
-its fatal and destructive side, by which he is clearly distinguished
-from Athene, the wise disposer of battles. He was, it is probable,
-originally a personification of the angry clouded sky. His home,
-according to Homer, was in Thrace, the land of boisterous, wintry
-storms, among whose warlike inhabitants he was held in high esteem,
-although his worship was not so extensive in Greece. Homer, in the
-_Iliad_, paints in particularly lively colours the picture of the rude
-“manslaying” god of war. He here appears as a deity who delights only in
-the wild din of battle, and is never weary of strife and slaughter. Clad
-in brazen armour from head to foot, with waving plume, helmet, and
-high-poised spear, his bull’s hide shield on his left arm, he ranges the
-battlefield, casting down all before him in his impetuous fury. With
-strength he combines great agility, and is, according to Homer, the
-fleetest of the gods. Strong though he be, however, he is overmatched in
-battle by Athene; a palpable indication that prudent courage often
-accomplishes more than impetuous violence.
-
-The usual attendants and servants of Ares are Fear and Terror. By some
-writers they are described as his sons, yet in Homer they fight against
-him. There is little to be said of the principal seats of his worship in
-Greece. In Thebes he was regarded as the god of pestilence; and
-Aphrodite, who elsewhere appears as the wife of Hephæstus, was given him
-to wife. By her he became the father of Harmonia, who married Cadmus,
-and thus became the ancestress of the Cadmean race in Thebes. According
-to an Athenian local legend, his having slain a son of Poseidon gave
-rise to the institution of the Areopagus. He was here regarded as the
-god of vengeance. A celebrated statue by Alcamenes adorned his temple at
-Athens. Among the warlike people of Sparta the worship of Ares was also
-extensive.
-
-This deity was regarded with a far greater degree of veneration in Rome,
-under the appellation of Mars, or Mavors. He seems to have occupied an
-important position even among the earliest Italian tribes. It was not as
-god of war, however—for which, amid the peaceful pursuits of
-cattle-rearing and husbandry, they cared little—but as the god of the
-spring triumphing over the powers of winter that he was worshipped. It
-was from his bounty that the primitive people looked for the prosperous
-growth of their flocks and the fruits of their fields; it was Mars on
-whom they called for protection against bad weather and destructive
-pestilence.
-
-In warlike Rome, however, this deity soon laid aside his peaceful
-character, and donned the bright armour of the god of war. He was even
-regarded as being, after Jupiter, the most important god of the state
-and people of Rome. Numa himself gave him a flamen of his own, and
-created or restored in his honour the priesthood of the Salii. The
-occasion, according to the sacred legend, was on this wise. As King Numa
-one morning, from the ancient palace at the foot of the Palatine, raised
-his hands in prayer to Jove, beseeching his protection and favour for
-the infant state of Rome, the god let fall from heaven, as a mark of his
-favour, an oblong brazen shield (ancile). At the same time a voice was
-heard declaring that Rome should endure as long as this shield was
-preserved. Numa then caused the sacred shield, which was recognised as
-that of Mars, to be carefully preserved. The better to prevent its
-abstraction, he ordered an artist to make eleven others exactly similar,
-and instituted for their protection the college of the Salii, twelve in
-number, like the shields, who were selected from the noblest families in
-Rome. Every year in the month of March, which was sacred to Mars, they
-bore the sacred shields in solemn procession through the streets of
-Rome, executing warlike dances and chanting ancient war-songs. From the
-days of Numa the worship of “Father Mars” continued to acquire an
-ever-increasing popularity. Before the departure of a Roman army on any
-expedition, the imperator retired to the sanctuary of the god in the old
-palace, and there touched the sacred shields and the spear of the statue
-of Mars, crying aloud at the same time, “Mars, watch over us!” According
-to popular belief, the god himself went unseen before the host as it
-marched to battle, whence he was called “Gradivus.” In the war with the
-Lucanians and Bruttians (282 B.C.), when the consuls were hesitating
-whether to begin the attack, an unknown youth of extraordinary stature
-and beauty encouraged the troops to begin the assault on the enemy’s
-camp, and was himself the first to scale the wall. When he was
-afterwards sought for, in order that he might receive his richly merited
-reward, he had disappeared, leaving no trace behind him. As it could
-have been none other than Father Mars, the consul, Fabricius, decreed
-him a thanksgiving of three days’ duration.
-
-Mars naturally received a due share of all booty taken in war. Defeat
-was ascribed to his wrath, which men strove to avert by extraordinary
-sin-offerings.
-
-Popular belief made Mars the father, by a vestal virgin, of Romulus and
-Remus, the legendary founders of the city. His wife appears to have been
-Nerio; but she enjoyed no honours at Rome.
-
-In attendance on Mars we find Metus and Pallor, who answer to the Greek
-deities already mentioned; and also his sister Bellona, corresponding to
-the Enyo, who was worshipped in Pontus and Cappadocia, though not in
-Greece proper. Bellona had a temple in the Campus Martius.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 15—Mars Ludovisi.]
-
-The Campus Martius (Field of Mars), the celebrated place of exercise of
-the Roman youth, stretched from the Quirinal westwards to the Tiber, and
-was dedicated to the god of war. Augustus, after the overthrow of the
-murderers of Cæsar, his adoptive father, erected a temple to Mars, which
-was built in Greek style, and far surpassed in grandeur and splendour
-all the other temples of the god. Three columns of it are still
-standing, mute witnesses of vanished splendour. A large number of
-religious festivities were celebrated in the month of March in honour of
-Mars. The procession of the Salii formed the chief feature of the
-festival; but there were also races and games. On the Ides of October
-also a chariot race took place in honour of Mars, at which the singular
-custom prevailed of offering the near horse of the victorious team to
-the god. The inhabitants of the two oldest quarters of the city
-contended for the head of the slaughtered animal, and whoever got it was
-supposed to reap great blessings from its possession.
-
- Ancient artists represented Mars as a tall and powerful young man,
- whose activity, however, is as apparent as his strength. His
- characteristic features are short curly hair, small eyes, and broad
- nostrils, significant of the violence and passionateness of his
- nature. The most celebrated of existing statues is the Mars Ludovisi
- of the Villa Ludovisi, at Rome. It has often been conjectured that
- this is an imitation of the renowned work of Scopas. The deity is
- depicted as resting after battle; and, in spite of the usual
- turbulence of his disposition, he here appears to have surrendered
- himself to a more gentle frame of mind. The little god of love
- crouching at his feet gazes into his face with a roguish, triumphant
- smile, as though rejoiced to see that even the wildest and most
- untameable must submit to his sway, and thus shows us what has
- called forth this gentle mood. (Fig. 15.) The Mars Ludovisi is an
- original work, Greek in its origin, though belonging to a somewhat
- late period. The Borghese Mars of the Louvre, on the other hand, is
- undoubtedly of Roman origin. It is supposed to represent Ares bound
- by the craft of Hephæstus.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 16.—Bust of Ares. Sculpture Gallery at Munich.]
-
- Besides these two principal statues, the bust of Mars of the Munich
- collection deserves mention. It is distinguished by a peculiarly
- expressive head, of which we give an engraving (Fig. 16).
-
- The attributes of Mars are the helmet (decorated with the figures of
- wolf-hounds and griffins), shield, and spear. The animals sacred to
- him were the wolf, the horse, and the woodpecker.
-
-
-=7. Aphrodite (Venus).=—In the _Iliad_, Aphrodite is represented as the
-daughter of Zeus and Dione, the goddess of moisture, who, as the wife of
-the god of heaven, was held in high esteem among the old Pelasgians. The
-same notion of the goddess being produced from moisture is seen in the
-legend, which relates that Aphrodite was born of the foam of the sea,
-and first touched land on the island of Cyprus, which was henceforth
-held sacred to her. She was probably a personification of the creative
-and generative forces of nature, and figured among the Greeks as goddess
-of beauty and sexual love. We must not forget that this conception does
-not cover the whole character of the goddess. She not only appears as
-Aphrodite Pandemus (the earthly Aphrodite), a goddess of the spring, by
-whose wondrous power all germs in the natural and vegetable world are
-quickened, but we also hear of Aphrodite Urania, a celestial deity, who
-was venerated as the dispenser of prosperity and fertility; and also an
-Aphrodite Pontia (of the sea), the tutelary deity of ships and mariners,
-who controlled the winds and the waves, and granted to ships a fair and
-prosperous passage. As the worship of Aphrodite was extremely popular
-among the numerous islands and ports of the Grecian seas, we can well
-imagine that it was in this latter character that she received her
-greatest share of honour.
-
-The poets paint Aphrodite as the most beautiful of all the goddesses,
-whose magic power not even the wisest could withstand. Even wild animals
-were conscious of her influence, and pressed round her like lambs. She
-was endowed with the celebrated love-begetting magic girdle, which she
-could lay aside at will and lend to others. And as she thus gave rise to
-passion in others, she herself was not free from its influence. This is
-evidenced by the numerous stories of her amours with the gods or
-favoured mortals, which it is so difficult to bring into harmony with
-each other. Sometimes Ares, sometimes Hephæstus, is said to be her
-husband. The latter account, which originated in Lemnos, was the more
-popular; doubtless because its very strangeness in mating the sweetest
-and most lovely of the goddesses with the lame and ugly god of fire had
-a certain charm. No children are mentioned as springing from the union
-of Aphrodite with Hephæstus; but Eros and Anteros, as well as Demus and
-Phobus, are said to be her children by Ares. Other legends, generally of
-a local character, unite her to Dionysus, or to Hermes.
-
-The story of her love for the beautiful Adonis clearly represents the
-decay of nature in autumn, and its resuscitation in spring. Adonis, whom
-Aphrodite tenderly loved, was killed, when hunting, by a wild boar.
-Inconsolable at her loss, Aphrodite piteously entreated Father Zeus to
-restore his life. Zeus at length consented that Adonis should spend one
-part of the year in the world of shadows, and the other in the upper
-world. Clearly the monster that deprived Adonis of life is only a symbol
-of the frosty winter, before whose freezing blast all life in nature
-decays.
-
-In the story of Troy, Aphrodite plays an important part. She was the
-original cause of the war, having assisted Paris in his elopement with
-Helen. This was his reward for his celebrated judgment, in which he
-awarded the prize of beauty to Aphrodite in preference to Hera or
-Athene. Besides the Trojan prince Anchises enjoyed her favours, and she
-became by him the mother of the pious hero Æneas.
-
-The goddess appears ever ready to assist unfortunate lovers; thus she
-aided the hero Peleus to obtain the beautiful sea-nymph Thetis. On the
-other hand, she punishes with the utmost severity those who from pride
-or disdain resist her power. This appears in the legend of Hippolytus,
-son of Theseus, King of Athens, whom she ruined through the love of his
-step-mother Phædra; also in the story of the beautiful youth Narcissus,
-whom she punished by an ungratified self-love, because he had despised
-the love of the nymph Echo.
-
-The Seasons and the Graces appear in attendance on Aphrodite. Their
-office is to dress and adorn her. She is also accompanied by Eros,
-Pothus, and Himerus (Love, Longing, and Desire), besides Hymen, or
-Hymenæus, the god of marriage.
-
-The Roman Venus (the Lovely One) was regarded by the earlier Italian
-tribes as the goddess of spring, for which reason April, the month of
-buds, was held sacred to her. She early acquired a certain social
-importance, by having ascribed to her a beneficent influence in
-promoting civil harmony and sociability among men.
-
-After her identification with the Aphrodite of the Greeks, she became
-more and more a goddess merely of sensual love and desire. She had three
-principal shrines—those of Venus Murcia, Venus Cloacina, and Libitina.
-The first of these surnames points to Venus as the myrtle goddess (the
-myrtle being an emblem of chaste love); her temple was situated on the
-brow of the Aventine, and was supposed to have been erected by the
-Latins, who were planted there by Ancus Marcius.
-
-The temple of Venus Cloacina (the Purifier) was said to have been
-erected in memory of the reconciliation of the Romans and Sabines, after
-the rape of the Sabine women. The surname of Libitina points to her as
-goddess of corpses. All the apparatus of funerals were kept in this
-temple, and her attendants were at the same time the public undertakers
-of the city.
-
-To these ancient shrines was added another in the time of Julius Cæsar,
-who erected a temple to Venus Genetrix, the goddess of wedlock, in
-fulfilment of a vow made at the battle of Pharsalus.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 17.—Venus of Milo. Louvre.]
-
- Aphrodite, or Venus, is notoriously an especially common subject of
- representation among the artists of antiquity. The task of giving
- expression to the most perfect female beauty, arrayed in all the
- charms of love, by means of chisel or brush, continually spurs the
- artist to fresh endeavours. It was especially among the masters of
- the later Attic school, who devoted themselves to the representation
- of the youthful and beautiful among the gods in whom the nude
- appeared least offensive, that statues of Venus were attempted. The
- Venus of Cnidus, by Praxiteles, was the most important work of that
- master; and the people of Cnidus were so proud of it that they
- engraved her image on their coins. The fact that they ventured to
- portray the goddess as entirely nude may be regarded as a sign both
- of the falling away of the popular faith and of the decay of art.
- Henceforth, except in the case of statues for the temples, it became
- an established custom to represent Venus and other kindred deities
- as nude. Venus is further distinguished by a fulness of form, which
- is, nevertheless, combined with slenderness and grace. The
- countenance is oval; the eyes are not large, and have a languishing
- expression; the mouth is small, and the cheeks and chin full and
- round.
-
- Of the numerous existing statues we can here mention only the most
- important. First among them in artistic worth is a marble statue
- larger than life, which was found in 1820 on the island of Melos
- (Milo), and is now in the Louvre at Paris (Fig. 17). In this
- statue only the upper part of the body is nude, the lower
- portions, from the hips downward, being covered with a light
- garment. One scarcely knows which to admire most in this splendid
- statue—the singularly dignified expression of the head, or the
- charming fulness and magnificent proportions of the limbs. The
- arms are quite broken off, so that we cannot determine the
- conception of the artist with any certainty. It is supposed that
- the goddess held in her hand either an apple, which was a symbol
- of the Isle of Melos, or the bronze shield of Ares. Her looks
- express proud and joyous self-consciousness.
-
- In the Venus of Capua (so called because found among the ruins of
- the Amphitheatre) she again appears as a victorious goddess (Venus
- Victrix). This statue is now in the Museum at Naples. The shape of
- the nude body is not so vigorous or fresh as that of the Venus of
- Milo, but somewhat soft and ill-defined.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 18.—Venus Genetrix. Villa Borghese.]
-
- The Medicean Venus, formerly in the Villa Medici at Rome, is better
- known. It is a work of the later Attic school, in which, at the end
- of the second century B.C., Greek art once more blooms for a while.
- It is the work of the Athenian artist Cleomenes, though probably
- chiselled in Rome. As Venus Anadyomene (rising from the sea) the
- goddess appears entirely nude. This is the most youthful in
- appearance of all her statues, and is distinguished by the perfect
- regularity and beauty of its form, though there is no trace of the
- lofty dignity of the goddess. “What a descent,” says Kraus in his
- _Christian Art_, “is there from the Venus of Milo to this coquette,
- whose apparently bashful posture is only meant to challenge the
- notice of the beholder.”
-
- The “Venus crouching in the bath” of the Vatican collection, and the
- “Venus loosing her sandal” of the Munich Gallery, are creations
- similar in style. In some imitations of the Cnidian Venus, the most
- important of which are in Rome and Munich, the goddess wears a more
- dignified demeanour; and also in the wonderfully graceful Venus
- Genetrix of the Villa Borghese, at Rome (Fig. 18).
-
- The attributes of Venus vary much according to the prevailing
- conception of the goddess. The dove, the sparrow, and the dolphin,
- and among plants the myrtle, the rose, the apple, the poppy, and the
- lime-tree, were sacred to her.
-
-
-=8. Hermes (Mercurius).=—Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia, a daughter
-of Atlas. He was born in a grotto of Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, whence he
-is called Cyllenius. We know the stories of his youth chiefly from the
-so-called Homeric Hymn.
-
-From this we learn how Hermes, soon after his birth, sprang from his
-mother’s lap to seek the oxen of Apollo. Finding outside the cave a
-tortoise, he stretched strings across its shell, and thus made a lyre,
-to which he sung the loves of Zeus and Maia. Then hiding the lyre in his
-cradle, he went out to seek for food. Coming to Pieria in the evening,
-he stole thence fifty cows from the herds of Apollo, and drove them to
-the river Alpheüs. Here he slew two of them, and roasted the flesh, but
-could not swallow it. Then returning home in the early morning, he
-passed through the key-hole like the morning breeze, and lay down in his
-cradle. Apollo, however, soon remarked the theft, and hurried after the
-impudent robber. Hermes now played the innocent, and obstinately denied
-the charge; but Apollo was not to be deceived, and forced the young
-thief to accompany him to the throne of Zeus to have their quarrel
-decided. Zeus ordered Hermes to restore the cattle, but Apollo gladly
-made them over to Hermes on receiving the newly-invented lyre. Thus
-Hermes became the god of shepherds and pastures, whilst Apollo
-henceforth zealously devoted himself to the art of music.
-
-As a token of their thorough reconciliation, Apollo gave his brother god
-the golden Caduceus, or magic wand, by means of which he could bestow
-happiness on whomsoever he would; and henceforth both dwelt together in
-the utmost harmony and love, the favourite sons of their father Zeus.
-
-Various interpretations have been given of the nature of Hermes. Some
-have seen in him the thunderstorm, some the dawn, and some the morning
-breeze. The name Hermes, compared with the corresponding Indian words,
-seems to make his connection with the morning certain. Several points in
-the legend just related guide us to the breeze rather than the dawn; the
-invention of music, the kine carried off—which, nevertheless, he cannot
-eat (the wind cannot consume as fire does what it breaks down and
-carries off)—and the passing through the key-hole “like the morning
-breeze.” So also his function of guide and conductor of the soul, which
-we shall speak of presently.
-
-The following are the most important features in the character of
-Hermes:—Not only does he promote the fruitfulness of flocks and herds,
-but he also bestows prosperity and success on all undertakings,
-especially those of trade and commerce. As the guardian of the streets
-and roads, and the friendly guide of those travelling on business,
-Hermes must have appeared especially worthy of honour among the Greeks,
-who were at all times sharp and greedy men of business. Accordingly, men
-erected in his honour, on the roads, what were called Hermæ—mere blocks
-of stone, or posts, with one or more heads: these latter were at
-cross-roads, and also served as finger-posts. Hermæ[3] were also often
-to be seen in the streets of towns and in public squares. Not only did
-Hermes protect and guide merchants whilst travelling, but he also
-endowed them with shrewdness and cunning to outwit others. And as a god
-who had himself commenced his career by a dexterous theft, he was fain
-to allow thieves and rogues to invoke his protection before entering on
-their operations; just as in the present day robbers and bandits in
-Italy or Greece see nothing strange in asking their patron saint to
-bestow on them a rich prey. Every chance gain—in gambling, for
-instance—and every fortunate discovery were attributed to Hermes.
-
-Footnote 3:
-
- In this meaning, however, some have derived the word from a different
- root, and supposed it to mean originally only “pillars.”
-
-Though playing such an important part in human life, Hermes also appears
-as the fleet messenger and dexterous agent of Zeus. It is in this guise
-that the epic poets love to depict him. With his golden-winged shoes he
-passes more swiftly than the wind over land and sea, executing the
-commissions of his father Zeus or the other inhabitants of Olympus. Thus
-he is sent by Zeus to command the nymph Calypso to release Odysseus, and
-to warn Ægisthus against the murder of Agamemnon. At times, difficult
-tasks are allotted to him; for instance, the destruction of the
-hundred-eyed guardian of Io, on which account Homer calls him the
-Argus-slayer. Doubtless in this myth the hundred-eyed Argus represents
-the starry heavens; Argus is slain by Hermes, that is, in the morning
-the stars cease to be visible. As messenger and herald of the gods, he
-is a model for all earthly heralds, who, in ancient times, were the
-indispensable agents of kings in every difficult business. Hence he
-bears the herald’s staff, or _caduceus_. This is the same wand once
-given him by Apollo, consisting of three branches, one of which forms
-the handle, whilst the other two branch off like a fork, and are joined
-in a knot. The origin of this herald’s staff appears to have been the
-olive branch wreathed with fillets of wool. It was only at a later
-period that the two last were converted into serpents. By means of this
-wand Hermes can either induce deep sleep or rouse a slumberer, but he
-uses it chiefly in guiding souls to the infernal regions. This leads us
-to speak of the important office of Hermes as Psychopompus, or conductor
-of the soul. Every soul, after death, commenced its journey to the
-region of shadows under the guidance of the god. On extraordinary
-occasions, where, for instance, the spirits were summoned in the oracles
-of the dead, Hermes had to reconduct the souls of the departed to the
-upper world, thus becoming a mediator between these two regions, in
-other respects so far divided.
-
-As dreams come from the lower world, Hermes was naturally regarded as
-the deity from whom they proceeded; on which account people were wont to
-ask him for good dreams before going to sleep.
-
-The highest conception of Hermes, however, is that of the god who
-presides over the bringing up of children; and, indeed, what god was
-more fitted to be presented as an example to Grecian youth than the
-messenger of the gods, equally dexterous in mind and body? He is the
-fleetest of runners and the most skilful of disc-throwers and boxers;
-and though he does not, like Apollo, represent any of the higher forms
-of intellectual life, still he possesses in the highest degree that
-practical common sense which was so greatly valued among the Greeks. The
-wrestling school and the gymnasium were consequently regarded as his
-institutions, and adorned with his statues. In further development of
-his relation to the education of the young, later poets even made him
-the inventor of speech, of the alphabet, and of the art of interpreting
-languages. The custom which prevailed among the Greeks of offering him
-the tongues of the slaughtered animals, shows clearly that they also
-considered him as the patron of eloquence.
-
-There is little to be said of the Roman Mercury. As his name (from
-_mercari_, to trade) signifies, he was considered by the Romans solely
-as god of trade. His worship was introduced at the same time as that of
-Ceres—some years after the expulsion of the Tarquins, at a season of
-great scarcity—but appears to have become confined to the plebeians. The
-guild of merchants regarded him as their tutelary deity, and offered
-sacrifices to him and his mother Maia on the Ides of May.
-
- The plastic representation of Hermes made equal progress with his
- ideal development. The first statues of the god, founded on the
- ancient Hermæ already mentioned, represented him as a shepherd,
- sometimes as the herald and messenger of the gods, always as a
- powerful, bearded man. Later, he assumed a more youthful appearance,
- and was represented as a beardless youth in the very prime of
- strength, with broad chest, lithe but powerful limbs, curly hair,
- and small ears, mouth, and eyes; altogether a wonderful combination
- of grace and vigour. If we add to this the expression of kindly
- benevolence which plays around his finely-cut lips, and the
- inquiring look of his face as he bends forward thoughtfully, we have
- the principal characteristic features of the god.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 19.—Resting Hermes. Bronze Statue at Naples.]
-
- Among existing statues, a full-sized “Hermes at rest,” in bronze,
- which was found at Herculaneum, and is now in the Naples Museum, is
- perhaps most worthy of mention. He here appears as the messenger of
- the gods, and has just sat down on a rock to rest. The winged
- sandals form his only clothing, and these are, strictly speaking,
- not really sandals, but simply straps covering the foot, to which
- wings are fastened close to the ankles (Fig. 19).
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 20.—Statue of Hermes. Capitoline Collection.]
-
- A splendid marble statue of the Vatican collection, which, was once
- taken for Antinous, portrays the god as the patron of wrestling; the
- Caduceus which he holds in his left hand is, however, a modern
- addition. In the Hermes Ludovisi of Rome we have a graceful
- representation of Hermes Logius, the patron of the art of rhetoric.
- The wings are here not placed on the feet, or even directly on the
- head, as is often the case, but are fastened to a low round
- travelling-hat.
-
- A pretty bronze statuette in the British Museum depicts Hermes as
- the god of trade and commerce, with a well-filled purse in his hand.
- Such is also the conception of a fine statue of the Capitoline
- collection at Rome (Fig. 20). The principal attributes of the god
- have already been incidentally mentioned: they are wings on the
- feet, head, or cap; the herald’s staff, the votive bowl, and the
- purse.
-
-
-=9. Hephæstus (Vulcan).=—Hephæstus, the god of fire and the forge, was
-commonly regarded as a son of Zeus and Hera. He was so lame and ugly
-that his mother in shame cast him from heaven into the sea. But Eurynome
-and Thetis, the Oceanids, took pity on him, and tended him for nine
-years in a deep grotto of the sea, in return for which he made them many
-ornaments. After being reconciled to his mother, he returned to Olympus
-under the guidance of Dionysus. According to another not less popular
-account, it was not his mother who treated him so cruelly, but Zeus.
-Hephæstus, on the occasion of a quarrel between Zeus and Hera, came to
-the help of his mother, whereupon the angry god of heaven seized him by
-the foot and hurled him from Olympus. The unfortunate Hephæstus fell for
-a whole day, but alighted at sundown on the isle of Lemnos with but
-little breath in his body. Here the Sintians, who inhabited the island,
-tended him till his recovery. Later writers say that it was from this
-fall that he became lame. The same fundamental idea lies at the root of
-these various legends, viz., that fire first came down from heaven in
-the form of lightning. Hephæstus originally represented the element of
-fire, and all the effects of fire are accordingly referred to him. The
-fires of the earth break forth from the open craters of volcanoes; it
-must therefore be Hephæstus who is working in the midst of the fiery
-mountain, where he has his forges and his smithies. So says the legend
-of Mount Mosychlus, in Lemnos, the chief seat of his worship. Scarcely
-less celebrated, from its connection with him, was Mount Ætna, in
-Sicily. After it was observed that the wine was particularly good in the
-neighbourhood of volcanic mountains, the story of the intimate
-friendship between Hephæstus and Dionysus was concocted.
-
-The most beneficial action of fire is manifested in its power to melt
-metals and render them useful to man in the shape of implements and
-tools of all kinds. Hence the conception of the character of Hephæstus
-tended ever more and more to represent him as the master of all
-ingenious working in metals, and as the patron of artificers and
-craftsmen using fire. In this character he was brought into close
-connection with the art-loving goddess Athene, and hence we see why both
-these divinities enjoyed so many kindred honours and had so many
-festivals in common at Athens, the chief seat of Greek science and art.
-It was also chiefly in the character of artificer that Hephæstus was
-treated of by the poets, who delight to describe the gorgeous brazen
-palace which he built himself on Olympus, in which was a huge workshop
-with twenty cunningly-devised pairs of bellows. He also constructed
-there the imperishable dwellings of the gods. Many also were the
-ingenious implements which he constructed, such as the walking tables,
-or tripods, which moved of their own accord into the banqueting-chamber
-of the gods, and then returned to their places after the meal was over.
-He also made himself two golden statues of maidens, to assist him in
-walking, and bestowed on them speech and motion. Among the other works
-of his mentioned by the poets are the ægis and sceptre of Zeus, the
-trident of Poseidon, the shield of Heracles, and the armour of Achilles,
-among which, also, was a shield of extraordinary beauty.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 21.—Hephæstus. Bronze Figure in the British Museum.]
-
-The worship of Hephæstus was not very extensive in Greece. The most
-important seat of his worship was the isle of Lemnos, where he was
-supposed to dwell on Mount Mosychlus with his workmen, the Cabiri, who
-answer to the Cyclopes of Ætna. He was held in great esteem at Athens,
-where, at different festivals, torch races were held in his honour.
-Young men ran with burning torches, and whoever first reached the goal
-with his torch alight received the prize. He was, moreover, highly
-venerated by the Greeks in Campania and Sicily, a fact which may be
-easily explained by the fiery mountains of these places.
-
-The Romans called this god Vulcanus, or, according to its more ancient
-spelling, Volcanus. They honoured in him the blessings and beneficial
-action of fire. They also sought his protection against conflagrations.
-Under the influence of the Greek writers, the original and more common
-conception of the god gave place to the popular image of the smith-god,
-or Mulciber, who had his forges in Ætna, or on the Lipari Isles, and who
-vied with his comrades in wielding the hammer. In correspondence with
-the Greek myths, Venus was given him to wife; by this men doubtless
-sought to convey the idea that truly artistic works can only be created
-in harmony with beauty.
-
-The chief shrine of the god in Rome was the Volcanal, in the Comitium,
-which was not really a temple, but merely a covered fire-place. In the
-Campus Martius, however, was a real temple close to the Flaminian
-Circus, where the festival of the Volcanalia was celebrated with every
-kind of game on the 23rd day of August.
-
- Greek and Roman artists generally represented this god as a
- powerful, bearded man of full age. He is distinguished by the
- shortness of his left leg, by the sharp, shrewd glance of his
- cunning eye, and his firm mouth. His attributes are the smith’s
- tools, the pointed oval workman’s cap, and the short upper garment
- of the craftsman or humble citizen.
-
- With the exception of some small bronzes in London and Berlin, and a
- newly discovered marble bust of the Vatican collection, we possess
- no antique statues of the god worth mentioning. The engraving (Fig.
- 21) is from a bronze in the British Museum.
-
-
-=10. Hestia (Vesta).=—It must have been at a comparatively late period
-that Hestia, the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, attained a general
-veneration, as her name is not mentioned either in the _Iliad_ or
-_Odyssey_. Hestia is the guardian angel of mankind, who guards the
-security of the dwelling, and is, in consequence, regarded as the
-goddess of the family hearth, the centre of domestic life. The hearth
-possessed among the ancients a far higher significance than it does in
-modern life. It not only served for the preparation of meals, but was
-also esteemed the sacred altar of the house; there the images of the
-household gods were placed, and thither, after the old patriarchal
-fashion, the father and priest of the family offered sacrifice on all
-the important occasions of domestic life. No offering was made in which
-Hestia, the very centre of all domestic life, had not her share.
-
-And as the state is composed of families, the goddess of the domestic
-circle naturally becomes the protectress of every political community.
-On this account, in Greek states the Prytaneum, or seat of the governing
-body, was dedicated to Hestia; there she had an altar, on which a fire
-was ever kept burning. From this altar colonists, who were about to
-leave their native land in search of new homes, always took some fire—a
-pleasing figurative indication of the moral ties between the colony and
-the mother country.
-
-As the hearth-fire of the Prytaneum was an outward and visible sign to
-the members of a state that they were one great family, so the Hestia of
-the temple at Delphi signified to the Greeks their national connection
-and the unity of their worship. Her altar in this temple was placed in
-the hall before the cave of the oracle; on it was placed the celebrated
-omphalus (navel of the earth, likewise an emblem of the goddess), Delphi
-being regarded by the Greeks as the centre of the whole earth. Here,
-too, a fire was kept ever burning in honour of Hestia. The character of
-the goddess was as pure and untarnished as flame itself. Not only did
-she herself remain a virgin, though wooed by both Poseidon and Apollo,
-but her service could be performed only by chaste virgins. She does not
-appear to have had a separate temple of her own in Greece, since she had
-a place in every temple.
-
-The service of Vesta occupied a far more important place in the public
-life of the Romans. Her most ancient temple, which was supposed to have
-been built by Numa Pompilius, was situated on the slope of the Palatine
-opposite the Forum. It was built in a circle, and was of moderate
-dimensions, being, indeed, little more than a covered fire-place. In it
-the eternal fire, a symbol of the life of the state, was kept burning.
-Here, too, the service was performed by virgins, whose number was at
-first four, but was afterwards increased to six. Their chief occupation
-was to maintain the sacred fire, and to offer up daily prayers at the
-altar of the goddess for the welfare of the Roman people. The extinction
-of the sacred flame was esteemed an omen of coming misfortune, and
-brought severe punishment on the negligent priestess. The choice of
-vestals lay with the Pontifex Maximus. They were chosen between the ages
-of six and ten years, always out of the best Roman families. For thirty
-years they remained bound to their sacred office, during which time they
-had to preserve the strictest chastity. After the lapse of thirty years
-they returned to civil life, and were permitted to marry if they liked.
-
-Another sanctuary of Vesta existed in Lavinium, the metropolis of the
-Latins, where the Roman consuls, after entering on their office, had to
-perform a solemn sacrifice. The festival of Vesta was celebrated on the
-9th of June, on which occasion the Roman women were wont to make a
-pilgrimage barefooted to the temple of the goddess, and place before her
-offerings of food.
-
-In the domestic life of the Romans the hearth and the hearth-goddess
-Vesta occupied as important a position as among the Greeks. The worship
-of Vesta is closely connected with that of the Penates, the kindly,
-protecting, household gods, who provided for the daily wants of life,
-and about whom we shall have more to say before concluding the subject
-of the gods.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 22.—Vesta Giustiniani. Torlonia Collection.]
-
- Agreeably to the chaste, pure character of the goddess, she could
- only be represented in art with an expression of the strictest moral
- purity; she generally appears either sitting or standing, her
- countenance characterised by a thoughtful gravity of expression. Her
- principal attributes consist of the votive bowl, the torch, the
- simpulum, or small cup, which was used in making libations, and the
- sceptre. In consequence of the dignity and sanctity of her
- character, she was always represented as fully clothed, which may
- account for the fact that the ancients had so few statues of the
- goddess. We may, therefore, consider it fortunate that such a
- splendid example as the Vesta Giustiniani, which belongs to the
- private collection of Prince Torlonia, at Rome, has come down to us.
- It is supposed to be an original work of the best period of Greek
- art. The goddess is represented as standing in a calm posture, her
- right hand pressed against her side, whilst with the left she points
- significantly towards heaven, as though wishing to impress on
- mankind where to direct their prayers and thoughts (Fig. 22).
-
-
-=11. Janus.=—Among the most important gods of the Romans was the
-celebrated Janus, a deity quite unknown to the Greeks. In his original
-character he was probably a god of the light and sun—the male
-counterpart, in fact, of Jana, or Diana, and thus very similar to the
-Greek Apollo. As long as he maintained this original character, derived
-from nature, he was regarded as the god of all germs and first
-beginnings, and possessed, in consequence, an important influence both
-on the public and private life of the Romans. We must confine ourselves
-to mentioning some of the most important traits resulting from this view
-of his character. First, Janus is the god of all beginnings of time. He
-begins the new year, whose first month was called January after him, and
-was dedicated to him. Thus, New Year’s Day (_Kalendæ Januariæ_) was the
-most important festival of the god; on this occasion the houses and
-doors were adorned with garlands and laurel boughs, the laurel being
-supposed to exercise a potent influence against all magic and diseases.
-Relatives and friends exchanged small presents (principally sweets; for
-example, dates and figs wrapped in laurel leaves) and good wishes for
-the coming year. The god himself received offerings of cake, wine, and
-incense, and his statue was adorned with fresh laurel boughs. This
-offering was repeated on the first day of every month, for Janus opened
-up every month; and as the Kalends were sacred to Juno, he was therefore
-called Junonius. In the same way Janus was supposed to begin every new
-day, and called _Matutinus Pater_. He also appears as the doorkeeper of
-heaven, whose gates he opened in the morning and closed in the evening.
-
-From being the god of all temporal beginnings, he soon became the patron
-and protector of all the beginnings of human activity. The Romans had a
-most superstitious belief in the importance of a good commencement for
-everything, concluding that this had a magical influence on the good or
-evil result of every undertaking. Thus, neither in public nor private
-life did they ever undertake anything of importance without first
-confiding the beginning to the protection of Janus. Among the most
-important events of political life was the departure of the youth of the
-country to war. An offering was therefore made to the god by the
-departing general, and the temple, or covered passage sacred to the god,
-was left open during the continuance of the war, as a sign that the god
-had departed with the troops and had them under his protection. The
-consul never neglected, when he entered on his office, to ask the
-blessing of Janus, and the assemblies never began their consultations
-without invoking Janus. In the same way the private citizen, in all
-important occurrences and undertakings, sought by prayers and vows to
-acquire the favour of Janus. The husbandman, before he commenced either
-to sow or to reap, brought to Janus Consivius an offering of cake and
-wine. The merchant, when he entered on a journey of business, and the
-sailor, when he weighed anchor and started on a long and dangerous
-voyage, never omitted to invoke the blessing of the god. This view of
-the god also explains the custom of calling on Janus first in every
-prayer and at every sacrifice, since, as keeper of the gates of heaven,
-he also appeared to give admittance to the prayers of men.
-
-As the god of all first beginnings, Janus is also the source of all
-springs, rivers, and streams of the earth. On this account the fountain
-nymphs were generally looked on as his wives, and Fontus and Tiberinus
-as his sons.
-
-The power of Janus in causing springs to rise suddenly from the earth
-was experienced, to their cost, by the Sabines. The latter, in
-consequence of the rape of their women, had overrun the infant state of
-Rome, and were about to introduce themselves into the town on the
-Palatine through an open gate, when they suddenly found themselves
-drenched by a hot sulphur spring that gushed violently from the earth,
-and were obliged to retire.
-
-In the legend alluded to, Janus appears as the protector of the gates of
-the city. As the god who presided over the fortunate entrance to and
-exit from all houses, streets, and towns, Janus was held in high honour
-among the people. His character as guardian of gates and doors brought
-him into close connection with the Penates and other household gods;
-hence the custom of erecting over the doors an image of the deity with
-the well-known two faces, one of which looked out and the other in.
-
-Janus had no temple, in the proper sense of the word, at Rome. His
-shrines consisted of gateways in common places of resort and at
-cross-roads, or of arched passages, in which the image of the god was
-erected. The Temple of Janus in the Forum at Rome, which has been
-already alluded to, was a sanctuary of this kind closed with doors, and
-was probably the most ancient in the city. Its doors stood open only in
-time of war.
-
- Roman art never succeeded in executing a plastic representation
- peculiar to Janus, the double head being only an imitation of the
- Greek double Hermæ. In course of time entire figures of Janus
- appeared, but these always had a double face. They were generally
- bearded, but in later times one face was bearded, the other
- youthful. Not one specimen of these works of art has been preserved,
- so that we only know these forms from coins. The usual attributes of
- Janus were keys and staff.
-
-
-=12. Quirinus.=—Quirinus was also a purely Roman divinity, but having
-been reckoned among the great deities of heaven, he must therefore be
-mentioned here. In his symbolic meaning he bore a great resemblance to
-Mars; and as Mars was the national god of the Latin population of Rome,
-so Quirinus was the national god of the Sabines who came to Rome with
-Titus Tatius. Together with Jupiter and Mars, he formed the tutelary
-Trinity of the Roman empire. His shrine was on the Quirinal, which was
-originally inhabited by the Sabines, and which was named after him. Numa
-gave Quirinus a priest of his own. He had a special feast on the 17th of
-February, but his worship appears to have assimilated itself more and
-more to that of Mars. He was subsequently identified with Romulus.
-
-
- B.—SECONDARY DEITIES.
-
-
- _1. Attendant and Ministering Deities._
-
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 23.—Head of Eros. Vatican.]
-
-=1. Eros (Amor).=—Of the deities who appear in the train of Aphrodite,
-Eros alone seems to have enjoyed divine honours; Longing and Desire
-being no more than allegorical figures typifying some of the influences
-that emanate from the goddess of love. Eros was commonly reputed the son
-of Aphrodite and Ares, and was generally depicted as a boy of wondrous
-beauty, on the verge of youth. His characteristic weapon is a golden
-bow, with which he shoots forth his arrows from secret lurking-places,
-with an unfailing effect that represents the sweet but consuming pangs
-of love. Zeus himself is represented as unable to withstand his
-influence—an intimation that love is one of the most terrible and mighty
-forces of nature.
-
-As unrequited love is aimless, Anteros was conceived by the imagination
-of the poets as the brother and companion of Eros, and consequently a
-son of Aphrodite. As the little Eros, says the myth, would neither grow
-nor thrive, his mother, by the advice of Themis, gave him this brother
-as a playfellow; after which the boy was glad so long as his brother was
-with him, but sad in his absence.
-
-Eros was not only venerated as the god who kindles love between the
-sexes, but was also regarded as the author of love and friendship
-between youths and men. On this account his statue was generally placed
-in the gymnasia between those of Hermes and Heracles; and the Spartans
-sacrificed to him before battle, binding themselves to hold together
-faithfully in battle, and to stand by one another in the hour of need.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 24.—Eros trying his Bow. Capitoline Museum.]
-
-This deity was termed by the Romans Amor, or Cupido, but this was solely
-in imitation of the Greek Eros, since he never enjoyed among them any
-public veneration.
-
-The significant fable of the love of Cupid for Psyche, a personification
-of the human soul, is of comparatively late origin, though it was a very
-favourite subject in art.
-
- Artists followed the poets in the delineation of Eros, in so far as
- they generally depicted him as a boy on the confines of youth. An
- Eros by the renowned artist Praxiteles was esteemed one of the best
- works of antiquity. It was brought to Rome by Nero, but was
- destroyed by fire in the reign of Titus. In later times the god of
- love was represented as much younger, because the mischievous pranks
- attributed to him by the poets were more adapted to the age of
- childhood.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 25.—Polyhymnia. Berlin Museum.]
-
- A considerable number of statues or statuettes of Eros have come
- down to us from antiquity. Among the most celebrated is the Torso
- (mutilated statue) of the Vatican, of the glorious head of which we
- give an engraving (Fig. 23). There is also an “Eros trying his bow”
- (Fig. 24) in the Capitoline Museum at Rome, and an “Eros playing
- with dice” in the Berlin Museum. Lastly, there is the celebrated
- group of the Capitoline Museum, which represents the embraces of
- Cupid and Psyche.
-
- Eros generally appears with wings in the art monuments of antiquity.
- His insignia are bow and arrows, in addition to a burning torch. The
- rose was held especially sacred to him, for which reason he often
- appears crowned with roses.
-
- In connection with Venus and in company with Amor we find Hymenæus,
- a personification of the joys of marriage, who was, however, only
- recognised by later writers and by later art. He is portrayed as a
- beautiful youth, winged like Eros, but taller, and of a more serious
- aspect. His indispensable attribute is the marriage torch.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 26—Melpomene. Vatican.]
-
-
-=2. The Muses.=—Pindar gives the following account of the origin of the
-Muses. After the defeat of the Titans, the celestials besought Zeus to
-create some beings who might perpetuate in song the mighty deeds of the
-gods. In answer to this prayer, Zeus begot with Mnemosyne (Memory) the
-nine Muses. They sing of the present, the past, and the future, while
-Apollo’s lute accompanies their sweet strains, which gladden the hearts
-of the gods as they sit assembled in the lofty palace of Father Zeus, in
-Olympus. Looked at in connection with nature, there is little doubt but
-that the Muses were originally nymphs of the fountains. The veneration
-of the Muses first arose in Pieria, a district on the eastern declivity
-of Mount Olympus in Thessaly, from whose steep and rocky heights a
-number of sweet rippling brooks descend to the plains. The perception of
-this natural music led at once to a belief in the existence of such
-song-loving goddesses. Their seat was subsequently transferred from the
-declivities of Olympus to Mount Helicon in Bœotia, or to Mount
-Parnassus, at the foot of which the Castalian fountain, which was sacred
-to them, had its source. Originally the Muses were only goddesses of
-song, though they are sometimes represented with instruments on vases.
-In early times, too, they only appear as a chorus or company, but at a
-later period separate functions were assigned to each, as presiding over
-this or that branch of art. Their names were Clio, Melpomene,
-Terpsichore, Polyhymnia, Thalia, Urania, Euterpe, Erato, and Calliope.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 27.—Euterpe. Vatican.]
-
- According to the art-distribution made, probably, at the time of the
- Alexandrine school, Calliope represents epic poetry and science
- generally, her attributes being a roll of parchment and a pen. Clio
- is the muse of history, and is likewise characterised by a roll and
- pen, so that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish her from
- Calliope. Euterpe represents lyric poetry, and is distinguished by
- her double flute. Melpomene, the muse of tragedy, generally appears
- with a tragic mask, a club or sword, and a garland of vine leaves.
- Terpsichore is the muse of dancing, and has a lyre and plectrum. To
- Erato is assigned erotic poetry, together with geometry and the
- mimic art; she generally bears a large stringed instrument. Thalia,
- the muse of comedy, is distinguished by a comic mask, an ivy
- garland, and a crook. Polyhymnia presides over the graver chant of
- religious service; she may be recognised by her dress, wrapped
- closely round her, and her grave, thoughtful countenance, but is
- without attribute of any kind. Lastly, Urania, the muse of
- astronomy, holds in one hand a celestial globe, and in the other a
- small wand.
-
- Several European museums possess ancient groups of the Muses, among
- which, perhaps, the finest is that preserved in the Vatican. From
- this group are copied our engravings of Melpomene and Euterpe (Figs.
- 26 and 27). The original of Polyhymnia (Fig. 25) is in the Berlin
- Museum.
-
-The Romans venerated a number of fountain-nymphs of song and prophecy
-under the name of Camenæ, among whom the Egeria of the history of Numa
-is well known. The Roman writers seem to have identified these goddesses
-with the Muses at pleasure.
-
-
-=3. The Charites (Gratiæ).=—The Charites generally appear in the train
-of the goddess of love, whom it was their duty to clothe and adorn. They
-are often found, however, in attendance on other gods, since all that is
-charming and graceful, either to the senses or the intellect, was
-supposed to proceed from them.
-
-Their names are Aglaïa, Euphrosyne, and Thalia. They were commonly
-represented as the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, the Oceanid. Later
-writers, however, make them the daughters of Dionysus and Aphrodite.
-They were venerated as the source of all that makes human life more
-beautiful and pleasant, without whom there could be no real enjoyment of
-life. Thus, even the gods would not sit down to banquets without the
-Charites; and whenever men came together to feast, they first called on
-them and offered them the first bowl. Music, eloquence, art, and poetry
-received the higher consecration only at their hands; whence Pindar
-terms his songs a gift from them. Wisdom, bravery, kindly benevolence,
-and gratitude—in fine, all those qualities which become men most, and
-make them agreeable in the eyes of their fellow-men, were supposed to
-proceed from the Charites.
-
-The Graces of the Romans were simply transferred from the mythology of
-the Greeks, and have, therefore, the same meaning as the Charites.
-
- Art represented the Charites or Graces as blooming maidens, of
- slender, comely form, characterised by an expression of joyous
- innocence. In their hands they often hold flowers, either roses or
- myrtles. They are less often distinguished by definite attributes
- than by a mutual intertwining of arms. In earlier Greek art they
- always appear fully clothed; but gradually their clothing became
- less and less, until at length, in the age of Scopas and Praxiteles,
- when nude figures had become common, it entirely disappeared. There
- are, however, few ancient statues of the Charites in existence.
-
-
-=4. Themis and the Horæ (Seasons).=—In intimate connection with the
-Charites we find the Horæ, the daughters of Zeus and Themis. They were
-generally represented as three in number—Eunomia, Dice, and Irene. They
-represent the regular march of nature in the changes of the seasons, and
-Themis, who personifies the eternal laws of nature, and as the daughter
-of Uranus and Gæa ranks among the most ancient deities, is consequently
-their mother. Themis is the representative of the reign of law among
-gods and men; at Zeus’ command she calls together the assemblies of the
-gods. She also occupies a similar position on earth, as presiding over
-national assemblies and the laws of hospitality. Her daughters, the
-Horæ, appear in a similar though in a subordinate and attendant
-character. In Homer they figure as the servants of Zeus, who watch the
-gates of heaven, now closing them with thick clouds, now clearing the
-clouds away. They also appear as the servants and attendants of other
-divinities, such as Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, and the Muses. Like their
-mother, they preside over all law and order in human affairs; and under
-their protection thrives all that is noble and beautiful and good.
-
-We know but little concerning the worship of the Horæ among the Greeks.
-The Athenians celebrated a special festival in their honour, but they
-recognised only two—Thallo, the season of blossom, and Carpo, the season
-of the ripened fruit. The adoption of four Horæ, corresponding to the
-four seasons of the year, appears to have arisen at a later period.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 28.—The Horæ. Relief from the Villa Albani.]
-
- In plastic art Themis is generally represented with a balance in one
- hand and a palm branch in the other. The Horæ generally appear as
- lovely girls dancing with their garments tucked up, and adorned with
- flowers, fruit, and garlands. Subsequently they were distinguished
- by various attributes, typical of the different seasons. Such is the
- case in the engraving (Fig. 28), after a relief in the Villa Albani.
-
-
-=5. Nice (Victoria).=—Nice is nothing but a personification of the
-irresistible and invincible power exercised by the god of heaven by
-means of his lightning. She also appears in the company of Pallas
-Athene, who was herself honoured by the Athenians as the goddess of
-victory. Victory does not seem to have had many separate temples or
-festivals, since she generally appears only in attendance on her
-superior deities.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 29.—Victoria. United Collections in Munich.]
-
-Far more extensive was the veneration of Victoria at Rome, a fact for
-which the warlike character of the people easily accounts. Her chief
-shrine was on the Capitol, where successful generals were wont to erect
-statues of the goddess in remembrance of their exploits. The most
-magnificent statue of this kind was one erected by Augustus in
-fulfilment of a vow after his victory at Actium. The proper festival of
-the goddess took place on the 12th of April.
-
- In both Greek and Roman art Victory was represented as a winged
- goddess. She is distinguished by a palm branch and laurel garland,
- which were the customary rewards of bravery among the ancients.
- Large statues of the goddess are seldom met with, though she is
- often depicted on vases, coins, and small bronzes. The museum of
- Cassel has a small bronze statue of the goddess, whilst a fine
- _alto-relievo_ in terra-cotta exists in the Royal Collection at
- Munich (Fig. 29).
-
-
-=6. Iris.=—Iris was originally a personification of the rainbow, but she
-was afterwards converted into the swift messenger of the gods, the
-rainbow being, as it were, a bridge between earth and heaven. In this
-character she makes her appearance in Homer, but, later still, she was
-again transformed into a special attendant of Hera. Her swiftness was
-astounding; “Like hail or snow,” says Homer, “that falls from the
-clouds,” she darts from one end of the world to the other—nay, dives to
-the hidden depths of the ocean and into the recesses of the lower world,
-executing the commands of the gods.
-
- In art Iris was represented with wings, like Nice, to whom she, in
- many respects, bears a strong resemblance. She may be distinguished
- from the latter, however, by her herald’s staff (Caduceus). A very
- much injured specimen, from the east pediment of the Parthenon at
- Athens, is now preserved in the British Museum.
-
-
-=7. Hebe (Juventas).=—Hebe was the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and,
-according to her natural interpretation, represented the youthful bloom
-of Nature. In the fully developed mythology of the Greeks she appears as
-the cupbearer of the gods, to whom, at meals, she presents the sweet
-nectar. It may at first seem strange that the daughter of the greatest
-of the divinities of Greece should be relegated to so inferior a
-position. This, however, is easily explained by the old patriarchal
-custom of the Greeks, by which the young unmarried daughters, even in
-royal palaces, waited at table on the men of the family and the guests.
-
-In post-Homeric poetry and legend Hebe no longer appears as cupbearer of
-the gods, the office having been assigned to Ganymedes. This was either
-in consequence of the promotion of the son of the King of Troy, or on
-account of Hebe’s marriage with the deified Heracles.
-
-Hebe occupies no important place in the religious system of the Greeks;
-she seems to have been chiefly honoured in connection with her mother
-Hera, or now and then with Heracles.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 30.—Hebe. From Antonio Canova.]
-
-Juventas, or Juventus, is the corresponding deity of the Romans; but, as
-was the case with so many others, they contrived to bring her into a
-more intimate connection with their political life by honouring in her
-the undying and unfading vigour of the state. She had a separate chapel
-in the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus.
-
- With regard to the artistic representation of Hebe, statues of this
- goddess appear to have been very rare in ancient times; at least,
- among all the numerous statues that have been discovered, none can
- be safely identified with Hebe. She is the more often met with on
- ornamental vases and reliefs, on which the marriage of Heracles and
- Hebe is a favourite subject. She is usually depicted as a
- highly-graceful, modest maiden, pouring out nectar from an upraised
- vessel. She appears thus in the world-renowned masterpiece of the
- Italian sculptor Canova, so well known from casts. In default of an
- ancient statue, we give an engraving of this work (Fig. 30).
-
-
-=8. Ganymedes.=—A similar office in Olympus was filled by the son of
-Tros, the King of Troy, Ganymedes, who was made immortal by Zeus, and
-installed as cupbearer of the gods. Neither Homer nor Pindar, however,
-relate the episode of Zeus sending his eagle to carry off Ganymedes.
-This feature of the story, which is a favourite subject of artistic
-representation, is first found in Apollodorus. The Roman poet, Ovid,
-then went a step farther, and made the ruler of Olympus transform
-himself into an eagle, in order to carry off his favourite.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 31.—Ganymedes and the Eagle. From Thorwaldsen.]
-
- The rape of the beautiful boy is often portrayed in ancient art. The
- most famous monument is a bronze group of Leochares, an artist who
- flourished in the fourth century B.C. A copy of it still exists in
- the celebrated statue of Ganymedes in the Vatican collection. In
- modern art the story has been treated with still greater frequency.
- There is an extremely beautiful group of this kind by Thorwaldsen,
- in which Ganymedes is represented as giving the eagle drink out of a
- bowl (Fig. 31).
-
-
- _2. The Phenomena of the Heavens._
-
-
-=1. Helios (Sol).=—Helios (Latin _Sol_), the sun-god, belongs to that
-small class of deities who have preserved their physical meaning intact.
-His worship was confined to a few places, the most important of which
-was the island of Rhodes. An annual festival, attended with musical and
-athletic contests, was here celebrated with great pomp in honour of the
-sun-god. He is portrayed by the poets as a handsome youth with flashing
-eyes and shining hair covered with a golden helmet. His daily office was
-to bring the light of day to gods and men, which he performed by rising
-from Oceanus in the east, where the Ethiopians live, and completing his
-course along the firmament. For this purpose the post-Homeric poets
-endow him with a sun-chariot drawn by four fiery horses; and though
-Homer and Hesiod do not attempt to explain how he passed from the west
-where he sets, to the east where he rises, later poets obviate the
-difficulty by making him sail round half the world in a golden boat
-(according to others a golden bed); and thus he was supposed again to
-arrive at the east. In the far west Helios had a splendid palace, and
-also a celebrated garden, which was under the charge of the Hesperides.
-He is described as the son of the Titans Hyperion and Thea, whence he
-himself is called a Titan. By his wife Perse, a daughter of Oceanus, he
-became the father of Æëtes, King of Colchis, celebrated in the legend of
-the Argonauts, and of the still more celebrated sorceress Circe. Another
-son of Helios was Phaëthon, who, in attempting to drive his father’s
-horses, came to an untimely end.
-
-Helios sees and hears every thing; whence he was believed to bring
-hidden crimes to light, and was invoked as a witness at all solemn
-declarations and oaths.
-
-All the stories relating to Helios were gradually transferred to the
-Roman Sol, who was originally a Sabine deity, chiefly by means of the
-Metamorphoses of Ovid. The untiring charioteer of the heavens was also
-honoured as the patron of the race-course; but he never attained a
-prominent position in religious worship.
-
- Helios, or Sol, is depicted as a handsome youth, his head encircled
- by a crown, which gives forth twelve bright rays corresponding to
- the number of the months, his mantle flying about his shoulders as
- he stands in his chariot. It was chiefly in Rhodes, however, that
- Helios was made the subject of the sculptor’s art. Here, in 280
- B.C., was erected in his honour the celebrated colossal statue which
- has acquired a world-wide celebrity under the name of the Colossus
- of Rhodes, and which was reckoned as one of the seven “wonders of
- the world.” It was the work of Chares of Lindus, and was 105 feet in
- height.
-
-
-=2. Selene (Luna).=—As Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo, so is
-Selene the twin sister of Helios; he representing the sun, she the moon.
-Selene, however, never really enjoyed divine honours in Greece. The
-poets depict her as a white-armed goddess, whose beautiful tresses are
-crowned with a brilliant diadem. In the evening she rises from the
-sacred river of Oceanus, and pursues her course along the firmament of
-heaven in her chariot drawn by two white horses. She is gentle and
-timid, and it is only in secret that she loves beautiful youths and
-kisses them in sleep. Poets delight to sing of the secret love she
-cherished for the beautiful Endymion, the son of the King of Elis. She
-caused him to fall into an eternal sleep, and he now reposes in a rocky
-grotto on Mount Latmus, where Selene nightly visits him, and gazes with
-rapture on his countenance.
-
-In later times she was often confounded with Artemis, Hecate, and
-Persephone. The same remarks apply to the Roman Luna. The latter,
-however, had a temple of her own on the Aventine, which was supposed to
-have been dedicated to her by Servius Tullius. Like her brother Sol, she
-was honoured in Rome in connection with the circus, and was held to
-preside over the public games.
-
- In sculpture, Selene, or Luna, may be recognised by the half moon on
- her forehead, and by the veil over the back of her head; she also
- bears in her hand a torch. The sleeping Endymion was a frequent
- subject of representation on sarcophagi and monuments.
-
-
-=3. Eos (Aurora).=—Eos, the goddess of the dawn, was also a daughter of
-Hyperion and Thea, and a sister of Selene and Helios. She was first
-married to the Titan Astræus, by whom she became the mother of the
-winds—Boreas, Zephyrus, Eurus, and Notus (north, west, east, and south
-winds). This is a mythological mode of intimating the fact that the wind
-generally rises at dawn. After Astræus, who, like most of the Titans,
-had rebelled against the sovereignty of Zeus, and had been cast into
-Tartarus, Eos chose the handsome hunter Orion for her husband. The gods,
-however, would not consent to their union, and Orion was slain by the
-arrows of Artemis, after which Eos married Tithonus, the son of the King
-of Troy. She begged Zeus to bestow on him immortality, but, having
-forgotten to ask for eternal youth, the gift was of doubtful value,
-since Tithonus at last became a shrivelled-up, decrepid old man, in whom
-the goddess took no pleasure.
-
-Memnon, King of Æthiopia, celebrated in the story of the Trojan war, was
-a son of Eos and Tithonus. He came to the assistance of Troy, and was
-slain by Achilles. Since then, Eos has wept without ceasing for her
-darling son, and her tears fall to the earth in the shape of dew.
-
-Eos is represented by the poets as a glorious goddess, with beautiful
-hair, rosy arms and fingers—a true picture of the invigorating freshness
-of the early morning. Cheerful and active, she rises early from her
-couch, and, enveloped in a saffron-coloured mantle, she harnesses her
-horses Lampus and Phaëthon (Brightness and Lustre), in order that she
-may hasten on in front of the sun-god and announce the day.
-
-The views and fables connected with Eos were transferred by the Roman
-writers to the person of their goddess Aurora[4] without undergoing any
-alteration.
-
-Footnote 4:
-
- The Mater Matuta of the Romans was a deity very similar to the Eos of
- the Greeks. She was the goddess of the early dawn, and was held in
- high estimation among the Roman women as a deity who assisted them in
- childbirth. Like the Greek Leucothea, she was also regarded as a
- goddess of the sea and harbours, who assisted those in peril.
-
- Representations of this goddess are found now and then on vases and
- gems. She either appears driving a chariot and four horses, as
- harnessing the steeds of Helios, or as gliding through the air on
- wings and sprinkling the earth with her dew.
-
-
-=4. The Stars.=—Only a few of the stars are of any importance in
-mythology. Phosphorus and Hesperus, the morning star and the evening
-star, which were formerly regarded as two distinct beings, were
-represented in art in the guise of beautiful boys with torches in their
-hands. There were also several legends relating to Orion, whom we have
-already alluded to as the husband of Eos. He himself was made a
-constellation after having been slain by the arrows of Artemis, while
-his dog was Sirius, whose rising announces the hottest season of the
-year. All kinds of myths were invented about other constellations; among
-others, the Hyades, whose rising betokened the advent of the stormy,
-rainy season, during which the sailor avoids going to sea. The story
-went that they were placed among the constellations by the gods out of
-pity, because they were inconsolable at the death of their brother Hyas,
-who was killed by a lion whilst hunting. Connected with them are the
-Pleiades, _i.e._, the stars of mariners, so called because on their
-rising in May the favourable season for voyages begins. They were seven
-in number, and were likewise set in the heavens by the gods. Finally, we
-must not forget to mention Arctus, the Bear. Tradition asserted that
-this was none other than the Arcadian nymph Callisto, who had been
-placed among the constellations by Zeus when slain in the form of a
-she-bear by Artemis. She had broken her vows of chastity, and borne a
-son, Arcas, to Zeus.
-
-
-=5. The Winds.=—The four chief winds have been already alluded to as the
-sons of Eos. They were especially venerated by those about to make
-voyages, who then solicited their favour with prayers and offerings.
-Otherwise, they maintained their character of pure natural forces, and
-were, consequently, of little importance in mythology. The rude north
-wind, Boreas, or Aquilo, was especially dreaded on account of his stormy
-violence, and was hence regarded as a bold ravisher of maidens. Thus an
-Attic legend asserts that he carried off Orithyia, the daughter of
-Erechtheus, as she was playing on the banks of the Ilissus. She bore him
-Calaïs and Zetes, well known in the story of the Argonauts. Boreas,
-however, stood in high favour among the Athenians, who erected an altar
-and chapel to him, because, during the Persian war, he had partially
-destroyed the fleet of Xerxes off Cape Sepias.
-
-As Boreas is the god of the winter storm, so Zephyrus appears as the
-welcome messenger of Spring; on which account one of the Horæ was given
-him to wife. Zephyrus was called Favonius by the Romans, to intimate the
-favourable influence he exercised on the prosperous growth of the
-vegetable world.
-
-These, together with the other chief winds, Notus (south wind) and Eurus
-(east wind) were sometimes said to reside in separate places; at other
-times they were said to dwell together in the Wind-mountain, on the
-fabulous island of Æolia, where they were ruled over by King Æolus.
-
-
- _3. Gods of Birth and Healing._
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 32.—Asclepius. Berlin.]
-
-
-=1. Asclepius (Æsculapius).=—It was only in later times that the
-necessity of having special gods of birth and healing made itself felt;
-at all events, Asclepius, or Æsculapius, as he is called by the Romans,
-does not appear as a god in Homer. The worship of this deity, who was
-said to be the son of Apollo, appears to have originated in Epidaurus,
-the seat of his principal shrine, and thence to have become generally
-diffused. In Epidaurus his priests erected a large hospital, which
-enjoyed a great reputation. The common method of cure consisted in
-allowing those who were sick to sleep in the temple, on which occasion,
-if they had been zealous in their prayers and offerings, the god
-appeared to them in a dream and discovered the necessary remedy.
-
-The worship of this deity was introduced into Rome in the year 291 B.C.,
-in consequence of a severe pestilence which for years had depopulated
-town and country. The Sibylline books were consulted, and they
-recommended that Asclepius of Epidaurus should be brought to Rome. The
-story goes that the sacred serpent of the god followed the Roman
-ambassadors of its own accord, and chose for its abode the Insula
-Tiberina at Rome, where a temple was at once erected to Æsculapius. A
-gilded statue was added to the temple in the year 13 B.C. The method
-already mentioned of sleeping in the temple was also adopted here.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 33.—Head of Asclepius. British Museum.]
-
- In art, Asclepius is represented as a bearded man of ripe years,
- with singularly noble features, from which the kindly benevolence of
- a benefactor of mankind looks forth. He is generally accompanied by
- a serpent, as a symbol of self-renovating vital power, which he is
- feeding and caressing, or which is more commonly represented as
- creeping up his staff. Such is the conception in the engraving (Fig.
- 32), which is after a statue preserved at Berlin. As the god of
- healing, he has also other attributes—a bowl containing the healing
- draught, a bunch of herbs, a pine-apple, or a dog; the latter being
- a symbol of the vigilance with which the physician watches disease.
-
- There are numerous extant statues of the god, although the great
- statue in gold and ivory of the temple at Epidaurus has been
- entirely lost. A fine head of colossal proportions was discovered on
- the Isle of Melos, and is now an ornament of the British Museum
- (Fig. 33). There is, on the other hand, a very fine statue without a
- head in existence at Athens, near the temple of Zeus. There are,
- moreover, celebrated statues in Florence, Paris, and Rome (Vatican);
- in the last case, of a beardless Æsculapius.
-
-
-=2. Inferior Deities of Birth and Healing.=—The Greeks also honoured
-Ilithyia as a goddess of birth. This appears to have been originally a
-surname of Hera, as a deity who succoured women in childbirth. Hygiea
-was looked on as a goddess of health, and was described as a daughter of
-Asclepius.
-
-The Romans had no need of a special goddess presiding over birth,
-although they honoured a deity often identified with Hygiea, whom they
-called Strenia, or Salus. As guardian of the chamber of birth, they
-honoured Carna, or Cardea, who was supposed to drive away the evil
-Striges (screech owls) that came at night to suck the blood of the
-new-born child. Carna was further regarded as the protectress of
-physical health. Another of these inferior deities, of whom men sought
-long life and continued health, bore the name of Anna Perenna (the
-circling year).
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 34.—Night and the Fates. From Carstens.]
-
-
- _4. Deities of Fate._
-
-
-=1. Mœræ (Parcæ).=—The Mœræ, better known by the Latin name of Parcæ,
-really denote that portion of a man’s life and fortune which is
-determined from his birth; so that, in this sense, there are as many
-Mœræ as individuals. The Greeks, however, who were wont to revere all
-such indefinite numbers under the sacred number three, generally
-recognised three. These they regarded as the dark and inexplicable
-powers of fate, daughters of the night. Their names were Clotho
-(spinner), Lachesis (allotter), and Atropos (inevitable).
-
-Only two Parcæ were originally known to the Romans, but a third was
-afterwards added to make their own mythology harmonise with that of the
-Greeks.
-
- The popular conception of the Parcæ as grave hoary women was not
- followed in art, where they always appear as young. In the first
- instance, their attributes were all alike, separate functions not
- yet having been allotted to them. But at a subsequent period it was
- Clotho who spun, Lachesis who held, and Atropos who cut the thread
- of life. This arrangement was first adopted by later artists, who
- generally give Clotho a spindle, Lachesis a roll of parchment, and
- Atropos a balance, or let the last point to the hour of death on a
- dial. Such is the case in a talented creation of Carstens, in which
- the conception of modern times is brought into harmony with the
- ideal of antiquity (Fig. 34).
-
-
-=2. Nemesis, Tyche (Fortuna), and Agathodæmon (Bonus Eventus).=—Nemesis
-really denotes the apportionment of that fate which is justly deserved,
-and a consequent repugnance to that which is not. Homer does not
-acknowledge Nemesis as a goddess, and so it is probable that her claim
-to public veneration dates from a later period. She was regarded as a
-goddess of equality, who watches over the equilibrium of the moral
-universe, and sees that happiness and misfortune are allotted to man
-according to merit. Hence arose, subsequently, the idea of an avenging
-deity, who visits with condign punishment the crimes and wickedness of
-mankind. In this character she resembles the Furies. The Romans likewise
-introduced Nemesis into their system; at least her statue stood on the
-Capitol, though popular superstition never regarded her with a friendly
-eye.
-
- The various conceptions of Nemesis are again displayed in works of
- art. The kindly, gentle goddess, who dispenses what is just, is
- depicted as a young woman of grave and thoughtful aspect, holding in
- her hand the instruments of measurement and control (cubit, bridle,
- and rudder). As the stern avenger of human crimes, she appears with
- wings in a chariot drawn by griffins, with a sword or whip in her
- hand.
-
-Tyche, the goddess of good fortune, was, according to common accounts,
-the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. She was usually honoured as the
-tutelary deity of towns, and as such had temples and statues in many
-populous cities of Greece and Asia. In course of time, however, the idea
-gained ground that Tyche was the author of evil as well as of good
-fortune. She resembled, in this respect, the Fortuna of the Romans, who
-was regarded as the source of all that is unexpected in human life.
-Servius Tullius was said to have introduced into Rome the worship of
-Fortuna, whose favourite he had certainly every reason to regard
-himself. He erected a temple to her under the name of Fors Fortuna, and
-made the 24th of June the common festival of the goddess. Later, her
-worship became still more extensive. Under the most different surnames,
-some of which referred to the state (_Fortuna populi Romani_), and
-others to every description of private affairs, she had a great number
-of temples and chapels erected in her honour. She had also celebrated
-temples in Antium and Præneste.
-
- Ancient artists endowed this goddess with various attributes, the
- most important of which was the rudder, which she held in her hand
- in token of her power to control the fortunes of mankind. She is
- also endowed with a sceptre for the same purpose, and with a horn of
- plenty as the giver of good fortune; sometimes she is also
- represented with the youthful Plutus in her arms. The later
- conception of an impartial goddess of fate is apparent in those
- art-monuments which depict her standing on a ball or wheel. Among
- the larger existing works, we may mention a copy preserved in the
- Vatican of a Tyche by Eutychides of Sicyon, which was formerly
- exhibited in Antioch. The goddess here wears a mural crown on her
- head as the tutelary deity of towns, and has a sheaf of corn in her
- right hand.
-
-Besides Fortuna, the Romans honoured a deity called Felicitas as the
-goddess of positive good fortune. Lucullus is said to have erected a
-temple to her in Rome, which was adorned with the works of art brought
-by Mummius from the spoils of Corinth. Even this did not suffice for the
-religious needs of the people, and we find that the belief in personal
-protecting deities grew rapidly among both Greeks and Romans. These
-deities were termed by the Greeks “dæmones,” and by the Romans “genii.”
-They were believed to be the invisible counsellors of every individual,
-accompanying him from birth to death, through all the stages of life,
-with advice and comfort. Offerings of wine, cake, incense, and garlands
-were made to them, particularly on birthdays.
-
-
- II.—THE GODS OF THE SEA AND WATERS.
-
-
-=1. Poseidon (Neptunus).=—Poseidon, or Neptunus, as he was called by the
-Romans, was the son of Cronus and Rhea. Homer calls him the younger
-brother of Zeus, in which case his subjection to the latter is only
-natural. According to the common account, however, Zeus was the youngest
-of the sons of Cronus, but acquired the sovereignty over his brothers by
-having overthrown their cruel father. Poseidon was accordingly indebted
-to his brother for his dominion over the sea and its deities, and was
-therefore subject to him. He usually dwelt, not in Olympus, but at the
-bottom of the sea. Here he was supposed to inhabit, with Amphitrite his
-wife, a magnificent golden palace in the neighbourhood of Ægæ.
-Originally, like Oceanus and Pontus, he was a mere symbol of the watery
-element, but he afterwards attained an entirely independent personality.
-Even in Homer he no longer appears as the sea itself, but as its mighty
-ruler, who with his powerful arms upholds and circumscribes the earth.
-He is violent and impetuous, like the element he represents. When he
-strikes the sea with his trident, the symbol of his sovereignty, the
-waves rise with violence, dash in pieces the ships, and inundate the
-land far and wide. Poseidon likewise possesses the power of producing
-earthquakes, cleaving rocks, and raising islands in the midst of the
-sea. On the other hand, a word or look from him suffices to allay the
-wildest tempest. Virgil, in the first book of the _Æneid_, has given a
-beautiful description of the taming of the fierce elements by the god.
-
-Poseidon was naturally regarded as the chief god of all the seafaring
-classes, such as fishermen, boatmen, and sailors, who esteemed him as
-their patron and tutelary deity. To him they addressed their prayers
-before entering on a voyage, to him they brought their offerings in
-gratitude for their safe return from the perils of the deep.
-
-Poseidon, therefore, enjoyed the highest reputation among the seafaring
-Ionians. His temples, altars, and statues were most numerous in the
-harbours and seaport towns, and on islands and promontories. Among the
-numerous shrines of this deity we may mention that of Corinth, in the
-neighbourhood of which were celebrated in his honour the Isthmian games,
-which subsequently became a national festival in Greece, Pylus, Athens,
-and the islands of Rhodes, Cos, and Tenos.
-
-It was only natural that many legends, local and provincial, should
-exist about a god who played such an important part in the lives of
-seafaring folk. In the Trojan epos he figures as a violent enemy of
-Troy, his indignation having been provoked by the injustice of the
-Trojan king, Laomedon. Poseidon had built the walls of Troy at the
-king’s request with the aid of Apollo, but Laomedon having cheated him
-in the matter of the stipulated reward, Poseidon thereupon sent a
-terrible sea-monster, which laid waste the crops and slew the
-inhabitants. They had recourse to the oracle, which counselled the
-sacrifice of the king’s daughter Hesione. The unhappy maiden was exposed
-to the monster, but was rescued by Heracles. The fable of this monster,
-which is manifestly a symbol of the inundation of the sea, is repeated
-in many succeeding stories (_e.g._, in the story of Perseus, who rescued
-in a similar way Andromeda, the daughter of the king of Æthiopia). There
-are numberless stories, in which Poseidon appears as the father of the
-different national heroes. The most important is, perhaps, the legend of
-Theseus, of which we shall speak later on. There was scarcely a Grecian
-town or district which did not lay claim to divine origin for the person
-of its founder or ancestral hero. Again, the conception of the wild
-stormy nature of the sea caused Poseidon to be represented as the father
-of various giants and monsters. By the nymph Thoösa he became the father
-of the savage Polyphemus, slain by Odysseus, who thus provoked the
-implacable enmity of Poseidon. The giant Antæus, who fought with
-Heracles, was also said to be a son of Poseidon; besides many other
-monsters, such as Procrustes, Cercyon, and the Aloïdæ.
-
-The favourite animal of Poseidon was the horse, which he was supposed to
-have created. This may, perhaps, be due to the fact that the imagination
-of the Greeks pictured to itself the horses of Poseidon in the rolling
-and bounding waves. In Athens the origin of the horse was referred to
-the contest between Athene and Poseidon, as to who should make the land
-the most useful present. In Corinthian legend Poseidon appears as the
-father of the winged horse Pegasus by Medusa. This story is connected
-with the taming of the horse, which was ascribed to Poseidon. On account
-of his intimate connection with the horse, Poseidon was especially
-regarded as the patron of the games, and had, in consequence, an altar
-of his own on all race-courses. The competitors, before the races,
-solicited his favour with prayers and sacrifices.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 35.—Poseidon. Dolce Gem.]
-
-The dolphin and the pine-tree were held sacred to Poseidon, the latter
-probably because it was so extensively used in shipbuilding. Black
-steers, horses, rams, and wild boars were sacrificed to him.
-
-The Romans not being a seafaring people, Neptune never stood in such
-high estimation among them as among the Greeks. In Rome his prominent
-characteristic was his connection with the horse and the race-course.
-These were placed under his special protection, for which reason the
-only temple he had in Rome stood in the Circus Flaminius.
-
- The representation of Poseidon, or Neptune, in art harmonises
- tolerably well with the descriptions of the poets. He is accordingly
- represented as similar to his brother Zeus in size and figure, with
- broad deep chest, dark wavy hair, and piercing eyes.
-
- Artists intimated the greater violence of his nature by giving him
- more angularity of face, and a more bristling and disordered head of
- hair than Zeus. The expression of his countenance is more grave and
- severe, and the kindly smile that plays around the mouth of Zeus is
- altogether wanting.
-
- Ancient statues of Poseidon are comparatively rare. The Vatican
- Museum possesses a fine bust, and also a marble statue of the god.
- He is generally distinguished by the trident in his right hand;
- sometimes in its place we find a tiller. A band similar to a diadem
- denotes his dominion over the sea. Our engraving of the god is after
- a beautiful gem of the Dolce collection (Fig. 35).
-
-
-=2. Amphitrite.=—After Poseidon had attained an almost exclusive
-veneration as god of the sea, Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, was given
-him to wife. According to the usual account, he carried her away from
-Naxos. Others say that she fled to Atlas to avoid the rude wooing of the
-god, but Poseidon’s dolphin found her and fetched her back. She had
-three children by Poseidon—Triton, Rhode, and Benthesicyme.
-
- In plastic art, Amphitrite is generally depicted as a slim and
- beautiful young woman, either nude or half clothed, riding in the
- chariot of Poseidon at his side, or by herself. On gems she also
- appears enthroned on the back of a mighty Triton, or riding a
- seahorse or dolphin. Her hair generally falls loosely about her
- shoulders. She is distinguished by the royal insignia of the diadem
- and sceptre, at times she also wields the trident of her husband.
-
-The worship of Amphitrite was entirely unknown to the Romans, who
-recognised the sea-goddess Salacia as the wife of Neptune.
-
-
-=3. Triton and the Tritons.=—Triton was the only son of Poseidon and
-Amphitrite; he never appears, however, to have enjoyed divine honours.
-This perhaps explains how it came to pass that he was subsequently
-degraded to the level of a fabulous sea-monster. The poet Apollonius
-Rhodius describes him as having a body, the upper parts of which were
-those of a man, while the lower parts were those of a dolphin. Such too
-is his appearance in works of art. Poets and artists soon revelled in
-the conception of a whole race of similar Tritons, who were regarded as
-a wanton, mischievous tribe, like the Satyrs on land.
-
- The Tritons, as sea-deities of fantastic form, are of little
- importance in higher art, though they were all the more frequently
- employed in fountains and water-works. The fore-legs of a horse were
- sometimes added to the human body and dolphin’s tail, thus giving
- rise to the figure termed the Ichthyocentaur.
-
-
-=4. Pontus and his Descendants.=—We have already spoken of Pontus and
-his race in our account of the Theogony. Here we can only mention those
-of his children who either enjoyed divine honours, or are of importance
-in art. The eldest among them was Nereus.
-
-_1. Nereus and his Daughters._—Nereus presents to us the calm and
-pleasant side of the sea. He appears as a kindly, benevolent old man,
-the good spirit of the Ægean sea, where he dwells with his fifty lovely
-daughters, the Nereids, ever ready to assist the storm-beaten sailor in
-the hour of need. Like all water-spirits, Nereus possessed the gift of
-prophecy, though he did not always choose to make use of it. Heracles
-sought him on his way to the garden of the Hesperides, in order to learn
-how he might get possession of the golden apples. In spite of his urgent
-entreaties, Nereus endeavoured to elude him by assuming every kind of
-shape, though he was at length vanquished by the persistence of the
-hero, who would not let him go until he had obtained the necessary
-information.
-
-By his wife Doris, the daughter of Oceanus, he became the father of
-fifty, or, according to some, of a hundred daughters, who were all
-venerated as kindly, beneficent sea-nymphs. They are a charming, lovely
-tribe, who win the hearts of the sailors—now by their merry sports and
-dances, now by their timely assistance in the hour of danger. This
-joyous band generally forms the train of Poseidon and Amphitrite.
-Besides Amphitrite, the chosen bride of Poseidon, we find among them
-Thetis, the beautiful mother of Achilles, so celebrated in ancient
-poetry, who usually figures as their leader. Her beauty and grace were
-so great that Zeus himself became her lover. He surrendered her,
-however, to Peleus, son of Æacus, because an oracle had declared that
-the son of Thetis should become greater than his father.
-
- In art Nereus generally appears as an old man with thin grey locks.
- He is commonly distinguished by a sceptre, or even a trident. The
- Nereids were depicted as graceful maidens, in earlier times slightly
- clothed, but later entirely nude, riding on dolphins, Tritons, or
- other fabulous monsters of the deep.
-
-_2. Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto._—Whilst Nereus and his daughters represent
-the sea in its peaceful aspect, Thaumas, the second son of Pontus,
-represents it as the world of wonders. By Electra, a daughter of
-Oceanus, he became the father of Iris, the messenger of the gods, and
-also of the Harpies. The latter personify the storm-winds. Originally
-fair maidens, they were afterwards represented as winged creatures, half
-man and half bird; they had the faces of maidens, but their bodies were
-covered with vultures’ feathers; they were pale and emaciated in
-appearance, and were continually tormented with an insatiable hunger.
-They are best known from the story of the Argonauts, where they appear
-as the tormentor of the blind king Phineus, whose table they continually
-robbed of its viands, which they either devoured or spoiled. They were
-regarded by the ancients as the ministers of sudden death, and were said
-to be either two or three in number. Phorcys and Ceto, the brother and
-sister of Thaumas, present to us the sea under its terrible aspect. This
-pair, from whose union sprang the Gorgons, the Grææ, and the dragon of
-the Hesperides, typify all the terrors and dangers of the deep. We shall
-have more to say concerning the Gorgons and Grææ in the story of
-Perseus.
-
-
-=5. Proteus.=—Proteus is a deity of inferior rank. He is represented as
-an old man (the servant of Poseidon) endowed with the gift of prophecy.
-He plays the same part in the story of Troy as Nereus does in that of
-Heracles. His usual abode was the island of Pharos. It was thither that
-Menelaus turned after he had been driven to the coast of Egypt, on his
-return from Troy, to seek the advice of the “unerring old man of the
-sea.” But Proteus, being in no amiable mood, sought to elude the
-importunity of the hero by converting himself into a lion, a dragon, a
-panther, a wild boar, and many other forms. At length, however, he was
-vanquished by the persistence of Menelaus, and vouchsafed an answer. He
-was supposed to be the keeper of the fish who inhabit the depths of the
-sea, and of the other marine animals.
-
- In works of art he generally appears like a Triton, i.e., with body
- ending in a fish’s tail. He is usually distinguished by a crook.
-
-
-=6. Glaucus.=—Among the inferior sea-deities, Glaucus deserves mention
-as playing a part in the story of the Argonauts. He was really only a
-local god of the Anthedonians in Bœotia, and his worship was not
-extended to other places in Greece. But though he had no splendid
-temples, he stood in very high estimation among the lower classes of
-sailors and fishermen; indeed we find universally that the common
-people, in all their cares, turned rather to the inferior deities, whom
-they supposed to stand closer to them, than to the higher and more
-important gods. According to the story, Glaucus was originally a
-fisherman of Anthedon, who attained in a wonderful manner the rank of a
-god. One day, after having caught some fish, he laid them half dead on
-the turf close by. He was astonished to see, however, that on coming in
-contact with a certain herb, which was unknown to him, they were
-restored to life and sprang back into the sea. He himself now ate of
-this wonderful herb, and immediately felt himself penetrated by so
-wondrous a sensation of bliss and animation that, in his excitement, he
-too sprang into the sea. Oceanus and Thetis hereupon cleansed him from
-all his human impurities, and gave him a place among the sea-gods. He
-was venerated on many of the islands and coasts of Greece as a friendly
-deity, ever ready to assist the shipwrecked sailor or the castaway.
-
- In art he is represented as a Triton, rough and shaggy in
- appearance, his body covered with mussels or sea-weed. His hair and
- beard show that luxuriance which characterises sea-gods.
-
-
-=7. Ino Leucothea, and Melicertes.=—Like Glaucus, Ino, the daughter of
-Cadmus, attained at once immortality and divine rank by a leap into the
-sea. She was a sister of Semele, the mother of Dionysus, and the wife of
-Athamas, king of Orchomenus. It was she who, after the unhappy death of
-Semele, took charge of the infant Dionysus. Hera, however, avenged
-herself by driving Athamas mad, whereupon he dashed Learchus, his eldest
-son by Ino, against a rock. He was about to inflict the same fate on
-Melicertes, his second son, when in frantic haste the unhappy mother
-sought to save her child by flight. Athamas, however, pursued her as far
-as the Isthmus, when Ino, seeing no hope of escape, cast herself from
-the rock Moluris into the sea. Here she was kindly received by the
-Nereids, who converted both her and her son into sea-deities. She
-henceforth bore the name of Leucothea, and her son that of Palæmon. They
-were both regarded as benevolent deities of the stormy sea, who came to
-the assistance of those who were shipwrecked or in other peril. They
-appear in this guise in the _Odyssey_, where Odysseus, who saw only
-certain death before him, is represented as having been saved by a scarf
-thrown to him by Leucothea.
-
-
-=8. The Sirens.=—The Sirens must also be reckoned among the sea-deities.
-They are best known from the story how Odysseus succeeded in passing
-them with his companions without being seduced by their song. He had the
-prudence to stop the ears of his companions with wax, and to have
-himself bound to the mast. The Sirens were regarded as the daughters
-either of the river-god Achelous by one of the nymphs, or of Phorcys and
-Ceto. Only two Sirens are mentioned in Homer, but three or four were
-recognised in later times and introduced into various legends, such as
-that of the Argonauts, or the Sicilian story of the rape of Persephone.
-Demeter is said to have changed their bodies into those of birds,
-because they refused to go to the help of their companion, Persephone,
-when she was carried off by the god of the lower world.
-
- In art they are represented, like the Harpies, as young women with
- the wings and feet of birds. Sometimes they appear altogether like
- birds, only with human faces; at other times with the arms and
- bodies of women, in which case they generally hold instruments of
- music in their hands. As their songs were death to those who were
- seduced by them, they are often depicted on tombs as spirits of
- death.
-
-
-=9. The Race of Oceanus.=—Lastly, we must enumerate among the
-water-deities the numerous descendants of Oceanus, viz., the Oceanids,
-and also the rivers that are spread over the earth. The latter were
-believed to have their common source in the ocean encircling the earth,
-and thence to flow beneath the ground until they reached the surface in
-springs.
-
-Oceanus himself appears in the myths which treat of the genealogy of the
-gods as the eldest son of Uranus and Gæa, and therefore, like his wife
-Tethys, a Titan. As he did not take part in the rebellion of the other
-Titans against the dominion of Zeus, he did not share their dreadful
-fate, but was allowed to remain in undisturbed enjoyment of his ancient
-domain. He was supposed to dwell on the most western shores of the
-earth, which he never left even to attend the assemblies of the gods.
-
-On account of their great importance to the fertility of the soil, the
-river-gods enjoyed a great reputation among the Greeks, although their
-worship was entirely of a local nature. Only Achelous, the greatest of
-all the Greek rivers, appears to have enjoyed general veneration. The
-river-gods were believed to dwell either in the depths of the rivers
-themselves, or in rocky grottoes near their sources. They were depicted
-either as delicate youths, or as men in their prime, or as old men,
-according to the magnitude of the river. They all possess a conformity
-with the nature of their element, viz., that power of transformation
-which we discover in the other sea-deities. They also appear, like other
-water-spirits, to possess the gift of prophecy.
-
-Among the Romans all flowing waters were held sacred. Fontus, the son of
-Janus, was especially esteemed as the god of springs and fountains in
-general; but, as among the Greeks, each river had its special deity. The
-most important of these was Tiberinus. The springs were popularly
-supposed to be inhabited by nymphs gifted with the powers of prophecy
-and magic, who sometimes honoured mortals with their favours, as Egeria
-did King Numa.
-
- In art the river-gods were commonly represented in the guise of
- those animals whose forms they were most in the habit of assuming.
- They thus appear as serpents, bulls, or even as men with bulls’
- heads. They were also portrayed, however, in purely human guise,
- with the exception of having small horns on either side of the head.
- Their attributes consist of urns and horns of plenty, symbols of the
- blessings that proceed from them.
-
-
- III.—THE GODS OF THE EARTH AND LOWER WORLD.
-
-We now come to a class of deities who stand in the most decided contrast
-to the gods of the heaven and the sea, whom we have previously
-described. It consists of those deities whose power is incessantly
-exerted either on the surface or in the depths of the earth, and who are
-accordingly brought into the closest connection with the life of man.
-The worship of these deities assumed among the Greeks a passionate and
-excited character, at first entirely strange to the Romans, though it
-gradually crept in here also.
-
-Though the ancients saw in the earth, on the one hand, the fruitful
-source of all life in nature, they did not seek to disguise the fact
-that it is, on the other hand, also the open sepulchre into which all
-earthly existence sinks when its time is over. The worship of these
-deities was therefore celebrated with festivals of joy and mirth at the
-season of the revival of nature, and with mournful solemnities at the
-season of its decay. The devotees manifested both their mirth and
-mourning in a loud, noisy, passionate manner, usually designated
-orgiastic. An element of mystery never failed to introduce itself into
-the worship of these deities, who, in virtue of their dwellings, were
-able to inspire a greater feeling of awe than the bright forms of the
-gods of heaven. Their wrath also, which manifested itself in the
-sterility of the soil, was the subject of especial fear. Mysteries
-proper, or secret rites, existed only among the Greeks, but never found
-their way into the religious systems of Italy. We shall enumerate first
-the deities of the upper world, who preside over the growth of flocks
-and the fruits of the earth, and then those who inhabit the lower world.
-
-
-=1. Gæa (Tellus).=—First among them is Gæa, or Mother Earth herself.
-This deity appears in the Cosmogony (or myths relating to the formation
-of the universe) as one of the primeval creative forces, having herself
-proceeded immediately from Chaos. In later times she acquired a more
-personal and plastic character, although she never attained any real
-importance in the religious system of the Greeks, owing to the existence
-of more definite and substantial deities, such as Rhea, Hestia, Demeter,
-and Themis. The worship of Tellus in Rome was more important, although
-here, too, it was somewhat thrown into the shade by the worship of Ceres
-and kindred deities.
-
-The chief significance of Gæa lies in the fact that she is the source of
-all life and increase in nature. She is hence regarded as a mother who
-tends with loving care all her children. Under this aspect her praises
-are sung by Hesiod, and also in an ancient Dodonaic hymn. Like Demeter
-and other deities who dispense prosperity and abundance, she appears as
-tending and nourishing the young, and is often represented thus on
-ancient monuments.
-
-At the same time Gæa is the common grave of mankind, and draws all
-things, with inexorable severity, down into her dark womb. She thus
-becomes a goddess of death and the lower world, and was on this account
-invoked, together with the Manes, as a witness of all solemn compacts
-and oaths.
-
-A very ancient shrine of this goddess existed at Delphi, and the oracle
-there had once, said the Delphians, belonged to her.
-
-In Rome, where she was also venerated as a goddess of marriage, her
-temple stood on the site of the house of Spurius Cassius. Festive
-offerings were made to her before and after seed-time. On the occasion
-of the Paganalia, she and Ceres were propitiated by the sacrifice of a
-pregnant sow, which was supposed to promote the prosperity of the coming
-year.
-
-
-=2. Rhea Cybele (Magna Mater Idæa).=—Rhea is well known as the daughter
-of Uranus and Gæa, and the wife of Cronus, by whom she became the mother
-of Zeus and the other Cronidæ. She seems to have enjoyed only a limited
-measure of divine honours, until she was identified with the Phrygian
-goddess Cybele, who, like the Egyptian Isis, was an Asiatic symbol of
-fertility. She was worshipped throughout Lydia and Phrygia under the
-appellation of the “Mighty Mother.” Thence her worship, which was of a
-peculiarly noisy character, made its way through the Greek colonies into
-Greece itself, and towards the end of the second Punic war was, at the
-instance of the Sibylline books, introduced into Rome. Attalus, king of
-Pergamus, was on this occasion good enough to present the Romans with a
-sacred stone, which was regarded by the inhabitants of Pessinus as the
-great mother herself. After its arrival at Ostia, this stone was carried
-to Rome amid a solemn procession of Roman matrons. The day of its
-arrival (10th April) was ever afterwards kept as a festival, at which
-games were celebrated under the superintendence of the prætor. The
-worship of Cybele, however, never seems to have become naturalised in
-Rome, perhaps because Romans were not allowed to officiate as her
-priests.
-
-The true home of the worship of Cybele was the district of Pessinus, a
-rough and rocky mountain land. It was here that she made her noisy
-processions, seated in a chariot drawn by lions or panthers, amid the
-boisterous music of her weird attendants, the Corybantes and Curetes.
-The myths that relate to the goddess bear a wild, fantastic character,
-similar to that of her rites. The best known among them is the story of
-her favourite, Attis, or Atys. He was a Phrygian youth of a beauty so
-exceptional that the great mother of the gods chose him for her husband.
-At first he returned her affection, but afterwards he proved faithless,
-and was about to marry a daughter of the king of Pessinus. But the
-vengeance of the angry goddess overtook him, for when the wedding guests
-were assembled at the festive banquet the goddess appeared in their
-midst, and filled those present with panic fear, and troubled their
-minds. Atys fled to the mountains, where he slew himself in a fit of
-frenzy. Afterwards, the goddess instituted a great mourning in memory of
-him, which took place about the time of the vernal equinox. The priests
-of the goddess marched, amid the loud noise of kettle-drums and fifes,
-to the mountains, in order to search for the lost youth; and when at
-length he, or an image representing him, was found, the priests, in an
-ecstasy of joy, danced about in wild excitement, gashing themselves with
-knives.
-
- Representations of Rhea Cybele are rare. A statue representing her
- seated on a throne is shown in the Vatican. Her usual attribute is a
- kettle-drum.
-
-
-=3. Dionysus, or Bacchus (Liber).=—Dionysus, or Bacchus, was regarded by
-Greeks and Romans alike as the god of wine and vineyards. In his more
-extended meaning he represents the blessings of the autumn. It is he who
-causes the fruits to ripen for the use of man; it is likewise he who
-dispenses to mankind all the advantages of civilisation and refinement,
-and of well-ordered political affairs.
-
-Thebes was described as the birthplace of the god. His mother was
-Semele, the daughter of Cadmus, whom Zeus, the great god of heaven,
-honoured with his love. This very love, however, proved fatal to Semele,
-for the ever-jealous Hera came to her in the guise of her nurse, Beroë,
-and succeeded in exciting her suspicions as to the truth of her lover’s
-divinity. She insidiously persuaded Semele to make her lover swear to do
-what she desired, and then to put him to the test. Semele did so, and
-then besought Zeus to appear to her in the full majesty of his divine
-form. In vain did Zeus adjure her to take back her foolish request; she
-insisted on its fulfilment, and perished miserably, being burnt to ashes
-by the flame of Zeus, who approached her in a flash of lightning. Her
-unborn child was preserved by Zeus, who ordered Hermes to carry it to
-the nymphs of Nysa to be brought up. A later legend makes Ino, the
-sister of Semele, the foster-mother of Dionysus. The locality of this
-Nysa is somewhat uncertain, but it is generally supposed to be a
-district of Mount Pangæus in Thrace.
-
-Dionysus, after growing up amid the solitude of the forest and
-strengthening himself by his contests with its wild beasts, at length
-planted the vine. Both the god and his attendants soon became
-intoxicated with its juice; after which, crowned with wreaths of laurel
-and ivy, and accompanied by a crowd of nymphs, satyrs, and fauns, he
-ranged the woods, which resounded with the loud and joyful cries of his
-inspired worshippers. The legend says that his education was then
-completed by Silenus, the son of Pan. In company with his preceptor and
-the rest of his train, he then set forth to spread his worship and the
-cultivation of the vine among the nations of the earth. He did not
-confine himself to mere vine-planting, however, but proved a real
-benefactor of mankind by founding cities, and by introducing more
-civilised manners and a more pleasant and sociable mode of life among
-men. On such as refused his favours his wrath fell with dreadful effect.
-Agave, the mother of the Theban king Pentheus, who had refused to
-receive him, and the rest of the Theban women, were driven mad by him;
-and in their frenzy they mistook the king for a wild boar and tore him
-to pieces.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 36.—Dionysus and Lion. From the Monument of
-Lysicrates.]
-
-The most celebrated among the myths which testify to the wondrous power
-of Dionysus is the story of the punishment of the Tyrrhenian pirates. On
-the occasion of his passage from Icaria to Naxos, these pirates put
-Dionysus in chains, purposing to take him to Italy, and there sell him
-as a slave. At a nod from the youthful god the chains fell from his
-limbs; he appeared as a lion, while a bear was seen at the other end of
-the ship. Vines and ivy tendrils wound themselves round the mast and
-sails of the ship, which stood still, whilst the strains of the nymphs
-burst forth. The sailors, terrified by the transformation of the god,
-leaped overboard, and were changed into dolphins. A fine representation,
-in relief, of this scene still exists on the monument of Lysicrates, at
-Athens. The most beautiful feature in it is the figure of the god
-playing with his lion in the most joyous unconsciousness (Fig. 36). With
-the name of Naxos, which was a chief seat of his worship, is connected
-the celebrated story of his marriage with Ariadne, the daughter of
-Minos, king of Crete. The Attic hero, Theseus, after escaping the
-dangers of the Labyrinth by her means, had taken her away with him from
-Crete in order to marry her. He deserted her, however, whilst asleep on
-the island of Naxos, either of his own accord or because warned of the
-god in a dream. The indescribable anguish and consternation of Ariadne,
-on awaking to find herself alone and deserted on a foreign strand, was
-only equalled by her joyous surprise when Bacchus, returning from his
-travels in India, found her and made her his bride. The poets, indeed,
-do not relate that Zeus then bestowed on her that immortality which he
-had already given his son on account of his glorious achievements and
-extraordinary merit toward mankind; but such appears to have been the
-popular tradition. At Athens a sort of harvest thanksgiving was
-celebrated in honour of both Dionysus and his bride, at which vines with
-the grapes on them were borne in solemn procession through the streets
-of the city.
-
-The worship of Dionysus extended not only over the whole of Greece, but
-also to Italy, Asia Minor, Thrace, and Macedonia, and to every place
-where the vine was cultivated by the Greeks. The god was extolled as
-Lyæus, the deliverer from care, and great festivals were instituted in
-his honour, which were of a disorderly character, but very popular among
-the common people. At the time of the winter solstice there was
-mourning, because at this season the vine seemed to die away, and the
-god was believed to be suffering persecution at the hands of the evil
-spirits of winter, and obliged to flee in consequence to the sea or
-lower world. It was, therefore, thought right to suffer with him, and
-people manifested their grief at his disappearance by every kind of wild
-gesture. At the winter festivals of Dionysus, which were celebrated
-every other year, only women and girls took part. The festivals of the
-god at the beginning of spring, when the new wine was tasted for the
-first time, were purely festivals of gladness, like the greater Dionysia
-at Athens. On these occasions the reawakening of nature was celebrated
-with boundless joy and boisterous mirth. All kinds of jokes and
-mischievous pranks were indulged in, and festive processions and
-theatrical performances followed each other in quick succession.
-
-The following festivals were celebrated at Athens in honour of
-Dionysus:—
-
-1. The _Lesser_ or _Rural Dionysia_. This was the vintage festival
-proper, which did not take place in Attica till the end of November or
-beginning of December, because they liked to let the grapes hang as long
-as possible. A he-goat was first solemnly sacrificed to the god; this
-was followed by a festive procession bearing the sacred things, and the
-festival concluded with all kinds of country amusements, dancing,
-masquerading, and revelling. The chief amusement of the young men was
-dancing on the leather bag. Out of the skin of the slaughtered goat was
-made a leather bag, which was inflated and smeared with oil: the young
-men then attempted to dance on it.
-
-2. The _Lenæa_, or feast of the wine-press, was celebrated in the month
-of January at Athens, in the place where, according to an old tradition,
-the first wine-press had stood. Here stood the Lenæon, one of the two
-chief temples of the god. The chief feature of the festival was a
-magnificent procession with the sacred symbols of the god. This was
-followed by a great banquet, the viands for which were furnished by the
-city of Athens. The new wine which was drunk on these occasions did not
-tend to diminish the hilarity of the worshippers, so that all kinds of
-mischievous jokes were perpetrated.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 37.—The so-called Sardanapalus in the Vatican.]
-
-3. The _Anthesteria_ were celebrated in February, on the 11th, 12th, and
-13th days of the month Anthesterion. They were supposed to commemorate
-the return of Dionysus from the lower world, or, in other words, the
-reawakening of nature from the sleep of winter. The first day was called
-πιθοιγία (cask-opening), because on this day the new wine was first
-broached. The second and chief day of the festival was called χόες
-(cups). A procession and a great banquet took place, at which the guests
-were crowned with flowers. Many liberties were permitted to the slaves
-on this occasion, as at the Roman Saturnalia. The third day was called
-χύτροι (pots), because vessels were displayed filled with all kinds of
-boiled vegetables. These were regarded in the light of offerings for the
-souls of the dead, who were popularly supposed to revisit the upper
-world on this occasion.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 38.—Youthful Dionysus. From the Chateau Richelieu, now in the
- Louvre.]
-
-4. The _Greater_ or _City Dionysia_ formed the chief festival of the
-god, and the proper spring-feast of the Athenians. It was celebrated
-with extraordinary splendour in the month of March, and lasted several
-days, bringing together a vast concourse of strangers from all parts.
-The city, renowned alike for the refined artistic taste and the keen wit
-of its inhabitants, then donned its holiday garb, and innumerable merry
-antics were played by the crowds assembled in the streets and squares.
-The chief feature of the festival was a solemn procession, in which an
-old wooden statue of the god was borne through the streets. There were
-likewise banquets and comic processions in masks, and grand
-representations of new comedies and tragedies. The proceedings concluded
-with the presentation of prizes to the successful competitors.
-
-The Italian nationalities likewise celebrated a festival on the 17th of
-March, called the Liberalia, in honour of Liber, or Liber Pater, the
-Italian god of the vine. It was distinguished throughout by the simple
-countrified character of the proceedings, and resembled the Lesser
-Dionysia of the inhabitants of Attica. People amused themselves with all
-kinds of jokes and antics, and with masquerades, the masks for which
-were cut from the bark of trees. The chief object of the festival was to
-pray for the fertility of the vines. These innocent festivals had
-nothing to do with the voluptuous Bacchanalia which were afterwards
-introduced into Rome in imitation of the Greek mysteries, and which the
-most rigorous interference of the authorities was unable to suppress.
-
-If we try to conceive briefly the significance of the worship of
-Dionysus in the religion of the ancients, we shall find that in his
-primitive character the god was a personification of the active,
-productive power of nature. As Demeter was supposed to give corn and the
-other fruits of the field, so Dionysus was supposed to give the fruits
-of trees, and especially of the vine. He was likewise regarded as the
-author of the blessings of civilisation, so that, on this point, he
-supplements the idea of the great culture-goddess Demeter, with whom,
-both among the Greeks and Romans, he had many temples and festivals in
-common. Looking at his character from another side, we find him coming
-into contact with Apollo, since he was supposed not only to endow men
-with a kindly, cheerful disposition, but also to inspire them with a
-love of music, on which account he was honoured with Apollo as the
-friend and leader of the Muses.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 39.—Marble Head of Youthful Dionysus at Leyden.]
-
- Artistic representations of Dionysus have come down to us on
- numerous monuments. In earlier art he was generally depicted as
- majestic and grave, and on that account represented with a beard. We
- have given an instance of this earlier conception in the so-called
- Sardanapalus of the Vatican (Fig. 37). In later art he became more
- youthful, and was characterised by a delicate roundness of form. The
- statues of this period are distinguished by the almost feminine
- expression of face with which they endow the god, as well as by the
- rounded limbs and the graceful ease of every attitude. The statue of
- a youthful Dionysus in the Louvre at Paris is an instance of this
- later mode of conception (Fig. 38). So likewise is the head of
- Dionysus at Leyden, which is distinguished by a sweet expression of
- reverie. His soft hair, which falls about his shoulders in delicate
- ringlets, is generally intertwined with a garland of vine leaves or
- ivy (Fig. 39). The other attributes of the god are the thyrsus, or
- Bacchic wand, the diadem, the skin of a wild beast falling across
- his chest, which often forms his sole clothing, and the drinking-cup
- in his hand. He is generally accompanied by lions, tigers, or
- panthers; and the bull and ram, as the symbols of fertility, were
- held sacred to him, while the latter was also his usual sacrifice.
- Among plants, besides the vine and the ivy, the laurel was held
- sacred to him on account of its powers of inspiration.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 40.—Sleeping Ariadne. Vatican.]
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 41.—Dannecker’s Ariadne. Frankfort-on-the-Main.]
-
- Of all the prominent personages in the stories of Dionysus, Ariadne
- has received most attention at the hands of the sculptor. The most
- celebrated of such ancient monuments is a marble figure of great
- beauty, larger than life, representing the sleeping Ariadne. It is
- now preserved in the Vatican Museum at Rome (Fig. 40). Among the
- productions of modern sculptors, the Ariadne of Dannecker, at
- Frankfort-on-the-Main, which represents her as the bride of Theseus,
- riding on a panther, justly enjoys a very high reputation (Fig. 41).
-
-
-=4. The Nymphs.=—We now come to a class of inferior terrestrial
-divinities who are often found in the train of Bacchus. The most
-numerous and important of these are the Nymphs. They personify the
-restless activity and energy of nature, over the whole of which their
-power extends. They manifest their presence in the murmuring, rippling
-streams and brooks, as well as in the sprouting vegetation of wood and
-meadow. They are tender, graceful maidens, who, though kindly disposed
-towards men, yet avoid human habitations, and prefer the peaceful
-solitude of the woods and mountains, where they lead a merry, joyous
-life among the clefts and grottoes.
-
-Sometimes they devote themselves to useful pursuits, and spin and weave;
-sometimes they engage in graceful dances, and sing merry songs, or bathe
-their delicate limbs in the white spray of lonely brooks. They gladly
-join the train of those superior deities supposed to preside in the
-realms of nature. Thus we see them joining in the Bacchic revelry with
-Dionysus, or figuring in the train of Aphrodite, or ranging field and
-wood as they hunt in the company of Artemis.
-
-According to the divisions of nature, over which the Nymphs were
-supposed to preside, we may distinguish the following classes:—
-
-1. The _Water-Nymphs_, to whom, in their wider signification, the
-Oceanids and Nereids also belong. Here, however, we have only to deal
-with the water-nymphs of the brooks and fountains of the land, who are
-distinguished by the name of _Naiads_. As the kindly nourishers of
-plants, and as thereby ministering indirectly to the sustenance of both
-man and beast, they enjoyed a large measure of veneration among the
-ancients, although, being inferior deities, they could claim no temples
-of their own. Like the sea-nymphs, they possessed the gift of prophecy,
-and appear as the patrons of poetry and song.
-
-_2. Nymphs of the Mountains_, or _Oreads_, to whom belong the nymphs of
-the valleys and glens (Napææ). These were very numerous, and received
-special names from the particular mountains or districts they inhabited.
-The most celebrated among them was the Bœotian nymph Echo. She was
-consumed by love for the beautiful youth Narcissus, a son of the
-river-god Cephisus, and finding that he did not reciprocate her
-affection, she pined away in ever-increasing grief, until at length her
-emaciated frame was changed into rock, and nothing but her voice
-remained. But Aphrodite avenged this injury to her sex on Narcissus, who
-had in his vain self-love thus contemned the beautiful nymph. As he was
-hunting one day on Mount Helicon, he bent down to quench his thirst from
-a spring clear as crystal, and the goddess caused him to fall in love
-with his own shadow, which was reflected in the water. The object of his
-desires being unattainable, he too pined away from grief, and the flower
-named after him has ever since continued an emblem of heartless beauty.
-
-3. The _Dryads_, or _Hamadryads_ (wood-nymphs). These appear to have
-been a conception of later times. It was supposed that their existence
-depended on that of the trees they inhabited, so that when the latter
-were destroyed the nymphs also perished. Not sharing immortality,
-therefore, they cannot properly be reckoned among the gods.
-
-The veneration of nymphs was very ancient in Greece, and was thence
-transferred to Rome. Goats, lambs, milk, and oil were offered to them.
-
- In art they are depicted as lovely maidens, generally only slightly
- clad, and adorned with flowers and garlands. The Naiads are also
- represented as drawing water, or with attributes relating to their
- element.
-
-
-=5. The Satyrs.=—In contrast to the Nymphs, or female personifications
-of the life of Nature, we find a number of inferior wood and
-water-deities of the male sex, called Satyrs, Sileni, and Panes, between
-whom it is difficult to distinguish clearly. Generally by Satyrs (Fauni)
-we understand the wood and mountain-spirits proper, who are inseparably
-connected with Dionysus, whose attendant train they form. Coarse
-sensuality and a wanton spirit of mischief are the leading features of
-their character. On account of their animal propensities they were
-fabled to be only half human in appearance, with blunt noses and
-otherwise ignoble features, bristling hair, goat-like ears, and a goat’s
-tail. Like the Muses, they love music and dancing, their instruments
-being the Syrinx and the flute, together with cymbals and castanets.
-Like their master, they were passionately addicted to excessive
-indulgence in wine; but whereas in the former this produced only a
-rapturous enthusiasm and an exalted frame of mind, with them its effects
-were purely sensual, and excited them to insane and unseemly pranks of
-all kinds.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 42.—Head of Satyr. Munich Sculpture Gallery.]
-
- The Satyrs were not an uncommon subject of representation among
- ancient artists. The conception was based on the original hideous
- half-man, half-animal type; and in art, as well as in poetry, the
- blunt nose, the pointed ears, and the goat’s tail form their
- characteristic features. The Bacchic insignia of a band round the
- brow and an ivy garland also belong to them. There are some
- particularly fine antique statues of satyrs in the art-collections
- of Munich and Rome.
-
- The engraving (Fig. 42) shows the highly-expressive face of a satyr
- in the Munich collection.
-
-
-=6. Silenus.=—Silenus, according to the common tradition, was an old
-satyr who tended and brought up Dionysus, and afterwards became the
-faithful companion of his wanderings. He is depicted by the poets as a
-somewhat elderly man, with blunt nose and bald head, hairy chest and
-thighs, and a stomach so large that he can scarcely walk. He generally
-appears riding on an ass in front of the Bacchic company, with a satyr
-on either side supporting his half-drunken form.
-
- The artists of antiquity seem to have devoted themselves frequently
- to the subject of Silenus. They either represented him as the nurse
- and preceptor of the youthful Bacchus, holding the child in his arms
- and regarding him with a look of affection, in which the comic
- element is entirely lacking, or they present him to us as the
- insatiable but good-natured wine-bibber. His standing attribute is
- the wine-skin, besides which, like other members of the Bacchic
- train, he bears a thyrsus and ivy garland.
-
-Besides Silenus, who was celebrated as the preceptor of Dionysus, there
-was a whole tribe of Sileni. Whether this is due to the fact that the
-older satyrs were called Sileni, or whether they form a special class of
-deities presiding over the flowing, gushing water, cannot be determined
-with any certainty.
-
-Among the Sileni were two personages who play a part in the story of
-Dionysus. These were Marsyas and Midas. The former, like all satyrs, was
-an accomplished master of the flute, and challenged Apollo to a trial of
-skill which proved fatal to him. The conditions of the contest were that
-he who was vanquished should put himself entirely in the power of his
-adversary. Apollo won, and made a cruel use of his victory by hanging
-Marsyas on a pine tree and flaying him alive.
-
-Midas was the mythic founder of the kingdom of Phrygia, in Asia Minor,
-whither he had emigrated from Macedonia. Tradition makes him a son of
-Cybele, and, as her favourite, endowed with fabulous wealth. But, like
-many of the sons of men in the present day, the richer he grew the
-greater was his thirst for gold, until it betrayed him at length into an
-act of great folly. One day, the drunken Silenus strayed from the
-company of Bacchus into the garden of Midas. The latter received him
-with great hospitality, and after entertaining him sumptuously for ten
-days brought him to Bacchus. Pleased with his kindness, the god rewarded
-him with the gratification of any wish he might make. Midas now wished
-that everything he touched might turn to gold. Naturally the
-gratification of this wish well-nigh proved his ruin; and he only
-escaped by washing, at the command of the god, in the river Pactolus,
-which has ever since washed down gold in its sands. A later fable makes
-Midas the judge in the rivalry of Apollo and Pan, on which occasion he
-decided in favour of the latter, for which the god changed his ears into
-those of an ass. Modern criticism has seen in the rich Midas one of the
-many personifications of the sun, who, as he rises over the earth, turns
-all things to gold.
-
-
-=7. Greek and Roman Wood-Spirits.=—_1. Pan._—Pan was a very ancient god
-of the woods and meadows. He was at first honoured only by the
-inhabitants of the mountain-land of Arcadia and by other pastoral
-tribes. Subsequently his divinity was more generally acknowledged and
-more highly esteemed. Common accounts make him the son of Hermes by the
-nymph Penelope, a daughter of Dryops. His mother was not a little
-terrified at his birth, since he was hairy all over, and had horns and
-goat’s feet. His father wrapped him in a hare-skin, and bore him to
-Olympus, where the assembled gods showed no small pleasure at the sight
-of the strange little wood-demon. From time immemorial Pan was regarded
-by the shepherds of Greece as their most doughty protector; for which
-reason the mountain caves in which they gathered their herds together at
-night, or in threatening weather, were held sacred to him. There were
-many such caves of Pan in the mountains of Arcadia, and also one at the
-foot of the Acropolis at Athens, besides others on Mount Parnassus in
-Bœotia, and elsewhere. Pan was esteemed a god of great cheerfulness and
-activity of character, who loved to range the woods as a huntsman, and
-was on this account regarded with little less veneration by huntsmen
-than by shepherds. He was also looked on as the patron of fishing and
-bee-keeping.
-
-As the god of shepherds, Pan was also a lover of music, and on returning
-in the evening from the chase, says the Homeric story, he was wont to
-play sweet tunes on his pan-pipe (Syrinx), whilst the Oreads, or
-mountain-nymphs, sang the praises of the gods and led off their spirited
-dances. The poets have founded a story on his discovery of the Syrinx.
-They invented a fabulous nymph called Syrinx, with whom Pan was supposed
-to have fallen violently in love. The nymph, however, did not return his
-affection, and fled from his embraces. Pan pursued her, and in her
-extremity she sought the aid of Gæa, who transformed her into a reed.
-Out of this reed Pan, by joining seven pieces together, made an
-instrument which he called the Syrinx, after the nymph.
-
-Pan was as passionately fond of dancing as of music. According to
-Pindar, he was the most accomplished dancer among the gods. His
-favourite amusement was to dance in company with the mountain-nymphs, on
-which occasions he regaled them with every kind of droll leap, in the
-performance of which his goat’s feet stood him in good stead.
-
-As a wood-deity, Pan also possessed the gift of prophecy; indeed,
-according to some, it was he who first imparted this gift to Apollo. He
-certainly had a very ancient oracle at Acacesium in Arcadia.
-
-Wild mountainous country and the thick untrodden forest are both alike
-apt to impress the lonely traveller with feelings of awe. All such
-sensations of sudden and unaccountable fear were ascribed to Pan
-(Panic). He was also said to delight in terrifying travellers with all
-kinds of strange noises. Hence, at a later period, arose the story that
-in the contest with the Titans he rendered good service to Zeus by
-blowing on a shell trumpet which he had invented, whereupon the Titans
-were seized with a sudden terror. This, however, is only another version
-of Triton’s services at the battle with the giants. It is well known
-that the Athenians introduced the worship of Pan, to which they had been
-hitherto strangers, into their city after the battle of Marathon, in
-consequence of the assistance which they believed they had received from
-the god.
-
-Such are the more ancient and simple features of the character of Pan.
-He assumed a higher significance when men began to regard him as the
-companion of the “Mighty Mother,” and assigned him a place in the
-Bacchic circle. Men now saw in him a productive force of nature like the
-Phrygian Attis; indeed, in consequence of a misinterpretation of his
-name, he was made the creator and god of the universe. He seems to have
-originally signified the “purifying” breeze, which at one time whistled
-through the reeds, or at another moaned dismally in the forest,
-frightening the belated traveller.
-
-After he had once been introduced into the company of Dionysus, poets
-and artists alike set themselves to work to invent a number of Panes and
-little Pans (Panisci), who were easily confounded with the Satyrs and
-Sileni.
-
-The chief shrine of Pan was at Acacesium in Arcadia. Cows, goats, and
-sheep were sacrificed to him, besides offerings of milk, honey, and new
-wine.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 43.—Pan. From a Mural Painting at Herculaneum.]
-
- In art we must distinguish the earlier and later types of the god.
- In the former, which dates from the best days of Greek art, he is
- conceived as entirely human in appearance, with the exception of two
- sprouting horns on either side of the forehead. Later, he was
- depicted with larger horns, a long goat’s beard, and goat’s feet. We
- give an engraving of this later conception (Fig. 43), which is taken
- from a mural painting at Naples. The usual attributes of Pan are a
- Syrinx and shepherd’s crook, sometimes also a pine garland.
-
-_2. Silvanus._—Among the Roman wood-deities, Silvanus occupies a
-position most akin to that of Pan, although they are not exactly
-identical. His name, derived from _silva_ (wood), points him out as the
-god of the forest, where he was supposed to dwell, a deity kindly
-disposed towards mankind, and propitious to the welfare of trees,
-plants, and cattle. At times, however, he appears, like Pan, as a
-mischievous sprite, who delights to trick and terrify the lonely
-traveller. His sphere of activity was not confined to the woods, since
-he was also regarded as the author of fruitfulness in gardens and
-orchards. In this character Silvanus bears a close resemblance to
-Terminus, the god of boundaries and landed property, inasmuch as he
-preserves fields, gardens, and houses from harm. The first of the fruits
-of the field were offered to him. He had two shrines in Rome, one on the
-Viminal and another on the Aventine.
-
- Artists and poets agree in representing Silvanus as an old man with
- a rustic head-gear, scattering blooming lilies and other flowers. He
- is usually distinguished by a pruning-knife.
-
-_3. Faunus and Fauna._—Closely resembling Silvanus is another deity
-called Faunus, one of the most ancient national gods of Italy. He
-appears as the good spirit of the mountains, pastures, and plains. He
-was regarded by the shepherds as their best protector, since he made
-their cattle fruitful and drove off noxious beasts of prey. In the
-former character he was also called Inuus (the fertiliser); in the
-latter Lupercus (the warder-off of wolves).
-
-Like Pan, he appears to have his seat in the woods, whence he sometimes
-terrifies and annoys travellers. At night, too, he creeps into men’s
-houses, and torments them with evil dreams and horrible apparitions
-(Incubus).
-
-Like Pan, too, Faunus possessed the gift of prophecy, and answered both
-by direct revelations and by dreams. In this character he was called
-Fatuus, and had a celebrated oracle in the grove at Tibur, on the spring
-Albunea.
-
-Having once invented a number of Fauns, the poets soon began to identify
-them with the Satyrs of the Greeks.
-
-In honour of this decidedly national deity, different festivals were
-celebrated, at which rams were sacrificed and libations of wine and milk
-made. The Faunalia were celebrated on the Nones of December, on which
-occasion the guests at the festive board surrendered themselves to the
-most unrestrained mirth, and granted many liberties also to their
-slaves. The Lupercalia, however, formed the proper expiatory festival of
-Faunus. This festival was celebrated on the 15th of February, and was
-remarkable for the number of ancient customs which were observed. The
-chief of these was the course of the Luperci, or priests of Faunus, who,
-after making their offering, ran from the shrine of the god (Lupercal),
-on the Palatine, through the streets of Rome, their only clothing being
-an apron cut from the skin of the slaughtered animal. They struck all
-whom they met with thongs, also cut from the same blood-stained skin.
-Barren women placed themselves in the way of the Luperci, believing that
-by means of the strokes the reproach of barrenness would be taken away
-from them. As a day of atonement, this day was termed _dies februatus_
-(from _februare_, to purify), whence the name of the month.
-
-The feminine counterpart of Faunus, though not his wife, was Fauna, a
-propitious, kindly goddess of the plains. She is also called Maia, or
-Bona Dea. The women made an offering to her every year at night, on
-which occasion males were strictly excluded.
-
- In art Faunus bears exactly the same appearance as Pan, with whom,
- indeed, he was often identified.
-
-
-=8. Priapus.=—The worship of Priapus, the god of fields and gardens,
-appears to have been long of a purely local character, confined
-principally to the districts on the Hellespont, since he is not even
-mentioned by earlier writers. He was the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite,
-and presided over the exuberant fertility of nature. He was supposed to
-exercise influence over the fruitfulness of flocks and herds, whilst
-fishing and the rearing of bees were also placed under his protection.
-His special sphere, however, was the protection of gardens and
-vineyards. Asses were sacrificed to him, a fact which gave rise to all
-sorts of comical stories relating to the hostility of Priapus to this
-animal. Besides this, he received the first fruits of the garden and
-field and drink-offerings of milk and honey. The worship of Priapus was
-introduced into Italy at the same time as that of Aphrodite, and he was
-identified with the native Mutunus.
-
- This deity was scarcely noticed in higher art. In the gardens of
- Italy, however, rough-hewn pillars of wood, similar to those of
- Hermes, were erected in his honour. He is usually distinguished by a
- pruning-knife and club.
-
-
-=9. Saturnus and Ops.=—Before passing to Demeter, or Ceres, the great
-goddess of civilisation, to whom by Greeks and Romans alike the
-blessings of the harvest were ascribed, and who forms the best link
-between the gods of the upper and lower worlds, we must pause to
-consider some gods of agriculture and cattle-rearing peculiar to the
-Romans. Among them are Saturn and Ops, who belong to the most ancient
-national deities of Italy. To Saturn was ascribed the introduction of
-agriculture, together with the cultivation of the vine and other fruits.
-He was, therefore, venerated as the great benefactor of mankind, who not
-only promoted the physical welfare of men, but who also introduced a
-higher standard of civilisation. After the Romans had become acquainted
-with the mythology of the Greeks, they identified him with Cronus. In
-consequence of this, the story arose that, after his dethronement by
-Jupiter, Saturn fled to Italy, where he was hospitably received by
-Janus. There he is said to have brought together the inhabitants, who
-had hitherto wandered about without any fixed homes, and to have united
-them in regular political communities, over which he himself ruled. This
-was the golden age. In remembrance of the happy age when men were not
-yet troubled by sorrow or need, the Saturnalia were celebrated during
-three days, beginning from the 17th of December. This festival, which
-with changed meaning still continues in the Carnival of the present day,
-was celebrated in Rome with particularly great splendour. Unbounded
-festivity reigned throughout the whole town, and vented itself in every
-description of joke and prank. The distinctions of class were suspended,
-the courts and schools kept holiday, and the shops were closed. The
-chief day was the 19th of December, which was especially a festive day
-for the slaves, for on this day there were practically no slaves in
-Rome. No services were required of them, and they were allowed to don
-the clothes of their masters and to eat and drink as much as they liked,
-whilst their masters waited on them at table. And this custom allowed a
-class, otherwise subject to so many afflictions, to forget their sorrows
-for at least one day in a year. Wealthy Romans generally kept open house
-on this day, and vied with each other in the splendour of their
-hospitalities; and of course a solemn sacrifice was made to Saturn. The
-woollen bandages which, during the greater part of the year, enveloped
-the feet of his statue in order that he might not depart without
-vouchsafing a blessing, were on this day unloosed, and throughout the
-night the temple was illuminated with wax tapers. This festival, which
-was extremely popular among the Romans, was also celebrated with games
-in the circus.
-
-The chief temple of Saturn, which was begun by Tarquinius Superbus and
-finished in the first years of the Republic, was situated on the ascent
-to the Capitol from the Forum. Beneath it was a vault containing the
-state treasury, or _ærarium_, the guardianship of the state treasures
-being committed to this god as the dispenser of every blessing.
-
-Regarded as the wife of Saturn, and therefore identified with Rhea, Ops
-was the goddess of the seed-time and harvest. On this account her
-worship was closely connected with that of Saturn, and she had a place
-in his temple on the Capitoline. A festival was celebrated in honour of
-her on the 25th of August, when the newly-gathered corn was threshed.
-
-When taken together, Saturn and Ops were regarded as deities who
-presided over marriage and the education of children, it being an easy
-step from the deity of the sprouting, ripening seed, to that of the
-budding, thriving season of human life.
-
- Saturn is always represented as an old man, and is generally
- distinguished by a pruning-knife or sickle.
-
-
-=10. Vertumnus and Pomona.=—Vertumnus and Pomona much resemble Saturn
-and Ops, the only difference being that the former exert their influence
-solely on the growth and welfare of the fruits of the garden and
-orchard. Vertumnus properly signifies the self-changing one; referring,
-probably, to the manifold changes which the fruit undergoes from the
-time of its first appearance in blossom to that of its maturity. For the
-same reason the god was said to possess the faculty of assuming any
-shape he liked. The first of the flowers and fruits were offered to him.
-Pomona, as her name signifies, was the goddess of the fruit harvest, and
-called by the poets the wife of Vertumnus. Each deity had a special
-priest (flamen), though the latter naturally held only an inferior
-position.
-
- In art Vertumnus generally appears as a beautiful youth, his head
- crowned with a garland of ears of corn or laurel, with a horn of
- plenty, as a symbol of the blessings he bestows, in his right hand.
- He is sometimes distinguished by a dish filled with fruit, or a
- pruning-knife. Pomona is generally represented as the season of
- Autumn, a beautiful maiden with boughs of fruit-trees in her hand.
-
-
-=11. Flora.=—Among the inferior deities of the plain was Flora, the
-goddess of blossoms and flowers, who was held in great honour by the
-Sabines, and everywhere in the interior of Italy. Her worship is said to
-have been introduced into Rome by Numa, who assigned the goddess a
-priest of her own. She attained a higher significance by becoming a
-goddess of maternity, whom women invoked before their confinement. Her
-festival was celebrated with great rejoicings from the 28th of April to
-the 1st of May (Floralia). The doors of the houses were adorned with
-flowers, and wreaths were worn in the hair. After the first Punic war,
-the festival, which was remarkable throughout for its merry and
-tumultuous character, was also celebrated with games, hares and deer
-being hunted in the circus.
-
- Artists appear to have represented Flora as the season of Spring, in
- the guise of a beautiful girl crowned with flowers. There is a fine
- marble statue of this kind, larger than life, in the museum at
- Naples, called the Farnese Flora.
-
-
-=12. Pales.=—Pales was the ancient pastoral goddess of the Italian
-tribes, from whom the name Palatine, which originally meant nothing but
-a pastoral colony, was derived. She was especially venerated by the
-shepherds, who besought her to send fruitfulness and health to their
-flocks. A festival in her honour was celebrated on the 21st of April,
-the anniversary of the foundation of the city (Palilia), at which very
-ancient rustic customs were observed. The most remarkable of these was
-the kindling of a large straw fire, through which the shepherds rushed
-with their flocks, thinking thus to purify themselves from their sins.
-Milk and baked millet-cakes were offered to the goddess. There is no
-statue of her now in existence.
-
-
-=13. Terminus.=—Terminus, although he had nothing to do either with the
-welfare of the crops or the fruitfulness of the flocks, may yet be
-reckoned among the field deities, as the god who specially presided over
-boundaries. All landmarks were held sacred to him, and their erection
-was attended with religious ceremonies. In order that his people might
-fully appreciate the sanctity of boundaries, King Numa instituted a
-special festival in honour of the god, called the Terminalia, and
-annually celebrated on the 23rd of February. The proprietors of lands
-bordering on each other were wont on this occasion to crown the boundary
-stone with garlands, and to make an offering of a flat cake to the god.
-
-In his wider signification Terminus was regarded as the god under whose
-protection the boundaries of the state reposed, and in this character he
-had a chapel in the temple of Minerva on the Capitol. A statue of the
-god also stood in the midst of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, which
-is explained by the following story:—After Tarquinius had conceived the
-plan of building the great temple of Jupiter on the Capitol, the limited
-space necessitated the removal of several existing shrines, which could
-only occur with the consent of the deities themselves. They all
-expressed by means of auguries their readiness to make way for the
-highest god of heaven, except Terminus, who refused, and whose shrine
-had therefore to be included in the temple of Jupiter.
-
- Statues of Terminus are exactly like the Hermæ of the Greeks, and
- have no importance in art.
-
-
-=14. Demeter (Ceres).=—Demeter was a daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her
-name signifies Mother Earth, and she is, therefore, an expression of the
-ancient conception of the earth-goddess, with a special reference to
-nature and human civilisation. She was also named Deo, and by comparison
-of these two words, her name has been interpreted as Dawn-Mother, from
-the same root as Zeus, the sky. The thriving of the crops was ascribed
-to her influence; she was further regarded as the patroness of all those
-arts which are more or less intimately connected with agriculture, and
-which men first learned from her. Demeter thus rises to the rank of a
-goddess of civilisation. She rescued men by means of agriculture from
-the lower grades of hunters and shepherds, and brought their former rude
-and barbarous manners into subjection to law and morality. She thus
-becomes that “bountiful daughter of Heaven,” who, as Schiller sings in
-his _Lay of the Bell_,
-
- “of old
- Called the wild man from waste and wold,
- And, in his hut thy presence stealing,
- Roused each familiar household feeling;
- And, best of all the happy ties,
- The centre of the social band,—
- The instinct of the Fatherland.”
-
-Regarded in this light, she comes into contact with Dionysus, whose
-beneficial influence on human civilisation and manners we have already
-described. This accounts for the intimate connection of these two
-deities in the Eleusinian mysteries, where Dionysus-Iacchus even appears
-as the son of Demeter and the husband of Cora-Persephone. Owing to the
-important part she played in the institution of law and order among
-mankind, she was venerated as the goddess of marriage, marriage being
-the necessary foundation of civil society. She was also regarded as the
-tutelary goddess of national assemblies.
-
-Of the numerous legends which are linked with the name of this goddess,
-none perhaps is more celebrated, or more pregnant with meaning in regard
-to her worship, than the rape of her daughter Persephone, or Cora. The
-latter was once playing with the daughters of Oceanus in a flowery
-meadow, where they were picking flowers and making garlands. Persephone
-happened to quit her companions for a moment to pluck a narcissus she
-had perceived, when suddenly the ground opened at her feet, and Pluto,
-or Hades, the god of the infernal regions, appeared in a chariot drawn
-by snorting horses. Swift as the wind he seized and carried off the
-terrified maiden in spite of her struggles, and vanished again into the
-regions of darkness before her companions were aware of the catastrophe.
-All this occurred, however, with the knowledge of Zeus, who had, unknown
-to Demeter, promised her daughter to Pluto. When Demeter missed her
-darling child, and none could tell her where she had gone, she kindled
-torches, and during many days and nights wandered in anxiety through all
-the countries of the earth, not even resting for food or sleep. At
-length Helios, who sees and hears everything, told Demeter what had
-happened, not disguising, however, that it had occurred with the consent
-of Zeus. Full of wrath and grief, the goddess now withdrew from the
-society of the other gods into the deepest solitude. Meanwhile all the
-fruits of the earth ceased, and a general famine threatened to
-extinguish the human race. In vain Zeus sent one messenger after
-another, beseeching the angry goddess to return to Olympus. Demeter
-swore that she would neither return nor allow the fruits of the earth to
-grow until her daughter was restored to her. At length Zeus was fain to
-consent, and despatched Hermes to the lower world to bring Persephone
-back. Persephone joyfully prepared to obey this command, but as she was
-about to depart Hades gave her a pomegranate-seed to eat, whereupon she
-found herself bound to him and unable to return. By means of Zeus,
-however, a compact was made by which Persephone was to spend two-thirds
-of the year in the upper world with her mother, and the remaining
-portion with her husband. And thus every year at springtide she ascends
-from her subterraneous kingdom to enjoy herself in her mother’s company,
-but returns again late in autumn to the regions of darkness and death.
-
-It is not difficult to discover the meaning of this myth. It is simply
-an allegorical representation of the spectacle that is annually renewed
-before our eyes—the dying away and coming to life again of the vegetable
-world. Whilst Cora is dwelling during the winter months in the realms of
-Hades, Nature appears to wear a garb of mourning for her lost daughter.
-In the Eleusinian mysteries this inevitable decease and resurrection of
-the vegetable world was conceived as a symbol of higher meaning, setting
-forth the immortality of the soul. Every living being shares the fate of
-Cora; every life becomes the prey of cold, inexorable death, only to
-arise from the darkness of the grave more beautiful and glorious than
-before.
-
-Closely connected with this beautiful and expressive myth is another
-which refers to the institution of the Eleusinian mysteries. When
-Demeter, after the loss of her daughter, was wandering over the earth in
-the guise of a poor old woman, she came to Eleusis. The daughters of
-Celeüs, the king of the city, found her sitting on a stone by the
-Maidens’ Well as they came thither to draw water, and offered the old
-woman service in their father’s house as nurse to their youngest brother
-Demophon. The goddess consented, and was kindly received in the house of
-Celeüs, where she was at once installed as nurse to the young prince.
-She became so fond of the child that she resolved to make him immortal
-by anointing him with ambrosia, and then laying him at night in the glow
-of the fire. She was discovered at her work, however, by the mother of
-the child, whose cries disturbed her, and thus prevented her from
-fulfilling her benevolent intention. She now revealed herself to Celeüs,
-and commanded him to build her a temple in Eleusis. When it had been
-hastily completed, with the help of the goddess, she initiated Celeüs
-and some other princes of Eleusis—Triptolemus, Eumolpus, and Diocles—in
-the solemn rites of her service. On Triptolemus, who is called the son
-of Celeüs, she imposed the task of disseminating a knowledge of
-agriculture and of her own worship throughout the earth, and for this
-purpose lent him her own chariot and dragons. On this he travelled
-through the countries of the earth, making known everywhere the
-blessings of agriculture, and uniting men in regular political
-communities. He was not well received in all places, and the goddess had
-sometimes to step in and punish those who contemned her benefits. Such
-was the case with the Scythian king Lynceus and the Thessalian prince
-Erysichthon; but at length her cause triumphed, and the worship of the
-bountiful goddess spread itself over the whole world.
-
-The chief seat of her worship was the city of Eleusis, which was
-beautifully situated on the bay of Salamis. It retained this honour even
-after it had lost its independence and come into the possession of the
-Athenians. The Eleusinian mysteries were celebrated both here and at
-Athens, in honour of Demeter and the deities associated with her. They
-probably contained a symbolical history of Cora.
-
-There was a distinction between the greater and lesser mysteries. The
-latter were celebrated at Athens in the month of Anthesterion
-(February), and were a kind of preparation for the greater mysteries,
-which took place in September, and were celebrated during nine days,
-partly at Athens and partly at Eleusis. In these secret rites only those
-could take part who had been initiated. The chief feature of the
-festival was a great and solemn procession on the sixth day from Athens
-to Eleusis, a distance of about twelve miles. All those who took part in
-it—often as many as 30,000—were crowned with myrtle, and bore torches in
-their hands, as the procession started from Athens at the earliest dawn.
-
-The festival of the Thesmophoria, which was celebrated at the beginning
-of November, in honour of Demeter in her character of lawgiver and
-goddess of marriage, was less important than the Eleusinia. It lasted
-for five days, and only married women were allowed to take part in it.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 44.—Demeter Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii.
-Naples.]
-
-The Ceres of the Romans, though undoubtedly an ancient Italian goddess,
-was the very counterpart of the Greek Demeter, with whom, after the
-successful introduction of her worship during the first years of the
-Republic, she was entirely identified.
-
-The chief festival of Ceres and her associate deities, Liber and Libera,
-fell on the 19th of April, which, as the proper spring month, was
-especially dedicated by the inhabitants of Italy to deities presiding
-over agriculture. The Cerealia were opened by a grand procession, in
-which every one was clothed in white. It was further celebrated with
-solemn sacrifices and games in the circus, the management of which lay
-with the plebeian ædiles.
-
-The usual sacrifice, both among Greeks and Romans, was the sow (the
-symbol of fruitfulness), but, besides this, cows and the first fruits of
-the trees and hives were offered to her.
-
- In the representations of the goddess an expression of lofty dignity
- is blended with condescending benevolence and gentleness. Her
- principal attributes are a torch, a sheaf of corn, a garland of ears
- of corn interwoven in her hair, and a basket filled with flowers at
- her side. Among the few antique statues, a large marble figure in
- the Capitoline Museum at Rome deserves especial mention. The
- engraving (Fig. 44), which is after a Pompeian painting, depicts
- Demeter as the bountiful goddess of agriculture. She is seated on a
- throne, and holds a torch consisting of two calices in her right
- hand, and a bunch of corn in her left.
-
-
-=15. Persephone (Proserpina).=—In Persephone, the goddess of the lower
-world, whom the Athenians preferred to call by her mystic name of Cora,
-two distinct conceptions are embodied. On the one hand she appears as
-the wife of the dark god of the lower world—like him, a gloomy,
-awe-inspiring deity, who pitilessly drags down all that lives into the
-hidden depths of the earth; whence the grave is called the chamber of
-Persephone. Such is the view of her taken by Homer and later epic poets.
-These represent her as sitting enthroned at the side of her grim lord,
-the joyless queen of the infernal regions, to dwell in which were worse
-than to be a slave on earth. On the other hand she appears as Cora, the
-lovely daughter of the all-bountiful Mother Earth; a personification, in
-fact, of that never-dying force of nature which, year by year, causes
-the most luxuriant vegetation to spring up before our eyes, only,
-however, to die away again in the autumn. In a somewhat narrower sense
-Persephone may be regarded as a type of the grain, which long remains in
-the ground where it has been sown as though dead, but afterwards breaks
-forth into new life. It was only natural to associate with this last
-conception ideas of the immortality of the soul, of which, in the secret
-doctrines of the mysteries, Persephone was a symbol. Though we know but
-little concerning the details of the mysteries, we are yet aware that
-their chief object was to disseminate better and purer ideas of a future
-life than the popular faith of the Greeks afforded. It was commonly
-believed that the souls of men after death led a dull, miserable
-existence in the world of shadows. Those initiated in the mysteries,
-however, were taught that death was only a resurrection of the soul to a
-brighter and better life, on the condition, of course, that a man had
-fully pleased the gods and rendered himself worthy of such a happy lot.
-
-Persephone, or Proserpina, as she is called in Latin, was a deity
-originally entirely strange to the Romans, who borrowed all their ideas
-of the lower world from the Greeks. Nevertheless, they identified her
-with Libera, an ancient rustic goddess of fertility, the feminine
-counterpart of Liber, under which name she signifies the same as the
-Greek Cora. Black, barren cows were sacrificed to Persephone as an
-infernal goddess, but she does not appear to have had any temples of her
-own.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 45.—Persephone Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii.
-Naples.]
-
- Persephone is of no great importance in art, and statues of her are
- rare. She is represented either as the fair daughter of Demeter, or
- as the grave, severe queen of the world of shadows. In the latter
- character she may generally be recognised by her sceptre and diadem.
- Her other attributes are ears of corn, a poppy, and a torch, as a
- symbol of her connection with the Eleusinian mysteries, besides the
- pomegranate and narcissus. The engraving (Fig. 45), after a painting
- in the Naples Museum, represents her as the Stygian queen.
-
-
-=16. Hades (Pluto).=—The same twofold nature which we meet with in
-Persephone may be observed also in her husband, Hades, or Aïdoneus (the
-invisible), as he is called by the epic poets, on account of the
-mysterious gloom in which his kingdom as well as his person was
-enveloped. He first appears as the unrelenting, inexorable foe of human
-life, on whom one cannot even think without fear and trembling. For this
-reason, says Homer, “he is of all the gods the most detested among
-mortals.” This conception, however, was subsequently supplanted by one
-of a less dismal nature, in which the other side of his character is
-brought into prominence. From this point of view he is represented not
-only as sending nourishment to plants from the deep bosom of the earth,
-but also as offering unbounded riches to mankind in the shape of the
-precious metals which lie in his subterraneous passages and chambers. In
-this sense he was also called Pluto, or Pluteus—that is, the god of
-riches.
-
-Hades belonged to the earliest deities of Greece, being, like Poseidon,
-a brother of Zeus. When the three brothers partitioned the universe
-among themselves, Hades received the dark regions of the earth as his
-exclusive kingdom, the portals of which he was said to keep closed, in
-order that no soul might return to the upper world without his consent.
-He was also termed Polydectes (the receiver of many), from the fact of
-his seizing on all men, without distinction, at their appointed time,
-and conveying them to his dismal realms. The ideas which men first
-entertained, as to the mode in which Hades exercised his power over
-mortals, exactly corresponded with their grim conception of the god. He
-was looked on as a powerful and dreaded robber, who, as in the case of
-Persephone, seizes on his prey and carries it off with his swift horses.
-Later, a milder conception of the god was introduced. The task of
-carrying the souls of the dead to the lower world was delegated to
-Hermes, who thus became a servant of Pluto, the Zeus of the infernal
-regions, just as he was otherwise a servant of the Zeus of heaven. But
-though the original dismal conception of this deity as the inexorable
-god of death was much diminished in course of time, yet Hades,
-nevertheless, always conveyed an idea of something grim and mysterious
-to the Greek mind; which is perhaps the reason why so few myths, beyond
-that of the rape of Proserpina, were circulated concerning him. He can,
-in fact, scarcely be said to have had a place in the public worship of
-the Greeks.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 46.—Head of Hades. Palazzo Chigi. Rome.]
-
-The Roman conception of this deity differed little from that of the
-Greeks, having been, in fact, borrowed entirely from a Greek source. By
-them he was called Pluto, or Pater Dis. He had no temple in Rome, but
-had, in common with Proserpina, a subterranean altar in the Campus
-Martius, which was uncovered and used once a-year. Only black animals
-were sacrificed to him.
-
- Artists naturally hesitated to portray a being whose very name they
- feared to pronounce, and consequently antique statues of Hades are
- very rare. His characteristic features—a grim expression of
- countenance, tightly-closed lips, and long tangled hair—are embodied
- in a marble head, in the possession of Prince Chigi at Rome, of
- which we give an engraving (Fig. 46). His principal attributes are a
- sceptre, a votive bowl, and sometimes a two-pronged fork, or a key.
-
-
-=17. The Lower World.=—To our consideration of Hades we must add some
-remarks on the ideas which the ancient Greeks and Romans had of the
-other life and of the abodes of the dead. It may be well to remark, at
-the outset, that the Romans do not originally appear to have believed in
-a kingdom of the dead in the interior of the earth, and that all their
-ideas on this subject were borrowed from the writings of the Greeks.
-Neither do their ideas on this subject, nor even those of the Greeks,
-appear to have been invariably the same at all times. Even in the poetry
-of Homer we come across two very different views as to the situation of
-the realms of the dead. According to that which we find in the _Iliad_,
-it was situated beneath the disc-shaped earth, only a thin layer
-separating it from the upper world. This is made evident on the occasion
-of the great battle of the gods in the 20th book, where we read—
-
- “Pluto, the infernal monarch, heard alarmed,
- And, springing from his throne, cried out in fear,
- Lest Neptune, breaking through the solid earth,
- To mortals and immortals should lay bare
- His dark and drear abode of gods abhorred.”
-
-According to another view which prevails in the _Odyssey_, the world of
-shadows was not situated beneath the earth, but lay far to the westward,
-on the other side of Oceanus, or on an island in the same; so indefinite
-and vague were men’s ideas as to the locality of the kingdom of death in
-the time of Homer, and so undeveloped were their conceptions as to the
-lives of departed souls. The lower world appears as a desolate, dismal
-region, where departed spirits lead a shadowy, dreamy existence, to
-reach which is no happiness. There is no difference in their lots; for
-we as yet hear nothing of the judgment of the dead. The Elysian fields,
-to which the special favourites of the gods were transferred, form no
-part of the lower world in Homer, but were supposed to lie in an
-entirely distinct region in the far West (the isles of the blest). Later
-on, the outlines of the lower world become more clearly defined. It was
-now supposed to be a region in the centre of the earth, with several
-passages to and from the upper world. Through it flowed several
-rivers—Cocytus, Pyriphlegethon, Acheron, and Styx. The last of these
-encompassed the lower world several times, and could only be crossed by
-the aid of Charon, the ferryman, who was depicted as a sullen old man
-with a bristling beard. The Greeks therefore used to place an obolus
-(small copper coin) in the mouths of their dead, in order that the soul
-might not be turned back by Charon for lack of money. On the farther
-side of the river the portals were watched by the dreadful hell-hound
-Cerberus, a three-headed monster, who refused no one entrance, but
-allowed none to leave the house of Pluto. All souls, on reaching the
-lower world, had to appear before the tribunal of Minos, Rhadamanthus,
-and Æacus. Those whose lives had been upright were then permitted to
-enter Elysium, where they led a life of uninterrupted bliss; whilst
-those who on earth had been criminal and wicked were consigned to
-Tartarus, where they were tormented by the Furies and other evil
-spirits. Those whose lives had not been distinctly good or bad remained
-in the asphodel meadow, where as dim shadows they passed a dull, joyless
-existence.
-
-The punishments of great criminals in the infernal regions were a
-fruitful theme for the imagination of the poets. The most celebrated
-criminals were Tityus, Tantalus, Sisyphus, Ixion, and the Danaids. We
-have said that the idea of the judgment of the dead is not found in the
-earliest legends. Hence we must expect to find, in some cases, that the
-crimes supposed to have drawn down the wrath of the gods were either
-later inventions, or had very little connection with the punishment
-inflicted. Thus to take the case of Tantalus, the original idea appears
-to have been the burning sun looking upon sweet fruits and streams of
-water, and drying them up instead of being able to enjoy them. It is
-possible that another part of the legend, the offering of his children
-for the gods of heaven to eat, may have a similar origin. So the story
-of Sisyphus seems to point to the sun daily toiling up the steep hill of
-heaven, yet ever obliged to recommence his weary task. So the name Ixion
-seems to be derived from a word meaning wheel, and to be yet another
-allusion to the orb of day. As men began to forget the reality
-underlying these words, and to think that some real person suffered
-these woes, it was only natural that they should try to find a reason.
-Generally, perhaps always, some point in the story could be twisted into
-a crime deserving of punishment (compare the legend of Œdipus). The
-punishment of Tityus, who had offered violence to Leto, consisted in
-being chained to the earth, whilst two vultures continually gnawed at
-his ever-growing liver. Tantalus, the ancestor of the Atridæ, Agamemnon
-and Menelaus, had been deemed worthy to hold intercourse with the gods,
-until he thought fit to put their omniscience to the test by setting
-before them the flesh of his son Pelops. This crime he was condemned to
-expiate by the torments of continual hunger and thirst. Above his head
-were suspended the most beautiful fruits; but when he attempted to
-snatch them, a gust of wind blew them beyond his reach. At his feet
-flowed a stream of the purest water; but when he tried to quench his
-thirst, it suddenly vanished into the ground. Sisyphus, formerly king of
-Corinth, had provoked the wrath of the gods by his numerous crimes, and
-was condemned, in consequence, to roll a block of stone up a high
-mountain, which, on reaching the top, always rolled down again to the
-plain. Ixion, a not less insolent offender, was bound hand and foot to
-an ever-revolving wheel. Lastly, the Danaids, or daughters of Danaus,
-who, at their father’s command, had slain their husbands on the wedding
-night, were condemned to pour water continually into a cask full of
-holes, which could never be filled.
-
-
-=18. The Erinyes (Furiæ).=—The Erinyes, or Furies, were denizens of the
-lower world, who executed the commands of Hades and Persephone. They
-were ultimately three in number, and their names were Tisiphone, Alecto,
-and Megæra; and this number, like that of the Graces, the Fates, and
-others, is due to the fact that the Greeks expressed any undefined
-number by the sacred numeral three. In their original signification they
-appear as the avengers of every violation, either on the part of gods or
-men, of the moral laws of the universe. When, at a later period, the
-idea of an avenging Nemesis had become more and more developed, the
-significance of the Erinyes diminished, and their avenging duties were
-confined to the family.
-
-As the inexorable pursuers of every injury done to the sacred ties of
-blood—especially the murder of kindred—they received a much greater
-degree of attention at the hands of the Greek tragic poets, by whom they
-were frequently brought on the stage. The pictures thus drawn of the
-relentless activity of the Erinyes are both powerful and striking.
-Nothing can equal the keen scent with which they trace the crime, or the
-untiring speed with which they pursue the criminal. As a symbol of this
-latter quality, the poets have endowed them with brazen feet. Their
-appearance is wan and Gorgon-like; wild lust for blood is written in
-their features, and the serpents which twine round their heads in the
-place of hair deal out destruction and death on their unhappy victims.
-Flight avails them nought, for there is no region whither the avenging
-Furies cannot follow, no distance that they cannot compass. With torch
-swung on high they dog the steps of the unhappy wretch, like swift
-huntresses following in the track of their hard-pressed game, and never
-rest until they have driven him to madness and death.
-
-What, then, was the origin of the belief in these dreadful beings? Two
-explanations have been given, and in each case we shall see in them the
-powers of nature. Whether we are to look upon them as the storm-clouds
-darting lightnings upon the criminal, or as the bright dawn rising over
-the earth and pointing out his hiding-place, we must recognise the idea
-of the punishment of sin, inflicted by the powers of heaven. If, as
-seems most probable (_cf._ the genealogy given them by Æschylus and
-Sophocles), we are to take the latter explanation, we shall have some
-reason for the names of “kindly” and “venerable,” applied to them by the
-Greeks, partly, no doubt, owing to the ancient custom of avoiding words
-of ill-omen. Yet poetical mythology treated this as a transformation of
-their nature, and associated it with a special event, namely, the
-institution of the Areopagus at Athens, and the purification of the
-matricide Orestes effected by this venerable court. The story relates
-that Orestes, after having slain his mother Clytæmnestra and her
-infamous paramour Ægisthus, in revenge for the murder of his father
-Agamemnon, wandered for a long time about the earth in a state bordering
-on madness, owing to the persecution of the Erinyes. At length, however,
-he was befriended by Apollo and Athene, the kindly deities of the
-luminous Æther. Apollo first purified him before his own altar at
-Delphi, and then defended him before the court of the Areopagus, which
-had been founded by Athene. Orestes was here acquitted, for Athene, when
-the votes for and against him were equal, declared that then and in all
-future time the criminal should have the benefit of the doubt. The
-Furies, indeed, were at first very wroth, and threatened the land with
-barrenness both of women and soil; but Athene succeeded in pacifying
-them, by promising that a shrine should be erected to them on the hill
-of the Areopagus. After they had taken possession of this sanctuary,
-they were thenceforth venerated by the Athenians, under the names of
-Semnæ (venerable), or Eumenides (benevolent), as propitious deities who,
-though they still continued to punish crimes, were ever ready to grant
-mercy to the repentant sinner, and to give succour to all good men.
-
-There were different traditions concerning the origin of the Erinyes.
-According to Hesiod, they owed their existence to the first execrable
-crime committed since the beginning of the world, for they were the
-daughters of Earth, and sprang from the drops of blood that fell from
-the mangled body of Uranus. They here appear, therefore, as an
-embodiment of the curses which the angry father invoked on the head of
-his unnatural son. Sophocles, on the other hand, calls them the
-daughters of Gæa and Scotos (darkness of night). Æschylus simply terms
-them the daughters of the Night. Besides the shrine in Athens already
-mentioned, they had another near the city, a sacred grove in Colonus,
-which was celebrated as the last refuge of the unfortunate Œdipus. In
-Athens they had an annual festival, at which libations of milk and honey
-were made to them.
-
- In art the Erinyes are represented as swift huntresses, armed with
- spear, bow, and quiver. Torches, scourges, or snakes were also put
- in their hands. They were, moreover, provided with wings on their
- shoulders or head as a token of their swiftness.
-
-
-=19. Hecate.=—Among the mystic deities of the lower world we must not
-omit to mention Hecate. By the Romans, indeed, she was never publicly
-venerated, though she was not exactly unknown to them. Common tradition
-made her a daughter of the Titan Perseus and Asteria. She ruled
-principally over the secret forces of Nature, which perhaps explains the
-spectral and awe-inspiring form which this goddess assumed. She was
-supposed to preside over all nocturnal horrors, and not only to haunt
-the tombs and cross-roads herself in company with the spirits of the
-dead, but also to send nightly phantoms from the lower world, such as
-the man-eating spectre Empusa, and other fabulous goblins.
-
-As her name seems to signify, Hecate (far-striking) was originally a
-moon-goddess, not like either Artemis or Selene, but representing the
-new moon in its invisible phase. The ancients not being able to account
-for the different phases of the moon, naturally came to the conclusion
-that, when invisible, it was tarrying in the lower world. The public
-worship of the goddess was not very extensive, but her importance in
-connection with the mysteries was all the greater. Men were wont to
-affix small pictures of her to houses and city gates, which were
-supposed to prevent any bad spells from affecting the town or house. On
-the last day of every month her image on the house doors was crowned
-with garlands, and viands were set before it in her honour, which were
-afterwards eaten by the poor, and termed the meals of Hecate. Wooden
-images of the goddess with three faces were generally set up where three
-roads met, and here dogs were sacrificed to her as sin-offerings for the
-dead. This usually took place on the thirtieth day after death. As in
-the case of other infernal deities, black lambs were sacrificed to her,
-besides libations of milk and honey.
-
-[Illustration:
-
- Fig. 47.—Three-formed Hecate. Capitoline Museum.]
-
- Hecate was generally represented as three-formed (_triformis_),
- which probably has some connection with the appearance of the full,
- half, and new moon. In order to explain more clearly the nature of
- such a representation, we give an engraving (Fig. 47) after a bronze
- statuette in the Capitoline Museum at Rome. The figure facing us
- holds in her hands a key and a rope, which point her out as the
- portress of the lower world; over her brow is a disc, representing,
- probably, the dark surface of the new moon. The figure on the right
- holds in either hand a torch, in virtue of her character as a mystic
- goddess, whilst on her brow is a half-moon and a lotus-flower.
- Lastly, the third figure bears, as a symbol of the full moon, a
- Phrygian cap with a radiant diadem fastened on it, which gives forth
- seven rays; in her right hand is a knife, in her left the tail of a
- serpent, of which no satisfactory interpretation has hitherto been
- discovered.
-
-
-=20. Sleep and Death.=—Sleep and Death were conceived by the ancients as
-twin brothers. According to Hesiod, they were children of Night alone.
-They dwelt in the lower world, whence they visited the earth to steal
-over mortals; the former a kindly benevolent spirit, the latter grim and
-cruel. Apart from this conception, which was especially developed by
-later poets and artists, Death was sometimes depicted as quite distinct
-from Sleep, and in a still less amiable guise. The different forms of
-violent death were personified as female deities of formidable aspect,
-called the Ceres; or Apollo and Artemis among the inhabitants of heaven,
-and Pluto and Persephone among those of the lower world, were
-represented, as the deities of death. The Romans had a personal god of
-death, whom they called Orcus; he was represented as an armed warrior
-dealing out mortal wounds among mankind. But none of these special gods
-of death had any great importance, either in religion or art. Artists,
-indeed, laboured sedulously to diminish the dreadful appearance of
-Thanatus (death), and to render him more and more like his brother
-Hypnus (sleep).
-
- Thanatus and Hypnus often appear in company, either sleeping or
- standing; the former usually bears a reversed torch, the latter a
- poppy-stalk or a horn, out of which he is pouring some liquid. They
- are both generally represented in the bloom of youth. In Fig. 34,
- which is after a drawing of Asmus Carstens, they appear as the
- children of Night, and are here brought into immediate connection
- with the other powers, Nemesis and the Parcæ, who control the
- destinies of man.
-
-Besides Sleep and Death, Hesiod also mentions Dreams as the children of
-Night. Other writers, however, call them the sons of Sleep, who dwell in
-the far West, close to the realms of Hades. This house of dreams has, in
-Homer’s well-known description, two gates—one of ivory, through which
-pass flattering, deceptive dreams, and one of horn, whence the true
-dreams proceed. Morpheus was made the special god of dreams by the
-poets, and termed the son of Hypnus.
-
-
- IV.—ROMAN DEITIES OF THE HOUSE AND FAMILY.
-
-Before passing to the heroic legends, some remarks are necessary
-concerning the inferior deities, who played such an important part in
-the domestic worship of the Romans. We have already incidentally
-remarked that the people of Italy generally passed by the greater gods
-of the heaven and earth in anxious awe. Their invocation and adoration
-was left to public worship, whilst, in their less important domestic
-concerns, men had recourse to certain inferior deities, whom they
-thought nearer to them; just as in the present day, in Italy, the common
-people prefer to communicate their prayers and wishes to their patron
-saints rather than to the Almighty himself.
-
-
-=1. The Penates.=—The Penates were the kindly domestic deities of the
-Romans—the guardians of the household, who especially provided for its
-daily wants. Of their name, number, and sex nothing is known—not because
-the facts have been lost to us, but because the Romans themselves were
-content with this indefinite conception. Similar good spirits, exerting
-an active influence in the household, were recognised by popular German
-superstition, without experiencing any necessity of having distinct
-names for them. The shrine of the Penates consisted of the hearth, the
-central point of the house, which not only served for the preparation of
-meals, but was also especially dedicated to religious purposes. It stood
-in the “atrium,” the only large room in the Roman house, where the
-family met for meals and received visitors. On the hearth, a fire was
-continually kept burning in honour of Vesta and the Penates. Around it,
-after the introduction of images of the gods, were placed the statues of
-the Penates. These were generally small and puppet-like, and, among the
-poorer classes, were only roughly cut out of wood. There was no domestic
-occurrence, either of joy or mourning, in which the Penates did not take
-part. Like the Lares, of whom we shall speak presently, they
-participated in the daily meal, portions being set on certain plates for
-that purpose before the images. There were also State Penates, the
-ancients regarding the state as nothing but an extended family. The
-temple of Vesta was to the state what the hearth was to the household.
-Here was the seat of their worship, and here it was that the Roman
-Pontifex Maximus brought those offerings which, in private households,
-were the part of the head of the family. In the innermost sanctuary of
-the temple of Vesta there were statues of these Penates, of great
-sanctity, since Æneas was reported to have brought them with him from
-Troy. We have no trustworthy information as to their number or
-appearance, for, with the exception of the Pontifex and the Vestal
-Virgins, none ever entered the holy place. It is scarcely necessary to
-add that they were believed to exercise an especial influence on the
-welfare and prosperity of the state and people of Rome.
-
-
-=2. The Lares.=—The Lares, like the Penates, were the tutelary deities
-of the house and family, and on that account often confounded with them.
-They were commonly supposed to be the glorified spirits of ancestors,
-who, as guardian deities, strove to promote the welfare of the family.
-The seat of their worship was also the family hearth in the atrium,
-where their images of wood or wax were generally preserved in a separate
-shrine of their own (Lararium). The Lares received an especial degree of
-veneration on the first day of every month; but, like the Penates, they
-took part in all the domestic occurrences, whether of joy or sorrow.
-Like the Penates, they also received their share at every meal on
-particular dishes, and were crowned with garlands on the occasion of
-every family rejoicing. When a son assumed the _toga virilis_ (came of
-age), he dedicated his _bulla_[5] to the Lares, amid prayers and
-libations and burning of incense. When the father of the house started
-on a journey or returned in safety, the Lares were again addressed, and
-their statues crowned with wreaths, flowers and garlands being their
-favourite offerings.
-
-Footnote 5:
-
- A gold or silver ornament, like a medal, which was worn round the neck
- during childhood.
-
-The same conception which pervades the domestic Lares may be perceived
-in a more extensive form in the Lares of the Gens, the city, and the
-state itself. The Lares do not appear, in fact, to have differed in many
-respects from the heroes worshipped by the Greeks. At all events,
-Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of the city, were regarded as
-its Lares, and, in the time of Augustus, the genius of the emperor was
-associated with them.
-
-
-=3. Larvæ, Lemures, and Manes.=—Just as the Lares were regarded as the
-good and happy spirits of ancestors, the souls of others were supposed
-to wander about in the guise of evil demons and spectres, giving rise to
-weird terrors, and casting bad spells on the senses of those whom they
-met. Such was especially believed to be the fate of those who had not
-received burial, or in whose case the prescribed ceremonies had been
-neglected, and who being, in consequence, unable to find rest, were
-doomed to flit about the earth. Such spirits were called Larvæ, or
-Lemures. The propitiatory festival of the Lemuria, or Lemuralia, which
-was said to have been instituted in memory of the murdered Remus, was
-celebrated annually in their honour on the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May.
-Every paterfamilias was supposed during these days to perform certain
-midnight ceremonies, and to repeat certain forms, which had the effect
-of banishing any evil spirits.
-
-In contrast to the Lares and Larvæ, the souls of the dead were also
-commonly venerated as Manes, or good spirits. These were believed after
-burial to have been converted into beings of a higher order, who dwelt,
-indeed, in the interior of the earth, but exercised, notwithstanding, a
-considerable influence on the affairs of the upper world. It was
-possible to summon them from the lower world by means of sacrifices. A
-general festival of the dead took place in February, when the Manes were
-propitiated with offerings and libations. These offerings were placed on
-the tombs of the deceased, and, of course, varied extremely, according
-to the means of the donors.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- PART III.—THE HEROES.
-
-
- I.—INTRODUCTORY.
-
-On passing to heroic mythology, a world still more rich in marvels than
-that with which we have already become acquainted presents itself to our
-view. The greater extent of this department of mythic lore is easily
-comprehensible, if we take into consideration the multitude of separate
-existences into which Greek life was split up, even from the earliest
-times. Each of the numberless countries, islands, cities, and towns
-endeavoured to trace back its peculiar institutions to mythical founders
-and ancestors; and as these were always described either as the sons or
-as the favourites of the gods, there accordingly sprang up, in course of
-time, a vast number of local heroic legends. These fabulous founders of
-states, however, were not the only heroes of Greek mythology. The
-attempt to pierce the clouds of obscurity which enveloped the early
-history of mankind, and the desire of a more enlightened age to bridge
-over the intervening gulf, and fill it with beings who should form a
-connecting link between the sublime forms of the great inhabitants of
-Olympus and the puny race of mortals, naturally gave rise to a whole
-series of heroic legends. These were partly the property of entire
-nationalities, or even of the whole Hellenic race, and partly of a local
-or provincial character. Moreover, as the gods collectively were divided
-into gods proper and dæmones—that is to say, spirits resembling the
-gods, but inferior to them in wisdom and power, whose workings men saw
-in air and earth and sea—even so the race of mortals was divided into
-heroes and men, between whom a similar difference subsisted. The latter
-are, in their nature, not different from the former—both are alike
-mortal, and must at length fall a prey to inexorable death. But the
-heroes are endowed with a degree of physical strength and dexterity,
-courage and endurance under difficulties, such as never fall to the lot
-of ordinary men. It was not, however, by any means all who lived in this
-early mythical period who were accounted heroes; but, just as in Genesis
-vi. 2 a distinction is made between the “sons of God” and the “daughters
-of men,” so in the present instance the heroes were the mighty ones—the
-ruling spirits of the age—those whose marvellous exploits contributed to
-remove the obstacles to civilisation and culture, who delivered
-countries from cruel robbers and savage beasts, who drained marshes,
-made roads through untrodden forests, and regulated the course of
-rivers. By their actions they proved themselves men of no ordinary
-powers, endowed with divine strength, and, therefore, apparently of
-divine origin. It appeared, at least, that such beings must have had an
-origin different from that of ordinary men, who were made out of clay,
-or sprang from trees or stones. Some of these heroes may perhaps have
-had a real existence, having probably been the ancestors of the later
-dominant races, to whom a dim tradition reached. Others were undoubtedly
-a product of the imagination. To these may be added a third class, and
-this is by far the most numerous, including those who were originally
-personifications of various natural phenomena, and, as such, deified and
-venerated in local forms of worship, but who were later, in consequence
-of the birth of new political communities, expelled from their place in
-public worship, and only continued to exist in the popular faith in the
-inferior character of heroes. Many such heroes were afterwards again
-promoted to the rank of gods, though with an altered meaning (_e.g._,
-Heracles).
-
-Any real veneration of heroes by prayers and sacrifices can scarcely be
-said to have existed before the migration of the Heraclidæ—at least
-there is no mention of it in Homer. Even later, except in the case of
-those heroes who were raised to the rank of gods for their great deeds,
-and who were, therefore, worshipped in temples of their own, the worship
-of heroes is scarcely to be distinguished from that of the dead. Homer
-makes no distinction between the fate of heroes after death and that of
-ordinary mortals, all being doomed alike to the gloomy realms of Hades.
-As we have already observed, it was only certain special favourites, or
-sons of Zeus, who were excepted from this gloomy lot, and were
-transported in their bodily shape to the Isles of the Blest. Hesiod, on
-the other hand, says that all heroes—whom he, in the first instance,
-terms demigods—were transported to the Isles of the Blest, where Cronus
-ruled over them. Here, for the first time, the idea of a just
-retribution in the other world takes a definite shape; for Hesiod
-obviously conceives a residence in Elysium to be the reward of
-meritorious actions performed in the upper world. This idea was
-subsequently more fully developed, especially in the mysteries, and men
-were gradually elevated to a belief in the immortality of the soul. The
-spirits of the dead were believed, even after they were in their graves,
-to exert continually a mysterious influence; on which account men strove
-to gain their favour by means of offerings, thereby removing every real
-distinction between the worship of heroes and that of the dead.
-
-Amid the multitude of legends of this kind, we shall only dwell upon
-those which occupy a prominent position either in poetry or in art. We
-shall begin with those which relate to the creation and early
-civilisation of mankind, after which we shall pass to the most
-celebrated provincial legends, and conclude with those that refer to the
-more important of the common undertakings of the later heroic age.
-
-
- II.—THE CREATION AND PRIMITIVE CONDITION OF MANKIND.
-
-The legends concerning the origin of the human race differ very widely.
-The most ancient are undoubtedly those which describe men as springing
-from the trees or rocks. Another tradition asserts that the human race
-was of later growth, having been first called into existence by Zeus and
-the gods of Olympus. A third account makes the Titan Prometheus, the son
-of Iapetus, the creator of mankind, but leaves it uncertain whether this
-took place before or after the flood of Deucalion. Prometheus, according
-to this account, made men of clay and water, after which Athene breathed
-a soul into them. There were likewise various accounts concerning the
-primeval condition of mankind. According to one, the human race raised
-itself, with the assistance of the gods, from a state of helpless
-barbarism: this progress was the subject of numerous legends. Another
-account represents men as living originally in a holy and happy
-communion with the gods (the golden age), and asserts that they first
-became savage after having lost this good fortune by their presumption.
-
-Of the myths that relate to the introduction of the first elements of
-civilisation among mankind by divine aid, there is none, except those
-already mentioned concerning Dionysus and Demeter, more celebrated than
-the story of Prometheus. The Titan Iapetus had, by Clymene, the daughter
-of Oceanus, four sons—the stout-hearted Atlas, the presumptuous
-Menœtius, the crafty Prometheus, and the foolish Epimetheus. With the
-name of Prometheus is linked the idea of the first commencement of
-civilisation among mankind by the introduction of fire. Prometheus is
-said to have stolen fire from heaven, and to have taught its use to man.
-By being employed for all the common purposes of daily life, however,
-this pure celestial element became polluted; whereupon Zeus visited the
-author of this sacrilege with a fearful punishment. He ordered
-Prometheus to be chained to a rock, where, during the day-time, an eagle
-devoured his liver (the seat of all evil desires), which always grew
-again during the night.
-
-It is very difficult to see the origin of this series of legends, but
-the foundation seems to be the discovery of fire by man. At any rate,
-one word, closely resembling the name Prometheus, appears in India as
-the name of the stick used to produce fire by friction. If this be the
-case, we shall see in parts of the Greek legend instances of the
-ever-recurring principle, that when the real derivation of a word is
-lost, men try to give it an explanation by attaching it to the nearest
-word in the existing language (_cf._ the derivation of Pan mentioned p.
-130). When the notion of “forethought” had once been attached to his
-name, it would be natural to invent a complementary legend about his
-brother Epimetheus (afterthought).
-
-The legend of Prometheus appears in its grandest form in Æschylus’ play,
-“Prometheus Bound.”
-
-The idea that, together with the introduction of civilisation, many
-evils which were before unknown to man came into existence, is expressed
-in the myth of Pandora. Zeus determined to leave mankind in possession
-of Prometheus’ gift; but he ordered Hephæstus to make an image of a
-beautiful woman, which the gods then endowed with life and adorned with
-all kinds of gifts, whence she was called Pandora. Aphrodite bestowed on
-her the seductive charms that kindle love, Athene instructed her in
-every art, Hermes endued her with a smooth tongue and a crafty
-disposition, whilst the Seasons and Graces adorned her with flowers and
-fine dresses. Zeus then sent her, under the guidance of Hermes, to the
-foolish Epimetheus, who, in spite of the warning of his brother not to
-accept any present from Zeus, received Pandora and made her his wife.
-There was in the house of Epimetheus a closed jar, which he had been
-forbidden to open, and which contained all kinds of diseases and ills.
-Pandora removed the cover and these escaped, and men who had before been
-free from disease and care have ever since been tormented. Pandora
-closed the jar in time to keep in Hope. Thus both Greek legend and
-Biblical tradition alike represent woman as the first cause of evil and
-death.
-
-The legend of the five ages of mankind transports us to quite another
-region of tradition. According to this, the gods first created a golden
-race of men, who lived free from care and sorrow, while the earth, of
-its own accord, furnished them with all that was necessary to support
-life. Subject neither to the infirmities of age nor to the pangs of
-sickness and disease, men at last sank peacefully, as into a sweet
-sleep, to death. In what manner the golden age disappeared is not
-related; we are only told that this race, notwithstanding its
-disappearance, still continues to exist in the upper world, in the shape
-of good spirits, who guard and protect mortals. After this, the gods
-created a second (silver) race of men, who were, however, far inferior
-to their predecessors, both in mind and body. They passed their time in
-idle and effeminate pursuits, and refused to pay the gods due honours.
-Zeus, in his wrath, thereupon blotted them out from the face of the
-earth, and created the third (brazen) race of mankind out of ash wood.
-This race proved headstrong and violent. They were of giant stature and
-great strength, and took pleasure in nothing but battle and strife.
-Their weapons, houses, and utensils were of bronze, iron not yet being
-known. Zeus was not compelled to destroy this evil race, since they
-destroyed themselves in their bloodthirsty strife. According to another
-account, they were destroyed by the flood of Deucalion.
-
-Deucalion appears to have been a son of Prometheus, while his wife
-Pyrrha was the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora. Zeus having
-determined to destroy the corrupt race of the third or bronze age by a
-flood, Prometheus warned his son, who built himself an ark, into which
-he retired with his wife when the waters began to rise. Nine days and
-nights he was tossed on the waters; at length his vessel rested on Mount
-Parnassus in Bœotia. He disembarked, and immediately offered a sacrifice
-of thanksgiving to Zeus the preserver. Pleased at his gratitude, Zeus
-granted his prayer for the restoration of the human race; and Deucalion
-and Pyrrha were commanded by Hermes to cast stones behind them, from
-which sprang a new race of men. Such is the legend in its most ancient
-form; later writers engrafted on it still farther incidents of Biblical
-tradition, until at last the Greek Noah was represented as having taken
-living animals with him into the ark, and as having let loose a dove
-after his landing on Parnassus.
-
-
- III.—PROVINCIAL HEROIC LEGENDS.
-
-
-=1. The Lapithæ and the Centaurs.=—We shall commence with the Thessalian
-legend of the Lapithæ and Centaurs, on account of its great antiquity
-and its importance in sculpture. We read in the Homeric poems how the
-hoary Nestor on one occasion boasts of having, in his younger days,
-taken part with his friends Pirithoüs and Cæneus, and the other princes
-of the Lapithæ, in their contest with the savage Centaurs. In Homer’s
-account the Centaurs are merely depicted as an old Thessalian mountain
-tribe of giant strength and savage ferocity, utterly unable to control
-their rude, sensual nature. Nor do we find here any mention of their
-being half horses and half men; they are merely said to have inhabited
-the mountain districts of Œta and Pelion, in Thessaly, and to have been
-driven thence by the Lapithæ into the higher mountain-lands of Pindus.
-
-Their contest with the Lapithæ is sometimes conceived as a symbol of the
-struggle of Greek civilisation with the still existing barbarism of the
-early Pelasgian period. This may be the reason why Greek art, when in
-its bloom, devoted itself so especially to this subject. The origin of
-this contest is referred to the marriage feast of Pirithoüs and
-Hippodamia, to which the principal Centaurs had been invited. On this
-occasion the Centaur Eurytion, heated with wine, attempted to carry off
-the bride; this gave rise to a contest which, after dreadful losses on
-both sides, ended in the complete defeat of the Centaurs. The Centaurs,
-however, since they were thus able to sit with the Lapithæ at meat, must
-have been endowed with purely human forms.
-
-Theseus and Nestor, the friends of Pirithoüs, both took part in the
-battle. Another prominent warrior was the gigantic Cæneus (Slayer), who
-had been rendered invulnerable by Poseidon, but whom the Centaurs slew
-on this occasion by burying him beneath a mass of trees and rocks.
-
-There is, however, also a natural explanation of the tales of these
-strange beings. The father of the Centaurs is Ixion, who, as we have
-already seen, may be interpreted to be the sun. The crime said to have
-been the cause of his punishment was his love for Hera (the goddess of
-the atmosphere). If we take these points, together with the legend that
-Ixion begat the Centaurs of Nephele, the cloud, we may be prepared to
-see in the horse-formed Centaurs a parallel to the cows of the sun, the
-bright clouds which pass over the sky. There is the more ground for
-this, as similar beings appear in Indian mythology, and their name has,
-with much probability, been identified with that of the Centaurs.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 48.—Metope of the Parthenon.]
-
- As we have already mentioned, the Centaurs play an important part in
- art. The custom of depicting them half horse and half man came into
- vogue after the time of Pindar, and was quickly adopted in
- sculpture. In the representations of earlier art the face of a man
- is joined to the body and hind legs of a horse. But in its higher
- stage of development, after the time of Phidias, this was replaced
- by a more elegant conception, and the body of a man from the navel
- upwards was joined to the complete body of a horse, so that the
- Centaurs of this period have the four feet of a horse and the hands
- and arms of a man. Such is their appearance on numerous extant art
- monuments, of which we shall mention the most important.
-
- In the first place, there are the reliefs from the frieze of the
- Theseum at Athens. This temple, which is still in a good state of
- preservation, was converted during the middle ages into a chapel of
- St. George. It is supposed to have been built at the instance of
- Cimon, after he had brought back the bones of the Attic hero from
- Scyros. Besides other important pieces, which we shall mention
- hereafter, the temple has, on its western or hinder frieze, a
- representation of the contests of the Centaurs and Lapithæ at the
- wedding of Pirithoüs, done in Parian marble. It is executed in such
- a manner that it is impossible to discover which party will get the
- upper hand; and this has enabled the artist, whose name has not come
- down to us, to introduce a lively variety into the different scenes
- of the combat.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 49.—From the Frieze of the Temple at Bassæ.]
-
- We have another series of most splendid representations from the
- battle of the Centaurs, full of life and spirit, on some dilapidated
- metopes[6] of the Parthenon at Athens. This splendid specimen of
- Doric architecture is 227 feet in length and 101 feet in breadth. It
- was ruined in 1687, during the war between the Venetians and Turks,
- by a shell which broke through the midst of the marble roof. A large
- part of the ninety-two metopes of the outer frieze contain a number
- of the most beautiful and life-like scenes from the battle of the
- Giants and that of the Centaurs. Of these metopes, thirty-nine still
- remain on the temple, though they are all in a terribly mutilated
- condition; seventeen are in the British Museum, and one in the
- Louvre at Paris. Those from the south side are comparatively in the
- best state of preservation; these are seventeen in number, the whole
- number on the south side having been thirty-two. They represent,
- exclusively, scenes from the battle of the Centaurs. Here a bearded
- Centaur is carrying off a woman, whom he holds in his powerful
- grasp; there, another is galloping away over the body of his fallen
- enemy; another is engaged in a fierce contest with a human foe;
- whilst a fourth lies slain on the field. The engraving we append may
- give a faint idea of the beauty and bold design of this splendid
- creation (Fig. 48). To these grand monuments of Greek art we must
- add the frieze of the temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassæ, near
- Phigalia in Arcadia, which was discovered in 1812, and is now in the
- British Museum. It represents, likewise, a series of the most vivid
- scenes from the battle of the Lapithæ and Centaurs. In the
- individual groups and scenes of the battle, which is here completed
- before our eyes, there is the same variety and animation, so that we
- must ascribe it to some great artist (Fig. 49).
-
-Footnote 6:
-
- The squares between the triglyphs of the frieze which are intended
- to support the gable, every one of which is generally adorned with
- a separate sculpture in relief.
-
- Besides these sculptures in relief, some splendid single statues of
- Centaurs have come down to us from antiquity. Among these, the first
- place must be assigned to the two Centaurs in the Capitoline Museum.
- They are executed in black marble, and were found in the villa of
- Hadrian at Tivoli, where so many ancient art treasures have been
- brought to light.
-
-Among the Centaurs, Chiron, who was famous alike for his wisdom and his
-knowledge of medicine, deserves mention as the preceptor of many of the
-heroes of antiquity. So far superior was he to his savage kindred, both
-in education and manners, that he was commonly reported to have had a
-different origin, and was therefore described as a son of Cronus and
-Philyra, or Phyllira, one of the Oceanids. Homer, who knew nothing of
-the equine shape of the Centaurs, represents him as the most upright of
-the Centaurs, and makes him the friend of Peleus and the preceptor of
-the youthful Achilles, whom he instructed in the art of healing and
-gymnastic exercises. He was, moreover, related to both these heroes, his
-daughter Endeïs having been the mother of Peleus. Subsequently, other
-mythical heroes were added to the number of his pupils, such as Castor
-and Polydeuces, Theseus, Nestor, Meleager, and Diomedes. Music, too, was
-now represented as a subject of his instruction, though this is perhaps
-due to a misinterpretation of the name of his mother. He inhabited a
-cave on Mount Pelion; later mythology, however, transferred his
-residence, after the Centaurs had been driven from Pelion by the
-Lapithæ, to the promontory of Malea. Here, by an unlucky accident, he
-was wounded with a poisoned arrow by his friend Heracles, and, the wound
-being incurable, he voluntarily chose to die in the place of Prometheus.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 50.—Centaur teaching a Boy to play upon the Pipe.
-Relief by Kundmann.]
-
- The idea of the connection of the Centaurs with the arts and
- sciences originated in the story of Chiron and Achilles, and has
- since furnished modern art with the subjects for some of its most
- valuable works. Fig. 50 represents a Centaur teaching a boy to play
- on the flute, and is after an _alto-relievo_ of the Viennese
- sculptor Kundmann.
-
-
-=2. Theban Legend.=—_1. Cadmus._—Among Theban legends, none is more
-celebrated than the founding of Thebes by Cadmus. Cadmus was a son of
-the Phœnician king Agenor. After Zeus carried off his sister Europa to
-Crete (_vide_ the _Cretan Legends_), he was despatched by his father in
-search of her. Accompanied by his mother Telephassa, he came to Thrace
-and thence to Delphi, where he was commanded by the oracle to relinquish
-his quest. It further ordered him to follow a young heifer with the mark
-of a crescent on either side, and to build a town on the place where the
-heifer should lie down. Cadmus obeyed, and, finding the heifer in
-Phocis, he followed her. She led him into Bœotia, and at length lay down
-on a rising ground. On this spot Cadmus founded a town, which he called
-Cadmea, after himself, though he had first to experience a perilous
-adventure. Before sacrificing the heifer, he sent some of his companions
-to fetch water from a neighbouring spring, where they were slain by a
-dragon belonging to Ares which guarded the spring. Cadmus then went
-himself, and slew the dragon, the teeth of which he sowed in the ground
-by the advice of Pallas. Hereupon armed men sprang from the ground; they
-immediately turned their arms against each other, and were all slain
-except five. Cadmus built his new town with the assistance of these men,
-who thus became the ancestors of the noble families of Thebes. In
-expiation of the dragon’s death, Cadmus was obliged to do service to
-Ares for eight years. At the end of this period Ares pardoned Cadmus and
-gave him Harmonia—his daughter by Aphrodite—to wife. Harmonia became the
-mother of four daughters—Autonoë, Ino, Semele, and Agave. After reigning
-for a long time at Thebes, Cadmus was compelled in his old age to retire
-to the Enchelians in Illyria; but whether he was driven out by Amphion
-and Zethus (who appear in Homer as the founders of Thebes) or withdrew
-from some other cause is not manifest. He and his wife were afterwards
-changed into serpents, and transferred, by the command of Zeus, to the
-Elysian fields.
-
-In this story we see another form of the combat of the hero with the
-monster, and can probably give it the same explanation. The dragon
-guards the waters, and the hero, by killing it, frees them. Do we not
-see in this the combat of the sun with the cloud; and in the armed men
-who turn their weapons against one another, the clouds that seem to
-fight with one another in the thunderstorm? Yet even admitting this
-interpretation, it may be that we have in the name of Cadmus an allusion
-to the civilisation and the arts received by the Greeks from the East.
-So, too, with the alphabet, the invention of which Hellenic tradition
-ascribed to him.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 51.—Actæon Group. British Museum.]
-
-_2. Actæon._—We have already incidentally mentioned the fortunes of
-three of the daughters of Cadmus—Ino, Semele, and Agave. The eldest,
-Autonoë, married Aristæus, the son of Apollo, and became by him the
-mother of Actæon. Actæon was handed over to Chiron to be reared as a
-stout hunter and warrior; but he had scarcely reached the prime of youth
-when he was overtaken by a lamentable fate. Whilst hunting one day on
-Mount Cithæron, he was changed by Artemis into a stag, and was torn in
-pieces by his own dogs. The cause of her anger was either that Actæon
-had boasted that he was a more skilful hunter than Artemis, or that he
-had surprised the virgin goddess bathing. The latter tradition
-ultimately prevailed, and, in later times, even the rock whence he
-beheld Artemis was pointed out on the road between Megara and Platæa. He
-received heroic honours in Bœotia, and his protection was invoked
-against the deadly power of the sun in the dog-days. The story of Actæon
-is probably nothing but a representation of the decay of verdant nature
-beneath an oppressive summer heat.
-
- The story of Actæon’s transformation and death was a favourite
- subject for sculpture. A small marble group, representing Actæon
- beating off two dogs which are attacking him, was found in 1774, and
- is now preserved in the British Museum (Fig. 51).
-
-_3. Amphion and Zethus._—Besides the royal family of Cadmus, which was
-continued in Thebes after his departure by his son Polydorus, we come
-across the scions of another ruling family of Thebes which came from
-Hyria, or Hysia, in Bœotia, in the persons of Amphion and Zethus.
-Nycteus, king of Thebes, had a wonderfully beautiful daughter called
-Antiope, whose favours Zeus enjoyed on approaching her in the form of a
-Satyr. On becoming pregnant, she fled from the resentment of her father
-to Sicyon, where the king, Epopeus, received her and made her his wife.
-This enraged Nycteus, who made war on Epopeus in order to compel him to
-deliver up his daughter Antiope. He was obliged to retire without
-accomplishing his purpose, but, on his death, he entrusted the execution
-of his vengeance to his brother Lycus, who succeeded him. Lycus defeated
-and slew Epopeus, destroyed Sicyon, and took Antiope back with him as
-prisoner. On the way, at Eleutheræ on Cithæron, she gave birth to the
-twins Amphion and Zethus. These were immediately exposed, but were
-subsequently discovered and brought up by a compassionate shepherd.
-Antiope was not only kept prisoner in the house of Lycus, but had also
-to submit to the most harsh and humiliating treatment at the hands of
-his wife Dirce. At length she managed to escape, and by a wonderful
-chance discovered her two sons, who had grown, on lonely Cithæron, into
-sturdy youths. The story of her wrongs so enraged them that they
-resolved to wreak a cruel vengeance on Dirce. After having taken Thebes
-and slain Lycus, they bound Dirce to the horns of a wild bull, which
-dragged her about till she perished. According to another story, Dirce
-came to Cithæron to celebrate the festival of Bacchus. Here she found
-her runaway slave, whom she was about to punish by having her bound to
-the horns of a bull. Happily, however, Amphion and Zethus recognised
-their mother, and inflicted on the cruel Dirce the punishment she had
-destined for another. Her mangled remains they cast into the spring near
-Thebes which bears her name.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 52.—Farnese Bull. Naples.]
-
- The punishment of Dirce forms the subject of numerous pieces of
- sculpture. The most important among them is the Farnese Bull (_Toro
- Farnese_) in the museum at Naples (Fig. 52). This world-renowned
- marble group is supposed, with the exception of certain parts which
- have been restored in modern times, to have been the work of the
- brothers Apollonius and Tauriscus, of Tralles in Caria, Apollonius
- and Tauriscus belonged to the Rhodian school, which flourished in
- the third century B.C. This colossal group—undoubtedly the largest
- which has descended to us from antiquity—was first erected in
- Rhodes, but came, during the reign of Augustus, into the possession
- of Asinius Pollio, the great art-patron. It was discovered in 1547
- in the Thermæ of Caracalla at Rome, and was set up in the Palazzo
- Farnese. It was thence transferred to Naples in 1786, as a portion
- of the Farnese inheritance. The following is a brief explanation of
- the group, though, of course, the most complete account could give
- but an imperfect idea of its beauty. The scene is laid on the rocky
- heights of Cithæron. The position of the handsome youths on a rocky
- crag is as picturesque as it is dangerous, and serves not only to
- lend the group a pyramidal aspect pleasing to the eye, but also to
- set before us their marvellous strength. There are several tokens
- that the occurrence took place during a Bacchic festival: the wicker
- _cista mystica_ in use at the festivals of Dionysus—the fawn skin
- which Dirce wears—the ivy garland that has fallen at her feet—the
- broken thyrsus, and, lastly, the Bacchic insignia which distinguish
- the shepherd boy, who is sitting on the right watching the
- proceedings with painful interest—all point to this fact. The lyre
- which rests against the tree behind Amphion is a token of his
- well-known love of music. The female figure in the background is
- Antiope.
-
-The story goes on to relate that the two brothers, after the expulsion
-and death of Lyons, acquired the sovereignty of Thebes, though Amphion
-always figures as the real king. The two brothers were widely different
-in disposition and character. Zethus appears to have been rude and
-harsh, and passionately fond of the chase. Amphion, on the other hand,
-is represented as a friend of the Muses, and devoted to music and
-poetry. He soon had an opportunity of proving his wondrous skill when
-they began to enclose Thebes, which had been before unprotected, with
-walls and towers; for whilst Zethus removed great blocks and piled them
-one on another by means of his vast strength, Amphion had but to touch
-the strings of his lyre and break forth into some sweet melody, and the
-mighty stones moved of their own accord and obediently fitted themselves
-together. This is why Amphion is always represented in sculpture with a
-lyre and Zethus with a club. We can scarcely doubt that these Theban
-Dioscuri, like the Castor and Polydeuces of Sparta, who are well known
-to be only symbols of the morning and evening star, were originally
-personifications of some natural phenomenon; though we are no longer in
-a position to say what it was.
-
-Amphion is further celebrated on account of the melancholy fate of his
-sons and daughters. He married Niobe, the daughter of the Phrygian king
-Tantalus, and sister of Pelops. Great was the happiness of this
-marriage; the gods seemed to shower down their blessings on the royal
-pair. Many blooming and lovely children grew up in their palace, the
-pride and delight of their happy parents. From this paradise of purest
-joy and happiness they were soon to pass into a night of the deepest
-mourning and most cruel affliction through the presumption of Niobe—the
-same presumption which had led her father Tantalus to trifle with the
-gods and consummate his own ruin. The heart of Niobe was lifted up with
-pride at the number of her children,[7] and she ventured to prefer
-herself to Latona, who had only two; nay, she even went so far as to
-forbid the Thebans to offer sacrifice to Latona and her children, and to
-claim these honours herself. The vengeance of the offended deities,
-however, now overtook her, and all her children were laid low in one day
-before the unerring arrows of Apollo and his sister. The parents did not
-survive this deep affliction. Amphion slew himself, and Niobe, already
-paralysed with grief, was turned into stone by the pity of the gods, and
-transferred to her old Phrygian home on Mount Sipylus, though even the
-stone has not ceased to weep.
-
-Footnote 7:
-
- The number of Niobe’s children varies materially. Homer (_Il._ xxiv.,
- 602) gives her six sons and as many daughters. According to Hesiod and
- Pindar, she had ten sons and ten daughters; but the most common
- account, and that followed by the tragic poets, allows her fourteen
- children. Everywhere the number of sons and daughters appears to be
- equal. The story of Niobe was frequently treated of by the tragic
- poets, both Æschylus and Sophocles having written tragedies bearing
- her name.
-
-Such is the substance of this beautiful legend, though its details vary
-considerably in the accounts of the poets and mythologists. The most
-circumstantial and richly-coloured account of it is contained in the
-_Metamorphoses_ of Ovid. The poets have continually striven to impose a
-purely ethical interpretation on the story, by representing the
-destruction of the children of Niobe as the consequence of the great sin
-of their mother; but it is more probably a physical meaning which lies
-at the root of the legend. It is, in fact, a picture of the melting of
-the snow before the hot scorching rays of the sun. This incident the
-fertile imagination of the Greeks portrayed in the most beautiful
-metaphors. But just as a subject so purely tragic as the history of
-Niobe found its first true development in tragic poetry, so likewise it
-only attained its proper place in sculpture after art had laid aside its
-earlier and more simple epic character, and set itself to depict, in
-their full force, the inward passions of the soul. This tendency towards
-pathos and effect is characteristic of the age of Praxiteles and Scopas,
-and the later Attic school.
-
- To this age (4th century B.C.) belonged the group of Niobe, which
- was so highly celebrated even among the ancients, and which was seen
- by Pliny in the temple of Apollo Sosianus at Rome, although people
- even then hesitated whether to ascribe it to Praxiteles or Scopas.
- None but one of these great masters could have been the author of
- this tragedy hewn in stone. Although the original figures of this
- magnificent group have disappeared, yet copies of most of them are
- still in existence. With regard to the celebrated Florentine Niobe
- group, the dissimilarity of its treatment and the various kinds of
- marble employed serve to show that it is not a Greek original, but a
- Roman imitation. It was found at Rome in 1583, near the Lateran
- Church, and was purchased by Cardinal Medici to adorn his villa on
- the Monte Pincio. In 1775 it was brought to Florence, where it has
- remained since 1794 in the gallery of the Uffizi.
-
- There has never been but one opinion as to the beauty of this group.
- First among the figures—not only in size, but also in artistic
- perfection—is that of Niobe herself. The unhappy queen displays in
- her whole hearing so majestic and noble a demeanour, that, even if
- none of the other splendid results of Greek sculpture had come down
- to us, this alone would bear ample testimony to the high perfection
- and creative power of Greek art. The following description of the
- arrangement of the group is taken from Lübke’s _History of Plastic
- Art_:—
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 54.—Niobe. Florence.]
-
- “Apollo and Artemis are to be supposed outside the group; they have
- accomplished their work of vengeance and destruction from an
- invisible position in the heavens. This is denoted by each movement
- of the flying figures, who either gaze upwards in affright towards
- the heavens, or seek to cover themselves with their garments. One of
- the sons is already stretched dead on the earth; another leans in
- mortal agony against a rock, fixing his eyes, already glazed in
- death, on the spot whence destruction has overtaken him. A third
- brother is striving in vain to protect with his robe his sister, who
- has fallen wounded at his feet, and to catch her in his arms;
- another has sunk on his knees, and clutches in agony at the wound in
- his back; whilst his preceptor is endeavouring to shield the
- youngest boy. All the others are fleeing instinctively to their
- mother, thinking, doubtless, that she who had so often afforded
- protection could save them also from the avenging arrows of the
- gods. Thus from either side the waves of this dreadful flight rush
- towards the centre, to break on the sublime figure of Niobe as upon
- a rock. She alone stands unshaken in all her sorrow, mother and
- queen to the last. Clasping her youngest daughter, whose tender
- years have not preserved her, in her arms, and bending over as
- though to shield the child, she turns her own proud head upwards,
- and, before her left hand can cover her sorrow-stricken face with
- her robe, she casts towards the avenging goddess a look in which
- bitter grief is blended with sublime dignity of soul (Fig. 54). In
- this look there is neither defiance nor prayer for mercy, but a
- sorrowful and yet withal lofty expression of heroic resignation to
- inexorable fate that is worthy of a Niobe. This admirable figure,
- then, is pre-eminently the central point of the composition, since
- it expresses an atonement which, in a scene of horror and
- annihilation, stirs the heart to the deepest sympathy.”
-
-Zethus was not more fortunate than Amphion in his domestic affairs. He
-married Aëdon (nightingale), the daughter of Pandareos. Pandareos was
-the friend and companion of Tantalus, for whom he stole a living dog
-made of brass from the temple of Zeus in Crete, and was on that account
-turned into stone.
-
-Aëdon was jealous of the good-fortune of Niobe in having so many
-beautiful children; she herself having only one son, Itylus. She
-resolved, one night, to slay the eldest son of Niobe, but she killed, in
-mistake, her own child instead. Zeus took compassion on her, and changed
-her into a nightingale. In this guise she still continues to bewail her
-loss in long-drawn mournful notes. Tradition says nothing as to the
-death of Zethus, although the common grave of the Theban Dioscuri was
-pointed out in Thebes. After his death, Laius, the son of Labdacus and
-grandson of Polydorus, restored in his person the race of Cadmus to the
-throne of Thebes. (See the legend of the Labdacidæ later on.)
-
-
-=3. Corinthian Legend.=—_1. Sisyphus._—Corinth, or Ephyra, as it was
-formerly called, was said to have been founded by Sisyphus, the son of
-Æolus. Its inhabitants, on account of the position of their city between
-two seas, were naturally inclined to deify that element, and it is not
-improbable that Sisyphus was merely an ancient symbol of the restless,
-ever-rolling waves of the sea. This interpretation, however, is by no
-means certain; and the idea of Sisyphus in the lower world ever rolling
-a huge stone to the top of a mountain might equally well refer to the
-sun, which, after attaining its highest point in the heavens at the time
-of the summer solstice, glides back again, only to begin its career anew
-on the shortest day. In any case, the rolling of the stone does not
-appear to have been originally a punishment. It was only later—after
-people had become familiar with the idea of retribution in the lower
-world—that it assumed this character. In order to account for it, a
-special crime had to be found for Sisyphus. According to some, he was
-punished at the instance of Zeus, because he had revealed to the
-river-god Asopus the hiding-place of his daughter Ægina, whom Zeus had
-secretly carried off from Phlius. According to another tradition, he
-used to attack travellers, and put them to death by crushing them with
-great stones. The Corinthians being crafty men of business, it was
-natural that they should accredit their mythical founder with a refined
-cunning. Of the numerous legends which existed concerning him, none was
-more celebrated than that of the cunning mode in which he succeeded in
-binding Death, whom Ares had to be despatched to release.
-
-_2. Glaucus._—Tradition describes Glaucus as a son of Sisyphus by
-Merope. He also appears to have had a symbolic meaning, and was once
-identical with Poseidon, though he was afterwards degraded from the rank
-of a god to that of a hero. He is remarkable for his unfortunate end. On
-the occasion of some funeral games, celebrated in Iolcus in honour of
-Pelias, he took part in the chariot race, and was torn in pieces by his
-own horses, which had taken fright.
-
-_3. Bellerophon and the Legend of the Amazons._—The third national hero
-of Corinth was Bellerophon, or Bellerophontes. Here the reference to the
-sun is so obvious, that the signification of the myth is unmistakeable.
-He was termed the son of Poseidon or Glaucus, and none could appreciate
-this genealogy better than the Corinthians, who daily saw the sun rise
-from the sea. We must first, however, narrate the substance of the
-story. Bellerophon was born and brought up at Corinth, but was obliged
-from some cause or other to leave his country. That he killed Bellerus,
-a noble of Corinth, is nothing but a fable arising from an unfortunate
-misinterpretation of his name. He was hospitably received by Prœtus,
-king of Tiryns, whose wife at once fell in love with the handsome,
-stately youth. Finding, however, that Bellerophon slighted her passion,
-she slandered him to her husband, and Prœtus forthwith sent him to his
-father-in-law, Iobates, king of Lycia, with a tablet, mysterious signs
-on which bade Iobates put the bearer to death. At this juncture the
-heroic career of Bellerophon begins. Iobates sought to fulfil the
-command of Prœtus by involving his guest in all kinds of desperate
-adventures. He first sent him to destroy the Chimæra, a dangerous
-monster that devastated the land. The fore part of its body was that of
-a lion, the centre that of a goat, and the hinder part that of a dragon.
-According to Hesiod, it had three heads—that of a lion, a goat, and a
-dragon. According to the same poet, the Chimæra was a fire-breathing
-monster of great swiftness and strength, the daughter of Typhon and
-Echidna. Bellerophon destroyed the monster by raising himself in the air
-on his winged horse Pegasus, and shooting it with his arrows. Pegasus
-was the offspring of Poseidon and Medusa, from whose trunk it sprung
-after Perseus had struck off her head. Bellerophon captured this
-wonderful animal as it descended at the Acro-Corinthus to drink of the
-spring of Pirene. In this he was assisted by the goddess Athene, who
-also taught him how to tame and use it. Here, then, he appears to have
-already possessed the horse at Corinth; though another tradition relates
-that Pegasus was first sent to him when he set out to conquer the
-Chimæra. The origin of the story is ascribed to a fiery mountain in
-Lycia; but, as all dragons and suchlike monsters of antiquity are
-represented as breathing forth fire and flames, we are perhaps scarcely
-justified in having recourse to a volcano. This characteristic is, in
-fact, merely a common symbol of the furious and dangerous character of
-these monsters. The contest of Bellerophon is far more likely to be a
-picture of the drying up, by means of the sun’s rays, of the furious
-mountain torrents which flood the corn-fields. Others, again, have
-thought that the Chimæra represents the storms of winter conquered by
-the sun.
-
-The next adventure in which Iobates engaged Bellerophon was an
-expedition against the Solymi, a neighbouring but hostile mountain
-tribe. After he had been successful in subduing them, Iobates sent him
-against the warlike Amazons, hoping that among them he would be certain
-to meet his death. We here, for the first time, come across this
-remarkable nation of women, with whom other Greek heroes, such as
-Heracles and Theseus, are said to have fought; and it will not,
-therefore, be foreign to our object to dwell here on their most
-important features.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 55—Amazon. Berlin.]
-
-The Amazons appear in legend as early as Homer, though he only mentions
-them incidentally. They were said to be a nation of women, who suffered
-no men among them, except so far as it was necessary to keep up the
-race. The women, on the other hand, were trained from their earliest
-years in all warlike exercises; so that they were not only sufficiently
-powerful to defend their own land against foreign invaders, but also to
-make plundering incursions into other countries. Their dominions, the
-situation of which was at first indefinitely described as in the far
-north or far west, were afterwards reduced to more distinct limits, and
-placed in Cappadocia, on the river Thermodon, their capital being
-Themiscyra in Scythia, on the borders of Lake Mæotis, where their
-intercourse with the Scythians is said to have given rise to the
-Sarmatian tribes. Later writers also speak of the Amazons in Western
-Libya. Of the numerous stories rife concerning them, none is more
-tasteless than that of their cutting off or burning out the right
-breast, in order not to incommode themselves in the use of the bow. From
-the Thermodon they are said to have made great expeditions as far as the
-Ægean sea; they are even reported to have invaded Attica, and made war
-on Theseus. They also play a prominent part in the story of Heracles, by
-whom they were defeated; and in the Trojan war, when, under their queen
-Penthesilea, they came to the assistance of Priam against the Greeks.
-
- The Amazons were frequently represented in Greek art. They are here
- depicted as fine, powerful women, resembling Artemis and her nymphs,
- though with stouter legs and arms. They generally appear armed,
- their weapons being a long double-edged battle-axe (_bipennis_) and
- a semicircular shield. An anecdote related by Pliny proves what a
- favourite subject the Amazons were with Greek artists. He says that
- the celebrated sculptors, Phidias, Polycletus, Phradmon, and
- Cresilas, made a wager as to who should create the most beautiful
- Amazon. Polycletus received the prize, so that we may conclude that
- he brought this statue—the ideal Amazon of the Greeks—to its highest
- perfection. Unfortunately, we know nothing of it, except that it was
- of bronze, and stood with the statues of the other artists in the
- temple of the Ephesian Artemis. The Amazon of Phidias, we are told,
- was represented as leaning on a spear; Cresilas, on the other hand,
- endeavoured to portray a wounded Amazon. Besides these statues, we
- hear a great deal of the Amazon of Strongylion, celebrated for the
- beauty of her legs, which was in the possession of Nero.
-
- We still possess a considerable number of Amazon statues, some of
- which are supposed to be imitations in marble of the renowned statue
- at Ephesus. There are, moreover, several statues of wounded Amazons,
- some of which are believed to be copies of the work of Cresilas.
- There is also another marble statue, considerably larger than life,
- which takes a still higher rank. It was originally set up in the
- Villa Mattei, but since the time of Clement XIV. it has been in the
- Vatican collection. It is apparently a representation of an Amazon
- resting after battle; she is in the act of laying aside her bow, as
- she has already done her shield, battle-axe, and helmet. In doing so
- she raises herself slightly on her left foot, an attitude which is
- as charming as it is natural.
-
- Lastly, we must not omit to mention a statue that has newly come
- into the possession of the Berlin Museum, which is supposed to be
- after a work of Polycletus (Fig. 55).
-
-We must now return to the history of Bellerophon. After returning in
-triumph from his expedition against the Amazons, the life of the young
-hero was once more attempted by Iobates, who caused him to be surprised
-by an ambuscade. Bellerophon, however, again escaped, slaying all his
-assailants. Iobates now ceased from further persecution, and gave him
-his daughter in marriage, and a share in the kingdom of Lycia.
-Bellerophon, in full possession of power and riches, and surrounded by
-blooming children, seemed to have reached the summit of earthly
-prosperity, when he was overtaken by a grievous change of fortune. He
-was seized with madness, and wandered about alone, fleeing the society
-of men, until he at length perished miserably. Pindar says that he
-incurred the enmity of the gods by attempting to fly to heaven on his
-winged horse Pegasus; whereupon Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse.
-Pegasus cast off Bellerophon, and flew of his own accord to the stables
-of Zeus, whose thunder-chariot he has ever since drawn. The sad fate of
-Bellerophon was the subject of a touching tragedy of Euripides, some
-parts of which are still in existence. Heroic honours were paid to
-Bellerophon in Corinth, and he also had a shrine in the celebrated
-cypress-grove of Poseidon.
-
-
-=4. Argive Legend.=—_1. Io._—The first personage who meets us on the
-very threshold of the mythic age of Argos is Inachus, the god of the
-Argive river of that name. Inachus was venerated by the inhabitants as
-the first founder of Argive civilisation after the flood of Deucalion.
-By his union with Melia, the daughter of Oceanus, he became the father
-of Io, famed for her beauty, whose history, which is of great antiquity,
-has been so greatly embellished by the poets and legendary writers. The
-following is the substance of the story:—
-
-Io was the priestess of Hera. Her great beauty attracted the notice of
-Zeus. On remarking this, Hera, in her jealousy, changed Io into a white
-heifer, and set the hundred-eyed Argus Panoptes (the all-seeing) to
-watch her. Zeus, however, sent Hermes to take away the heifer. Hermes
-first lulled the guardian to sleep with his wand and then slew him,
-whence he is called Argiphontes (slayer of Argus). Hera avenged herself
-by sending a gadfly to torment Io, who, in her madness, wandered through
-Europe and Asia, until she at length found rest in Egypt, where, touched
-by the hand of Zeus, she recovered her original form, and gave birth to
-a son. This son, who was called Epaphus, afterwards became king of
-Egypt, and built Memphis. The myth, as we have already remarked, has
-received many embellishments, for the wanderings of Io grew more and
-more extensive with the growth of geographical knowledge. The true
-interpretation of the myth is due to F. W. Welcker, whose meritorious
-researches in Greek mythology have proved of such great value. Io (the
-wanderer) is the moon, whose apparently irregular course and temporary
-disappearance was considered a most curious phenomenon by the ancients.
-The moon-goddess of antiquity was very frequently represented under the
-figure of a heifer; and Isis herself, the Egyptian goddess of the moon,
-was always depicted with horns. The guardian of the heifer, the
-hundred-eyed Argus, is a symbol of the starry heaven. Whether we see in
-Hermes the dawn or the morning breeze, in either case the slaying of
-Argus will simply mean that the stars become invisible at sunrise. There
-is nothing extraordinary in representing the apparent irregularity of
-the moon’s course, inexplicable as it was to the ancients, under the
-guise of mental disorder. Similar representations occur in the stories
-of the solar heroes, Bellerophon and Heracles. In the south-east—the
-direction in which Egypt lay from Greece—Io again appears as full moon,
-in her original shape.
-
-_2. Danaüs and the Danaïds._—According to the legend, Danaüs was a
-descendant of Io. Epaphus, the son of Io, had a daughter Libya, who bore
-to Poseidon two sons, Agenor and Belus. The former reigned over
-Phœnicia, the latter over Egypt. Belus, by his union with Anchinoë, or
-Achiroë, the daughter of the Nile, became the father of Ægyptus and
-Danaüs. Between these two brothers—the former of whom had fifty sons and
-the latter fifty daughters—a deadly enmity arose; this induced Danaüs to
-migrate from Egypt and seek the old home of his ancestress Io. He
-embarked with his fifty daughters in a ship—the first that was ever
-built—and thus came to Argos, where Gelanor, the reigning descendant of
-Inachus, resigned the crown in his favour. As king of Argos, Danaüs is
-said to have brought the land, which suffered from want of water, to a
-higher state of cultivation by watering it with wells and canals. He is
-also said to have introduced the worship of Apollo and Demeter. The
-story proceeds to relate that the fifty sons of Ægyptus followed their
-uncle to Argos, and compelled him to give them his fifty daughters in
-marriage. Danaüs, in revenge, gave each of his daughters on the wedding
-day a dagger, and commanded them to slay their husbands in the night.
-All obeyed his command except Hypermnestra, who spared her husband
-Lynceus, and afterwards even succeeded, with the assistance of
-Aphrodite, in effecting his reconciliation with her father. Lynceus
-succeeded Danaüs in the kingdom, and became, by his son Abas, the
-ancestor of both the great Argive heroes, Perseus and Heracles. At a
-later period, the fable sprang up that the Danaïds were punished for
-their crimes in the lower world by having continually to pour water into
-a cask full of holes. It has been frequently remarked that this
-punishment has no conceivable connection with the crime. Neither must we
-forget that the idea of retribution in the lower world was of a
-comparatively late date. Originally, too, the idea prevailed that the
-pursuits of the upper world were continued after death in the realms of
-Hades. And herein lies the key to the interpretation of the myth, which
-is evidently connected with the irrigation of Argos ascribed to Danaüs.
-
-_3. Prœtus and his Daughters._—Acrisius and Prœtus were twin sons of
-Abas, the son of Lynceus and Hypermnestra. Between these two brothers an
-implacable hostility existed, which was said by the poets to have
-commenced even in their mother’s womb. Prœtus received, as his share of
-the patrimony, the kingdom of Tiryns; but he was subsequently expelled
-by his brother, and took refuge at the court of Iobates, king of Lycia.
-Iobates gave him his daughter Antea, or Sthenebœa, in marriage, and
-afterwards restored him to his kingdom of Tiryns. Prœtus, with the aid
-of the Lycian workmen whom he had brought with him (Cyclopes), built a
-strong fortress, which enabled him not only to maintain peaceable
-possession of Tiryns, but also to extend his dominion as far as Corinth.
-The legend then passes to the history of his three daughters, the
-Prœtides, whose pride was so excited by their father’s greatness and
-their own beauty that they began to think themselves superior to the
-gods. Their arrogance, however, was soon punished, for they were visited
-with a foul disease and driven mad. They now fled the society of
-mankind, and wandered about among the mountains and woods of Argos and
-Arcadia. At length Prœtus succeeded in procuring the services of the
-celebrated soothsayer and purifier Melampus, who undertook the
-purification and cure of his daughters. It was reported of Melampus that
-serpents had licked his ears whilst asleep, and that he acquired, in
-consequence, a knowledge of the language of birds. He successfully
-accomplished the cure of the Prœtides, and received, as a reward, the
-hand of the princess Iphianassa, in addition to which both he and his
-brother Bias received a share in the sovereignty of Tiryns. Thus it was
-that the race of the Amythaonidæ, who all inherited the gift of seeing
-into futurity, and from whom the celebrated soothsayer Amphiaraüs
-himself was descended, came to Argos.
-
-_4. Perseus._—Acrisius, the brother of Prœtus, had a daughter called
-Danaë, whose fortune it was to gain the love of the great ruler of
-Olympus. Her father, Acrisius, was induced by an oracle, which foretold
-that he should be killed by his own grandson, to immure Danaë in a
-subterraneous chamber. Zeus, however, in his love for her, changed
-himself into a shower of golden rain, and thus introduced himself
-through the roof of her prison. Thus was the god-like hero Perseus born.
-There can be no doubt that this myth, too, is founded on the idea of the
-bridal union of heaven and earth; this is one of the pictures of nature
-which the mind most readily forms. Danaë represents the country of
-Argos; her prison is the heaven, enveloped, during the gloomy months of
-winter, with thick clouds. Her offspring by Zeus represents the light of
-the sun, which returns in the spring-time and begins, like a veritable
-hero, its contest with the powers of death and darkness. The Gorgon
-Medusa has the same significance in the history of Perseus that the
-hideous Python has in that of Apollo.
-
-The legend then proceeds to relate that Acrisius, having heard of the
-birth of his grandson, to avert the fate threatened by the oracle,
-ordered mother and child to be confined in a chest and cast into the
-sea. But human wisdom avails nought against the inevitable decrees of
-heaven. The chest was cast by the waves on the rocky island of Seriphus,
-where it was found by the fisherman Dictys; and Danaë and her child were
-hospitably received and cared for by Dictys and his brother Polydectes,
-the ruler of the island. The latter, however, subsequently wished to
-marry Danaë, and on her rejecting his advances made her a slave. Fearing
-the vengeance of Perseus, he despatched him, as soon as he was grown up,
-on a most perilous adventure. This was no other than to bring him the
-head of the Gorgon Medusa—a terrible winged woman, who dwelt with her
-two sisters, the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, on the farthest western
-shore of the earth, on the border of Oceanus. Perseus set out, though he
-was in the greatest perplexity how to accomplish so perilous a task.
-Hermes, however, at this juncture came to his aid; and Athene, the
-special patroness of heroes, inspired him with courage. These deities
-first showed him how to procure the necessary means for accomplishing
-his undertaking, which consisted of an invisible helmet, a magic wallet,
-and a pair of winged sandals. All these were in the hands of the Nymphs,
-by whom probably the water-nymphs are meant. The way to their abode he
-could only learn from the Grææ. These creatures, who were likewise the
-daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, were reported to have come into the world
-as old women; their very appearance was appalling, and they had but one
-eye and one tooth between them, of which they made use in turn. They,
-too, dwelt on the outskirts of the gloomy region inhabited by the
-Gorgons, whence they are called by Æschylus their sentinels. Under the
-guidance of Apollo and Athene, Perseus came to the Grææ. He then robbed
-them of their one eye and one tooth, and thus forced them to tell him
-the way to the habitations of the Nymphs. From the latter he at once
-obtained the objects he sought; and having donned his winged sandals, he
-hastened to the abode of the Gorgons, whom he fortunately discovered
-asleep. Athene then pointed out to him Medusa—the other two sisters,
-Stheno and Euryale, being immortal—and enjoined him to approach them
-carefully backwards, as the sight of their faces would infallibly turn
-any mortal into stone. With the help of her mirror-like shield and the
-sickle of Hermes, Perseus succeeded in cutting off the head of Medusa
-without looking round; and having placed the head in his wallet, he
-hastened away. His helmet, which rendered him invisible, enabled him to
-escape the pursuit of the other Gorgons, who had meanwhile awaked. From
-the trunk of Medusa sprang the winged horse Pegasus, and Chrysaor, the
-father of Geryones. On his return to Seriphus, Perseus turned the
-unrighteous Polydectes into stone by means of the Gorgon’s head, which
-he then presented to Athene; and after making his benefactor, Dictys,
-king of the island, he turned his steps towards his native place, Argos.
-Such are the essential features of the myth—concerning which, in spite
-of its antiquity, we have no earlier sources of information—such is the
-original framework on which was afterwards built up the history of the
-further adventures of the hero. The most celebrated of these was the
-rescue of Andromeda, which formed the subject of a drama of Euripides,
-and was also highly popular among artists and poets. The following is a
-brief account of this exploit:—Cassiopea, the wife of Cepheus, king of
-Æthiopia, ventured to extol her own beauty above that of the Nereids,
-who thereupon besought Poseidon to avenge them. He granted their
-request, and not only overwhelmed the land with disastrous floods, but
-sent also a terrible sea-monster, which devoured both man and beast. The
-oracle of Ammon declared that the land could only be saved by the
-sacrifice of the king’s daughter, Andromeda, to the monster. Cepheus,
-after some time, yielded to the entreaties of his people, and Andromeda
-was chained to a rock close to the sea. In this situation she was found
-by Perseus, on his return from his adventure with the Gorgons. He
-forthwith attacked and slew the sea-monster, and released the trembling
-maiden, who soon after married her preserver. Later writers, not
-satisfied with this adventure, added that Perseus was also obliged to
-vanquish a rival in Phineus, the king’s brother, to whom Andromeda had
-been already promised. Phineus, together with his warriors, was changed
-into stone by means of the Gorgon’s head.
-
-The legend concludes with the return of the hero to Argos, where he was
-reconciled to his grandfather Acrisius, who had at first fled in terror
-to Larissa. On the occasion, however, of some games which the people of
-Larissa had instituted in his honour, Perseus was unfortunate enough to
-kill Acrisius with his discus, thus involuntarily fulfilling the
-prophecy of the oracle. In this feature of the story we recognise an
-unmistakeable reference to the symbolic meaning of Perseus; for the
-discus here represents, as in the story of the death of Hyacinthus, the
-face of the sun. Perseus, unwilling to enter on the inheritance of the
-grandfather he had slain, exchanged the kingdom of Argos for that of
-Tiryns, which was handed over to him by its king, Megapenthes, the son
-of Prœtus. He here founded the cities of Midea and Mycenæ, and became,
-through his children by Andromeda, the ancestor of many heroes, and,
-among others, of Heracles. His son Electryon became the father of
-Alcmene, whilst Amphitryon was descended from another of his sons.
-According to Pausanias, heroic honours were paid to Perseus, not only
-throughout Argos, but also in Athens and the island of Seriphus.
-
- Perseus occupies a prominent position in Greek art. His common
- attributes are the winged sandals, the sickle which he made use of
- to slay Medusa, and the helmet of Hades. In bodily form, as well as
- in costume, he appears very like Hermes.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 56.—Perseus and Andromeda. Marble Relief in the
-Museum at Naples.]
-
- Among the art monuments which relate to his adventures is a marble
- relief from the Villa Pamfili, now in the Capitoline Museum at Rome,
- depicting the rescue of Andromeda. The sea-monster lies dead at the
- feet of Perseus, who is assisting the joyful Andromeda to descend
- from the rock. The attitude and expression of both figures are very
- striking: on the one side, maidenly modesty; on the other, proud
- self-reliance. It is worth remarking that Perseus, in addition to
- his winged shoes, has also wings on his head. The same conception is
- perceptible, with a few minor points of difference, in several
- Pompeian paintings, and on a marble relief of the Naples Museum
- (Fig. 56). Representations of Medusa are mostly confined to masks,
- which are often found on coats of mail, shields, leaves of folding
- doors, and instruments of all kinds. There are two types,
- representing an earlier and a later conception of Medusa. Earlier
- art set itself to depict the horrible only in the head of Medusa;
- and artists, therefore, strove to impart to the face as strong an
- expression of rage and ferocity as was possible, representing her
- with tongue lolling forth, and boar-like tusks. It is worthy of
- remark that, in the earlier examples of these masks—which are
- frequently met with on coins, gems, and pottery—the hair generally
- falls stiff and straight over the forehead, serving to render the
- horrible breadth of the face still more striking, while the snakes
- appear to be fastened round the neck like a necklace. Very different
- is the conception adopted by the later and more sensuous school.
- This laboured principally to give expression to the gradual ebbing
- away of life in the countenance of the dying Gorgon, an effect which
- was rendered still more striking by transforming the hideous Gorgon
- face of earlier times into an ideal of the most perfect beauty. The
- most splendid example of this later conception, which had been
- creeping in since the age of Praxiteles, is to be found in the
- Medusa Rondanini of the Munich collection—a marble mask of most
- beautiful workmanship, which was brought from the Rondanini Palace
- at Rome (Fig. 57). This Medusa, like many others of the later type,
- has wings on the head.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 57.—Rondanini Medusa. Munich.]
-
-
-=5. The Dioscuri.=—On passing to Laconia and Messenia, the southern
-districts of the Peloponnesus, we come in contact with the legend of the
-Dioscuri. Tyndareüs and his brother Icarius were said to have founded
-the most ancient sovereignty in Lacedæmon. They were driven thence,
-however, by their half-brother Hippocoön, and were kindly received by
-Thestius, the ruler of the ancient city of Pleuron in Ætolia, who gave
-Tyndareüs his daughter Leda in marriage. Icarius received the hand of
-Polycaste, who bore him Penelope—afterwards the wife of Odysseus; while
-Leda was the mother of the Dioscuri, Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux).
-Tyndareüs was afterwards reinstated in his Lacedæmonian kingdom at
-Amyclæ by Heracles. Besides these two sons, Leda had also two daughters,
-Clytæmnestra and Helene (Helen), who are celebrated in connection with
-the Trojan war. An ancient legend also existed to the effect that Leda
-had been beloved by Zeus, who had approached her under the guise of a
-swan. The greatest incongruity prevails as to which of the children
-could claim a divine origin. In Homer, Helen alone is represented as the
-daughter of Zeus; while Clytæmnestra, together with Castor and
-Polydeuces, appear as the children of Tyndareüs. At a subsequent period,
-the name of “Dioscuri” (sons of Zeus) and a belief in their divine
-origin arose simultaneously. Later still, Castor was represented as a
-mortal, and the son of Tyndareüs; and Polydeuces as immortal, and the
-son of Zeus. After Castor, however, had fallen in the contest with the
-sons of Aphareus, his brother Polydeuces, unwilling to part from him,
-prevailed on Zeus to allow them to remain together, on condition of
-their spending one day in Olympus and the next in Hades. They thus led a
-life divided between mortality and immortality. The following is an
-account of their heroic deeds:—On attaining manhood, Castor
-distinguished himself by his skill in the management of horses; whilst
-Polydeuces became renowned as a skilful boxer, though he too had skill
-in riding. They first made war on Theseus, who had carried off their
-sister Helen, then ten years old, and set her free by the conquest of
-Aphidnæ. They next took part in the expedition of the Argonauts, in
-which Polydeuces gained still further renown by his victory with the
-cestus over the celebrated boxer Amycus. They were also present at the
-Calydonian boar hunt. Their last undertaking was the rape of the
-daughters of Leucippus, king of Messenia. This was the cause of their
-combat with their cousins Idas and Lynceus, the sons of Aphareus, to
-whom the damsels had been betrothed. According to others, however, it
-sprang from a quarrel as to the division of some booty that they had
-carried off together. Castor was slain by Idas, whereupon Polydeuces in
-his wrath slew Lynceus, while Idas himself was overwhelmed by a
-thunderbolt from Zeus.
-
-The interpretation of this myth is by no means void of difficulty. It is
-commonly supposed that they were ancient Peloponnesian divinities of
-light, who, after the Dorian invasion, were degraded to the rank of
-heroes. They are often interpreted as personifications of the morning
-and evening star, or of the twilight (dawn and dusk). This view died out
-after the second deification that they underwent. They were venerated,
-not only in their native Sparta, but throughout the whole of Greece, as
-kindly, beneficent deities, whose aid might be invoked either in battle
-or in the dangers of shipwreck. In this latter character they are lauded
-by an Homeric hymn, in which they are represented as darting through the
-air on their golden wings, in order to calm the storm at the prayer of
-the terror-stricken mariner. It has often been remarked, and with a
-great appearance of truth, that these Dioscuri flitting about on their
-golden wings are probably nothing more than what is commonly called St.
-Elmo’s fire—an electric flame which, is often seen playing round the
-tops of the masts during a storm, and which is regarded by the sailors
-as a sign of its speedy abatement; indeed the name Elmo has been
-supposed a corruption of Helene. In Sparta, the Dioscuri were regarded
-as the tutelary deities of the state, as well as an example of warlike
-valour for the youth of the country. Their shrines here were very
-numerous. Their ancient symbol, which the Spartans always took with them
-on a campaign, consisted of two parallel beams joined by cross-bars.
-They had other festivals and temples besides those of Sparta; in
-Mantinea, for instance, where an eternal fire was kept burning in their
-honour; also in Athens, where they were venerated under the appellation
-of Anaces. Their festival was here celebrated with horse-racing. The
-Olympic games also stood under their special protection, and their
-images were set up in all the palæstra. They were, in fact, everywhere
-regarded as extremely benevolent and sociable deities, who foster all
-that is noble and beautiful among men.
-
-The Dioscuri were believed to have assisted the Romans against the
-Latins at the Lake Regillus; and the dictator, A. Postumius, vowed a
-temple to them, which was erected in the Forum, opposite the temple of
-Vesta. In commemoration of this aid, the Equites made a solemn
-procession from the temple of Honos, past the temple of the Dioscuri, to
-the Capitol every year on the Ides of July.
-
- In art the Dioscuri are represented as heroic youths of noble mien
- and slim but powerful forms. Their characteristic marks are conical
- caps, the points of which are adorned with a star. They generally
- appear nude, or clothed only with a light chlamys, and nearly always
- in connection with their horses, either riding, standing by and
- holding them, or leading them by the bridle. The most celebrated
- representation of the Dioscuri that has come down to us from
- antiquity consists of the marble statues called the Colossi of Monte
- Cavallo, in Rome. These are eighteen feet in height, and the
- proportions of the figures, together with those of the horses, are
- exquisite. They are set up on the Quirinal, which has received from
- them the name of Monte Cavallo. They are not, indeed, original
- works, but are probably imitations of bronzes of the most
- flourishing period of Greek art, executed in the time of Augustus.
-
-
-=6. Heracles (Hercules).=—Of all the myths of the countries originally
-inhabited by the Æolians the myth of Heracles is the most glorious. This
-hero, though his fame was chiefly disseminated by means of the Dorians,
-was yet by birth the common property of the Æolian race—their national
-hero, in fact, just as he afterwards became the national hero of the
-whole of Greece. No other Greek myth has received so many subsequent
-additions—not only from native, but also from foreign sources—as this;
-which is, in consequence, the most extensive and complicated of all
-Greek myths. We shall, therefore, have to confine ourselves to the
-consideration of its most characteristic features, and those which are
-the most important in the history of art.
-
-In Homer, who is here again our most ancient authority, the leading
-features of the myth are traced—the enmity of Hera towards the hero; his
-period of subjection to Eurystheus, and the labours by which he
-emancipated himself (though special mention is made only of his seizure
-of Cerberus); his expeditions against Pylus, Ephyra, Œchalia, and Troy.
-The verses in the _Odyssey_ (xi. 602–4), which refer to his deification
-and subsequent marriage with Hebe, are probably a later insertion. In
-the _Iliad_, Heracles is spoken of as a great hero of olden time, “whom
-the Fates and the grievous wrath of Hera subdued.” In Homer, too, he
-appears as a purely Grecian hero, his warlike undertakings having never
-yet led him beyond Troy, and his armour differing in no respect from
-that of other heroes. The description of him in Hesiod’s _Theogony_ and
-in the _Shield of Heracles_ is somewhat more minute, but is otherwise
-essentially the same. From what source the deification of Heracles
-sprang—whether it was due to Phœnician influences or not—has hitherto
-remained an undetermined question; we only know that it appears as an
-accomplished fact about 700 B.C.
-
-I. THE BIRTH AND YOUTH OF HERACLES.—This portion of the legend found its
-chief development in Bœotia. Amphitryon, a son of Alcæus and grandson of
-Perseus, was compelled to flee from Tiryns with his betrothed
-Alcmene—likewise a descendant of Perseus by her father Electryon—on
-account of a murder, and found an asylum at the court of Creon, king of
-Thebes. From this place he undertook an expedition against the robber
-tribes of the Teleboæ (Taphians), in consequence of a promise made to
-Alcmene, whose brother they had slain. After the successful termination
-of this expedition, the marriage was to have been celebrated at Thebes.
-But, in the meanwhile, the great ruler of Olympus himself had been
-smitten with the charms of Alcmene, and, taking the form of the absent
-Amphitryon, had left her pregnant with Heracles, to whom she afterwards
-gave birth at the same time with Iphicles, the son of Amphitryon. The
-sovereignty over all the descendants of Perseus, which Zeus had destined
-for Heracles, was snatched from him by the crafty jealousy of Hera, who
-prolonged the pains of Alcmene and hastened the delivery of the wife of
-Sthenelus, the uncle of Amphitryon, by two months. Not content with
-having subjected the hero to the will of the weak and cowardly
-Eurystheus, Hera, according to a subsequent account of the poets, sent
-two serpents to kill the child when he was about eight months old.
-Heracles, however, gave the first proof of his divine origin by
-strangling the serpents with his hands. An account of this scene has
-descended to us in a beautiful poem of Pindar. In Thebes, the boy grew
-up and was put under the care of the best preceptors. But, though he
-excelled in every feat of strength and valour, he made no progress in
-musical arts, and even slew his master Linus on account of a somewhat
-harsh reproof which his inaptitude entailed on him. As a punishment,
-Amphitryon sent him to Mount Cithæron to mind the flocks, a mode of life
-which Heracles continued until he had completed his eighteenth year. It
-was to this period that the sophist Prodicus, a contemporary of
-Socrates, referred his beautiful allegory of the _Choice of Heracles_.
-After attaining his full growth (according to Apollodorus he was four
-cubits in height) and strength, the young hero performed his first great
-feat by killing the lion of Cithæron. Whether it was this skin or that
-of the Nemean lion which he afterwards used as a garment is not certain.
-His next act was to free the Thebans from the ignominious tribute which
-they were compelled to pay to Erginus, king of Orchomenus, by a
-successful expedition, in which Amphitryon, however, lost his life.
-Creon, the king of Thebes, in gratitude gave the hero his daughter
-Megara in marriage, while Iphicles married her sister.
-
-II. HERACLES IN THE SERVICE OF EURYSTHEUS—THE TWELVE LABOURS.—We now
-come to the second epoch in the life of the hero, in which he performed
-various labours at the bidding of Eurystheus, king of Mycenæ or Tiryns.
-The number of these was first fixed at twelve in the Alexandrian age,
-when Heracles was identified with the Phœnician sun-god, Baal; probably
-from the analogy afforded in the course of the sun through the twelve
-signs of the Zodiac. The subjection of Heracles to his unmanly cousin
-Eurystheus is generally represented as a consequence of the stratagem by
-which Hera obtained for the latter the sovereignty over all the
-descendants of Perseus. At a later period Heracles was said to have
-become insane, in consequence of the summons of Eurystheus to do his
-bidding. The following is an account of the labours of Heracles:—
-
-_1. The Fight with the Nemean Lion._—The district of Nemea and Cleonæ
-was inhabited by a monstrous lion, the offspring of Typhon and Echidna,
-whose skin bade defiance to every weapon. Heracles, after using his
-arrows and club against the animal in vain, at last drove it into a
-cave, and there strangled it with his hands. He afterwards used the head
-of the lion as a helmet, and the impenetrable skin as a defence.
-
-_2. The Lernæan Hydra._—This was a great water-serpent, likewise the
-offspring of Typhon and Echidna. The number of its heads varies in the
-accounts of poets, though ancient gems usually represent it with seven.
-It ravaged the country of Lerna in Argolis, destroying both men and
-beasts. In this adventure Heracles was accompanied by Iolaüs, the son of
-his brother Iphicles, who, on this as on other occasions, appears as his
-faithful companion. After driving the monster from its lair by means of
-his arrows, he advanced fearlessly, and, seizing it in his hands, began
-to strike off its heads with his sword. To his amazement, in the place
-of each head he struck off two sprang up. He then ordered Iolaüs to set
-on fire a neighbouring wood, and with the firebrands seared the throats
-of the serpent, until he at length succeeded in slaying it. He then
-dipped his arrows in its gall, thus rendering the wounds inflicted by
-them incurable.
-
-_3. The Erymanthian Boar._—This animal inhabited the mountain district
-of Erymanthus in Arcadia, from which place it wasted the corn-fields of
-Psophis. Heracles drove the boar up to the snow-covered summit of the
-mountain, and then caught it alive, as Eurystheus had commanded him.
-When he arrived at Mycenæ with the terrible beast on his back,
-Eurystheus was so terrified that he hid himself in a vessel. This comic
-scene is frequently depicted on vases. It was on this occasion that
-Heracles destroyed the Centaurs. On the road the hero, hungry and
-thirsty, was hospitably received by the friendly Centaur Pholus, who
-holds the same place among the Arcadian Centaurs as Chiron does among
-those of Thessaly. Pholus broached, in honour of his guest, a cask of
-wine lying in his cave, which was the common property of all the
-Centaurs. The fragrance of the wine attracted the other Centaurs living
-on Mount Pholoë, and they immediately attacked the tippling hero with
-pieces of rock and trunks of trees. Heracles, however, drove them back
-with arrows and firebrands, and completely vanquished them after a
-terrible fight. On returning to the cave of Pholus, he found his friend
-dead. He had drawn an arrow out of a dead body to examine it, but
-accidentally let it fall on his foot, from the wound of which he died.
-
-_4. The Hind of Cerynea._—This animal, which was sacred to the Arcadian
-Artemis, had golden horns and brazen hoofs, the latter being a symbol of
-its untiring fleetness. Heracles was commanded to bring it alive to
-Mycenæ, and for a whole year he continued to pursue it over hill and
-dale with untiring energy. At length it returned to Arcadia, where he
-succeeded in capturing it on the banks of the Ladon, and bore it in
-triumph to Mycenæ.
-
-_5. The Stymphalian Birds._—These voracious birds, which fed on human
-flesh, had brazen claws, wings, and beaks, and were able to shoot out
-their feathers like arrows. They inhabited the district round Lake
-Stymphalis in Arcadia. Heracles slew some, and so terrified the rest by
-means of his brazen rattle that they never returned. This latter
-circumstance is apparently an addition of later times, to explain their
-reappearance in the history of the Argonauts.
-
-_6. Cleansing of the Stables of Augeas._—The sixth task of Heracles was
-to cleanse in one day the stables of Augeas, king of Elis, whose wealth
-in cattle had become proverbial. Heracles repaired to Elis, where he
-offered to cleanse the stables, in which were three thousand oxen, if
-the king would consent to give him a tenth part of the cattle. Augeas
-agreed to do so; Heracles then turned the course of the Peneus or the
-Alpheus, or, according to some, of both rivers, through the stalls, and
-thus carried off the filth. Augeas, however, on learning that Heracles
-had undertaken the labour at the command of Eurystheus, refused to give
-him the stipulated reward, a breach of faith for which Heracles, later,
-took terrible vengeance on the king.
-
-_7. The Cretan Bull._—In the history of Minos, king of Crete, we find
-that Poseidon once sent up a bull out of the sea for Minos to sacrifice,
-but that Minos was induced by the beauty of the animal to place it among
-his own herds, and sacrificed another in its stead; whereupon Poseidon
-drove the bull mad. The seventh labour of Heracles consisted in
-capturing this bull and bringing it to Mycenæ. It was afterwards set
-free by Eurystheus, and appears later, in the story of Theseus, as the
-bull of Marathon.
-
-_8. The Mares of Diomedes._—Diomedes was king of the Bistones, a warlike
-tribe of Thrace. He inhumanly caused all strangers cast upon his coasts
-to be given to his wild mares, who fed on human flesh. To bind these
-horses and bring them alive to Mycenæ was the next task of Heracles.
-This, too, he successfully accomplished, after inflicting on Diomedes
-the same fate to which he had condemned so many others.
-
-_9. The Girdle of Hippolyte._—Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus, was
-anxious to obtain the girdle which the queen of the Amazons had received
-from Ares; and Heracles was accordingly despatched to fetch it. After
-various adventures he landed in Themiscyra, and was at first kindly
-received by Hippolyte, who was willing to give him the girdle. But Hera,
-in the guise of an Amazon, spread a report that Heracles was about to
-carry off the queen, upon which the Amazons attacked Heracles and his
-followers. In the battle which ensued Hippolyte was killed, and the
-hero, after securing the girdle, departed. On his journey homewards
-occurred his celebrated adventure with Hesione, the daughter of
-Laomedon, king of Troy. This king had refused Poseidon and Apollo the
-rewards he had promised them for their assistance in building the walls
-of Troy. In consequence of his perfidy, Apollo visited the country with
-a pestilence, and Poseidon sent a sea-monster, which devastated the land
-far and wide. By the advice of the oracle, Hesione, the king’s daughter,
-was exposed to be devoured by the animal. Heracles offered to destroy
-the monster, if Laomedon would give him the horses which his father Tros
-had received as a compensation for the loss of Ganymedes. Laomedon
-agreed, and Heracles then slew the monster. Laomedon, however, again
-proved false to his word, and Heracles, with a threat of future
-vengeance, departed.
-
-_10. The Oxen of Geryones._—The next task of Heracles was to fetch the
-cattle of the three-headed winged giant Geryones, or Geryoneus (Geryon).
-This monster was the offspring of Chrysaor (red slayer) and Callirrhoë
-(fair-flowing), an Oceanid, and inhabited the island of Erythia, in the
-far West, in the region of the setting sun, where he had a herd of the
-finest and fattest cattle. It was only natural that Heracles, in the
-course of his long journey to Erythia and back, should meet with
-numerous adventures; and this expedition has, accordingly, been more
-richly embellished than any other by the imagination of the poets. He is
-generally supposed to have passed through Libya, and to have sailed
-thence to Erythia in a golden boat, which he forced Helios (the sun) to
-lend him by shooting at him with his arrows. Having arrived in Erythia,
-he first slew the herdsman who was minding the oxen, together with his
-dog. He was then proceeding to drive off the cattle, when he was
-overtaken by Geryon. A violent contest ensued, in which the three-headed
-monster was at length vanquished by the arrows of the mighty hero.
-Heracles is then supposed to have recrossed the ocean in the boat of the
-sun, and, starting from Tartessus, to have journeyed on foot through
-Iberia, Gaul, and Italy. We pass over his contests with the Celts and
-Ligurians, and only notice briefly his victory over the giant Cacus,
-mentioned by Livy, which took place in the district where Rome was
-afterwards built, because Roman legend connected with this the
-introduction of the worship of Hercules into Italy. At length, after
-many adventures, he arrived at Mycenæ, where Eurystheus sacrificed the
-oxen to the Argive goddess Hera.
-
-Heracles has now completed ten of his labours, but Eurystheus, as
-Apollodorus relates, refused to admit the destruction of the Lernæan
-Hydra, because on that occasion Heracles had availed himself of the help
-of Iolaüs, or the cleansing of the stables of Augeas, because of the
-reward for which he had stipulated; so that the hero was compelled to
-undertake two more. This account does not, however, harmonise with the
-tradition of the response of the oracle, in deference to which Heracles
-surrendered himself to servitude, and which offered the prospect of
-twelve labours from the first.
-
-_11. The Apples of the Hesperides._—This adventure has been even more
-embellished with later and foreign additions than the last. The golden
-apples, which were under the guardianship of the Hesperides, or nymphs
-of the west, constituted the marriage present which Hera had received
-from Gæa on the occasion of her marriage with Zeus. They were closely
-guarded by the terrible dragon Ladon, who, like all monsters, was the
-offspring of Typhon and Echidna. This, however, was far less
-embarrassing to the hero than his total ignorance of the site of the
-garden of the Hesperides, which led him to make several fruitless
-efforts before he succeeded in reaching the desired spot.
-
-His first object was to gain information as to the situation of the
-garden, and for this purpose he journeyed through Illyria to the
-Eridanus (Po), in order to inquire the way of the nymphs who dwelt on
-this river. By them he was referred to the treacherous sage Nereus, whom
-he managed to seize whilst asleep, and refused to release until he had
-obtained the desired information. Heracles then proceeded by way of
-Tartessus to Libya, where he was challenged to a wrestling match by the
-giant Antæus, a powerful son of Earth, who was, according to Libyan
-tradition, of a monstrous height (some say sixty cubits). He was
-attacked by Heracles, but, as he received new strength from his mother
-Earth as often as he touched the ground, the hero lifted him up in the
-air and squeezed him to death in his arms.
-
-From Libya Heracles passed into Egypt, where the cruel king Busiris was
-in the habit of seizing all strangers who entered the country and
-sacrificing them to Zeus. Heracles would have suffered a similar fate,
-had he not broken the chains laid upon him, and slain the king and his
-son. His indulgence at the richly-furnished table of the king was a
-feature in the story which afforded no small amusement to the comic
-writers, who were especially fond of jesting on the subject of the
-healthy and heroic appetite of Heracles. From Egypt the hero made his
-way into Æthiopia, where he slew Emathion, the son of Tithonus and Eos,
-for his cruelty to strangers. He next crossed the sea to India, and
-thence came to the Caucasus, where he set Prometheus free and destroyed
-the vulture that preyed on his liver. After Prometheus had described to
-him the long road to the Hesperides, he passed through Scythia, and came
-at length to the land of the Hyperboreans, where Atlas bore the pillars
-of heaven on his shoulders. This was the end of his journey, for Atlas,
-at his request, fetched the apples, whilst Heracles supported the
-heavens. Here again the comic poets introduced an amusing scene. Atlas,
-having once tasted the delights of freedom, betrayed no anxiety to
-relieve his substitute, but offered, instead, to bear the apples himself
-to Eurystheus. Heracles, however, proved even more cunning than he, for,
-apparently agreeing to the proposition, he asked Atlas just to relieve
-him until he had arranged more comfortably a cushion for his back. When
-Atlas good-humouredly consented, Heracles of course left him in his
-former position, and made off with the apples. Another account states
-that he descended himself into the garden and slew the hundred-headed
-dragon who kept guard over the trees.
-
-_12. Cerberus._—The most daring of all the feats of Heracles, and that
-which bears the palm from all the others, and is in consequence, always
-put at the end of his labours, was the bringing of Cerberus from the
-lower world. In this undertaking, which is mentioned even by Homer, he
-was accompanied by Hermes and Athene, though he had hitherto been able
-to dispense with divine aid. He is commonly reported to have made his
-descent into the lower world at Cape Tænarum in Laconia. Close to the
-gates of Hades he found the adventurous heroes Theseus and Pirithoüs,
-who had gone down to carry off Persephone, fastened to a rock. He
-succeeded in setting Theseus free, but Pirithoüs he was obliged to leave
-behind him, because of the violent earthquake which occurred when he
-attempted to touch him. After several further adventures, he entered the
-presence of the lord of the lower world. Hades consented to his taking
-Cerberus, on condition that he should master him without using any
-weapons. Heracles seized the furious beast, and, having chained him, he
-brought him to Eurystheus, and afterwards carried him back to his place
-in the lower world. The completion of this task released Heracles from
-his servitude to Eurystheus.
-
-III. DEEDS OF HERACLES AFTER HIS SERVICE.—_1. The Murder of Iphitus and
-Contest with Apollo._—The hero, after his release from servitude,
-returned to Thebes, where he gave his wife Megara in marriage to Iolaüs.
-He then proceeded to the court of Eurytus, king of Œchalia, who had
-promised his beautiful daughter Iole in marriage to the man who should
-vanquish himself and his sons in shooting with the bow. The situation of
-Œchalia is variously given; sometimes it is placed in Thessaly,
-sometimes in the Peloponnesus, on the borders of Arcadia and Messenia,
-and sometimes in the island of Eubœa, close to Eretria. Heracles gained
-a most complete victory; but Eurytus, nevertheless, refused to give him
-his daughter, reproaching him with the murder of his children by Megara,
-and with his ignominious bondage to Eurystheus. Heracles, with many
-threats of future vengeance, withdrew, and when, not long afterwards,
-Iphitus, the son of Eurytus, fell into his hands, he cast him from the
-highest tower of his citadel in Tiryns. This somewhat treacherous action
-being at variance with the general character of the hero, the story
-subsequently arose that Iphitus was a friend of Heracles, and had
-advocated his cause with Eurytus, and that Heracles only treated him
-thus in a fit of insanity. The bloody deed was fraught with the gravest
-consequences. After seeking purification and absolution in vain among
-men, Heracles came to Delphi, in order to seek the aid and consolation
-of the oracle. But Apollo, with whom the royal family of Œchalia stood
-in high favour, rejected him; whereupon Heracles forced his way into the
-temple, and was already in the act of bearing away the holy tripod, in
-order to erect an oracle of his own, when he was confronted by the angry
-deity. A fearful combat would doubtless have ensued, if the father of
-gods and men himself had not interfered to prevent this unnatural strife
-between his favourite sons by separating the combatants with his
-lightning. Heracles was now commanded by the Pythian priestess to allow
-himself to be sold by Hermes into slavery for three years, to expiate
-the murder of Iphitus.
-
-_2. Heracles in the Service of Omphale._—This portion of the story is of
-Lydian origin, but was cleverly interwoven with the Greek legend. The
-Lydians, in fact, honoured a sun-hero called Sandon, who resembled
-Heracles in many respects, as the ancestor of their kings. The oriental
-character of the Lydian Heracles at once manifests itself in the fact
-that he here appears as entirely devoted to sensual pleasures, becoming
-effeminate in the society of women, and allowing himself to be clothed
-in female attire, whilst his mistress Omphale donned his lion-skin and
-club, and flaunted up and down before him. He did not always linger in
-such inactivity, however; sometimes the old desire for action urged him
-forth to gallant deeds. Thus he vanquished and chastised the Cercopes, a
-race of goblins who used to trick and waylay travellers. He also slew
-Syleus, who compelled all passing travellers to dig in his vineyard;
-which formed the subject of a satyric drama of Euripides.
-
-_3. His Expedition against Troy._—After performing several other feats
-in the service of Omphale, Heracles again became free. He now appears to
-have undertaken an expedition against the faithless Laomedon, king of
-Troy, in company with other Greek heroes, such as Peleus, Telamon, and
-Oïcles, whose number increased as time went on. The city was taken by
-storm: Oïcles, indeed, was slain, but, on the other hand, Laomedon and
-all his sons except Podarces fell before the arrows of Heracles.
-Hesione, the daughter of the king, was given by Heracles to his friend
-Telamon, and became by him the mother of Teucer. She received permission
-from Heracles to release one of the prisoners, and chose her brother
-Podarces, who afterwards bore the name of Priamus (the redeemed), and
-continued the race of Dardanus in Ilium.
-
-_4. The Peloponnesian Expeditions of Heracles._—The legend relates that
-the hero now undertook his long-deferred expedition against Augeas,
-which was the means of kindling a Messenian and Lacedæmonian war. After
-assembling an army in Arcadia, which was joined by many gallant Greek
-heroes, he advanced against Elis. Heracles, however, fell sick; and in
-his absence his army was attacked and driven back with great loss by the
-brave Actoridæ or Molionidæ, the nephews of Augeas. It was only after
-Heracles had slain these heroes in an ambuscade at Cleonæ, as they were
-on their way to the Isthmian games, that he succeeded in penetrating
-into Elis. He then slew Augeas, and gave the kingdom to his son Phyleus,
-with whom he was on friendly terms. It was on this occasion that he
-instituted the Olympic games. He then marched against Pylus, either
-because its king, Neleus, had given assistance to the Molionidæ, or else
-because Neleus had refused to purify him from the murder of Iphitus.
-This expedition against Pylus was subsequently greatly embellished by
-the poets, who made it into a great battle of the gods, one part of whom
-fought for Neleus, and the other part for Heracles. The chief feature
-was the combat between Heracles and Periclymenus, the bravest of the
-sons of Neleus, who had received from Poseidon, the tutelary deity of
-the Pylians, the power of transforming himself into any kind of animal.
-The result of the combat was of course a complete victory for Heracles.
-Neleus, with his eleven gallant sons, was slain, and only the youngest,
-Nestor, remained to perpetuate the celebrated race. The Lacedæmonian
-expedition of Heracles, which follows close on that against Pylus, was
-undertaken against Hippocoön, the half-brother of Tyndareüs, whom he had
-expelled. Hippocoön was defeated and slain by Heracles, who gave his
-kingdom to Tyndareüs. On this occasion Heracles was assisted by Cepheus,
-king of Tegea, with his twenty sons, a circumstance which is only
-mentioned on account of a remarkable legend connected with his stay in
-Tegea. Heracles is here said to have left Auge, the beautiful sister of
-Cepheus, and priestess of Athene, pregnant with Telephus, whose wondrous
-adventures have occupied artists and poets alike. Auge concealed her
-child in the grove of Athene, whereupon the angry goddess visited the
-land with a famine. Aleüs, the father of Auge, on discovering the fact,
-caused the child to be exposed, and sold the mother beyond the sea. Auge
-thus came into Mysia, where the king Teuthras made her his wife.
-Telephus was suckled by a hind. He grew up, and ultimately, after some
-wonderful adventures, succeeded in finding his mother. He succeeded
-Teuthras, and, later, became embroiled with the Greeks when they landed
-on their expedition against Troy, on which occasion he was wounded by
-Achilles. Telephus, among all the sons of Heracles, is said to have
-borne the greatest resemblance to his father.
-
-_5. Acheloüs, Nessus, Cycnus._—The next episode in the history of the
-hero is his wooing of Deïanira, the daughter of Œneus, king of Ætolia.
-Œneus is celebrated as the first cultivator of the vine in that country,
-and as the father of the Ætolian heroes, Meleager and Tydeus. The
-river-god Acheloüs was also a suitor for the hand of Deïanira, and as
-neither he nor Heracles would relinquish their claim, it was decided by
-the combat between the rivals[8] so often described by the poets. The
-power of assuming various forms was of little use to Acheloüs, for,
-having finally transformed himself into a bull, he was deprived of a
-horn by Heracles, and compelled to declare himself vanquished. Heracles
-restored him his horn, and received in exchange that of the goat
-Amalthea. After his marriage with Deïanira, Heracles lived for some time
-happily at the court of his father-in-law, where his son Hyllus was
-born. In consequence of an accidental murder, he was obliged to leave
-Ætolia and retire to the court of his friend Ceÿx, king of Trachis, at
-the foot of Mount Œta. On the road occurred his celebrated adventure
-with the Centaur Nessus. On coming to the river Evenus, Heracles
-entrusted Deïanira to Nessus to carry across, whilst he himself waded
-through the swollen stream. The Centaur, induced by the beauty of his
-burden, attempted to carry off Deïanira, but was pierced by an arrow of
-Heracles, and expiated his attempt with his life. He avenged himself by
-giving Deïanira some of his blood to make a magic salve, with which he
-assured her she could always secure the love of her husband.
-
-Footnote 8:
-
- The most beautiful description exists in a chorus in the _Trachiniæ_
- of Sophocles, and in Ovid’s _Metamorphoses_.
-
-On reaching Trachis they were hospitably received by Ceÿx. Heracles
-first defeated the Dryopes, and assisted the Dorian king Ægimius in his
-contest with the Lapithæ. He next engaged in his celebrated combat with
-Cycnus, the son of Ares, which took place at Iton, in the neighbourhood
-of the Gulf of Pagasæ. Heracles not only slew his opponent, but even
-wounded the god of war himself, who had come to the assistance of his
-son. This contest is the subject of the celebrated poem called the
-_Shield of Hercules_, which goes under the name of Hesiod.
-
-IV. DEATH AND APOTHEOSIS.—The death of Heracles, of which we learn most
-from the masterly description of Sophocles in the _Trachiniæ_, is
-generally supposed to have been connected with his expedition against
-Eurytus. The hero, who could not forget the ignominious treatment he had
-received at the hands of Eurytus, now marched with an army from Trachis
-against Œchalia. The town and citadel were taken by storm, and Eurytus
-and his sons slain; whilst the beautiful Iole, who was still unmarried,
-fell into the hands of the conqueror. Heracles now withdrew with great
-booty, but halted on the promontory of Cenæum, opposite the Locrian
-coast, to raise an altar and offer a solemn sacrifice of thanksgiving to
-his father Zeus. Deïanira, who was tormented with jealous misgivings
-concerning Iole, thought it was now high time to make use of the charm
-of Nessus. She accordingly sent her husband a white sacrificial garment,
-which she anointed with the ointment prepared from the blood of the
-Centaur. Heracles donned the garment without suspicion, but scarcely had
-the flames from the altar heated the poison than it penetrated the body
-of the unhappy hero. In the most fearful agony he strove to tear off the
-garment, but in vain, for it stuck like a plaster to his skin; and where
-he succeeded in rending it away by force, it tore out great pieces of
-his flesh at the same time. In his frenzy he seized the herald Lichas,
-the bearer of the unfortunate present, and violently dashed him in
-pieces against a rock of the sea. In this state Heracles was brought to
-Trachis, where he found that Deïanira, full of sorrow and despair on
-learning the consequences of her act, had put an end to her own life.
-Convinced that cure was hopeless, the dying hero proceeded from Trachis
-to Œta, and there erected a funeral pile on which to end his torments.
-None of those around him, however, would consent to set the pile on
-fire, until Pœas, the father of Philoctetes, happened to pass by, and
-rendered him the service, in return for which Heracles presented him
-with his bow and arrows. As the flames rose high, a cloud descended from
-heaven, and, amid furious peals of thunder, a chariot with four horses,
-driven by Athene, appeared and bore the illustrious hero to Olympus,
-where he was joyfully received by the gods. He here became reconciled to
-Hera, who gave him the hand of her beauteous daughter Hebe in marriage.
-
-V. HERACLES AS GOD.—We have already laid before our readers the most
-characteristic features of the myth. To interpret it and trace it back
-in all its details to the original sources would be, amid the mass of
-provincial and foreign legends with which it is amalgamated, almost
-impossible. Thus much is certain, however, that, apart from the
-conceptions which were engrafted on the story from Tyrian and Egyptian
-sources, even in the case of the Greek Heracles, myths based on natural
-phenomena are mixed up with historical and allegorical myths. The
-historic element, for instance, is apparent in the wars of Heracles
-against the Dryopes—against Augeas, Neleus, and Hippocoön. Here the
-exploits of the whole Dorian race are personified in the actions of the
-hero. On the other hand, in most of his single combats a symbolic
-meaning, derived from natural phenomena, is unmistakeable. Heracles, in
-fact, appears to have been, originally, a symbol of the power of the sun
-triumphing over the dark powers in nature. Driven from Argos by the
-worship of the Argive Hera, he first sank to the level of a hero, but
-was, subsequently, again raised to the dignity of a god. This occurred
-at a time when the gods of Greece had altogether cast aside their
-physical meaning; so that he was now regarded principally from an
-ethical point of view. He appears as a symbol of that lofty force of
-character which triumphs over all difficulties and obstacles. Poets and
-philosophers alike vied with each other in presenting him to the youth
-of their country in this character, pointing to his career as a
-brilliant example of what a man might accomplish, in spite of a thousand
-obstacles, by mere determination and force of will. The well-known
-allegory of the sophist Prodicus,[9] called “The Choice of Hercules,” is
-an instance of the mode in which the history of the hero was used to
-inculcate moral precepts.
-
-Footnote 9:
-
- Prodicus, a native of the island of Ceos, was an elder contemporary of
- Socrates. Like the latter, he taught in Athens, and met with a similar
- fate, having been condemned to death as an enemy of the popular
- religion and a corruptor of the Athenian youth.
-
-In the religious system of the Greeks, Heracles was specially honoured
-as the patron of the gymnasia; the gymnasium of Cynosarges in Athens
-being solely dedicated to him. After his deification, Heracles was also
-regarded in the character of a saviour and benefactor of his nation; as
-one who had not only merited the lasting gratitude of mankind by his
-deeds throughout an active and laborious life—in having rid the world of
-giants and noxious beasts, in having extinguished destructive forces of
-nature, and abolished human sacrifices and other barbarous institutions
-of antiquity—but also as a kindly and beneficent deity, ever ready to
-afford help and protection to mankind in the hour of need. In this
-character he was known by the names of Soter (Saviour) and Alexicacus
-(averter of evil). He had temples and festivals in various parts of
-Greece. In Marathon, which boasted of being the first seat of his
-worship, games were celebrated in his honour every four years, at which
-silver cups were given as prizes. The fourth day of every month was held
-sacred to him, this day being regarded as his birthday.
-
-We have already mentioned the legendary introduction of his worship into
-Rome.[10] Hercules, as he was called in Italy, was identified with the
-Italian hero Recaranus. He had an altar in the _Forum Boarium_,
-established, according to tradition, by Evander. The Roman poets, of
-course, devoted especial attention to the stories of his journey through
-Italy, and his fight with Cacus.
-
-Footnote 10:
-
- There seems ground for thinking that the Italian Hercules was properly
- a rural deity confounded with Heracles on account of the similarity of
- their names; while Recaranus properly corresponded with the great
- Heracles in meaning.
-
- In Heracles ancient art sought to portray the conception of gigantic
- bodily strength. He is, therefore, generally represented as a
- full-grown man—rarely as a child or youth. We may observe the manner
- in which the prominent idea of physical force is expressed by
- regarding the formation of the neck and throat in the statue of
- Heracles. Nothing can express better a bull-like strength than the
- short neck and the prominent muscles, especially if associated with
- a broad, deep chest. We shall be able to appreciate this distinctive
- character still more clearly if we compare the form of Heracles with
- that of the ideal god Apollo, whose neck is especially long and
- slender. The figure of Heracles is, moreover, characterised by a
- head small in comparison with the giant body; by curly hair, bushy
- eyebrows, and muscular arms and legs. This conception was
- principally developed by Myron and Lysippus. A statue of Heracles by
- the former artist played a part in connection with the art robberies
- of Verres in Sicily. Lysippus erected several celebrated statues of
- Heracles, the most remarkable of which was the bronze colossus in
- Tarentum, which the Romans, after the capture of that town,
- transferred to the Capitol. Thence it was brought, by order of
- Constantine, to his new capital of Constantinople, where it remained
- until the Latin crusade of 1202, when it was melted down. Lysippus
- portrayed in this statue a mourning Heracles, which no one had ever
- attempted before him. The hero appeared in a sitting posture,
- without his weapons, his left elbow resting on his left leg, while
- his head, full of thought and sorrow, rests on the open hand. The
- same artist, in a still greater work, depicted the twelve labours of
- Heracles. These formed a group which was originally executed for
- Alyzia, a seaport town of Acarnania, but which was, subsequently,
- likewise transferred to Rome.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 58.—Farnese Hercules.]
-
- First among existing statues is the Farnese Hercules (Fig. 58). This
- celebrated colossal statue, now in the Naples Museum, was discovered
- in 1540, on the site of the Thermæ of Caracalla. The hero is
- standing upright, resting his left shoulder on his club, from which
- hangs his lion’s skin. This attitude, as well as the head drooping
- towards the breast, and the gloomy gravity of his countenance,
- clearly show that the hero feels bowed down by the burden of his
- laborious life. Even the thought that he is soon to be released from
- his ignominious servitude (he holds behind him, in his right hand,
- the three apples of the Hesperides, the fruit of his last labour) is
- unable to cheer him, and his thoughts seem to revert only to the
- past. On account of the conception of the piece, and the existence
- of another copy bearing the name of Lysippus, the Farnese Hercules
- is supposed to be a copy of a work of Lysippus, of which nothing
- further is known.
-
- Still more important as a work of art, though it has reached us in a
- terribly mutilated condition—minus head, arms, and legs—is the
- celebrated Torso of Hercules, in the Vatican. This was found in Rome
- during the reign of Pope Julius II., on a spot where the theatre of
- Pompey, of which it was probably an ornament, once stood.
-
- _Groups._—Heracles in action was a still more favourite subject with
- artists, who delighted to portray the different scenes of his
- versatile life. Numberless representations of such scenes occur, not
- only in the form of statues and works in relief, but more especially
- on ancient vases. We mention here, in the chronological order of the
- events, some of the most important.
-
- _1. Heracles and the Serpents._—This scene was early depicted by the
- celebrated painter Zeuxis, who represented Heracles as strangling
- the serpents, whilst Alcmene and Amphitryon stood by in amazement.
- There are also several statues representing this feat, among which
- that at Florence takes the first rank. There is also a painting from
- Herculaneum in the Naples Museum.
-
- _2. The Twelve Labours._—These have naturally been treated of times
- out of number. We have already mentioned the groups of Lysippus,
- which he executed for the town of Alyzia. A still existing bronze
- statue in the Capitoline Museum, representing Heracles battling with
- the Hydra, appears to belong to this series. Among interesting
- remains are the metope reliefs on the Theseum at Athens. Ten on the
- east side of the temple represent scenes from the life of Heracles.
- Nine of them belong to the twelve labours, viz., the Nemean lion,
- the Hydra, the Arcadian hind, the Erymanthian boar, the horses of
- Diomedes, Cerberus, the girdle of Hippolyte, Geryon, and the
- Hesperides; whilst the tenth tablet represents his contest with
- Cycnus. The remains of the splendid temple of Zeus at Olympia, which
- was completed about 435 B.C., are less important. The metopes of the
- front and back of the temple contained six of the labours of
- Heracles. Those representing the contest with the Cretan bull, the
- dying lion, a portion from the fight with Geryon, and some other
- fragments, were found in 1829, and conveyed to the museum of the
- Louvre at Paris. The only one which is perfect, however, is the
- spirited and life-like representation of the struggle with the
- Cretan bull.
-
- _3. Parerga_ (_Subordinate Deeds_).—First among these come the
- scenes from his contest with the Centaurs, which were frequently
- treated of in art. Groups of these exist in the museum at Florence;
- there are also various representations to be found on vases. His
- adventure with Nessus is represented separately on a Pompeian
- painting in the Naples Museum; Nessus crouches in a humble posture
- before Heracles, who has the little Hyllus in his arms, and he
- appears to be asking permission to carry Deïanira across the stream.
- There is also an interesting representation of the release of
- Prometheus on the Sarcophagus of the Capitol, from the Villa
- Pamfili, which is, in other respects, also worthy of mention. The
- seizure of the tripod at Delphi is also frequently portrayed in art.
-
- _4. Heracles and Omphale._—Of the monuments referring to Heracles’
- connection with Omphale, the most important is the beautiful Farnese
- group in marble in the Naples Museum. Omphale has thrown the lion’s
- skin round her beautiful limbs, and holds in her right hand the
- hero’s club. Thus equipped, she smiles triumphantly at Heracles, who
- is clothed in female attire, with a distaff in his hand.
-
- _5. Heracles and Telephus._—The romantic history of Telephus was
- also frequently treated of in art. The Naples Museum possesses a
- fine painting, representing the discovery of the child after it has
- been suckled by the hind, on which occasion, strange to say,
- Heracles himself is present. In the Vatican Museum there is a fine
- marble group, representing Heracles with the child Telephus in his
- arms.
-
-
-=7. Attic Legend.=—_1. Cecrops._—Cecrops, the first founder of
-civilisation in Attica, plays a similar part here to that which Cadmus
-does in Thebes. Like Cadmus, he was afterwards called an immigrant;
-indeed he was said to have come from Sais in Lower Egypt. In his case,
-however, we are able to trace the rise of the erroneous tradition with
-far greater distinctness. Pure Attic tradition recognises him only as an
-autochthon—that is, an original inhabitant born of the earth; and
-further adds, that, like the giants, he was half man and half serpent.
-As the mythical founder of the state, he was also regarded as the
-builder of the citadel (Cecropia); and marriage, as well as other
-political and social institutions, were ascribed to him. Perhaps he is
-only a local personification of Hermes. The probability of this view is
-greatly enhanced by the fact that his three daughters, Herse, Aglaurus,
-and Pandrosus, received divine honours. It was under Cecrops that the
-celebrated contest occurred between Poseidon and Athene for the
-possession of Attica, and was by his means decided in favour of the
-goddess. We have already given an account of it, and need only here
-remark that the story is purely the result of the observation of natural
-phenomena. In Attica, in fact, there are only two seasons—a cold, wet,
-and rainy winter (Poseidon), and a warm, dry, genial summer (Pallas).
-These seem to be continually striving for the supremacy of the land.
-Cecrops was succeeded in the government by Cranaüs, who is represented
-by some as his son. The common mythological account places the flood of
-Deucalion in his reign. After the expulsion of Cranaüs, Amphictyon, one
-of the sons of Deucalion, succeeded to the sovereignty of Attica, of
-whom nothing more is known than that he was deprived of the government
-by Erechtheus.
-
-_2. Erechtheus, or Erichthonius._—Erechtheus, or Erichthonius, is really
-only a second Cecrops—the mythical founder of the state after the flood,
-as Cecrops was before it. Being also earthborn, he is, like Cecrops,
-endowed with a serpent’s form. There was another very sacred legend
-concerning him, which stated that Gæa (Ge), immediately after his birth,
-gave him to the goddess Pallas to nurse. The latter first entrusted him
-to the daughters of Cecrops, her attendants and priestesses, enclosed in
-a chest. The latter, however, prompted by curiosity, opened the chest,
-contrary to the commands of the goddess, and were punished in
-consequence with madness. Erichthonius was now reared by the goddess
-herself in her sanctuary on the citadel, and was subsequently made king
-of Athens. The same stories are then related of him as of Cecrops—that
-he regulated the state, introduced the worship of the gods, and settled
-the dispute between Poseidon and Athene.
-
-The tomb of Erechtheus was shown in the Erechtheum, the ancient temple
-dedicated to Athene Polias, where the never-dying olive tree created by
-the goddess was also preserved.
-
-Two among the daughters of Erechtheus are celebrated in legend. The
-first is Orithyia, who was carried off by Boreas, and became the mother
-of Calaïs and Zetes, whom we come across again in the story of the
-Argonauts; the other is Procris, the wife of the handsome hunter
-Cephalus, who was said to be a son of Hermes by Herse, the daughter of
-Cecrops. Cephalus was carried off by Eos, who was unable to shake his
-fidelity to his wife. It served, however, to excite the jealousy of the
-latter, which ultimately proved fatal to her. Procris had hidden herself
-among the bushes, in order to watch her husband, when Cephalus, taking
-her for a wild animal, unwittingly killed her. After the death of
-Erechtheus, the tragic poets relate that Ion, the mythical ancestor of
-the Ionians, ruled in Athens. This means nothing more than that the
-primitive Pelasgian age in Attica had now come to an end, and the
-dominion of the Ionians commenced.
-
-_3. Theseus._—Theseus is the national hero of the Ionians, just as
-Heracles is of the Æolians. He has not unjustly been called the second
-Heracles; and he has, indeed, many features in common with the Æolian
-hero, since the national jealousy of the Ionians led them to adopt every
-possible means of making their own hero rival that of their neighbours.
-They therefore strove to represent him, likewise, as a hero tried in
-numberless contests—generous, unselfish, and devoted to the interests of
-mankind—and of course ascribed to him a multitude of adventurous
-exploits. There is no great undertaking of antiquity in which Theseus is
-not supposed to have taken part, and he was even sent on an expedition
-to hell, in imitation of Heracles.
-
-He was the son of the Athenian king Ægeus, whom mythological tradition
-made a great-grandson of Erechtheus. After his father Pandion had been
-driven out by his relations, the sons of Metion, Ægeus betook himself to
-Megara, where he was hospitably received by the ruler, Pylas. From
-Megara, Ægeus, Pallas, Nisus, and Lycus, the sons of Pandion, undertook
-an expedition against Athens, which ended in the expulsion of the
-Metionidæ, and the restoration of the former royal family in the person
-of Ægeus. Such, at least, is the tradition; although it is more probable
-that Athens never had a king of this name, and that Ægeus (wave-man) is
-only a surname of Poseidon, the chief deity of the seafaring Ionians.
-Ægeus, though twice married, had no heir, and now undertook a journey to
-Delphi to seek the advice of the oracle. On his way back he stopped at
-the court of Pittheus, king of Trœzen, and became, by his daughter
-Æthra, the father of Theseus. Before his departure, he placed his sword
-and sandals beneath a heavy stone, and commanded Æthra to send his son
-to Athens as soon as he was able to move the stone and take his father’s
-sword. Theseus was carefully trained in music and gymnastics by the
-sagacious Pittheus, and soon developed into a stately youth. He is also
-supposed to have been educated by the Centaur Chiron, whose instruction
-had now become a necessary item in the education of a real hero.
-
-When Theseus was sixteen, his mother took him to the stone beneath which
-lay his father’s sword and sandals. With a slight effort he raised the
-stone, and thus entered on his heroic career. His earlier adventures
-consisted in overcoming a series of obstacles that beset him in his
-journey from Trœzen to Athens. They are generally supposed to have been
-six in number.
-
-1. Between Trœzen and Epidaurus he slew Periphetes, the son of
-Hephæstus—who was lame, like his father—because he was in the habit of
-murdering travellers with his iron club; whence he is called Corynetes,
-or club-bearer.
-
-2. He next delivered the Isthmus from another powerful robber called
-Sinis. He used to fasten travellers who fell into his hands to the top
-of a pine tree, which he bent to the earth, and then allowed to recoil;
-after which, on their reaching the ground, he would kill them outright;
-whence he is called Pityocamptes, or pine-bender. Theseus inflicted the
-same fate on him.
-
-3. In the woody district of Crommyon he destroyed a dangerous wild sow
-that laid waste the country.
-
-4. Not far from this, on the rock of Sciron, on the borders of Megara,
-dwelt another monster, called Sciron, who compelled travellers to wash
-his feet, and then kicked them into the sea. Theseus served him in a
-similar fashion.
-
-5. In the neighbourhood of Eleusis he vanquished the giant Cercyon, who
-compelled all who fell into his hands to wrestle with him.
-
-6. His last combat awaited him on the confines of Eleusis, where dwelt
-the inhuman Damastes. This monster used to lay his victims in a bed: if
-this was too short, he would hack off their projecting limbs; if too
-long, he would beat out and pull asunder their limbs, whence he is
-called Procrustes. He was also slain by Theseus.
-
-On reaching Athens, he found his father Ægeus in the toils of the
-dangerous sorceress Medea, who had fled from Corinth to Athens. She was
-on the point of making away with the newcomer by poison, when Ægeus,
-fortunately, recognised him by the sword he bore, and preserved him from
-his impending fate.
-
-Medea was compelled to flee; but a new danger awaited the hero from the
-fifty sons of Pallas, who had reckoned on succeeding their childless
-uncle Ægeus. Theseus, however, slew some in battle and expelled the
-rest.
-
-He now undertook his greatest and most adventurous feat, in order to
-free his country from its shameful tribute to Minos, king of Crete,
-whose son, the youthful hero Androgeos, had been treacherously murdered
-by the Athenians and Megareans. Another account says that he was sent by
-Ægeus against the bull of Marathon, and thus slain. At any rate, Minos
-undertook a war of revenge. He first marched against Megara, of which
-Nisus, the brother of Ægeus, was king. Minos conquered him by means of
-his own daughter Scylla, who became enamoured of Minos, and cut off from
-her father’s head the purple lock on which his life depended. After
-having taken Megara and slain Nisus, Minos marched against Athens. Here
-he was equally successful, and compelled the vanquished Athenians to
-expiate the blood of his son by sending, every eight or (according to
-the Greek method of reckoning) every nine years, seven youths and seven
-maidens to be devoured by the Minotaur. This was a monster, half man and
-half bull. Twice already had the bloody tribute been sent, and the third
-fell just after Theseus’ arrival in Athens; he at once bravely offered
-to go among the allotted victims. He was resolved to do battle with the
-Minotaur, and to stake his life on the liberation of his country from
-the shameful tribute. Under the guidance of Aphrodite he passed over to
-Crete, and soon discovered the efficacy of her protection. The goddess
-kindled a passionate love for the hero in the breast of Ariadne, the
-daughter of Minos. Ariadne rendered him every possible assistance in his
-undertaking, and especially presented him with a clew of thread, by
-means of which Theseus, after having slain the Minotaur, was enabled to
-find his way out of the Labyrinth. We have already narrated how Ariadne
-was deserted by Theseus on the isle of Naxos, only to become the bride
-of Dionysus, the divine son of Semele. Theseus also landed at Delos,
-where he instituted the festival of the Delia in honour of the divine
-children of Leto. On reaching Athens, he showed his gratitude to his
-divine protectress by the institution of the worship of Aphrodite
-Pandemus. In honour of Dionysus and Ariadne, he instituted the
-Oschophoria, in which festival Athene also had a share. Lastly, in
-honour of Apollo, he instituted the Pyanepsia, a festival which was
-celebrated on the seventh day of the month Pyanepsion (end of October).
-
-The happy return of Theseus from his Cretan expedition, however, proved
-the death of his aged father. Ægeus, as he stood on the coast looking
-for his son’s return, perceived that the ships had black sails instead
-of white, which were to have been hoisted in the event of his son’s
-success; and believing that all was lost, he cast himself headlong into
-the sea. This story was perhaps only invented to account for the name of
-the Ægean Sea.
-
-With regard to the other exploits of Theseus, there exists the greatest
-variety of accounts as to the order in which they took place. As king,
-he is said to have been the first to unite the separate districts of
-Attica into one political community, with one state Prytaneum, and to
-have instituted the festival of the Panathenæa in commemoration of this
-event. The following, among his later exploits, are worthy of mention:—
-
-1. He captured the bull of Marathon (said to have been the same which
-Heracles brought alive from Crete), and sacrificed it in Athens to
-Apollo Delphinius.
-
-2. He assisted his friend Pirithoüs, the prince of the Lapithæ, in his
-contest with the Centaurs.
-
-3. He undertook with Pirithoüs an expedition to Lacedæmon, in which they
-carried off Helen, the sister of the Dioscuri.
-
-4. At the request of Pirithoüs, he accompanied him to the lower world to
-carry off Persephone; but Hades, enraged at their audacity, caused them
-both to be bound in chains and fastened to a rock. Theseus was rescued
-from this plight by Heracles, but during his absence the Dioscuri had
-released their sister from Aphidnæ, where she was confined.
-
-5. He next joined Heracles in his expedition against the Amazons, and
-received, as the reward of victory, their queen Antiope, or Hippolyte.
-Another tradition asserts that Antiope followed him of her own free will
-to Athens, where she was married to him, and became the mother of
-Hippolytus, famed for his unhappy fate. His great beauty caused his
-step-mother Phædra, a later wife of Theseus, and a sister of Ariadne, to
-fall in love with him. As he withdrew himself from her dishonourable
-proposals by flight, she accused him to his father of attempts on her
-virtue. Theseus, in his wrath, besought Poseidon to punish his faithless
-son; and the god, who had sworn to grant any request of Theseus, sent a
-wild bull (_i.e._, a breaker) out of the sea as Hippolytus was driving
-in his chariot along the sea-shore. This so terrified his horses that
-Hippolytus was thrown from his chariot, and dragged along the ground
-till he was dead. This story—the scene of which was afterwards
-transferred to Trœzen, whither Theseus was supposed to have fled on
-account of a murder—was dealt with in a touching manner by the tragic
-poets. The _Hippolytus_ of Euripides is still extant.
-
-6. As a result of the carrying off of Antiope, a second contest with the
-Amazons was subsequently invented, in which Theseus was engaged alone,
-and which took place in the immediate neighbourhood of Athens. The
-Amazons are supposed to have invaded Attica, in order to release their
-queen. Antiope, however, was so enamoured of Theseus that she refused to
-return, and fought at her husband’s side, against her kindred, until she
-was slain.
-
-Lastly, Theseus is said to have taken part in the Calydonian boar hunt,
-and also in the expedition of the Argonauts, of which we shall have more
-to say hereafter.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 59.—Elgin Theseus. British Museum.]
-
-The death of Theseus is commonly agreed to have taken place in the
-following manner:—He had been deprived of the sovereignty of Athens by
-Menestheus, who was aided by the Dioscuri; and then withdrew to the
-island of Scyros. Here he was at first hospitably received, but
-subsequently murdered in a treacherous manner by Lycomedes, the ruler of
-the island. Demophoön, the son of Theseus, is said to have afterwards
-recovered his father’s kingdom. At a still later period the bones of the
-hero were brought to Athens by Cimon, at the command of the Delphic
-oracle. Cimon is also supposed to have caused the erection of the temple
-of Theseus, which still exists in Athens, and serves as an art museum.
-The eighth day of every month was held sacred to Theseus, besides which
-he had a special festival, called the Thesea, on the eighth of
-Pyanepsion.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 60.—Theseus Lifting the Rock. Relief in the Villa
-Albani.]
-
- Art has followed the example of the poets and mythologists in
- depicting Theseus as a second Heracles. Here, however, the
- characteristic differences that existed between the Doric and Ionic
- races become apparent. Just as the latter race surpassed the former
- in elasticity, both of mind and body, so their national hero gives
- token not only of a higher intellectual being, but also of a body
- more lithe, and capable of greater swiftness and dexterity, than
- that of the Doric hero. The slighter and more elegant form of
- Theseus lacks, perhaps, the sheer brute strength of Heracles, but is
- compensated by the possession of a far greater degree of activity
- and adroitness. The expression of face is more amiable and the hair
- less bristling than that of Heracles, while there is generally no
- beard. Such is Theseus as depicted by Greek art at the epoch of its
- full development; later art strove to render the form of the body
- still more lithe and graceful. The costume of Theseus consists, like
- that of his prototype Heracles, of a lion’s skin and club; sometimes
- also of the chlamys and petasus of the Attic youth. Existing art
- monuments are far less numerous in his case than in that of
- Heracles. If the explanation is correct, the British Museum
- possesses a Theseus of priceless value. Among the statues of the
- Parthenon which have been preserved, there is one of a figure
- negligently reclining on a lion’s skin, which, with the exception of
- the nose, hands, and feet, is in a tolerably good state of
- preservation (Fig. 59). It belonged to the great group of the east
- gable, which represented the first appearance of the new-born Athene
- to the astonished gods. It is the figure of a youth in his prime,
- somewhat larger than life, and altogether a perfect ideal of manly
- beauty.
-
- A representation of the conflict of Theseus with the invading army
- of the Amazons still exists on a large piece of frieze-work, which,
- together with the representations of the battle of the Lapithæ and
- Centaurs (which have been already mentioned), formerly decorated the
- walls of the shrine of Apollo’s temple in Phigalia, and is now the
- property of the British Museum. Among the Greek warriors Theseus may
- be easily recognised by his lion’s skin and the club, which he is in
- the act of swinging against a mounted Amazon, probably the leader of
- the hostile army. We give an engraving of the scene where Theseus
- obtained the sword and sandals of his father from beneath the rock,
- after a relief in the Villa Albani (Fig. 60).
-
-
-=8. Cretan Legend.=—_1. Minos and the Minotaur._—Cretan myths are both
-obscure and difficult of interpretation, because Phœnician and Phrygian
-influences made themselves felt at a very early period, and native
-sources fail us. Minos is commonly supposed to have been the first king
-of the country. He was the son of Zeus and Europa, who is called in
-Homer a daughter of Phœnix. This Phœnix was subsequently made into
-Agenor, a Phœnician, king of Sidon; and the story then arose that Zeus,
-in the form of a white bull, had carried off Europa, and arrived with
-his lovely prey in Crete. Europa is there said to have given birth to
-Minos, Rhadamanthys (Rhadamanthus), and some say Sarpedon. She
-afterwards married Asterion, who brought up the sons of Zeus as his own
-children, and, at his death, left the kingdom to Minos. He, after
-expelling his brothers Sarpedon and Rhadamanthus, became sole king of
-Crete. Of his brothers, Sarpedon went to Lycia, whilst the pious
-Rhadamanthus found a refuge in Bœotia. Minos next married Pasiphaë, a
-daughter of Helios and Perseïs, by whom he became the father of Catreus,
-who succeeded him, Deucalion, Glaucus, and Androgeos, besides several
-daughters, of whom the most celebrated are Ariadne and Phædra. Minos
-gave wise laws to his people, and became supreme at sea among the isles
-of the Ægean Sea, and even as far as Attica. In his name we find the
-same root (meaning “to think”) which we have seen in Minerva, and which
-appears in the name of the Indian lawgiver Manu.
-
-In order to vindicate his right to the crown, Minos besought Poseidon to
-send him a bull out of the sea, which he was then to sacrifice to the
-god. Poseidon granted his prayer, but Minos was induced by the beauty of
-the animal to place it among his own herds. As a punishment of his
-perfidy, Poseidon kindled in the breast of Pasiphaë an unnatural love
-for the bull, and the fruit of their connection was the Minotaur. This
-was a monster, half man and half bull, which Minos shut up in the
-labyrinth that had been made by the skill of Dædalus. The food of the
-monster consisted of human beings, who were partly criminals and partly
-youths and maidens, sent as tribute from the subjugated countries. This
-lasted until Theseus came to Crete, and, with the aid of Ariadne and
-Dædalus, destroyed the Minotaur. Such is the substance of this
-perplexing mythical tradition, of which the simplest interpretation is
-that the Minotaur was originally an ancient idol of the Phœnician
-sun-god Baal, which had the form of a bull, and to which human
-sacrifices were offered. The destruction of the Minotaur by Theseus is a
-symbol of the triumph of the higher Greek civilisation over Phœnician
-barbarism, and the consequent abolition of human sacrifices.
-
-Closely connected with the royal family of Crete we find Dædalus, the
-most celebrated artist of the legendary period. He is said to have been
-a son of Metion, and a descendant of Erechtheus, and to have fled from
-Athens to Crete after murdering his nephew Talus in a fit of
-professional jealousy. During his residence in Crete he constructed the
-Labyrinth, an underground building with an endless maze of passages, as
-a dwelling-place for the Minotaur; besides many other wonderful works of
-art. For having aided Theseus in his combat with the Minotaur, Dædalus
-and his son Icarus were both imprisoned in the Labyrinth of Minos. The
-story of his flight, which he accomplished by means of the artificial
-wings that he made for himself and his son, is well known from the
-_Metamorphoses_ of Ovid. Icarus fell into the sea that is named after
-him, and was drowned, but Dædalus reached Cumæ in safety. From this
-place he passed over to Sicily, where he was hospitably received by
-Cocalus. When Minos, however, pursued the fugitive and demanded his
-surrender, not only was his request refused, but he was even put to
-death by the contrivance of the king’s daughters.
-
-Of the other sons of Minos, Deucalion is celebrated as having taken part
-in the Calydonian boar hunt, and also as the father of the hero
-Idomeneus, who fought against Troy. Glaucus was killed, while yet a boy,
-by falling into a cask of honey as he was pursuing a mouse. He is
-reported, however, to have been restored to life by the Corinthian augur
-Polyidus, or, according to others, by Asclepius himself.
-
-_2. Talos._—The legend of Talos, the brazen man, betrays likewise a
-Phœnician origin, and refers to the cruel practice of offering human
-sacrifices. This Talos was made of brass, and was invulnerable.
-Hephæstus, or, as others say, Zeus gave him to Minos as guardian of the
-island of Crete, round which he travelled thrice a-day. If he perceived
-any strangers approach he would spring into the fire, and, after
-becoming red-hot, he would clasp them to his breast, until they expired
-beneath the sardonic chuckle of the demon. He attempted to drive off the
-Argonauts with stones, but was destroyed by the skill of Medea. Talos
-had a single vein, which ran from his head to his feet, and was closed
-at the top with a nail. This nail Medea cleverly succeeded in
-extracting, in consequence of which Talos bled to death.
-
-
- IV.—COMBINED UNDERTAKINGS OF THE LATER HEROIC AGE.
-
-
-=1. The Calydonian Hunt.=—The story of Meleager and the Calydonian boar
-hunt was undoubtedly, in its origin, nothing more than a provincial myth
-based on natural phenomena, like other myths that we have already
-explained. In this case the physical significance involved in the myth
-soon disappeared, owing to the treatment it received at the hands of the
-epic and dramatic poets. The poets, in fact, succeeded in introducing
-some striking ethical conceptions, which absorbed all higher interest.
-
-Œneus, king of Calydon in Ætolia, on the occasion of a great festival
-which was celebrated after a successful vintage, had accidentally or
-purposely omitted to sacrifice to Artemis. To punish this neglect she
-sent a huge wild boar, which devastated the fields of Calydon, and
-seemed invincible by any ordinary means on account of its vast size.
-Meleager, the brave and heroic son of Œneus, therefore assembled men and
-hounds in great number to slay it. The boar was slain; but Artemis
-stirred up strife over the head and hide between the Ætolians and the
-Curetes of Pleuron. At first the former were victorious; but when
-Meleager withdrew in wrath from the battle because his mother had cursed
-him for the death of her brother, they were no longer able to keep the
-field, and soon saw their city closely invested by their enemies. In
-vain did the elders and priests of Calydon beseech Meleager; in vain did
-his father, sisters, and even mother beseech him to aid his hard-pressed
-countrymen. Like Achilles in the Trojan war, when he was wroth with
-Agamemnon on account of the loss of Briseis, Meleager long refused to
-stir. At last his wife—the beautiful Cleopatra—succeeded in moving him.
-He donned his armour, and put himself at the head of his countrymen for
-a sally against the besiegers. Brilliant, indeed, was the victory of the
-men of Calydon; but the hero Meleager did not return from the battle,
-for the cruel Erinyes, who had heard his mother’s curse, destroyed him
-with the arrows of Apollo.
-
-Such is the earliest form of the legend, as it exists in the _Iliad_. In
-time, however, Meleager was said to have called together against the
-boar all the renowned heroes of Greece. Among others there came the
-Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux; Theseus and his friend Pirithoüs; Idas and
-Lynceus, the sons of Aphareus; Admetus of Pheræ; Jason, from Iolcus;
-Iphicles and Iolaüs, from Thebes; Peleus, the father of Achilles;
-Telamon, from Salamis; Ancæus and the beautiful huntress Atalante
-(Atalanta), from Arcadia; besides the soothsayer Amphiaraüs, from Argos.
-After Œneus had entertained his guests royally for nine days, the hunt
-began, and the huge beast, which was as large as an ox, was surrounded
-and driven from its lair. Atalante, the swift huntress, was the first to
-inflict a wound. Ancæus then advanced with his battle-axe, but the
-enraged beast, with one stroke of his dreadful tusks, tore open his body
-and killed him on the spot. At length the monster received a mortal
-wound from a spear hurled by the powerful arm of Meleager, and was soon
-despatched by the rest. Meleager received as his due the head and hide
-of the slaughtered animal, but resigned the prize to Atalante, of whom
-he was enamoured, on the ground that she was the first to wound the
-boar. This act excited the bitter jealousy of Plexippus and Toxeus, the
-sons of Thestius, king of Pleuron, and brothers of Althæa, the mother of
-Meleager. They accordingly lay in wait for Atalante, and robbed her of
-the present. Enraged at this, Meleager slew them both. But Meleager’s
-death, though caused by the wrath of his mother, was worked out
-differently in the time of the tragic poets. The Fates had appeared to
-Althæa, soon after the birth of Meleager, and informed her that her son
-would only live until a certain brand, which was then burning on the
-fire, was consumed. Althæa immediately snatched the brand from the
-flames and carefully treasured it up. After Meleager had slain her
-brothers, in the first outburst of grief and indignation against her
-son, she placed the brand again in the fire, and thus cut off the noble
-hero in the prime of his youth and beauty. Althæa, on learning the
-unhappy fate of her son, full of sorrow for her hasty deed, put an end
-to her own life.
-
-
-=2. The Argonauts.=—The story of the Argonauts experienced a similar
-fate to that of the Calydonian hunt. It was originally nothing but a
-myth based on natural phenomena; but in the hands of the poets it
-swelled to a mass of legends common to all the tribes of Greece, the
-nucleus of which was the history of the golden fleece. Athamas, the son
-of Æolus, was king of the Minyæ. He put away his first wife, Nephele
-(cloud), in order to marry Ino, the daughter of Cadmus; though he still
-kept Phrixus (rain-shower) and Helle (ray of light), his children by
-Nephele, with him. By Ino he had two other children, Learchus and
-Melicertes, whom their mother naturally preferred to her stepchildren,
-and for whose sake she endeavoured to drive the latter from their
-father’s house. Soon afterwards, either at the command of Nephele, whom
-some represent as a goddess, or in consequence of her prayers for the
-punishment of Athamas, the land was visited with a long drought, and Ino
-persuaded her husband to sacrifice Phrixus as a sin-offering to Zeus, in
-order to put an end to the calamity. Whether Helle was to have shared
-her brother’s fate we cannot tell, for, before Ino could accomplish her
-purpose, Nephele came to the assistance of her children, and gave them a
-winged ram with a golden fleece, which Hermes had presented to her for
-that purpose. Seated on this ram they fled over the sea to Colchis. On
-the way Helle fell into that part of the sea which bears her name, and
-was drowned, but Phrixus arrived safely in Colchis (Æa), where he
-sacrificed the ram to Zeus, who had preserved him in his flight. The
-fleece he hung up in the grove of Ares as a sacred treasure, setting
-over it a terrible, ever-watchful dragon as its guardian. To fetch this
-treasure from a foreign land, and thereby to release the country and
-people of the Minyæ from the calamity with which they were oppressed,
-was the task of the heroes of the race of Æolus. Athamas was so grieved
-at the evil he had brought on his country that he became insane, and
-sought to slay Ino and her children. He did, indeed, kill Learchus by
-dashing him against a rock, but Ino succeeded in saving herself and her
-younger child Melicertes by leaping into the sea (_cf._ Ino Leucothea).
-Athamas then fled to Epirus, and the kingdom devolved on his brother
-Cretheus. Cretheus married Tyro, the daughter of his younger brother
-Salmoneus, king of Elis. Tyro bore him three sons, the eldest of whom,
-Æson, succeeded his father in the kingdom, but was soon after expelled
-by his step-brother Pelias, who is described as a son of Tyro and
-Poseidon. Æson with difficulty managed to rescue his little son Jason
-from the hands of Pelias, and brought him to the Centaur Chiron to be
-educated. In Chiron’s cave the young hero grew up, a favourite with gods
-and men. After completing his twentieth year, he betook himself to
-Iolcus to demand of his uncle his rightful inheritance. Pelias, not
-daring to use violence to the sturdy youth, endeavoured to get rid of
-his unwelcome guest by involving him in a most dangerous adventure. He
-declared that he would gladly resign the crown if Jason would recover
-the golden fleece from Colchis. Jason, like a true hero, at once
-accepted the perilous adventure. In the harbour of Iolcus he caused a
-large ship with fifty oars to be constructed, which he called the
-“Argo,” after its builder, Argus. He then called together the heroes,
-who had consented at his invitation to take part in the expedition. In
-the original version of the story, the expedition was stated to have
-been undertaken only by the heroes of the race of the Minyæ—such as
-Acastus, Admetus, and Periclymenus. At a later period, however—when the
-date of the expedition had been fixed at one generation before the
-Trojan war—no hero of any note was allowed to be absent from the
-undertaking. In this manner were added the Dioscuri, the sons of Boreas,
-Calaïs and Zetes, Telamon, Peleus, Meleager, Tydeus, Iphitus, Theseus,
-Orpheus, Amphiaraüs, and even Heracles. In the last case, the
-incongruity of allowing the hero to play only a subordinate part was
-soon felt, and his name was withdrawn. He was said to have been left
-behind in Mysia, where he had landed in order to search for his
-favourite Hylas, who had been carried off by the Naiads. The number of
-the Argonauts was finally computed at fifty, tallying with the number of
-oars.
-
-The expedition proceeded from Iolcus to Lemnos, and thence through the
-Hellespont to Cyzicus, where they were kindly received by the Doliones.
-From Cyzicus they proceeded to Bithynia, where they were opposed by the
-Bebryces, whose king, Amycus, was slain by Pollux in a boxing match.
-Their greatest difficulty lay in the passage of the Bosporus, there
-being at the entrance of the Pontus (Black Sea) two terrible rocks,
-which were in constant motion—now retreating to the shore on either
-side, now hastily dashing together again; whence they were called the
-Symplegades. This occurred so rapidly that even the swiftest vessel had
-not time enough to get through. The Argonauts were in great perplexity.
-At length the blind seer Phineus, who dwelt in Thracian Salmydessus, and
-whose gratitude they won by delivering him from the Harpies who had
-tormented him, assisted them with his advice. By means of a stratagem he
-recommended they were enabled to bring the Argo through without any
-considerable damage, after which the Symplegades remained stationary.
-After this they stood along the south coast towards their destination,
-which, in the original legend, appears to have been the utterly fabulous
-Æa, subsequently converted into Colchis. This was the residence of the
-mighty king Æetes, a son of the sun-god. To rob him, either by craft or
-by violence, of the golden fleece was the task of Jason, the leader of
-the Argonauts.
-
-The second prominent character in the story, Medea, the daughter of
-Æetes, now makes her appearance. It was, in fact, only through her love
-that Jason was enabled to surmount the vast obstacles which stood
-between him and the possession of the golden fleece. When the hero
-demanded the fleece of Æetes, the latter declared that he would deliver
-it up to him after he had accomplished two tasks. The first was to
-harness two brazen-footed, fire-breathing bulls, which Æetes had
-received from Hephæstus, to a plough, and with them to till an
-uncultivated field. The second was to sow in the furrows the dragon’s
-teeth that Æetes would give him, and to destroy the armed men which
-would then spring up. Jason’s heart failed him on hearing these
-conditions, but Medea, who was an enchantress and priestess of Hecate,
-was equal to the occasion. She gave the hero a magic salve to protect
-him against the fiery breath of the bulls and to endow him with
-invincible strength, which enabled him to accomplish his first task
-successfully. In the case of the armed men who sprang from the dragon’s
-teeth, by the advice of Medea he followed the example of Cadmus, and
-cast among them a heavy stone, whereupon in blind fury they turned their
-arms against each other, and were all destroyed.
-
-The conditions imposed upon him by Æetes were thus accomplished; but the
-king, who perceived that Jason had only succeeded through the aid of his
-daughter, made this a pretext for refusing to surrender the fleece.
-Jason then removed it by night from the grove of Ares, after Medea had,
-by means of her enchantments, lulled the watchful dragon to sleep. That
-same night the Argonauts embarked on board their ship and put to sea,
-Medea accompanying them as the future wife of Jason. The wrathful Æetes
-attempted to overtake the fugitives, but Medea succeeded in staying the
-pursuit by slaying her younger brother Apsyrtus, whom she had brought
-with her, and scattering his limbs in the sea.
-
-The most diverse accounts exist as to the road taken by the Argonauts on
-their homeward journey. Some say that they sailed up the Phasis to the
-Eastern Sea, and then, passing through the Red Sea and Libyan desert,
-over which they had to carry the Argo twelve days’ journey, came to Lake
-Tritonis, and thence to the Mediterranean. According to another account,
-they sought to pass through the Ister (Danube) and Eridanus (Po) to the
-Western Ocean; but the object of this account was manifestly to subject
-them to the same vicissitudes and adventures as Odysseus and his
-companions.
-
-At length Jason landed happily in Iolcus, and delivered the golden
-fleece into the hands of his uncle. Pelias, however, still refused to
-surrender the kingdom to Jason, and Medea therefore determined to make
-away with him by craft. Having persuaded the daughters of Pelias that
-she possessed a means of making the old man young again, she directed
-them to slay their father, cut him in pieces, and boil the limbs in a
-cauldron filled with all manner of herbs; this they did in the vain
-expectation of seeing him restored to youth. Jason now took possession
-of his father’s kingdom, but was soon afterwards expelled by Acastus,
-the son of Pelias, and took refuge in Corinth. His subsequent
-misfortunes are well known. Thinking to better his condition, he was
-about to marry Creüsa, the daughter of the king of Corinth, when he was
-arrested by the fearful vengeance of his first wife. Medea sent the
-bride a poisoned garment, which caused her to die an agonising death,
-and then slew her own children by Jason; after which she fled in her
-chariot drawn by winged dragons to Athens, where she long found
-protection at the court of Ægeus. Jason either put an end to his own
-life, or was killed by the fall of a rotten beam of the Argo.
-
-In the history of the golden fleece we have one of the most widely
-spread myths of all, namely, that of the loss and recovery of a
-treasure. In Teutonic tradition we have the treasure of the Nibelungs,
-in which the very name is almost identical; and if we include the
-stories of women carried off and rescued, the list becomes endless. And
-the treasure of all those stories has been interpreted to be the golden
-clouds. The Dragon which guards the treasure again appears in the story
-of the apples of the Hesperides, and is closely allied to the Sphinx.
-
-
-=3. The Theban Cycle.=—The highly tragic history of the Theban house of
-the Labdacidæ, teeming as it does with important characters and events,
-has at all times furnished subjects for Greek art and poetry, and has
-given birth to a whole series of epic and dramatic works. The former,
-which would have conduced far more to an exact acquaintance with the
-legend, have, unfortunately, perished, with the exception of a few
-unimportant fragments; although many important works of the great tragic
-poets, Æschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, relating to the subject,
-still remain. The common account runs thus:—Laius, a great-grandson of
-Cadmus, was warned by the oracle to beget no children, as he was doomed
-to perish by the hands of his son, who would then marry his mother. When
-his wife Iocaste gave birth to a son, Laius accordingly exposed the
-child, with its feet pierced, on Mount Cithæron. The child, called
-Œdipus from the swelling of its feet, did not die, but was found by some
-Corinthian shepherds, who brought it to Polybus, king of Corinth.
-Polybus, having no children of his own, adopted Œdipus, who grew up in
-the belief that Polybus and Merope were his real parents, until one day
-a taunt of his companions as to his mysterious origin raised doubts in
-his mind. In order to solve his misgivings, he went to consult the
-oracle of Delphi, but he here received only the obscure direction not to
-return to his country, since, if he did, he would kill his father and
-marry his mother. Fearing on this account to return to Corinth, he took
-the road to Thebes, and thus, by his presumptuous prudence, brought
-about the very consequences he was so anxious to avoid. On the road he
-was met by Laius, who was on his way to the oracle to ask its advice
-concerning the Sphinx. A quarrel arose, in a narrow defile, between
-Laius and Œdipus; and Œdipus slew his father without knowing who he was.
-On arriving at Thebes he succeeded in delivering the country from the
-Sphinx. This monster, which had the combined form of a woman and a lion,
-had been sent by Hera, whom Laius had in some way offended, from
-Ethiopia to devastate the land of Thebes. Seated on a rock close to the
-town, she put to every one that passed by a riddle, and whoever was
-unable to solve it, she cast from the rock into a deep abyss. This
-calamity induced Creon, on the death of his brother-in-law Laius, to
-proclaim that whoever solved the riddle should obtain the crown and the
-hand of Iocaste. Œdipus succeeded in solving it, and thus delivered the
-country from the monster, who cast herself into the abyss.
-
-The Sphinx belongs to the same family as many of the monsters we have
-spoken of already; she is called by Hesiod the child of Orthros and
-Chimæra, whom we have seen to be the daughter of Typhon and Echidna. It
-would seem, therefore, probable that the contest between her and her
-opponent may be interpreted in the same way as that of Bellerophon and
-the Chimæra, or of Zeus and Typhon. In support of this, the following
-considerations may be adduced. Since we know that thunder was supposed
-to be a warning or encouragement to men, it is easy to see in it the
-mysterious voice of the cloud, only intelligible to the wisest of men.
-Hence the conqueror of the cloud was called the man who understood her
-language. (It would not a little help this idea, that Œdipus might seem
-derived from a word meaning “to know.”) Then the death of the Sphinx
-will be the cloud falling upon the earth in the shape of rain. Œdipus,
-on the other hand, will be the same antagonist as we have before seen
-victorious over the cloud dragons; the sun, born helpless, rising to
-take the kingdom after the slaughter of his enemies, yet at last sinking
-blinded into an unknown grave. This, however, does not cover the crimes
-laid to his charge. But they have been explained in this way: that when
-people lost consciousness of the real meaning of the misfortunes of
-Œdipus, they cast about for some adequate cause, and found one in the
-two great crimes of incest and parricide. We have seen something similar
-to this in the case of Ixion. Further, the names of the wives assigned
-by various writers to Œdipus are connected with the light, and the name
-Laius has been interpreted as “enemy” of the light. Sphinx itself
-signifies “throttler.”
-
- In art, the Sphinx had the form of a lion, generally in a recumbent
- position, with the breast and upper part of a beautiful woman. When
- the Greeks saw similar figures in Egypt, they naturally gave them
- the name of Sphinx. But name, family, and meaning of the Sphinx are
- alike Greek, although the Egyptian statues have taken too firm
- possession of the name ever to lose it. Ancient Egyptian art
- revelled in the creation of colossal Sphinxes, which were carved out
- of granite. A notable example of this kind exists in the giant
- Sphinx near the Pyramids of Gizeh, which is eighty-nine feet long.
- From such monstrous figures as these, Greek art held aloof.
-
-Œdipus was rewarded with the sovereignty of Thebes and the hand of
-Iocaste; and for several years he enjoyed uninterrupted happiness,
-surrounded by four blooming children, the fruit of his incestuous
-marriage. By the secret agency of the goddess, the dreadful truth was at
-length discovered. Iocaste hanged herself, and Œdipus, in despair, put
-out his own eyes. Not content with this voluntary penance, the
-hard-hearted Thebans compelled him besides to leave their city and
-country, while his sons Eteocles and Polynices, who were now grown up,
-refused to stir a foot in their father’s behalf. Œdipus, after invoking
-bitter curses on their heads, withdrew, and, guided by his faithful
-daughter Antigone, at last found an asylum in the grove of the Eumenides
-at Colonus, near Athens. His grave there was regarded, in consequence of
-an ancient response of the oracle, as a national treasure.
-
-The curse of their father took effect on his unnatural sons. The elder,
-Eteocles, drove out his brother Polynices, who then sought the
-assistance of Adrastus, king of Argos. Adrastus was a grandson of Bias,
-of the race of the Amythaonidæ, and by his marriage with the daughter of
-the wealthy Polybus acquired the sovereignty of Sicyon. He not only
-hospitably received the fugitive Polynices, but gave him his daughter in
-marriage, and promised to assist him in recovering the crown of Thebes.
-In this expedition Adrastus sought to gain the aid of the other Argive
-heroes. They all declared their readiness to accompany him, with the
-exception of Amphiaraüs, his brother-in-law, who was equally renowned
-for his wisdom and courage. Amphiaraüs was a great-grandson of the
-celebrated seer Melampus, and inherited from him the gift of prophecy.
-He was thus enabled to perceive the disastrous termination of the war,
-and strove to hinder it. But Polynices and the fiery Tydeus—likewise a
-son-in-law of Adrastus—were so unceasing in their entreaties, that he at
-length sought to escape their importunity by flight. Polynices, however,
-bribed his wife Eriphyle, by the present of a magnificent necklace,
-which had formerly been given to Harmonia on the occasion of her
-marriage with Cadmus, to betray his place of concealment. Hereupon
-Amphiaraüs was obliged unwillingly to join the expedition, which ended
-as he had prophesied. The attack on Thebes was not only repulsed, but
-all the Argive leaders, with the exception of Adrastus, who was saved by
-the fleetness of his horse, were slain. Polynices and Eteocles fell in
-single combat with each other. The flight of Adrastus to Attica, where
-he procured the assistance of Theseus in compelling the Thebans to grant
-the fallen heroes a solemn burial, is a feature unknown to the original
-legend, and may be ascribed to the patriotic impulses of the Athenian
-dramatists. The celebrated tragedy of Sophocles, called _Antigone_, is
-based on the assumption that Creon, the new king of Thebes, allowed the
-burial of the other heroes, but left Polynices to lie unburied on the
-field like a dog, and condemned Antigone to death because she ventured
-to bury her brother in despite of his command. Creon was destined to
-meet with a dreadful retribution, for his own son, who was betrothed to
-Antigone, killed himself in grief at her fate.
-
-Ten years later, the sons of the fallen heroes are said to have combined
-with Ægialeus, the son of Adrastus, to avenge their fathers’ defeat.
-This expedition has therefore been called the war of the Epigoni
-(descendants), and not being undertaken, like that of their fathers, in
-manifest opposition to the will of the gods, proved successful.
-Laodamas, the savage son of Eteocles, who was now king of Thebes, was
-defeated in a decisive battle near Thebes, and, after Ægialeus had
-fallen by his hands, was himself slain by Alcmæon, the son of
-Amphiaraüs. The Thebans were unable any longer to hold their city, and,
-following the advice of the blind seer Tiresias, they withdrew under the
-cover of darkness and mist. The aged Tiresias expired on the road, at
-the fountain of Tilphusa; of the rest, some took refuge in Thessalia,
-and some sought other lands. The victorious Argives, after plundering
-and partly destroying the city, dedicated a great portion of the
-booty—among which was Manto, the daughter of Tiresias—to the oracle of
-Delphi. They then made Thersander, the son of Polynices, king of Thebes;
-upon which many of the fugitive inhabitants returned. Thersander
-subsequently took part in the Trojan war, and there perished.
-
-
-=4. The Trojan Cycle.=—We now come to the Trojan war, the fourth and
-most celebrated of the common undertakings of the later heroic age. Here
-the sources of our information are far more plentiful than in any former
-period of mythic history, because both the grand national epics, the
-_Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_, which are commonly ascribed to Homer, relate
-to the Trojan war. As the contents of these immortal poems are probably
-well known to our readers, we shall only dwell on the most essential
-features of the story.
-
-I. THE HEROIC RACES OF THE TROJAN WAR.—_1. The Dardanidæ, or race of
-Dardanus._—The royal family of Troy were descended from Dardanus, a son
-of Zeus by Electra, a daughter of Atlas. Dardanus is said to have
-emigrated from Samothrace, or, according to others, from Italy to
-Arcadia, to the north-west portion of Asia Minor, between the range of
-Ida and the Hellespont, where he received from king Teucer some land to
-form a settlement. By a daughter of the river-god Simoïs, or, as others
-say, of Scamander, Dardanus had a son called Tros, from whom the Trojans
-derived their name. Tros had three sons—Assaracus, Ilus, and Ganymedes.
-The last, who, like all the scions of the race of Dardanus, was
-possessed of wonderful beauty, was raised by Zeus to the dignity of
-cupbearer to the gods, and thus became immortal. Ilus and Assaracus
-became the founders of two different branches of the Dardanian race. The
-latter remained in his native settlement of Dardania, where he became
-the father of Capys and the grandfather of Anchises, the father of
-Æneas. Ilus, on the other hand, emigrated to the plains of the
-Scamander, where he founded the city of Ilium, or Troy. After completing
-the town, he begged Zeus to bestow on him a sign of his favour. The next
-morning he found in front of his tent the celebrated Palladium—an image
-of Pallas Athene, carved in wood. On the possession of this depended the
-fortune and welfare of the city. After the death of Ilus, his son
-Laomedon became king of Troy. At his request, Poseidon and Apollo built
-the citadel of Pergamum. We have already related how this king, by his
-faithless conduct provoked the wrath of Heracles, and the first capture
-of the city. Of his sons only Priam remained; in him the race of
-Dardanus flourished afresh, for by his wife Hecuba and by his concubines
-he had a great number of sons and daughters.
-
-_2. The Pelopidæ, or race of Pelops._—The Pelopidæ, who were chiefly
-instrumental in the destruction of Troy, were descended from the
-Phrygian king Tantalus, who was renowned alike for his unexampled good
-fortune and his subsequent unhappy fate. He was the son of Zeus and
-Pluto (rich plenty), and inhabited a citadel on Mount Sipylus, whence
-his rich pasture-lands and fruitful corn-fields extended twelve days’
-journey, as far as Ida and the Propontis. The very gods honoured him
-with their friendship, and lived on such intimate terms that they
-invited him to eat at their table. This unheard-of good fortune,
-however, begot in the puny mortal such presumption, that he began to
-indulge in the grossest outrages on gods and men. At length he went so
-far as to cut his son Pelops in pieces to boil them, and set them before
-the gods in order to test their omniscience. The cup of his iniquity now
-seemed full, and the gods brought down a heavy retribution on the head
-of the criminal by his well-known punishment in the lower world, where,
-though surrounded by the most delicious fruits, and standing up to his
-neck in water, he was nevertheless condemned to suffer the pangs of
-continual hunger and thirst. Another tradition relates that he was kept
-in constant anxiety by a huge rock which was suspended over his head.
-(See pp. 149, 150.)
-
-The children of Tantalus were Pelops and Niobe. The unhappy fate of the
-latter has already been described in the mythic history of Thebes.
-Pelops was restored to life by the art of Hermes; and a portion of his
-shoulder, which had been consumed by Demeter, was replaced by the gods
-with a piece of ivory. Pelops is said to have grown up in Olympus,
-amongst the blessed gods. On being restored to earth, he proceeded to
-Elis, where he became a suitor for the hand of Hippodamia, the beautiful
-daughter of the king Œnomaüs. The latter had promised his daughter to
-the man who should vanquish him in a chariot race: whoever failed was
-obliged to expiate his temerity with his life, as Œnomaüs transfixed him
-with his unerring lance as he passed. Thirteen noble youths had already
-suffered this fate, when Pelops appeared to undergo the dangerous
-ordeal. By means of the untiring winged horses which had been given him
-by Poseidon, and also by bribing Myrtilus, the King’s charioteer—who,
-before starting, withdrew the linch-pins from his master’s chariot or
-replaced them with wax—he came off victorious. Œnomaüs either was killed
-by the breaking down of his chariot, or put an end to his own life on
-seeing himself vanquished. Pelops now obtained both Hippodamia and the
-kingdom of Elis; but he ill rewarded Myrtilus, who had rendered him such
-valuable service, by casting him into the sea, in order to release
-himself from his obligations. Hermes, whose son he is reputed to have
-been, set him amongst the stars as charioteer.
-
-The sons of Pelops by Hippodamia were Atreus and Thyestes, whose
-history, which is full of the most revolting crimes, formed a favourite
-subject with the tragic poets. First, Atreus and Thyestes murdered their
-step-brother Chrysippus, and were compelled to leave their country in
-company with their mother. They were hospitably received at Mycenæ by
-their brother-in-law Sthenelus, the son of Perseus, or by his son
-Eurystheus. On Eurystheus’ death, they inherited the sovereignty of the
-Persidæ in Argos, and Atreus now took up his residence in the proud
-capital of Mycenæ, whence, strange to say, the most ancient specimen of
-Greek sculpture has come down to us in the so-called Gate of Lions. Soon
-an implacable enmity arose between the two brothers, and Thyestes, in
-consequence, was banished from Argos. He took with him, in revenge,
-Pleisthenes, the young son of Atreus, brought him up as his own son, and
-despatched him, later, to Mycenæ to kill Atreus. His design was
-discovered, and he expiated his intended crime with his life. When
-Atreus learned that it was his own son whom he had condemned to death,
-he determined on a dreadful revenge. Pretending to be reconciled, he
-recalled Thyestes and his children to Mycenæ; and Thyestes, trusting to
-his brother’s word, returned. Atreus then privately seized the two young
-sons of Thyestes, slew them, and set this horrible food before their
-father. Horror-struck at this inhuman cruelty, the sun turned his
-chariot and went back in his course. Thyestes, uttering fearful curses
-against his brother and the whole race of the Pelopidæ, again escaped,
-and took refuge with Thesprotus, king of Epirus. Later, he succeeded,
-with the help of his only remaining son Ægisthus, in avenging himself on
-his brother. Atreus was slain by Ægisthus whilst offering up a sacrifice
-on the sea-shore, and Thyestes now acquired the sovereignty of Mycenæ.
-The sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaüs, fled from their barbarous
-uncle to Sparta, where Tyndareüs, the king, received them kindly, and
-gave them his daughters, Clytæmnestra and Helen, in marriage. With his
-aid Agamemnon recovered his father’s kingdom, slew Thyestes, and drove
-out Ægisthus. Menelaüs remained in Sparta—where he succeeded
-Tyndareüs—until the carrying off of his wife Helen by Paris gave rise to
-the Trojan war.
-
-_3. The Æacidæ, or race of Æacus._—After the sons of Atreus, the Æacidæ
-play the most important part in the Trojan war; in fact, we are almost
-justified in saying that the war was an exploit of these two races of
-heroes and their peoples, the Achæans of Argos and the Hellenes of
-Phthia. The ancestor of the Æacidæ was Æacus, who was renowned alike for
-his wisdom and justice, and on this account subsequently made a judge in
-the lower world. Æacus was a son of Zeus by Ægina, a daughter of the
-river-god Asopus. He ruled over the island of Ægina, and married Endeïs,
-the daughter of the wise Centaur Chiron. She bore him two sons, Peleus
-and Telamon. On reaching manhood they were compelled to leave their
-country, because, like the sons of Pelops, they had murdered, in a fit
-of jealousy, a step-brother who was a favourite with their father.
-Peleus betook himself to Phthia, where he was kindly received by
-Eurytion, who bestowed on him the hand of his daughter and a third part
-of his kingdom. Peleus afterwards took part in the boar hunt of Calydon,
-on which occasion he had the misfortune to kill his father-in-law. In
-consequence of this, he left Phthia and proceeded to Iolcus, where he
-took part in the funeral games which Acastus was celebrating in honour
-of his father Pelias, who had perished by the treachery of Medea. Here
-he experienced a similar fate to that of Bellerophon at the court of
-Prœtus. Astydameia, the wife of Acastus, finding herself unable to
-seduce him, slandered him to her husband, who thereupon sought to take
-his life. After hunting on Pelion one day, Peleus fell asleep, and was
-left thus unprotected by Acastus, who hoped by this means to get rid of
-him. He would, indeed, have been murdered by the Centaurs, if the gods
-had not taken pity on him, and sent him by Hermes a sword of wonderful
-power, with which he was enabled to repel the assaults of the wild
-inhabitants of the forest. Peleus, with the help of the Dioscuri,
-subsequently took Iolcus, and put the treacherous Acastus and his wife
-to death. As a reward for his chastity, the gods gave him the goddess
-Thetis—a beautiful daughter of Nereus—to wife. She bore him one son,
-Achilleus (Achilles), the greatest and bravest hero of the Trojan war. A
-later tradition asserts that Thetis left her husband soon after the
-birth of Achilles, because he had disturbed her when she was about to
-render her child immortal in the fire, just as Demeter intended to do to
-the child of Celeüs; but this story is unknown to Homer. According to a
-still later legend, she plunged her son into the Styx, and thereby
-rendered him invulnerable in every part except the heel by which she
-held him. Like all noble heroes, Achilles was instructed by Chiron,
-under whom he acquired such wonderful skill in all feats of strength and
-agility that he soon surpassed all his contemporaries. In addition to
-Chiron, Homer names Phœnix, the son of Amyntor, as the instructor of the
-youthful hero. Achilles proceeded to the Trojan war with cheerful
-determination, although he knew beforehand that he was not fated to
-return alive. The story that his mother Thetis, in order to avert his
-fate, sent him, disguised in women’s clothes, to the court of Lycomedes,
-king of Scyros, where he was discovered by the craft of Odysseus, is a
-post-Homeric invention.
-
-From Telamon, the second son of Æacus, was descended Aias or Ajax, a
-hero of but little less importance. Telamon, after his flight from
-Ægina, found a new home in Salamis, where he married the daughter of the
-king Cychreus. On the decease of Cychreus, he succeeded to the crown.
-After the death of his first wife, he married Peribœa, a daughter of
-Alcathoüs, king of Megara, who bore him Ajax. Tradition tells us much of
-the intimate friendship of Heracles and Telamon, who took part in the
-Trojan expedition of his mighty friend. Heracles, in return, gave him
-Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon, by whom he became the father of a
-second son, Teucer. Like every celebrated hero of antiquity, he is said
-to have taken part in the Calydonian hunt and the expedition of the
-Argonauts. Nothing inferior to this brave and doughty father was his son
-Ajax, on whom the mighty hero Heracles had invoked the blessing of his
-father Zeus, when as a child he held him in his arms. He was of greater
-size and strength than any of the other heroes; though he appears
-somewhat uncouth and clumsy when contrasted with the swift and agile
-form of Achilles. His mighty shield was as characteristic of him as the
-ponderous deadly spear was of Achilles. Beside him, his brother Teucer
-ranks as the best archer among the Greeks.
-
-_4. Nestor, the Locrian Ajax, Diomedes, and Odysseus._—Associated with
-the heroes of the race of Pelops and Æacus were some other renowned
-chieftains. First among them was the aged Nestor, of Pylus, whose wise
-counsels were as indispensable to the Greeks before Troy as the
-dauntless courage of an Achilles or an Ajax. Nestor was the youngest of
-the twelve sons of Neleus, who was himself a son of Poseidon and Tyro,
-and twin-brother of Pelias. Neleus, having been driven out by Pelias,
-took refuge in Messenia, where he became the founder of a new kingdom.
-Later, however, both his sovereignty and the glory of his house were
-well-nigh extinguished by the hostility of Heracles, who slew all the
-sons of Neleus except Nestor. When quite young, Nestor defeated the
-neighbouring tribes of the Epei and Arcadians, and restored the
-dominions of his father to their former extent. He likewise took part in
-the contest between the Lapithæ and the Centaurs, in the Calydonian boar
-hunt, and in the expedition of the Argonauts. Though so far advanced in
-years—having ruled over three generations of men—he could not withstand
-the desire to take part in the Trojan war.
-
-The Locrian Ajax—also called the Lesser Ajax, to distinguish him from
-his mighty namesake—was a son of the Locrian king Oïleus, of whom
-nothing more is known than that he took part in the expedition of the
-Argonauts. Ajax was renowned among the Greeks for his skill in hurling
-the spear and for his great fleetness, in which he was surpassed only by
-Achilles. He always appears in a linen corslet, and his followers, the
-Opuntian Locrians, are also light-armed troops.
-
-Diomedes was a member of the oft-mentioned race of the Æolian
-Amythaonidæ. His father was the hot-headed Tydeus, who was killed in the
-war of the Seven against Thebes. Diomedes, who inherited no small
-portion of his father’s wild, untameable disposition, of course took
-part in the war of the Epigoni, and subsequently succeeded his
-grandfather Adrastus in his Argive sovereignty at Sicyon. He also
-restored his paternal grandfather, the aged Ætolian king Œneus, who had
-been dethroned by the sons of his brother Agrius, to his kingdom. In the
-_Iliad_ he appears as a special favourite of Pallas Athene, and Homer
-makes him play an important part in the contests of the Greeks before
-the walls of Troy. In post-Homeric story he is represented as having
-carried off the Trojan Palladium.
-
-Finally, Odysseus (Ulysses), the most popular of the Greek heroes of the
-Trojan war, was a son of Laërtes, king of Ithaca, by Anticlea, the
-daughter of Autolycus. Autolycus inhabited a district on Mount
-Parnassus, and was renowned for his cunning. His grandson seems to have
-inherited no small part of his grandfather’s disposition. Through his
-noble and virtuous wife Penelope, Odysseus was closely related to the
-Atridæ; Penelope being the daughter of Icarius, who was a brother of the
-Spartan king Tyndareüs. He was therefore obliged—though much against his
-will—to comply with the request of Menelaüs, and join the expedition
-against Troy. On account of his wisdom and eloquence, his dexterity in
-all feats of strength, and his dauntless valour in the midst of danger,
-he also was a special favourite of Pallas.
-
-II. THE WAR.—The _Iliad_ of Homer, the most important source of our
-information with regard to the Trojan war, does not deal with the events
-of the first nine years; and of those of the tenth and last year it only
-gives such episodes as relate to the quarrel of Achilles and Agamemnon.
-Of the origin of the war, and the events of the first nine years, it
-speaks only incidentally, for the sake of explanation. The gap has to be
-filled up from the works of those writers who had access to other epic
-poems of the Trojan cycle, which are now no longer extant.
-
-Eris, the goddess of discord, not having been invited to the marriage
-festivities of Peleus and Thetis, avenged herself by casting into the
-assembly a golden apple, with the inscription—“To the fairest.” The
-three rival goddesses—Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite—each claimed the apple
-for herself, but were referred by Zeus to the decision of Paris. Paris
-was a son of Priam, the Trojan king. Immediately after birth, he was
-exposed on Mount Ida, in consequence of an ill-omened dream which his
-mother Hecuba had during her pregnancy. He was found, however, and
-brought up by some shepherds. He decided in favour of Aphrodite, who had
-promised him the most beautiful woman on earth as his wife. Soon
-afterwards, at some games given by the king, the youth, who was equally
-distinguished for his handsome person and his bodily dexterity, after
-having wrested the prize from all his brethren, was recognised by the
-prophetess Cassandra, and received into his father’s favour. He next
-undertook a journey across the sea to Greece, and, among other places,
-visited the court of Menelaüs, king of Sparta, by whom he was hospitably
-received and entertained. Aphrodite kindled in the breast of the young
-wife of Menelaüs a fatal love for their handsome guest, who dazzled her
-as much by the beauty of his person as by the oriental splendour of his
-appearance. While Menelaüs was absent in Crete, and her brothers, the
-Dioscuri, were engaged in their strife with the sons of Aphareus, Helen
-fled with her seducer to Troy. On the refusal of the king of Troy to
-surrender Helen, Menelaüs succeeded in rousing the whole of Greece to a
-war of revenge. This task was the more easy, as most of the Grecian
-chieftains had been suitors of Helen, and had bound themselves by an
-oath to Tyndareüs to unite in support of the husband whom Helen should
-choose, in the event of his ever being injured or attacked. The
-well-manned ships of the Greeks assembled in the Bœotian port of Aulis.
-Their number amounted to eleven hundred and eighty-six, according to
-Homer; of which Agamemnon, who had been chosen leader of the expedition,
-alone furnished over one hundred. Agamemnon, however, having offended
-Artemis by killing a hind sacred to the goddess, the departure of the
-expedition was delayed by continuous calms, until at length, at the
-command of the priest Calchas, Agamemnon determined to appease the wrath
-of the goddess by sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia on her altar. At
-the fatal moment Artemis rescued the victim, and, after substituting a
-hind in her stead, conveyed Iphigenia to Tauris, where she became a
-priestess in the temple of the goddess. The fleet now sailed with a fair
-wind. The expedition first stopped at Tenedos, opposite the coast of
-Troy. Here, on the occasion of a banquet, Philoctetes, who possessed the
-bow and arrows of Heracles on which the conquest of Troy depended, was
-bitten in the foot by a serpent, and on account of his cries and the
-offensive smell of the wound was carried to Lemnos, and there left to
-his fate. The Greeks next effected a landing on the coast of Troy, in
-spite of the opposition of Hector and Æneas; for Protesilaüs devoted
-himself to death for the Greeks, and sprang first on the Trojan shore.
-Even Cycnus, the mighty son of Poseidon, who was king of Colonæ in
-Troas, and came to the assistance of the Trojans, was unable to stem the
-advance of the Greeks; and his body being invulnerable, he was strangled
-by Achilles by means of a thong twisted round his neck.
-
-After the Greeks had made a station for their ships, the war began in
-earnest. Several of their attacks on the town having been successfully
-repelled by the Trojans, the Greeks now confined themselves to making
-inroads and plundering excursions into the surrounding country, in which
-Achilles was always the most prominent actor. The first nine years of
-the war were by no means fruitful in important events, and the wearisome
-monotony of the siege was broken only by the single combat between
-Achilles and Troïlus, the youngest son of Priam, in which Troïlus was
-slain, and by the fall of Palamedes of Eubœa, the head of the Greek
-peace-party, which was brought about by the treachery of Odysseus. At
-length, in the tenth year of the war, a quarrel broke out between
-Achilles and Agamemnon respecting a female slave who had been taken
-captive, and gave for the time quite another aspect to affairs. It is at
-this point that the _Iliad_ commences. Achilles, in his wrath, retired
-to his tent, and refused to take any further part in the war; whilst the
-Trojans, who feared him more than all the other Greeks, became bolder,
-and no longer kept to the protection of their walls. Zeus, at the
-request of Thetis, gave them the victory in their first engagement with
-the Greeks. Hector drove the latter back to their ships, and was already
-about to set them on fire, when Achilles consented to allow his friend
-Patroclus to don his armour and lead his Myrmidons to the assistance of
-the Greeks. The Trojans were now driven back, but Patroclus, in the
-ardour of pursuit, was slain by Hector, and deprived of his armour, and
-Menelaüs, with the help of the greater Ajax and other heroes, only
-succeeded in rescuing his corpse after a bloody and obstinate struggle.
-The wrath of Achilles was now entirely diverted by the desire of
-avenging on Hector the death of his much-loved friend Patroclus. He was
-scarcely willing even to wait for the new armour which his
-goddess-mother procured him from the workshop of Hephæstus. No sooner
-was he in possession of it than he again appeared on the field, and
-Hector—the bulwark of Troy—soon succumbed to his furious onslaught.
-Achilles, however, was generous enough to surrender his corpse to the
-entreaties of Priam. The _Iliad_ concludes with the solemn funeral of
-Hector.
-
-The succeeding events, up to the death of Achilles and the contest for
-his arms, were narrated in the _Æthiopis_ of Arctinus of Miletus, with
-the contents of which we have some slight acquaintance, although the
-work itself is lost. All kinds of brilliant exploits are reported to
-have been performed by Achilles before the walls of Troy, which were
-manifestly unknown to the earlier story. In the first place, immediately
-after Hector’s death, Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, came to the
-assistance of the Trojans, and fought so bravely at the head of her army
-that the Greeks were hard pressed. Achilles at length overcame the
-heroic daughter of Ares. After her fall, a new ally of the Trojans
-appeared in Memnon, king of Æthiopia, who is called a son of Eos,
-because the Æthiopians were supposed to dwell in the far East. Among
-those who fell by the hand of this handsome and courageous hero was
-Antilochus, the valiant son of Nestor. When Memnon, however, ventured to
-meet the invincible Achilles, he also was vanquished, after a brave
-struggle. The fresh morning dew, which springs from the tears of Eos,
-proves that she has never ceased to lament her heroic son. But death was
-soon to overtake him before whom so many heroes had bitten the dust. In
-an assault on the Scæan gate, Achilles was killed, at the head of his
-Myrmidons, by an arrow of Paris, which was directed by Apollo. According
-to later writers, whose accounts were followed by the tragic poets, he
-was treacherously murdered here on the occasion of his betrothal to
-Polyxena, the beautiful daughter of Priam. A furious contest, lasting
-the whole day, took place for the possession of his corpse and armour:
-at length Odysseus and Ajax succeeded in conveying it to a place of
-safety. Mourning and confusion reigned among the Greeks at his death.
-During seventeen days and nights Thetis, with the whole band of Nereids,
-bewailed his untimely fate in mourning melodies, so sad and touching
-that neither gods nor men could refrain from tears.
-
- “See, tears are shed by every god and goddess, to survey
- How soon the Beautiful is past, the Perfect dies away!”
-
-The death of the bravest of the Greeks was followed by an unhappy
-quarrel between Ajax and Odysseus respecting his arms. Ajax, on account
-of his near relationship to the deceased hero, and the great services he
-had rendered to the cause of the Greeks, seemed to have the best claim;
-but Agamemnon, by the advice of Athene, adjudged them to Odysseus. Ajax
-was so mortified at this decision that he became insane, and put an end
-to his own life. An entire tragedy of Sophocles, treating of the
-mournful fate of the son of Telamon, has come down to us.
-
-After Ajax had quitted the scene, Odysseus became decidedly the chief
-personage among the Greeks. It was he who captured the Trojan seer
-Helenus, and extorted from him the secret that Ilium could not be taken
-without the arrows of Heracles. Hereupon Philoctetes, who was still
-lying sick at Lemnos, was fetched, and his wound healed by Machaon.
-Paris soon afterwards fell by his hand. It was Odysseus, moreover, who,
-in company with Diomedes, undertook the perilous task of entering Troy
-in disguise and stealing the Palladium, on which the safety of the city
-depended. It was he who fetched Neoptolemus, the young son of Achilles,
-from Scyros to the Trojan camp, it having been decreed that his presence
-was necessary to the success of the Greeks. Lastly—and this was his
-greatest service—it was Odysseus who devised the celebrated wooden
-horse, and the stratagem which led to the final capture of the city. In
-the belly of the horse, which was built by Epeüs, one hundred chosen
-warriors of the Greeks concealed themselves. The rest of the Greeks set
-fire to their camp, and sailed away to Tenedos; whereupon the Trojans,
-deceived by the assurances of Sinon, dragged the fatal horse, amid cries
-of joy, into the city. In vain did the Trojan priest of Apollo, Laocoön,
-seek to divert them from their folly. None would give heed to his
-warnings; and when, soon afterwards, both he and his sons, whilst
-sacrificing to Poseidon on the sea-shore, were strangled by two serpents
-that came up out of the sea, the Trojans regarded this as a punishment
-sent by the gods for his evil counsel, and were the more confirmed in
-their purpose.
-
- The death of Laocoön and his sons forms the subject of one of the
- most splendid of the creations of Greek art that have come down to
- us from antiquity. The group was found, in the year 1506, by a Roman
- citizen in his vineyard, close to the former Thermæ of Titus, and
- was made over by him, for a considerable annuity, to Pope Julius
- II., who then placed it in the Vatican collection. The right arm of
- Laocoön, which was wanting, has, unfortunately, been incorrectly
- restored. This is attested by a copy of the group which was
- subsequently discovered in Naples. We give an engraving of the group
- in its original form (Fig. 61).
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 61.—Laocoön. Group.]
-
- It treats really of three distinct incidents, which have been
- skilfully incorporated, by the artists to whom we owe the work (the
- Rhodians Agesander, Athenodorus, and Polydorus), into one harmonious
- group. The eldest son is as yet unhurt, and appears to be so loosely
- held by the coils of the serpent that he might easily escape his
- impending fate, if he were not more effectually restrained by his
- loving sympathy with his noble father, on whom he gazes with piteous
- looks. Laocoön himself, who naturally forms the centre of the group,
- is depicted at the moment in which, mortally wounded by the serpent,
- he sinks on the altar, to rise from which he vainly exerts his last
- remaining strength. With his left arm he still mechanically seeks to
- repel the serpents. His hitherto energetic resistance has begun to
- fail, and his noble head is raised in mournful resignation to
- heaven, as though to ask the gods why they had condemned him to so
- terrible a fate. The dignified and resolute aspect of his
- countenance forms a beautiful contrast to that of his body, which is
- manifestly quivering in the keenest agony. The younger son on his
- right is already in the last agonies of death, and though his left
- hand grasps instinctively the head of the snake, he is evidently
- incapable of further resistance. He is drooping like a plucked
- flower, and in one more moment will have breathed his last.
-
-On the night succeeding Laocoön’s horrible end, and the rejoicings of
-the Trojans at the apparent departure of the Greeks, the Greek fleet
-returned in silence at a signal given by Sinon. The heroes who were
-hidden in the wooden horse then descended and opened the gates to the
-Greek host, who rushed into the doomed city. A terrible scene of plunder
-and carnage ensued, the Trojans, in their dismay and confusion, offering
-no resistance. The fate of the sacred city was fulfilled; Priam perished
-before the altar of Zeus by the hand of Neoptolemus, and with him the
-glory of Troy was laid in the dust. The men were put to death, the women
-and children, together with the rich booty, were carried off, the former
-being destined to the hard lot of slavery. Among them was the aged queen
-Hecuba, with all her daughters and daughters-in-law. Helen—the cause of
-all this misfortune—was found in the house of Deïphobus, whom she had
-married after the death of his brother Paris.
-
-The city was burnt to the ground, and, long after, other cities rose on
-its site. Still the tradition of the siege remained among the
-inhabitants, though, even in Roman times, learned men had begun to
-declare that Old Troy must have had another site. And now when the last
-Ilium had been no more for many centuries, and the very existence of
-Homer’s Troy had been declared a fable, the palace and the traces of the
-conflagration have been found. Dr. Schliemann has excavated the
-legendary site, and we know now that Athene was worshipped in the city,
-and that it perished by fire. We can hardly tell at present the full
-importance of these discoveries, nor of those at Mycenæ, where the
-traditional tombs of the Grecian leaders have been examined, and their
-long-buried wealth brought to light.
-
-Yet this, too, the greatest of all the Grecian legend series, dissolves
-into the phenomena of nature. That there was a Trojan war, and that we
-have some historical facts about it, we can hardly doubt; but so many
-myths have crystallised round it, that to us it must be merely legend.
-The very names of Achilles, and Paris, and Helen, upon whom the whole
-story turns, have been recognised in Indian legend. Point after point in
-their history is found in the legend history of every nation of the
-Aryan family. The only conclusion that we can draw is, that such stories
-must have come into being before the separation of the Aryan family, and
-cannot therefore contain the later history of any one branch.
-
-III. THE RETURN.—The Greeks, after sacrificing Polyxena on the grave of
-Achilles at Sigeum, prepared to return to their country. Few, however,
-were destined to reach their homes without some misfortune, or, even
-when arrived there, to experience a kindly welcome. Of the two sons of
-Atreus, Agamemnon, after escaping a storm on the coast of Eubœa, landed
-safely on his native shores, but was soon after murdered by his wife and
-Ægisthus, who had, during his absence, returned to Argos and married
-Clytæmnestra. Cassandra, the Trojan prophetess, who, in the division of
-the spoils, had fallen to Agamemnon, shared his fate. She had
-continually predicted the unfortunate end of the war and the ultimate
-fate of the city, but had always been laughed to scorn by her
-incredulous countrymen. The fate of the commander of the Greeks, with
-its eventful consequences, was a favourite subject with the tragic
-poets. His murder did not go unavenged. Orestes, the only son of
-Agamemnon and Clytæmnestra, had been hastily removed from the scene by
-his sister Electra, and sent to his uncle, Strophius, king of Phocis.
-Strophius had him carefully educated with his own son Pylades, who was
-about the same age. A most intimate friendship soon sprang up between
-the two youths, which, from its faithfulness and constancy, has become
-proverbial. On reaching manhood, the sole thought of Orestes was to
-avenge his noble father’s treacherous death at the hands of the crafty
-Ægisthus and his mother Clytæmnestra. Accompanied by his friend Pylades,
-he returned, in the eighth year of his exile, to Mycenæ, and there slew
-both Ægisthus and Clytæmnestra. Although in so doing he had only
-fulfilled a duty, he yet incurred the deepest guilt by the murder of her
-who gave him birth, and at once found himself pursued by the avenging
-Furies. They dogged his steps, and ceased not to pursue him through all
-the countries of the earth, until he was at length directed by the
-oracle at Delphi to convey the statue of Artemis from Tauris to Attica.
-After he had, with the help of his newly-found sister, successfully
-achieved this task, he was purified by Apollo (see page 152). Of the
-numerous dramas that were written on the subject of the fortunes of the
-Pelopidæ, which we have here briefly touched on, the _Agamemnon_,
-_Choëphoræ_, and _Eumenides_ of Æschylus, the _Electra_ of Sophocles,
-and the _Electra_ and _Iphigenia in Tauris_ of Euripides, are still
-extant.
-
-We must now turn to the fortunes of the other Greek leaders. Agamemnon’s
-brother Menelaus was overtaken, off Cape Malea, by a fearful storm,
-which carried him to Crete and Egypt, whence, after seven years of
-wandering, he returned to Sparta with Helen and his share of the spoils
-of Troy.
-
-The Locrian Ajax experienced a still more unhappy fate. On the night of
-the destruction of Troy he had penetrated into the temple of Pallas, and
-had not only torn away the priestess Cassandra, who was clinging for
-safety to the altar and statue of the goddess, but had also overturned
-the statue of Pallas herself. As a punishment for this offence, his ship
-was wrecked on Cape Caphareus, He would still have been able to escape
-with his life—having succeeded in getting hold of a rock—if he had not
-given such offence to Poseidon by his impious boast that he needed not
-the help of the gods, that the god split the rock with his trident,
-whereupon Ajax fell into the sea and was drowned.
-
-Diomedes, Philoctetes, and Idomeneus reached their homes in safety, but
-were all soon afterwards driven out, after which they all three
-emigrated to Italy. Here Diomedes founded many towns, and was long
-worshipped with heroic honours.
-
-Teucer also succeeded in reaching Salamis in safety, but his father
-Telamon was so wroth because he had not better protected his brother
-Ajax, or at least avenged his death, that he refused to receive him. He
-was, therefore, likewise obliged to leave his country, and subsequently
-settled on the island of Cyprus.
-
-But of all the Greek heroes Odysseus experienced the most reverses,
-while at home his faithful wife Penelope and his son Telemachus were
-hard pressed by the suitors. It was only in the tenth year after the
-fall of Troy, and after numerous wanderings and vicissitudes, that he
-was permitted to return to his native Ithaca and punish the shameless
-suitors who had wasted his substance and goods. The story of his
-adventures is so well known that we need not dwell on it here, further
-than to mention that, according to post-Homeric accounts, Odysseus was
-killed by the hand of Telegonus, his own son by Circe.
-
- The events of the Trojan cycle have supplied not only the poet, but
- also the artist and the sculptor, with a large number of their most
- acceptable subjects. Single scenes, such as the judgment of Paris,
- have been continually selected, ever since the time of Raphael, as
- favourite subjects of representation. Of modern masters, Carstens,
- Thorwaldsen the great Danish sculptor, Cornelius, Genelli, and
- Preller (Landscapes of the _Odyssey_) have illustrated the story of
- Troy in a series of splendid compositions. We give an engraving of a
- relief by Thorwaldsen, representing Priam before Achilles (Fig. 62).
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 62.—Priam before Achilles. Relief by Thorwaldsen.]
-
- Of the more important extant works of antiquity, we may mention the
- wedding of Peleus and Thetis, depicted on the Français vase in the
- Naples Museum; the abduction of Helen, depicted on a marble relief
- in the former Campana collection, now in the Louvre (Fig. 63); the
- marble group in Rome, known by the name of “Pasquino,” which
- represents Menelaüs raising the corpse of Patroclus; and, lastly,
- the celebrated Ægina marbles in Munich. These last are the remains
- of a marble group from the gable of a temple of Pallas at Ægina,
- representing a battle between the Greeks and Trojans. They were
- discovered at Ægina in the year 1811; King Ludwig I. of Bavaria, who
- was a great patron of art, bought the Ægina marbles, and, after
- having them restored by Thorwaldsen, placed them in the Munich
- collection. The Laocoön, the most important of all the works
- relating to the Trojan cycle, has already been discussed.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 63.—Rape of Helen. Campana Collection. Paris.]
-
-
- V.—MYTHIC SEERS AND BARDS.
-
-We have already incidentally mentioned most of the seers of
-antiquity—Melampus, the son of Amythaon, who figures in Argive legend;
-likewise Amphiaraüs, Tiresias, and Calchas. Concerning Tiresias, we may
-remark that the ancients ascribed to him a fabulous age, extending over
-seven or even nine generations; so that he was thus a witness of all
-that happened to Thebes, from the foundation of the city to its
-destruction by the Epigoni. Like all celebrated soothsayers, he was
-acquainted with the language of birds, and could penetrate the most
-hidden secrets of nature; on which account he enjoyed up to his death an
-ever-increasing reputation among the Thebans. We have already related
-how, in extreme old age, when his native city could no longer withstand
-the assaults of the Epigoni, he experienced the bitter lot of having to
-take refuge in flight, and at length succumbed beneath the hardships of
-the journey. In the second century A.D. his grave was still shown in the
-neighbourhood of Haliartus.
-
-Among the fugitive Thebans who fell into the hands of the Argives is
-said to have been Manto, the daughter of Tiresias, who was likewise
-renowned as a prophetess. She was dedicated, together with a large
-portion of the spoils, to the oracle at Delphi. By the command of the
-god she was sent into Asia Minor, where she founded the oracle of
-Claros, near Colophon. She here married the Cretan Rhacius, and became
-by him the mother of Mopsus, who afterwards founded the oracle of Mallos
-in Cilicia.
-
-Among the names of the mythic bards that have been handed down to us are
-undoubtedly to be found some recollections of those who first cultivated
-the art of poetry; partly, however, they are nothing more than
-personifications of certain tendencies and modes of poetry. Such is
-probably the case with the mythic bard Linus, who was celebrated in
-Argos, Thebes, and Eubœa. Nothing is more common than for an
-unsophisticated people to burst forth in lamentation over the decay and
-final extinction of the blooming life of nature. This, as we see in the
-myth of Hyacinthus, was often portrayed under the metaphor of a
-beautiful boy slain by a quoit or by savage dogs—both symbols of the
-scorching heat of the sun. The dirges which from time immemorial were
-sung over the beautiful boy Linus, at the season of vintage, probably
-gave rise to the myth which makes Linus himself the singer.
-
-[Illustration: Fig. 64.—Orpheus and Eurydice. Marble Relief In the Villa
-Albani.]
-
-Similar doleful memories are linked with the name of Orpheus, who is
-often termed a brother of Linus, though he was really not an Æolian, but
-a Thracian of Pieria. That which is best known of him is the story of
-his love for the beautiful nymph Eurydice. She was bitten in the foot by
-a snake, and thus snatched away from him by death. Orpheus then filled
-mountain and valley with songs of lamentation so piteous, that the wild
-beasts of the forest were enchanted at the sound, and followed him like
-lambs; and the very rocks and trees moved from their places. His
-yearning towards his beloved Eurydice induced him to descend to the
-lower world, to beg her release from the grim king of shadows. Here his
-piteous lay caused even the Erinyes to shed tears of compassion, and
-moved the hard heart of the Stygian king. He released Eurydice on
-condition that Orpheus should not look back on her till he reached the
-upper world. Orpheus, however, violated this condition, and Eurydice was
-once more lost to him. He himself, not long afterwards, whilst wandering
-in his despair over the Thracian mountains, was torn in pieces by some
-women in the mad excitement of their nightly Bacchanalian orgies.
-
- A splendid representation of the second parting of the lovers by
- Hermes, the guide of souls, has come down to us on a marble relief,
- which is preserved in the Villa Albani (Fig. 64).
-
-[Illustration]
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
- INDEX.
-
-
- Ăbas, 187.
-
- Ăcastus, 234, 237, 246.
-
- Ăchĕlōus, 110, 210.
-
- Ăchĕrōn, 149.
-
- Ăchilles (Ăchilleus), 35, 168, 246, 251, 253.
-
- Āchĭrŏē, 186.
-
- Ăcrĭsĭus, 187, 191.
-
- Actæon, 49, 171.
-
- Actŏrĭdæ, 209.
-
- Admētē, 202.
-
- Admētus, 231, 234
-
- Ădōnis, 57.
-
- Adrastus, 240, 241, 248.
-
- Æăcus, 149, 245, 247.
-
- Ăēdōn, 179.
-
- Æētēs, 90, 235.
-
- Ægeus, 220, 223, 237.
-
- Ægĭăleus, 241.
-
- Ægĭmĭus, 211.
-
- Ægīna, 180, 245.
-
- Ægis, 22, 35, 40.
-
- Ægisthus, 64, 152, 245, 257.
-
- Ægyptus, 186.
-
- Ænēas, 58, 157, 251.
-
- Æŏlus, 94, 179, 232.
-
- Æscŭlāpĭus (_vide_ Asclepius).
-
- Æsōn, 233.
-
- Æthra, 220.
-
- Ætna, 21, 69.
-
- Ăgămemnōn, 49, 64, 152, 245, 257.
-
- Ăgăthŏdæmōn, 98.
-
- Ăgāvē, 115, 171.
-
- Ăgēnōr, 170, 186, 227.
-
- Aglăĭa, 83.
-
- Aglaurus, 218.
-
- Agrĭus, 248.
-
- Ăĭdōneus, 146 (_vide_ Hades).
-
- Ājax, Telamonian, 247, 253.
-
- Ājax, Locrian, 247, 248, 259.
-
- Alcæus, 198.
-
- Alcăthŏus, 247.
-
- Alcmæon, 241.
-
- Alcmēnē, 26, 191, 198.
-
- Ālectō, 151.
-
- Ălēus, 209.
-
- Ălōīdæ, 102.
-
- Althæa, 232.
-
- Ămalthēa, 19, 210.
-
- Ămāzons, 180, 182, 202, 224.
-
- Ămor, 78.
-
- Amphĭărāus, 188, 231, 234, 240.
-
- Amphicty̆ōn, 218.
-
- Amphīōn, 171, 172.
-
- Amphitrītē, 101, 104.
-
- Amphitry̆ōn, 191, 198.
-
- Ămy̆cus, 195, 234.
-
- Ămyntor, 246.
-
- Ămy̆thāŏnĭdæ, 188, 240, 248.
-
- Ănăcĕs, 196.
-
- Ancæus, 231.
-
- Anchĭnŏē, 186.
-
- Anchīsēs, 58, 242.
-
- Andrŏgĕōs, 222, 228.
-
- Andrŏmĕda, 102, 190.
-
- Anna Pĕrenna, 98.
-
- Antæus, 102, 205.
-
- Antēa, 187.
-
- Antĕros, 57, 78.
-
- Anthestērĭa, 118.
-
- Anticlēa, 249.
-
- Antĭgŏnē, 240.
-
- Antĭlŏchus, 253.
-
- Antĭŏpē, 224.
-
- Ăphăreus, 194.
-
- Ăphărīdæ, 194, 231.
-
- Ăphidnæ, 195, 224.
-
- Aphrŏdītē, 25, 52, 56, 78, 83, 163, 222, 249.
-
- Ăpollo, 14, 26, 40, 62, 152, 155, 176, 206, 242.
-
- Apsyrtus, 236.
-
- Ăquĭlo, 94.
-
- Arcas, 93.
-
- Arctus, 93.
-
- Areopagus, 52, 152.
-
- Ărēs, 26, 51, 57, 78, 170, 171, 202, 233.
-
- Argēs, 18.
-
- Argīphontēs, 185.
-
- Argonauts, 90, 107, 195, 201, 225, 230, 232, 234, 248.
-
- Argō, 234.
-
- Argŏs, 31, 185, 244.
-
- Argus, 64, 185, 186, 234.
-
- Ărĭadnē, 116, 123, 222, 228.
-
- Ăristæus, 171.
-
- Artĕmis, 25, 48, 155, 171, 201, 230, 250, 258.
-
- Asclēpĭus, 42, 94, 229.
-
- Ăsōpus, 180, 245.
-
- Assărăcus, 242.
-
- Astĕrĭa, 18, 153.
-
- Astĕrĭōn, 227.
-
- Astræus, 92.
-
- Asty̆dămīa, 246.
-
- Ătălantē, 231.
-
- Ăthămas, 108, 232.
-
- Ăthēnē, 13, 34, 163, 206, 249.
-
- Ăthēnē Pŏlĭas, 35, 38, 219.
-
- Atlas, 62, 162, 205.
-
- Atreus, 244.
-
- Atrŏpos, 98.
-
- Attica, 36, 217.
-
- Attis (Ātys), 114, 130.
-
- Augē, 209.
-
- Augēas, 201, 208, 212.
-
- Aurōra, 92.
-
- Autŏly̆cus, 249.
-
- Autŏnŏē, 171.
-
-
- Bacchus, 114.
-
- Bellĕrŏphōn (Belīĕrŏphontēs), 180, 239.
-
- Bellōna, 54.
-
- Bēlus, 186.
-
- Benthĕsĭcȳmē, 104.
-
- Bĕrŏē, 115.
-
- Bĭas, 188, 240.
-
- Bŏnă Dĕă, 132.
-
- Bŏnus Ēventus, 98.
-
- Bŏrĕădæ, 94, 234.
-
- Bŏrĕas, 92, 94, 219.
-
- Brĭăreus, 18.
-
- Brontēs, 18.
-
- Būsīris, 205.
-
-
- Căbīrī, 70.
-
- Cācus, 204, 214.
-
- Cadmus, 26, 52, 114, 170, 171, 217, 232, 237, 240.
-
- Cæneus, 165.
-
- Călăĭs, 94, 219, 234.
-
- Calchas, 250, 262.
-
- Callĭŏpē, 82.
-
- Callĭrhŏē, 203.
-
- Callistō, 93.
-
- Calydonian Hunt, 195, 225, 230, 246.
-
- Călypsō, 64.
-
- Cămēnæ, 83.
-
- Căpys, 242.
-
- Carna (Cardĕa), 97.
-
- Carpō, 85.
-
- Cassandra, 250, 257, 259.
-
- Cassĭŏpēa, 190.
-
- Castōr, 168, 175, 194, 231.
-
- Catreus, 228.
-
- Cecrops, 217, 218.
-
- Cēlĕus, 140.
-
- Centaurs, 165, 200, 223.
-
- Centaurs, fight with, 166.
-
- Centimanes, 17.
-
- Cĕphălus, 219.
-
- Cēpheus (Æthiopia), 190.
-
- Cēpheus (Tegea), 209.
-
- Cēphīsus, 125.
-
- Cerbĕrus, 149, 197, 206.
-
- Cercōpes, 208.
-
- Cercy̆ōn, 102, 221.
-
- Cĕres, 25, 137, 143.
-
- Cēres (Fates), 155.
-
- Cētō, 18, 106, 109, 189.
-
- Cēÿx, 210.
-
- Chăŏs, 17.
-
- Chărĭtĕs, 25, 83.
-
- Chărōn, 149.
-
- Chĭmæra, 181.
-
- Chīrōn, 168, 171, 220, 233, 245.
-
- Chrȳsăor, 190, 203.
-
- Chrȳsippus, 244.
-
- Circē, 90, 259.
-
- Clărus, oracle of, 42, 262.
-
- Clīō, 82.
-
- Clŏācīna, 59.
-
- Clōthō, 98.
-
- Cly̆mĕnē, 162.
-
- Cly̆tæmnestra, 152, 194, 245, 257, 258.
-
- Cōcălus, 229.
-
- Cœus, 18.
-
- Cŏlossus of Rhodes, 91.
-
- Cŏra, 138, 143.
-
- Cŏry̆bantes, 113.
-
- Cŏry̆nētēs, 221.
-
- Cottus, 18.
-
- Crănăus, 218.
-
- Crĕōn, 198, 199, 238, 241.
-
- Crētheus, 233.
-
- Crĕūsa, 237.
-
- Crīus, 17.
-
- Crŏnus, 18, 71, 113, 134, 168.
-
- Cŭpīdo, 79.
-
- Cūrētes, 19, 113, 231.
-
- Cy̆bĕlē, 113, 127.
-
- Cychreus, 247.
-
- Cyclōpes, 17, 70, 187.
-
- Cycnus, 210, 251.
-
- Cyllēnē, 62.
-
-
- Dædălus, 228, 229.
-
- Dæmons, 100.
-
- Dămastēs, 221.
-
- Dănăē, 26, 188.
-
- Danaids, 149, 186.
-
- Dănăus, 186.
-
- Dardănus, 242.
-
- Death, 154.
-
- Dēĭănīra, 210.
-
- Dēĭphŏbus, 256.
-
- Delphian Oracle, 42, 72, 112, 170.
-
- Dēmētēr, 19, 25, 109, 137, 139, 186, 243.
-
- Dēmŏphōn, 140, 225.
-
- Dēmus, 52, 57.
-
- Dēō, 137.
-
- Deucălĭōn, 162, 164, 218.
-
- Dĭāna, 49 (_vide_ Artemis).
-
- Dĭcē, 84.
-
- Dictys, 189.
-
- Didymæan Oracle, 42.
-
- Dĭoclēs, 140.
-
- Dĭŏmēdēs, Argive, 168, 247, 259.
-
- Dĭŏmēdēs, Thracian, 202.
-
- Dĭōnē, 25, 56.
-
- Dĭŏnȳsĭa, Greater, 119.
-
- Dĭŏnȳsĭa, Lesser, 118.
-
- Dĭō̆nȳsus, 26, 57, 68, 83, 114, 130, 223.
-
- Dĭoscūri, 194, 224, 231, 234, 246, 250.
-
- Dircē, 173.
-
- Dis, 147.
-
- Dōdōna, Oracle of, 24.
-
- Dōris, 106.
-
- Dryads, 125.
-
- Dry̆ŏpes, 211, 212.
-
- Dry̆ops, 128.
-
-
- Ĕchidna, 181, 200, 204.
-
- Ēchō, 58, 124.
-
- Ēgĕrĭa, 83.
-
- Ēlectra (daughter of Agamemnon), 258.
-
- Ēlectra (daughter of Atlas), 242.
-
- Ēlectra (daughter of Oceanus), 106.
-
- Ēlectry̆ōn, 191, 198.
-
- Ĕleusīnĭa, 141.
-
- Ĕleusis, 140.
-
- Ēly̆sĭum, 149, 161.
-
- Ēmăthĭōn, 205.
-
- Endēĭs, 168, 245.
-
- Endy̆mĭōn, 91.
-
- Ĕnȳō, 54.
-
- Ē̆ōs, 18, 92, 219, 253.
-
- Ĕpăphus, 185, 186.
-
- Ĕpēus, 254.
-
- Ĕpĭgŏni, 241, 248, 262.
-
- Ĕpĭmētheus, 163.
-
- Ĕpōpeus, 173.
-
- Ĕrătō, 82.
-
- Ĕrechtheus, 94, 218, 229.
-
- Ergīnus, 199.
-
- Ĕrichthŏnĭus (_vide_ Erechtheus).
-
- Ĕrīnȳes, 99, 150, 151, 231, 258, 264.
-
- Ĕriphȳlē, 240.
-
- Ĕris, 249.
-
- Ĕros, 17, 57, 58, 78.
-
- Ĕry̆sichthōn, 141.
-
- Ĕtĕoclēs, 240, 241.
-
- Eumĕnĭdes, 152, 239.
-
- Eumolpus, 140.
-
- Eunŏmĭa, 84.
-
- Euphrŏsy̆nē, 83.
-
- Eurōpē (Europa), 26, 227.
-
- Eurus, 92.
-
- Eury̆ălē, 190.
-
- Eury̆bĭa, 18.
-
- Eury̆dĭcē, 264.
-
- Eury̆nŏmē, 25, 68, 83.
-
- Eurystheus, 198, 202, 244.
-
- Eury̆tĭōn, 165, 246.
-
- Eury̆tus, 206, 211.
-
- Euterpē, 82.
-
-
- Fates (_vide_ Mœræ).
-
- Fauna, 132.
-
- Faunālĭa, 132.
-
- Faunus, 131.
-
- Făvōnĭus, 94.
-
- Fēlīcĭtas, 100.
-
- Flōra, 136.
-
- Fontus, 76, 110.
-
- Fortūna, 98.
-
- Fūrĭæ (Furies) (_vide_ Erinyes).
-
-
- Gæa, 17, 19, 112, 129, 153, 204, 218.
-
- Găny̆mēdēs, 87, 203.
-
- Gē, 17 (_vide_ Gæa).
-
- Gĕlānōr, 186.
-
- Gĕnĭi, 100.
-
- Gēry̆ŏnēs (Geryon), 190, 203.
-
- Gĭgantes (Giants), 21.
-
- Glaucus Pontius, 107.
-
- Glaucus (son of Minos), 228.
-
- Glaucus (son of Sisyphus), 180.
-
- Gorgŏnēum (_vide_ Ægis).
-
- Gorgons, 18, 107, 189.
-
- Graces, 83, 163.
-
- Grā̆dīvus, 53.
-
- Grææ, 18, 107, 189.
-
- Grātĭæ (_vide_ Graces).
-
- Gy̆ēs, 18.
-
-
- Hādēs, 19, 139, 146, 187, 224.
-
- Hamadryads, 125.
-
- Harmŏnĭa, 52, 171, 240.
-
- Harpies, 18, 106, 235.
-
- Hēbē, 26, 87, 197, 212.
-
- Hĕcăbē (_vide_ Hecuba).
-
- Hĕcătē, 91, 153.
-
- Hector, 251.
-
- Hĕcŭba, 243, 249, 256.
-
- Hĕlĕnē (Helen), 58, 194, 224, 245, 256, 259.
-
- Hĕlĕnus, 254.
-
- Hēlĭos, 18, 89, 139, 203, 228.
-
- Hellē, 232.
-
- Hēphæstus, 26, 52, 57, 68, 163, 221, 229, 235, 252.
-
- Hēra, 13, 19, 26, 31, 68, 87, 96, 197, 202, 204, 238, 249.
-
- Hēraclēs, 79, 87, 106, 161, 183, 187, 197, 234.
-
- Hēræum, 32.
-
- Hercŭles, 204, 214 (_vide_ Heracles).
-
- Hermēs, 14, 25, 57, 62, 163, 186, 189, 206, 243.
-
- Heroes, 159.
-
- Hersē, 218, 219.
-
- Hēsĭŏne, 203, 208, 247.
-
- Hespĕrĭdes, 90, 107, 204.
-
- Hespĕrus, 93.
-
- Hestĭa, 19, 71.
-
- Hīmĕrus, 58.
-
- Hippŏcŏōn, 209, 212.
-
- Hippŏdămīa, 243.
-
- Hippŏly̆tē, 224.
-
- Hippŏly̆tus, 58, 224.
-
- Homer, 13, 35, 52, 86, 144, 206, 249.
-
- Hŏnos, 196.
-
- Hōræ, 25, 84.
-
- Hy̆ăcinthus, 41, 263.
-
- Hy̆ădes, 93.
-
- Hydra, 200.
-
- Hy̆gĭēa, 36, 96.
-
- Hy̆las, 234.
-
- Hyllus, 210.
-
- Hy̆mēn, 58.
-
- Hy̆mĕnæus, 58.
-
- Hy̆pĕrīōn, 18, 90, 92.
-
- Hy̆permnestra, 187.
-
- Hypnus, 155.
-
-
- Īăpĕtus, 17, 162.
-
- Īcărĭus, 194, 249.
-
- Īcărŭs, 229.
-
- Ichthyocentaurs, 105.
-
- Īdas, 195, 231.
-
- Īdŏmĕneus, 229, 259.
-
- Iliad, 231, 242, 248.
-
- Īlīthyia, 96.
-
- Īlus, 242.
-
- Īnăchus, 185.
-
- Īnō, 108, 115, 171, 232.
-
- Ĭnŭus, 131.
-
- Īō, 26, 64, 185.
-
- Īŏbătēs, 181, 187.
-
- Ĭŏcastē, 238.
-
- Ĭŏlāus, 200, 204, 206, 231.
-
- Ĭŏlē, 206, 211.
-
- Ĭōn, 219.
-
- Īphĭănassa, 188.
-
- Īphiclēs, 198, 231.
-
- Īphĭgĕnīa, 49, 251.
-
- Īphĭtus, 206, 234.
-
- Īrēnē, 84.
-
- Īrĭs, 18, 86, 106.
-
- Īsis, 186.
-
- Ismenian Oracle, 42.
-
- Isthmian Games, 101.
-
- Ĭty̆lus, 179.
-
- Ixīōn, 149, 166.
-
-
- Jānus, 13, 74.
-
- Jāsōn, 231, 233.
-
- Jūno, 13, 26, 32.
-
- Jūpĭter, 13, 22, 24, 36, 77.
-
- Jŭventas, 87.
-
-
- Labdăcĭdæ, 237.
-
- Labdăcus, 179.
-
- Lăchĕsis, 98.
-
- Lādōn, 204.
-
- Lāërtēs, 249.
-
- Lāĭus, 179, 237.
-
- Lampus, 92.
-
- Lāŏcŏōn, 254.
-
- Lāŏdămas, 241.
-
- Lāŏmĕdōn, 102, 203, 208, 242.
-
- Lăpĭthæ, 165, 211, 223.
-
- Lărēs, 157.
-
- Larvæ, 158.
-
- Lātōna (_vide_ Leto).
-
- Lĕarchus, 108, 232.
-
- Lēda, 26, 194.
-
- Lĕmŭrālĭa, 158.
-
- Lĕmŭrēs, 158.
-
- Lĕnæa, 118.
-
- Lētō, 18, 25, 41, 48, 150.
-
- Leucippus, 195.
-
- Leucŏthĕa (_vide_ Ino).
-
- Līber, 120, 143.
-
- Lībĕrālĭa, 120.
-
- Lĭbĭtīna, 59.
-
- Lĭby̆a, 186.
-
- Lĭchas, 212.
-
- Lĭnus, 42, 199, 263.
-
- Lower World, 147.
-
- Lūna, 49, 91.
-
- Lŭpercālĭa, 132.
-
- Lŭpercus, 131.
-
- Ly̆æus, 117.
-
- Ly̆cŏmēdēs, 225, 247.
-
- Ly̆cus (Thebes), 173.
-
- Ly̆cus (Megara), 220.
-
- Lynceus (Scythian), 141.
-
- Lynceus (son of Aphareus), 195, 231.
-
- Lynceus (son of Danaus), 187.
-
-
- Măchāōn, 254.
-
- Maia, 25, 62, 132.
-
- Mānēs, 158.
-
- Mantō, 241, 262.
-
- Mars, or Māvors, 26, 52, 77.
-
- Marsy̆as, 127.
-
- Māter Magna Īdæa, 113, 130.
-
- Māter Mātūta, 92 (note).
-
- Matrōnālia, 33.
-
- Mēdēa, 221, 230, 235, 246.
-
- Mĕdūsa, 35, 103, 181, 189.
-
- Mĕgăpenthēs, 191.
-
- Mĕgæra, 150.
-
- Mĕgăra, 199, 206.
-
- Mĕlampūs, 188, 240.
-
- Mĕlĕāger, 168, 210, 230, 234.
-
- Mĕlĭa, 185.
-
- Mĕlīcertēs, 108, 232.
-
- Melpŏmĕnē, 82.
-
- Memnōn, 92, 253.
-
- Mĕnĕlāus, 245, 250, 258.
-
- Mĕnestheus, 225.
-
- Mĕnœtĭus, 162.
-
- Mercŭrĭus, 65.
-
- Mĕrŏpē, 180, 238.
-
- Mētĭōn, 220, 229.
-
- Mētĭŏnĭdæ, 220.
-
- Mētis, 25.
-
- Mĕtus, 54.
-
- Mĭdas, 127.
-
- Mĭnerva, 13, 26, 36, 137, 228.
-
- Mīnōs, 116, 149, 202, 222, 227, 228.
-
- Minotaur, 222, 227, 228.
-
- Mnēmŏsy̆nē, 17, 19, 25, 81.
-
- Mœræ, 25, 98, 232.
-
- Mŏlĭŏnĭdæ, 209.
-
- Mopsus, 262.
-
- Morpheus, 155.
-
- Mŏsychlus, 70.
-
- Mulcĭber, 71.
-
- Murcĭa, 59.
-
- Muses, 25, 42, 80, 81, 121.
-
- Mūtūnus, 133.
-
- Myrtĭlus, 244.
-
-
- Naiads, 124.
-
- Năpææ, 124.
-
- Narcissus, 58, 124.
-
- Nēleus, 209, 212, 248.
-
- Nĕmĕsis, 98.
-
- Nĕoptŏlĕmus, 254, 256.
-
- Nĕphĕlē, 232.
-
- Neptune (Neptūnus), 104.
-
- Nereids, 105, 190, 253.
-
- Nēreus, 18, 105, 205.
-
- Nerio, 54.
-
- Nessus, 210.
-
- Nestor, 165, 168, 209, 247.
-
- Nīcē, 85.
-
- Night, 154.
-
- Nīlus, 186.
-
- Nĭŏbē, 48, 176, 243.
-
- Nīsus, 220, 222.
-
- Nŏtus, 92.
-
- Nycteus, 172.
-
- Nymphs, 123, 189, 204.
-
-
- Oceanids, 68, 83, 110, 168.
-
- Ōcĕănus, 18, 25, 91, 109, 162.
-
- Ŏdysseus, 64, 102, 109, 249, 253, 259.
-
- Œdĭpūs, 153, 238.
-
- Œneus, 210, 230, 248.
-
- Œnŏmăus, 243.
-
- Ŏïclēs, 208.
-
- Ŏīleus, 248.
-
- Olympian Games, 24, 43, 196.
-
- Omphălē, 208.
-
- Ops, 133.
-
- Orcus, 155.
-
- Oreads, 124, 129.
-
- Ŏrestēs, 49, 152, 258.
-
- Ōrīōn, 92, 93.
-
- Ōrīthyia, 94, 219.
-
- Orpheus, 42, 234, 264.
-
- Oschŏphŏrĭa, 223.
-
-
- Pāgānāalĭa, 113.
-
- Pălæmōn, 109.
-
- Pălămēdēs, 251.
-
- Păles, 136.
-
- Pallădĭum, 242, 249, 254.
-
- Pallas, 220, 222.
-
- Pallas Athēnē (_vide_ Athene).
-
- Pallor, 54.
-
- Pān, 115, 128.
-
- Pănăthĕnæa, 37, 223.
-
- Pandărĕōs, 179.
-
- Pandīōn, 220.
-
- Pandōra, 163.
-
- Pandrŏsus, 218.
-
- Pānes, 125, 130, 135.
-
- Parcæ, 98, 155.
-
- Păris, 249, 253, 254.
-
- Parthĕnōn, 36.
-
- Pāsĭphăē, 228.
-
- Patroclus, 252.
-
- Pēgăsus, 103, 181, 190.
-
- Pēleus, 58, 106, 168, 208, 231, 234, 245, 249.
-
- Pĕlĭas, 180, 233, 246, 248.
-
- Pĕlŏpĭdæ, 243, 258.
-
- Pĕlops, 150, 176, 243.
-
- Pĕnātēs, 73, 156.
-
- Pēnĕlŏpē, 191, 249, 259.
-
- Pēnĕlŏpē (Nymph), 128.
-
- Penthĕsĭlēa, 183, 252.
-
- Pentheus, 115.
-
- Pĕrĭbœa, 247.
-
- Pĕricly̆mĕnus, 209, 234.
-
- Pĕrĭphētēs, 221.
-
- Persē, 90.
-
- Persēïs, 228.
-
- Persĕphŏnē, 25, 91, 109, 138, 143, 155, 224.
-
- Perseus, 102, 188, 198, 244.
-
- Phædra, 58, 224, 228.
-
- Phăĕthōn (son of Helios), 90.
-
- Phăĕthōn (horse of Eos), 92.
-
- Phĭloctētēs, 212, 251, 254, 259.
-
- Phĭly̆ra, 168.
-
- Phīneus, 107, 191, 235.
-
- Phŏbus, 57.
-
- Phœbē, 18, 49.
-
- Phœnix, 246.
-
- Phŏlus, 200.
-
- Phorcys, 18, 106, 109, 189.
-
- Phosphŏrus, 93.
-
- Phrixus, 232.
-
- Phȳleus, 209.
-
- Pīrĭthŏus, 165, 206, 231.
-
- Pittheus, 220.
-
- Pĭty̆ŏcamptēs, 221.
-
- Pleiădes, 93.
-
- Plexippus, 232.
-
- Plūteus, 146.
-
- Plūtō, 146, 155.
-
- Plūtō (fem.), 243.
-
- Pŏdarcēs, 208.
-
- Pœas, 212.
-
- Pŏly̆bus, 238.
-
- Pŏly̆castē, 194.
-
- Pŏly̆clētus, 32.
-
- Pŏly̆dectēs, 189, 190.
-
- Pŏly̆deucēs (Pollux), 168, 175, 194, 231.
-
- Pŏly̆dōrus, 172, 179.
-
- Pŏly̆hymnĭa, 83.
-
- Pŏly̆ĭdus, 229.
-
- Pŏly̆nīcēs, 240.
-
- Pŏly̆phēmus, 102.
-
- Pŏlyxĕna, 253, 256.
-
- Pōmōna, 135.
-
- Pontus, 17, 18, 105.
-
- Pŏseidōn, 13, 19, 20, 72, 100, 180, 209.
-
- Pŏthus, 58.
-
- Prĭămus (Priam), 183, 208, 243, 249, 256.
-
- Prĭāpus, 133.
-
- Procris, 219.
-
- Procrustēs, 102, 221.
-
- Prœtĭdes, 188.
-
- Prœtus, 181, 187, 191.
-
- Prŏmētheus, 162, 205.
-
- Prōserpĭna (_vide_ Persephone).
-
- Prōtĕsĭlāus, 251.
-
- Prōteus, 107.
-
- Psȳchē, 79.
-
- Py̆ănepsĭa, 223, 226.
-
- Py̆lădēs, 258.
-
- Pyrrha, 164.
-
- Pȳthĭa (_vide_ Delphian Oracle).
-
- Pȳthōn, 41, 189.
-
-
- Quinquatrūs Mājōrēs, 37.
-
- Quĭrīnus, 77.
-
-
- Recarānus, 214.
-
- Rhădămanthys (Rhadamanthus), 149, 227.
-
- Rhēa, 18, 71.
-
- Rhēa Cy̆bĕlē, 113.
-
- Rhŏdē, 104.
-
-
- Sălăcĭa, 105.
-
- Salmōneus, 233.
-
- Sălus, 97.
-
- Sandōn, 207.
-
- Sarpēdōn, 227.
-
- Sāturnālia, 134.
-
- Sāturnus, 26, 133.
-
- Satyrs, 125.
-
- Scīrōn, 221.
-
- Scŏtŏs, 153.
-
- Scylla, 222.
-
- Sĕlēnē, 18, 49, 91, 153.
-
- Sĕmĕlē, 26, 108, 114, 171.
-
- Semnæ, 152.
-
- Sibyls, 42.
-
- Sīlēni, 125, 127.
-
- Sīlēnus, 115, 126.
-
- Silvānus, 131.
-
- Sĭmŏīs, 242.
-
- Sĭnis, 221.
-
- Sĭnōn, 254.
-
- Sirens, 109.
-
- Sīrĭus, 93.
-
- Sīsy̆phus, 149, 179.
-
- Sleep, 154.
-
- Sol, 89, 90.
-
- Sŏly̆mi, 182.
-
- Sphinx, 238.
-
- Stars, the, 93.
-
- Stĕrŏpēs, 18.
-
- Sthĕnĕbœa, 187.
-
- Sthĕnĕlus, 198, 244.
-
- Sthēnō, 190.
-
- Strēnĭa, 97.
-
- Strĭges, 97.
-
- Strŏphĭus, 258.
-
- Stymphālĭdes, 201.
-
- Styx, 149.
-
- Sȳleus, 208.
-
- Symplēgădes, 235.
-
- Sȳrinx, 126, 129.
-
-
- Tălōs, 229.
-
- Tantălus, 149, 176, 243.
-
- Tartărus, 17, 19, 21.
-
- Tĕlămōn, 208, 231, 234, 245, 247, 259.
-
- Tēlĕbŏæ, 198.
-
- Tēlĕgŏnus, 259.
-
- Tēlĕmăchus, 259.
-
- Tēlĕphassa, 170.
-
- Tēlĕphus, 209.
-
- Tellus, 112.
-
- Termĭnus, 131, 137.
-
- Terpsĭchŏrē, 82.
-
- Tēthys, 18, 99.
-
- Teucer, 208, 247, 259.
-
- Teuthras, 210.
-
- Thălīa, 82, 83.
-
- Thallō, 85.
-
- Thănătus, 155.
-
- Thaumas, 18, 106.
-
- Thēa (Thīa), 18, 90, 92.
-
- Thĕmis, 17, 25, 78, 84.
-
- Thersander, 241.
-
- Thēseus, 43, 102, 116, 166, 168, 183, 206, 219, 228, 231, 234.
-
- Thesmŏphŏrĭa, 141.
-
- Thesprōtus, 245.
-
- Thestĭus, 194, 232.
-
- Thĕtis, 58, 68, 106, 246, 249, 252, 253.
-
- Thŏōsa, 120.
-
- Thy̆estēs, 244.
-
- Tĭbĕrīnus, 76, 110.
-
- Tīrĕsĭas, 241, 262.
-
- Tīsĭphŏnē, 151.
-
- Titans, 17, 18, 19, 90.
-
- Tīthōnus, 92, 205.
-
- Tĭty̆us, 41, 149.
-
- Toxeus, 232.
-
- Triptŏlĕmus, 140.
-
- Trītōn, 35, 104, 105, 129.
-
- Trōĭlus, 251.
-
- Trōs, 88, 203, 242.
-
- Ty̆chē, 99.
-
- Tȳdeus, 210, 234, 240, 248.
-
- Tyndărĕus, 194, 209, 245, 249.
-
- Ty̆phōeus, 21.
-
- Tȳphōn, 200, 204.
-
- Tȳrō, 233.
-
-
- Ŭlysses (_vide_ Odysseus).
-
- Ūrănĭa, 82.
-
- Ūrănus, 17, 18, 19, 21, 152.
-
-
- Vĕnus, 58.
-
- Vertumnus, 135.
-
- Vesta, 72, 156.
-
- Victōrĭa, 85.
-
- Vulcan (Volcānus), 70.
-
-
- Winds, the, 93.
-
-
- Zĕphy̆rus, 92, 94.
-
- Zētēs, 94, 219, 234.
-
- Zēthus, 171, 172, 179.
-
- Zeus, 12, 13, 16, 19, 22, 31, 62, 88, 115, 162, 185.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
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-
-
-
-
-Transcriber’s note:
-
- 1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling.
-
- 2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed.
-
-
-
-***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYTHOLOGY OF GREECE AND ROME***
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-<h1 class="pgx" title="header title">The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Mythology of Greece and Rome, by Otto
-Seemann, Edited by G. H. (George Henry) Bianchi</h1>
-<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
-and most other parts of the world 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 <a
-href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not
-located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the
-country where you are located before using this ebook.</p>
-<p>Title: The Mythology of Greece and Rome</p>
-<p> With Special Reference to Its Use in Art</p>
-<p>Author: Otto Seemann</p>
-<p>Editor: G. H. (George Henry) Bianchi</p>
-<p>Release Date: April 23, 2020 [eBook #61901]</p>
-<p>Language: English</p>
-<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p>
-<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYTHOLOGY OF GREECE AND ROME***</p>
-<p>&nbsp;</p>
-<h4 class="pgx" title="credit">E-text prepared by Richard Tonsing<br />
- and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br />
- (<a href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>)<br />
- from page images generously made available by<br />
- Internet Archive<br />
- (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4>
-<p>&nbsp;</p>
-<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10">
- <tr>
- <td valign="top">
- Note:
- </td>
- <td>
- Images of the original pages are available through
- Internet Archive. See
- <a href="https://archive.org/details/TheMythologyOfGreeceAndRome">
- https://archive.org/details/TheMythologyOfGreeceAndRome</a>
- </td>
- </tr>
-</table>
-<p>&nbsp;</p>
-<hr class="pgx" />
-<p>&nbsp;</p>
-
-<div class='section ph1'>
-
-<div class='nf-center-c0'>
-<div class='nf-center c001'>
- <div>Greek and Roman Mythology</div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-</div>
-
-<div id='f_53' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_53.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 53.—Head of Niobe. Florence.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class='titlepage'>
-
-<div>
- <h1 class='c002'><span class='xlarge'>THE MYTHOLOGY</span><br /> <span class='small'>OF</span><br /> GREECE AND ROME<br /> <span class='large'><em>WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS USE IN ART</em></span></h1>
-</div>
-
-<div class='nf-center-c0'>
-<div class='nf-center c003'>
- <div><span class='small'>EDITED BY</span></div>
- <div class='c004'><span class='large'>G. H. BIANCHI, M.A.</span></div>
- <div class='c004'><span class='xsmall'>LATE SCHOLAR OF ST. PETER’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE BROTHERTON SANSKRIT PRIZEMAN, 1875</span></div>
- <div class='c003'><em>WITH SIXTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS</em></div>
- <div class='c003'>New and Revised Edition</div>
- <div class='c003'>LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, <span class='sc'>Ld.</span></div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-</div>
-
-<div class='nf-center-c0'>
-<div class='nf-center c001'>
- <div><span class='small'><span class='sc'>Made and Printed in Great Britain.</span></span></div>
- <div><span class='small'><span class='sc'>Richard Clay &amp; Sons, Limited.</span></span></div>
- <div><span class='small'><span class='sc'>Printers, Bungay, Suffolk.</span></span></div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/i_005.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='chapter'>
- <span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>
- <h2 class='c005'>PREFACE.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<div class='c006'>
- <img class='drop-capi' src='images/di_005.jpg' width='100' alt='' />
-</div><p class='drop-capi_8'>
-No apology can be needed for introducing to the public a
-work like the present. There has long been a want of
-a book which should, in a moderate compass, give a clear and
-readable account of these legends; for Dictionaries of Mythology
-do not give a view of the subject as a whole; and the price of
-most other works on the Greek and Roman myths would prevent
-their being used as class-books. These considerations have led
-the publishers to bring out this book in an English dress.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>If any should be inclined to ask what Mythology has to do
-with men of the present day, the reply is plain. The works of
-art in our galleries and museums require a certain amount of
-knowledge of the mythology of the Greeks and Romans for the
-full appreciation of their subjects. There is hardly any literature
-in Europe which has not been more or less coloured by
-these legends; and in our own day their power to inspire the
-poet has by no means ceased. Nay, they have incorporated
-themselves into our very language: “Herculean strength” is
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>almost as common an expression now as it was two thousand years
-ago; and we still talk of “chimerical” expectations, describe a
-man as “tantalised,” and use the Sphinx as the symbol of the
-mysterious.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The present work, translated from the German of O. Seemann,
-seems well adapted to convey a knowledge of these myths. It
-is illustrated with cuts after some of the masterpieces of ancient
-and modern art. Particular attention has been paid to this
-branch of the subject, and the principal works of art in each
-case are mentioned.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The distinction between Greek and Roman deities and heroes
-has been preserved, but the conventional spelling has been
-retained. A full index is appended, in which the quantities of
-the vowels are carefully marked.</p>
-
-<div class='figcenter id003'>
-<img src='images/i_006.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>
-<img src='images/i_007.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='chapter'>
- <h2 class='c005'>TABLE OF CONTENTS.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<table class='table0' summary='TABLE OF CONTENTS'>
-<colgroup>
-<col width='4%' />
-<col width='1%' />
-<col width='88%' />
-<col width='5%' />
-</colgroup>
- <tr>
- <th class='c008'></th>
- <th class='c009'>&nbsp;</th>
- <th class='c009'>&nbsp;</th>
- <th class='c010'><span class='small'>PAGE</span></th>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr><td class='c011' colspan='4'>INTRODUCTION.</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>I.</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>Subjects of Greek and Roman Mythology</span></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_11'>11</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>II.</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>Popular Ideas concerning the Gods</span></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_13'>13</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c012' colspan='3'>PART I.—COSMOGONY AND THEOGONY</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_17'>17</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr><td class='c011' colspan='4'>PART II.—THE GODS.</td></tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'>THE GODS OF OLYMPUS.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'>A.—SUPERIOR DEITIES.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Zeus (Jupiter)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_22'>22</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Hera (Juno)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_31'>31</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Pallas Athene (Minerva)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_34'>34</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Apollo</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_40'>40</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Artemis (Diana)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_48'>48</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Ares (Mars)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_51'>51</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Aphrodite (Venus)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_56'>56</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Hermes (Mercurius)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_62'>62</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Hephæstus (Vulcanus)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_68'>68</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Hestia (Vesta)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_71'>71</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Janus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_74'>74</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Quirinus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_77'>77</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'><span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>B.—SECONDARY DEITIES.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>1.</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>Attendant and Ministering Deities—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Eros (Amor)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Muses</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_80'>80</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Charites (Gratiæ)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_83'>83</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Themis and the Horæ (Seasons)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_84'>84</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Nice (Victoria)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_85'>85</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Iris</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_86'>86</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Hebe (Juventas)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_87'>87</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Ganymedes</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_88'>88</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>2.</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>The Phenomena of the Heavens—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Helios (Sol)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#t89'>89</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Selene (Luna)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_91'>91</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Eos (Aurora)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_92'>92</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Stars</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_93'>93</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Winds</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_93'>93</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>3.</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>Gods of Birth and Healing—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Asclepius (Æsculapius)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_94'>94</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Inferior Deities of Birth and Healing</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#t96'>96</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>4.</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>Deities of Fate—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Mœræ (Parcæ)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_98'>98</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Nemesis, Tyche (Fortuna), and Agathodæmon (Bonus Eventus)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_98'>98</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'>THE GODS OF THE SEA AND WATERS.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Poseidon (Neptunus)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_100'>100</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Amphitrite</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_104'>104</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Triton and the Tritons</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_105'>105</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c013' colspan='3'>Pontus and his Descendants—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Nereus and his Daughters</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_105'>105</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_106'>106</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Proteus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_107'>107</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Glaucus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_107'>107</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Ino Leucothea, and Melicertes</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_108'>108</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Sirens</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_109'>109</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Race of Oceanus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_109'>109</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'>THE GODS OF THE EARTH AND LOWER WORLD.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Gæa (Tellus)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_112'>112</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Rhea Cybele (Magna Mater Idæa)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_113'>113</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Dionysus, or Bacchus (Liber)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_114'>114</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Nymphs</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_123'>123</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Satyrs</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_125'>125</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Silenus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_126'>126</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c013' colspan='3'>Greek and Roman Wood-Spirits—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Pan</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_128'>128</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Silvanus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_131'>131</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Faunus and Fauna</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_131'>131</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Priapus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_133'>133</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Saturnus and Ops</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_133'>133</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Vertumnus and Pomona</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_135'>135</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Flora</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_136'>136</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Pales</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_136'>136</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Terminus</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_137'>137</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Demeter (Ceres)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_137'>137</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Persephone (Proserpina)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_143'>143</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Hades (Pluto)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_146'>146</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Lower World</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_147'>147</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Erinyes (Furiæ)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_150'>150</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Hecate</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_153'>153</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Sleep and Death</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_154'>154</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'>ROMAN DEITIES OF THE HOUSE AND FAMILY.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Penates</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_156'>156</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Lares</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_157'>157</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Larvæ, Lemures, and Manes</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_158'>158</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr><td class='c011' colspan='4'>PART III.—THE HEROES.</td></tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c015' colspan='3'>INTRODUCTORY</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_159'>159</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c015' colspan='3'>THE CREATION AND PRIMITIVE CONDITION OF MANKIND</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_162'>162</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'>PROVINCIAL HEROIC LEGENDS—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Lapithæ and the Centaurs</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_165'>165</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c013' colspan='3'>Theban Legend—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Cadmus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_170'>170</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Actæon</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_171'>171</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Amphion and Zethus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_172'>172</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c013' colspan='3'>Corinthian Legend—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Sisyphus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_179'>179</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Glaucus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_180'>180</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Bellerophon and the Legend of the Amazons</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_180'>180</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>Argive Legend—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Io</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_185'>185</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Danaüs and the Danaïds</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_186'>186</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Prœtus and his Daughters</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_187'>187</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Perseus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_188'>188</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Dioscuri</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_194'>194</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>Heracles (Hercules)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_197'>197</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>The Birth and Youth of Heracles</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_198'>198</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Heracles in the Service of Eurystheus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_199'>199</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Deeds of Heracles after his Service</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_206'>206</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Death and Apotheosis</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_211'>211</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Heracles as God</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_212'>212</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>Attic Legend—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Cecrops</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_217'>217</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Erechtheus, or Erichthonius</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_218'>218</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Theseus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_219'>219</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>Cretan Legend—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Minos and the Minotaur</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_227'>227</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Talos</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_229'>229</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c013' colspan='4'>COMBINED UNDERTAKINGS OF THE LATER HEROIC AGE—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Calydonian Hunt</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_230'>230</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Argonauts</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_232'>232</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Theban Cycle</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_237'>237</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Trojan Cycle</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_241'>241</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c014' colspan='3'>The Heroic Races of the Trojan War—</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>The Dardanidæ, or Race of Dardanus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_241'>241</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>The Pelopidæ, or Race of Pelops</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_242'>242</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>The Æacidæ, or Race of Æacus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_245'>245</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009'><em>Nestor, the Locrian Ajax, Diomedes, and Odysseus</em></td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_247'>247</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The War</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_249'>249</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>&nbsp;</td>
- <td class='c009' colspan='2'>The Return</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_257'>257</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c015' colspan='3'>MYTHIC SEERS AND BARDS</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_262'>262</a></td>
- </tr>
-</table>
-
-<div class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/i_010.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>
-<img src='images/i_011.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='chapter'>
- <h2 class='c005'>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2>
-</div>
-<table class='table0' summary='LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS'>
-<colgroup>
-<col width='5%' />
-<col width='72%' />
-<col width='21%' />
-</colgroup>
- <tr>
- <th class='c008'><span class='small'>FIG.</span></th>
- <th class='c009'>&nbsp;</th>
- <th class='c010'><span class='small'>PAGE</span></th>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>1.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Bust of Cronus. Vatican Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_01'>20</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>2.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Cameo of Athenion</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_02'>21</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>3.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Zeus of Otricoli. Vatican Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_03'>27</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>4.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Jupiter Verospi. Vatican Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_04'>29</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>5.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Coins of Elis with Phidias’ Zeus. (After Overbeck.)</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_05'>30</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>6.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Barberini Juno. Vatican Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_06'>32</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>7.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Head of Hera, perhaps after Polycletus. Naples,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_07'>33</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>8.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Pallas Giustiniani. Vatican,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_08'>38</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>9.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Athene Polias. Villa Albani,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_09'>39</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>10.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Pallas Athene. Naples,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_10'>40</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>11.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Apollo Belvedere. Vatican,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_11'>44</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>12.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Head of Apollo Belvedere,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_12'>45</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>13.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Apollo Citharœdus. Munich,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_13'>47</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>14.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Diana of Versailles,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_14'>50</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>15.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Mars Ludovisi,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_15'>55</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>16.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Bust of Ares. Sculpture Gallery at Munich,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_16'>56</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>17.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Venus of Milo. Louvre,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_17'>60</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>18.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Venus Genetrix. Villa Borghese,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_18'>61</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>19.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Resting Hermes. Bronze Statue at Naples,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_19'>66</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>20.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Statue of Hermes. Capitoline Collection,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_20'>67</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>21.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Hephæstus. Bronze Figure in the British Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_21'>70</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>22.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Vesta Giustiniani. Torlonia Collection,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_22'>74</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>23.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Head of Eros. Vatican,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_23'>78</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>24.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Eros trying his Bow. Capitoline Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_24'>79</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>25.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Polyhymnia. Berlin Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_25'>80</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>26.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Melpomene. Vatican,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_26'>81</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>27.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Euterpe. Vatican,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_27'>82</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>28.</td>
- <td class='c009'>The Horæ. Relief from the Villa Albani,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_28'>85</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>29.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Victoria. United Collections in Munich,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_29'>86</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>30.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Hebe. From Antonio Canova,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_30'>88</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>31.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Ganymedes and the Eagle. From Thorwaldsen,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_31'>89</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>32.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Asclepius. Berlin,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_32'>95</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>33.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Head of Asclepius. British Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_33'>96</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>34.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Night and the Fates. From Carstens,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_34'>97</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>35.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Poseidon. Dolce Gem,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_35'>103</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>36.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Dionysus and Lion. From the Monument of Lysicrates,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_36'>116</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>37.</td>
- <td class='c009'>The so-called Sardanapalus in the Vatican,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_37'>119</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>38.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Youthful Dionysus. From the Chateau Richelieu, now in the Louvre,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_38'>120</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>39.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Marble Head of Youthful Dionysus at Leyden,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_39'>121</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>40.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Sleeping Ariadne. Vatican,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_40'>122</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>41.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Dannecker’s Ariadne. Frankfort-on-the-Main,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_41'>123</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>42.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Head of Satyr. Munich Sculpture Gallery,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_42'>126</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>43.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Pan. From a Mural Painting at Herculaneum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_43'>130</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>44.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Demeter Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii. Naples,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_44'>142</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>45.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Persephone Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii. Naples,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_45'>145</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>46.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Head of Hades. Palazzo Chigi. Rome,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_46'>147</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>47.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Three-formed Hecate. Capitoline Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_47'>154</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>48.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Metope of the Parthenon,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_48'>166</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>49.</td>
- <td class='c009'>From the Frieze of the Temple at Bassæ</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_49'>167</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>50.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Centaur teaching a boy to play upon the Pipe. Relief by Kundmann,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_50'>169</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>51.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Actæon. Group. British Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_51'>172</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>52.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Farnese Bull. Naples,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_52'>174</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>53.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Head of Niobe. Florence,</td>
- <td class='c010'><em><a href='#f_53'>Frontispiece</a></em>.</td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>54.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Niobe. Florence,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_54'>178</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>55.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Amazon. Berlin,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_55'>183</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>56.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Perseus and Andromeda. Marble Relief in the Museum at Naples,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_56'>192</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>57.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Rondanini Medusa. Munich,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_57'>193</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>58.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Farnese Hercules,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_58'>215</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>59.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Elgin Theseus. British Museum,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_59'>225</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>60.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Theseus Lifting the Rock. Relief in the Villa Albani,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_60'>226</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>61.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Laocoön. Group,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_61'>255</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>62.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Priam before Achilles. Relief by Thorwaldsen,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_62'>260</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>63.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Rape of Helen. Campana Collection. Paris,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_63'>261</a></td>
- </tr>
- <tr>
- <td class='c008'>64.</td>
- <td class='c009'>Orpheus and Eurydice. Marble Relief in the Villa Albani,</td>
- <td class='c010'><a href='#f_64'>263</a></td>
- </tr>
-</table>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>
-<img src='images/i_013.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='section ph1'>
-
-<div class='nf-center-c0'>
-<div class='nf-center c001'>
- <div><span class='sc'>Greek and Roman Mythology.</span></div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-</div>
-
-<div>
- <h2 class='c005'>INTRODUCTION.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<h3 class='c016'>I.—SUBJECTS OF GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY.</h3>
-
-<div class='c017'>
- <img class='drop-capi' src='images/di_013.jpg' width='100' alt='' />
-</div><p class='drop-capi_8'>
-Myths may be described as poetic narratives of the birth,
-life, and actions of the old heathen gods and heroes or
-demigods. Both myth and legend<a id='r1' /><a href='#f1' class='c018'><sup>[1]</sup></a> are distinguished
-from the “Mährchen,” or popular tale, by not being, like the latter,
-a mere product of the imagination, but always being founded on
-some preceding reality, whether that be an oft-recurring phase
-of nature, or a distinct and real occurrence. It is often most
-difficult to recognise with any precision the true germ of a myth,
-on account of the numerous additions and alterations made by
-the poets. And therefore the question, whether a particular
-tradition be a myth or not, is very hard to answer: on one side
-we are tempted to view, in the god or demigod, the hero of a
-tribe magnified to superhuman proportions by the admiration of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>posterity; and, on the other side, comparison of the legends of
-different families of nations points us to the operations of nature,
-not only in the demigod or the hero, but in the animals of fable
-and the traditions of the nursery.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f1'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. The German word “sage” (legend) is really only a translation of the
-Greek word “mythos,” and is often used in that sense. But lately the
-custom has tacitly sprung up of employing the term “mythos” when
-speaking of the life or actions of the gods, and “sage” when speaking of
-those of heroes.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>A large proportion of these myths are due to men’s observations
-of Nature, and her various active and creative forces, which
-appeared to their lively Southern fancy as manifestations of
-single supernatural beings. These were regarded, now as friendly,
-now as hostile, to man; and men therefore strove as eagerly to
-gain their favour as to appease their wrath. Of the appearance
-of the deities who thus manifested themselves in the workings
-of nature, men necessarily formed at first very crude and
-fantastic ideas. But later, when men emerged from the simple
-conditions of the early patriarchal epoch, and began to dwell in
-regular political communities, they gradually ceased to regard
-the gods as mere personifications of natural forces. They began
-to regard them as beings acting in accordance with unchangeable
-moral laws, and endowed with forms similar to those of men
-(Anthropomorphism). They brought the gods into connection
-with each other by means of genealogies in a great measure
-artificial, and built up a vast political system, which has its
-centre in Zeus, the “father of gods and men.”</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Strange to say, however, it was only among the Greeks that
-this system of development prevailed. The nations of Italy
-still continued to regard their gods as mere natural forces—that
-looked down on them in a cold, strange fashion—of whose form
-and mode of life they had no clear idea. It was only later,
-when the Romans came into intellectual contact with their Greek
-neighbours, and began to study their language and literature,
-that they adopted the popular Greek conceptions concerning the
-gods. They now transferred existing myths, and fathered them
-on those of their own gods and goddesses who bore the closest
-resemblance to the Greek divinities, and harmonised best with
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>their natural interpretation. Thus it was that the Roman
-Jupiter was identified with the Greek Zeus, Juno with Hera,
-Minerva with Athene; though for peculiar deities, such as
-Janus, they could find no Greek prototype.</p>
-
-<h3 class='c019'>II.—POPULAR IDEAS CONCERNING THE GODS.</h3>
-
-<p class='c017'>We learn most concerning the conceptions the ancients formed
-of their gods from the numerous Greek and Roman poets whose
-works have come down to us, and who contributed so largely to
-the construction of the myths. First, both in antiquity and
-importance, are the poems attributed to Homer, in which we
-find the whole political system of Olympus, with Zeus at its
-head, already constructed.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Henceforth the gods, in outward appearance at least, are
-endowed with forms entirely human; more grand and beautiful
-and majestic, but still not verging on the monstrous or fantastic.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Not only in beauty and grandeur, but also in strength and
-vigour, do the gods surpass men. Let but Zeus shake his
-ambrosial locks, and the whole of Olympus trembles. The other
-deities are also endowed in proportion with great strength.
-As corporeal, indeed, they are limited in regard to space, and
-cannot therefore be omnipresent; but this restriction affects them
-far less than mortals, for they can compass the greatest distances
-at lightning speed. In a moment Athene drops from the
-heights of Olympus down to Ithaca; and Poseidon, the ocean-god,
-passes in three or four steps from Samothrace to Ægæ in
-Eubœa. Moreover, the gods can see and hear at a much greater
-distance than men. In regard to hearing, indeed, they seem to
-have unlimited powers. Prayers ascend to them from every
-place, irrespective of their personal presence. In the same
-manner Zeus, from his high throne in Olympus, sees all that
-passes among men, and, sitting on the highest summit of Mount
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>Ida, he can follow all the events of the battle that rages before
-Troy.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>On the other hand, the gods are subject to the same bodily
-wants as men. They refresh themselves in the same way with
-sleep, and have to support themselves with food and drink.
-Here again, however, they are far less fettered than mortals, for
-they can hold out much longer without satisfying these wants.
-Nor is their food so coarse as that of men; they live on
-ambrosia and nectar. Another natural necessity is clothing, on
-the tasteful ordering of which the goddesses even bestow extraordinary
-care, and in this, as in many other respects, greatly
-resemble the daughters of Eve. Although later art delights in
-representing some of the deities either slightly clothed or quite
-naked, yet we cannot justly conclude from this that the popular
-belief of the ancients conceived thus of those gods.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Gods endowed with frames like those of mortals must necessarily
-be born in the same way, and develope gradually both in
-mind and body. But here, again, everything proceeds with the
-utmost rapidity. For instance, the new-born Hermes rises from
-his cradle to steal the cattle of Apollo, and, coming into the
-world in the morning, he is found in the afternoon playing on
-the lyre, which he has himself invented. The most important
-point, however, in which they surpass mortals is that, when
-once in full possession of bodily and intellectual powers, they
-never grow old, but remain ever young and beautiful, ever free
-from disease and death. Compared with the race of men, who
-are subject to need and pain, they are the “happy,” “blessed”
-gods, the gods “who live at ease,” who can readily gratify every
-desire. But this does not by any means prevent their suffering
-occasionally from the pangs of sorrow and grief; they are
-vulnerable alike in body and soul, and exposed to every kind of
-painful sensation. So completely did the Greeks subject their
-gods to human passions.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>As regards mental qualifications they are naturally far superior
-to men. In the first place, they stand higher morally; they
-shun all that is evil, impure, and unjust, and visit with punishment
-the impiety and injustice of man. This, again, does not
-prevent their giving way to every description of vice and folly,
-such as deceit, lying, hatred, cruelty, jealousy, &amp;c. They are
-far from holy, therefore, in the sense in which we speak of
-the Supreme Being. Still less are they conceived as omniscient
-or omnipotent. Their powers indeed are great, and so is their
-knowledge. They are able to interrupt the course of nature—to
-send sudden storms, pestilences, and other evils—to endow themselves
-or others with any forms they like, and to do many other
-things, of which we read in fairy tales. But even Zeus, to
-whom a far greater measure of power is accorded than to other
-gods, and on whose will the government of the universe depends,
-is himself subjected to the immutable decrees of fate; whilst
-the possibility of deceiving and duping him is by no means
-excluded.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Where then are we to seek for the explanation of these apparent
-inconsistencies? We have already said that the active
-and creative forces of Nature were personified by the imagination
-of men. Let us take one of the first conceptions likely to
-spring up—that of the love of the heaven for the earth, from
-which all nature is born. Different names will be used in
-different localities; men will at last forget that they all once
-meant the same, and out of the simple personification will spring
-a series of divine marriages; or if one be recognised by the
-whole nation as the wife, the other brides will sink into
-mistresses.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>So with the everlasting war of the sun with the clouds; we
-shall not only find several gods of the light in Greece, but
-almost every tribe had a particular hero, whose great deeds we
-shall generally find to be those of the sun. Yet in the midst of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>all this confusion, men had a feeling that there was something
-above them better and holier than they, to which that which
-is good and holy alone was pleasing. This idea was more and
-more attached to Zeus himself, as the notion grew that Zeus
-was the supreme god, the king of heaven.</p>
-
-<div class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/i_018.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>
-<img src='images/i_019.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='chapter'>
- <h2 class='c005'>PART I.—COSMOGONY AND THEOGONY.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<div class='c006'>
- <img class='drop-capi' src='images/di_019.jpg' width='100' alt='' />
-</div><p class='drop-capi_8'>
-By Cosmogony, we understand the legends relating to the
-creation of the world; by Theogony, those relating to the
-origin of the gods. On both points we have to deal with the
-Greeks alone, since the Romans never indulged in any researches
-of this kind. All that their poets have to say on the subject is,
-without exception, borrowed from the Greeks.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>According to the common account the world was formed out
-of Chaos. By this, however, we must not understand a huge
-and shapeless mass, but merely dark, unbounded space. The
-accounts of the poets vary very materially as to how the world
-proceeded from Chaos. The most popular view is that according
-to which Gæa or Ge (the earth) first issued from Chaos; whereupon
-Tartarus (the abyss beneath the earth) immediately
-severed itself, and Eros (the love that forms and binds all
-things) sprang into existence. Gæa then begot of herself
-Uranus (heaven), the mountains, and Pontus (the sea).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The first gods who peopled this new world were begotten of
-the earth partly by Uranus and partly by Pontus. From her
-union with Uranus sprang the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the
-Centimanes; from her union with Pontus various sea-deities.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>1. The race of Uranus. According to Hesiod there were twelve
-Titans: six males—Oceanus, Cœus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus,
-and Cronus; and six females—Thia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne,
-Phœbe, and Tethys. The interpretation of these divinities is
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>somewhat difficult, but they doubtless represented the elementary
-forces of nature. The Cyclopes were three in number—Brontes
-(thunder), Steropes (lightning), and Arges (sheet-lightning):
-these, we can clearly see, refer to the phenomena of the storm.
-The Centimanes (hundred-handed), again, are three in number—Cottus,
-Briareus, and Gyes. These, too, represent destructive
-forces of nature—perhaps the earthquake, the tempestuous sea,
-and the storm-wind.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>2. The race of Pontus. By Pontus Gæa became the mother
-of the fabulous sea-deities—Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto,
-and Eurybia. These, again, had numerous descendants. Nereus
-represents the sea in its quiet state: we shall have to speak of
-him and his daughters later on. Thaumas represents to us the
-majesty of the sea. He is the father of Iris (the rainbow), and
-of the Harpies (storm-winds). Lastly, Phorcys and Ceto, from
-whose union the frightful Gorgons and Grææ proceeded, typify
-all the dangers and terrors of the sea.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Many marriages also took place among the Titans themselves.
-The numerous sea-nymphs are descended from Oceanus and
-Tethys; from Hyperion and Thia come the deities of the light—Helios
-(sun), Selene (moon), and Eos (dawn); from Cœus and
-Phœbe the deities of the night—Leto (dark night) and Asteria
-(starry night).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The most important of all the Titans, however, are Cronus and
-Rhea, who pave the way for the universal dominion of their son Zeus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Uranus, fearing lest his last-born sons, the powerful Cyclopes
-and Centimanes, might one day seize his power, buried them
-directly after birth in the deep abyss beneath the earth. This
-displeased Gæa, their mother, who thereupon prompted the
-Titans to conspire against their father, and induced Cronus, the
-youngest and bravest of them, to lay violent hands on Uranus.
-Uranus was mutilated, cast into chains, and compelled by his
-sons to abdicate his sovereignty, which now passed to Cronus.
-But Cronus was not long destined to enjoy the fruits of his crime.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>The curse of Uranus, who prophesied that he would suffer a
-like fate at the hands of his own son, was fulfilled. So anxious
-was he to avert such a catastrophe, that he swallowed his
-children immediately after their birth. Five had already suffered
-this fate—Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.
-But their mother Rhea, grieved at their lot, determined to
-rescue her next son, Zeus, by a stratagem. In the place of her
-child, she gave to her suspicious and cruel husband a stone
-wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed without
-further examination. Zeus, who was thus rescued, was reared
-by the nymphs in a grotto on Mount Dicte, in Crete. The she-goat
-Amalthea served as his nurse, whilst the bees brought him
-honey to eat. In order that the cries of the child might not
-betray his presence to his suspicious father, the Curetes, or
-attendant priests of Rhea, drowned his voice in the clashing of
-their weapons. Zeus remained thus hidden until he had become
-a mighty though youthful god. He then attacked and overthrew
-his father Cronus, whom he also compelled, by means of a
-device of Gæa, to bring forth the children that he had devoured.
-One part of the Titans—Oceanus, Themis, Mnemosyne, and
-Hyperion—submitted without hesitation to the dominion of the
-new ruler of the world. The others, however, refused allegiance;
-but Zeus, after a contest of ten years, overthrew them, with the
-help of the Cyclopes and Centimanes. As a punishment, they
-were cast into Tartarus, which was then closed by Poseidon
-with brazen gates. Thessaly, the land which bears the clearest
-traces of natural convulsions, was supposed to have been the
-scene of this mighty war. Zeus and his adherents fought from
-Olympus; the Titans from the opposite mountain of Othrys.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Comparison of the legends of other nations does not show us
-any such elaborate genealogy. Zeus has his counterparts almost
-everywhere, and Uranus himself appears in India; but Cronus,
-in the sense of the father of Zeus, is probably traceable to the
-common epithet of Zeus, Cronion, which was assumed in later
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>times to be a patronymic. It was natural to deduce from the
-idea that one power of nature sprang from another, the expression
-that the god of the first power was the child of the god
-of the second; it would perhaps be more correct to say that it
-was the same thing to the early races of men. As to the wars,
-which were so great a stumbling-block to the Greek philosophers,
-we may notice that the supreme god must, of course, have been
-the son of a supreme god; and yet, if his predecessor were
-supreme, must have dispossessed him.</p>
-
-<div id='f_01' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_01.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 1.—Bust of Cronus. Vatican Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The Titans, not
-being actually objects
-of worship, were not
-frequently represented
-in ancient art.
-Cronus is the only
-exception, which may
-be explained by the
-fact that the Romans
-identified him with
-their own Saturn, or
-harvest-god. He is
-generally depicted
-with a severe and
-gloomy expression of
-countenance, the back
-of his head being
-veiled, as a symbol of
-his reserved character.
-In the Vatican
-Museum at Rome
-there is a bust of this
-kind in good preservation,
-an engraving
-of which we give
-(Fig. 1).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>After his victory over the Titans, Zeus shared the empire of
-the world with his two brothers, Poseidon and Hades. The
-former he made ruler of the ocean and waters; the latter he set
-over the infernal regions; everything else he retained for himself.
-This new order of things, however, was by no means
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>securely established. The resentment of Gæa led her to produce
-with Tartarus, her youngest and most powerful son, the
-giant Typhoeus, a monster with a hundred fire-breathing dragons’
-heads, whom she sent to overthrow the dominion of Zeus.
-A great battle took place, which shook heaven and earth. Zeus,
-by means of his never-ceasing thunderbolts, at length overcame
-Typhoeus, and cast him into Tartarus, or, according to later writers
-(Pindar and Virgil), buried him beneath Mount Ætna in Sicily,
-whence at times he still breathes out fire and flames toward heaven.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Some poets tell of another rebellion, that of the Giants, against
-the dominion of Zeus. These are said to have sprung from the
-drops of blood which fell on the earth from the mutilated body of
-Uranus. From the plains of Phlegra, in Thessaly, they sought
-to storm Olympus by piling Pelion on Ossa. But after a bloody
-battle, in which all the gods took part, the two were conquered,
-and sent to share the fate of the vanquished Titans. The dominion
-of Zeus was now securely established, and no hostile attack ever
-after disturbed the peaceful ease of the inhabitants of Olympus.</p>
-
-<div id='f_02' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_02.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 2.—Cameo of Athenion.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The early history of Zeus, as well as his contests for the empire of the
-universe, commonly called the Giganto-machia, was a favourite subject
-with Greek art. In
-the more ancient
-of these works the
-Giants do not differ,
-either in form
-or appearance,
-from the Gods and
-Heroes. In later
-works they are represented
-with the
-bodies of dragons,
-only the upper
-portion of the body
-being human.
-They appear thus
-on the celebrated
-cameo of the
-Naples Museum,
-where Zeus, in his chariot drawn by four fiery horses, is in the act of
-charging them (Fig. 2).</p>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>
-<img src='images/i_024.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='chapter'>
- <h2 class='c005'>PART II.—THE GODS.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<h3 class='c016'>I.—THE GODS OF OLYMPUS.</h3>
-
-<h4 class='c016'>A.—SUPERIOR DEITIES.</h4>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. Zeus (Jupiter).</b>—Chief of the celestial deities is Zeus,
-called by the Romans Jupiter, the controller and ruler of the
-universe. As being the god of heaven <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">par excellence</span></i>, the “Skyfather,”
-he is to both nations the source of all life in nature, and
-from his gracious hand are shed blessing and abundance. All the
-phenomena of the air were supposed to proceed from him. He
-gathers and disperses the clouds, casts forth his lightning, stirs
-up his thunder, sends down rain, hail, snow, and fertilising dew
-on the earth. With his ægis—an impenetrable shield hung
-with a hundred golden tassels, in the midst of which the fearful
-head of the Gorgon is fastened—he produces storm and tempest.
-The ægis, though often meaning shield, is properly a goat-skin
-fastened to and supporting the true shield; later it appears
-as a short cloak, and even as a breastplate, covered with scales,
-and fringed with serpents. It is not often found in representations
-of Zeus; though a statue of him at Leyden shows it, and
-in a cameo he is seen with it wrapped around his left arm:
-similarly it was common to wrap the chlamys or scarf round the
-left arm, for purposes of defence. The ægis usually belongs
-to Athene, who borrows it from her father in the <cite>Iliad</cite>. She
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>is seen wearing it in Fig. 9. In this word we probably see a
-confusion of two ideas, different, though of similar origin; from
-the same root that gives us the “springing” goat we have the
-storm-cloud “tossed” over the sky.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The ancients, however, were not content to regard Zeus merely
-as a personification of Nature; they regarded him also from an
-ethical standpoint, from which side he appears far more important
-and awful. They saw in him a personification, so to speak, of that
-principle of undeviating order and harmony which pervades both
-the physical and moral world. The strict unalterable laws by
-which he rules the community of the gods form a strong contrast
-to the capricious commands of his father Cronus. Hence Zeus is
-regarded as the protector and defender of all political order.
-From him the kings of the earth receive their sovereignty and
-rights; to him they are responsible for a conscientious fulfilment
-of their duties. Those among them who unjustly exceed
-their powers and pervert justice he never fails to punish. Zeus,
-moreover, also presides over councils and assemblies, keeps
-watch over their orderly course, and suggests to them wise
-counsels. One of the most important props of political society
-is the oath; and accordingly, as Zeus Horkios (<span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">ὅρκιος</span>, <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">deus
-fidius</span></i> of the Romans), he watches over oaths, and punishes
-perjury. He also watches over boundaries, and accompanies
-the youths of the land as they march to the defence of their
-country’s borders, giving them the victory over the invaders.
-All civil and political communities enjoy his protection; but he
-particularly watches over that association which is the basis of
-the political fabric—the family. The head of every household
-was therefore, in a certain sense, the priest of Zeus. It was he
-who presented the offerings to the god in the name of the
-family. At his altar, which generally stood in the middle of
-the court (in small households this was represented by the
-hearth), all strangers, fugitives, and suppliants found shelter.
-As Zeus Xenius (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">hospitalis</span></i>) he protects the wanderer, and
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>punishes those who violate the ancient laws of hospitality by
-mercilessly turning the helpless stranger from their door.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The superstition of early times saw in all the phenomena of
-the heavens manifestations of the divine will. Thus the chief
-deity of heaven was naturally regarded as the highest source of
-inspiration, and was believed to reveal his will to men in the
-thunder, the lightning, the flight of birds, or dreams. As the
-supreme oracular deity, Zeus not only had an oracle of his own
-at Dodona in Epirus, which was the most ancient in Greece, but
-also revealed the future by the mouth of his favourite son
-Apollo. Though he possessed no proper oracle among the
-Romans, yet the latter looked with all the more care and
-anxiety on the phenomena of the air and sky, the right interpretation
-of which formed a special and difficult branch of
-knowledge.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Zeus was the earliest national god of the Greeks. His worship
-extended throughout the whole of Greece, though some of
-his shrines had a special importance. The most ancient of them
-was that at Dodona, where the Pelasgian Zeus was worshipped
-at a time prior to the existence of any temples in Greece. He
-was here represented in the celebrated form of the sacred oak,
-in the rustling of whose branches the deity revealed himself to
-the faithful. He was also worshipped on the summit of Mount
-Tomarus, at the foot of which lay Dodona—mountain-tops being
-naturally the earliest seats of his worship. But all the earlier
-shrines were overshadowed by the great national seat of the
-worship of Hellenic Zeus at Olympia, on the northern banks of
-the river Alpheus, in Elis, where the renowned Olympian games
-were celebrated. The magnificent statue of Zeus, by Phidias,
-was an additional inducement to devotees, who flocked thither
-from every quarter.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Neither was the worship of Jupiter any less extensive in
-Italy. The most renowned of all his shrines was undoubtedly
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>the temple erected by Tarquin on the Capitol at Rome. This,
-after being nearly destroyed by fire in the time of Sulla, was
-restored to more than its pristine splendour. The original
-earthen image was replaced by a statue of gold and ivory, the
-work of the Greek artist Apollonius, after the model of the
-Olympian Zeus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Before proceeding to discuss the god as he appears in art, we
-must take a glance at his numerous family. The mythology of
-the Greeks stands in notorious contrast to that of the Romans,
-in attributing to Zeus a great number of mortal as well as immortal
-spouses, and an unusually numerous posterity. Here we
-must remark that, in spite of the occasional jokes of the comic
-poets on the numerous amours of the god, and the consequent
-jealousy of Hera, there was nothing farther from the intention
-of the Greeks than to represent the supreme deity of heaven as
-a sensual and lascivious being. The explanation lies partly in
-the great number of contemporaneous local forms of worship
-that existed independently of each other, and partly in the fact
-that the lively fancy of the Greek pictured every new production
-under the guise of procreation. In that part of mythology
-which teaches the genealogy of the gods, the earliest wife of
-Zeus was Metis (prudence), the daughter of Oceanus. Zeus
-devoured her, fearing lest she should bear a son, who would
-deprive him of the empire it had cost him so much to attain.
-It was soon after this that he produced Pallas Athene from his
-own head. His second goddess-wife was Themis, one of the
-Titans, by whom he became the father of the Horæ and the
-Mœræ (Fates). Dione appears as the wife of Zeus of Dodona,
-and the mother of Aphrodite; whilst Arcadian Zeus was wedded
-to Maia, by whom he had Hermes. By Demeter (Ceres) he
-became the father of Persephone (Proserpine, goddess of vegetation);
-by Eurynome, a daughter of Oceanus, of the Charites
-(Graces); by Mnemosyne, of the Muses; by Leto (Latona), of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>Apollo and Artemis. The youngest of all his divine wives, who
-was recognised by later mythology as his only legitimate queen,
-was his sister Hera. By her he became the father of Ares
-(Mars), Hephæstus (Vulcan), and Hebe.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Among his mortal mistresses the most celebrated is Semele,
-the daughter of Cadmus, king of Thebes, and mother of
-Dionysus. The others—Leda, Danaë, Alcmene, Europa, and
-Io—will be mentioned hereafter.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The mythology of the Romans, as we have already remarked,
-first depicted Jupiter as devoid of all family ties. It was only
-after their religion had been Hellenised that men termed him
-the son of Saturn and Ops, made Juno his wife and Minerva his
-daughter.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Statues of Zeus were necessarily very numerous, both from the
-great extent of his worship and the great number of his temples that
-existed in Greece. Of all these the most renowned was the magnificent
-statue of Zeus at Olympia, the work of the Athenian sculptor
-Phidias (500–432 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>). The figure was seated on a lofty throne, and
-was more than 40 feet high. It was made of gold and ivory, or more
-probably a statue of wood was overlaid with plates of ivory and gold.
-The uncovered parts—the face, throat, breast, and hands—were of
-ivory. In his right hand was a figure of Victory, also of gold and
-ivory; in his left was a royal sceptre, on the top of which perched an
-eagle. The numerous lengthy descriptions that exist can give us but
-a faint idea of the lofty majesty that the sculptor diffused over the
-countenance of the god. The object of Phidias was to represent him
-to mankind, not only as the omnipotent ruler of Olympus, far
-superior to all gods and men, both in power and wisdom; but also
-as the gracious father of all, and the kindly dispenser of all good
-gifts. The hair, which rose straight from the brow, and then fell in
-equal divisions on either side, imparted to the face a lion-like expression
-of conscious power. This was rendered still more effective
-by the high forehead and strongly-formed nose. At the same time,
-the expression of the slightly-opened lips lent an idea of kindly
-benevolence. The story goes that Phidias, after completing the
-statue, prayed of the god a sign that he was well pleased with his
-work. Zeus thereupon caused a flash of lightning to descend through
-the open roof of the temple, and thus acknowledged his own image.</p>
-
-<div id='f_03' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>
-<img src='images/f_03.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 3.—Zeus of Otricoli. Vatican Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<div id='f_04' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>
-<img src='images/f_04.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 4.—Jupiter Verospi. Vatican Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>This sublime masterpiece of Phidias, which was reckoned among
-the seven wonders of the world, continued in existence, though not
-without injury, for upwards of 800 years. It appears to have been
-destroyed by fire in the time of Theodosius III.</p>
-
-<div id='f_05' class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>
-<img src='images/f_05.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 5.—Coins of Elis with Phidias’ Zeus. (After Overbeck.)</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The following are the most important of the existing statues of
-Zeus by Greek and Roman sculptors. The first in point of artistic
-worth is a bust of Zeus, in Carrara marble—now in the Vatican
-Museum at Rome—which was discovered in the last century at
-Otricoli (Fig. 3). The union of serene majesty and benevolence is
-the chief feature in the sublime countenance. Next comes a colossal
-statue in marble, known as the Jupiter of Verospi, also in the
-Vatican Museum (Fig. 4). Lastly, there is a bust of Zeus, discovered
-at Pompeii, and now in the Museum at Naples, besides an equally
-beautiful bronze statue in the British Museum, found at Paramythia
-in Epirus. On comparing all the extant art monuments of Zeus, we
-may gather that the object of ancient art was to present him
-especially as the benign ruler of the universe, sitting enthroned in
-conscious majesty and blissful ease on the heights of Olympus. His
-characteristic features are the clustering hair, falling like a mane on
-either side of his fine arched brow, and the rich wavy beard. His
-attributes consist of the sceptre, as a symbol of his sovereignty;
-the thunderbolt; the eagle; the votive bowl, as a symbol of his
-worship; the ball beneath or near his seat, as a symbol of the
-universe he rules; and, lastly, a figure of Victory. His head is sometimes
-adorned with a garland of oak-leaves, the oak being sacred to
-him; and sometimes with an olive-branch or plain band, the latter
-being a mark of sovereignty. In Fig. 5 we give an engraving of two
-coins of Elis, one of which is in the Florentine and the other in the
-Paris Museum.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span><b>2. Hera (Juno).</b>—Hera, according to Homer, was the
-eldest of the daughters of Cronus and Rhea. She is the
-feminine counterpart of Zeus, her brother and husband.
-She represents the air or atmosphere; for which reason she,
-like Zeus, was supposed to control the phenomena of the air
-and sky, and, as queen of heaven, shared with him all the
-honours of his position. Her conjugal relations to Zeus,
-which form the substance of all the myths that refer to her,
-afforded the poets a rich and productive material for serious
-and sportive poetry. They sang of the solemn marriage of Zeus
-and Hera, the remembrance of which was celebrated at springtide
-with festive offerings and marriage rites before the shrine of
-the goddess. Neither did they fail to tell of the conjugal strife
-of the royal pair, and of the cruel fate which overtook the
-mortal women who enjoyed the favours of Zeus. It was thus
-that jealousy and contention became the leading features in the
-character of the goddess; whereas, both in her worship and in
-the representations of artists, she appears as a gracious and
-kindly deity, the especial protectress of her own sex.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The natural signification of Hera appears to have quickly
-disappeared among the Greeks, and she seems to have been
-chiefly honoured as the guardian of the marriage tie. The
-nobleness of the woman who preserves inviolate the sanctity of
-this bond finds in her its most sublime expression. As the
-special patroness of marriage, she was supposed to watch over its
-sanctity, to vouchsafe the blessing of children, and to protect
-women in childbirth.</p>
-
-<div id='f_06' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_06.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 6.—Barberini Juno. Vatican Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The worship of Hera was originally not very extensive. The
-cradle of her worship was Argos, on which account she is often
-termed Argive. Argos, Mycenæ, and Sparta are pointed out in
-the time of Homer as her favourite towns. Her worship
-naturally extended as her new character of goddess of marriage
-became more prominent. In Bœotia and Eubœa her worship
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>was very ancient,
-but her chief
-shrine was the
-Heræum, between
-Argos and Mycenæ.
-Here was a
-most magnificent
-statue of the goddess,
-made of ivory
-and gold, the work
-of the Sicyonian
-artist, Polycletus.<a id='r2' /><a href='#f2' class='c018'><sup>[2]</sup></a></p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f2'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. Polycletus, a native of Sicyon, was a sculptor, architect, and caster in
-bronze. He was a contemporary of Phidias, and, next to him, the most
-celebrated artist of antiquity.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>Juno (properly
-Jovino) takes the
-same place as goddess
-of childbirth
-and patroness of
-marriage among
-the Romans as
-Hera did among
-the Greeks. In
-addition to this
-she was venerated,
-under the name
-of Juno Regina,
-as the tutelary
-deity of the city
-and empire of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>Rome. Her chief shrine was on the Capitol, where she had
-a separate chapel in the temple of Jupiter. The Matronalia,
-the chief festival of the goddess, was celebrated on the first
-day of March, when all the matrons of the city marched in
-procession to her temple on the Esquiline, and there offered
-her flowers and libations. The victims usually sacrificed to
-Juno were young heifers: her sacred birds were the goose and
-the crow, to which the peacock of the Greek Hera was afterwards
-added.</p>
-
-<div id='f_07' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_07.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 7.—Head of Hera, perhaps after Polycletus. Naples.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>The most celebrated of the art monuments that relate to Juno is
-the Juno Ludovisi, a colossal marble bust of remarkable beauty,
-which, thanks to casts and photographs, is tolerably well known.
-Her lofty and commanding countenance is the ideal of perfect
-womanly beauty, combining in a rare degree woman’s chief ornaments—dignity
-and grace.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>After this comes the Juno Barberini of the Vatican Museum, an
-entire and upright figure of great size (Fig. 6), distinguished by the
-admirable draping of the garments. The Farnese Juno, now in the
-Naples Museum, also deserves mention. In the same museum there
-is a singularly beautiful head of Hera (Fig. 7), which perhaps lays
-claim to reflect the conception of Polycletus.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The characteristic features of Juno are a somewhat prominent chin,
-expressing unbending determination of will; somewhat curling lips,
-well-defined nostrils, large full eyes, and a high and noble forehead.
-The attributes of the goddess consist of the sceptre and diadem,
-significant of her power; the veil (often omitted in the statues of
-later artists), as a symbol of the married woman; the votive bowl in
-the hand, the pomegranate as a symbol of love, and the peacock or
-goose at her feet, also at times the cuckoo, as herald of spring.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>3. Pallas Athene (Minerva).</b>—The accounts which the
-Greeks gave of the birth of Pallas vary considerably.
-The most common is that which has been already mentioned.
-According to this, Zeus produced her from his head, which
-he had ordered Hephæstus to cleave open. The great goddess
-of war, in full armour, with poised spear, then sprang
-forth from her father’s head, chanting a war-song, whilst a
-mighty commotion both on sea and land announced the great
-event to the world. In her physical character Pallas appears as
-the goddess of the dawn. The birth of the dawn from the forehead
-of the sky is not only a natural idea, but one which can
-be traced in the legends of other nations. Several of the other
-stories of her birth are connected with the name Tritogenia, the
-daughter of Tritos, a god, whose name, though not actually
-found in Greek mythology, may be traced in Amphitrite,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>Triton, and the Lake Tritonis. This name, which originally
-expressed the birth of the dawn from the water, was afterwards
-explained in various ways, and the first part was even derived
-from a provincial Greek word meaning head. Looked at from
-her ethical side, she appears as the goddess of wisdom, a reflection
-and personification of that profound wisdom and sagacity
-with which Father Zeus controls the destinies of the world.
-Hence we may easily gather the other features of her character.
-She is, in the first place, the protectress of states; and all that
-their welfare requires in peace or war proceeds from her. Thus
-she appears as goddess of peace as well as war. In the latter
-capacity she accompanies the army on its march, inspires the
-soldiers with ardour for the fray, and rewards them with victory
-and rich spoils; she also affords her mighty protection to towns
-and cities at home. In Homer she figures, besides, as the kindly
-guide and protectress of individual heroes, such as Odysseus,
-Achilles, Diomedes. It was she who first taught mankind to
-manage the horse, and to build ships and chariots; she also
-invented the war-trumpet and flute. As goddess of war she
-usually wears, besides helmet, shield, and spear, the dreadful ægis.
-The latter, in art monuments, is represented as a breastplate
-covered with dragon’s scales, and surrounded with serpents, in
-the midst of which is the dreadful head of Medusa, which has
-the effect of turning every one that looks on it into stone.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As goddess of peace, Athene is equally lavish in blessing.
-Everything necessary either to the physical or intellectual welfare
-of mankind was believed to proceed from her, and to be
-subject to her influence. Accordingly, useful inventions of all
-kinds are ascribed to her. It was she who first gave men the
-rake and the plough; it was she who invented the distaff and
-loom, as well as the art of dyeing woven stuffs, and many other
-feminine accomplishments.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>By later writers this skill in art is extended to other things,
-and she is represented as the patroness of every branch of
-science, art, and manufacture.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>She is also called Athene Hygiea, because she was believed
-to send pure atmosphere, to ward off pestilence, and to promote
-the growth and health of the youth of the land.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>We cannot wonder, therefore, that the worship of a goddess
-so benevolent, and exercising such an important influence on
-human life, was very extensive in Greece. Nowhere did she
-receive a higher degree of veneration than at Athens, of which
-city she was really the tutelary deity. Her most important
-shrine was the Parthenon (temple of the virgin goddess), which
-was erected by Pericles on the Acropolis, and the remains of
-which, even in the present day, excite the wonder and admiration
-of the world. The whole land of Attica was, indeed, in a certain
-measure, the peculiar property of the goddess, which she won
-after her well-known contest with Poseidon. Zeus had decreed
-the sovereignty over Attica to that deity who should bestow on
-the land the most useful present. Poseidon thereupon created
-the horse; but Athene caused the olive-tree to grow, and was
-thus held to have won the victory. The sacred olive-tree, which
-was thus called into existence, was shown in the Temple of
-Erechtheus on the Acropolis, and possessed such a wonderful
-vitality that, when the Persians burnt it after capturing the
-town, it immediately put forth a fresh shoot. Argos and
-Corinth were also renowned seats of the worship of Pallas
-Athene; and she also enjoyed the highest veneration in Sparta,
-Bœotia, Thessaly, Arcadia, and Rhodes.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Roman Minerva, whose name was derived from a root
-meaning “to think,” was Hellenised at a very early period, and
-identified with the Greek Pallas. In Rome, however, the
-warlike character of the goddess was completely merged in that
-of the peaceful inventress and patroness of the art and sciences,
-and of all handiwork of women. She was here worshipped, in
-company with Jupiter and Juno, as the tutelary deity of the
-city and empire, and had, in consequence, her own shrine in the
-temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. She also had temples on the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>Aventine and Cœlian hills, to which a third was added by
-Pompey, in 61 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>, in the Campus Martius.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>Festivals of the goddess.</em>—The Panathenæa, the chief festival
-of the Greek Pallas, were celebrated with great pomp every
-four years. A solemn procession passed through the streets of
-Athens up to the Acropolis; and an offering was made to the
-goddess in the shape of a costly garment (peplus), artistically
-embroidered by the Athenian maidens. Horse races, athletic
-and musical contests, took place at the same time. Another
-festival of less importance, called the Lesser Panathenæa, was
-celebrated every year at Athens in honour of the goddess.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>At Rome the chief festival of Minerva, the Quinquatrus
-Majores, was held on the 19th of March, and was, in later times,
-extended to five days. It was especially observed by all engaged
-in intellectual pursuits, and by artists and artisans. As Minerva
-was also patroness of schools, the schoolboys also took part in
-the celebration, and enjoyed a welcome holiday.</p>
-
-<div id='f_08' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_08.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 8.—Pallas Giustiniani. Vatican.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The virgin goddess was at all times a favourite subject with
-ancient art. Even in the earliest times, before casting in bronze or
-marble sculpture was known, while the images of the gods were as
-yet rudely carved in wood, Pallas was a frequent subject of
-delineation. These wooden images usually represented the goddess
-as standing upright with poised spear in front of the battle, and
-were then called Palladia. Men delighted to believe them to have
-fallen from heaven, and to be a sure means of protection against
-hostile attack. When Greek art was in its prime, the first masters
-vied with each other in the representation of the goddess. Phidias
-outdid them all in his renowned statue of Athene Parthenos, which
-stood in the temple on the Acropolis. The figure was 39 feet high,
-and was constructed of ivory and gold. Its majestic beauty naturally
-formed one of the chief attractions of the magnificent temple. It
-disappeared, without leaving any clue behind it, during the stormy
-period of the invasion of the nomadic tribes. In proceeding to give an
-account of the most important existing statues of the goddess, we must
-first mention a magnificent marble bust which King Ludwig I. of Bavaria
-procured for the Munich collection, and which was formerly in
-the Villa Albani, at Rome. The goddess here wears a tight-fitting
-helmet, the top of which is decorated with a serpent, the emblem of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>wisdom. Her breastplate, which is bordered with serpents, falls like
-a cape over her shoulders, and is fastened in the middle by the
-Gorgon’s head, a terrible
-but striking contrast to the
-pure and noble countenance
-of the goddess. A
-fine bust, with a delicate
-and youthful expression of
-countenance, is preserved
-in the Vatican Museum at
-Rome.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Another, not less beautiful,
-but with grave and
-almost masculine features,
-was discovered in the excavations
-of Pompeii, and is
-now in the Naples Museum.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Among existing (full-length)
-statues, the Pallas
-Giustiniani, of the Vatican
-Museum at Rome, is held
-to be the finest (Fig. 8).
-This probably once stood
-in a Roman temple, having
-been found in a place
-where there was formerly
-a temple of Minerva.
-This statue, in accordance
-with the Roman conception,
-bears a more peaceable
-character, although
-neither the spear nor helmet
-are wanting. Next
-come two statues found
-near Velletri, one of which
-is in the Capitoline Museum
-at Rome, whilst the
-other forms a chief ornament
-of the Louvre collection
-in Paris. Both represent
-the goddess in the
-character of a benign deity
-fostering all peaceful works,
-with a gentle but earnest
-expression of countenance.</p>
-
-<div id='f_09' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>
-<img src='images/f_09.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 9.—Athene Polias. Villa Albani.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<div id='f_10' class='figright id004'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>
-<img src='images/f_10.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 10.—Pallas Athene. Naples.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The Farnese Minerva of the Naples Museum and the “Hope”
-copy in London betray similar characteristics. On the other hand,
-in a statue discovered at Herculaneum (now at Naples), Minerva
-appears as a warlike goddess, in an evidently hostile attitude
-(Fig. 10). This is also the case with the celebrated statue at the Louvre,
-which, on account of the necklace worn by the goddess, is generally
-called <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Minerve au Collier</span></i>; and again in a statue of the Villa Albani,
-in which a lion’s skin
-thrown over the head
-takes the place of the
-helmet (Fig. 9).</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>On combining the
-characteristic features of
-Minerva, we may gather
-that her most prominent
-trait is a lofty seriousness,
-well befitting the
-chaste, grave character
-of the virgin goddess.
-The closed lips and the
-prominent chin betray a
-determined and resolute
-disposition, whilst her
-mien and bearing give
-token of strength and
-dignity.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Among the favourite
-animals of Minerva we
-may mention the serpent,
-the owl, and the
-cock. The first is a
-symbol of wisdom, the
-second of profound
-meditation, and the last
-of eager desire for the
-fray. The attributes of
-Minerva consist of the
-ægis, which serves as a shield, the spear, and the helmet. The helmet
-is sometimes adorned with the figures of griffins, significant of the
-overpowering might of the wearer. The statues are all fully clothed,
-in accordance with the chaste character of the goddess.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>4. Apollo.</b>—As Athene is the favourite daughter of Zeus, so
-Apollo ranks as the most glorious and beautiful of his sons.
-Like other sons of Zeus, he is a god of light, and, indeed, the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>purest and highest representative of this mighty power in
-nature. His mother, Leto (Latona), is a representative of the
-darkness of the night. According to the sacred legend, she was
-compelled when pregnant to wander about, because mankind,
-dreading the appearance of the mighty god, refused to receive
-her. This myth was afterwards altered by later writers, who
-assign the jealousy of Hera as the cause of her wanderings.
-Leto at length found a refuge on Delos, which was once a
-floating island, and had to be fastened to the bottom of the
-sea by means of lofty columns. As the bright god of heaven,
-to whom everything impure and unholy is hateful, we find
-Apollo, soon after his birth, preparing to do battle with the evil
-powers of darkness. With his arrows he slew both the giant
-Tityus and the serpent Python, the latter a monster that inhabited
-the valley of the Plistus, near Delphi, and destroyed
-both men and cattle. These and similar myths are merely a
-panegyric on the conquering power exercised by the genial
-warmth of Spring over the dark gloom of Winter.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>But though Apollo thus appears as the foe of all that is evil
-and impure, ancient myths, nevertheless, represent him also as
-a terrible god of death, sending virulent pestilences and dealing
-out destruction to men and animals by means of his unerring
-arrows. This may be easily explained, however, by glancing at
-the natural signification of the god. The rays of the sun do
-indeed put to flight the cold of winter, but as their heat
-increases they themselves ultimately become the cause of disease
-and death. This is beautifully portrayed in the fable of the
-death of Hyacinthus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>To proceed further in the analysis of his character as god of
-light, Apollo next appears as the protector of streets and houses.
-A conical pillar was usually erected at the side of the doors of
-houses as a symbol of him, and a defence against all sorceries.
-Connected with this is his repute as a god of health; one who is
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>indeed able to send disease and death, but who, on the other
-hand, is all-powerful to protect against physical maladies. This
-feature in his character, however, is more extensively developed
-in the person of his son, Asclepius (Æsculapius). But it is not
-only outward ills that this wonder-working deity can cure: as
-the true redeemer from sin and crime, he alone can afford consolation
-to guilty souls. Even those pursued by the Furies he
-sometimes receives in tenderness and pity, a fine instance of
-which is found in the story of Orestes. It is here that we must
-seek the explanation of his character as god of music; in the fact
-that it exercises so soothing and tranquillising an influence on
-the soul of man. His favourite instrument was the lyre, which he
-was wont to play with masterly skill at the banquets of the
-gods, whilst the Muses accompanied him with their wondrous
-strains. Apollo was therefore regarded as the leader of the
-Muses (Musagetes); and all the great singers of antiquity, such
-as Orpheus and Linus, are mythically represented as his sons.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>But Apollo attained his greatest importance among the
-Greeks as god of prophecy. His oracles continued to exercise
-an important influence on social and political life, even down to
-the latest times. The inspiration of Apollo was distinguished
-by the fact that the god revealed the future less by means of
-outward signs than by inducing an ecstatic condition of mind
-bordering on madness in those persons through whom he wished
-to proclaim his oracles. These were generally women and
-maidens, who, either at oracular shrines proper, or dwelling
-alone as Sibyls, gave forth the responses of the god. In early
-times they were somewhat numerous. There was an oracle at
-Clarus, near Colophon; an oracle at Didyma, near Miletus; and
-an oracle on the Ismenus, near Thebes. These were eventually
-all thrown into the shade by that of Delphi. The responses of
-this oracle exercised, during a long period of Grecian history, an
-all-powerful influence, especially on the Dorian tribes. The
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>convulsions of the Pythia, or priestess of Apollo, were brought
-about partly by the chewing of laurel leaves, and partly by the
-gaseous vapours that issued from a cleft in the earth beneath
-the sacred tripod. The ecstatic condition in which she gave the
-responses, which were comprehensible only to the initiated
-priests, manifested itself in a foaming at the mouth and in convulsions
-of the body.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Delphi naturally became the chief seat of the worship of
-Apollo. The gorgeous temple was rebuilt in the time of the
-Pisistratidæ, after the destruction of the old one by fire. Its
-wealth from offerings became so great that their value was computed
-at 10,000 talents (more than £2,000,000). In the
-neighbourhood of Delphi the Pythian games were celebrated in
-the third year of every Olympiad.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The shrine of the god at Delos, his birthplace, was little less
-renowned. The sanctuary itself was situated at the foot of
-Mount Cynthus; but the whole island was sacred to the god, for
-which reason no one was buried there. Here, too, games, said to
-have been instituted by Theseus, were celebrated every four
-years in honour of the god. Apollo had, besides, a great number
-of less celebrated shrines and temples, not only in Greece, but
-also in Asia Minor, and wherever the Greek colonies extended.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Apollo of the Romans, as his name indicates, was transferred
-to Rome from Greece. At a comparatively early period
-men began to feel the want of a prophetic deity, as the Roman
-gods, although they vouchsafed hints as to the future, confined
-their responses to a mere Yea or Nay. Moreover, in the character
-of god of healing, he was early admitted into the Roman system,
-as we gather from the fact that the first temple really dedicated
-to Apollo was erected in 429 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>, under the pressure
-of a grievous pestilence. The worship of Apollo was especially
-exalted by the Emperor Augustus, who ascribed his victory at
-Actium chiefly to the assistance of the god. He accordingly
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>erected a magnificent temple to Apollo on the Palatine, which
-was embellished with the celebrated statue of Apollo Citharœdus,
-by Scopas.</p>
-
-<div id='f_11' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_11.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 11.—Apollo Belvedere. Vatican.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<div id='f_12' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>
-<img src='images/f_12.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 12.—Head of Apollo Belvedere.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>This remark leads us to contemplate the different statues of the
-god. Apollo constantly bears a very youthful appearance, and is
-always beardless. His figure is strong and handsome, his head
-covered with fair clustering locks, and his face expressive of majesty,
-but marked withal by a cheerful serenity. Such is the original and
-fundamental type, which was usually followed in the representation
-of the god. It was principally developed by Scopas and Praxiteles,
-who belonged to the later Attic school, which flourished from the
-end of the Peloponnesian war to the reign of Alexander the Great.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>The principal creation of Scopas was a marble statue, representing
-the god as a Pythian Citharœdus with the lyre in his hand, clothed
-in a long robe reaching to the feet.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>This invaluable work was procured by Augustus for the temple
-he erected to Apollo on the Palatine. Praxiteles, a younger contemporary
-of Scopas, acquired considerable renown by his bronze
-figure of a youthful Apollo pursuing a lizard (Apollo Sauroctonus).</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In existing art monuments sometimes the conception of a warlike,
-vengeful deity obtains, in which case the god is represented as nude,
-or nearly so, and armed with quiver and bow. At other times he
-wears a mild and benevolent aspect; he is then distinguished by his
-lute, and completely enveloped in a chlamys. Of the former kind
-is the most beautiful and celebrated of all his existing statues, the
-Apollo Belvedere, which was discovered in 1503, near Nettuno, the
-ancient Antium, and is now in the Vatican. The proud self-consciousness
-of a conquering deity is inimitably expressed in his whole
-attitude. He stands with his right hand and leg against the trunk
-of a tree, his left arm outstretched, with the ægis, probably as a
-symbol of fear and terror, in his hand. The serpent creeping up the
-tree is a symbol of the powers of darkness vanquished by the god
-(Fig. 11). It may also be taken as the symbol of life and healing,
-like the serpent of Asclepius (see p. <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>). We have also given a
-larger engraving of the head of the Belvedere Apollo, in order to
-afford a clearer idea of its wondrous beauty (Fig. 12).</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The so-called Apollino, of the Florence gallery, a youthful figure
-resting after battle, is a work of scarcely less beauty. The shape of
-the body, which is entirely nude, is wonderfully soft and delicate.
-With his left arm the god leans upon a tree; in his left hand he
-negligently holds the bow, whilst his right hand is raised to his head
-in a meditative fashion. The Farnese Apollo of the Naples Museum
-possesses an equally graceful form. The god is here represented as
-a musician; in his left hand he holds the lyre, whilst his right glides
-over the strings. The animated expression of his face, indicating his
-entire devotion to his art, is exquisitely beautiful. The goose at
-his feet, which was regarded even by the ancients as a music-loving
-bird, appears to drink in with rapture the heavenly tones.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In those works which represent the god as a Pythian lute-player
-in a long Ionian garment, we perceive an almost feminine figure and
-a visionary expression of face. The most important works of this
-kind are the Apollo Citharœdus of the Munich collection (Fig. 13),
-formerly called the Muse of Barberini, which is marked by a somewhat
-quieter attitude; and the so-called Apollo Musagetes of the
-Vatican collection, which is characterised by a lively dancing movement
-of the figure, and is generally regarded as an imitation of the
-masterpiece of Scopas already mentioned. A pure and heavenly
-inspiration seems to pervade the features of the laurel-crowned
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>god; his mighty lyre, to the tones of which he appears to be singing,
-is suspended from a band across the chest, and is aptly adorned with
-the portrait of Marsyas,
-his vanquished rival.</p>
-
-<div id='f_13' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_13.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 13.—Apollo Citharœdus. Munich.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>Lastly, the graceful statue of Apollo Sauroctonus (Lizard-slayer)
-deserves mention. Many copies of it still exist, the chief of which is
-a marble statue in the Vatican collection. The delicate figure of the
-god, midway between youth and boyhood, leans carelessly against
-the trunk of a tree, up which a lizard is creeping. The god is
-eagerly watching its movements, in order to seize a favourable
-moment to nail it to the tree with his arrow.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The principle attributes of Apollo are the bow, arrows, quiver,
-laurel crown, and lyre. To these may be added, as symbols of his
-prophetic power, the tripod and the omphalos (navel), the latter
-being a representation of the earth’s centre in the temple at Delphi,
-on which he is often depicted as sitting. The god also appears
-standing on the omphalos; as in the case of a marble statue lately
-found in the theatre of Dionysus. His sacred animals were the
-wolf, the hind, the bat, the swan, the goose, and the dolphin; the
-three last being music-loving creatures.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>5. Artemis (Diana).</b>—Artemis is the feminine counterpart
-of her twin brother Apollo, with whom she entirely harmonises
-when regarded from her physical aspect. Like him,
-she is a beautiful and propitious deity; but like him, too, she
-can deal out, at times, death and destruction among mankind.
-Like Apollo, she promotes the growth of the young plant, and is
-equally the foe of all that is evil and impure. Like him, she is
-skilled in the use of the bow, of which she avails herself, however,
-not only for the destruction of monsters, but also at times
-to chastise the insolence of man—witness the death of the
-children of Niobe. Her favourite amusement is the chase;
-armed with quiver and bow she ranges mountain and valley,
-accompanied by a band of nymphs. The chase ended, she
-delights to bathe in some fresh spring, or to lead off some
-favourite dance on the flowery meadows, surrounded by her
-nymphs, all of whom she overtops by a head. Then the heart
-of her mother, Leto, rejoices as she gazes on the innocent sports
-of her lovely daughter.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As a virgin goddess she was especially venerated by young
-maidens, whose patroness she remained till their marriage, and
-to whom she afforded an example of chastity. The story of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>Actæon, who was changed into a stag and then torn to pieces
-by his own dogs, shows that she did not suffer any injury to her
-virgin modesty to go unpunished. (For this story see the
-Theban legends.)</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Originally, Artemis appears to have been the goddess of the
-moon, just as her brother Apollo is unmistakably identical with
-the sun. This conception, however, continued to grow fainter
-and fainter, until, in the later days of confusion of religions,
-it was again revived. Artemis was frequently confounded with
-Selene or Phœbe (Luna).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The national Artemis of the Greeks was originally quite
-distinct from the Artemis Orthia, a dark and cruel deity, to
-whom human sacrifices were offered in Laconia. Lycurgus
-abolished this barbarous custom, but caused instead a number of
-boys to be cruelly whipped before the image of the goddess on
-the occasion of her annual festival. This is the same Artemis
-to whom Agamemnon was about to offer, in Aulis, his daughter
-Iphigenia, previous to the departure of the Greeks for Troy.
-The Scythians in Tauris likewise had a goddess whom they
-propitiated with human sacrifices. This caused her to be confounded
-with Artemis Orthia, and the story arose that Iphigenia
-was conveyed by the goddess to Tauris, from which place she
-subsequently, assisted by her brother Orestes, brought the
-image of the goddess to Greece.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Ephesian Artemis, known to us as “Diana of the
-Ephesians,” was distinct from all that have been mentioned.
-She was, in fact, an Asiatic, not a Hellenic deity.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Roman Diana, who was early identified with the Greek
-Artemis, was likewise originally a goddess of the moon. As
-such, she possessed a very ancient shrine on Mount Algidus, near
-Tusculum. Like the Greek Artemis, she was also regarded as
-the tutelary goddess of women, and was invoked by women in
-childbirth. This was also the case with Artemis, although the
-matrons of Greece looked for more protection in this respect at
-the hands of Hera. She gained, however, a certain political
-importance in Rome after having been made by Servius Tullius
-the tutelary deity of the Latin League. As such, she possessed
-a sacred grove and temple on the Aventine.</p>
-
-<div id='f_14' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>
-<img src='images/f_14.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 14.—Diana of Versailles.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>Artemis is a favourite subject with the masters of the later Attic
-school. She is always represented as youthful, slender and light of
-foot, and without womanly fulness. Her devotion to the chase is
-clearly betokened by the quiver and bow which she generally bears,
-and by the high girt robe and Cretan shoes, which allow her to pass
-unencumbered through the thickets of the forest.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Among existing statues, the most celebrated is the so-called Diana
-of Versailles, which came from the Villa of Hadrian, at Tibur
-(Fig. 14). It is now a chief ornament of the Louvre collection, and
-is a worthy companion to the Belvedere Apollo, although it does not
-quite equal this in beauty. In this statue the goddess does not appear
-as a huntress, but rather as the protectress of wild animals. She is
-conceived as having just come to the rescue of a hunted deer, and is
-in the act of turning with angry mien on the pursuers. With her
-right hand she grasps an arrow from the quiver that hangs at her
-back, and in her left she holds the bow.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>A really beautiful statue of the Vatican collection depicts the
-goddess in a most striking attitude. She has just sent forth her
-deadly arrow, and is eagerly watching its effect. The hound at her
-side is just about to start in eager pursuit of the mark, which was
-evidently therefore a wild animal. In her left hand is the bow, still
-strung, from which her right hand has just directed the arrow. Her
-foot is likewise upraised in triumph, and her whole deportment
-expresses the proud joy of victory. The chief attributes of Diana are
-bow, quiver, and spear, and also a torch, as an emblem of her power
-to dispense light and life. The hind, the dog, the bear, and the wild
-boar were esteemed sacred to her.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>6. Ares (Mars).</b>—Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera, represents
-war from its fatal and destructive side, by which he is clearly
-distinguished from Athene, the wise disposer of battles. He was,
-it is probable, originally a personification of the angry clouded
-sky. His home, according to Homer, was in Thrace, the land of
-boisterous, wintry storms, among whose warlike inhabitants he
-was held in high esteem, although his worship was not so
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>extensive in Greece. Homer, in the <cite>Iliad</cite>, paints in particularly
-lively colours the picture of the rude “manslaying” god of war.
-He here appears as a deity who delights only in the wild din
-of battle, and is never weary of strife and slaughter. Clad in
-brazen armour from head to foot, with waving plume, helmet,
-and high-poised spear, his bull’s hide shield on his left arm, he
-ranges the battlefield, casting down all before him in his
-impetuous fury. With strength he combines great agility, and
-is, according to Homer, the fleetest of the gods. Strong though
-he be, however, he is overmatched in battle by Athene; a
-palpable indication that prudent courage often accomplishes
-more than impetuous violence.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The usual attendants and servants of Ares are Fear and
-Terror. By some writers they are described as his sons, yet in
-Homer they fight against him. There is little to be said of the
-principal seats of his worship in Greece. In Thebes he was
-regarded as the god of pestilence; and Aphrodite, who elsewhere
-appears as the wife of Hephæstus, was given him to wife.
-By her he became the father of Harmonia, who married Cadmus,
-and thus became the ancestress of the Cadmean race in Thebes.
-According to an Athenian local legend, his having slain a son of
-Poseidon gave rise to the institution of the Areopagus. He was
-here regarded as the god of vengeance. A celebrated statue by
-Alcamenes adorned his temple at Athens. Among the warlike
-people of Sparta the worship of Ares was also extensive.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>This deity was regarded with a far greater degree of veneration
-in Rome, under the appellation of Mars, or Mavors. He seems
-to have occupied an important position even among the earliest
-Italian tribes. It was not as god of war, however—for which,
-amid the peaceful pursuits of cattle-rearing and husbandry, they
-cared little—but as the god of the spring triumphing over the
-powers of winter that he was worshipped. It was from his
-bounty that the primitive people looked for the prosperous
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>growth of their flocks and the fruits of their fields; it was Mars
-on whom they called for protection against bad weather and
-destructive pestilence.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In warlike Rome, however, this deity soon laid aside his
-peaceful character, and donned the bright armour of the god of
-war. He was even regarded as being, after Jupiter, the most
-important god of the state and people of Rome. Numa himself
-gave him a flamen of his own, and created or restored in his
-honour the priesthood of the Salii. The occasion, according to
-the sacred legend, was on this wise. As King Numa one morning,
-from the ancient palace at the foot of the Palatine, raised his
-hands in prayer to Jove, beseeching his protection and favour
-for the infant state of Rome, the god let fall from heaven, as a
-mark of his favour, an oblong brazen shield (ancile). At the
-same time a voice was heard declaring that Rome should endure
-as long as this shield was preserved. Numa then caused the
-sacred shield, which was recognised as that of Mars, to be carefully
-preserved. The better to prevent its abstraction, he ordered
-an artist to make eleven others exactly similar, and instituted
-for their protection the college of the Salii, twelve in number,
-like the shields, who were selected from the noblest families in
-Rome. Every year in the month of March, which was sacred
-to Mars, they bore the sacred shields in solemn procession
-through the streets of Rome, executing warlike dances and
-chanting ancient war-songs. From the days of Numa the
-worship of “Father Mars” continued to acquire an ever-increasing
-popularity. Before the departure of a Roman army on any
-expedition, the imperator retired to the sanctuary of the god in
-the old palace, and there touched the sacred shields and the spear
-of the statue of Mars, crying aloud at the same time, “Mars, watch
-over us!” According to popular belief, the god himself went
-unseen before the host as it marched to battle, whence he was
-called “Gradivus.” In the war with the Lucanians and
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>Bruttians (282 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>), when the consuls were hesitating whether
-to begin the attack, an unknown youth of extraordinary stature
-and beauty encouraged the troops to begin the assault on the
-enemy’s camp, and was himself the first to scale the wall.
-When he was afterwards sought for, in order that he might
-receive his richly merited reward, he had disappeared, leaving
-no trace behind him. As it could have been none other than
-Father Mars, the consul, Fabricius, decreed him a thanksgiving of
-three days’ duration.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Mars naturally received a due share of all booty taken in
-war. Defeat was ascribed to his wrath, which men strove to
-avert by extraordinary sin-offerings.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Popular belief made Mars the father, by a vestal virgin, of
-Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city. His
-wife appears to have been Nerio; but she enjoyed no honours at
-Rome.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In attendance on Mars we find Metus and Pallor, who answer
-to the Greek deities already mentioned; and also his sister
-Bellona, corresponding to the Enyo, who was worshipped in
-Pontus and Cappadocia, though not in Greece proper. Bellona
-had a temple in the Campus Martius.</p>
-
-<div id='f_15' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_15.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 15—Mars Ludovisi.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Campus Martius (Field of Mars), the celebrated place of
-exercise of the Roman youth, stretched from the Quirinal westwards
-to the Tiber, and was dedicated to the god of war.
-Augustus, after the overthrow of the murderers of Cæsar, his
-adoptive father, erected a temple to Mars, which was built in
-Greek style, and far surpassed in grandeur and splendour all the
-other temples of the god. Three columns of it are still standing,
-mute witnesses of vanished splendour. A large number of
-religious festivities were celebrated in the month of March in
-honour of Mars. The procession of the Salii formed the chief
-feature of the festival; but there were also races and games.
-On the Ides of October also a chariot race took place in honour
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>of Mars, at which the singular custom prevailed of offering the
-near horse of the victorious team to the god. The inhabitants
-of the two oldest quarters of the city contended for the head
-of the slaughtered
-animal, and whoever
-got it was supposed
-to reap great blessings
-from its possession.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Ancient artists represented
-Mars as a tall
-and powerful young
-man, whose activity,
-however, is as apparent
-as his strength.
-His characteristic
-features are short curly
-hair, small eyes, and
-broad nostrils, significant
-of the violence
-and passionateness of
-his nature. The most
-celebrated of existing
-statues is the Mars
-Ludovisi of the Villa
-Ludovisi, at Rome. It
-has often been conjectured
-that this is
-an imitation of the
-renowned work of
-Scopas. The deity is
-depicted as resting
-after battle; and, in
-spite of the usual
-turbulence of his disposition,
-he here appears to have surrendered himself to a more
-gentle frame of mind. The little god of love crouching at his feet
-gazes into his face with a roguish, triumphant smile, as though
-rejoiced to see that even the wildest and most untameable must
-submit to his sway, and thus shows us what has called forth this
-gentle mood. (Fig. 15.) The Mars Ludovisi is an original work,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>Greek in its origin, though belonging
-to a somewhat late period.
-The Borghese Mars of the Louvre,
-on the other hand, is undoubtedly
-of Roman origin. It is supposed
-to represent Ares bound by the
-craft of Hephæstus.</p>
-
-<div id='f_16' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_16.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 16.—Bust of Ares. Sculpture Gallery at Munich.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Besides these two principal statues,
-the bust of Mars of the Munich
-collection deserves mention. It is
-distinguished by a peculiarly expressive
-head, of which we give an
-engraving (Fig. 16).</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The attributes of Mars are the
-helmet (decorated with the figures
-of wolf-hounds and griffins),
-shield, and spear. The animals
-sacred to him were the wolf, the
-horse, and the woodpecker.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>7. Aphrodite (Venus).</b>—In
-the <cite>Iliad</cite>, Aphrodite is represented
-as the daughter of Zeus
-and Dione, the goddess of moisture,
-who, as the wife of the
-god of heaven, was held in high
-esteem among the old Pelasgians.
-The same notion of the
-goddess being produced from moisture is seen in the legend,
-which relates that Aphrodite was born of the foam of the sea,
-and first touched land on the island of Cyprus, which was
-henceforth held sacred to her. She was probably a personification
-of the creative and generative forces of nature, and figured
-among the Greeks as goddess of beauty and sexual love. We
-must not forget that this conception does not cover the whole
-character of the goddess. She not only appears as Aphrodite
-Pandemus (the earthly Aphrodite), a goddess of the spring, by
-whose wondrous power all germs in the natural and vegetable
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>world are quickened, but we also hear of Aphrodite Urania, a
-celestial deity, who was venerated as the dispenser of prosperity
-and fertility; and also an Aphrodite Pontia (of the sea), the
-tutelary deity of ships and mariners, who controlled the winds
-and the waves, and granted to ships a fair and prosperous
-passage. As the worship of Aphrodite was extremely popular
-among the numerous islands and ports of the Grecian seas, we
-can well imagine that it was in this latter character that she
-received her greatest share of honour.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The poets paint Aphrodite as the most beautiful of all the
-goddesses, whose magic power not even the wisest could withstand.
-Even wild animals were conscious of her influence, and
-pressed round her like lambs. She was endowed with the
-celebrated love-begetting magic girdle, which she could lay aside
-at will and lend to others. And as she thus gave rise to passion
-in others, she herself was not free from its influence. This is
-evidenced by the numerous stories of her amours with the gods
-or favoured mortals, which it is so difficult to bring into harmony
-with each other. Sometimes Ares, sometimes Hephæstus, is
-said to be her husband. The latter account, which originated in
-Lemnos, was the more popular; doubtless because its very strangeness
-in mating the sweetest and most lovely of the goddesses
-with the lame and ugly god of fire had a certain charm. No
-children are mentioned as springing from the union of Aphrodite
-with Hephæstus; but Eros and Anteros, as well as Demus and
-Phobus, are said to be her children by Ares. Other legends,
-generally of a local character, unite her to Dionysus, or to
-Hermes.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The story of her love for the beautiful Adonis clearly represents
-the decay of nature in autumn, and its resuscitation in
-spring. Adonis, whom Aphrodite tenderly loved, was killed,
-when hunting, by a wild boar. Inconsolable at her loss,
-Aphrodite piteously entreated Father Zeus to restore his life.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>Zeus at length consented that Adonis should spend one part of
-the year in the world of shadows, and the other in the upper
-world. Clearly the monster that deprived Adonis of life is only
-a symbol of the frosty winter, before whose freezing blast all
-life in nature decays.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In the story of Troy, Aphrodite plays an important part. She
-was the original cause of the war, having assisted Paris in his
-elopement with Helen. This was his reward for his celebrated
-judgment, in which he awarded the prize of beauty to Aphrodite
-in preference to Hera or Athene. Besides the Trojan prince
-Anchises enjoyed her favours, and she became by him the
-mother of the pious hero Æneas.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The goddess appears ever ready to assist unfortunate lovers;
-thus she aided the hero Peleus to obtain the beautiful sea-nymph
-Thetis. On the other hand, she punishes with the utmost
-severity those who from pride or disdain resist her power. This
-appears in the legend of Hippolytus, son of Theseus, King of
-Athens, whom she ruined through the love of his step-mother
-Phædra; also in the story of the beautiful youth Narcissus,
-whom she punished by an ungratified self-love, because he
-had despised the love of the nymph Echo.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Seasons and the Graces appear in attendance on
-Aphrodite. Their office is to dress and adorn her. She is
-also accompanied by Eros, Pothus, and Himerus (Love, Longing,
-and Desire), besides Hymen, or Hymenæus, the god of
-marriage.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Roman Venus (the Lovely One) was regarded by the
-earlier Italian tribes as the goddess of spring, for which reason
-April, the month of buds, was held sacred to her. She early
-acquired a certain social importance, by having ascribed to her
-a beneficent influence in promoting civil harmony and sociability
-among men.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>After her identification with the Aphrodite of the Greeks,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>she became more and more a goddess merely of sensual
-love and desire. She had three principal shrines—those
-of Venus Murcia, Venus Cloacina, and Libitina. The first
-of these surnames points to Venus as the myrtle goddess
-(the myrtle being an emblem of chaste love); her temple
-was situated on the brow of the Aventine, and was supposed
-to have been erected by the Latins, who were planted there
-by Ancus Marcius.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The temple of Venus Cloacina (the Purifier) was said
-to have been erected in memory of the reconciliation of the
-Romans and Sabines, after the rape of the Sabine women.
-The surname of Libitina points to her as goddess of corpses.
-All the apparatus of funerals were kept in this temple, and
-her attendants were at the same time the public undertakers
-of the city.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>To these ancient shrines was added another in the time of
-Julius Cæsar, who erected a temple to Venus Genetrix, the
-goddess of wedlock, in fulfilment of a vow made at the battle of
-Pharsalus.</p>
-
-<div id='f_17' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_17.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 17.—Venus of Milo. Louvre.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Aphrodite, or Venus, is notoriously an especially common subject
-of representation among the artists of antiquity. The task of giving
-expression to the most perfect female beauty, arrayed in all the
-charms of love, by means of chisel or brush, continually spurs the
-artist to fresh endeavours. It was especially among the masters of
-the later Attic school, who devoted themselves to the representation
-of the youthful and beautiful among the gods in whom the nude
-appeared least offensive, that statues of Venus were attempted. The
-Venus of Cnidus, by Praxiteles, was the most important work of that
-master; and the people of Cnidus were so proud of it that they
-engraved her image on their coins. The fact that they ventured to
-portray the goddess as entirely nude may be regarded as a sign both
-of the falling away of the popular faith and of the decay of art.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>Henceforth, except in the case of statues for the temples, it became an
-established custom to represent Venus and other kindred deities as
-nude. Venus is further distinguished by a fulness of form, which
-is, nevertheless, combined with slenderness and grace. The countenance
-is oval; the eyes are not large,
-and have a languishing expression; the
-mouth is small, and the cheeks and chin
-full and round.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Of the numerous existing statues we
-can here mention only the most important.
-First among them in artistic worth
-is a marble statue larger than life, which
-was found in 1820 on the island of Melos
-(Milo), and is now in the Louvre at Paris
-(Fig. 17). In this statue only the upper
-part of the body is nude, the lower portions,
-from the hips downward, being
-covered with a light garment. One
-scarcely knows which to admire most in
-this splendid statue—the singularly
-dignified expression of the head, or the
-charming fulness and magnificent proportions
-of the limbs. The arms are quite
-broken off, so that we cannot determine
-the conception of the artist with any
-certainty. It is supposed that the goddess
-held in her hand either an apple,
-which was a symbol of the Isle of Melos,
-or the bronze shield of Ares. Her looks
-express proud and joyous self-consciousness.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In the Venus of Capua (so called because
-found among the ruins of the
-Amphitheatre) she again appears as a
-victorious goddess (Venus Victrix). This
-statue is now in the Museum at Naples.
-The shape of the nude body is not so
-vigorous or fresh as that of the Venus of Milo, but somewhat soft
-and ill-defined.</p>
-
-<div id='f_18' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_18.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 18.—Venus Genetrix. Villa Borghese.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The Medicean Venus, formerly in the Villa Medici at Rome, is
-better known. It is a work of the later Attic school, in which, at the
-end of the second century <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>, Greek art once more blooms for a
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>while. It is the work of
-the Athenian artist Cleomenes,
-though probably
-chiselled in Rome. As
-Venus Anadyomene (rising
-from the sea) the
-goddess appears entirely
-nude. This is the most
-youthful in appearance
-of all her statues, and is
-distinguished by the perfect
-regularity and beauty
-of its form, though there
-is no trace of the lofty
-dignity of the goddess.
-“What a descent,” says
-Kraus in his <cite>Christian
-Art</cite>, “is there from the
-Venus of Milo to this
-coquette, whose apparently
-bashful posture is
-only meant to challenge
-the notice of the beholder.”</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The “Venus crouching
-in the bath” of the Vatican
-collection, and the
-“Venus loosing her sandal”
-of the Munich
-Gallery, are creations
-similar in style. In some
-imitations of the Cnidian
-Venus, the most important
-of which are in Rome
-and Munich, the goddess
-wears a more dignified
-demeanour; and also in the wonderfully graceful Venus Genetrix
-of the Villa Borghese, at Rome (Fig. 18).</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The attributes of Venus vary much according to the prevailing
-conception of the goddess. The dove, the sparrow, and the dolphin,
-and among plants the myrtle, the rose, the apple, the poppy, and the
-lime-tree, were sacred to her.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span><b>8. Hermes (Mercurius).</b>—Hermes was the son of Zeus
-and Maia, a daughter of Atlas. He was born in a grotto of Mount
-Cyllene in Arcadia, whence he is called Cyllenius. We know
-the stories of his youth chiefly from the so-called Homeric Hymn.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>From this we learn how Hermes, soon after his birth, sprang
-from his mother’s lap to seek the oxen of Apollo. Finding outside
-the cave a tortoise, he stretched strings across its shell, and
-thus made a lyre, to which he sung the loves of Zeus and Maia.
-Then hiding the lyre in his cradle, he went out to seek for food.
-Coming to Pieria in the evening, he stole thence fifty cows from
-the herds of Apollo, and drove them to the river Alpheüs.
-Here he slew two of them, and roasted the flesh, but could not
-swallow it. Then returning home in the early morning, he
-passed through the key-hole like the morning breeze, and lay
-down in his cradle. Apollo, however, soon remarked the
-theft, and hurried after the impudent robber. Hermes now
-played the innocent, and obstinately denied the charge; but
-Apollo was not to be deceived, and forced the young thief to
-accompany him to the throne of Zeus to have their quarrel
-decided. Zeus ordered Hermes to restore the cattle, but Apollo
-gladly made them over to Hermes on receiving the newly-invented
-lyre. Thus Hermes became the god of shepherds and
-pastures, whilst Apollo henceforth zealously devoted himself to
-the art of music.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As a token of their thorough reconciliation, Apollo gave his
-brother god the golden Caduceus, or magic wand, by means of
-which he could bestow happiness on whomsoever he would; and
-henceforth both dwelt together in the utmost harmony and love,
-the favourite sons of their father Zeus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Various interpretations have been given of the nature of
-Hermes. Some have seen in him the thunderstorm, some the
-dawn, and some the morning breeze. The name Hermes, compared
-with the corresponding Indian words, seems to make his
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>connection with the morning certain. Several points in the
-legend just related guide us to the breeze rather than the dawn;
-the invention of music, the kine carried off—which, nevertheless,
-he cannot eat (the wind cannot consume as fire does what it
-breaks down and carries off)—and the passing through the key-hole
-“like the morning breeze.” So also his function of guide
-and conductor of the soul, which we shall speak of presently.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The following are the most important features in the character
-of Hermes:—Not only does he promote the fruitfulness of flocks
-and herds, but he also bestows prosperity and success on all
-undertakings, especially those of trade and commerce. As the
-guardian of the streets and roads, and the friendly guide of those
-travelling on business, Hermes must have appeared especially
-worthy of honour among the Greeks, who were at all times
-sharp and greedy men of business. Accordingly, men erected in
-his honour, on the roads, what were called Hermæ—mere blocks
-of stone, or posts, with one or more heads: these latter were at
-cross-roads, and also served as finger-posts. Hermæ<a id='r3' /><a href='#f3' class='c018'><sup>[3]</sup></a> were also
-often to be seen in the streets of towns and in public squares. Not
-only did Hermes protect and guide merchants whilst travelling,
-but he also endowed them with shrewdness and cunning to outwit
-others. And as a god who had himself commenced his
-career by a dexterous theft, he was fain to allow thieves and
-rogues to invoke his protection before entering on their operations;
-just as in the present day robbers and bandits in Italy
-or Greece see nothing strange in asking their patron saint to
-bestow on them a rich prey. Every chance gain—in gambling,
-for instance—and every fortunate discovery were attributed to
-Hermes.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f3'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. In this meaning, however, some have derived the word from a different
-root, and supposed it to mean originally only “pillars.”</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>Though playing such an important part in human life, Hermes
-also appears as the fleet messenger and dexterous agent of Zeus.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>It is in this guise that the epic poets love to depict him. With
-his golden-winged shoes he passes more swiftly than the wind
-over land and sea, executing the commissions of his father Zeus
-or the other inhabitants of Olympus. Thus he is sent by Zeus
-to command the nymph Calypso to release Odysseus, and to
-warn Ægisthus against the murder of Agamemnon. At times,
-difficult tasks are allotted to him; for instance, the destruction
-of the hundred-eyed guardian of Io, on which account Homer
-calls him the Argus-slayer. Doubtless in this myth the hundred-eyed
-Argus represents the starry heavens; Argus is slain by
-Hermes, that is, in the morning the stars cease to be visible.
-As messenger and herald of the gods, he is a model for all
-earthly heralds, who, in ancient times, were the indispensable
-agents of kings in every difficult business. Hence he bears the
-herald’s staff, or <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">caduceus</span></i>. This is the same wand once given
-him by Apollo, consisting of three branches, one of which forms
-the handle, whilst the other two branch off like a fork, and are
-joined in a knot. The origin of this herald’s staff appears to
-have been the olive branch wreathed with fillets of wool. It
-was only at a later period that the two last were converted into
-serpents. By means of this wand Hermes can either induce
-deep sleep or rouse a slumberer, but he uses it chiefly in guiding
-souls to the infernal regions. This leads us to speak of the important
-office of Hermes as Psychopompus, or conductor of the
-soul. Every soul, after death, commenced its journey to the
-region of shadows under the guidance of the god. On extraordinary
-occasions, where, for instance, the spirits were summoned
-in the oracles of the dead, Hermes had to reconduct the
-souls of the departed to the upper world, thus becoming a
-mediator between these two regions, in other respects so far
-divided.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As dreams come from the lower world, Hermes was naturally
-regarded as the deity from whom they proceeded; on which
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>account people were wont to ask him for good dreams before
-going to sleep.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The highest conception of Hermes, however, is that of the god
-who presides over the bringing up of children; and, indeed,
-what god was more fitted to be presented as an example to
-Grecian youth than the messenger of the gods, equally dexterous
-in mind and body? He is the fleetest of runners and the most
-skilful of disc-throwers and boxers; and though he does not,
-like Apollo, represent any of the higher forms of intellectual life,
-still he possesses in the highest degree that practical common
-sense which was so greatly valued among the Greeks. The
-wrestling school and the gymnasium were consequently regarded
-as his institutions, and adorned with his statues. In further
-development of his relation to the education of the young, later
-poets even made him the inventor of speech, of the alphabet,
-and of the art of interpreting languages. The custom which
-prevailed among the Greeks of offering him the tongues of the
-slaughtered animals, shows clearly that they also considered him
-as the patron of eloquence.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>There is little to be said of the Roman Mercury. As his
-name (from <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">mercari</span></i>, to trade) signifies, he was considered by
-the Romans solely as god of trade. His worship was introduced
-at the same time as that of Ceres—some years after the
-expulsion of the Tarquins, at a season of great scarcity—but
-appears to have become confined to the plebeians. The guild
-of merchants regarded him as their tutelary deity, and offered
-sacrifices to him and his mother Maia on the Ides of May.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The plastic representation of Hermes made equal progress with
-his ideal development. The first statues of the god, founded on the
-ancient Hermæ already mentioned, represented him as a shepherd,
-sometimes as the herald and messenger of the gods, always as a
-powerful, bearded man. Later, he assumed a more youthful appearance,
-and was represented as a beardless youth in the very prime of
-strength, with broad chest, lithe but powerful limbs, curly hair, and
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>small ears, mouth, and eyes; altogether a wonderful combination of
-grace and vigour. If we add to this the expression of kindly benevolence
-which plays around his finely-cut lips, and the inquiring look
-of his face as he bends forward thoughtfully, we have the principal
-characteristic features of the god.</p>
-
-<div id='f_19' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_19.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 19.—Resting Hermes. Bronze Statue at Naples.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Among existing statues, a full-sized “Hermes at rest,” in bronze,
-which was found at Herculaneum, and is now in the Naples Museum,
-is perhaps most worthy of mention. He here appears as the messenger
-of the gods, and has just sat down on a rock to rest. The winged
-sandals form his only clothing, and these are, strictly speaking, not
-really sandals, but simply straps covering the foot, to which wings
-are fastened close to the ankles (Fig. 19).</p>
-
-<div id='f_20' class='figcenter id003'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>
-<img src='images/f_20.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 20.—Statue of Hermes. Capitoline Collection.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>A splendid marble statue of the Vatican collection, which, was
-once taken for Antinous, portrays the god as the patron of wrestling;
-the Caduceus which he holds in his left hand is, however, a modern
-addition. In the Hermes Ludovisi of Rome we have a graceful representation
-of Hermes Logius, the patron of the art of rhetoric. The
-wings are here not placed on the feet, or even directly on the head,
-as is often the case, but are fastened to a low round travelling-hat.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>A pretty bronze statuette in the British Museum depicts Hermes
-as the god of trade and commerce, with a well-filled purse in his
-hand. Such is also the conception of a fine statue of the Capitoline
-collection at Rome (Fig. 20). The principal attributes of the god
-have already been incidentally mentioned: they are wings on the
-feet, head, or cap; the herald’s staff, the votive bowl, and the purse.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>9. Hephæstus (Vulcan).</b>—Hephæstus, the god of fire and
-the forge, was commonly regarded as a son of Zeus and Hera.
-He was so lame and ugly that his mother in shame cast him
-from heaven into the sea. But Eurynome and Thetis, the
-Oceanids, took pity on him, and tended him for nine years in a
-deep grotto of the sea, in return for which he made them many
-ornaments. After being reconciled to his mother, he returned
-to Olympus under the guidance of Dionysus. According to
-another not less popular account, it was not his mother who
-treated him so cruelly, but Zeus. Hephæstus, on the occasion
-of a quarrel between Zeus and Hera, came to the help of his
-mother, whereupon the angry god of heaven seized him by the
-foot and hurled him from Olympus. The unfortunate Hephæstus
-fell for a whole day, but alighted at sundown on the isle of
-Lemnos with but little breath in his body. Here the Sintians,
-who inhabited the island, tended him till his recovery. Later
-writers say that it was from this fall that he became lame. The
-same fundamental idea lies at the root of these various legends,
-viz., that fire first came down from heaven in the form of
-lightning. Hephæstus originally represented the element of
-fire, and all the effects of fire are accordingly referred to him.
-The fires of the earth break forth from the open craters of volcanoes;
-it must therefore be Hephæstus who is working in the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>midst of the fiery mountain, where he has his forges and his
-smithies. So says the legend of Mount Mosychlus, in Lemnos,
-the chief seat of his worship. Scarcely less celebrated, from its
-connection with him, was Mount Ætna, in Sicily. After it was
-observed that the wine was particularly good in the neighbourhood
-of volcanic mountains, the story of the intimate friendship
-between Hephæstus and Dionysus was concocted.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The most beneficial action of fire is manifested in its power to
-melt metals and render them useful to man in the shape of implements
-and tools of all kinds. Hence the conception of the
-character of Hephæstus tended ever more and more to represent
-him as the master of all ingenious working in metals, and as the
-patron of artificers and craftsmen using fire. In this character
-he was brought into close connection with the art-loving goddess
-Athene, and hence we see why both these divinities enjoyed so
-many kindred honours and had so many festivals in common at
-Athens, the chief seat of Greek science and art. It was also
-chiefly in the character of artificer that Hephæstus was treated
-of by the poets, who delight to describe the gorgeous brazen
-palace which he built himself on Olympus, in which was a huge
-workshop with twenty cunningly-devised pairs of bellows. He
-also constructed there the imperishable dwellings of the gods.
-Many also were the ingenious implements which he constructed,
-such as the walking tables, or tripods, which moved of their
-own accord into the banqueting-chamber of the gods, and then
-returned to their places after the meal was over. He also
-made himself two golden statues of maidens, to assist him in
-walking, and bestowed on them speech and motion. Among
-the other works of his mentioned by the poets are the ægis and
-sceptre of Zeus, the trident of Poseidon, the shield of Heracles,
-and the armour of Achilles, among which, also, was a shield of
-extraordinary beauty.</p>
-
-<div id='f_21' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_21.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 21.—Hephæstus. Bronze Figure in the British Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The worship of Hephæstus was not very extensive in Greece.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>The most important seat of his worship was the isle of Lemnos,
-where he was supposed to dwell on Mount Mosychlus with his
-workmen, the Cabiri,
-who answer to the
-Cyclopes of Ætna. He
-was held in great esteem
-at Athens, where,
-at different festivals,
-torch races were held in
-his honour. Young
-men ran with burning
-torches, and whoever
-first reached the goal
-with his torch alight
-received the prize. He
-was, moreover, highly
-venerated by the Greeks
-in Campania and Sicily,
-a fact which may be
-easily explained by the
-fiery mountains of these
-places.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Romans called
-this god Vulcanus, or,
-according to its more
-ancient spelling, Volcanus.
-They honoured
-in him the blessings and
-beneficial action of fire.
-They also sought his
-protection against conflagrations.
-Under the influence of the Greek writers, the
-original and more common conception of the god gave place to
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>the popular image of the smith-god, or Mulciber, who had his
-forges in Ætna, or on the Lipari Isles, and who vied with his
-comrades in wielding the hammer. In correspondence with the
-Greek myths, Venus was given him to wife; by this men doubtless
-sought to convey the idea that truly artistic works can only
-be created in harmony with beauty.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The chief shrine of the god in Rome was the Volcanal, in the
-Comitium, which was not really a temple, but merely a covered
-fire-place. In the Campus Martius, however, was a real temple
-close to the Flaminian Circus, where the festival of the Volcanalia
-was celebrated with every kind of game on the 23rd day
-of August.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Greek and Roman artists generally represented this god as a
-powerful, bearded man of full age. He is distinguished by the
-shortness of his left leg, by the sharp, shrewd glance of his cunning
-eye, and his firm mouth. His attributes are the smith’s tools,
-the pointed oval workman’s cap, and the short upper garment of the
-craftsman or humble citizen.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>With the exception of some small bronzes in London and Berlin,
-and a newly discovered marble bust of the Vatican collection, we
-possess no antique statues of the god worth mentioning. The
-engraving (Fig. 21) is from a bronze in the British Museum.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>10. Hestia (Vesta).</b>—It must have been at a comparatively
-late period that Hestia, the daughter of Cronus and Rhea,
-attained a general veneration, as her name is not mentioned
-either in the <cite>Iliad</cite> or <cite>Odyssey</cite>. Hestia is the guardian angel
-of mankind, who guards the security of the dwelling, and is, in
-consequence, regarded as the goddess of the family hearth, the
-centre of domestic life. The hearth possessed among the ancients
-a far higher significance than it does in modern life. It not only
-served for the preparation of meals, but was also esteemed the
-sacred altar of the house; there the images of the household
-gods were placed, and thither, after the old patriarchal fashion,
-the father and priest of the family offered sacrifice on all the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>important occasions of domestic life. No offering was made in
-which Hestia, the very centre of all domestic life, had not her
-share.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>And as the state is composed of families, the goddess of the
-domestic circle naturally becomes the protectress of every political
-community. On this account, in Greek states the Prytaneum,
-or seat of the governing body, was dedicated to Hestia; there
-she had an altar, on which a fire was ever kept burning. From
-this altar colonists, who were about to leave their native land in
-search of new homes, always took some fire—a pleasing figurative
-indication of the moral ties between the colony and the mother
-country.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As the hearth-fire of the Prytaneum was an outward and
-visible sign to the members of a state that they were one great
-family, so the Hestia of the temple at Delphi signified to the
-Greeks their national connection and the unity of their worship.
-Her altar in this temple was placed in the hall before the cave
-of the oracle; on it was placed the celebrated omphalus (navel
-of the earth, likewise an emblem of the goddess), Delphi being
-regarded by the Greeks as the centre of the whole earth. Here,
-too, a fire was kept ever burning in honour of Hestia. The
-character of the goddess was as pure and untarnished as flame
-itself. Not only did she herself remain a virgin, though wooed
-by both Poseidon and Apollo, but her service could be performed
-only by chaste virgins. She does not appear to have had a
-separate temple of her own in Greece, since she had a place in
-every temple.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The service of Vesta occupied a far more important place in
-the public life of the Romans. Her most ancient temple, which
-was supposed to have been built by Numa Pompilius, was
-situated on the slope of the Palatine opposite the Forum. It
-was built in a circle, and was of moderate dimensions, being,
-indeed, little more than a covered fire-place. In it the eternal
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>fire, a symbol of the life of the state, was kept burning. Here,
-too, the service was performed by virgins, whose number was at
-first four, but was afterwards increased to six. Their chief
-occupation was to maintain the sacred fire, and to offer up daily
-prayers at the altar of the goddess for the welfare of the Roman
-people. The extinction of the sacred flame was esteemed an
-omen of coming misfortune, and brought severe punishment on
-the negligent priestess. The choice of vestals lay with the
-Pontifex Maximus. They were chosen between the ages of six
-and ten years, always out of the best Roman families. For
-thirty years they remained bound to their sacred office, during
-which time they had to preserve the strictest chastity. After
-the lapse of thirty years they returned to civil life, and were
-permitted to marry if they liked.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Another sanctuary of Vesta existed in Lavinium, the metropolis
-of the Latins, where the Roman consuls, after entering on
-their office, had to perform a solemn sacrifice. The festival of
-Vesta was celebrated on the 9th of June, on which occasion the
-Roman women were wont to make a pilgrimage barefooted to
-the temple of the goddess, and place before her offerings of
-food.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In the domestic life of the Romans the hearth and the hearth-goddess
-Vesta occupied as important a position as among the
-Greeks. The worship of Vesta is closely connected with that
-of the Penates, the kindly, protecting, household gods, who provided
-for the daily wants of life, and about whom we shall have
-more to say before concluding the subject of the gods.</p>
-
-<div id='f_22' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_22.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 22.—Vesta Giustiniani. Torlonia Collection.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Agreeably to the chaste, pure character of the goddess, she could
-only be represented in art with an expression of the strictest moral
-purity; she generally appears either sitting or standing, her countenance
-characterised by a thoughtful gravity of expression. Her
-principal attributes consist of the votive bowl, the torch, the simpulum,
-or small cup, which was used in making libations, and the
-sceptre. In consequence of the dignity and sanctity of her character,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>she was always represented as
-fully clothed, which may account
-for the fact that the
-ancients had so few statues of
-the goddess. We may, therefore,
-consider it fortunate that
-such a splendid example as
-the Vesta Giustiniani, which
-belongs to the private collection
-of Prince Torlonia, at
-Rome, has come down to us.
-It is supposed to be an original
-work of the best period of
-Greek art. The goddess is
-represented as standing in a
-calm posture, her right hand
-pressed against her side, whilst
-with the left she points significantly
-towards heaven, as
-though wishing to impress on
-mankind where to direct their
-prayers and thoughts (Fig. 22).</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>11. Janus.</b>—Among the
-most important gods of the
-Romans was the celebrated
-Janus, a deity quite unknown
-to the Greeks. In his original
-character he was probably
-a god of the light and sun—the
-male counterpart, in fact,
-of Jana, or Diana, and thus
-very similar to the Greek
-Apollo. As long as he maintained
-this original character,
-derived from nature, he was
-regarded as the god of all
-germs and first beginnings,
-and possessed, in consequence,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>an important influence both on the public and private
-life of the Romans. We must confine ourselves to mentioning
-some of the most important traits resulting from this view of his
-character. First, Janus is the god of all beginnings of time.
-He begins the new year, whose first month was called January
-after him, and was dedicated to him. Thus, New Year’s Day
-(<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Kalendæ Januariæ</span></i>) was the most important festival of the god;
-on this occasion the houses and doors were adorned with garlands
-and laurel boughs, the laurel being supposed to exercise a potent
-influence against all magic and diseases. Relatives and friends
-exchanged small presents (principally sweets; for example, dates
-and figs wrapped in laurel leaves) and good wishes for the
-coming year. The god himself received offerings of cake, wine,
-and incense, and his statue was adorned with fresh laurel boughs.
-This offering was repeated on the first day of every month, for
-Janus opened up every month; and as the Kalends were sacred
-to Juno, he was therefore called Junonius. In the same way
-Janus was supposed to begin every new day, and called <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Matutinus
-Pater</span></i>. He also appears as the doorkeeper of heaven,
-whose gates he opened in the morning and closed in the
-evening.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>From being the god of all temporal beginnings, he soon became
-the patron and protector of all the beginnings of human activity.
-The Romans had a most superstitious belief in the importance of
-a good commencement for everything, concluding that this had
-a magical influence on the good or evil result of every undertaking.
-Thus, neither in public nor private life did they ever
-undertake anything of importance without first confiding the
-beginning to the protection of Janus. Among the most important
-events of political life was the departure of the youth of
-the country to war. An offering was therefore made to the god
-by the departing general, and the temple, or covered passage
-sacred to the god, was left open during the continuance of the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>war, as a sign that the god had departed with the troops and
-had them under his protection. The consul never neglected,
-when he entered on his office, to ask the blessing of Janus, and
-the assemblies never began their consultations without invoking
-Janus. In the same way the private citizen, in all important
-occurrences and undertakings, sought by prayers and vows to
-acquire the favour of Janus. The husbandman, before he commenced
-either to sow or to reap, brought to Janus Consivius an
-offering of cake and wine. The merchant, when he entered on a
-journey of business, and the sailor, when he weighed anchor and
-started on a long and dangerous voyage, never omitted to invoke
-the blessing of the god. This view of the god also explains the
-custom of calling on Janus first in every prayer and at every
-sacrifice, since, as keeper of the gates of heaven, he also appeared
-to give admittance to the prayers of men.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As the god of all first beginnings, Janus is also the source of
-all springs, rivers, and streams of the earth. On this account
-the fountain nymphs were generally looked on as his wives, and
-Fontus and Tiberinus as his sons.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The power of Janus in causing springs to rise suddenly
-from the earth was experienced, to their cost, by the Sabines.
-The latter, in consequence of the rape of their women, had overrun
-the infant state of Rome, and were about to introduce
-themselves into the town on the Palatine through an open gate,
-when they suddenly found themselves drenched by a hot sulphur
-spring that gushed violently from the earth, and were obliged to
-retire.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In the legend alluded to, Janus appears as the protector of the
-gates of the city. As the god who presided over the fortunate
-entrance to and exit from all houses, streets, and towns, Janus
-was held in high honour among the people. His character as
-guardian of gates and doors brought him into close connection
-with the Penates and other household gods; hence the custom
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>of erecting over the doors an image of the deity with the well-known
-two faces, one of which looked out and the other in.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Janus had no temple, in the proper sense of the word, at
-Rome. His shrines consisted of gateways in common places of
-resort and at cross-roads, or of arched passages, in which the
-image of the god was erected. The Temple of Janus in the
-Forum at Rome, which has been already alluded to, was a sanctuary
-of this kind closed with doors, and was probably the
-most ancient in the city. Its doors stood open only in time of
-war.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Roman art never succeeded in executing a plastic representation
-peculiar to Janus, the double head being only an imitation of the
-Greek double Hermæ. In course of time entire figures of Janus
-appeared, but these always had a double face. They were generally
-bearded, but in later times one face was bearded, the other youthful.
-Not one specimen of these works of art has been preserved, so that
-we only know these forms from coins. The usual attributes of Janus
-were keys and staff.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>12. Quirinus.</b>—Quirinus was also a purely Roman divinity,
-but having been reckoned among the great deities of heaven, he
-must therefore be mentioned here. In his symbolic meaning
-he bore a great resemblance to Mars; and as Mars was the
-national god of the Latin population of Rome, so Quirinus was
-the national god of the Sabines who came to Rome with Titus
-Tatius. Together with Jupiter and Mars, he formed the tutelary
-Trinity of the Roman empire. His shrine was on the Quirinal,
-which was originally inhabited by the Sabines, and which was
-named after him. Numa gave Quirinus a priest of his own.
-He had a special feast on the 17th of February, but his worship
-appears to have assimilated itself more and more to that of Mars.
-He was subsequently identified with Romulus.</p>
-
-<div>
- <span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>
- <h4 class='c016'>B.—SECONDARY DEITIES.</h4>
-</div>
-
-<h5 class='c016'><em>1. Attendant and Ministering Deities.</em></h5>
-
-<div id='f_23' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_23.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 23.—Head of Eros. Vatican.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. Eros (Amor).</b>—Of the deities who appear in the train of
-Aphrodite, Eros alone seems to have enjoyed divine honours;
-Longing and Desire being no more than allegorical figures
-typifying some of the influences that emanate from the goddess
-of love. Eros was commonly reputed the son of Aphrodite and
-Ares, and was generally depicted as a boy of wondrous beauty,
-on the verge of youth. His characteristic weapon is a golden
-bow, with which he shoots forth his arrows from secret
-lurking-places, with an unfailing effect that represents the
-sweet but consuming
-pangs of
-love. Zeus himself
-is represented
-as unable to withstand
-his influence—an
-intimation
-that love is one
-of the most terrible
-and mighty
-forces of nature.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As unrequited
-love is aimless,
-Anteros was conceived
-by the imagination
-of the
-poets as the
-brother and companion
-of Eros, and consequently a son of Aphrodite. As the
-little Eros, says the myth, would neither grow nor thrive, his
-mother, by the advice of Themis, gave him this brother as a
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>playfellow; after which the boy was glad so long as his brother
-was with him, but sad in his absence.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Eros was not only venerated as the god who kindles love
-between the sexes, but was also regarded as the author of love
-and friendship between youths and men. On this account his
-statue was generally placed in the gymnasia between those of
-Hermes and Heracles; and the Spartans sacrificed to him before
-battle, binding themselves to hold together faithfully in battle,
-and to stand by one another in the hour of need.</p>
-
-<div id='f_24' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_24.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 24.—Eros trying his Bow. Capitoline Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>This deity was termed by the Romans Amor, or Cupido, but
-this was solely in imitation
-of the Greek Eros, since he
-never enjoyed among them
-any public veneration.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The significant fable of the
-love of Cupid for Psyche, a
-personification of the human
-soul, is of comparatively
-late origin, though it was a
-very favourite subject in art.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Artists followed the poets in
-the delineation of Eros, in so
-far as they generally depicted
-him as a boy on the confines
-of youth. An Eros by the renowned
-artist Praxiteles was
-esteemed one of the best works
-of antiquity. It was brought
-to Rome by Nero, but was destroyed
-by fire in the reign of
-Titus. In later times the god
-of love was represented as
-much younger, because the
-mischievous pranks attributed
-to him by the poets were more
-adapted to the age of childhood.</p>
-
-<div id='f_25' class='figleft id004'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>
-<img src='images/f_25.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 25.—Polyhymnia. Berlin Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>A considerable number of statues or statuettes of Eros have come
-down to us from antiquity. Among the most celebrated is the Torso
-(mutilated statue) of the Vatican, of the glorious head of which we
-give an engraving (Fig. 23). There is also an “Eros trying his
-bow” (Fig. 24) in the Capitoline Museum at Rome, and an “Eros
-playing with dice” in the Berlin Museum. Lastly, there is the
-celebrated group of the
-Capitoline Museum, which
-represents the embraces of
-Cupid and Psyche.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Eros generally appears
-with wings in the art monuments
-of antiquity. His insignia
-are bow and arrows,
-in addition to a burning
-torch. The rose was held
-especially sacred to him, for
-which reason he often appears
-crowned with roses.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In connection with Venus
-and in company with Amor
-we find Hymenæus, a personification
-of the joys of
-marriage, who was, however,
-only recognised by
-later writers and by later
-art. He is portrayed as
-a beautiful youth, winged
-like Eros, but taller, and of
-a more serious aspect. His
-indispensable attribute is
-the marriage torch.</p>
-
-<div id='f_26' class='figright id004'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>
-<img src='images/f_26.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 26—Melpomene. Vatican.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. The Muses.</b>—Pindar
-gives the following
-account of the origin of
-the Muses. After the
-defeat of the Titans, the
-celestials besought Zeus
-to create some beings who
-might perpetuate in song
-the mighty deeds of the gods. In answer to this prayer,
-Zeus begot with Mnemosyne (Memory) the nine Muses. They
-sing of the present, the past, and the future, while Apollo’s lute
-accompanies their sweet strains, which gladden the hearts of the
-gods as they sit assembled
-in the lofty
-palace of Father Zeus,
-in Olympus. Looked
-at in connection with
-nature, there is little
-doubt but that the
-Muses were originally
-nymphs of the fountains.
-The veneration
-of the Muses first arose
-in Pieria, a district on
-the eastern declivity of
-Mount Olympus in
-Thessaly, from whose
-steep and rocky heights
-a number of sweet rippling
-brooks descend to
-the plains. The perception
-of this natural
-music led at once to a
-belief in the existence of
-such song-loving goddesses.
-Their seat was
-subsequently transferred
-from the declivities
-of Olympus
-to Mount Helicon in
-Bœotia, or to Mount
-Parnassus, at the foot of which the Castalian fountain, which
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>was sacred to them, had its source. Originally the Muses were
-only goddesses of song, though they are sometimes represented
-with instruments on vases. In early times, too, they only
-appear as a chorus or company, but at a later period separate
-functions were assigned to each, as presiding over this or that
-branch of art. Their
-names were Clio, Melpomene,
-Terpsichore, Polyhymnia,
-Thalia, Urania,
-Euterpe, Erato, and Calliope.</p>
-
-<div id='f_27' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_27.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 27.—Euterpe. Vatican.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>According to the art-distribution
-made, probably,
-at the time of the
-Alexandrine school, Calliope
-represents epic poetry
-and science generally, her
-attributes being a roll of
-parchment and a pen. Clio
-is the muse of history, and
-is likewise characterised
-by a roll and pen, so that
-it is sometimes difficult to
-distinguish her from Calliope.
-Euterpe represents
-lyric poetry, and is distinguished
-by her double
-flute. Melpomene, the
-muse of tragedy, generally
-appears with a tragic
-mask, a club or sword, and
-a garland of vine leaves.
-Terpsichore is the muse of
-dancing, and has a lyre
-and plectrum. To Erato
-is assigned erotic poetry,
-together with geometry
-and the mimic art; she
-generally bears a large stringed instrument. Thalia, the muse of
-comedy, is distinguished by a comic mask, an ivy garland, and a
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>crook. Polyhymnia presides over the graver chant of religious
-service; she may be recognised by her dress, wrapped closely round
-her, and her grave, thoughtful countenance, but is without attribute
-of any kind. Lastly, Urania, the muse of astronomy, holds in one
-hand a celestial globe, and in the other a small wand.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Several European museums possess ancient groups of the Muses,
-among which, perhaps, the finest is that preserved in the Vatican.
-From this group are copied our engravings of Melpomene and
-Euterpe (Figs. 26 and 27). The original of Polyhymnia (Fig. 25) is
-in the Berlin Museum.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Romans venerated a number of fountain-nymphs of song
-and prophecy under the name of Camenæ, among whom the
-Egeria of the history of Numa is well known. The Roman
-writers seem to have identified these goddesses with the Muses
-at pleasure.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>3. The Charites (Gratiæ).</b>—The Charites generally appear
-in the train of the goddess of love, whom it was their duty to
-clothe and adorn. They are often found, however, in attendance
-on other gods, since all that is charming and graceful, either to
-the senses or the intellect, was supposed to proceed from
-them.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Their names are Aglaïa, Euphrosyne, and Thalia. They were
-commonly represented as the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome,
-the Oceanid. Later writers, however, make them the daughters
-of Dionysus and Aphrodite. They were venerated as the source
-of all that makes human life more beautiful and pleasant, without
-whom there could be no real enjoyment of life. Thus, even the
-gods would not sit down to banquets without the Charites; and
-whenever men came together to feast, they first called on them
-and offered them the first bowl. Music, eloquence, art, and
-poetry received the higher consecration only at their hands;
-whence Pindar terms his songs a gift from them. Wisdom,
-bravery, kindly benevolence, and gratitude—in fine, all those
-qualities which become men most, and make them agreeable
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>in the eyes of their fellow-men, were supposed to proceed from
-the Charites.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Graces of the Romans were simply transferred from the
-mythology of the Greeks, and have, therefore, the same meaning
-as the Charites.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Art represented the Charites or Graces as blooming maidens, of
-slender, comely form, characterised by an expression of joyous innocence.
-In their hands they often hold flowers, either roses or
-myrtles. They are less often distinguished by definite attributes
-than by a mutual intertwining of arms. In earlier Greek art they
-always appear fully clothed; but gradually their clothing became
-less and less, until at length, in the age of Scopas and Praxiteles,
-when nude figures had become common, it entirely disappeared.
-There are, however, few ancient statues of the Charites in existence.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>4. Themis and the Horæ (Seasons).</b>—In intimate connection
-with the Charites we find the Horæ, the daughters of
-Zeus and Themis. They were generally represented as three
-in number—Eunomia, Dice, and Irene. They represent the
-regular march of nature in the changes of the seasons, and
-Themis, who personifies the eternal laws of nature, and as the
-daughter of Uranus and Gæa ranks among the most ancient
-deities, is consequently their mother. Themis is the representative
-of the reign of law among gods and men; at Zeus’
-command she calls together the assemblies of the gods. She
-also occupies a similar position on earth, as presiding over
-national assemblies and the laws of hospitality. Her daughters,
-the Horæ, appear in a similar though in a subordinate and
-attendant character. In Homer they figure as the servants of
-Zeus, who watch the gates of heaven, now closing them with
-thick clouds, now clearing the clouds away. They also appear
-as the servants and attendants of other divinities, such as Hera,
-Aphrodite, Apollo, and the Muses. Like their mother, they
-preside over all law and order in human affairs; and under their
-protection thrives all that is noble and beautiful and good.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>We know but little concerning the worship of the Horæ
-among the Greeks. The Athenians celebrated a special festival
-in their honour, but they recognised only two—Thallo, the season
-of blossom, and Carpo, the season of the ripened fruit. The
-adoption of four Horæ, corresponding to the four seasons of the
-year, appears to have arisen at a later period.</p>
-
-<div id='f_28' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_28.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 28.—The Horæ. Relief from the Villa Albani.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>In plastic art Themis is generally represented with a balance in
-one hand and a palm branch in the other. The Horæ generally
-appear as lovely girls dancing with their garments tucked up, and
-adorned with flowers, fruit, and garlands. Subsequently they were
-distinguished by various attributes, typical of the different seasons.
-Such is the case in the engraving (Fig. 28), after a relief in the
-Villa Albani.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>5. Nice (Victoria).</b>—Nice is nothing but a personification
-of the irresistible and invincible power exercised by the god of
-heaven by means of his lightning. She also appears in the
-company of Pallas Athene, who was herself honoured by the
-Athenians as the goddess of victory. Victory does not seem
-to have had many separate temples or festivals, since she generally
-appears only in attendance on her superior deities.</p>
-
-<div id='f_29' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_29.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 29.—Victoria. United Collections in Munich.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>Far more extensive was the veneration of Victoria at Rome,
-a fact for which the warlike character of the people easily
-accounts. Her chief shrine was on the Capitol, where successful
-generals were wont to erect statues of the goddess in remembrance
-of their exploits. The most magnificent statue of this
-kind was one erected by Augustus in fulfilment of a vow after
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>his victory at
-Actium. The
-proper festival
-of the goddess
-took place on
-the 12th of
-April.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In both Greek
-and Roman art
-Victory was represented
-as a
-winged goddess.
-She is distinguished
-by a palm
-branch and laurel
-garland, which
-were the customary
-rewards of
-bravery among
-the ancients.
-Large statues of
-the goddess are
-seldom met with,
-though she is
-often depicted on
-vases, coins, and
-small bronzes.
-The museum of
-Cassel has a small
-bronze statue of
-the goddess, whilst a fine <em>alto-relievo</em> in terra-cotta exists in the
-Royal Collection at Munich (Fig. 29).</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>6. Iris.</b>—Iris was originally a personification of the rainbow,
-but she was afterwards converted into the swift messenger of the
-gods, the rainbow being, as it were, a bridge between earth and
-heaven. In this character she makes her appearance in Homer,
-but, later still, she was again transformed into a special attendant
-of Hera. Her swiftness was astounding; “Like hail or snow,”
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>says Homer, “that falls from the clouds,” she darts from one
-end of the world to the other—nay, dives to the hidden depths
-of the ocean and into the recesses of the lower world, executing
-the commands of the gods.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art Iris was represented with wings, like Nice, to whom she, in
-many respects, bears a strong resemblance. She may be distinguished
-from the latter, however, by her herald’s staff (Caduceus). A very
-much injured specimen, from the east pediment of the Parthenon at
-Athens, is now preserved in the British Museum.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>7. Hebe (Juventas).</b>—Hebe was the daughter of Zeus and
-Hera, and, according to her natural interpretation, represented
-the youthful bloom of Nature. In the fully developed mythology
-of the Greeks she appears as the cupbearer of the gods, to
-whom, at meals, she presents the sweet nectar. It may at first
-seem strange that the daughter of the greatest of the divinities
-of Greece should be relegated to so inferior a position. This,
-however, is easily explained by the old patriarchal custom of
-the Greeks, by which the young unmarried daughters, even in
-royal palaces, waited at table on the men of the family and the
-guests.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In post-Homeric poetry and legend Hebe no longer appears
-as cupbearer of the gods, the office having been assigned to
-Ganymedes. This was either in consequence of the promotion of
-the son of the King of Troy, or on account of Hebe’s marriage with
-the deified Heracles.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Hebe occupies no important place in the religious system
-of the Greeks; she seems to have been chiefly honoured in
-connection with her mother Hera, or now and then with
-Heracles.</p>
-
-<div id='f_30' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_30.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 30.—Hebe. From Antonio Canova.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>Juventas, or Juventus, is the corresponding deity of the
-Romans; but, as was the case with so many others, they contrived
-to bring her into a more intimate connection with their
-political life by honouring in her the undying and unfading
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>vigour of the state. She
-had a separate chapel in
-the temple of Jupiter
-Capitolinus.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>With regard to the artistic
-representation of Hebe,
-statues of this goddess
-appear to have been very
-rare in ancient times; at
-least, among all the numerous
-statues that have been
-discovered, none can be
-safely identified with Hebe.
-She is the more often met
-with on ornamental vases
-and reliefs, on which the
-marriage of Heracles and
-Hebe is a favourite subject.
-She is usually depicted as
-a highly-graceful, modest
-maiden, pouring out nectar
-from an upraised vessel.
-She appears thus in the
-world-renowned masterpiece
-of the Italian sculptor
-Canova, so well known
-from casts. In default of
-an ancient statue, we give
-an engraving of this work
-(Fig. 30).</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>8. Ganymedes.</b>—A
-similar office in Olympus
-was filled by the son of
-Tros, the King of Troy,
-Ganymedes, who was
-made immortal by Zeus,
-and installed as cupbearer of the gods. Neither Homer nor
-Pindar, however, relate the episode of Zeus sending his eagle
-to carry off Ganymedes. This feature of the story, which is a
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>favourite subject of artistic representation, is first found in
-Apollodorus. The Roman poet, Ovid, then went a step farther,
-and made the ruler of Olympus transform himself into an eagle,
-in order to carry off his favourite.</p>
-
-<div id='f_31' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_31.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 31.—Ganymedes and the Eagle. From Thorwaldsen.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The rape of the beautiful boy is often portrayed in ancient art.
-The most famous monument is a bronze group of Leochares, an artist
-who flourished in the fourth century B.C. A copy of it still exists in
-the celebrated statue of Ganymedes in the Vatican collection. In
-modern art the story has been treated with still greater frequency.
-There is an extremely beautiful group of this kind by Thorwaldsen,
-in which Ganymedes is represented as giving the eagle drink out of
-a bowl (Fig. 31).</p>
-
-<h5 id='t89' class='c016'><em>2. The Phenomena of the Heavens.</em></h5>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. Helios (Sol).</b>—Helios (Latin <em>Sol</em>), the sun-god, belongs
-to that small class of deities who have preserved their physical
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>meaning intact. His worship was confined to a few places, the
-most important of which was the island of Rhodes. An annual
-festival, attended with musical and athletic contests, was here
-celebrated with great pomp in honour of the sun-god. He is
-portrayed by the poets as a handsome youth with flashing eyes
-and shining hair covered with a golden helmet. His daily office
-was to bring the light of day to gods and men, which he performed
-by rising from Oceanus in the east, where the Ethiopians
-live, and completing his course along the firmament. For this
-purpose the post-Homeric poets endow him with a sun-chariot
-drawn by four fiery horses; and though Homer and Hesiod do
-not attempt to explain how he passed from the west where he
-sets, to the east where he rises, later poets obviate the difficulty
-by making him sail round half the world in a golden boat
-(according to others a golden bed); and thus he was supposed
-again to arrive at the east. In the far west Helios had a
-splendid palace, and also a celebrated garden, which was under
-the charge of the Hesperides. He is described as the son of the
-Titans Hyperion and Thea, whence he himself is called a Titan.
-By his wife Perse, a daughter of Oceanus, he became the father
-of Æëtes, King of Colchis, celebrated in the legend of the
-Argonauts, and of the still more celebrated sorceress Circe.
-Another son of Helios was Phaëthon, who, in attempting to
-drive his father’s horses, came to an untimely end.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Helios sees and hears every thing; whence he was believed to
-bring hidden crimes to light, and was invoked as a witness at
-all solemn declarations and oaths.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>All the stories relating to Helios were gradually transferred to
-the Roman Sol, who was originally a Sabine deity, chiefly by
-means of the Metamorphoses of Ovid. The untiring charioteer
-of the heavens was also honoured as the patron of the race-course;
-but he never attained a prominent position in religious
-worship.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>Helios, or Sol, is depicted as a handsome youth, his head encircled
-by a crown, which gives forth twelve bright rays corresponding to the
-number of the months, his mantle flying about his shoulders as he
-stands in his chariot. It was chiefly in Rhodes, however, that Helios
-was made the subject of the sculptor’s art. Here, in 280 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>, was
-erected in his honour the celebrated colossal statue which has
-acquired a world-wide celebrity under the name of the Colossus of
-Rhodes, and which was reckoned as one of the seven “wonders of
-the world.” It was the work of Chares of Lindus, and was 105 feet
-in height.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. Selene (Luna).</b>—As Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo,
-so is Selene the twin sister of Helios; he representing the sun,
-she the moon. Selene, however, never really enjoyed divine
-honours in Greece. The poets depict her as a white-armed
-goddess, whose beautiful tresses are crowned with a brilliant
-diadem. In the evening she rises from the sacred river of
-Oceanus, and pursues her course along the firmament of heaven
-in her chariot drawn by two white horses. She is gentle and
-timid, and it is only in secret that she loves beautiful youths
-and kisses them in sleep. Poets delight to sing of the secret
-love she cherished for the beautiful Endymion, the son of the
-King of Elis. She caused him to fall into an eternal sleep, and
-he now reposes in a rocky grotto on Mount Latmus, where Selene
-nightly visits him, and gazes with rapture on his countenance.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In later times she was often confounded with Artemis, Hecate,
-and Persephone. The same remarks apply to the Roman Luna.
-The latter, however, had a temple of her own on the Aventine,
-which was supposed to have been dedicated to her by Servius
-Tullius. Like her brother Sol, she was honoured in Rome in
-connection with the circus, and was held to preside over the
-public games.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In sculpture, Selene, or Luna, may be recognised by the half moon
-on her forehead, and by the veil over the back of her head; she also
-bears in her hand a torch. The sleeping Endymion was a frequent
-subject of representation on sarcophagi and monuments.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span><b>3. Eos (Aurora).</b>—Eos, the goddess of the dawn, was also a
-daughter of Hyperion and Thea, and a sister of Selene and
-Helios. She was first married to the Titan Astræus, by whom she
-became the mother of the winds—Boreas, Zephyrus, Eurus, and
-Notus (north, west, east, and south winds). This is a mythological
-mode of intimating the fact that the wind generally rises
-at dawn. After Astræus, who, like most of the Titans, had
-rebelled against the sovereignty of Zeus, and had been cast into
-Tartarus, Eos chose the handsome hunter Orion for her husband.
-The gods, however, would not consent to their union, and Orion
-was slain by the arrows of Artemis, after which Eos married
-Tithonus, the son of the King of Troy. She begged Zeus to
-bestow on him immortality, but, having forgotten to ask for
-eternal youth, the gift was of doubtful value, since Tithonus at
-last became a shrivelled-up, decrepid old man, in whom the
-goddess took no pleasure.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Memnon, King of Æthiopia, celebrated in the story of the
-Trojan war, was a son of Eos and Tithonus. He came to the
-assistance of Troy, and was slain by Achilles. Since then, Eos
-has wept without ceasing for her darling son, and her tears fall
-to the earth in the shape of dew.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Eos is represented by the poets as a glorious goddess, with
-beautiful hair, rosy arms and fingers—a true picture of the invigorating
-freshness of the early morning. Cheerful and active,
-she rises early from her couch, and, enveloped in a saffron-coloured
-mantle, she harnesses her horses Lampus and Phaëthon
-(Brightness and Lustre), in order that she may hasten on in
-front of the sun-god and announce the day.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The views and fables connected with Eos were transferred by
-the Roman writers to the person of their goddess Aurora<a id='r4' /><a href='#f4' class='c018'><sup>[4]</sup></a>
-without undergoing any alteration.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f4'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. The Mater Matuta of the Romans was a deity very similar to the Eos
-of the Greeks. She was the goddess of the early dawn, and was held in
-high estimation among the Roman women as a deity who assisted them in
-childbirth. Like the Greek Leucothea, she was also regarded as a goddess
-of the sea and harbours, who assisted those in peril.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>Representations of this goddess are found now and then on vases
-and gems. She either appears driving a chariot and four horses, as
-harnessing the steeds of Helios, or as gliding through the air on
-wings and sprinkling the earth with her dew.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>4. The Stars.</b>—Only a few of the stars are of any importance
-in mythology. Phosphorus and Hesperus, the morning
-star and the evening star, which were formerly regarded as two
-distinct beings, were represented in art in the guise of beautiful
-boys with torches in their hands. There were also several
-legends relating to Orion, whom we have already alluded to as
-the husband of Eos. He himself was made a constellation after
-having been slain by the arrows of Artemis, while his dog was
-Sirius, whose rising announces the hottest season of the year.
-All kinds of myths were invented about other constellations;
-among others, the Hyades, whose rising betokened the advent of
-the stormy, rainy season, during which the sailor avoids going
-to sea. The story went that they were placed among the
-constellations by the gods out of pity, because they were inconsolable
-at the death of their brother Hyas, who was killed by a
-lion whilst hunting. Connected with them are the Pleiades,
-<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">i.e.</span></i>, the stars of mariners, so called because on their rising in
-May the favourable season for voyages begins. They were seven
-in number, and were likewise set in the heavens by the gods.
-Finally, we must not forget to mention Arctus, the Bear.
-Tradition asserted that this was none other than the Arcadian
-nymph Callisto, who had been placed among the constellations
-by Zeus when slain in the form of a she-bear by Artemis. She
-had broken her vows of chastity, and borne a son, Arcas, to Zeus.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>5. The Winds.</b>—The four chief winds have been already
-alluded to as the sons of Eos. They were especially venerated
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>by those about to make voyages, who then solicited their favour
-with prayers and offerings. Otherwise, they maintained their
-character of pure natural forces, and were, consequently, of little
-importance in mythology. The rude north wind, Boreas, or
-Aquilo, was especially dreaded on account of his stormy
-violence, and was hence regarded as a bold ravisher of maidens.
-Thus an Attic legend asserts that he carried off Orithyia, the
-daughter of Erechtheus, as she was playing on the banks of
-the Ilissus. She bore him Calaïs and Zetes, well known in the
-story of the Argonauts. Boreas, however, stood in high favour
-among the Athenians, who erected an altar and chapel to him,
-because, during the Persian war, he had partially destroyed the
-fleet of Xerxes off Cape Sepias.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As Boreas is the god of the winter storm, so Zephyrus appears
-as the welcome messenger of Spring; on which account one of
-the Horæ was given him to wife. Zephyrus was called Favonius
-by the Romans, to intimate the favourable influence he exercised
-on the prosperous growth of the vegetable world.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>These, together with the other chief winds, Notus (south
-wind) and Eurus (east wind) were sometimes said to reside in
-separate places; at other times they were said to dwell together
-in the Wind-mountain, on the fabulous island of Æolia, where
-they were ruled over by King Æolus.</p>
-
-<h5 class='c016'><em>3. Gods of Birth and Healing.</em></h5>
-
-<div id='f_32' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_32.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 32.—Asclepius. Berlin.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. Asclepius (Æsculapius).</b>—It was only in later times
-that the necessity of having special gods of birth and healing
-made itself felt; at all events, Asclepius, or Æsculapius, as he is
-called by the Romans, does not appear as a god in Homer. The
-worship of this deity, who was said to be the son of Apollo,
-appears to have originated in Epidaurus, the seat of his principal
-shrine, and thence to have become generally diffused. In
-Epidaurus his priests erected a large hospital, which enjoyed a
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>great reputation. The
-common method of
-cure consisted in allowing
-those who were sick
-to sleep in the temple,
-on which occasion, if
-they had been zealous in
-their prayers and offerings,
-the god appeared
-to them in a dream and
-discovered the necessary
-remedy.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The worship of this
-deity was introduced
-into Rome in the year
-291 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>, in consequence
-of a severe pestilence
-which for years had
-depopulated town and
-country. The Sibylline
-books were consulted,
-and they recommended
-that Asclepius of Epidaurus
-should be
-brought to Rome. The
-story goes that the sacred
-serpent of the god followed
-the Roman ambassadors
-of its own
-accord, and chose for
-its abode the Insula
-Tiberina at Rome,
-where a temple was at
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>once erected to Æsculapius. A gilded statue was added to the
-temple in the year 13 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span> The method already mentioned of
-sleeping in the temple was also adopted here.</p>
-
-<div id='f_33' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_33.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 33.—Head of Asclepius. British Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art, Asclepius is represented as a bearded man of ripe years,
-with singularly noble features, from which the kindly benevolence
-of a benefactor of mankind looks
-forth. He is generally accompanied
-by a serpent, as a symbol of
-self-renovating vital power, which
-he is feeding and caressing, or
-which is more commonly represented
-as creeping up his staff.
-Such is the conception in the
-engraving (Fig. 32), which is after
-a statue preserved at Berlin. As
-the god of healing, he has also
-other attributes—a bowl containing
-the healing draught, a bunch
-of herbs, a pine-apple, or a dog;
-the latter being a symbol of the
-vigilance with which the physician
-watches disease.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>There are numerous extant statues
-of the god, although the great
-statue in gold and ivory of the
-temple at Epidaurus has been entirely
-lost. A fine head of colossal
-proportions was discovered on the
-Isle of Melos, and is now an ornament
-of the British Museum (Fig. 33). There is, on the other hand,
-a very fine statue without a head in existence at Athens, near the
-temple of Zeus. There are, moreover, celebrated statues in Florence,
-Paris, and Rome (Vatican); in the last case, of a beardless Æsculapius.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><a id='t96'></a><b>2. Inferior Deities of Birth and Healing.</b>—The Greeks
-also honoured Ilithyia as a goddess of birth. This appears to
-have been originally a surname of Hera, as a deity who succoured
-women in childbirth. Hygiea was looked on as a
-goddess of health, and was described as a daughter of Asclepius.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Romans had no need of a special goddess presiding over
-birth, although they honoured a deity often identified with
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>Hygiea, whom they called Strenia, or Salus. As guardian of
-the chamber of birth, they honoured Carna, or Cardea, who was
-supposed to drive away the evil Striges (screech owls) that came
-at night to suck the blood of the new-born child. Carna was
-further regarded as the protectress of physical health. Another
-of these inferior deities, of whom men sought long life and continued health, bore the name of Anna Perenna (the circling
-year).</p>
-
-<div id='f_34' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_34.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 34.—Night and the Fates. From Carstens.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<div>
- <span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>
- <h5 class='c016'><em>4. Deities of Fate.</em></h5>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. Mœræ (Parcæ).</b>—The Mœræ, better known by the Latin
-name of Parcæ, really denote that portion of a man’s life and
-fortune which is determined from his birth; so that, in this
-sense, there are as many Mœræ as individuals. The Greeks,
-however, who were wont to revere all such indefinite numbers
-under the sacred number three, generally recognised three.
-These they regarded as the dark and inexplicable powers of fate,
-daughters of the night. Their names were Clotho (spinner),
-Lachesis (allotter), and Atropos (inevitable).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Only two Parcæ were originally known to the Romans, but
-a third was afterwards added to make their own mythology harmonise
-with that of the Greeks.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The popular conception of the Parcæ as grave hoary women was
-not followed in art, where they always appear as young. In the first
-instance, their attributes were all alike, separate functions not yet
-having been allotted to them. But at a subsequent period it was
-Clotho who spun, Lachesis who held, and Atropos who cut the thread
-of life. This arrangement was first adopted by later artists, who
-generally give Clotho a spindle, Lachesis a roll of parchment, and
-Atropos a balance, or let the last point to the hour of death on a dial.
-Such is the case in a talented creation of Carstens, in which the conception
-of modern times is brought into harmony with the ideal of
-antiquity (Fig. 34).</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. Nemesis, Tyche (Fortuna), and Agathodæmon
-(Bonus Eventus).</b>—Nemesis really denotes the apportionment
-of that fate which is justly deserved, and a consequent repugnance
-to that which is not. Homer does not acknowledge
-Nemesis as a goddess, and so it is probable that her claim to
-public veneration dates from a later period. She was regarded
-as a goddess of equality, who watches over the equilibrium of
-the moral universe, and sees that happiness and misfortune are
-allotted to man according to merit. Hence arose, subsequently,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>the idea of an avenging deity, who visits with condign punishment
-the crimes and wickedness of mankind. In this character
-she resembles the Furies. The Romans likewise introduced
-Nemesis into their system; at least her statue stood on the
-Capitol, though popular superstition never regarded her with a
-friendly eye.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The various conceptions of Nemesis are again displayed in works
-of art. The kindly, gentle goddess, who dispenses what is just, is
-depicted as a young woman of grave and thoughtful aspect, holding
-in her hand the instruments of measurement and control (cubit,
-bridle, and rudder). As the stern avenger of human crimes, she
-appears with wings in a chariot drawn by griffins, with a sword or
-whip in her hand.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Tyche, the goddess of good fortune, was, according to common
-accounts, the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. She was usually
-honoured as the tutelary deity of towns, and as such had temples
-and statues in many populous cities of Greece and Asia. In
-course of time, however, the idea gained ground that Tyche was
-the author of evil as well as of good fortune. She resembled,
-in this respect, the Fortuna of the Romans, who was regarded as
-the source of all that is unexpected in human life. Servius
-Tullius was said to have introduced into Rome the worship of
-Fortuna, whose favourite he had certainly every reason to regard
-himself. He erected a temple to her under the name of Fors
-Fortuna, and made the 24th of June the common festival of the
-goddess. Later, her worship became still more extensive.
-Under the most different surnames, some of which referred to
-the state (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">Fortuna populi Romani</span></i>), and others to every description
-of private affairs, she had a great number of temples and
-chapels erected in her honour. She had also celebrated temples
-in Antium and Præneste.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Ancient artists endowed this goddess with various attributes, the
-most important of which was the rudder, which she held in her hand
-in token of her power to control the fortunes of mankind. She is
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>also endowed with a sceptre for the same purpose, and with a horn of
-plenty as the giver of good fortune; sometimes she is also represented
-with the youthful Plutus in her arms. The later conception
-of an impartial goddess of fate is apparent in those art-monuments
-which depict her standing on a ball or wheel. Among the larger
-existing works, we may mention a copy preserved in the Vatican of a
-Tyche by Eutychides of Sicyon, which was formerly exhibited in
-Antioch. The goddess here wears a mural crown on her head as the
-tutelary deity of towns, and has a sheaf of corn in her right hand.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Besides Fortuna, the Romans honoured a deity called Felicitas
-as the goddess of positive good fortune. Lucullus is said to
-have erected a temple to her in Rome, which was adorned with
-the works of art brought by Mummius from the spoils of
-Corinth. Even this did not suffice for the religious needs of
-the people, and we find that the belief in personal protecting
-deities grew rapidly among both Greeks and Romans. These
-deities were termed by the Greeks “<span lang="la" xml:lang="la">dæmones</span>,” and by the
-Romans “genii.” They were believed to be the invisible
-counsellors of every individual, accompanying him from birth to
-death, through all the stages of life, with advice and comfort.
-Offerings of wine, cake, incense, and garlands were made to
-them, particularly on birthdays.</p>
-
-<h3 class='c019'>II.—THE GODS OF THE SEA AND WATERS.</h3>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. Poseidon (Neptunus).</b>—Poseidon, or Neptunus, as he
-was called by the Romans, was the son of Cronus and Rhea.
-Homer calls him the younger brother of Zeus, in which case his
-subjection to the latter is only natural. According to the common
-account, however, Zeus was the youngest of the sons of
-Cronus, but acquired the sovereignty over his brothers by having
-overthrown their cruel father. Poseidon was accordingly indebted
-to his brother for his dominion over the sea and its
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>deities, and was therefore subject to him. He usually dwelt,
-not in Olympus, but at the bottom of the sea. Here he was
-supposed to inhabit, with Amphitrite his wife, a magnificent
-golden palace in the neighbourhood of Ægæ. Originally, like
-Oceanus and Pontus, he was a mere symbol of the watery
-element, but he afterwards attained an entirely independent
-personality. Even in Homer he no longer appears as the sea
-itself, but as its mighty ruler, who with his powerful arms
-upholds and circumscribes the earth. He is violent and impetuous,
-like the element he represents. When he strikes the
-sea with his trident, the symbol of his sovereignty, the waves
-rise with violence, dash in pieces the ships, and inundate
-the land far and wide. Poseidon likewise possesses the power
-of producing earthquakes, cleaving rocks, and raising islands
-in the midst of the sea. On the other hand, a word or look
-from him suffices to allay the wildest tempest. Virgil, in the
-first book of the <cite>Æneid</cite>, has given a beautiful description of the
-taming of the fierce elements by the god.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Poseidon was naturally regarded as the chief god of all the
-seafaring classes, such as fishermen, boatmen, and sailors, who
-esteemed him as their patron and tutelary deity. To him they
-addressed their prayers before entering on a voyage, to him they
-brought their offerings in gratitude for their safe return from the
-perils of the deep.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Poseidon, therefore, enjoyed the highest reputation among
-the seafaring Ionians. His temples, altars, and statues were
-most numerous in the harbours and seaport towns, and on
-islands and promontories. Among the numerous shrines of this
-deity we may mention that of Corinth, in the neighbourhood of
-which were celebrated in his honour the Isthmian games, which
-subsequently became a national festival in Greece, Pylus, Athens,
-and the islands of Rhodes, Cos, and Tenos.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>It was only natural that many legends, local and provincial,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>should exist about a god who played such an important part in
-the lives of seafaring folk. In the Trojan epos he figures as a
-violent enemy of Troy, his indignation having been provoked by
-the injustice of the Trojan king, Laomedon. Poseidon had
-built the walls of Troy at the king’s request with the aid of
-Apollo, but Laomedon having cheated him in the matter of the
-stipulated reward, Poseidon thereupon sent a terrible sea-monster,
-which laid waste the crops and slew the inhabitants. They had
-recourse to the oracle, which counselled the sacrifice of the king’s
-daughter Hesione. The unhappy maiden was exposed to the
-monster, but was rescued by Heracles. The fable of this
-monster, which is manifestly a symbol of the inundation of the
-sea, is repeated in many succeeding stories (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">e.g.</span></i>, in the story of
-Perseus, who rescued in a similar way Andromeda, the daughter
-of the king of Æthiopia). There are numberless stories, in
-which Poseidon appears as the father of the different national
-heroes. The most important is, perhaps, the legend of Theseus,
-of which we shall speak later on. There was scarcely a Grecian
-town or district which did not lay claim to divine origin for the
-person of its founder or ancestral hero. Again, the conception of
-the wild stormy nature of the sea caused Poseidon to be represented
-as the father of various giants and monsters. By the
-nymph Thoösa he became the father of the savage Polyphemus,
-slain by Odysseus, who thus provoked the implacable enmity of
-Poseidon. The giant Antæus, who fought with Heracles, was
-also said to be a son of Poseidon; besides many other monsters,
-such as Procrustes, Cercyon, and the Aloïdæ.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The favourite animal of Poseidon was the horse, which he was
-supposed to have created. This may, perhaps, be due to the
-fact that the imagination of the Greeks pictured to itself the
-horses of Poseidon in the rolling and bounding waves. In
-Athens the origin of the horse was referred to the contest
-between Athene and Poseidon, as to who should make the land
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>the most useful present. In Corinthian legend Poseidon appears
-as the father of the winged horse Pegasus by Medusa. This
-story is connected with the taming of the horse, which was
-ascribed to Poseidon. On account of his intimate connection
-with the horse, Poseidon was especially regarded as the patron
-of the games, and had, in consequence, an altar of his own on
-all race-courses. The competitors, before the races, solicited his
-favour with prayers and sacrifices.</p>
-
-<div id='f_35' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_35.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 35.—Poseidon. Dolce Gem.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>The dolphin and the pine-tree were held sacred to Poseidon,
-the latter probably because it was so extensively used in shipbuilding.
-Black steers, horses, rams, and wild boars were sacrificed
-to him.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Romans not being a seafaring people, Neptune never
-stood in such high estimation among them as among the Greeks.
-In Rome his prominent characteristic was his connection with
-the horse and the race-course. These were placed under his
-special protection, for which reason the only temple he had in
-Rome stood in the Circus Flaminius.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The representation of Poseidon, or Neptune, in art harmonises
-tolerably well with the descriptions of the poets. He is accordingly
-represented as similar to his brother Zeus in size and figure, with
-broad deep chest, dark wavy hair, and piercing eyes.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Artists intimated the greater violence of his nature by giving him
-more angularity of face, and a more bristling and disordered head of
-hair than Zeus. The expression of his countenance is more grave
-and severe, and the kindly smile that plays around the mouth of
-Zeus is altogether wanting.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Ancient statues of Poseidon are comparatively rare. The Vatican
-Museum possesses a fine bust, and also a marble statue of the god.
-He is generally distinguished by the trident in his right hand; sometimes
-in its place we find a tiller. A band similar to a diadem
-denotes his dominion over the sea. Our engraving of the god is
-after a beautiful gem of the Dolce collection (Fig. 35).</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. Amphitrite.</b>—After Poseidon had attained an almost
-exclusive veneration as god of the sea, Amphitrite, one of the
-Nereids, was given him to wife. According to the usual account,
-he carried her away from Naxos. Others say that she fled to
-Atlas to avoid the rude wooing of the god, but Poseidon’s
-dolphin found her and fetched her back. She had three children
-by Poseidon—Triton, Rhode, and Benthesicyme.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In plastic art, Amphitrite is generally depicted as a slim and
-beautiful young woman, either nude or half clothed, riding in the
-chariot of Poseidon at his side, or by herself. On gems she also
-appears enthroned on the back of a mighty Triton, or riding a seahorse
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>or dolphin. Her hair generally falls loosely about her shoulders.
-She is distinguished by the royal insignia of the diadem and sceptre,
-at times she also wields the trident of her husband.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The worship of Amphitrite was entirely unknown to the
-Romans, who recognised the sea-goddess Salacia as the wife of
-Neptune.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>3. Triton and the Tritons.</b>—Triton was the only son of
-Poseidon and Amphitrite; he never appears, however, to have
-enjoyed divine honours. This perhaps explains how it came to
-pass that he was subsequently degraded to the level of a fabulous
-sea-monster. The poet Apollonius Rhodius describes him as
-having a body, the upper parts of which were those of a man,
-while the lower parts were those of a dolphin. Such too is his
-appearance in works of art. Poets and artists soon revelled in
-the conception of a whole race of similar Tritons, who were
-regarded as a wanton, mischievous tribe, like the Satyrs on
-land.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The Tritons, as sea-deities of fantastic form, are of little importance
-in higher art, though they were all the more frequently employed
-in fountains and water-works. The fore-legs of a horse were sometimes
-added to the human body and dolphin’s tail, thus giving rise
-to the figure termed the Ichthyocentaur.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>4. Pontus and his Descendants.</b>—We have already
-spoken of Pontus and his race in our account of the Theogony.
-Here we can only mention those of his children who either
-enjoyed divine honours, or are of importance in art. The eldest
-among them was Nereus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>1. Nereus and his Daughters.</em>—Nereus presents to us the
-calm and pleasant side of the sea. He appears as a kindly,
-benevolent old man, the good spirit of the Ægean sea, where he
-dwells with his fifty lovely daughters, the Nereids, ever ready
-to assist the storm-beaten sailor in the hour of need. Like all
-water-spirits, Nereus possessed the gift of prophecy, though he
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>did not always choose to make use of it. Heracles sought him
-on his way to the garden of the Hesperides, in order to learn
-how he might get possession of the golden apples. In spite of
-his urgent entreaties, Nereus endeavoured to elude him by
-assuming every kind of shape, though he was at length vanquished
-by the persistence of the hero, who would not let him
-go until he had obtained the necessary information.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>By his wife Doris, the daughter of Oceanus, he became the
-father of fifty, or, according to some, of a hundred daughters,
-who were all venerated as kindly, beneficent sea-nymphs. They
-are a charming, lovely tribe, who win the hearts of the sailors—now
-by their merry sports and dances, now by their timely
-assistance in the hour of danger. This joyous band generally
-forms the train of Poseidon and Amphitrite. Besides Amphitrite,
-the chosen bride of Poseidon, we find among them Thetis, the
-beautiful mother of Achilles, so celebrated in ancient poetry,
-who usually figures as their leader. Her beauty and grace
-were so great that Zeus himself became her lover. He surrendered
-her, however, to Peleus, son of Æacus, because an
-oracle had declared that the son of Thetis should become greater
-than his father.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art Nereus generally appears as an old man with thin grey
-locks. He is commonly distinguished by a sceptre, or even a trident.
-The Nereids were depicted as graceful maidens, in earlier times
-slightly clothed, but later entirely nude, riding on dolphins, Tritons,
-or other fabulous monsters of the deep.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto.</em>—Whilst Nereus and his daughters
-represent the sea in its peaceful aspect, Thaumas, the
-second son of Pontus, represents it as the world of wonders.
-By Electra, a daughter of Oceanus, he became the father of Iris,
-the messenger of the gods, and also of the Harpies. The latter
-personify the storm-winds. Originally fair maidens, they were
-afterwards represented as winged creatures, half man and half
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>bird; they had the faces of maidens, but their bodies were
-covered with vultures’ feathers; they were pale and emaciated
-in appearance, and were continually tormented with an insatiable
-hunger. They are best known from the story of the Argonauts,
-where they appear as the tormentor of the blind king Phineus,
-whose table they continually robbed of its viands, which they
-either devoured or spoiled. They were regarded by the ancients
-as the ministers of sudden death, and were said to be either two
-or three in number. Phorcys and Ceto, the brother and sister
-of Thaumas, present to us the sea under its terrible aspect. This
-pair, from whose union sprang the Gorgons, the Grææ, and the
-dragon of the Hesperides, typify all the terrors and dangers of
-the deep. We shall have more to say concerning the Gorgons
-and Grææ in the story of Perseus.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>5. Proteus.</b>—Proteus is a deity of inferior rank. He is
-represented as an old man (the servant of Poseidon) endowed
-with the gift of prophecy. He plays the same part in the story
-of Troy as Nereus does in that of Heracles. His usual abode
-was the island of Pharos. It was thither that Menelaus turned
-after he had been driven to the coast of Egypt, on his return
-from Troy, to seek the advice of the “unerring old man of the
-sea.” But Proteus, being in no amiable mood, sought to elude
-the importunity of the hero by converting himself into a lion, a
-dragon, a panther, a wild boar, and many other forms. At
-length, however, he was vanquished by the persistence of Menelaus,
-and vouchsafed an answer. He was supposed to be the
-keeper of the fish who inhabit the depths of the sea, and of the
-other marine animals.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In works of art he generally appears like a Triton, i.e., with body
-ending in a fish’s tail. He is usually distinguished by a crook.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>6. Glaucus.</b>—Among the inferior sea-deities, Glaucus deserves
-mention as playing a part in the story of the Argonauts.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>He was really only a local god of the Anthedonians in Bœotia,
-and his worship was not extended to other places in Greece.
-But though he had no splendid temples, he stood in very high
-estimation among the lower classes of sailors and fishermen;
-indeed we find universally that the common people, in all their
-cares, turned rather to the inferior deities, whom they supposed
-to stand closer to them, than to the higher and more important
-gods. According to the story, Glaucus was originally a fisherman
-of Anthedon, who attained in a wonderful manner the rank of a
-god. One day, after having caught some fish, he laid them half
-dead on the turf close by. He was astonished to see, however, that
-on coming in contact with a certain herb, which was unknown
-to him, they were restored to life and sprang back into the sea.
-He himself now ate of this wonderful herb, and immediately
-felt himself penetrated by so wondrous a sensation of bliss and
-animation that, in his excitement, he too sprang into the sea.
-Oceanus and Thetis hereupon cleansed him from all his human
-impurities, and gave him a place among the sea-gods. He was
-venerated on many of the islands and coasts of Greece as a
-friendly deity, ever ready to assist the shipwrecked sailor or the
-castaway.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art he is represented as a Triton, rough and shaggy in appearance,
-his body covered with mussels or sea-weed. His hair and beard
-show that luxuriance which characterises sea-gods.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>7. Ino Leucothea, and Melicertes.</b>—Like Glaucus, Ino,
-the daughter of Cadmus, attained at once immortality and divine
-rank by a leap into the sea. She was a sister of Semele, the
-mother of Dionysus, and the wife of Athamas, king of Orchomenus.
-It was she who, after the unhappy death of Semele,
-took charge of the infant Dionysus. Hera, however, avenged
-herself by driving Athamas mad, whereupon he dashed Learchus,
-his eldest son by Ino, against a rock. He was about to inflict
-the same fate on Melicertes, his second son, when in frantic
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>haste the unhappy mother sought to save her child by flight.
-Athamas, however, pursued her as far as the Isthmus, when Ino,
-seeing no hope of escape, cast herself from the rock Moluris
-into the sea. Here she was kindly received by the Nereids, who
-converted both her and her son into sea-deities. She henceforth
-bore the name of Leucothea, and her son that of Palæmon.
-They were both regarded as benevolent deities of the stormy
-sea, who came to the assistance of those who were shipwrecked
-or in other peril. They appear in this guise in the <cite>Odyssey</cite>, where
-Odysseus, who saw only certain death before him, is represented
-as having been saved by a scarf thrown to him by Leucothea.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>8. The Sirens.</b>—The Sirens must also be reckoned among
-the sea-deities. They are best known from the story how
-Odysseus succeeded in passing them with his companions
-without being seduced by their song. He had the prudence to
-stop the ears of his companions with wax, and to have himself
-bound to the mast. The Sirens were regarded as the daughters
-either of the river-god Achelous by one of the nymphs, or of
-Phorcys and Ceto. Only two Sirens are mentioned in Homer,
-but three or four were recognised in later times and introduced
-into various legends, such as that of the Argonauts, or the
-Sicilian story of the rape of Persephone. Demeter is said to
-have changed their bodies into those of birds, because they
-refused to go to the help of their companion, Persephone, when
-she was carried off by the god of the lower world.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art they are represented, like the Harpies, as young women with
-the wings and feet of birds. Sometimes they appear altogether like
-birds, only with human faces; at other times with the arms and
-bodies of women, in which case they generally hold instruments of
-music in their hands. As their songs were death to those who were
-seduced by them, they are often depicted on tombs as spirits of death.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>9. The Race of Oceanus.</b>—Lastly, we must enumerate
-among the water-deities the numerous descendants of Oceanus,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>viz., the Oceanids, and also the rivers that are spread over the
-earth. The latter were believed to have their common source
-in the ocean encircling the earth, and thence to flow beneath the
-ground until they reached the surface in springs.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Oceanus himself appears in the myths which treat of the
-genealogy of the gods as the eldest son of Uranus and Gæa, and
-therefore, like his wife Tethys, a Titan. As he did not take
-part in the rebellion of the other Titans against the dominion of
-Zeus, he did not share their dreadful fate, but was allowed to
-remain in undisturbed enjoyment of his ancient domain. He
-was supposed to dwell on the most western shores of the earth,
-which he never left even to attend the assemblies of the gods.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>On account of their great importance to the fertility of the
-soil, the river-gods enjoyed a great reputation among the Greeks,
-although their worship was entirely of a local nature. Only
-Achelous, the greatest of all the Greek rivers, appears to have
-enjoyed general veneration. The river-gods were believed to
-dwell either in the depths of the rivers themselves, or in rocky
-grottoes near their sources. They were depicted either as delicate
-youths, or as men in their prime, or as old men, according
-to the magnitude of the river. They all possess a conformity
-with the nature of their element, viz., that power of
-transformation which we discover in the other sea-deities.
-They also appear, like other water-spirits, to possess the gift
-of prophecy.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Among the Romans all flowing waters were held sacred.
-Fontus, the son of Janus, was especially esteemed as the god of
-springs and fountains in general; but, as among the Greeks,
-each river had its special deity. The most important of these
-was Tiberinus. The springs were popularly supposed to be
-inhabited by nymphs gifted with the powers of prophecy and
-magic, who sometimes honoured mortals with their favours, as
-Egeria did King Numa.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>In art the river-gods were commonly represented in the guise of
-those animals whose forms they were most in the habit of assuming.
-They thus appear as serpents, bulls, or even as men with bulls’ heads.
-They were also portrayed, however, in purely human guise, with the
-exception of having small horns on either side of the head. Their
-attributes consist of urns and horns of plenty, symbols of the blessings
-that proceed from them.</p>
-
-<h3 class='c019'>III.—THE GODS OF THE EARTH AND LOWER WORLD.</h3>
-
-<p class='c017'>We now come to a class of deities who stand in the most
-decided contrast to the gods of the heaven and the sea, whom
-we have previously described. It consists of those deities whose
-power is incessantly exerted either on the surface or in the
-depths of the earth, and who are accordingly brought into the
-closest connection with the life of man. The worship of these
-deities assumed among the Greeks a passionate and excited
-character, at first entirely strange to the Romans, though it
-gradually crept in here also.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Though the ancients saw in the earth, on the one hand, the
-fruitful source of all life in nature, they did not seek to disguise
-the fact that it is, on the other hand, also the open sepulchre
-into which all earthly existence sinks when its time is over.
-The worship of these deities was therefore celebrated with festivals
-of joy and mirth at the season of the revival of nature, and
-with mournful solemnities at the season of its decay. The
-devotees manifested both their mirth and mourning in a loud,
-noisy, passionate manner, usually designated orgiastic. An
-element of mystery never failed to introduce itself into the
-worship of these deities, who, in virtue of their dwellings, were
-able to inspire a greater feeling of awe than the bright forms of
-the gods of heaven. Their wrath also, which manifested itself
-in the sterility of the soil, was the subject of especial fear.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>Mysteries proper, or secret rites, existed only among the Greeks,
-but never found their way into the religious systems of Italy.
-We shall enumerate first the deities of the upper world, who
-preside over the growth of flocks and the fruits of the earth, and
-then those who inhabit the lower world.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. Gæa (Tellus).</b>—First among them is Gæa, or Mother
-Earth herself. This deity appears in the Cosmogony (or myths
-relating to the formation of the universe) as one of the primeval
-creative forces, having herself proceeded immediately from
-Chaos. In later times she acquired a more personal and plastic
-character, although she never attained any real importance in
-the religious system of the Greeks, owing to the existence of
-more definite and substantial deities, such as Rhea, Hestia,
-Demeter, and Themis. The worship of Tellus in Rome was
-more important, although here, too, it was somewhat thrown
-into the shade by the worship of Ceres and kindred deities.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The chief significance of Gæa lies in the fact that she is the
-source of all life and increase in nature. She is hence regarded
-as a mother who tends with loving care all her children. Under
-this aspect her praises are sung by Hesiod, and also in an ancient
-Dodonaic hymn. Like Demeter and other deities who dispense
-prosperity and abundance, she appears as tending and nourishing
-the young, and is often represented thus on ancient monuments.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>At the same time Gæa is the common grave of mankind, and
-draws all things, with inexorable severity, down into her dark
-womb. She thus becomes a goddess of death and the lower
-world, and was on this account invoked, together with the
-Manes, as a witness of all solemn compacts and oaths.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>A very ancient shrine of this goddess existed at Delphi, and
-the oracle there had once, said the Delphians, belonged to
-her.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In Rome, where she was also venerated as a goddess of marriage,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>her temple stood on the site of the house of Spurius
-Cassius. Festive offerings were made to her before and after
-seed-time. On the occasion of the Paganalia, she and Ceres
-were propitiated by the sacrifice of a pregnant sow, which was
-supposed to promote the prosperity of the coming year.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. Rhea Cybele (Magna Mater Idæa).</b>—Rhea is well
-known as the daughter of Uranus and Gæa, and the wife of
-Cronus, by whom she became the mother of Zeus and the other
-Cronidæ. She seems to have enjoyed only a limited measure of
-divine honours, until she was identified with the Phrygian
-goddess Cybele, who, like the Egyptian Isis, was an Asiatic
-symbol of fertility. She was worshipped throughout Lydia and
-Phrygia under the appellation of the “Mighty Mother.” Thence
-her worship, which was of a peculiarly noisy character, made its
-way through the Greek colonies into Greece itself, and towards
-the end of the second Punic war was, at the instance of the
-Sibylline books, introduced into Rome. Attalus, king of
-Pergamus, was on this occasion good enough to present the
-Romans with a sacred stone, which was regarded by the inhabitants
-of Pessinus as the great mother herself. After its
-arrival at Ostia, this stone was carried to Rome amid a solemn
-procession of Roman matrons. The day of its arrival (10th
-April) was ever afterwards kept as a festival, at which games
-were celebrated under the superintendence of the prætor. The
-worship of Cybele, however, never seems to have become
-naturalised in Rome, perhaps because Romans were not allowed
-to officiate as her priests.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The true home of the worship of Cybele was the district of
-Pessinus, a rough and rocky mountain land. It was here that
-she made her noisy processions, seated in a chariot drawn by
-lions or panthers, amid the boisterous music of her weird
-attendants, the Corybantes and Curetes. The myths that relate
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>to the goddess bear a wild, fantastic character, similar to that of
-her rites. The best known among them is the story of her
-favourite, Attis, or Atys. He was a Phrygian youth of a beauty
-so exceptional that the great mother of the gods chose him for
-her husband. At first he returned her affection, but afterwards
-he proved faithless, and was about to marry a daughter of the
-king of Pessinus. But the vengeance of the angry goddess
-overtook him, for when the wedding guests were assembled at
-the festive banquet the goddess appeared in their midst, and
-filled those present with panic fear, and troubled their minds.
-Atys fled to the mountains, where he slew himself in a fit of
-frenzy. Afterwards, the goddess instituted a great mourning in
-memory of him, which took place about the time of the vernal
-equinox. The priests of the goddess marched, amid the loud
-noise of kettle-drums and fifes, to the mountains, in order to
-search for the lost youth; and when at length he, or an image
-representing him, was found, the priests, in an ecstasy of joy,
-danced about in wild excitement, gashing themselves with
-knives.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Representations of Rhea Cybele are rare. A statue representing
-her seated on a throne is shown in the Vatican. Her usual attribute
-is a kettle-drum.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>3. Dionysus, or Bacchus (Liber).</b>—Dionysus, or Bacchus,
-was regarded by Greeks and Romans alike as the god of wine
-and vineyards. In his more extended meaning he represents
-the blessings of the autumn. It is he who causes the fruits to
-ripen for the use of man; it is likewise he who dispenses to mankind
-all the advantages of civilisation and refinement, and of
-well-ordered political affairs.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Thebes was described as the birthplace of the god. His
-mother was Semele, the daughter of Cadmus, whom Zeus, the
-great god of heaven, honoured with his love. This very love,
-however, proved fatal to Semele, for the ever-jealous Hera came
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>to her in the guise of her nurse, Beroë, and succeeded in exciting
-her suspicions as to the truth of her lover’s divinity. She
-insidiously persuaded Semele to make her lover swear to do
-what she desired, and then to put him to the test. Semele did
-so, and then besought Zeus to appear to her in the full majesty
-of his divine form. In vain did Zeus adjure her to take back
-her foolish request; she insisted on its fulfilment, and perished
-miserably, being burnt to ashes by the flame of Zeus, who
-approached her in a flash of lightning. Her unborn child was
-preserved by Zeus, who ordered Hermes to carry it to the
-nymphs of Nysa to be brought up. A later legend makes Ino, the
-sister of Semele, the foster-mother of Dionysus. The locality of
-this Nysa is somewhat uncertain, but it is generally supposed to
-be a district of Mount Pangæus in Thrace.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Dionysus, after growing up amid the solitude of the forest and
-strengthening himself by his contests with its wild beasts, at
-length planted the vine. Both the god and his attendants soon
-became intoxicated with its juice; after which, crowned with
-wreaths of laurel and ivy, and accompanied by a crowd of
-nymphs, satyrs, and fauns, he ranged the woods, which resounded
-with the loud and joyful cries of his inspired worshippers. The
-legend says that his education was then completed by Silenus,
-the son of Pan. In company with his preceptor and the rest of
-his train, he then set forth to spread his worship and the cultivation
-of the vine among the nations of the earth. He did not
-confine himself to mere vine-planting, however, but proved a
-real benefactor of mankind by founding cities, and by introducing
-more civilised manners and a more pleasant and sociable
-mode of life among men. On such as refused his favours his
-wrath fell with dreadful effect. Agave, the mother of the Theban
-king Pentheus, who had refused to receive him, and the rest of
-the Theban women, were driven mad by him; and in their frenzy
-they mistook the king for a wild boar and tore him to pieces.</p>
-
-<div id='f_36' class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>
-<img src='images/f_36.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 36.—Dionysus and Lion. From the Monument of Lysicrates.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The most celebrated among the myths which testify to the
-wondrous power of Dionysus is the story of the punishment of
-the Tyrrhenian pirates. On the occasion of his passage from
-Icaria to Naxos, these pirates put Dionysus in chains, purposing
-to take him to Italy, and there sell him as a slave. At a nod
-from the youthful god the chains fell from his limbs; he
-appeared as a lion, while a bear was seen at the other end of the
-ship. Vines and ivy tendrils wound themselves round the mast
-and sails of the ship, which stood still, whilst the strains of the
-nymphs burst forth. The sailors, terrified by the transformation
-of the god, leaped overboard, and were changed into dolphins.
-A fine representation, in relief, of this scene still exists on the
-monument of Lysicrates, at Athens. The most beautiful feature
-in it is the figure of the god playing with his lion in the most
-joyous unconsciousness (Fig. 36). With the name of Naxos,
-which was a chief seat of his worship, is connected the celebrated
-story of his marriage with Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, king
-of Crete. The Attic hero, Theseus, after escaping the dangers of
-the Labyrinth by her means, had taken her away with him from
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>Crete in order to marry her. He deserted her, however, whilst
-asleep on the island of Naxos, either of his own accord or
-because warned of the god in a dream. The indescribable
-anguish and consternation of Ariadne, on awaking to find herself
-alone and deserted on a foreign strand, was only equalled by her
-joyous surprise when Bacchus, returning from his travels in
-India, found her and made her his bride. The poets, indeed,
-do not relate that Zeus then bestowed on her that immortality
-which he had already given his son on account of his glorious
-achievements and extraordinary merit toward mankind; but
-such appears to have been the popular tradition. At Athens a
-sort of harvest thanksgiving was celebrated in honour of both
-Dionysus and his bride, at which vines with the grapes on them
-were borne in solemn procession through the streets of the
-city.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The worship of Dionysus extended not only over the whole
-of Greece, but also to Italy, Asia Minor, Thrace, and Macedonia,
-and to every place where the vine was cultivated by the Greeks.
-The god was extolled as Lyæus, the deliverer from care, and
-great festivals were instituted in his honour, which were of a
-disorderly character, but very popular among the common
-people. At the time of the winter solstice there was mourning,
-because at this season the vine seemed to die away, and the god
-was believed to be suffering persecution at the hands of the evil
-spirits of winter, and obliged to flee in consequence to the sea or
-lower world. It was, therefore, thought right to suffer with
-him, and people manifested their grief at his disappearance by
-every kind of wild gesture. At the winter festivals of Dionysus,
-which were celebrated every other year, only women and girls
-took part. The festivals of the god at the beginning of spring,
-when the new wine was tasted for the first time, were purely
-festivals of gladness, like the greater Dionysia at Athens. On
-these occasions the reawakening of nature was celebrated with
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>boundless joy and boisterous mirth. All kinds of jokes and
-mischievous pranks were indulged in, and festive processions
-and theatrical performances followed each other in quick succession.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The following festivals were celebrated at Athens in honour
-of Dionysus:—</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>1. The <em>Lesser</em> or <em>Rural Dionysia</em>. This was the vintage festival
-proper, which did not take place in Attica till the end of
-November or beginning of December, because they liked to let
-the grapes hang as long as possible. A he-goat was first
-solemnly sacrificed to the god; this was followed by a festive
-procession bearing the sacred things, and the festival concluded
-with all kinds of country amusements, dancing, masquerading, and
-revelling. The chief amusement of the young men was dancing
-on the leather bag. Out of the skin of the slaughtered goat was
-made a leather bag, which was inflated and smeared with oil:
-the young men then attempted to dance on it.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>2. The <em>Lenæa</em>, or feast of the wine-press, was celebrated in
-the month of January at Athens, in the place where, according
-to an old tradition, the first wine-press had stood. Here stood
-the Lenæon, one of the two chief temples of the god. The chief
-feature of the festival was a magnificent procession with the
-sacred symbols of the god. This was followed by a great
-banquet, the viands for which were furnished by the city of
-Athens. The new wine which was drunk on these occasions did
-not tend to diminish the hilarity of the worshippers, so that all
-kinds of mischievous jokes were perpetrated.</p>
-
-<div id='f_37' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_37.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 37.—The so-called Sardanapalus in the Vatican.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>3. The <em>Anthesteria</em> were celebrated in February, on the 11th,
-12th, and 13th days of the month Anthesterion. They were
-supposed to commemorate the return of Dionysus from the lower
-world, or, in other words, the reawakening of nature from the
-sleep of winter. The first day was called <span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">πιθοιγία</span> (cask-opening),
-because on this day the new wine was first broached. The
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>second and chief day of the festival was called <span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">χόες</span> (cups). A
-procession and a great banquet took place, at which the guests
-were crowned with flowers. Many liberties were permitted to
-the slaves on this occasion, as at the Roman Saturnalia. The
-third day was called <span lang="grc" xml:lang="grc">χύτροι</span>
-(pots), because vessels were
-displayed filled with all
-kinds of boiled vegetables.
-These were regarded in the
-light of offerings for the
-souls of the dead, who were
-popularly supposed to revisit
-the upper world on
-this occasion.</p>
-
-<div id='f_38' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_38.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 38.—Youthful Dionysus. From the Chateau Richelieu, now in the Louvre.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>4. The <em>Greater</em> or <em>City
-Dionysia</em> formed the chief
-festival of the god, and the
-proper spring-feast of the
-Athenians. It was celebrated
-with extraordinary
-splendour in the month of
-March, and lasted several
-days, bringing together a
-vast concourse of strangers
-from all parts. The city,
-renowned alike for the refined
-artistic taste and the
-keen wit of its inhabitants,
-then donned its holiday
-garb, and innumerable merry
-antics were played by the
-crowds assembled in the
-streets and squares. The
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>chief feature of the festival was a solemn procession, in which
-an old wooden statue of the god was borne through the streets.
-There were likewise banquets and comic processions in masks,
-and grand representations of new comedies and tragedies. The
-proceedings concluded with
-the presentation of prizes to
-the successful competitors.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Italian nationalities
-likewise celebrated a festival
-on the 17th of March,
-called the Liberalia, in
-honour of Liber, or Liber
-Pater, the Italian god of the
-vine. It was distinguished
-throughout by the simple
-countrified character of the
-proceedings, and resembled
-the Lesser Dionysia of the
-inhabitants of Attica. People
-amused themselves with all
-kinds of jokes and antics,
-and with masquerades, the
-masks for which were cut
-from the bark of trees. The
-chief object of the festival
-was to pray for the fertility
-of the vines. These innocent
-festivals had nothing to do
-with the voluptuous Bacchanalia
-which were afterwards introduced into Rome in imitation
-of the Greek mysteries, and which the most rigorous interference
-of the authorities was unable to suppress.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>If we try to conceive briefly the significance of the worship of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>Dionysus in the religion of the ancients, we shall find that in his
-primitive character the god was a personification of the active,
-productive power of nature. As Demeter was supposed to give
-corn and the other fruits of the field, so Dionysus was supposed
-to give the fruits of trees, and especially of the vine. He was
-likewise regarded as the author of the blessings of civilisation, so
-that, on this point, he supplements the idea of the great culture-goddess
-Demeter, with whom, both among the Greeks and
-Romans, he had many temples and festivals in common. Looking
-at his character from another side, we find him coming into contact
-with Apollo, since he was supposed not only to endow men
-with a kindly, cheerful disposition, but also to inspire them with
-a love of music, on which account he was honoured with Apollo
-as the friend and leader of the Muses.</p>
-
-<div id='f_39' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_39.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 39.—Marble Head of Youthful Dionysus at Leyden.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Artistic representations of Dionysus have come down to us on
-numerous monuments. In earlier art he was generally depicted as
-majestic and grave, and on that account represented with a beard.
-We have given an instance of this earlier conception in the so-called
-Sardanapalus of the Vatican (Fig. 37). In later art he became more
-youthful, and was characterised by a
-delicate roundness of form. The statues
-of this period are distinguished by the
-almost feminine expression of face with
-which they endow the god, as well as by
-the rounded limbs and the graceful ease
-of every attitude. The statue of a youthful
-Dionysus in the Louvre at Paris is
-an instance of this later mode of conception
-(Fig. 38). So likewise is the
-head of Dionysus at Leyden, which is
-distinguished by a sweet expression of
-reverie. His soft hair, which falls about
-his shoulders in delicate ringlets, is
-generally intertwined with a garland of
-vine leaves or ivy (Fig. 39). The other
-attributes of the god are the thyrsus, or
-Bacchic wand, the diadem, the skin of
-a wild beast falling across his chest,
-which often forms his sole clothing, and
-the drinking-cup in his hand. He is
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>generally accompanied by lions, tigers, or panthers; and the bull
-and ram, as the symbols of fertility, were held sacred to him,
-while the latter was also his usual sacrifice. Among plants,
-besides the vine and the ivy, the laurel was held sacred to him on
-account of its powers of inspiration.</p>
-
-<div id='f_40' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_40.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 40.—Sleeping Ariadne. Vatican.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<div id='f_41' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>
-<img src='images/f_41.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 41.—Dannecker’s Ariadne. Frankfort-on-the-Main.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Of all the prominent personages in the stories of Dionysus, Ariadne
-has received most attention at the hands of the sculptor. The most
-celebrated of such ancient monuments is a marble figure of great
-beauty, larger than life, representing the sleeping Ariadne. It is now
-preserved in the Vatican Museum at Rome (Fig. 40). Among the
-productions of modern sculptors, the Ariadne of Dannecker, at
-Frankfort-on-the-Main, which represents her as the bride of Theseus,
-riding on a panther, justly enjoys a very high reputation (Fig. 41).</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>4. The Nymphs.</b>—We now come to a class of inferior
-terrestrial divinities who are often found in the train of Bacchus.
-The most numerous and important of these are the Nymphs.
-They personify the restless activity and energy of nature, over the
-whole of which their power extends. They manifest their presence
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>in the murmuring, rippling streams and brooks, as well as in the
-sprouting vegetation of wood and meadow. They are tender,
-graceful maidens, who, though kindly disposed towards men,
-yet avoid human habitations, and prefer the peaceful solitude of
-the woods and mountains, where they lead a merry, joyous life
-among the clefts and grottoes.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Sometimes they devote themselves to useful pursuits, and spin
-and weave; sometimes they engage in graceful dances, and sing
-merry songs, or bathe their delicate limbs in the white spray of
-lonely brooks. They gladly join the train of those superior
-deities supposed to preside in the realms of nature. Thus we
-see them joining in the Bacchic revelry with Dionysus, or
-figuring in the train of Aphrodite, or ranging field and wood as
-they hunt in the company of Artemis.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>According to the divisions of nature, over which the Nymphs
-were supposed to preside, we may distinguish the following
-classes:—</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>1. The <em>Water-Nymphs</em>, to whom, in their wider signification,
-the Oceanids and Nereids also belong. Here, however, we have
-only to deal with the water-nymphs of the brooks and fountains
-of the land, who are distinguished by the name of <em>Naiads</em>. As
-the kindly nourishers of plants, and as thereby ministering
-indirectly to the sustenance of both man and beast, they enjoyed
-a large measure of veneration among the ancients, although,
-being inferior deities, they could claim no temples of their own.
-Like the sea-nymphs, they possessed the gift of prophecy, and
-appear as the patrons of poetry and song.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Nymphs of the Mountains</em>, or <em>Oreads</em>, to whom belong the
-nymphs of the valleys and glens (Napææ). These were very
-numerous, and received special names from the particular
-mountains or districts they inhabited. The most celebrated
-among them was the Bœotian nymph Echo. She was consumed
-by love for the beautiful youth Narcissus, a son of the river-god
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>Cephisus, and finding that he did not reciprocate her affection,
-she pined away in ever-increasing grief, until at length her
-emaciated frame was changed into rock, and nothing but her
-voice remained. But Aphrodite avenged this injury to her sex
-on Narcissus, who had in his vain self-love thus contemned the
-beautiful nymph. As he was hunting one day on Mount
-Helicon, he bent down to quench his thirst from a spring clear
-as crystal, and the goddess caused him to fall in love with his
-own shadow, which was reflected in the water. The object of
-his desires being unattainable, he too pined away from grief, and
-the flower named after him has ever since continued an emblem
-of heartless beauty.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>3. The <em>Dryads</em>, or <em>Hamadryads</em> (wood-nymphs). These
-appear to have been a conception of later times. It was supposed
-that their existence depended on that of the trees they
-inhabited, so that when the latter were destroyed the nymphs
-also perished. Not sharing immortality, therefore, they cannot
-properly be reckoned among the gods.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The veneration of nymphs was very ancient in Greece, and
-was thence transferred to Rome. Goats, lambs, milk, and oil
-were offered to them.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art they are depicted as lovely maidens, generally only slightly
-clad, and adorned with flowers and garlands. The Naiads are also
-represented as drawing water, or with attributes relating to their
-element.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>5. The Satyrs.</b>—In contrast to the Nymphs, or female personifications
-of the life of Nature, we find a number of inferior
-wood and water-deities of the male sex, called Satyrs, Sileni, and
-Panes, between whom it is difficult to distinguish clearly.
-Generally by Satyrs (Fauni) we understand the wood and
-mountain-spirits proper, who are inseparably connected with
-Dionysus, whose attendant train they form. Coarse sensuality
-and a wanton spirit of mischief are the leading features of their
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>character. On account of their animal propensities they were
-fabled to be only half human in appearance, with blunt noses
-and otherwise ignoble features, bristling hair, goat-like ears, and a
-goat’s tail. Like the Muses, they love music and dancing, their
-instruments being the Syrinx and the flute, together with
-cymbals and castanets. Like their master, they were passionately
-addicted to excessive indulgence in wine; but whereas in the
-former this produced only a rapturous enthusiasm and an
-exalted frame of mind, with them its effects were purely
-sensual, and excited them to
-insane and unseemly pranks
-of all kinds.</p>
-
-<div id='f_42' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_42.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 42.—Head of Satyr. Munich Sculpture Gallery.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The Satyrs were not an uncommon
-subject of representation
-among ancient artists.
-The conception was based on
-the original hideous half-man,
-half-animal type; and in art,
-as well as in poetry, the blunt
-nose, the pointed ears, and the
-goat’s tail form their characteristic
-features. The Bacchic
-insignia of a band round the
-brow and an ivy garland also
-belong to them. There are
-some particularly fine antique
-statues of satyrs in the art-collections
-of Munich and Rome.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The engraving (Fig. 42) shows the highly-expressive face of a
-satyr in the Munich collection.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>6. Silenus.</b>—Silenus, according to the common tradition, was
-an old satyr who tended and brought up Dionysus, and afterwards
-became the faithful companion of his wanderings. He is
-depicted by the poets as a somewhat elderly man, with blunt
-nose and bald head, hairy chest and thighs, and a stomach so
-large that he can scarcely walk. He generally appears riding on
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>an ass in front of the Bacchic company, with a satyr on either
-side supporting his half-drunken form.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The artists of antiquity seem to have devoted themselves frequently
-to the subject of Silenus. They either represented him as the nurse
-and preceptor of the youthful Bacchus, holding the child in his
-arms and regarding him with a look of affection, in which the comic
-element is entirely lacking, or they present him to us as the insatiable
-but good-natured wine-bibber. His standing attribute is the wine-skin,
-besides which, like other members of the Bacchic train, he
-bears a thyrsus and ivy garland.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Besides Silenus, who was celebrated as the preceptor of
-Dionysus, there was a whole tribe of Sileni. Whether this is
-due to the fact that the older satyrs were called Sileni, or
-whether they form a special class of deities presiding over
-the flowing, gushing water, cannot be determined with any
-certainty.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Among the Sileni were two personages who play a part in
-the story of Dionysus. These were Marsyas and Midas. The
-former, like all satyrs, was an accomplished master of the flute,
-and challenged Apollo to a trial of skill which proved fatal to
-him. The conditions of the contest were that he who was
-vanquished should put himself entirely in the power of his
-adversary. Apollo won, and made a cruel use of his victory by
-hanging Marsyas on a pine tree and flaying him alive.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Midas was the mythic founder of the kingdom of Phrygia,
-in Asia Minor, whither he had emigrated from Macedonia.
-Tradition makes him a son of Cybele, and, as her favourite,
-endowed with fabulous wealth. But, like many of the sons of
-men in the present day, the richer he grew the greater was his
-thirst for gold, until it betrayed him at length into an act of
-great folly. One day, the drunken Silenus strayed from the
-company of Bacchus into the garden of Midas. The latter
-received him with great hospitality, and after entertaining him
-sumptuously for ten days brought him to Bacchus. Pleased
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>with his kindness, the god rewarded him with the gratification
-of any wish he might make. Midas now wished that everything
-he touched might turn to gold. Naturally the gratification
-of this wish well-nigh proved his ruin; and he only escaped by
-washing, at the command of the god, in the river Pactolus,
-which has ever since washed down gold in its sands. A later
-fable makes Midas the judge in the rivalry of Apollo and Pan,
-on which occasion he decided in favour of the latter, for which
-the god changed his ears into those of an ass. Modern criticism
-has seen in the rich Midas one of the many personifications of
-the sun, who, as he rises over the earth, turns all things to gold.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>7. Greek and Roman Wood-Spirits.</b>—<em>1. Pan.</em>—Pan
-was a very ancient god of the woods and meadows. He
-was at first honoured only by the inhabitants of the mountain-land
-of Arcadia and by other pastoral tribes. Subsequently
-his divinity was more generally acknowledged and more
-highly esteemed. Common accounts make him the son of
-Hermes by the nymph Penelope, a daughter of Dryops. His
-mother was not a little terrified at his birth, since he was hairy
-all over, and had horns and goat’s feet. His father wrapped
-him in a hare-skin, and bore him to Olympus, where the
-assembled gods showed no small pleasure at the sight of the
-strange little wood-demon. From time immemorial Pan was
-regarded by the shepherds of Greece as their most doughty
-protector; for which reason the mountain caves in which they
-gathered their herds together at night, or in threatening weather,
-were held sacred to him. There were many such caves of Pan
-in the mountains of Arcadia, and also one at the foot of the
-Acropolis at Athens, besides others on Mount Parnassus in
-Bœotia, and elsewhere. Pan was esteemed a god of great cheerfulness
-and activity of character, who loved to range the woods
-as a huntsman, and was on this account regarded with little less
-veneration by huntsmen than by shepherds. He was also looked
-on as the patron of fishing and bee-keeping.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>As the god of shepherds, Pan was also a lover of music, and
-on returning in the evening from the chase, says the Homeric
-story, he was wont to play sweet tunes on his pan-pipe (Syrinx),
-whilst the Oreads, or mountain-nymphs, sang the praises of the
-gods and led off their spirited dances. The poets have founded
-a story on his discovery of the Syrinx. They invented a fabulous
-nymph called Syrinx, with whom Pan was supposed to
-have fallen violently in love. The nymph, however, did not
-return his affection, and fled from his embraces. Pan pursued
-her, and in her extremity she sought the aid of Gæa, who transformed
-her into a reed. Out of this reed Pan, by joining seven
-pieces together, made an instrument which he called the Syrinx,
-after the nymph.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Pan was as passionately fond of dancing as of music.
-According to Pindar, he was the most accomplished dancer
-among the gods. His favourite amusement was to dance in
-company with the mountain-nymphs, on which occasions he
-regaled them with every kind of droll leap, in the performance
-of which his goat’s feet stood him in good stead.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As a wood-deity, Pan also possessed the gift of prophecy;
-indeed, according to some, it was he who first imparted this gift
-to Apollo. He certainly had a very ancient oracle at Acacesium
-in Arcadia.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Wild mountainous country and the thick untrodden forest
-are both alike apt to impress the lonely traveller with feelings of
-awe. All such sensations of sudden and unaccountable fear
-were ascribed to Pan (Panic). He was also said to delight in
-terrifying travellers with all kinds of strange noises. Hence, at
-a later period, arose the story that in the contest with the
-Titans he rendered good service to Zeus by blowing on a shell
-trumpet which he had invented, whereupon the Titans were
-seized with a sudden terror. This, however, is only another
-version of Triton’s services at the battle with the giants. It is
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>well known that the Athenians introduced the worship of Pan,
-to which they had been hitherto strangers, into their city after
-the battle of Marathon, in consequence of the assistance which
-they believed they had received from the god.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Such are the more ancient and simple features of the character
-of Pan. He assumed a higher significance when men began to
-regard him as the companion of the “Mighty Mother,” and
-assigned him a place in the Bacchic circle. Men now saw in him
-a productive force of nature like the Phrygian Attis; indeed, in
-consequence of a misinterpretation of his name, he was made the
-creator and god of the universe. He seems to have originally
-signified the “purifying” breeze, which at one time whistled
-through the reeds, or at another moaned dismally in the forest,
-frightening the belated traveller.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>After he had once been introduced into the company of
-Dionysus, poets and artists alike set themselves to work to
-invent a number of Panes and little Pans (Panisci), who were
-easily confounded with the Satyrs and Sileni.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The chief shrine of Pan was at Acacesium in Arcadia. Cows,
-goats, and sheep were sacrificed to him, besides offerings of milk,
-honey, and new wine.</p>
-
-<div id='f_43' class='figleft id005'>
-<img src='images/f_43.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 43.—Pan. From a Mural Painting at Herculaneum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art we must distinguish
-the earlier and later types
-of the god. In the former,
-which dates from the best
-days of Greek art, he is
-conceived as entirely
-human in appearance, with
-the exception of two sprouting
-horns on either side of
-the forehead. Later, he
-was depicted with larger
-horns, a long
-goat’s beard,
-and goat’s feet.
-We give an engraving
-of this
-later conception (Fig. 43), which is taken from a mural painting at
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>Naples. The usual attributes of Pan are a Syrinx and shepherd’s
-crook, sometimes also a pine garland.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Silvanus.</em>—Among the Roman wood-deities, Silvanus occupies
-a position most akin to that of Pan, although they are
-not exactly identical. His name, derived from <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">silva</span></i> (wood),
-points him out as the god of the forest, where he was supposed
-to dwell, a deity kindly disposed towards mankind, and propitious
-to the welfare of trees, plants, and cattle. At times,
-however, he appears, like Pan, as a mischievous sprite, who
-delights to trick and terrify the lonely traveller. His sphere of
-activity was not confined to the woods, since he was also regarded
-as the author of fruitfulness in gardens and orchards. In this
-character Silvanus bears a close resemblance to Terminus, the
-god of boundaries and landed property, inasmuch as he preserves
-fields, gardens, and houses from harm. The first of the fruits
-of the field were offered to him. He had two shrines in Rome,
-one on the Viminal and another on the Aventine.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Artists and poets agree in representing Silvanus as an old man
-with a rustic head-gear, scattering blooming lilies and other flowers.
-He is usually distinguished by a pruning-knife.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. Faunus and Fauna.</em>—Closely resembling Silvanus is
-another deity called Faunus, one of the most ancient national
-gods of Italy. He appears as the good spirit of the mountains,
-pastures, and plains. He was regarded by the shepherds as
-their best protector, since he made their cattle fruitful and
-drove off noxious beasts of prey. In the former character he
-was also called Inuus (the fertiliser); in the latter Lupercus (the
-warder-off of wolves).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Like Pan, he appears to have his seat in the woods, whence
-he sometimes terrifies and annoys travellers. At night, too, he
-creeps into men’s houses, and torments them with evil dreams
-and horrible apparitions (Incubus).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>Like Pan, too, Faunus possessed the gift of prophecy, and
-answered both by direct revelations and by dreams. In this
-character he was called Fatuus, and had a celebrated oracle in
-the grove at Tibur, on the spring Albunea.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Having once invented a number of Fauns, the poets soon
-began to identify them with the Satyrs of the Greeks.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In honour of this decidedly national deity, different festivals
-were celebrated, at which rams were sacrificed and libations of
-wine and milk made. The Faunalia were celebrated on the
-Nones of December, on which occasion the guests at the festive
-board surrendered themselves to the most unrestrained mirth,
-and granted many liberties also to their slaves. The Lupercalia,
-however, formed the proper expiatory festival of Faunus. This
-festival was celebrated on the 15th of February, and was
-remarkable for the number of ancient customs which were
-observed. The chief of these was the course of the Luperci,
-or priests of Faunus, who, after making their offering, ran
-from the shrine of the god (Lupercal), on the Palatine, through
-the streets of Rome, their only clothing being an apron cut from
-the skin of the slaughtered animal. They struck all whom they
-met with thongs, also cut from the same blood-stained skin.
-Barren women placed themselves in the way of the Luperci,
-believing that by means of the strokes the reproach of barrenness
-would be taken away from them. As a day of atonement, this
-day was termed <em>dies februatus</em> (from <em>februare</em>, to purify), whence
-the name of the month.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The feminine counterpart of Faunus, though not his wife, was
-Fauna, a propitious, kindly goddess of the plains. She is also
-called Maia, or Bona Dea. The women made an offering to her
-every year at night, on which occasion males were strictly
-excluded.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art Faunus bears exactly the same appearance as Pan, with
-whom, indeed, he was often identified.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span><b>8. Priapus.</b>—The worship of Priapus, the god of fields and
-gardens, appears to have been long of a purely local character,
-confined principally to the districts on the Hellespont, since he
-is not even mentioned by earlier writers. He was the son of
-Dionysus and Aphrodite, and presided over the exuberant
-fertility of nature. He was supposed to exercise influence over
-the fruitfulness of flocks and herds, whilst fishing and the
-rearing of bees were also placed under his protection. His
-special sphere, however, was the protection of gardens and
-vineyards. Asses were sacrificed to him, a fact which gave rise
-to all sorts of comical stories relating to the hostility of Priapus
-to this animal. Besides this, he received the first fruits of the
-garden and field and drink-offerings of milk and honey. The
-worship of Priapus was introduced into Italy at the same time
-as that of Aphrodite, and he was identified with the native
-Mutunus.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>This deity was scarcely noticed in higher art. In the gardens of
-Italy, however, rough-hewn pillars of wood, similar to those of
-Hermes, were erected in his honour. He is usually distinguished by
-a pruning-knife and club.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>9. Saturnus and Ops.</b>—Before passing to Demeter, or
-Ceres, the great goddess of civilisation, to whom by Greeks and
-Romans alike the blessings of the harvest were ascribed, and
-who forms the best link between the gods of the upper and
-lower worlds, we must pause to consider some gods of agriculture
-and cattle-rearing peculiar to the Romans. Among
-them are Saturn and Ops, who belong to the most ancient
-national deities of Italy. To Saturn was ascribed the introduction
-of agriculture, together with the cultivation of the vine
-and other fruits. He was, therefore, venerated as the great
-benefactor of mankind, who not only promoted the physical
-welfare of men, but who also introduced a higher standard of
-civilisation. After the Romans had become acquainted with the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>mythology of the Greeks, they identified him with Cronus. In
-consequence of this, the story arose that, after his dethronement
-by Jupiter, Saturn fled to Italy, where he was hospitably
-received by Janus. There he is said to have brought together
-the inhabitants, who had hitherto wandered about without any
-fixed homes, and to have united them in regular political communities,
-over which he himself ruled. This was the golden
-age. In remembrance of the happy age when men were not yet
-troubled by sorrow or need, the Saturnalia were celebrated
-during three days, beginning from the 17th of December. This
-festival, which with changed meaning still continues in the
-Carnival of the present day, was celebrated in Rome with
-particularly great splendour. Unbounded festivity reigned
-throughout the whole town, and vented itself in every description
-of joke and prank. The distinctions of class were
-suspended, the courts and schools kept holiday, and the shops
-were closed. The chief day was the 19th of December, which
-was especially a festive day for the slaves, for on this day there
-were practically no slaves in Rome. No services were required
-of them, and they were allowed to don the clothes of their
-masters and to eat and drink as much as they liked, whilst their
-masters waited on them at table. And this custom allowed a
-class, otherwise subject to so many afflictions, to forget their
-sorrows for at least one day in a year. Wealthy Romans generally
-kept open house on this day, and vied with each other in the
-splendour of their hospitalities; and of course a solemn sacrifice
-was made to Saturn. The woollen bandages which, during the
-greater part of the year, enveloped the feet of his statue in order
-that he might not depart without vouchsafing a blessing, were
-on this day unloosed, and throughout the night the temple was
-illuminated with wax tapers. This festival, which was extremely
-popular among the Romans, was also celebrated with games in
-the circus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>The chief temple of Saturn, which was begun by Tarquinius
-Superbus and finished in the first years of the Republic, was
-situated on the ascent to the Capitol from the Forum. Beneath
-it was a vault containing the state treasury, or <em>ærarium</em>, the
-guardianship of the state treasures being committed to this god
-as the dispenser of every blessing.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Regarded as the wife of Saturn, and therefore identified with
-Rhea, Ops was the goddess of the seed-time and harvest. On
-this account her worship was closely connected with that of
-Saturn, and she had a place in his temple on the Capitoline.
-A festival was celebrated in honour of her on the 25th of
-August, when the newly-gathered corn was threshed.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>When taken together, Saturn and Ops were regarded as deities
-who presided over marriage and the education of children, it
-being an easy step from the deity of the sprouting, ripening seed,
-to that of the budding, thriving season of human life.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Saturn is always represented as an old man, and is generally distinguished
-by a pruning-knife or sickle.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>10. Vertumnus and Pomona.</b>—Vertumnus and Pomona
-much resemble Saturn and Ops, the only difference being that
-the former exert their influence solely on the growth and welfare
-of the fruits of the garden and orchard. Vertumnus properly
-signifies the self-changing one; referring, probably, to the manifold
-changes which the fruit undergoes from the time of its first
-appearance in blossom to that of its maturity. For the same
-reason the god was said to possess the faculty of assuming any
-shape he liked. The first of the flowers and fruits were offered
-to him. Pomona, as her name signifies, was the goddess of the
-fruit harvest, and called by the poets the wife of Vertumnus.
-Each deity had a special priest (flamen), though the latter
-naturally held only an inferior position.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art Vertumnus generally appears as a beautiful youth, his head
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>crowned with a garland of ears of corn or laurel, with a horn of
-plenty, as a symbol of the blessings he bestows, in his right hand.
-He is sometimes distinguished by a dish filled with fruit, or a
-pruning-knife. Pomona is generally represented as the season of
-Autumn, a beautiful maiden with boughs of fruit-trees in her hand.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>11. Flora.</b>—Among the inferior deities of the plain was
-Flora, the goddess of blossoms and flowers, who was held in
-great honour by the Sabines, and everywhere in the interior of
-Italy. Her worship is said to have been introduced into Rome
-by Numa, who assigned the goddess a priest of her own. She
-attained a higher significance by becoming a goddess of maternity,
-whom women invoked before their confinement. Her
-festival was celebrated with great rejoicings from the 28th of
-April to the 1st of May (Floralia). The doors of the houses
-were adorned with flowers, and wreaths were worn in the hair.
-After the first Punic war, the festival, which was remarkable
-throughout for its merry and tumultuous character, was also
-celebrated with games, hares and deer being hunted in the circus.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Artists appear to have represented Flora as the season of Spring, in
-the guise of a beautiful girl crowned with flowers. There is a fine
-marble statue of this kind, larger than life, in the museum at Naples,
-called the Farnese Flora.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>12. Pales.</b>—Pales was the ancient pastoral goddess of the
-Italian tribes, from whom the name Palatine, which originally
-meant nothing but a pastoral colony, was derived. She was
-especially venerated by the shepherds, who besought her to send
-fruitfulness and health to their flocks. A festival in her honour
-was celebrated on the 21st of April, the anniversary of the
-foundation of the city (Palilia), at which very ancient rustic
-customs were observed. The most remarkable of these was the
-kindling of a large straw fire, through which the shepherds
-rushed with their flocks, thinking thus to purify themselves
-from their sins. Milk and baked millet-cakes were offered to
-the goddess. There is no statue of her now in existence.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span><b>13. Terminus.</b>—Terminus, although he had nothing to do
-either with the welfare of the crops or the fruitfulness of the
-flocks, may yet be reckoned among the field deities, as the god
-who specially presided over boundaries. All landmarks were
-held sacred to him, and their erection was attended with
-religious ceremonies. In order that his people might fully
-appreciate the sanctity of boundaries, King Numa instituted a
-special festival in honour of the god, called the Terminalia, and
-annually celebrated on the 23rd of February. The proprietors
-of lands bordering on each other were wont on this occasion to
-crown the boundary stone with garlands, and to make an
-offering of a flat cake to the god.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In his wider signification Terminus was regarded as the god
-under whose protection the boundaries of the state reposed, and
-in this character he had a chapel in the temple of Minerva on
-the Capitol. A statue of the god also stood in the midst of the
-temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, which is explained by the following
-story:—After Tarquinius had conceived the plan of
-building the great temple of Jupiter on the Capitol, the limited
-space necessitated the removal of several existing shrines, which
-could only occur with the consent of the deities themselves. They
-all expressed by means of auguries their readiness to make way
-for the highest god of heaven, except Terminus, who refused, and
-whose shrine had therefore to be included in the temple of Jupiter.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Statues of Terminus are exactly like the Hermæ of the Greeks, and
-have no importance in art.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>14. Demeter (Ceres).</b>—Demeter was a daughter of Cronus
-and Rhea. Her name signifies Mother Earth, and she is, therefore,
-an expression of the ancient conception of the earth-goddess,
-with a special reference to nature and human civilisation. She
-was also named Deo, and by comparison of these two words,
-her name has been interpreted as Dawn-Mother, from the same
-root as Zeus, the sky. The thriving of the crops was ascribed to
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>her influence; she was further regarded as the patroness of all
-those arts which are more or less intimately connected with
-agriculture, and which men first learned from her. Demeter
-thus rises to the rank of a goddess of civilisation. She rescued
-men by means of agriculture from the lower grades of hunters
-and shepherds, and brought their former rude and barbarous
-manners into subjection to law and morality. She thus becomes
-that “bountiful daughter of Heaven,” who, as Schiller sings in
-his <cite>Lay of the Bell</cite>,</p>
-
-<div class='lg-container-b c021'>
- <div class='linegroup'>
- <div class='group'>
- <div class='line in28'>“of old</div>
- <div class='line'>Called the wild man from waste and wold,</div>
- <div class='line'>And, in his hut thy presence stealing,</div>
- <div class='line'>Roused each familiar household feeling;</div>
- <div class='line in2'>And, best of all the happy ties,</div>
- <div class='line'>The centre of the social band,—</div>
- <div class='line'>The instinct of the Fatherland.”</div>
- </div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c022'>Regarded in this light, she comes into contact with Dionysus,
-whose beneficial influence on human civilisation and manners
-we have already described. This accounts for the intimate connection
-of these two deities in the Eleusinian mysteries, where
-Dionysus-Iacchus even appears as the son of Demeter and the
-husband of Cora-Persephone. Owing to the important part she
-played in the institution of law and order among mankind, she
-was venerated as the goddess of marriage, marriage being the
-necessary foundation of civil society. She was also regarded as
-the tutelary goddess of national assemblies.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Of the numerous legends which are linked with the name of
-this goddess, none perhaps is more celebrated, or more pregnant
-with meaning in regard to her worship, than the rape of her
-daughter Persephone, or Cora. The latter was once playing
-with the daughters of Oceanus in a flowery meadow, where
-they were picking flowers and making garlands. Persephone
-happened to quit her companions for a moment to pluck a
-narcissus she had perceived, when suddenly the ground opened
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>at her feet, and Pluto, or Hades, the god of the infernal regions,
-appeared in a chariot drawn by snorting horses. Swift as the
-wind he seized and carried off the terrified maiden in spite of
-her struggles, and vanished again into the regions of darkness
-before her companions were aware of the catastrophe. All this
-occurred, however, with the knowledge of Zeus, who had, unknown
-to Demeter, promised her daughter to Pluto. When
-Demeter missed her darling child, and none could tell her where
-she had gone, she kindled torches, and during many days and
-nights wandered in anxiety through all the countries of the
-earth, not even resting for food or sleep. At length Helios,
-who sees and hears everything, told Demeter what had happened,
-not disguising, however, that it had occurred with the
-consent of Zeus. Full of wrath and grief, the goddess now
-withdrew from the society of the other gods into the deepest
-solitude. Meanwhile all the fruits of the earth ceased, and a
-general famine threatened to extinguish the human race. In
-vain Zeus sent one messenger after another, beseeching the angry
-goddess to return to Olympus. Demeter swore that she would
-neither return nor allow the fruits of the earth to grow until her
-daughter was restored to her. At length Zeus was fain to consent,
-and despatched Hermes to the lower world to bring Persephone
-back. Persephone joyfully prepared to obey this command, but
-as she was about to depart Hades gave her a pomegranate-seed
-to eat, whereupon she found herself bound to him and unable to
-return. By means of Zeus, however, a compact was made by
-which Persephone was to spend two-thirds of the year in the
-upper world with her mother, and the remaining portion with
-her husband. And thus every year at springtide she ascends
-from her subterraneous kingdom to enjoy herself in her mother’s
-company, but returns again late in autumn to the regions of
-darkness and death.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>It is not difficult to discover the meaning of this myth. It is
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>simply an allegorical representation of the spectacle that is
-annually renewed before our eyes—the dying away and coming
-to life again of the vegetable world. Whilst Cora is dwelling
-during the winter months in the realms of Hades, Nature
-appears to wear a garb of mourning for her lost daughter.
-In the Eleusinian mysteries this inevitable decease and resurrection
-of the vegetable world was conceived as a symbol
-of higher meaning, setting forth the immortality of the
-soul. Every living being shares the fate of Cora; every life
-becomes the prey of cold, inexorable death, only to arise
-from the darkness of the grave more beautiful and glorious
-than before.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Closely connected with this beautiful and expressive myth
-is another which refers to the institution of the Eleusinian
-mysteries. When Demeter, after the loss of her daughter, was
-wandering over the earth in the guise of a poor old woman, she
-came to Eleusis. The daughters of Celeüs, the king of the city,
-found her sitting on a stone by the Maidens’ Well as they came
-thither to draw water, and offered the old woman service in
-their father’s house as nurse to their youngest brother Demophon.
-The goddess consented, and was kindly received in the
-house of Celeüs, where she was at once installed as nurse to the
-young prince. She became so fond of the child that she
-resolved to make him immortal by anointing him with ambrosia,
-and then laying him at night in the glow of the fire. She was
-discovered at her work, however, by the mother of the child,
-whose cries disturbed her, and thus prevented her from fulfilling
-her benevolent intention. She now revealed herself to Celeüs,
-and commanded him to build her a temple in Eleusis. When
-it had been hastily completed, with the help of the goddess, she
-initiated Celeüs and some other princes of Eleusis—Triptolemus,
-Eumolpus, and Diocles—in the solemn rites of her service. On
-Triptolemus, who is called the son of Celeüs, she imposed the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>task of disseminating a knowledge of agriculture and of her own
-worship throughout the earth, and for this purpose lent him her
-own chariot and dragons. On this he travelled through the
-countries of the earth, making known everywhere the blessings
-of agriculture, and uniting men in regular political communities.
-He was not well received in all places, and the goddess had
-sometimes to step in and punish those who contemned her
-benefits. Such was the case with the Scythian king Lynceus
-and the Thessalian prince Erysichthon; but at length her cause
-triumphed, and the worship of the bountiful goddess spread
-itself over the whole world.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The chief seat of her worship was the city of Eleusis, which
-was beautifully situated on the bay of Salamis. It retained this
-honour even after it had lost its independence and come into
-the possession of the Athenians. The Eleusinian mysteries were
-celebrated both here and at Athens, in honour of Demeter and
-the deities associated with her. They probably contained a
-symbolical history of Cora.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>There was a distinction between the greater and lesser
-mysteries. The latter were celebrated at Athens in the month
-of Anthesterion (February), and were a kind of preparation for
-the greater mysteries, which took place in September, and were
-celebrated during nine days, partly at Athens and partly at
-Eleusis. In these secret rites only those could take part who
-had been initiated. The chief feature of the festival was a
-great and solemn procession on the sixth day from Athens to
-Eleusis, a distance of about twelve miles. All those who took
-part in it—often as many as 30,000—were crowned with myrtle,
-and bore torches in their hands, as the procession started from
-Athens at the earliest dawn.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The festival of the Thesmophoria, which was celebrated at
-the beginning of November, in honour of Demeter in her
-character of lawgiver and goddess of marriage, was less important than the Eleusinia. It lasted for five days, and only
-married women were allowed to take part in it.</p>
-
-<div id='f_44' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>
-<img src='images/f_44.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 44.—Demeter Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii. Naples.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>The Ceres of the Romans, though undoubtedly an ancient
-Italian goddess, was the very counterpart of the Greek Demeter,
-with whom, after the successful introduction of her worship
-during the first years of the Republic, she was entirely
-identified.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The chief festival of Ceres and her associate deities, Liber
-and Libera, fell on the 19th of April, which, as the proper
-spring month, was especially dedicated by the inhabitants of
-Italy to deities presiding over agriculture. The Cerealia were
-opened by a grand procession, in which every one was clothed
-in white. It was further celebrated with solemn sacrifices and
-games in the circus, the management of which lay with the
-plebeian ædiles.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The usual sacrifice, both among Greeks and Romans, was the
-sow (the symbol of fruitfulness), but, besides this, cows and the
-first fruits of the trees and hives were offered to her.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In the representations of the goddess an expression of lofty dignity
-is blended with condescending benevolence and gentleness. Her
-principal attributes are a torch, a sheaf of corn, a garland of ears of
-corn interwoven in her hair, and a basket filled with flowers at her
-side. Among the few antique statues, a large marble figure in the
-Capitoline Museum at Rome deserves especial mention. The engraving
-(Fig. 44), which is after a Pompeian painting, depicts Demeter as the
-bountiful goddess of agriculture. She is seated on a throne, and holds
-a torch consisting of two calices in her right hand, and a bunch of
-corn in her left.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>15. Persephone (Proserpina).</b>—In Persephone, the goddess
-of the lower world, whom the Athenians preferred to call
-by her mystic name of Cora, two distinct conceptions are
-embodied. On the one hand she appears as the wife of the
-dark god of the lower world—like him, a gloomy, awe-inspiring
-deity, who pitilessly drags down all that lives into the hidden
-depths of the earth; whence the grave is called the chamber of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>Persephone. Such is the view of her taken by Homer and later
-epic poets. These represent her as sitting enthroned at the side
-of her grim lord, the joyless queen of the infernal regions, to
-dwell in which were worse than to be a slave on earth. On the
-other hand she appears as Cora, the lovely daughter of the all-bountiful
-Mother Earth; a personification, in fact, of that
-never-dying force of nature which, year by year, causes the most
-luxuriant vegetation to spring up before our eyes, only, however,
-to die away again in the autumn. In a somewhat narrower
-sense Persephone may be regarded as a type of the grain, which
-long remains in the ground where it has been sown as though
-dead, but afterwards breaks forth into new life. It was only
-natural to associate with this last conception ideas of the immortality
-of the soul, of which, in the secret doctrines of the
-mysteries, Persephone was a symbol. Though we know but
-little concerning the details of the mysteries, we are yet aware
-that their chief object was to disseminate better and purer ideas
-of a future life than the popular faith of the Greeks afforded.
-It was commonly believed that the souls of men after death
-led a dull, miserable existence in the world of shadows. Those
-initiated in the mysteries, however, were taught that death was
-only a resurrection of the soul to a brighter and better life, on
-the condition, of course, that a man had fully pleased the gods
-and rendered himself worthy of such a happy lot.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Persephone, or Proserpina, as she is called in Latin, was a
-deity originally entirely strange to the Romans, who borrowed
-all their ideas of the lower world from the Greeks. Nevertheless,
-they identified her with Libera, an ancient rustic
-goddess of fertility, the feminine counterpart of Liber, under
-which name she signifies the same as the Greek Cora.
-Black, barren cows were sacrificed to Persephone as an infernal
-goddess, but she does not appear to have had any temples of
-her own.</p>
-
-<div id='f_45' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>
-<img src='images/f_45.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 45.—Persephone Enthroned. Painting from Pompeii. Naples.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Persephone is of no great importance in art, and statues of her are
-rare. She is represented either as the fair daughter of Demeter, or as
-the grave, severe queen of the world of shadows. In the latter
-character she may generally be recognised by her sceptre and diadem.
-Her other attributes are ears of corn, a poppy, and a torch, as a
-symbol of her connection with the Eleusinian mysteries, besides the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>pomegranate and narcissus. The engraving (Fig. 45), after a painting
-in the Naples Museum, represents her as the Stygian queen.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>16. Hades (Pluto).</b>—The same twofold nature which we
-meet with in Persephone may be observed also in her husband,
-Hades, or Aïdoneus (the invisible), as he is called by the epic
-poets, on account of the mysterious gloom in which his kingdom
-as well as his person was enveloped. He first appears as the
-unrelenting, inexorable foe of human life, on whom one cannot
-even think without fear and trembling. For this reason, says
-Homer, “he is of all the gods the most detested among mortals.”
-This conception, however, was subsequently supplanted by one
-of a less dismal nature, in which the other side of his character
-is brought into prominence. From this point of view he is
-represented not only as sending nourishment to plants from the
-deep bosom of the earth, but also as offering unbounded riches
-to mankind in the shape of the precious metals which lie in his
-subterraneous passages and chambers. In this sense he was also
-called Pluto, or Pluteus—that is, the god of riches.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Hades belonged to the earliest deities of Greece, being, like
-Poseidon, a brother of Zeus. When the three brothers partitioned
-the universe among themselves, Hades received the dark regions
-of the earth as his exclusive kingdom, the portals of which he
-was said to keep closed, in order that no soul might return to
-the upper world without his consent. He was also termed
-Polydectes (the receiver of many), from the fact of his seizing on
-all men, without distinction, at their appointed time, and conveying
-them to his dismal realms. The ideas which men first
-entertained, as to the mode in which Hades exercised his power
-over mortals, exactly corresponded with their grim conception of
-the god. He was looked on as a powerful and dreaded robber,
-who, as in the case of Persephone, seizes on his prey and carries
-it off with his swift horses. Later, a milder conception of the
-god was introduced. The task of carrying the souls of the dead
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>to the lower world was delegated to Hermes, who thus became a
-servant of Pluto, the Zeus of the infernal regions, just as he was
-otherwise a servant of the Zeus of heaven. But though the
-original dismal conception of this deity as the inexorable god of
-death was much diminished in course of time, yet Hades,
-nevertheless, always conveyed an idea of something grim and
-mysterious to the Greek mind; which is perhaps the reason
-why so few myths, beyond that of the rape of Proserpina, were
-circulated concerning him. He can, in fact, scarcely be said to
-have had a place in the public worship of the Greeks.</p>
-
-<div id='f_46' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_46.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 46.—Head of Hades. Palazzo Chigi. Rome.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Roman conception of this deity differed little from that of
-the Greeks, having been, in fact, borrowed entirely from a Greek
-source. By them he was called Pluto, or Pater Dis. He had
-no temple in Rome, but had, in
-common with Proserpina, a subterranean
-altar in the Campus
-Martius, which was uncovered
-and used once a-year. Only black
-animals were sacrificed to him.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Artists naturally hesitated to
-portray a being whose very name
-they feared to pronounce, and consequently
-antique statues of Hades
-are very rare. His characteristic
-features—a grim expression of
-countenance, tightly-closed lips,
-and long tangled hair—are embodied
-in a marble head, in the
-possession of Prince Chigi at Rome,
-of which we give an engraving
-(Fig. 46). His principal attributes
-are a sceptre, a votive bowl, and
-sometimes a two-pronged fork, or
-a key.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>17. The Lower World.</b>—To our consideration of Hades
-we must add some remarks on the ideas which the ancient
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>Greeks and Romans had of the other life and of the abodes of
-the dead. It may be well to remark, at the outset, that the
-Romans do not originally appear to have believed in a kingdom
-of the dead in the interior of the earth, and that all their ideas
-on this subject were borrowed from the writings of the Greeks.
-Neither do their ideas on this subject, nor even those of the
-Greeks, appear to have been invariably the same at all times.
-Even in the poetry of Homer we come across two very different
-views as to the situation of the realms of the dead. According
-to that which we find in the <cite>Iliad</cite>, it was situated beneath the
-disc-shaped earth, only a thin layer separating it from the upper
-world. This is made evident on the occasion of the great battle
-of the gods in the 20th book, where we read—</p>
-
-<div class='lg-container-b c021'>
- <div class='linegroup'>
- <div class='group'>
- <div class='line'>“Pluto, the infernal monarch, heard alarmed,</div>
- <div class='line'>And, springing from his throne, cried out in fear,</div>
- <div class='line'>Lest Neptune, breaking through the solid earth,</div>
- <div class='line'>To mortals and immortals should lay bare</div>
- <div class='line'>His dark and drear abode of gods abhorred.”</div>
- </div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c022'>According to another view which prevails in the <cite>Odyssey</cite>, the
-world of shadows was not situated beneath the earth, but lay far
-to the westward, on the other side of Oceanus, or on an island
-in the same; so indefinite and vague were men’s ideas as to the
-locality of the kingdom of death in the time of Homer, and so
-undeveloped were their conceptions as to the lives of departed
-souls. The lower world appears as a desolate, dismal region,
-where departed spirits lead a shadowy, dreamy existence, to
-reach which is no happiness. There is no difference in their lots;
-for we as yet hear nothing of the judgment of the dead. The
-Elysian fields, to which the special favourites of the gods were
-transferred, form no part of the lower world in Homer, but were
-supposed to lie in an entirely distinct region in the far West
-(the isles of the blest). Later on, the outlines of the lower
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>world become more clearly defined. It was now supposed to be
-a region in the centre of the earth, with several passages to and
-from the upper world. Through it flowed several rivers—Cocytus,
-Pyriphlegethon, Acheron, and Styx. The last of these
-encompassed the lower world several times, and could only be
-crossed by the aid of Charon, the ferryman, who was depicted
-as a sullen old man with a bristling beard. The Greeks therefore
-used to place an obolus (small copper coin) in the mouths
-of their dead, in order that the soul might not be turned back
-by Charon for lack of money. On the farther side of the river
-the portals were watched by the dreadful hell-hound Cerberus,
-a three-headed monster, who refused no one entrance, but
-allowed none to leave the house of Pluto. All souls, on reaching
-the lower world, had to appear before the tribunal of Minos,
-Rhadamanthus, and Æacus. Those whose lives had been upright
-were then permitted to enter Elysium, where they led a life of uninterrupted
-bliss; whilst those who on earth had been criminal and
-wicked were consigned to Tartarus, where they were tormented
-by the Furies and other evil spirits. Those whose lives had not
-been distinctly good or bad remained in the asphodel meadow,
-where as dim shadows they passed a dull, joyless existence.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The punishments of great criminals in the infernal regions were
-a fruitful theme for the imagination of the poets. The most
-celebrated criminals were Tityus, Tantalus, Sisyphus, Ixion, and
-the Danaids. We have said that the idea of the judgment of the
-dead is not found in the earliest legends. Hence we must
-expect to find, in some cases, that the crimes supposed to have
-drawn down the wrath of the gods were either later inventions,
-or had very little connection with the punishment inflicted.
-Thus to take the case of Tantalus, the original idea appears to
-have been the burning sun looking upon sweet fruits and
-streams of water, and drying them up instead of being able to
-enjoy them. It is possible that another part of the legend, the
-offering of his children for the gods of heaven to eat, may have
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>a similar origin. So the story of Sisyphus seems to point to
-the sun daily toiling up the steep hill of heaven, yet ever
-obliged to recommence his weary task. So the name Ixion
-seems to be derived from a word meaning wheel, and to be yet
-another allusion to the orb of day. As men began to forget the
-reality underlying these words, and to think that some real
-person suffered these woes, it was only natural that they should
-try to find a reason. Generally, perhaps always, some point in
-the story could be twisted into a crime deserving of punishment
-(compare the legend of Œdipus). The punishment of Tityus,
-who had offered violence to Leto, consisted in being chained to
-the earth, whilst two vultures continually gnawed at his ever-growing
-liver. Tantalus, the ancestor of the Atridæ, Agamemnon
-and Menelaus, had been deemed worthy to hold intercourse
-with the gods, until he thought fit to put their omniscience to
-the test by setting before them the flesh of his son Pelops.
-This crime he was condemned to expiate by the torments of continual
-hunger and thirst. Above his head were suspended the
-most beautiful fruits; but when he attempted to snatch them, a
-gust of wind blew them beyond his reach. At his feet flowed
-a stream of the purest water; but when he tried to quench his
-thirst, it suddenly vanished into the ground. Sisyphus, formerly
-king of Corinth, had provoked the wrath of the gods by his
-numerous crimes, and was condemned, in consequence, to roll a
-block of stone up a high mountain, which, on reaching the top,
-always rolled down again to the plain. Ixion, a not less insolent
-offender, was bound hand and foot to an ever-revolving wheel.
-Lastly, the Danaids, or daughters of Danaus, who, at their
-father’s command, had slain their husbands on the wedding
-night, were condemned to pour water continually into a cask
-full of holes, which could never be filled.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>18. The Erinyes (Furiæ).</b>—The Erinyes, or Furies, were
-denizens of the lower world, who executed the commands of
-Hades and Persephone. They were ultimately three in number,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>and their names were Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megæra; and this
-number, like that of the Graces, the Fates, and others, is due to
-the fact that the Greeks expressed any undefined number by the
-sacred numeral three. In their original signification they appear
-as the avengers of every violation, either on the part of gods or
-men, of the moral laws of the universe. When, at a later period,
-the idea of an avenging Nemesis had become more and more
-developed, the significance of the Erinyes diminished, and their
-avenging duties were confined to the family.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As the inexorable pursuers of every injury done to the sacred
-ties of blood—especially the murder of kindred—they received
-a much greater degree of attention at the hands of the Greek
-tragic poets, by whom they were frequently brought on the
-stage. The pictures thus drawn of the relentless activity of the
-Erinyes are both powerful and striking. Nothing can equal
-the keen scent with which they trace the crime, or the
-untiring speed with which they pursue the criminal. As a
-symbol of this latter quality, the poets have endowed them with
-brazen feet. Their appearance is wan and Gorgon-like; wild
-lust for blood is written in their features, and the serpents which
-twine round their heads in the place of hair deal out destruction
-and death on their unhappy victims. Flight avails them nought,
-for there is no region whither the avenging Furies cannot follow,
-no distance that they cannot compass. With torch swung on
-high they dog the steps of the unhappy wretch, like swift huntresses
-following in the track of their hard-pressed game, and
-never rest until they have driven him to madness and death.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>What, then, was the origin of the belief in these dreadful
-beings? Two explanations have been given, and in each case
-we shall see in them the powers of nature. Whether we are to
-look upon them as the storm-clouds darting lightnings upon the
-criminal, or as the bright dawn rising over the earth and pointing
-out his hiding-place, we must recognise the idea of the punishment
-of sin, inflicted by the powers of heaven. If, as seems
-most probable (<em>cf.</em> the genealogy given them by Æschylus and
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>Sophocles), we are to take the latter explanation, we shall have
-some reason for the names of “kindly” and “venerable,”
-applied to them by the Greeks, partly, no doubt, owing to the
-ancient custom of avoiding words of ill-omen. Yet poetical
-mythology treated this as a transformation of their nature, and
-associated it with a special event, namely, the institution of the
-Areopagus at Athens, and the purification of the matricide
-Orestes effected by this venerable court. The story relates that
-Orestes, after having slain his mother Clytæmnestra and her
-infamous paramour Ægisthus, in revenge for the murder of his
-father Agamemnon, wandered for a long time about the earth
-in a state bordering on madness, owing to the persecution of the
-Erinyes. At length, however, he was befriended by Apollo and
-Athene, the kindly deities of the luminous Æther. Apollo first
-purified him before his own altar at Delphi, and then defended
-him before the court of the Areopagus, which had been founded
-by Athene. Orestes was here acquitted, for Athene, when the
-votes for and against him were equal, declared that then and
-in all future time the criminal should have the benefit of the
-doubt. The Furies, indeed, were at first very wroth, and
-threatened the land with barrenness both of women and soil;
-but Athene succeeded in pacifying them, by promising that a
-shrine should be erected to them on the hill of the Areopagus.
-After they had taken possession of this sanctuary, they were
-thenceforth venerated by the Athenians, under the names of
-Semnæ (venerable), or Eumenides (benevolent), as propitious
-deities who, though they still continued to punish crimes, were
-ever ready to grant mercy to the repentant sinner, and to give
-succour to all good men.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>There were different traditions concerning the origin of the
-Erinyes. According to Hesiod, they owed their existence to the
-first execrable crime committed since the beginning of the
-world, for they were the daughters of Earth, and sprang from
-the drops of blood that fell from the mangled body of Uranus.
-They here appear, therefore, as an embodiment of the curses
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>which the angry father invoked on the head of his unnatural
-son. Sophocles, on the other hand, calls them the daughters of
-Gæa and Scotos (darkness of night). Æschylus simply terms
-them the daughters of the Night. Besides the shrine in Athens
-already mentioned, they had another near the city, a sacred
-grove in Colonus, which was celebrated as the last refuge of the
-unfortunate Œdipus. In Athens they had an annual festival,
-at which libations of milk and honey were made to them.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art the Erinyes are represented as swift huntresses, armed with
-spear, bow, and quiver. Torches, scourges, or snakes were also put in
-their hands. They were, moreover, provided with wings on their
-shoulders or head as a token of their swiftness.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>19. Hecate.</b>—Among the mystic deities of the lower world
-we must not omit to mention Hecate. By the Romans, indeed,
-she was never publicly venerated, though she was not exactly
-unknown to them. Common tradition made her a daughter of
-the Titan Perseus and Asteria. She ruled principally over the
-secret forces of Nature, which perhaps explains the spectral and
-awe-inspiring form which this goddess assumed. She was
-supposed to preside over all nocturnal horrors, and not only to
-haunt the tombs and cross-roads herself in company with the
-spirits of the dead, but also to send nightly phantoms from the
-lower world, such as the man-eating spectre Empusa, and other
-fabulous goblins.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>As her name seems to signify, Hecate (far-striking) was
-originally a moon-goddess, not like either Artemis or Selene, but
-representing the new moon in its invisible phase. The ancients
-not being able to account for the different phases of the moon,
-naturally came to the conclusion that, when invisible, it was
-tarrying in the lower world. The public worship of the goddess
-was not very extensive, but her importance in connection with
-the mysteries was all the greater. Men were wont to affix small
-pictures of her to houses and city gates, which were supposed to
-prevent any bad spells from affecting the town or house. On
-the last day of every month her image on the house doors was
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>crowned with garlands, and viands were set before it in her
-honour, which were afterwards eaten by the poor, and termed
-the meals of Hecate. Wooden images of the goddess with three
-faces were generally set up where three roads met, and here dogs
-were sacrificed to her as sin-offerings for the dead. This usually
-took place on the thirtieth day after death. As in the case of other
-infernal deities, black lambs were sacrificed to her, besides
-libations of milk and honey.</p>
-
-<div id='f_47' class='figleft id004'>
-<img src='images/f_47.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 47.—Three-formed Hecate. Capitoline Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Hecate was generally represented as three-formed (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">triformis</span></i>),
-which probably has some connection with the appearance of the
-full, half, and new moon. In
-order to explain more clearly the
-nature of such a representation,
-we give an engraving (Fig. 47)
-after a bronze statuette in the
-Capitoline Museum at Rome.
-The figure facing us holds in
-her hands a key and a rope,
-which point her out as the portress
-of the lower world; over
-her brow is a disc, representing,
-probably, the dark surface of
-the new moon. The figure on
-the right holds in either hand
-a torch, in virtue of her character
-as a mystic goddess, whilst on
-her brow is a half-moon and a
-lotus-flower. Lastly, the third
-figure bears, as a symbol of the
-full moon, a Phrygian cap with
-a radiant diadem fastened on it,
-which gives forth seven rays; in
-her right hand is a knife, in her
-left the tail of a serpent, of which
-no satisfactory interpretation has
-hitherto been discovered.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>20. Sleep and Death.</b>—Sleep and Death were conceived by
-the ancients as twin brothers. According to Hesiod, they were
-children of Night alone. They dwelt in the lower world, whence
-they visited the earth to steal over mortals; the former a kindly
-benevolent spirit, the latter grim and cruel. Apart from this
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>conception, which was especially developed by later poets and
-artists, Death was sometimes depicted as quite distinct from
-Sleep, and in a still less amiable guise. The different forms of
-violent death were personified as female deities of formidable
-aspect, called the Ceres; or Apollo and Artemis among the
-inhabitants of heaven, and Pluto and Persephone among those
-of the lower world, were represented, as the deities of death.
-The Romans had a personal god of death, whom they called
-Orcus; he was represented as an armed warrior dealing out
-mortal wounds among mankind. But none of these special gods
-of death had any great importance, either in religion or art.
-Artists, indeed, laboured sedulously to diminish the dreadful
-appearance of Thanatus (death), and to render him more and
-more like his brother Hypnus (sleep).</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Thanatus and Hypnus often appear in company, either sleeping
-or standing; the former usually bears a reversed torch, the latter
-a poppy-stalk or a horn, out of which he is pouring some liquid.
-They are both generally represented in the bloom of youth. In Fig.
-34, which is after a drawing of Asmus Carstens, they appear as the
-children of Night, and are here brought into immediate connection
-with the other powers, Nemesis and the Parcæ, who control the
-destinies of man.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Besides Sleep and Death, Hesiod also mentions Dreams as the
-children of Night. Other writers, however, call them the sons
-of Sleep, who dwell in the far West, close to the realms of
-Hades. This house of dreams has, in Homer’s well-known description,
-two gates—one of ivory, through which pass flattering,
-deceptive dreams, and one of horn, whence the true dreams
-proceed. Morpheus was made the special god of dreams by the
-poets, and termed the son of Hypnus.</p>
-
-<h3 class='c019'>IV.—ROMAN DEITIES OF THE HOUSE AND FAMILY.</h3>
-
-<p class='c017'>Before passing to the heroic legends, some remarks are necessary
-concerning the inferior deities, who played such an important
-part in the domestic worship of the Romans. We have already
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>incidentally remarked that the people of Italy generally passed
-by the greater gods of the heaven and earth in anxious awe.
-Their invocation and adoration was left to public worship,
-whilst, in their less important domestic concerns, men had
-recourse to certain inferior deities, whom they thought nearer to
-them; just as in the present day, in Italy, the common people
-prefer to communicate their prayers and wishes to their patron
-saints rather than to the Almighty himself.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. The Penates.</b>—The Penates were the kindly domestic
-deities of the Romans—the guardians of the household, who
-especially provided for its daily wants. Of their name, number,
-and sex nothing is known—not because the facts have been
-lost to us, but because the Romans themselves were content
-with this indefinite conception. Similar good spirits, exerting
-an active influence in the household, were recognised by popular
-German superstition, without experiencing any necessity of
-having distinct names for them. The shrine of the Penates consisted
-of the hearth, the central point of the house, which not
-only served for the preparation of meals, but was also especially
-dedicated to religious purposes. It stood in the “atrium,” the
-only large room in the Roman house, where the family met for
-meals and received visitors. On the hearth, a fire was continually
-kept burning in honour of Vesta and the Penates.
-Around it, after the introduction of images of the gods, were
-placed the statues of the Penates. These were generally small
-and puppet-like, and, among the poorer classes, were only
-roughly cut out of wood. There was no domestic occurrence,
-either of joy or mourning, in which the Penates did not take
-part. Like the Lares, of whom we shall speak presently, they
-participated in the daily meal, portions being set on certain
-plates for that purpose before the images. There were also
-State Penates, the ancients regarding the state as nothing but an
-extended family. The temple of Vesta was to the state what
-the hearth was to the household. Here was the seat of their
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>worship, and here it was that the Roman Pontifex Maximus
-brought those offerings which, in private households, were the
-part of the head of the family. In the innermost sanctuary of
-the temple of Vesta there were statues of these Penates, of great
-sanctity, since Æneas was reported to have brought them with
-him from Troy. We have no trustworthy information as to
-their number or appearance, for, with the exception of the
-Pontifex and the Vestal Virgins, none ever entered the holy
-place. It is scarcely necessary to add that they were believed to
-exercise an especial influence on the welfare and prosperity of
-the state and people of Rome.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. The Lares.</b>—The Lares, like the Penates, were the
-tutelary deities of the house and family, and on that account
-often confounded with them. They were commonly supposed
-to be the glorified spirits of ancestors, who, as guardian deities,
-strove to promote the welfare of the family. The seat of their
-worship was also the family hearth in the atrium, where their
-images of wood or wax were generally preserved in a separate
-shrine of their own (Lararium). The Lares received an especial
-degree of veneration on the first day of every month; but, like
-the Penates, they took part in all the domestic occurrences,
-whether of joy or sorrow. Like the Penates, they also received
-their share at every meal on particular dishes, and were crowned
-with garlands on the occasion of every family rejoicing. When
-a son assumed the <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">toga virilis</span></i> (came of age), he dedicated his
-<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">bulla</span></i><a id='r5' /><a href='#f5' class='c018'><sup>[5]</sup></a> to the Lares, amid prayers and libations and burning of
-incense. When the father of the house started on a journey or
-returned in safety, the Lares were again addressed, and their
-statues crowned with wreaths, flowers and garlands being their
-favourite offerings.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f5'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. A gold or silver ornament, like a medal, which was worn round the
-neck during childhood.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The same conception which pervades the domestic Lares may
-be perceived in a more extensive form in the Lares of the Gens, the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>city, and the state itself. The Lares do not appear, in fact, to
-have differed in many respects from the heroes worshipped by
-the Greeks. At all events, Romulus and Remus, the mythical
-founders of the city, were regarded as its Lares, and, in the time of
-Augustus, the genius of the emperor was associated with them.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>3. Larvæ, Lemures, and Manes.</b>—Just as the Lares
-were regarded as the good and happy spirits of ancestors, the
-souls of others were supposed to wander about in the guise of
-evil demons and spectres, giving rise to weird terrors, and
-casting bad spells on the senses of those whom they met. Such
-was especially believed to be the fate of those who had not
-received burial, or in whose case the prescribed ceremonies had
-been neglected, and who being, in consequence, unable to find
-rest, were doomed to flit about the earth. Such spirits were
-called Larvæ, or Lemures. The propitiatory festival of the
-Lemuria, or Lemuralia, which was said to have been instituted
-in memory of the murdered Remus, was celebrated annually in
-their honour on the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May. Every paterfamilias
-was supposed during these days to perform certain
-midnight ceremonies, and to repeat certain forms, which had the
-effect of banishing any evil spirits.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In contrast to the Lares and Larvæ, the souls of the dead
-were also commonly venerated as Manes, or good spirits.
-These were believed after burial to have been converted into
-beings of a higher order, who dwelt, indeed, in the interior of
-the earth, but exercised, notwithstanding, a considerable influence
-on the affairs of the upper world. It was possible to
-summon them from the lower world by means of sacrifices. A
-general festival of the dead took place in February, when the
-Manes were propitiated with offerings and libations. These
-offerings were placed on the tombs of the deceased, and, of
-course, varied extremely, according to the means of the donors.</p>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>
-<img src='images/i_161.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='chapter'>
- <h2 class='c005'>PART III.—THE HEROES.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<h3 class='c016'>I.—INTRODUCTORY.</h3>
-
-<div class='c017'>
- <img class='drop-capi' src='images/di_161.jpg' width='100' alt='' />
-</div><p class='drop-capi_8'>
-On passing to heroic mythology, a world still more rich in
-marvels than that with which we have already become acquainted
-presents itself to our view. The greater extent of this
-department of mythic lore is easily comprehensible, if we take
-into consideration the multitude of separate existences into
-which Greek life was split up, even from the earliest times.
-Each of the numberless countries, islands, cities, and towns
-endeavoured to trace back its peculiar institutions to mythical
-founders and ancestors; and as these were always described
-either as the sons or as the favourites of the gods, there accordingly
-sprang up, in course of time, a vast number of local
-heroic legends. These fabulous founders of states, however,
-were not the only heroes of Greek mythology. The attempt to
-pierce the clouds of obscurity which enveloped the early history
-of mankind, and the desire of a more enlightened age to bridge
-over the intervening gulf, and fill it with beings who should
-form a connecting link between the sublime forms of the great
-inhabitants of Olympus and the puny race of mortals, naturally
-gave rise to a whole series of heroic legends. These were partly
-the property of entire nationalities, or even of the whole Hellenic
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>race, and partly of a local or provincial character. Moreover,
-as the gods collectively were divided into gods proper and
-<span lang="la" xml:lang="la">dæmones</span>—that is to say, spirits resembling the gods, but inferior
-to them in wisdom and power, whose workings men saw in air
-and earth and sea—even so the race of mortals was divided into
-heroes and men, between whom a similar difference subsisted.
-The latter are, in their nature, not different from the former—both
-are alike mortal, and must at length fall a prey to inexorable
-death. But the heroes are endowed with a degree of
-physical strength and dexterity, courage and endurance under
-difficulties, such as never fall to the lot of ordinary men. It
-was not, however, by any means all who lived in this early
-mythical period who were accounted heroes; but, just as in
-Genesis vi. 2 a distinction is made between the “sons of God”
-and the “daughters of men,” so in the present instance the
-heroes were the mighty ones—the ruling spirits of the age—those
-whose marvellous exploits contributed to remove the
-obstacles to civilisation and culture, who delivered countries
-from cruel robbers and savage beasts, who drained marshes,
-made roads through untrodden forests, and regulated the course
-of rivers. By their actions they proved themselves men of no
-ordinary powers, endowed with divine strength, and, therefore,
-apparently of divine origin. It appeared, at least, that such
-beings must have had an origin different from that of ordinary
-men, who were made out of clay, or sprang from trees or stones.
-Some of these heroes may perhaps have had a real existence,
-having probably been the ancestors of the later dominant races,
-to whom a dim tradition reached. Others were undoubtedly a
-product of the imagination. To these may be added a third
-class, and this is by far the most numerous, including those who
-were originally personifications of various natural phenomena,
-and, as such, deified and venerated in local forms of worship, but
-who were later, in consequence of the birth of new political communities,
-expelled from their place in public worship, and only
-continued to exist in the popular faith in the inferior character
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>of heroes. Many such heroes were afterwards again promoted to
-the rank of gods, though with an altered meaning (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">e.g.</span></i>, Heracles).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Any real veneration of heroes by prayers and sacrifices can
-scarcely be said to have existed before the migration of the
-Heraclidæ—at least there is no mention of it in Homer. Even
-later, except in the case of those heroes who were raised to the
-rank of gods for their great deeds, and who were, therefore,
-worshipped in temples of their own, the worship of heroes is
-scarcely to be distinguished from that of the dead. Homer
-makes no distinction between the fate of heroes after death and
-that of ordinary mortals, all being doomed alike to the gloomy
-realms of Hades. As we have already observed, it was only
-certain special favourites, or sons of Zeus, who were excepted
-from this gloomy lot, and were transported in their bodily shape
-to the Isles of the Blest. Hesiod, on the other hand, says that
-all heroes—whom he, in the first instance, terms demigods—were
-transported to the Isles of the Blest, where Cronus ruled
-over them. Here, for the first time, the idea of a just retribution
-in the other world takes a definite shape; for Hesiod obviously
-conceives a residence in Elysium to be the reward of meritorious
-actions performed in the upper world. This idea was subsequently
-more fully developed, especially in the mysteries, and
-men were gradually elevated to a belief in the immortality of
-the soul. The spirits of the dead were believed, even after they
-were in their graves, to exert continually a mysterious influence;
-on which account men strove to gain their favour by means of
-offerings, thereby removing every real distinction between the
-worship of heroes and that of the dead.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Amid the multitude of legends of this kind, we shall only
-dwell upon those which occupy a prominent position either in
-poetry or in art. We shall begin with those which relate to
-the creation and early civilisation of mankind, after which we
-shall pass to the most celebrated provincial legends, and conclude
-with those that refer to the more important of the common
-undertakings of the later heroic age.</p>
-
-<div>
- <span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>
- <h3 class='c019'>II.—THE CREATION AND PRIMITIVE CONDITION OF MANKIND.</h3>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c017'>The legends concerning the origin of the human race differ
-very widely. The most ancient are undoubtedly those which
-describe men as springing from the trees or rocks. Another
-tradition asserts that the human race was of later growth, having
-been first called into existence by Zeus and the gods of Olympus.
-A third account makes the Titan Prometheus, the son of Iapetus,
-the creator of mankind, but leaves it uncertain whether this
-took place before or after the flood of Deucalion. Prometheus,
-according to this account, made men of clay and water, after
-which Athene breathed a soul into them. There were likewise
-various accounts concerning the primeval condition of mankind.
-According to one, the human race raised itself, with the assistance
-of the gods, from a state of helpless barbarism: this progress
-was the subject of numerous legends. Another account represents
-men as living originally in a holy and happy communion
-with the gods (the golden age), and asserts that they first became
-savage after having lost this good fortune by their presumption.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Of the myths that relate to the introduction of the first
-elements of civilisation among mankind by divine aid, there is
-none, except those already mentioned concerning Dionysus and
-Demeter, more celebrated than the story of Prometheus. The
-Titan Iapetus had, by Clymene, the daughter of Oceanus, four
-sons—the stout-hearted Atlas, the presumptuous Menœtius, the
-crafty Prometheus, and the foolish Epimetheus. With the name
-of Prometheus is linked the idea of the first commencement of
-civilisation among mankind by the introduction of fire. Prometheus
-is said to have stolen fire from heaven, and to have
-taught its use to man. By being employed for all the common
-purposes of daily life, however, this pure celestial element
-became polluted; whereupon Zeus visited the author of this
-sacrilege with a fearful punishment. He ordered Prometheus to
-be chained to a rock, where, during the day-time, an eagle
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>devoured his liver (the seat of all evil desires), which always
-grew again during the night.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>It is very difficult to see the origin of this series of legends,
-but the foundation seems to be the discovery of fire by man.
-At any rate, one word, closely resembling the name Prometheus,
-appears in India as the name of the stick used to produce fire by
-friction. If this be the case, we shall see in parts of the Greek
-legend instances of the ever-recurring principle, that when the
-real derivation of a word is lost, men try to give it an explanation
-by attaching it to the nearest word in the existing language
-(<em>cf.</em> the derivation of Pan mentioned p. <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>). When the notion
-of “forethought” had once been attached to his name, it would
-be natural to invent a complementary legend about his brother
-Epimetheus (afterthought).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The legend of Prometheus appears in its grandest form in
-Æschylus’ play, “Prometheus Bound.”</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The idea that, together with the introduction of civilisation,
-many evils which were before unknown to man came into
-existence, is expressed in the myth of Pandora. Zeus determined
-to leave mankind in possession of Prometheus’ gift; but
-he ordered Hephæstus to make an image of a beautiful woman,
-which the gods then endowed with life and adorned with all
-kinds of gifts, whence she was called Pandora. Aphrodite
-bestowed on her the seductive charms that kindle love, Athene
-instructed her in every art, Hermes endued her with a smooth
-tongue and a crafty disposition, whilst the Seasons and Graces
-adorned her with flowers and fine dresses. Zeus then sent
-her, under the guidance of Hermes, to the foolish Epimetheus,
-who, in spite of the warning of his brother not to accept any
-present from Zeus, received Pandora and made her his wife.
-There was in the house of Epimetheus a closed jar, which he had
-been forbidden to open, and which contained all kinds of
-diseases and ills. Pandora removed the cover and these escaped,
-and men who had before been free from disease and care have
-ever since been tormented. Pandora closed the jar in time to
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>keep in Hope. Thus both Greek legend and Biblical tradition
-alike represent woman as the first cause of evil and death.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The legend of the five ages of mankind transports us to quite
-another region of tradition. According to this, the gods first
-created a golden race of men, who lived free from care and
-sorrow, while the earth, of its own accord, furnished them with
-all that was necessary to support life. Subject neither to the
-infirmities of age nor to the pangs of sickness and disease, men
-at last sank peacefully, as into a sweet sleep, to death. In what
-manner the golden age disappeared is not related; we are only
-told that this race, notwithstanding its disappearance, still continues
-to exist in the upper world, in the shape of good spirits,
-who guard and protect mortals. After this, the gods created a
-second (silver) race of men, who were, however, far inferior to
-their predecessors, both in mind and body. They passed their
-time in idle and effeminate pursuits, and refused to pay the gods
-due honours. Zeus, in his wrath, thereupon blotted them out
-from the face of the earth, and created the third (brazen) race of
-mankind out of ash wood. This race proved headstrong and
-violent. They were of giant stature and great strength, and
-took pleasure in nothing but battle and strife. Their weapons,
-houses, and utensils were of bronze, iron not yet being known.
-Zeus was not compelled to destroy this evil race, since they
-destroyed themselves in their bloodthirsty strife. According to
-another account, they were destroyed by the flood of Deucalion.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Deucalion appears to have been a son of Prometheus, while
-his wife Pyrrha was the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora.
-Zeus having determined to destroy the corrupt race of the third
-or bronze age by a flood, Prometheus warned his son, who built
-himself an ark, into which he retired with his wife when the
-waters began to rise. Nine days and nights he was tossed on the
-waters; at length his vessel rested on Mount Parnassus in Bœotia.
-He disembarked, and immediately offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving
-to Zeus the preserver. Pleased at his gratitude, Zeus
-granted his prayer for the restoration of the human race; and Deucalion
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>and Pyrrha were commanded by Hermes to cast stones behind
-them, from which sprang a new race of men. Such is the
-legend in its most ancient form; later writers engrafted on it still
-farther incidents of Biblical tradition, until at last the Greek Noah
-was represented as having taken living animals with him into the
-ark, and as having let loose a dove after his landing on Parnassus.</p>
-
-<h3 class='c019'>III.—PROVINCIAL HEROIC LEGENDS.</h3>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. The Lapithæ and the Centaurs.</b>—We shall commence
-with the Thessalian legend of the Lapithæ and Centaurs,
-on account of its great antiquity and its importance in sculpture.
-We read in the Homeric poems how the hoary Nestor on one
-occasion boasts of having, in his younger days, taken part with
-his friends Pirithoüs and Cæneus, and the other princes of the
-Lapithæ, in their contest with the savage Centaurs. In Homer’s
-account the Centaurs are merely depicted as an old Thessalian
-mountain tribe of giant strength and savage ferocity, utterly
-unable to control their rude, sensual nature. Nor do we find
-here any mention of their being half horses and half men; they
-are merely said to have inhabited the mountain districts of Œta
-and Pelion, in Thessaly, and to have been driven thence by the
-Lapithæ into the higher mountain-lands of Pindus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Their contest with the Lapithæ is sometimes conceived as a
-symbol of the struggle of Greek civilisation with the still existing
-barbarism of the early Pelasgian period. This may be the reason
-why Greek art, when in its bloom, devoted itself so especially to
-this subject. The origin of this contest is referred to the marriage
-feast of Pirithoüs and Hippodamia, to which the principal
-Centaurs had been invited. On this occasion the Centaur
-Eurytion, heated with wine, attempted to carry off the bride; this
-gave rise to a contest which, after dreadful losses on both sides,
-ended in the complete defeat of the Centaurs. The Centaurs,
-however, since they were thus able to sit with the Lapithæ at
-meat, must have been endowed with purely human forms.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>Theseus and Nestor, the friends of Pirithoüs, both took part in
-the battle. Another prominent warrior was the gigantic Cæneus
-(Slayer), who had been rendered invulnerable by Poseidon, but
-whom the Centaurs slew on this occasion by burying him
-beneath a mass of trees and rocks.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>There is, however, also a natural explanation of the tales of
-these strange beings. The father of the Centaurs is Ixion, who,
-as we have already seen, may be interpreted to be the sun. The
-crime said to have been the cause of his punishment was his love
-for Hera (the goddess of the atmosphere). If we take these
-points, together with the legend that Ixion begat the Centaurs of
-Nephele, the cloud, we may be prepared to see in the horse-formed
-Centaurs a parallel to the cows of the sun, the bright clouds which
-pass over the sky. There is the more ground for this, as similar
-beings appear in Indian mythology, and their name has, with much
-probability, been identified with that of the Centaurs.</p>
-
-<div id='f_48' class='figleft id005'>
-<img src='images/f_48.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 48.—Metope of the Parthenon.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>As we have already mentioned, the Centaurs play an important
-part in art. The custom of depicting them half horse and half
-man came into
-vogue after the
-time of Pindar, and
-was quickly adopted
-in sculpture. In
-the representations
-of earlier art the
-face of a man is
-joined to the body
-and hind legs of a
-horse. But in its
-higher stage of development,
-after the
-time of Phidias, this
-was replaced by a
-more elegant conception,
-and the
-body of a man from
-the navel upwards
-was joined to the
-complete body of a horse, so that the Centaurs of this period have the
-four feet of a horse and the hands and arms of a man. Such is their
-appearance on numerous extant art monuments, of which we shall
-mention the most important.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>In the first place, there are the reliefs from the frieze of the
-Theseum at Athens. This temple, which is still in a good state of
-preservation, was converted during the middle ages into a chapel of
-St. George. It is supposed to have been built at the instance of
-Cimon, after he had brought back the bones of the Attic hero from
-Scyros. Besides other important pieces, which we shall mention
-hereafter, the temple has, on its western or hinder frieze, a representation
-of the contests of the Centaurs and Lapithæ at the wedding
-of Pirithoüs, done in Parian marble. It is executed in such a manner
-that it is impossible to discover which party will get the upper hand;
-and this has enabled the artist, whose name has not come down to us,
-to introduce a lively variety into the different scenes of the combat.</p>
-
-<div id='f_49' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_49.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 49.—From the Frieze of the Temple at Bassæ.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>We have another series of most splendid representations from the
-battle of the Centaurs, full of life and spirit, on some dilapidated
-metopes<a id='r6' /><a href='#f6' class='c018'><sup>[6]</sup></a> of the Parthenon at Athens. This splendid specimen of
-Doric architecture is 227 feet in length and 101 feet in breadth. It
-was ruined in 1687, during the war between the Venetians and
-Turks, by a shell which broke through the midst of the marble roof.
-A large part of the ninety-two metopes of the outer frieze contain a
-number of the most beautiful and life-like scenes from the battle
-of the Giants and that of the Centaurs. Of these metopes, thirty-nine
-still remain on the temple, though they are all in a terribly
-mutilated condition; seventeen are in the British Museum, and one
-in the Louvre at Paris. Those from the south side are comparatively
-in the best state of preservation; these are seventeen in number, the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>whole number on the south side having been thirty-two. They
-represent, exclusively, scenes from the battle of the Centaurs. Here
-a bearded Centaur is carrying off a woman, whom he holds in his
-powerful grasp; there, another is galloping away over the body of his
-fallen enemy; another is engaged in a fierce contest with a human
-foe; whilst a fourth lies slain on the field. The engraving we append
-may give a faint idea of the beauty and bold design of this splendid
-creation (Fig. 48). To these grand monuments of Greek art we must
-add the frieze of the temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassæ, near
-Phigalia in Arcadia, which was discovered in 1812, and is now in the
-British Museum. It represents, likewise, a series of the most vivid
-scenes from the battle of the Lapithæ and Centaurs. In the individual
-groups and scenes of the battle, which is here completed
-before our eyes, there is the same variety and animation, so that we
-must ascribe it to some great artist (Fig. 49).</p>
-
-<div class='footnote c023' id='f6'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. The squares between the triglyphs of the frieze which are intended to
-support the gable, every one of which is generally adorned with a separate
-sculpture in relief.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Besides these sculptures in relief, some splendid single statues of
-Centaurs have come down to us from antiquity. Among these, the
-first place must be assigned to the two Centaurs in the Capitoline
-Museum. They are executed in black marble, and were found in
-the villa of Hadrian at Tivoli, where so many ancient art treasures
-have been brought to light.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Among the Centaurs, Chiron, who was famous alike for his
-wisdom and his knowledge of medicine, deserves mention as the
-preceptor of many of the heroes of antiquity. So far superior
-was he to his savage kindred, both in education and manners,
-that he was commonly reported to have had a different origin,
-and was therefore described as a son of Cronus and Philyra,
-or Phyllira, one of the Oceanids. Homer, who knew nothing
-of the equine shape of the Centaurs, represents him as the most
-upright of the Centaurs, and makes him the friend of Peleus and
-the preceptor of the youthful Achilles, whom he instructed in
-the art of healing and gymnastic exercises. He was, moreover,
-related to both these heroes, his daughter Endeïs having been
-the mother of Peleus. Subsequently, other mythical heroes
-were added to the number of his pupils, such as Castor and
-Polydeuces, Theseus, Nestor, Meleager, and Diomedes. Music,
-too, was now represented as a subject of his instruction, though
-this is perhaps due to a misinterpretation of the name of his
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>mother. He inhabited a cave on Mount Pelion; later mythology,
-however, transferred his residence, after the Centaurs
-had been driven from Pelion by the Lapithæ, to the promontory
-of Malea. Here, by an unlucky accident, he was wounded
-with a poisoned arrow by his friend Heracles, and, the wound
-being incurable, he voluntarily chose to die in the place of
-Prometheus.</p>
-
-<div id='f_50' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_50.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 50.—Centaur teaching a Boy to play upon the Pipe. Relief by Kundmann.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>The idea of the connection of the Centaurs with the arts and
-sciences originated in the story of Chiron and Achilles, and has since
-furnished modern art with the subjects for some of its most valuable
-works. Fig. 50 represents a Centaur teaching a boy to play on
-the flute, and is after an <em>alto-relievo</em> of the Viennese sculptor
-Kundmann.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. Theban Legend.</b>—<em>1. Cadmus.</em>—Among Theban legends,
-none is more celebrated than the founding of Thebes by Cadmus.
-Cadmus was a son of the Phœnician king Agenor. After
-Zeus carried off his sister Europa to Crete (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> the <cite>Cretan
-Legends</cite>), he was despatched by his father in search of her.
-Accompanied by his mother Telephassa, he came to Thrace
-and thence to Delphi, where he was commanded by the oracle to
-relinquish his quest. It further ordered him to follow a young
-heifer with the mark of a crescent on either side, and to build a
-town on the place where the heifer should lie down. Cadmus
-obeyed, and, finding the heifer in Phocis, he followed her. She
-led him into Bœotia, and at length lay down on a rising ground.
-On this spot Cadmus founded a town, which he called Cadmea,
-after himself, though he had first to experience a perilous
-adventure. Before sacrificing the heifer, he sent some of his
-companions to fetch water from a neighbouring spring, where
-they were slain by a dragon belonging to Ares which guarded
-the spring. Cadmus then went himself, and slew the dragon,
-the teeth of which he sowed in the ground by the advice of
-Pallas. Hereupon armed men sprang from the ground; they
-immediately turned their arms against each other, and were all
-slain except five. Cadmus built his new town with the assistance
-of these men, who thus became the ancestors of the noble
-families of Thebes. In expiation of the dragon’s death, Cadmus
-was obliged to do service to Ares for eight years. At the end
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>of this period Ares pardoned Cadmus and gave him Harmonia—his
-daughter by Aphrodite—to wife. Harmonia became the
-mother of four daughters—Autonoë, Ino, Semele, and Agave.
-After reigning for a long time at Thebes, Cadmus was compelled
-in his old age to retire to the Enchelians in Illyria; but
-whether he was driven out by Amphion and Zethus (who
-appear in Homer as the founders of Thebes) or withdrew from
-some other cause is not manifest. He and his wife were afterwards
-changed into serpents, and transferred, by the command
-of Zeus, to the Elysian fields.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In this story we see another form of the combat of the hero
-with the monster, and can probably give it the same explanation.
-The dragon guards the waters, and the hero, by killing it, frees
-them. Do we not see in this the combat of the sun with the
-cloud; and in the armed men who turn their weapons against
-one another, the clouds that seem to fight with one another in the
-thunderstorm? Yet even admitting this interpretation, it may
-be that we have in the name of Cadmus an allusion to the
-civilisation and the arts received by the Greeks from the East.
-So, too, with the alphabet, the invention of which Hellenic
-tradition ascribed to him.</p>
-
-<div id='f_51' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_51.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 51.—Actæon Group. British Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Actæon.</em>—We have already incidentally mentioned the
-fortunes of three of the daughters of Cadmus—Ino, Semele, and
-Agave. The eldest, Autonoë, married Aristæus, the son of
-Apollo, and became by him the mother of Actæon. Actæon
-was handed over to Chiron to be reared as a stout hunter and
-warrior; but he had scarcely reached the prime of youth when
-he was overtaken by a lamentable fate. Whilst hunting one
-day on Mount Cithæron, he was changed by Artemis into a
-stag, and was torn in pieces by his own dogs. The cause of her
-anger was either that Actæon had boasted that he was a more
-skilful hunter than Artemis, or that he had surprised the virgin
-goddess bathing. The latter tradition ultimately prevailed, and,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>in later times, even the rock whence
-he beheld Artemis was pointed out on
-the road between Megara and Platæa.
-He received heroic honours in Bœotia,
-and his protection was invoked against
-the deadly power of the sun in the
-dog-days. The story of Actæon is
-probably nothing but a representation
-of the decay of verdant nature beneath
-an oppressive summer heat.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The story of
-Actæon’s transformation
-and death
-was a favourite
-subject for sculpture.
-A small
-marble group, representing
-Actæon
-beating off two
-dogs which are attacking
-him, was
-found in 1774, and
-is now preserved
-in the British
-Museum (Fig. 51).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. Amphion
-and Zethus.</em>—Besides
-the royal
-family of Cadmus,
-which was continued in Thebes after his departure by his
-son Polydorus, we come across the scions of another ruling
-family of Thebes which came from Hyria, or Hysia, in Bœotia,
-in the persons of Amphion and Zethus. Nycteus, king of
-Thebes, had a wonderfully beautiful daughter called Antiope,
-whose favours Zeus enjoyed on approaching her in the form of a
-Satyr. On becoming pregnant, she fled from the resentment of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>her father to Sicyon, where the king, Epopeus, received her and
-made her his wife. This enraged Nycteus, who made war on
-Epopeus in order to compel him to deliver up his daughter
-Antiope. He was obliged to retire without accomplishing his
-purpose, but, on his death, he entrusted the execution of his
-vengeance to his brother Lycus, who succeeded him. Lycus
-defeated and slew Epopeus, destroyed Sicyon, and took Antiope
-back with him as prisoner. On the way, at Eleutheræ on
-Cithæron, she gave birth to the twins Amphion and Zethus.
-These were immediately exposed, but were subsequently discovered
-and brought up by a compassionate shepherd. Antiope
-was not only kept prisoner in the house of Lycus, but had also
-to submit to the most harsh and humiliating treatment at the
-hands of his wife Dirce. At length she managed to escape, and
-by a wonderful chance discovered her two sons, who had grown,
-on lonely Cithæron, into sturdy youths. The story of her
-wrongs so enraged them that they resolved to wreak a cruel
-vengeance on Dirce. After having taken Thebes and slain
-Lycus, they bound Dirce to the horns of a wild bull, which
-dragged her about till she perished. According to another
-story, Dirce came to Cithæron to celebrate the festival of
-Bacchus. Here she found her runaway slave, whom she was
-about to punish by having her bound to the horns of a bull.
-Happily, however, Amphion and Zethus recognised their mother,
-and inflicted on the cruel Dirce the punishment she had destined
-for another. Her mangled remains they cast into the spring
-near Thebes which bears her name.</p>
-
-<div id='f_52' class='figcenter id001'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>
-<img src='images/f_52.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 52.—Farnese Bull. Naples.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>The punishment of Dirce forms the subject of numerous pieces of
-sculpture. The most important among them is the Farnese Bull
-(<em>Toro Farnese</em>) in the museum at Naples (Fig. 52). This world-renowned
-marble group is supposed, with the exception of certain
-parts which have been restored in modern times, to have been the
-work of the brothers Apollonius and Tauriscus, of Tralles in Caria,
-Apollonius and Tauriscus belonged to the Rhodian school, which
-flourished in the third century <span class='fss'>B.C.</span> This colossal group—undoubtedly
-the largest which has descended to us from antiquity—was
-first erected in Rhodes, but came, during the reign of Augustus, into
-the possession of Asinius Pollio, the great art-patron. It was discovered
-in 1547 in the Thermæ of Caracalla at Rome, and was set up
-in the Palazzo Farnese. It was thence transferred to Naples in 1786,
-as a portion of the Farnese inheritance. The following is a brief
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>explanation of the group, though, of course, the most complete
-account could give but an imperfect idea of its beauty. The scene
-is laid on the rocky heights of Cithæron. The position of the handsome
-youths on a rocky crag is as picturesque as it is dangerous, and
-serves not only to lend the group a pyramidal aspect pleasing to the
-eye, but also to set before us their marvellous strength. There are
-several tokens that the occurrence took place during a Bacchic festival:
-the wicker <i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">cista mystica</span></i> in use at the festivals of Dionysus—the
-fawn skin which Dirce wears—the ivy garland that has fallen at her
-feet—the broken thyrsus, and, lastly, the Bacchic insignia which
-distinguish the shepherd boy, who is sitting on the right watching
-the proceedings with painful interest—all point to this fact. The
-lyre which rests against the tree behind Amphion is a token of his
-well-known love of music. The female figure in the background is
-Antiope.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The story goes on to relate that the two brothers, after the
-expulsion and death of Lyons, acquired the sovereignty of
-Thebes, though Amphion always figures as the real king. The
-two brothers were widely different in disposition and character.
-Zethus appears to have been rude and harsh, and passionately
-fond of the chase. Amphion, on the other hand, is represented
-as a friend of the Muses, and devoted to music and poetry. He
-soon had an opportunity of proving his wondrous skill when
-they began to enclose Thebes, which had been before unprotected,
-with walls and towers; for whilst Zethus removed
-great blocks and piled them one on another by means of his
-vast strength, Amphion had but to touch the strings of his lyre
-and break forth into some sweet melody, and the mighty stones
-moved of their own accord and obediently fitted themselves
-together. This is why Amphion is always represented in sculpture
-with a lyre and Zethus with a club. We can scarcely
-doubt that these Theban Dioscuri, like the Castor and Polydeuces
-of Sparta, who are well known to be only symbols of the
-morning and evening star, were originally personifications of some
-natural phenomenon; though we are no longer in a position to
-say what it was.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>Amphion is further celebrated on account of the melancholy
-fate of his sons and daughters. He married Niobe, the daughter
-of the Phrygian king Tantalus, and sister of Pelops. Great was
-the happiness of this marriage; the gods seemed to shower down
-their blessings on the royal pair. Many blooming and lovely
-children grew up in their palace, the pride and delight of their
-happy parents. From this paradise of purest joy and happiness
-they were soon to pass into a night of the deepest mourning and
-most cruel affliction through the presumption of Niobe—the
-same presumption which had led her father Tantalus to trifle
-with the gods and consummate his own ruin. The heart of
-Niobe was lifted up with pride at the number of her children,<a id='r7' /><a href='#f7' class='c018'><sup>[7]</sup></a>
-and she ventured to prefer herself to Latona, who had only two;
-nay, she even went so far as to forbid the Thebans to offer sacrifice
-to Latona and her children, and to claim these honours
-herself. The vengeance of the offended deities, however, now
-overtook her, and all her children were laid low in one day before
-the unerring arrows of Apollo and his sister. The parents did not
-survive this deep affliction. Amphion slew himself, and Niobe,
-already paralysed with grief, was turned into stone by the pity
-of the gods, and transferred to her old Phrygian home on
-Mount Sipylus, though even the stone has not ceased to weep.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f7'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. The number of Niobe’s children varies materially. Homer (<cite>Il.</cite> xxiv.,
-602) gives her six sons and as many daughters. According to Hesiod and
-Pindar, she had ten sons and ten daughters; but the most common account,
-and that followed by the tragic poets, allows her fourteen children.
-Everywhere the number of sons and daughters appears to be equal. The
-story of Niobe was frequently treated of by the tragic poets, both Æschylus
-and Sophocles having written tragedies bearing her name.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>Such is the substance of this beautiful legend, though its
-details vary considerably in the accounts of the poets and
-mythologists. The most circumstantial and richly-coloured account
-of it is contained in the <cite>Metamorphoses</cite> of Ovid. The poets
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>have continually striven to impose a purely ethical interpretation
-on the story, by representing the destruction of the children of
-Niobe as the consequence of the great sin of their mother; but
-it is more probably a physical meaning which lies at the root
-of the legend. It is, in fact, a picture of the melting of
-the snow before the hot scorching rays of the sun. This
-incident the fertile imagination of the Greeks portrayed in
-the most beautiful metaphors. But just as a subject so purely
-tragic as the history of Niobe found its first true development
-in tragic poetry, so likewise it only attained its proper
-place in sculpture after art had laid aside its earlier and more
-simple epic character, and set itself to depict, in their full force,
-the inward passions of the soul. This tendency towards pathos
-and effect is characteristic of the age of Praxiteles and Scopas,
-and the later Attic school.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>To this age (4th century <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>) belonged the group of Niobe, which
-was so highly celebrated even among the ancients, and which was
-seen by Pliny in the temple of Apollo Sosianus at Rome, although
-people even then hesitated whether to ascribe it to Praxiteles or
-Scopas. None but one of these great masters could have been the
-author of this tragedy hewn in stone. Although the original figures
-of this magnificent group have disappeared, yet copies of most
-of them are still in existence. With regard to the celebrated
-Florentine Niobe group, the dissimilarity of its treatment and the
-various kinds of marble employed serve to show that it is not a
-Greek original, but a Roman imitation. It was found at Rome in
-1583, near the Lateran Church, and was purchased by Cardinal
-Medici to adorn his villa on the Monte Pincio. In 1775 it was
-brought to Florence, where it has remained since 1794 in the gallery
-of the Uffizi.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>There has never been but one opinion as to the beauty of this
-group. First among the figures—not only in size, but also in artistic
-perfection—is that of Niobe herself. The unhappy queen displays
-in her whole hearing so majestic and noble a demeanour, that, even
-if none of the other splendid results of Greek sculpture had come
-down to us, this alone would bear ample testimony to the high perfection
-and creative power of Greek art. The following description
-of the arrangement of the group is taken from Lübke’s <cite>History of
-Plastic Art</cite>:—</p>
-
-<div id='f_54' class='figleft id004'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>
-<img src='images/f_54.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 54.—Niobe. Florence.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>“Apollo and Artemis are to be supposed outside the group;
-they have accomplished their work of vengeance and destruction
-from an invisible position in the heavens. This is denoted by
-each movement of the flying figures, who either gaze upwards in
-affright towards the heavens, or seek to cover themselves with their
-garments. One of the sons is already stretched dead on the earth;
-another leans in mortal agony against a rock, fixing his eyes, already
-glazed in death, on the spot whence destruction has overtaken him.
-A third brother is striving in vain to protect with his robe his sister,
-who has fallen wounded at his feet, and to catch her in his arms;
-another has sunk on his knees, and clutches in agony at the wound
-in his back; whilst his preceptor is endeavouring to shield the
-youngest boy. All the others are fleeing instinctively to their
-mother, thinking, doubtless, that she who had so often afforded protection
-could save
-them also from the
-avenging arrows of
-the gods. Thus from
-either side the waves
-of this dreadful flight
-rush towards the centre,
-to break on the
-sublime figure of Niobe
-as upon a rock. She
-alone stands unshaken
-in all her sorrow,
-mother and queen to
-the last. Clasping her
-youngest daughter,
-whose tender years
-have not preserved
-her, in her arms, and
-bending over as though
-to shield the child, she
-turns her own proud
-head upwards, and,
-before her left hand
-can cover her sorrow-stricken
-face with her
-robe, she casts towards
-the avenging goddess
-a look in which bitter
-grief is blended with
-sublime dignity of soul
-(Fig. 54). In this look
-there is neither defiance
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>nor prayer for mercy, but a sorrowful and yet withal lofty
-expression of heroic resignation to inexorable fate that is worthy of a
-Niobe. This admirable figure, then, is pre-eminently the central
-point of the composition, since it expresses an atonement which, in a
-scene of horror and annihilation, stirs the heart to the deepest sympathy.”</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Zethus was not more fortunate than Amphion in his domestic
-affairs. He married Aëdon (nightingale), the daughter of Pandareos.
-Pandareos was the friend and companion of Tantalus,
-for whom he stole a living dog made of brass from the temple
-of Zeus in Crete, and was on that account turned into stone.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Aëdon was jealous of the good-fortune of Niobe in having so
-many beautiful children; she herself having only one son,
-Itylus. She resolved, one night, to slay the eldest son of Niobe,
-but she killed, in mistake, her own child instead. Zeus took
-compassion on her, and changed her into a nightingale. In this
-guise she still continues to bewail her loss in long-drawn mournful
-notes. Tradition says nothing as to the death of Zethus,
-although the common grave of the Theban Dioscuri was pointed
-out in Thebes. After his death, Laius, the son of Labdacus
-and grandson of Polydorus, restored in his person the race of
-Cadmus to the throne of Thebes. (See the legend of the Labdacidæ
-later on.)</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>3. Corinthian Legend.</b>—<em>1. Sisyphus.</em>—Corinth, or Ephyra,
-as it was formerly called, was said to have been founded by
-Sisyphus, the son of Æolus. Its inhabitants, on account of the
-position of their city between two seas, were naturally inclined
-to deify that element, and it is not improbable that Sisyphus was
-merely an ancient symbol of the restless, ever-rolling waves of
-the sea. This interpretation, however, is by no means certain;
-and the idea of Sisyphus in the lower world ever rolling a huge
-stone to the top of a mountain might equally well refer to the
-sun, which, after attaining its highest point in the heavens at
-the time of the summer solstice, glides back again, only to begin
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>its career anew on the shortest day. In any case, the rolling of
-the stone does not appear to have been originally a punishment.
-It was only later—after people had become familiar with the idea
-of retribution in the lower world—that it assumed this character.
-In order to account for it, a special crime had to be found for
-Sisyphus. According to some, he was punished at the instance
-of Zeus, because he had revealed to the river-god Asopus the
-hiding-place of his daughter Ægina, whom Zeus had secretly
-carried off from Phlius. According to another tradition, he used
-to attack travellers, and put them to death by crushing them
-with great stones. The Corinthians being crafty men of business,
-it was natural that they should accredit their mythical
-founder with a refined cunning. Of the numerous legends which
-existed concerning him, none was more celebrated than that of
-the cunning mode in which he succeeded in binding Death,
-whom Ares had to be despatched to release.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Glaucus.</em>—Tradition describes Glaucus as a son of Sisyphus
-by Merope. He also appears to have had a symbolic meaning,
-and was once identical with Poseidon, though he was afterwards
-degraded from the rank of a god to that of a hero. He is
-remarkable for his unfortunate end. On the occasion of some
-funeral games, celebrated in Iolcus in honour of Pelias, he took
-part in the chariot race, and was torn in pieces by his own
-horses, which had taken fright.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. Bellerophon and the Legend of the Amazons.</em>—The third
-national hero of Corinth was Bellerophon, or Bellerophontes.
-Here the reference to the sun is so obvious, that the signification
-of the myth is unmistakeable. He was termed the son of Poseidon
-or Glaucus, and none could appreciate this genealogy better
-than the Corinthians, who daily saw the sun rise from the sea.
-We must first, however, narrate the substance of the story.
-Bellerophon was born and brought up at Corinth, but was
-obliged from some cause or other to leave his country. That he
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>killed Bellerus, a noble of Corinth, is nothing but a fable arising
-from an unfortunate misinterpretation of his name. He was
-hospitably received by Prœtus, king of Tiryns, whose wife at
-once fell in love with the handsome, stately youth. Finding,
-however, that Bellerophon slighted her passion, she slandered
-him to her husband, and Prœtus forthwith sent him to his
-father-in-law, Iobates, king of Lycia, with a tablet, mysterious
-signs on which bade Iobates put the bearer to death. At this
-juncture the heroic career of Bellerophon begins. Iobates
-sought to fulfil the command of Prœtus by involving his guest
-in all kinds of desperate adventures. He first sent him to destroy
-the Chimæra, a dangerous monster that devastated the land.
-The fore part of its body was that of a lion, the centre that of
-a goat, and the hinder part that of a dragon. According to
-Hesiod, it had three heads—that of a lion, a goat, and a dragon.
-According to the same poet, the Chimæra was a fire-breathing
-monster of great swiftness and strength, the daughter of Typhon
-and Echidna. Bellerophon destroyed the monster by raising
-himself in the air on his winged horse Pegasus, and shooting it
-with his arrows. Pegasus was the offspring of Poseidon and
-Medusa, from whose trunk it sprung after Perseus had struck
-off her head. Bellerophon captured this wonderful animal as
-it descended at the Acro-Corinthus to drink of the spring of
-Pirene. In this he was assisted by the goddess Athene, who
-also taught him how to tame and use it. Here, then, he appears
-to have already possessed the horse at Corinth; though another
-tradition relates that Pegasus was first sent to him when he set
-out to conquer the Chimæra. The origin of the story is ascribed
-to a fiery mountain in Lycia; but, as all dragons and suchlike
-monsters of antiquity are represented as breathing forth fire and
-flames, we are perhaps scarcely justified in having recourse to a
-volcano. This characteristic is, in fact, merely a common symbol
-of the furious and dangerous character of these monsters.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>The contest of Bellerophon is far more likely to be a picture of
-the drying up, by means of the sun’s rays, of the furious mountain
-torrents which flood the corn-fields. Others, again, have
-thought that the Chimæra represents the storms of winter conquered
-by the sun.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The next adventure in which Iobates engaged Bellerophon
-was an expedition against the Solymi, a neighbouring but
-hostile mountain tribe. After he had been successful in subduing
-them, Iobates sent him against the warlike Amazons,
-hoping that among them he would be certain to meet his death.
-We here, for the first time, come across this remarkable nation
-of women, with whom other Greek heroes, such as Heracles and
-Theseus, are said to have fought; and it will not, therefore, be
-foreign to our object to dwell here on their most important
-features.</p>
-
-<div id='f_55' class='figright id004'>
-<img src='images/f_55.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 55—Amazon. Berlin.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Amazons appear in legend as early as Homer, though he
-only mentions them incidentally. They were said to be a
-nation of women, who suffered no men among them, except so
-far as it was necessary to keep up the race. The women, on the
-other hand, were trained from their earliest years in all warlike
-exercises; so that they were not only sufficiently powerful to
-defend their own land against foreign invaders, but also to make
-plundering incursions into other countries. Their dominions,
-the situation of which was at first indefinitely described as in
-the far north or far west, were afterwards reduced to more
-distinct limits, and placed in Cappadocia, on the river Thermodon,
-their capital being Themiscyra in Scythia, on the
-borders of Lake Mæotis, where their intercourse with the
-Scythians is said to have given rise to the Sarmatian tribes.
-Later writers also speak of the Amazons in Western Libya.
-Of the numerous stories rife concerning them, none is more
-tasteless than that of their cutting off or burning out the
-right breast, in order not to incommode themselves in the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>use of the bow. From
-the Thermodon they are
-said to have made great
-expeditions as far as the
-Ægean sea; they are even
-reported to have invaded
-Attica, and made war on
-Theseus. They also play
-a prominent part in the
-story of Heracles, by whom
-they were defeated; and
-in the Trojan war, when,
-under their queen Penthesilea,
-they came to the
-assistance of Priam against
-the Greeks.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The Amazons were frequently
-represented in Greek
-art. They are here depicted
-as fine, powerful women,
-resembling Artemis and her
-nymphs, though with stouter
-legs and arms. They generally
-appear armed, their
-weapons being a long double-edged
-battle-axe (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">bipennis</span></i>)
-and a semicircular shield.
-An anecdote related by Pliny
-proves what a favourite subject
-the Amazons were with
-Greek artists. He says that
-the celebrated sculptors,
-Phidias, Polycletus, Phradmon,
-and Cresilas, made a
-wager as to who should
-create the most beautiful
-Amazon. Polycletus received
-the prize, so that
-we may conclude that he
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>brought this statue—the ideal Amazon of the Greeks—to its
-highest perfection. Unfortunately, we know nothing of it, except
-that it was of bronze, and stood with the statues of the other artists
-in the temple of the Ephesian Artemis. The Amazon of Phidias, we
-are told, was represented as leaning on a spear; Cresilas, on the other
-hand, endeavoured to portray a wounded Amazon. Besides these
-statues, we hear a great deal of the Amazon of Strongylion, celebrated
-for the beauty of her legs, which was in the possession of Nero.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>We still possess a considerable number of Amazon statues, some of
-which are supposed to be imitations in marble of the renowned
-statue at Ephesus. There are, moreover, several statues of wounded
-Amazons, some of which are believed to be copies of the work of
-Cresilas. There is also another marble statue, considerably larger
-than life, which takes a still higher rank. It was originally set up
-in the Villa Mattei, but since the time of Clement XIV. it has been
-in the Vatican collection. It is apparently a representation of an
-Amazon resting after battle; she is in the act of laying aside her
-bow, as she has already done her shield, battle-axe, and helmet. In
-doing so she raises herself slightly on her left foot, an attitude which
-is as charming as it is natural.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Lastly, we must not omit to mention a statue that has newly come
-into the possession of the Berlin Museum, which is supposed to be
-after a work of Polycletus (Fig. 55).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>We must now return to the history of Bellerophon. After
-returning in triumph from his expedition against the Amazons,
-the life of the young hero was once more attempted by Iobates,
-who caused him to be surprised by an ambuscade. Bellerophon,
-however, again escaped, slaying all his assailants. Iobates now
-ceased from further persecution, and gave him his daughter in
-marriage, and a share in the kingdom of Lycia. Bellerophon,
-in full possession of power and riches, and surrounded by
-blooming children, seemed to have reached the summit of
-earthly prosperity, when he was overtaken by a grievous change
-of fortune. He was seized with madness, and wandered about
-alone, fleeing the society of men, until he at length perished
-miserably. Pindar says that he incurred the enmity of the gods
-by attempting to fly to heaven on his winged horse Pegasus;
-whereupon Zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse. Pegasus cast
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>off Bellerophon, and flew of his own accord to the stables of
-Zeus, whose thunder-chariot he has ever since drawn. The sad
-fate of Bellerophon was the subject of a touching tragedy of
-Euripides, some parts of which are still in existence. Heroic
-honours were paid to Bellerophon in Corinth, and he also had
-a shrine in the celebrated cypress-grove of Poseidon.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>4. Argive Legend.</b>—<em>1. Io.</em>—The first personage who meets
-us on the very threshold of the mythic age of Argos is Inachus,
-the god of the Argive river of that name. Inachus was venerated
-by the inhabitants as the first founder of Argive civilisation
-after the flood of Deucalion. By his union with Melia, the
-daughter of Oceanus, he became the father of Io, famed for her
-beauty, whose history, which is of great antiquity, has been so
-greatly embellished by the poets and legendary writers. The
-following is the substance of the story:—</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Io was the priestess of Hera. Her great beauty attracted the
-notice of Zeus. On remarking this, Hera, in her jealousy,
-changed Io into a white heifer, and set the hundred-eyed Argus
-Panoptes (the all-seeing) to watch her. Zeus, however, sent
-Hermes to take away the heifer. Hermes first lulled the
-guardian to sleep with his wand and then slew him, whence he
-is called Argiphontes (slayer of Argus). Hera avenged herself
-by sending a gadfly to torment Io, who, in her madness, wandered
-through Europe and Asia, until she at length found rest
-in Egypt, where, touched by the hand of Zeus, she recovered
-her original form, and gave birth to a son. This son, who was
-called Epaphus, afterwards became king of Egypt, and built
-Memphis. The myth, as we have already remarked, has received
-many embellishments, for the wanderings of Io grew
-more and more extensive with the growth of geographical knowledge.
-The true interpretation of the myth is due to F. W.
-Welcker, whose meritorious researches in Greek mythology have
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>proved of such great value. Io (the wanderer) is the moon,
-whose apparently irregular course and temporary disappearance
-was considered a most curious phenomenon by the ancients. The
-moon-goddess of antiquity was very frequently represented under
-the figure of a heifer; and Isis herself, the Egyptian goddess of
-the moon, was always depicted with horns. The guardian of
-the heifer, the hundred-eyed Argus, is a symbol of the starry
-heaven. Whether we see in Hermes the dawn or the morning
-breeze, in either case the slaying of Argus will simply mean
-that the stars become invisible at sunrise. There is nothing
-extraordinary in representing the apparent irregularity of the
-moon’s course, inexplicable as it was to the ancients, under the
-guise of mental disorder. Similar representations occur in the
-stories of the solar heroes, Bellerophon and Heracles. In the
-south-east—the direction in which Egypt lay from Greece—Io
-again appears as full moon, in her original shape.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Danaüs and the Danaïds.</em>—According to the legend,
-Danaüs was a descendant of Io. Epaphus, the son of Io, had a
-daughter Libya, who bore to Poseidon two sons, Agenor and
-Belus. The former reigned over Phœnicia, the latter over
-Egypt. Belus, by his union with Anchinoë, or Achiroë, the
-daughter of the Nile, became the father of Ægyptus and
-Danaüs. Between these two brothers—the former of whom had
-fifty sons and the latter fifty daughters—a deadly enmity arose;
-this induced Danaüs to migrate from Egypt and seek the old
-home of his ancestress Io. He embarked with his fifty daughters
-in a ship—the first that was ever built—and thus came to
-Argos, where Gelanor, the reigning descendant of Inachus,
-resigned the crown in his favour. As king of Argos, Danaüs is
-said to have brought the land, which suffered from want of
-water, to a higher state of cultivation by watering it with wells
-and canals. He is also said to have introduced the worship of
-Apollo and Demeter. The story proceeds to relate that the
-fifty sons of Ægyptus followed their uncle to Argos, and compelled
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span>him to give them his fifty daughters in marriage.
-Danaüs, in revenge, gave each of his daughters on the wedding
-day a dagger, and commanded them to slay their husbands in
-the night. All obeyed his command except Hypermnestra, who
-spared her husband Lynceus, and afterwards even succeeded,
-with the assistance of Aphrodite, in effecting his reconciliation
-with her father. Lynceus succeeded Danaüs in the kingdom,
-and became, by his son Abas, the ancestor of both the great
-Argive heroes, Perseus and Heracles. At a later period, the
-fable sprang up that the Danaïds were punished for their
-crimes in the lower world by having continually to pour water
-into a cask full of holes. It has been frequently remarked that
-this punishment has no conceivable connection with the crime.
-Neither must we forget that the idea of retribution in the lower
-world was of a comparatively late date. Originally, too, the
-idea prevailed that the pursuits of the upper world were continued
-after death in the realms of Hades. And herein lies the
-key to the interpretation of the myth, which is evidently connected
-with the irrigation of Argos ascribed to Danaüs.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. Prœtus and his Daughters.</em>—Acrisius and Prœtus were
-twin sons of Abas, the son of Lynceus and Hypermnestra.
-Between these two brothers an implacable hostility existed,
-which was said by the poets to have commenced even in their
-mother’s womb. Prœtus received, as his share of the patrimony,
-the kingdom of Tiryns; but he was subsequently
-expelled by his brother, and took refuge at the court of Iobates,
-king of Lycia. Iobates gave him his daughter Antea, or
-Sthenebœa, in marriage, and afterwards restored him to his
-kingdom of Tiryns. Prœtus, with the aid of the Lycian workmen
-whom he had brought with him (Cyclopes), built a strong
-fortress, which enabled him not only to maintain peaceable possession
-of Tiryns, but also to extend his dominion as far as
-Corinth. The legend then passes to the history of his three
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>daughters, the Prœtides, whose pride was so excited by their
-father’s greatness and their own beauty that they began to
-think themselves superior to the gods. Their arrogance, however,
-was soon punished, for they were visited with a foul
-disease and driven mad. They now fled the society of mankind,
-and wandered about among the mountains and woods of Argos
-and Arcadia. At length Prœtus succeeded in procuring the
-services of the celebrated soothsayer and purifier Melampus,
-who undertook the purification and cure of his daughters. It
-was reported of Melampus that serpents had licked his ears
-whilst asleep, and that he acquired, in consequence, a knowledge
-of the language of birds. He successfully accomplished the
-cure of the Prœtides, and received, as a reward, the hand of
-the princess Iphianassa, in addition to which both he and his
-brother Bias received a share in the sovereignty of Tiryns.
-Thus it was that the race of the Amythaonidæ, who all inherited
-the gift of seeing into futurity, and from whom the celebrated
-soothsayer Amphiaraüs himself was descended, came to Argos.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>4. Perseus.</em>—Acrisius, the brother of Prœtus, had a daughter
-called Danaë, whose fortune it was to gain the love of the great
-ruler of Olympus. Her father, Acrisius, was induced by an
-oracle, which foretold that he should be killed by his own
-grandson, to immure Danaë in a subterraneous chamber. Zeus,
-however, in his love for her, changed himself into a shower of
-golden rain, and thus introduced himself through the roof of her
-prison. Thus was the god-like hero Perseus born. There can
-be no doubt that this myth, too, is founded on the idea of the
-bridal union of heaven and earth; this is one of the pictures of
-nature which the mind most readily forms. Danaë represents
-the country of Argos; her prison is the heaven, enveloped,
-during the gloomy months of winter, with thick clouds. Her
-offspring by Zeus represents the light of the sun, which returns
-in the spring-time and begins, like a veritable hero, its contest
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>with the powers of death and darkness. The Gorgon Medusa
-has the same significance in the history of Perseus that the
-hideous Python has in that of Apollo.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The legend then proceeds to relate that Acrisius, having heard
-of the birth of his grandson, to avert the fate threatened by the
-oracle, ordered mother and child to be confined in a chest and cast
-into the sea. But human wisdom avails nought against the inevitable
-decrees of heaven. The chest was cast by the waves on the
-rocky island of Seriphus, where it was found by the fisherman
-Dictys; and Danaë and her child were hospitably received and
-cared for by Dictys and his brother Polydectes, the ruler of the
-island. The latter, however, subsequently wished to marry Danaë,
-and on her rejecting his advances made her a slave. Fearing
-the vengeance of Perseus, he despatched him, as soon as he was
-grown up, on a most perilous adventure. This was no other
-than to bring him the head of the Gorgon Medusa—a terrible
-winged woman, who dwelt with her two sisters, the daughters
-of Phorcys and Ceto, on the farthest western shore of the
-earth, on the border of Oceanus. Perseus set out, though he
-was in the greatest perplexity how to accomplish so perilous a
-task. Hermes, however, at this juncture came to his aid; and
-Athene, the special patroness of heroes, inspired him with
-courage. These deities first showed him how to procure the
-necessary means for accomplishing his undertaking, which consisted
-of an invisible helmet, a magic wallet, and a pair of
-winged sandals. All these were in the hands of the Nymphs,
-by whom probably the water-nymphs are meant. The way to
-their abode he could only learn from the Grææ. These creatures,
-who were likewise the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, were
-reported to have come into the world as old women; their very
-appearance was appalling, and they had but one eye and one
-tooth between them, of which they made use in turn. They,
-too, dwelt on the outskirts of the gloomy region inhabited by
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>the Gorgons, whence they are called by Æschylus their sentinels.
-Under the guidance of Apollo and Athene, Perseus came to the
-Grææ. He then robbed them of their one eye and one tooth,
-and thus forced them to tell him the way to the habitations of
-the Nymphs. From the latter he at once obtained the objects
-he sought; and having donned his winged sandals, he hastened
-to the abode of the Gorgons, whom he fortunately discovered
-asleep. Athene then pointed out to him Medusa—the other two
-sisters, Stheno and Euryale, being immortal—and enjoined him
-to approach them carefully backwards, as the sight of their faces
-would infallibly turn any mortal into stone. With the help of
-her mirror-like shield and the sickle of Hermes, Perseus succeeded
-in cutting off the head of Medusa without looking round;
-and having placed the head in his wallet, he hastened away.
-His helmet, which rendered him invisible, enabled him to escape
-the pursuit of the other Gorgons, who had meanwhile awaked.
-From the trunk of Medusa sprang the winged horse Pegasus,
-and Chrysaor, the father of Geryones. On his return to
-Seriphus, Perseus turned the unrighteous Polydectes into stone
-by means of the Gorgon’s head, which he then presented to
-Athene; and after making his benefactor, Dictys, king of the
-island, he turned his steps towards his native place, Argos.
-Such are the essential features of the myth—concerning which,
-in spite of its antiquity, we have no earlier sources of information—such
-is the original framework on which was afterwards
-built up the history of the further adventures of the hero. The
-most celebrated of these was the rescue of Andromeda, which
-formed the subject of a drama of Euripides, and was also highly
-popular among artists and poets. The following is a brief
-account of this exploit:—Cassiopea, the wife of Cepheus, king
-of Æthiopia, ventured to extol her own beauty above that of the
-Nereids, who thereupon besought Poseidon to avenge them.
-He granted their request, and not only overwhelmed the land
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>with disastrous floods, but sent also a terrible sea-monster, which
-devoured both man and beast. The oracle of Ammon declared
-that the land could only be saved by the sacrifice of the king’s
-daughter, Andromeda, to the monster. Cepheus, after some
-time, yielded to the entreaties of his people, and Andromeda
-was chained to a rock close to the sea. In this situation she
-was found by Perseus, on his return from his adventure with
-the Gorgons. He forthwith attacked and slew the sea-monster,
-and released the trembling maiden, who soon after married her
-preserver. Later writers, not satisfied with this adventure,
-added that Perseus was also obliged to vanquish a rival in
-Phineus, the king’s brother, to whom Andromeda had been
-already promised. Phineus, together with his warriors, was
-changed into stone by means of the Gorgon’s head.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The legend concludes with the return of the hero to Argos,
-where he was reconciled to his grandfather Acrisius, who had at
-first fled in terror to Larissa. On the occasion, however, of some
-games which the people of Larissa had instituted in his honour,
-Perseus was unfortunate enough to kill Acrisius with his discus,
-thus involuntarily fulfilling the prophecy of the oracle. In this
-feature of the story we recognise an unmistakeable reference to
-the symbolic meaning of Perseus; for the discus here represents,
-as in the story of the death of Hyacinthus, the face of the sun.
-Perseus, unwilling to enter on the inheritance of the grandfather
-he had slain, exchanged the kingdom of Argos for that of
-Tiryns, which was handed over to him by its king, Megapenthes,
-the son of Prœtus. He here founded the cities of Midea and
-Mycenæ, and became, through his children by Andromeda, the
-ancestor of many heroes, and, among others, of Heracles. His
-son Electryon became the father of Alcmene, whilst Amphitryon
-was descended from another of his sons. According to Pausanias,
-heroic honours were paid to Perseus, not only throughout Argos,
-but also in Athens and the island of Seriphus.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>Perseus occupies a prominent position in Greek art. His common
-attributes are the winged sandals, the sickle which he made use of to
-slay Medusa, and the helmet of Hades. In bodily form, as well as in
-costume, he appears very like Hermes.</p>
-
-<div id='f_56' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_56.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 56.—Perseus and Andromeda. Marble Relief in the Museum at Naples.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Among the art monuments which relate to his adventures is a
-marble relief from the Villa Pamfili, now in the Capitoline Museum
-at Rome, depicting the rescue of Andromeda. The sea-monster lies
-dead at the feet of Perseus, who is assisting the joyful Andromeda to
-descend from the rock. The attitude and expression of both figures
-are very striking: on the one side, maidenly modesty; on the other,
-proud self-reliance. It is worth remarking that Perseus, in addition
-to his winged shoes, has also wings on his head. The same conception
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>is perceptible, with a few minor points of difference, in
-several Pompeian paintings, and on a marble relief of the Naples
-Museum (Fig. 56). Representations of Medusa are mostly confined
-to masks, which are often found on coats of mail, shields, leaves of
-folding doors, and instruments of all kinds. There are two types,
-representing an earlier and a later conception of Medusa. Earlier art
-set itself to depict the horrible only in the head of Medusa; and
-artists, therefore, strove to impart to the face as strong an expression
-of rage and ferocity as was possible, representing her with tongue
-lolling forth, and boar-like tusks. It is worthy of remark that, in the
-earlier examples of these masks—which are frequently met with on
-coins, gems, and pottery—the hair generally falls stiff and straight
-over the forehead, serving to render the horrible breadth of the
-face still more striking, while the snakes appear to be fastened round
-the neck like a necklace. Very different is the conception adopted
-by the later and more sensuous school. This laboured principally to
-give expression to the gradual ebbing away of life in the countenance
-of the dying Gorgon, an effect which was rendered still more striking
-by transforming the hideous Gorgon face of earlier times into an ideal
-of the most perfect beauty. The most splendid example of this later
-conception, which had been creeping in since the age of Praxiteles, is
-to be found in the Medusa Rondanini of the Munich collection—a
-marble mask of most beautiful workmanship, which was brought
-from the Rondanini Palace at Rome (Fig. 57). This Medusa, like
-many others of the later type, has wings on the head.</p>
-
-<div id='f_57' class='figcenter id006'>
-<img src='images/f_57.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 57.—Rondanini Medusa. Munich.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span><b>5. The Dioscuri.</b>—On passing to Laconia and Messenia,
-the southern districts of the Peloponnesus, we come in contact
-with the legend of the Dioscuri. Tyndareüs and his brother
-Icarius were said to have founded the most ancient sovereignty
-in Lacedæmon. They were driven thence, however, by their
-half-brother Hippocoön, and were kindly received by Thestius,
-the ruler of the ancient city of Pleuron in Ætolia, who gave
-Tyndareüs his daughter Leda in marriage. Icarius received the
-hand of Polycaste, who bore him Penelope—afterwards the wife
-of Odysseus; while Leda was the mother of the Dioscuri, Castor
-and Polydeuces (Pollux). Tyndareüs was afterwards reinstated
-in his Lacedæmonian kingdom at Amyclæ by Heracles. Besides
-these two sons, Leda had also two daughters, Clytæmnestra and
-Helene (Helen), who are celebrated in connection with the
-Trojan war. An ancient legend also existed to the effect that
-Leda had been beloved by Zeus, who had approached her under
-the guise of a swan. The greatest incongruity prevails as to
-which of the children could claim a divine origin. In Homer,
-Helen alone is represented as the daughter of Zeus; while
-Clytæmnestra, together with Castor and Polydeuces, appear as
-the children of Tyndareüs. At a subsequent period, the name
-of “Dioscuri” (sons of Zeus) and a belief in their divine origin
-arose simultaneously. Later still, Castor was represented as a
-mortal, and the son of Tyndareüs; and Polydeuces as immortal,
-and the son of Zeus. After Castor, however, had fallen in the
-contest with the sons of Aphareus, his brother Polydeuces, unwilling
-to part from him, prevailed on Zeus to allow them to
-remain together, on condition of their spending one day in
-Olympus and the next in Hades. They thus led a life divided
-between mortality and immortality. The following is an account
-of their heroic deeds:—On attaining manhood, Castor distinguished
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>himself by his skill in the management of horses;
-whilst Polydeuces became renowned as a skilful boxer, though
-he too had skill in riding. They first made war on Theseus,
-who had carried off their sister Helen, then ten years old,
-and set her free by the conquest of Aphidnæ. They next took
-part in the expedition of the Argonauts, in which Polydeuces
-gained still further renown by his victory with the cestus over
-the celebrated boxer Amycus. They were also present at the
-Calydonian boar hunt. Their last undertaking was the rape of
-the daughters of Leucippus, king of Messenia. This was the
-cause of their combat with their cousins Idas and Lynceus, the
-sons of Aphareus, to whom the damsels had been betrothed.
-According to others, however, it sprang from a quarrel as to
-the division of some booty that they had carried off together.
-Castor was slain by Idas, whereupon Polydeuces in his wrath
-slew Lynceus, while Idas himself was overwhelmed by a thunderbolt
-from Zeus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The interpretation of this myth is by no means void of
-difficulty. It is commonly supposed that they were ancient
-Peloponnesian divinities of light, who, after the Dorian invasion,
-were degraded to the rank of heroes. They are often interpreted
-as personifications of the morning and evening star, or of the
-twilight (dawn and dusk). This view died out after the second
-deification that they underwent. They were venerated, not only
-in their native Sparta, but throughout the whole of Greece, as
-kindly, beneficent deities, whose aid might be invoked either in
-battle or in the dangers of shipwreck. In this latter character they
-are lauded by an Homeric hymn, in which they are represented
-as darting through the air on their golden wings, in order to
-calm the storm at the prayer of the terror-stricken mariner. It
-has often been remarked, and with a great appearance of truth,
-that these Dioscuri flitting about on their golden wings are
-probably nothing more than what is commonly called St. Elmo’s
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>fire—an electric flame which, is often seen playing round the
-tops of the masts during a storm, and which is regarded by the
-sailors as a sign of its speedy abatement; indeed the name Elmo
-has been supposed a corruption of Helene. In Sparta, the
-Dioscuri were regarded as the tutelary deities of the state, as
-well as an example of warlike valour for the youth of the
-country. Their shrines here were very numerous. Their
-ancient symbol, which the Spartans always took with them on a
-campaign, consisted of two parallel beams joined by cross-bars.
-They had other festivals and temples besides those of Sparta;
-in Mantinea, for instance, where an eternal fire was kept
-burning in their honour; also in Athens, where they were
-venerated under the appellation of Anaces. Their festival was
-here celebrated with horse-racing. The Olympic games also
-stood under their special protection, and their images were set
-up in all the palæstra. They were, in fact, everywhere regarded
-as extremely benevolent and sociable deities, who foster all that
-is noble and beautiful among men.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Dioscuri were believed to have assisted the Romans
-against the Latins at the Lake Regillus; and the dictator, A.
-Postumius, vowed a temple to them, which was erected in the
-Forum, opposite the temple of Vesta. In commemoration of this
-aid, the Equites made a solemn procession from the temple of
-Honos, past the temple of the Dioscuri, to the Capitol every
-year on the Ides of July.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art the Dioscuri are represented as heroic youths of noble mien
-and slim but powerful forms. Their characteristic marks are conical
-caps, the points of which are adorned with a star. They generally
-appear nude, or clothed only with a light chlamys, and nearly
-always in connection with their horses, either riding, standing by
-and holding them, or leading them by the bridle. The most celebrated
-representation of the Dioscuri that has come down to us from
-antiquity consists of the marble statues called the Colossi of Monte
-Cavallo, in Rome. These are eighteen feet in height, and the proportions
-of the figures, together with those of the horses, are exquisite.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>They are set up on the Quirinal, which has received from them the
-name of Monte Cavallo. They are not, indeed, original works, but
-are probably imitations of bronzes of the most flourishing period of
-Greek art, executed in the time of Augustus.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>6. Heracles (Hercules).</b>—Of all the myths of the countries
-originally inhabited by the Æolians the myth of Heracles is the
-most glorious. This hero, though his fame was chiefly disseminated
-by means of the Dorians, was yet by birth the common
-property of the Æolian race—their national hero, in fact, just as
-he afterwards became the national hero of the whole of Greece.
-No other Greek myth has received so many subsequent additions—not
-only from native, but also from foreign sources—as this;
-which is, in consequence, the most extensive and complicated of
-all Greek myths. We shall, therefore, have to confine ourselves
-to the consideration of its most characteristic features, and those
-which are the most important in the history of art.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In Homer, who is here again our most ancient authority, the
-leading features of the myth are traced—the enmity of Hera
-towards the hero; his period of subjection to Eurystheus, and
-the labours by which he emancipated himself (though special
-mention is made only of his seizure of Cerberus); his expeditions
-against Pylus, Ephyra, Œchalia, and Troy. The
-verses in the <cite>Odyssey</cite> (xi. 602–4), which refer to his deification
-and subsequent marriage with Hebe, are probably a later insertion.
-In the <cite>Iliad</cite>, Heracles is spoken of as a great hero of
-olden time, “whom the Fates and the grievous wrath of Hera
-subdued.” In Homer, too, he appears as a purely Grecian hero,
-his warlike undertakings having never yet led him beyond Troy,
-and his armour differing in no respect from that of other
-heroes. The description of him in Hesiod’s <cite>Theogony</cite> and in the
-<cite>Shield of Heracles</cite> is somewhat more minute, but is otherwise
-essentially the same. From what source the deification of
-Heracles sprang—whether it was due to Phœnician influences
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>or not—has hitherto remained an undetermined question; we
-only know that it appears as an accomplished fact about
-700 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span></p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>I. The Birth and Youth of Heracles.</span>—This portion
-of the legend found its chief development in Bœotia.
-Amphitryon, a son of Alcæus and grandson of Perseus,
-was compelled to flee from Tiryns with his betrothed
-Alcmene—likewise a descendant of Perseus by her father
-Electryon—on account of a murder, and found an asylum
-at the court of Creon, king of Thebes. From this place
-he undertook an expedition against the robber tribes of
-the Teleboæ (Taphians), in consequence of a promise made to
-Alcmene, whose brother they had slain. After the successful
-termination of this expedition, the marriage was to have been
-celebrated at Thebes. But, in the meanwhile, the great ruler of
-Olympus himself had been smitten with the charms of Alcmene,
-and, taking the form of the absent Amphitryon, had left her
-pregnant with Heracles, to whom she afterwards gave birth at
-the same time with Iphicles, the son of Amphitryon. The
-sovereignty over all the descendants of Perseus, which Zeus had
-destined for Heracles, was snatched from him by the crafty
-jealousy of Hera, who prolonged the pains of Alcmene and
-hastened the delivery of the wife of Sthenelus, the uncle of
-Amphitryon, by two months. Not content with having subjected
-the hero to the will of the weak and cowardly Eurystheus,
-Hera, according to a subsequent account of the poets, sent two
-serpents to kill the child when he was about eight months old.
-Heracles, however, gave the first proof of his divine origin by
-strangling the serpents with his hands. An account of this
-scene has descended to us in a beautiful poem of Pindar. In
-Thebes, the boy grew up and was put under the care of the best
-preceptors. But, though he excelled in every feat of strength
-and valour, he made no progress in musical arts, and even slew his
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>master Linus on account of a somewhat harsh reproof which his
-inaptitude entailed on him. As a punishment, Amphitryon sent
-him to Mount Cithæron to mind the flocks, a mode of life which
-Heracles continued until he had completed his eighteenth year.
-It was to this period that the sophist Prodicus, a contemporary
-of Socrates, referred his beautiful allegory of the <cite>Choice of
-Heracles</cite>. After attaining his full growth (according to Apollodorus
-he was four cubits in height) and strength, the young
-hero performed his first great feat by killing the lion of
-Cithæron. Whether it was this skin or that of the Nemean
-lion which he afterwards used as a garment is not certain. His
-next act was to free the Thebans from the ignominious tribute
-which they were compelled to pay to Erginus, king of Orchomenus,
-by a successful expedition, in which Amphitryon,
-however, lost his life. Creon, the king of Thebes, in gratitude
-gave the hero his daughter Megara in marriage, while Iphicles
-married her sister.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>II. Heracles in the Service of Eurystheus—The
-Twelve Labours.</span>—We now come to the second epoch in the
-life of the hero, in which he performed various labours at the
-bidding of Eurystheus, king of Mycenæ or Tiryns. The number
-of these was first fixed at twelve in the Alexandrian age, when
-Heracles was identified with the Phœnician sun-god, Baal;
-probably from the analogy afforded in the course of the sun
-through the twelve signs of the Zodiac. The subjection of
-Heracles to his unmanly cousin Eurystheus is generally represented
-as a consequence of the stratagem by which Hera
-obtained for the latter the sovereignty over all the descendants
-of Perseus. At a later period Heracles was said to have become
-insane, in consequence of the summons of Eurystheus to do his
-bidding. The following is an account of the labours of
-Heracles:—</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>1. The Fight with the Nemean Lion.</em>—The district of Nemea
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>and Cleonæ was inhabited by a monstrous lion, the offspring of
-Typhon and Echidna, whose skin bade defiance to every weapon.
-Heracles, after using his arrows and club against the animal in
-vain, at last drove it into a cave, and there strangled it with his
-hands. He afterwards used the head of the lion as a helmet,
-and the impenetrable skin as a defence.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. The Lernæan Hydra.</em>—This was a great water-serpent,
-likewise the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. The number of
-its heads varies in the accounts of poets, though ancient gems
-usually represent it with seven. It ravaged the country of
-Lerna in Argolis, destroying both men and beasts. In this
-adventure Heracles was accompanied by Iolaüs, the son of his
-brother Iphicles, who, on this as on other occasions, appears as
-his faithful companion. After driving the monster from its
-lair by means of his arrows, he advanced fearlessly, and, seizing
-it in his hands, began to strike off its heads with his sword. To
-his amazement, in the place of each head he struck off two
-sprang up. He then ordered Iolaüs to set on fire a neighbouring
-wood, and with the firebrands seared the throats of the serpent,
-until he at length succeeded in slaying it. He then dipped his
-arrows in its gall, thus rendering the wounds inflicted by them
-incurable.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. The Erymanthian Boar.</em>—This animal inhabited the mountain
-district of Erymanthus in Arcadia, from which place it
-wasted the corn-fields of Psophis. Heracles drove the boar up
-to the snow-covered summit of the mountain, and then caught
-it alive, as Eurystheus had commanded him. When he arrived
-at Mycenæ with the terrible beast on his back, Eurystheus was
-so terrified that he hid himself in a vessel. This comic scene is
-frequently depicted on vases. It was on this occasion that
-Heracles destroyed the Centaurs. On the road the hero, hungry
-and thirsty, was hospitably received by the friendly Centaur
-Pholus, who holds the same place among the Arcadian Centaurs
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>as Chiron does among those of Thessaly. Pholus broached, in
-honour of his guest, a cask of wine lying in his cave, which was
-the common property of all the Centaurs. The fragrance of the
-wine attracted the other Centaurs living on Mount Pholoë, and
-they immediately attacked the tippling hero with pieces of rock
-and trunks of trees. Heracles, however, drove them back with
-arrows and firebrands, and completely vanquished them after a
-terrible fight. On returning to the cave of Pholus, he found his
-friend dead. He had drawn an arrow out of a dead body to
-examine it, but accidentally let it fall on his foot, from the
-wound of which he died.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>4. The Hind of Cerynea.</em>—This animal, which was sacred to
-the Arcadian Artemis, had golden horns and brazen hoofs, the
-latter being a symbol of its untiring fleetness. Heracles was
-commanded to bring it alive to Mycenæ, and for a whole year
-he continued to pursue it over hill and dale with untiring
-energy. At length it returned to Arcadia, where he succeeded
-in capturing it on the banks of the Ladon, and bore it in
-triumph to Mycenæ.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>5. The Stymphalian Birds.</em>—These voracious birds, which
-fed on human flesh, had brazen claws, wings, and beaks, and
-were able to shoot out their feathers like arrows. They
-inhabited the district round Lake Stymphalis in Arcadia.
-Heracles slew some, and so terrified the rest by means of his
-brazen rattle that they never returned. This latter circumstance
-is apparently an addition of later times, to explain their reappearance
-in the history of the Argonauts.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>6. Cleansing of the Stables of Augeas.</em>—The sixth task of
-Heracles was to cleanse in one day the stables of Augeas, king
-of Elis, whose wealth in cattle had become proverbial. Heracles
-repaired to Elis, where he offered to cleanse the stables, in which
-were three thousand oxen, if the king would consent to give
-him a tenth part of the cattle. Augeas agreed to do so; Heracles
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>then turned the course of the Peneus or the Alpheus, or, according
-to some, of both rivers, through the stalls, and thus
-carried off the filth. Augeas, however, on learning that Heracles
-had undertaken the labour at the command of Eurystheus,
-refused to give him the stipulated reward, a breach of faith for
-which Heracles, later, took terrible vengeance on the king.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>7. The Cretan Bull.</em>—In the history of Minos, king of Crete,
-we find that Poseidon once sent up a bull out of the sea for
-Minos to sacrifice, but that Minos was induced by the beauty of
-the animal to place it among his own herds, and sacrificed
-another in its stead; whereupon Poseidon drove the bull mad.
-The seventh labour of Heracles consisted in capturing this bull
-and bringing it to Mycenæ. It was afterwards set free by
-Eurystheus, and appears later, in the story of Theseus, as the
-bull of Marathon.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>8. The Mares of Diomedes.</em>—Diomedes was king of the
-Bistones, a warlike tribe of Thrace. He inhumanly caused all
-strangers cast upon his coasts to be given to his wild mares, who
-fed on human flesh. To bind these horses and bring them alive
-to Mycenæ was the next task of Heracles. This, too, he successfully
-accomplished, after inflicting on Diomedes the same
-fate to which he had condemned so many others.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>9. The Girdle of Hippolyte.</em>—Admete, the daughter of
-Eurystheus, was anxious to obtain the girdle which the queen
-of the Amazons had received from Ares; and Heracles was
-accordingly despatched to fetch it. After various adventures
-he landed in Themiscyra, and was at first kindly received by
-Hippolyte, who was willing to give him the girdle. But Hera,
-in the guise of an Amazon, spread a report that Heracles was
-about to carry off the queen, upon which the Amazons attacked
-Heracles and his followers. In the battle which ensued Hippolyte
-was killed, and the hero, after securing the girdle, departed.
-On his journey homewards occurred his celebrated adventure
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>with Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon, king of Troy. This
-king had refused Poseidon and Apollo the rewards he had
-promised them for their assistance in building the walls of Troy.
-In consequence of his perfidy, Apollo visited the country with
-a pestilence, and Poseidon sent a sea-monster, which devastated
-the land far and wide. By the advice of the oracle, Hesione,
-the king’s daughter, was exposed to be devoured by the animal.
-Heracles offered to destroy the monster, if Laomedon would give
-him the horses which his father Tros had received as a compensation
-for the loss of Ganymedes. Laomedon agreed, and
-Heracles then slew the monster. Laomedon, however, again
-proved false to his word, and Heracles, with a threat of future
-vengeance, departed.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>10. The Oxen of Geryones.</em>—The next task of Heracles was to
-fetch the cattle of the three-headed winged giant Geryones, or
-Geryoneus (Geryon). This monster was the offspring of Chrysaor
-(red slayer) and Callirrhoë (fair-flowing), an Oceanid, and inhabited
-the island of Erythia, in the far West, in the region of
-the setting sun, where he had a herd of the finest and fattest
-cattle. It was only natural that Heracles, in the course of his
-long journey to Erythia and back, should meet with numerous
-adventures; and this expedition has, accordingly, been more
-richly embellished than any other by the imagination of the
-poets. He is generally supposed to have passed through Libya,
-and to have sailed thence to Erythia in a golden boat, which he
-forced Helios (the sun) to lend him by shooting at him with his
-arrows. Having arrived in Erythia, he first slew the herdsman
-who was minding the oxen, together with his dog. He was
-then proceeding to drive off the cattle, when he was overtaken
-by Geryon. A violent contest ensued, in which the three-headed
-monster was at length vanquished by the arrows of the
-mighty hero. Heracles is then supposed to have recrossed the
-ocean in the boat of the sun, and, starting from Tartessus, to
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>have journeyed on foot through Iberia, Gaul, and Italy. We
-pass over his contests with the Celts and Ligurians, and only
-notice briefly his victory over the giant Cacus, mentioned by
-Livy, which took place in the district where Rome was afterwards
-built, because Roman legend connected with this the
-introduction of the worship of Hercules into Italy. At length,
-after many adventures, he arrived at Mycenæ, where Eurystheus
-sacrificed the oxen to the Argive goddess Hera.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Heracles has now completed ten of his labours, but Eurystheus,
-as Apollodorus relates, refused to admit the destruction of
-the Lernæan Hydra, because on that occasion Heracles had
-availed himself of the help of Iolaüs, or the cleansing of the
-stables of Augeas, because of the reward for which he had stipulated;
-so that the hero was compelled to undertake two more.
-This account does not, however, harmonise with the tradition of
-the response of the oracle, in deference to which Heracles surrendered
-himself to servitude, and which offered the prospect of
-twelve labours from the first.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>11. The Apples of the Hesperides.</em>—This adventure has been
-even more embellished with later and foreign additions than the
-last. The golden apples, which were under the guardianship of
-the Hesperides, or nymphs of the west, constituted the marriage
-present which Hera had received from Gæa on the occasion of
-her marriage with Zeus. They were closely guarded by the terrible
-dragon Ladon, who, like all monsters, was the offspring of
-Typhon and Echidna. This, however, was far less embarrassing
-to the hero than his total ignorance of the site of the garden of
-the Hesperides, which led him to make several fruitless efforts
-before he succeeded in reaching the desired spot.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>His first object was to gain information as to the situation of
-the garden, and for this purpose he journeyed through Illyria to
-the Eridanus (Po), in order to inquire the way of the nymphs
-who dwelt on this river. By them he was referred to the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>treacherous sage Nereus, whom he managed to seize whilst
-asleep, and refused to release until he had obtained the
-desired information. Heracles then proceeded by way of
-Tartessus to Libya, where he was challenged to a wrestling
-match by the giant Antæus, a powerful son of Earth, who was,
-according to Libyan tradition, of a monstrous height (some say
-sixty cubits). He was attacked by Heracles, but, as he received
-new strength from his mother Earth as often as he touched the
-ground, the hero lifted him up in the air and squeezed him to
-death in his arms.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>From Libya Heracles passed into Egypt, where the cruel
-king Busiris was in the habit of seizing all strangers who
-entered the country and sacrificing them to Zeus. Heracles
-would have suffered a similar fate, had he not broken the chains
-laid upon him, and slain the king and his son. His indulgence
-at the richly-furnished table of the king was a feature in the
-story which afforded no small amusement to the comic writers,
-who were especially fond of jesting on the subject of the healthy
-and heroic appetite of Heracles. From Egypt the hero made
-his way into Æthiopia, where he slew Emathion, the son of
-Tithonus and Eos, for his cruelty to strangers. He next crossed
-the sea to India, and thence came to the Caucasus, where he set
-Prometheus free and destroyed the vulture that preyed on his
-liver. After Prometheus had described to him the long road to
-the Hesperides, he passed through Scythia, and came at length
-to the land of the Hyperboreans, where Atlas bore the pillars of
-heaven on his shoulders. This was the end of his journey, for
-Atlas, at his request, fetched the apples, whilst Heracles supported
-the heavens. Here again the comic poets introduced an
-amusing scene. Atlas, having once tasted the delights of
-freedom, betrayed no anxiety to relieve his substitute, but
-offered, instead, to bear the apples himself to Eurystheus.
-Heracles, however, proved even more cunning than he, for,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>apparently agreeing to the proposition, he asked Atlas just to
-relieve him until he had arranged more comfortably a cushion
-for his back. When Atlas good-humouredly consented, Heracles
-of course left him in his former position, and made off with the
-apples. Another account states that he descended himself into
-the garden and slew the hundred-headed dragon who kept guard
-over the trees.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>12. Cerberus.</em>—The most daring of all the feats of Heracles,
-and that which bears the palm from all the others, and is in consequence,
-always put at the end of his labours, was the bringing
-of Cerberus from the lower world. In this undertaking, which
-is mentioned even by Homer, he was accompanied by Hermes
-and Athene, though he had hitherto been able to dispense with
-divine aid. He is commonly reported to have made his descent
-into the lower world at Cape Tænarum in Laconia. Close to
-the gates of Hades he found the adventurous heroes Theseus and
-Pirithoüs, who had gone down to carry off Persephone, fastened
-to a rock. He succeeded in setting Theseus free, but Pirithoüs
-he was obliged to leave behind him, because of the violent
-earthquake which occurred when he attempted to touch him.
-After several further adventures, he entered the presence of the
-lord of the lower world. Hades consented to his taking Cerberus,
-on condition that he should master him without using any
-weapons. Heracles seized the furious beast, and, having chained
-him, he brought him to Eurystheus, and afterwards carried him
-back to his place in the lower world. The completion of this
-task released Heracles from his servitude to Eurystheus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>III. Deeds of Heracles after his Service.</span>—<em>1. The Murder
-of Iphitus and Contest with Apollo.</em>—The hero, after his release
-from servitude, returned to Thebes, where he gave his wife
-Megara in marriage to Iolaüs. He then proceeded to the court
-of Eurytus, king of Œchalia, who had promised his beautiful
-daughter Iole in marriage to the man who should vanquish himself
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>and his sons in shooting with the bow. The situation of
-Œchalia is variously given; sometimes it is placed in Thessaly,
-sometimes in the Peloponnesus, on the borders of Arcadia and
-Messenia, and sometimes in the island of Eubœa, close to Eretria.
-Heracles gained a most complete victory; but Eurytus, nevertheless,
-refused to give him his daughter, reproaching him with the
-murder of his children by Megara, and with his ignominious
-bondage to Eurystheus. Heracles, with many threats of future
-vengeance, withdrew, and when, not long afterwards, Iphitus,
-the son of Eurytus, fell into his hands, he cast him from the
-highest tower of his citadel in Tiryns. This somewhat treacherous
-action being at variance with the general character of the
-hero, the story subsequently arose that Iphitus was a friend
-of Heracles, and had advocated his cause with Eurytus, and that
-Heracles only treated him thus in a fit of insanity. The bloody
-deed was fraught with the gravest consequences. After seeking
-purification and absolution in vain among men, Heracles came
-to Delphi, in order to seek the aid and consolation of the oracle.
-But Apollo, with whom the royal family of Œchalia stood in
-high favour, rejected him; whereupon Heracles forced his way
-into the temple, and was already in the act of bearing away the
-holy tripod, in order to erect an oracle of his own, when he was
-confronted by the angry deity. A fearful combat would doubtless
-have ensued, if the father of gods and men himself had not
-interfered to prevent this unnatural strife between his favourite
-sons by separating the combatants with his lightning. Heracles
-was now commanded by the Pythian priestess to allow himself
-to be sold by Hermes into slavery for three years, to expiate the
-murder of Iphitus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Heracles in the Service of Omphale.</em>—This portion of the
-story is of Lydian origin, but was cleverly interwoven with the
-Greek legend. The Lydians, in fact, honoured a sun-hero called
-Sandon, who resembled Heracles in many respects, as the ancestor
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>of their kings. The oriental character of the Lydian
-Heracles at once manifests itself in the fact that he here appears
-as entirely devoted to sensual pleasures, becoming effeminate in
-the society of women, and allowing himself to be clothed in
-female attire, whilst his mistress Omphale donned his lion-skin
-and club, and flaunted up and down before him. He did not
-always linger in such inactivity, however; sometimes the old
-desire for action urged him forth to gallant deeds. Thus he
-vanquished and chastised the Cercopes, a race of goblins who
-used to trick and waylay travellers. He also slew Syleus, who
-compelled all passing travellers to dig in his vineyard; which
-formed the subject of a satyric drama of Euripides.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. His Expedition against Troy.</em>—After performing several
-other feats in the service of Omphale, Heracles again became
-free. He now appears to have undertaken an expedition against
-the faithless Laomedon, king of Troy, in company with other
-Greek heroes, such as Peleus, Telamon, and Oïcles, whose number
-increased as time went on. The city was taken by storm:
-Oïcles, indeed, was slain, but, on the other hand, Laomedon and
-all his sons except Podarces fell before the arrows of Heracles.
-Hesione, the daughter of the king, was given by Heracles to his
-friend Telamon, and became by him the mother of Teucer. She
-received permission from Heracles to release one of the prisoners,
-and chose her brother Podarces, who afterwards bore the name
-of Priamus (the redeemed), and continued the race of Dardanus
-in Ilium.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>4. The Peloponnesian Expeditions of Heracles.</em>—The legend
-relates that the hero now undertook his long-deferred expedition
-against Augeas, which was the means of kindling a Messenian
-and Lacedæmonian war. After assembling an army in Arcadia,
-which was joined by many gallant Greek heroes, he advanced
-against Elis. Heracles, however, fell sick; and in his absence
-his army was attacked and driven back with great loss by the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>brave Actoridæ or Molionidæ, the nephews of Augeas. It was
-only after Heracles had slain these heroes in an ambuscade at
-Cleonæ, as they were on their way to the Isthmian games, that
-he succeeded in penetrating into Elis. He then slew Augeas,
-and gave the kingdom to his son Phyleus, with whom he was on
-friendly terms. It was on this occasion that he instituted the
-Olympic games. He then marched against Pylus, either because
-its king, Neleus, had given assistance to the Molionidæ, or else
-because Neleus had refused to purify him from the murder of
-Iphitus. This expedition against Pylus was subsequently greatly
-embellished by the poets, who made it into a great battle of the
-gods, one part of whom fought for Neleus, and the other part
-for Heracles. The chief feature was the combat between Heracles
-and Periclymenus, the bravest of the sons of Neleus, who
-had received from Poseidon, the tutelary deity of the Pylians,
-the power of transforming himself into any kind of animal.
-The result of the combat was of course a complete victory for
-Heracles. Neleus, with his eleven gallant sons, was slain, and
-only the youngest, Nestor, remained to perpetuate the celebrated
-race. The Lacedæmonian expedition of Heracles, which follows
-close on that against Pylus, was undertaken against Hippocoön,
-the half-brother of Tyndareüs, whom he had expelled. Hippocoön
-was defeated and slain by Heracles, who gave his kingdom
-to Tyndareüs. On this occasion Heracles was assisted by
-Cepheus, king of Tegea, with his twenty sons, a circumstance
-which is only mentioned on account of a remarkable legend connected
-with his stay in Tegea. Heracles is here said to have
-left Auge, the beautiful sister of Cepheus, and priestess of
-Athene, pregnant with Telephus, whose wondrous adventures
-have occupied artists and poets alike. Auge concealed her child
-in the grove of Athene, whereupon the angry goddess visited the
-land with a famine. Aleüs, the father of Auge, on discovering
-the fact, caused the child to be exposed, and sold the mother
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>beyond the sea. Auge thus came into Mysia, where the king
-Teuthras made her his wife. Telephus was suckled by a hind.
-He grew up, and ultimately, after some wonderful adventures,
-succeeded in finding his mother. He succeeded Teuthras, and,
-later, became embroiled with the Greeks when they landed on
-their expedition against Troy, on which occasion he was wounded
-by Achilles. Telephus, among all the sons of Heracles, is said
-to have borne the greatest resemblance to his father.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>5. Acheloüs, Nessus, Cycnus.</em>—The next episode in the history
-of the hero is his wooing of Deïanira, the daughter of Œneus,
-king of Ætolia. Œneus is celebrated as the first cultivator of
-the vine in that country, and as the father of the Ætolian heroes,
-Meleager and Tydeus. The river-god Acheloüs was also a suitor
-for the hand of Deïanira, and as neither he nor Heracles would
-relinquish their claim, it was decided by the combat between the
-rivals<a id='r8' /><a href='#f8' class='c018'><sup>[8]</sup></a> so often described by the poets. The power of assuming
-various forms was of little use to Acheloüs, for, having finally
-transformed himself into a bull, he was deprived of a horn by
-Heracles, and compelled to declare himself vanquished. Heracles
-restored him his horn, and received in exchange that of the
-goat Amalthea. After his marriage with Deïanira, Heracles
-lived for some time happily at the court of his father-in-law,
-where his son Hyllus was born. In consequence of an accidental
-murder, he was obliged to leave Ætolia and retire to the
-court of his friend Ceÿx, king of Trachis, at the foot of Mount
-Œta. On the road occurred his celebrated adventure with the
-Centaur Nessus. On coming to the river Evenus, Heracles entrusted
-Deïanira to Nessus to carry across, whilst he himself
-waded through the swollen stream. The Centaur, induced by
-the beauty of his burden, attempted to carry off Deïanira, but
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>was pierced by an arrow of Heracles, and expiated his attempt
-with his life. He avenged himself by giving Deïanira some of
-his blood to make a magic salve, with which he assured her she
-could always secure the love of her husband.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f8'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r8'>8</a>. The most beautiful description exists in a chorus in the <cite>Trachiniæ</cite> of
-Sophocles, and in Ovid’s <cite>Metamorphoses</cite>.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>On reaching Trachis they were hospitably received by Ceÿx.
-Heracles first defeated the Dryopes, and assisted the Dorian king
-Ægimius in his contest with the Lapithæ. He next engaged in
-his celebrated combat with Cycnus, the son of Ares, which took
-place at Iton, in the neighbourhood of the Gulf of Pagasæ.
-Heracles not only slew his opponent, but even wounded the god
-of war himself, who had come to the assistance of his son. This
-contest is the subject of the celebrated poem called the <cite>Shield
-of Hercules</cite>, which goes under the name of Hesiod.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>IV. Death and Apotheosis.</span>—The death of Heracles, of
-which we learn most from the masterly description of Sophocles
-in the <cite>Trachiniæ</cite>, is generally supposed to have been connected
-with his expedition against Eurytus. The hero, who could not
-forget the ignominious treatment he had received at the hands
-of Eurytus, now marched with an army from Trachis against
-Œchalia. The town and citadel were taken by storm, and
-Eurytus and his sons slain; whilst the beautiful Iole, who
-was still unmarried, fell into the hands of the conqueror.
-Heracles now withdrew with great booty, but halted on the
-promontory of Cenæum, opposite the Locrian coast, to raise an
-altar and offer a solemn sacrifice of thanksgiving to his father
-Zeus. Deïanira, who was tormented with jealous misgivings
-concerning Iole, thought it was now high time to make use of
-the charm of Nessus. She accordingly sent her husband a
-white sacrificial garment, which she anointed with the ointment
-prepared from the blood of the Centaur. Heracles donned the
-garment without suspicion, but scarcely had the flames from
-the altar heated the poison than it penetrated the body of the
-unhappy hero. In the most fearful agony he strove to tear off
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>the garment, but in vain, for it stuck like a plaster to his skin;
-and where he succeeded in rending it away by force, it tore out
-great pieces of his flesh at the same time. In his frenzy he
-seized the herald Lichas, the bearer of the unfortunate present,
-and violently dashed him in pieces against a rock of the sea.
-In this state Heracles was brought to Trachis, where he found
-that Deïanira, full of sorrow and despair on learning the consequences
-of her act, had put an end to her own life. Convinced
-that cure was hopeless, the dying hero proceeded from Trachis
-to Œta, and there erected a funeral pile on which to end his
-torments. None of those around him, however, would consent
-to set the pile on fire, until Pœas, the father of Philoctetes,
-happened to pass by, and rendered him the service, in return for
-which Heracles presented him with his bow and arrows. As
-the flames rose high, a cloud descended from heaven, and, amid
-furious peals of thunder, a chariot with four horses, driven by
-Athene, appeared and bore the illustrious hero to Olympus,
-where he was joyfully received by the gods. He here became
-reconciled to Hera, who gave him the hand of her beauteous
-daughter Hebe in marriage.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>V. Heracles as God.</span>—We have already laid before our
-readers the most characteristic features of the myth. To interpret
-it and trace it back in all its details to the original sources would
-be, amid the mass of provincial and foreign legends with which
-it is amalgamated, almost impossible. Thus much is certain,
-however, that, apart from the conceptions which were engrafted
-on the story from Tyrian and Egyptian sources, even in the case
-of the Greek Heracles, myths based on natural phenomena are
-mixed up with historical and allegorical myths. The historic
-element, for instance, is apparent in the wars of Heracles against
-the Dryopes—against Augeas, Neleus, and Hippocoön. Here
-the exploits of the whole Dorian race are personified in the
-actions of the hero. On the other hand, in most of his single
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>combats a symbolic meaning, derived from natural phenomena,
-is unmistakeable. Heracles, in fact, appears to have been,
-originally, a symbol of the power of the sun triumphing over
-the dark powers in nature. Driven from Argos by the worship
-of the Argive Hera, he first sank to the level of a hero, but was,
-subsequently, again raised to the dignity of a god. This occurred
-at a time when the gods of Greece had altogether cast aside
-their physical meaning; so that he was now regarded principally
-from an ethical point of view. He appears as a symbol of that
-lofty force of character which triumphs over all difficulties and
-obstacles. Poets and philosophers alike vied with each other in
-presenting him to the youth of their country in this character,
-pointing to his career as a brilliant example of what a man
-might accomplish, in spite of a thousand obstacles, by mere
-determination and force of will. The well-known allegory of
-the sophist Prodicus,<a id='r9' /><a href='#f9' class='c018'><sup>[9]</sup></a> called “The Choice of Hercules,” is an
-instance of the mode in which the history of the hero was used
-to inculcate moral precepts.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f9'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r9'>9</a>. Prodicus, a native of the island of Ceos, was an elder contemporary of
-Socrates. Like the latter, he taught in Athens, and met with a similar
-fate, having been condemned to death as an enemy of the popular religion
-and a corruptor of the Athenian youth.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>In the religious system of the Greeks, Heracles was specially
-honoured as the patron of the gymnasia; the gymnasium of
-Cynosarges in Athens being solely dedicated to him. After his
-deification, Heracles was also regarded in the character of a
-saviour and benefactor of his nation; as one who had not only
-merited the lasting gratitude of mankind by his deeds throughout
-an active and laborious life—in having rid the world of
-giants and noxious beasts, in having extinguished destructive
-forces of nature, and abolished human sacrifices and other
-barbarous institutions of antiquity—but also as a kindly and
-beneficent deity, ever ready to afford help and protection to
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>mankind in the hour of need. In this character he was known
-by the names of Soter (Saviour) and Alexicacus (averter of
-evil). He had temples and festivals in various parts of Greece.
-In Marathon, which boasted of being the first seat of his worship,
-games were celebrated in his honour every four years, at which
-silver cups were given as prizes. The fourth day of every month
-was held sacred to him, this day being regarded as his birthday.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>We have already mentioned the legendary introduction of his
-worship into Rome.<a id='r10' /><a href='#f10' class='c018'><sup>[10]</sup></a> Hercules, as he was called in Italy, was
-identified with the Italian hero Recaranus. He had an altar in the
-<em>Forum Boarium</em>, established, according to tradition, by Evander.
-The Roman poets, of course, devoted especial attention to the
-stories of his journey through Italy, and his fight with Cacus.</p>
-
-<div class='footnote' id='f10'>
-<p class='c007'><a href='#r10'>10</a>. There seems ground for thinking that the Italian Hercules was
-properly a rural deity confounded with Heracles on account of the similarity
-of their names; while Recaranus properly corresponded with the
-great Heracles in meaning.</p>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>In Heracles ancient art sought to portray the conception of gigantic
-bodily strength. He is, therefore, generally represented as a full-grown
-man—rarely as a child or youth. We may observe the manner
-in which the prominent idea of physical force is expressed by
-regarding the formation of the neck and throat in the statue of
-Heracles. Nothing can express better a bull-like strength than the
-short neck and the prominent muscles, especially if associated with a
-broad, deep chest. We shall be able to appreciate this distinctive
-character still more clearly if we compare the form of Heracles with
-that of the ideal god Apollo, whose neck is especially long and
-slender. The figure of Heracles is, moreover, characterised by a head
-small in comparison with the giant body; by curly hair, bushy eyebrows,
-and muscular arms and legs. This conception was principally
-developed by Myron and Lysippus. A statue of Heracles by the
-former artist played a part in connection with the art robberies of
-Verres in Sicily. Lysippus erected several celebrated statues of
-Heracles, the most remarkable of which was the bronze colossus in
-Tarentum, which the Romans, after the capture of that town, transferred
-to the Capitol. Thence it was brought, by order of Constantine,
-to his new capital of Constantinople, where it remained
-until the Latin crusade of 1202, when it was melted down. Lysippus
-portrayed in this statue a mourning Heracles, which no one had ever
-attempted before him. The hero appeared in a sitting posture,
-without his weapons, his left elbow resting on his left leg, while his
-head, full of thought and sorrow, rests on the open hand. The same
-artist, in a still greater work, depicted the twelve labours of Heracles.
-These formed a group which was originally executed for Alyzia, a
-seaport town of Acarnania, but which was, subsequently, likewise
-transferred to Rome.</p>
-
-<div id='f_58' class='figcenter id003'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>
-<img src='images/f_58.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 58.—Farnese Hercules.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>First among existing statues is the Farnese Hercules (Fig. 58).
-This celebrated colossal statue, now in the Naples Museum, was discovered
-in 1540, on the site of the Thermæ of Caracalla. The hero
-is standing upright, resting his left shoulder on his club, from which
-hangs his lion’s skin. This attitude, as well as the head drooping
-towards the breast, and the gloomy gravity of his countenance, clearly
-show that the hero feels bowed down by the burden of his laborious
-life. Even the thought that he is soon to be released from his ignominious
-servitude (he holds behind him, in his right hand, the three
-apples of the Hesperides, the fruit of his last labour) is unable to
-cheer him, and his thoughts seem to revert only to the past. On
-account of the conception of the piece, and the existence of another
-copy bearing the name of Lysippus, the Farnese Hercules is supposed
-to be a copy of a work of Lysippus, of which nothing further is
-known.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>Still more important as a work of art, though it has reached us in
-a terribly mutilated condition—minus head, arms, and legs—is the
-celebrated Torso of Hercules, in the Vatican. This was found in
-Rome during the reign of Pope Julius II., on a spot where the
-theatre of Pompey, of which it was probably an ornament, once
-stood.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><em>Groups.</em>—Heracles in action was a still more favourite subject with
-artists, who delighted to portray the different scenes of his versatile
-life. Numberless representations of such scenes occur, not only in
-the form of statues and works in relief, but more especially on
-ancient vases. We mention here, in the chronological order of the
-events, some of the most important.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><em>1. Heracles and the Serpents.</em>—This scene was early depicted by the
-celebrated painter Zeuxis, who represented Heracles as strangling the
-serpents, whilst Alcmene and Amphitryon stood by in amazement.
-There are also several statues representing this feat, among which
-that at Florence takes the first rank. There is also a painting from
-Herculaneum in the Naples Museum.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><em>2. The Twelve Labours.</em>—These have naturally been treated of
-times out of number. We have already mentioned the groups of
-Lysippus, which he executed for the town of Alyzia. A still existing
-bronze statue in the Capitoline Museum, representing Heracles
-battling with the Hydra, appears to belong to this series. Among
-interesting remains are the metope reliefs on the Theseum at Athens.
-Ten on the east side of the temple represent scenes from the life of
-Heracles. Nine of them belong to the twelve labours, viz., the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>Nemean lion, the Hydra, the Arcadian hind, the Erymanthian boar,
-the horses of Diomedes, Cerberus, the girdle of Hippolyte, Geryon,
-and the Hesperides; whilst the tenth tablet represents his contest
-with Cycnus. The remains of the splendid temple of Zeus at
-Olympia, which was completed about 435 <span class='fss'>B.C.</span>, are less important.
-The metopes of the front and back of the temple contained six of the
-labours of Heracles. Those representing the contest with the Cretan
-bull, the dying lion, a portion from the fight with Geryon, and some
-other fragments, were found in 1829, and conveyed to the museum of
-the Louvre at Paris. The only one which is perfect, however, is the
-spirited and life-like representation of the struggle with the Cretan
-bull.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><em>3. Parerga</em> (<em>Subordinate Deeds</em>).—First among these come the scenes
-from his contest with the Centaurs, which were frequently treated of
-in art. Groups of these exist in the museum at Florence; there
-are also various representations to be found on vases. His adventure
-with Nessus is represented separately on a Pompeian painting in the
-Naples Museum; Nessus crouches in a humble posture before Heracles,
-who has the little Hyllus in his arms, and he appears to be
-asking permission to carry Deïanira across the stream. There is also
-an interesting representation of the release of Prometheus on the
-Sarcophagus of the Capitol, from the Villa Pamfili, which is, in other
-respects, also worthy of mention. The seizure of the tripod at Delphi
-is also frequently portrayed in art.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><em>4. Heracles and Omphale.</em>—Of the monuments referring to Heracles’
-connection with Omphale, the most important is the beautiful Farnese
-group in marble in the Naples Museum. Omphale has thrown the
-lion’s skin round her beautiful limbs, and holds in her right hand
-the hero’s club. Thus equipped, she smiles triumphantly at Heracles,
-who is clothed in female attire, with a distaff in his hand.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><em>5. Heracles and Telephus.</em>—The romantic history of Telephus was
-also frequently treated of in art. The Naples Museum possesses a
-fine painting, representing the discovery of the child after it has been
-suckled by the hind, on which occasion, strange to say, Heracles
-himself is present. In the Vatican Museum there is a fine marble
-group, representing Heracles with the child Telephus in his arms.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>7. Attic Legend.</b>—<em>1. Cecrops.</em>—Cecrops, the first founder
-of civilisation in Attica, plays a similar part here to that which
-Cadmus does in Thebes. Like Cadmus, he was afterwards
-called an immigrant; indeed he was said to have come from Sais
-in Lower Egypt. In his case, however, we are able to trace the
-rise of the erroneous tradition with far greater distinctness.
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>Pure Attic tradition recognises him only as an autochthon—that
-is, an original inhabitant born of the earth; and further
-adds, that, like the giants, he was half man and half
-serpent. As the mythical founder of the state, he was also
-regarded as the builder of the citadel (Cecropia); and marriage,
-as well as other political and social institutions, were
-ascribed to him. Perhaps he is only a local personification
-of Hermes. The probability of this view is greatly enhanced
-by the fact that his three daughters, Herse, Aglaurus, and
-Pandrosus, received divine honours. It was under Cecrops
-that the celebrated contest occurred between Poseidon and
-Athene for the possession of Attica, and was by his means
-decided in favour of the goddess. We have already given
-an account of it, and need only here remark that the
-story is purely the result of the observation of natural
-phenomena. In Attica, in fact, there are only two seasons—a
-cold, wet, and rainy winter (Poseidon), and a warm, dry, genial
-summer (Pallas). These seem to be continually striving for
-the supremacy of the land. Cecrops was succeeded in the
-government by Cranaüs, who is represented by some as his son.
-The common mythological account places the flood of Deucalion
-in his reign. After the expulsion of Cranaüs, Amphictyon, one
-of the sons of Deucalion, succeeded to the sovereignty of Attica,
-of whom nothing more is known than that he was deprived of
-the government by Erechtheus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Erechtheus, or Erichthonius.</em>—Erechtheus, or Erichthonius,
-is really only a second Cecrops—the mythical founder of the
-state after the flood, as Cecrops was before it. Being also earthborn,
-he is, like Cecrops, endowed with a serpent’s form. There
-was another very sacred legend concerning him, which stated
-that Gæa (Ge), immediately after his birth, gave him to the
-goddess Pallas to nurse. The latter first entrusted him to the
-daughters of Cecrops, her attendants and priestesses, enclosed in
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>a chest. The latter, however, prompted by curiosity, opened
-the chest, contrary to the commands of the goddess, and were
-punished in consequence with madness. Erichthonius was now
-reared by the goddess herself in her sanctuary on the citadel,
-and was subsequently made king of Athens. The same stories
-are then related of him as of Cecrops—that he regulated the
-state, introduced the worship of the gods, and settled the dispute
-between Poseidon and Athene.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The tomb of Erechtheus was shown in the Erechtheum, the
-ancient temple dedicated to Athene Polias, where the never-dying
-olive tree created by the goddess was also preserved.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Two among the daughters of Erechtheus are celebrated in
-legend. The first is Orithyia, who was carried off by Boreas,
-and became the mother of Calaïs and Zetes, whom we come
-across again in the story of the Argonauts; the other is Procris,
-the wife of the handsome hunter Cephalus, who was said to be
-a son of Hermes by Herse, the daughter of Cecrops. Cephalus
-was carried off by Eos, who was unable to shake his fidelity to
-his wife. It served, however, to excite the jealousy of the
-latter, which ultimately proved fatal to her. Procris had hidden
-herself among the bushes, in order to watch her husband, when
-Cephalus, taking her for a wild animal, unwittingly killed her.
-After the death of Erechtheus, the tragic poets relate that Ion,
-the mythical ancestor of the Ionians, ruled in Athens. This
-means nothing more than that the primitive Pelasgian age in
-Attica had now come to an end, and the dominion of the Ionians
-commenced.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. Theseus.</em>—Theseus is the national hero of the Ionians, just
-as Heracles is of the Æolians. He has not unjustly been called
-the second Heracles; and he has, indeed, many features in common
-with the Æolian hero, since the national jealousy of the
-Ionians led them to adopt every possible means of making their
-own hero rival that of their neighbours. They therefore strove
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>to represent him, likewise, as a hero tried in numberless contests—generous,
-unselfish, and devoted to the interests of mankind—and
-of course ascribed to him a multitude of adventurous exploits.
-There is no great undertaking of antiquity in which
-Theseus is not supposed to have taken part, and he was even
-sent on an expedition to hell, in imitation of Heracles.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>He was the son of the Athenian king Ægeus, whom mythological
-tradition made a great-grandson of Erechtheus. After
-his father Pandion had been driven out by his relations, the
-sons of Metion, Ægeus betook himself to Megara, where he was
-hospitably received by the ruler, Pylas. From Megara, Ægeus,
-Pallas, Nisus, and Lycus, the sons of Pandion, undertook an
-expedition against Athens, which ended in the expulsion of the
-Metionidæ, and the restoration of the former royal family in the
-person of Ægeus. Such, at least, is the tradition; although it
-is more probable that Athens never had a king of this name, and
-that Ægeus (wave-man) is only a surname of Poseidon, the
-chief deity of the seafaring Ionians. Ægeus, though twice
-married, had no heir, and now undertook a journey to Delphi
-to seek the advice of the oracle. On his way back he stopped
-at the court of Pittheus, king of Trœzen, and became, by his
-daughter Æthra, the father of Theseus. Before his departure,
-he placed his sword and sandals beneath a heavy stone, and
-commanded Æthra to send his son to Athens as soon as he was
-able to move the stone and take his father’s sword. Theseus
-was carefully trained in music and gymnastics by the sagacious
-Pittheus, and soon developed into a stately youth. He is also
-supposed to have been educated by the Centaur Chiron, whose
-instruction had now become a necessary item in the education
-of a real hero.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>When Theseus was sixteen, his mother took him to the stone
-beneath which lay his father’s sword and sandals. With a
-slight effort he raised the stone, and thus entered on his heroic
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>career. His earlier adventures consisted in overcoming a series
-of obstacles that beset him in his journey from Trœzen to
-Athens. They are generally supposed to have been six in
-number.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>1. Between Trœzen and Epidaurus he slew Periphetes, the
-son of Hephæstus—who was lame, like his father—because he was
-in the habit of murdering travellers with his iron club; whence
-he is called Corynetes, or club-bearer.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>2. He next delivered the Isthmus from another powerful
-robber called Sinis. He used to fasten travellers who fell into
-his hands to the top of a pine tree, which he bent to the earth,
-and then allowed to recoil; after which, on their reaching the
-ground, he would kill them outright; whence he is called Pityocamptes,
-or pine-bender. Theseus inflicted the same fate on
-him.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>3. In the woody district of Crommyon he destroyed a dangerous
-wild sow that laid waste the country.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>4. Not far from this, on the rock of Sciron, on the borders of
-Megara, dwelt another monster, called Sciron, who compelled
-travellers to wash his feet, and then kicked them into the sea.
-Theseus served him in a similar fashion.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>5. In the neighbourhood of Eleusis he vanquished the giant
-Cercyon, who compelled all who fell into his hands to wrestle
-with him.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>6. His last combat awaited him on the confines of Eleusis,
-where dwelt the inhuman Damastes. This monster used to lay
-his victims in a bed: if this was too short, he would hack off
-their projecting limbs; if too long, he would beat out and pull
-asunder their limbs, whence he is called Procrustes. He was
-also slain by Theseus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>On reaching Athens, he found his father Ægeus in the toils of
-the dangerous sorceress Medea, who had fled from Corinth to
-Athens. She was on the point of making away with the newcomer
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>by poison, when Ægeus, fortunately, recognised him by
-the sword he bore, and preserved him from his impending
-fate.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Medea was compelled to flee; but a new danger awaited the
-hero from the fifty sons of Pallas, who had reckoned on succeeding
-their childless uncle Ægeus. Theseus, however, slew
-some in battle and expelled the rest.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>He now undertook his greatest and most adventurous feat, in
-order to free his country from its shameful tribute to Minos,
-king of Crete, whose son, the youthful hero Androgeos, had
-been treacherously murdered by the Athenians and Megareans.
-Another account says that he was sent by Ægeus against the
-bull of Marathon, and thus slain. At any rate, Minos undertook
-a war of revenge. He first marched against Megara, of which
-Nisus, the brother of Ægeus, was king. Minos conquered him
-by means of his own daughter Scylla, who became enamoured of
-Minos, and cut off from her father’s head the purple lock on
-which his life depended. After having taken Megara and slain
-Nisus, Minos marched against Athens. Here he was equally
-successful, and compelled the vanquished Athenians to expiate
-the blood of his son by sending, every eight or (according to
-the Greek method of reckoning) every nine years, seven youths
-and seven maidens to be devoured by the Minotaur. This was
-a monster, half man and half bull. Twice already had the
-bloody tribute been sent, and the third fell just after Theseus’
-arrival in Athens; he at once bravely offered to go among the allotted
-victims. He was resolved to do battle with the Minotaur, and
-to stake his life on the liberation of his country from the shameful
-tribute. Under the guidance of Aphrodite he passed over
-to Crete, and soon discovered the efficacy of her protection. The
-goddess kindled a passionate love for the hero in the breast of
-Ariadne, the daughter of Minos. Ariadne rendered him every
-possible assistance in his undertaking, and especially presented
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>him with a clew of thread, by means of which Theseus, after
-having slain the Minotaur, was enabled to find his way out of
-the Labyrinth. We have already narrated how Ariadne was
-deserted by Theseus on the isle of Naxos, only to become the
-bride of Dionysus, the divine son of Semele. Theseus also
-landed at Delos, where he instituted the festival of the Delia
-in honour of the divine children of Leto. On reaching Athens,
-he showed his gratitude to his divine protectress by the institution
-of the worship of Aphrodite Pandemus. In honour of
-Dionysus and Ariadne, he instituted the Oschophoria, in which
-festival Athene also had a share. Lastly, in honour of Apollo,
-he instituted the Pyanepsia, a festival which was celebrated on
-the seventh day of the month Pyanepsion (end of October).</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The happy return of Theseus from his Cretan expedition,
-however, proved the death of his aged father. Ægeus, as he
-stood on the coast looking for his son’s return, perceived that
-the ships had black sails instead of white, which were to have
-been hoisted in the event of his son’s success; and believing that
-all was lost, he cast himself headlong into the sea. This story
-was perhaps only invented to account for the name of the
-Ægean Sea.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>With regard to the other exploits of Theseus, there exists the
-greatest variety of accounts as to the order in which they took
-place. As king, he is said to have been the first to unite the
-separate districts of Attica into one political community, with
-one state Prytaneum, and to have instituted the festival of the
-Panathenæa in commemoration of this event. The following,
-among his later exploits, are worthy of mention:—</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>1. He captured the bull of Marathon (said to have been the
-same which Heracles brought alive from Crete), and sacrificed it
-in Athens to Apollo Delphinius.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>2. He assisted his friend Pirithoüs, the prince of the Lapithæ,
-in his contest with the Centaurs.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>3. He undertook with Pirithoüs an expedition to Lacedæmon,
-in which they carried off Helen, the sister of the Dioscuri.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>4. At the request of Pirithoüs, he accompanied him to the
-lower world to carry off Persephone; but Hades, enraged at
-their audacity, caused them both to be bound in chains and
-fastened to a rock. Theseus was rescued from this plight by
-Heracles, but during his absence the Dioscuri had released their
-sister from Aphidnæ, where she was confined.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>5. He next joined Heracles in his expedition against the
-Amazons, and received, as the reward of victory, their queen
-Antiope, or Hippolyte. Another tradition asserts that Antiope
-followed him of her own free will to Athens, where she was
-married to him, and became the mother of Hippolytus, famed
-for his unhappy fate. His great beauty caused his step-mother
-Phædra, a later wife of Theseus, and a sister of Ariadne, to fall
-in love with him. As he withdrew himself from her dishonourable
-proposals by flight, she accused him to his father of attempts
-on her virtue. Theseus, in his wrath, besought Poseidon to
-punish his faithless son; and the god, who had sworn to grant
-any request of Theseus, sent a wild bull (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">i.e.</span></i>, a breaker) out of
-the sea as Hippolytus was driving in his chariot along the sea-shore.
-This so terrified his horses that Hippolytus was thrown
-from his chariot, and dragged along the ground till he was
-dead. This story—the scene of which was afterwards transferred
-to Trœzen, whither Theseus was supposed to have fled on account
-of a murder—was dealt with in a touching manner by the tragic
-poets. The <cite>Hippolytus</cite> of Euripides is still extant.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>6. As a result of the carrying off of Antiope, a second contest
-with the Amazons was subsequently invented, in which Theseus
-was engaged alone, and which took place in the immediate
-neighbourhood of Athens. The Amazons are supposed to have
-invaded Attica, in order to release their queen. Antiope, however,
-was so enamoured of Theseus that she refused to return,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>and fought at her husband’s side, against her kindred, until she
-was slain.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Lastly, Theseus is said to have taken part in the Calydonian
-boar hunt, and also in the expedition of the Argonauts, of which
-we shall have more to say hereafter.</p>
-
-<div id='f_59' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_59.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 59.—Elgin Theseus. British Museum.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The death of Theseus is commonly agreed to have taken place
-in the following manner:—He had been deprived of the
-sovereignty of Athens by Menestheus, who was aided by the
-Dioscuri; and then withdrew to the island of Scyros. Here he
-was at first hospitably received, but subsequently murdered in a
-treacherous manner by Lycomedes, the ruler of the island.
-Demophoön, the son of Theseus, is said to have afterwards
-recovered his father’s kingdom. At a still later period the bones
-of the hero were brought to Athens by Cimon, at the command
-of the Delphic oracle. Cimon is also supposed to have caused
-the erection of the temple of Theseus, which still exists in
-Athens, and serves as an art museum. The eighth day of
-every month was held sacred to Theseus, besides which he
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>had a special
-festival, called
-the Thesea, on
-the eighth of
-Pyanepsion.</p>
-
-<div id='f_60' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_60.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 60.—Theseus Lifting the Rock. Relief in the Villa Albani.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Art has followed
-the example of
-the poets and mythologists
-in depicting
-Theseus as
-a second Heracles.
-Here, however,
-the characteristic
-differences that
-existed between
-the Doric and
-Ionic races become
-apparent.
-Just as the latter
-race surpassed the
-former in elasticity,
-both of mind
-and body, so their
-national hero
-gives token not
-only of a higher
-intellectual being,
-but also of a body
-more lithe, and
-capable of greater
-swiftness and dexterity,
-than that
-of the Doric hero.
-The slighter and
-more elegant form
-of Theseus lacks,
-perhaps, the sheer
-brute strength of
-Heracles, but is compensated by the possession of a far greater
-degree of activity and adroitness. The expression of face is
-more amiable and the hair less bristling than that of Heracles,
-while there is generally no beard. Such is Theseus as depicted by
-Greek art at the epoch of its full development; later art strove
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>to render the form of the body still more lithe and graceful. The
-costume of Theseus consists, like that of his prototype Heracles,
-of a lion’s skin and club; sometimes also of the chlamys and petasus
-of the Attic youth. Existing art monuments are far less numerous
-in his case than in that of Heracles. If the explanation is correct,
-the British Museum possesses a Theseus of priceless value. Among
-the statues of the Parthenon which have been preserved, there is one
-of a figure negligently reclining on a lion’s skin, which, with the
-exception of the nose, hands, and feet, is in a tolerably good state of
-preservation (Fig. 59). It belonged to the great group of the east
-gable, which represented the first appearance of the new-born Athene
-to the astonished gods. It is the figure of a youth in his prime,
-somewhat larger than life, and altogether a perfect ideal of manly
-beauty.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>A representation of the conflict of Theseus with the invading army
-of the Amazons still exists on a large piece of frieze-work, which,
-together with the representations of the battle of the Lapithæ and
-Centaurs (which have been already mentioned), formerly decorated
-the walls of the shrine of Apollo’s temple in Phigalia, and is now the
-property of the British Museum. Among the Greek warriors
-Theseus may be easily recognised by his lion’s skin and the club,
-which he is in the act of swinging against a mounted Amazon, probably
-the leader of the hostile army. We give an engraving of the
-scene where Theseus obtained the sword and sandals of his father
-from beneath the rock, after a relief in the Villa Albani (Fig. 60).</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>8. Cretan Legend.</b>—<em>1. Minos and the Minotaur.</em>—Cretan
-myths are both obscure and difficult of interpretation, because
-Phœnician and Phrygian influences made themselves felt at a
-very early period, and native sources fail us. Minos is commonly
-supposed to have been the first king of the country. He
-was the son of Zeus and Europa, who is called in Homer a
-daughter of Phœnix. This Phœnix was subsequently made into
-Agenor, a Phœnician, king of Sidon; and the story then arose
-that Zeus, in the form of a white bull, had carried off Europa,
-and arrived with his lovely prey in Crete. Europa is there
-said to have given birth to Minos, Rhadamanthys (Rhadamanthus),
-and some say Sarpedon. She afterwards married
-Asterion, who brought up the sons of Zeus as his own children,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>and, at his death, left the kingdom to Minos. He, after
-expelling his brothers Sarpedon and Rhadamanthus, became
-sole king of Crete. Of his brothers, Sarpedon went to Lycia,
-whilst the pious Rhadamanthus found a refuge in Bœotia.
-Minos next married Pasiphaë, a daughter of Helios and Perseïs,
-by whom he became the father of Catreus, who succeeded him,
-Deucalion, Glaucus, and Androgeos, besides several daughters,
-of whom the most celebrated are Ariadne and Phædra. Minos
-gave wise laws to his people, and became supreme at sea among
-the isles of the Ægean Sea, and even as far as Attica. In his
-name we find the same root (meaning “to think”) which we have
-seen in Minerva, and which appears in the name of the Indian
-lawgiver Manu.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In order to vindicate his right to the crown, Minos besought
-Poseidon to send him a bull out of the sea, which he was then
-to sacrifice to the god. Poseidon granted his prayer, but Minos
-was induced by the beauty of the animal to place it among his
-own herds. As a punishment of his perfidy, Poseidon kindled
-in the breast of Pasiphaë an unnatural love for the bull, and the
-fruit of their connection was the Minotaur. This was a monster,
-half man and half bull, which Minos shut up in the labyrinth
-that had been made by the skill of Dædalus. The food of the
-monster consisted of human beings, who were partly criminals
-and partly youths and maidens, sent as tribute from the subjugated
-countries. This lasted until Theseus came to Crete, and,
-with the aid of Ariadne and Dædalus, destroyed the Minotaur.
-Such is the substance of this perplexing mythical tradition, of
-which the simplest interpretation is that the Minotaur was
-originally an ancient idol of the Phœnician sun-god Baal, which
-had the form of a bull, and to which human sacrifices were
-offered. The destruction of the Minotaur by Theseus is a
-symbol of the triumph of the higher Greek civilisation over
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>Phœnician barbarism, and the consequent abolition of human
-sacrifices.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Closely connected with the royal family of Crete we find
-Dædalus, the most celebrated artist of the legendary period.
-He is said to have been a son of Metion, and a descendant of
-Erechtheus, and to have fled from Athens to Crete after
-murdering his nephew Talus in a fit of professional jealousy.
-During his residence in Crete he constructed the Labyrinth, an
-underground building with an endless maze of passages, as a
-dwelling-place for the Minotaur; besides many other wonderful
-works of art. For having aided Theseus in his combat with
-the Minotaur, Dædalus and his son Icarus were both imprisoned
-in the Labyrinth of Minos. The story of his flight, which he
-accomplished by means of the artificial wings that he made for
-himself and his son, is well known from the <cite>Metamorphoses</cite> of
-Ovid. Icarus fell into the sea that is named after him, and was
-drowned, but Dædalus reached Cumæ in safety. From this
-place he passed over to Sicily, where he was hospitably received
-by Cocalus. When Minos, however, pursued the fugitive and
-demanded his surrender, not only was his request refused, but
-he was even put to death by the contrivance of the king’s
-daughters.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Of the other sons of Minos, Deucalion is celebrated as having
-taken part in the Calydonian boar hunt, and also as the father
-of the hero Idomeneus, who fought against Troy. Glaucus was
-killed, while yet a boy, by falling into a cask of honey as he
-was pursuing a mouse. He is reported, however, to have been
-restored to life by the Corinthian augur Polyidus, or, according
-to others, by Asclepius himself.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. Talos.</em>—The legend of Talos, the brazen man, betrays likewise
-a Phœnician origin, and refers to the cruel practice of
-offering human sacrifices. This Talos was made of brass, and
-was invulnerable. Hephæstus, or, as others say, Zeus gave him
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>to Minos as guardian of the island of Crete, round which he
-travelled thrice a-day. If he perceived any strangers approach
-he would spring into the fire, and, after becoming red-hot, he
-would clasp them to his breast, until they expired beneath the
-sardonic chuckle of the demon. He attempted to drive off the
-Argonauts with stones, but was destroyed by the skill of Medea.
-Talos had a single vein, which ran from his head to his feet, and
-was closed at the top with a nail. This nail Medea cleverly
-succeeded in extracting, in consequence of which Talos bled to
-death.</p>
-
-<h3 class='c019'>IV.—COMBINED UNDERTAKINGS OF THE LATER HEROIC AGE.</h3>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>1. The Calydonian Hunt.</b>—The story of Meleager and the
-Calydonian boar hunt was undoubtedly, in its origin, nothing
-more than a provincial myth based on natural phenomena, like
-other myths that we have already explained. In this case the
-physical significance involved in the myth soon disappeared,
-owing to the treatment it received at the hands of the epic and
-dramatic poets. The poets, in fact, succeeded in introducing
-some striking ethical conceptions, which absorbed all higher
-interest.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Œneus, king of Calydon in Ætolia, on the occasion of
-a great festival which was celebrated after a successful vintage,
-had accidentally or purposely omitted to sacrifice to Artemis.
-To punish this neglect she sent a huge wild boar, which devastated
-the fields of Calydon, and seemed invincible by any
-ordinary means on account of its vast size. Meleager, the brave
-and heroic son of Œneus, therefore assembled men and hounds
-in great number to slay it. The boar was slain; but Artemis
-stirred up strife over the head and hide between the Ætolians
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>and the Curetes of Pleuron. At first the former were victorious;
-but when Meleager withdrew in wrath from the battle because
-his mother had cursed him for the death of her brother, they were
-no longer able to keep the field, and soon saw their city closely
-invested by their enemies. In vain did the elders and priests
-of Calydon beseech Meleager; in vain did his father, sisters, and
-even mother beseech him to aid his hard-pressed countrymen.
-Like Achilles in the Trojan war, when he was wroth with
-Agamemnon on account of the loss of Briseis, Meleager long
-refused to stir. At last his wife—the beautiful Cleopatra—succeeded
-in moving him. He donned his armour, and put
-himself at the head of his countrymen for a sally against the
-besiegers. Brilliant, indeed, was the victory of the men of
-Calydon; but the hero Meleager did not return from the battle,
-for the cruel Erinyes, who had heard his mother’s curse, destroyed
-him with the arrows of Apollo.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Such is the earliest form of the legend, as it exists in the
-<cite>Iliad</cite>. In time, however, Meleager was said to have called
-together against the boar all the renowned heroes of Greece.
-Among others there came the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux;
-Theseus and his friend Pirithoüs; Idas and Lynceus, the sons
-of Aphareus; Admetus of Pheræ; Jason, from Iolcus; Iphicles
-and Iolaüs, from Thebes; Peleus, the father of Achilles; Telamon,
-from Salamis; Ancæus and the beautiful huntress Atalante
-(Atalanta), from Arcadia; besides the soothsayer Amphiaraüs,
-from Argos. After Œneus had entertained his guests royally
-for nine days, the hunt began, and the huge beast, which was
-as large as an ox, was surrounded and driven from its lair.
-Atalante, the swift huntress, was the first to inflict a wound.
-Ancæus then advanced with his battle-axe, but the enraged
-beast, with one stroke of his dreadful tusks, tore open his body
-and killed him on the spot. At length the monster received a
-mortal wound from a spear hurled by the powerful arm of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>Meleager, and was soon despatched by the rest. Meleager
-received as his due the head and hide of the slaughtered animal,
-but resigned the prize to Atalante, of whom he was enamoured,
-on the ground that she was the first to wound the boar. This
-act excited the bitter jealousy of Plexippus and Toxeus, the sons
-of Thestius, king of Pleuron, and brothers of Althæa, the mother
-of Meleager. They accordingly lay in wait for Atalante, and
-robbed her of the present. Enraged at this, Meleager slew them
-both. But Meleager’s death, though caused by the wrath of his
-mother, was worked out differently in the time of the tragic
-poets. The Fates had appeared to Althæa, soon after the birth
-of Meleager, and informed her that her son would only live until
-a certain brand, which was then burning on the fire, was consumed.
-Althæa immediately snatched the brand from the
-flames and carefully treasured it up. After Meleager had slain
-her brothers, in the first outburst of grief and indignation
-against her son, she placed the brand again in the fire, and thus
-cut off the noble hero in the prime of his youth and beauty.
-Althæa, on learning the unhappy fate of her son, full of sorrow
-for her hasty deed, put an end to her own life.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>2. The Argonauts.</b>—The story of the Argonauts experienced
-a similar fate to that of the Calydonian hunt. It was originally
-nothing but a myth based on natural phenomena; but in the
-hands of the poets it swelled to a mass of legends common to all
-the tribes of Greece, the nucleus of which was the history of the
-golden fleece. Athamas, the son of Æolus, was king of the Minyæ.
-He put away his first wife, Nephele (cloud), in order to marry
-Ino, the daughter of Cadmus; though he still kept Phrixus
-(rain-shower) and Helle (ray of light), his children by Nephele,
-with him. By Ino he had two other children, Learchus and
-Melicertes, whom their mother naturally preferred to her stepchildren,
-and for whose sake she endeavoured to drive the latter
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>from their father’s house. Soon afterwards, either at the command
-of Nephele, whom some represent as a goddess, or in
-consequence of her prayers for the punishment of Athamas, the
-land was visited with a long drought, and Ino persuaded her
-husband to sacrifice Phrixus as a sin-offering to Zeus, in order to
-put an end to the calamity. Whether Helle was to have shared
-her brother’s fate we cannot tell, for, before Ino could accomplish
-her purpose, Nephele came to the assistance of her children, and
-gave them a winged ram with a golden fleece, which Hermes
-had presented to her for that purpose. Seated on this ram they
-fled over the sea to Colchis. On the way Helle fell into that
-part of the sea which bears her name, and was drowned, but
-Phrixus arrived safely in Colchis (Æa), where he sacrificed the
-ram to Zeus, who had preserved him in his flight. The fleece
-he hung up in the grove of Ares as a sacred treasure, setting
-over it a terrible, ever-watchful dragon as its guardian. To
-fetch this treasure from a foreign land, and thereby to release
-the country and people of the Minyæ from the calamity with
-which they were oppressed, was the task of the heroes of the
-race of Æolus. Athamas was so grieved at the evil he had
-brought on his country that he became insane, and sought to
-slay Ino and her children. He did, indeed, kill Learchus by
-dashing him against a rock, but Ino succeeded in saving herself
-and her younger child Melicertes by leaping into the sea (<em>cf.</em> Ino
-Leucothea). Athamas then fled to Epirus, and the kingdom
-devolved on his brother Cretheus. Cretheus married Tyro, the
-daughter of his younger brother Salmoneus, king of Elis. Tyro
-bore him three sons, the eldest of whom, Æson, succeeded his
-father in the kingdom, but was soon after expelled by his step-brother
-Pelias, who is described as a son of Tyro and Poseidon.
-Æson with difficulty managed to rescue his little son Jason from
-the hands of Pelias, and brought him to the Centaur Chiron to
-be educated. In Chiron’s cave the young hero grew up, a
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>favourite with gods and men. After completing his twentieth
-year, he betook himself to Iolcus to demand of his uncle his
-rightful inheritance. Pelias, not daring to use violence to the
-sturdy youth, endeavoured to get rid of his unwelcome guest by
-involving him in a most dangerous adventure. He declared that
-he would gladly resign the crown if Jason would recover the
-golden fleece from Colchis. Jason, like a true hero, at once
-accepted the perilous adventure. In the harbour of Iolcus he
-caused a large ship with fifty oars to be constructed, which he
-called the “Argo,” after its builder, Argus. He then called
-together the heroes, who had consented at his invitation to take
-part in the expedition. In the original version of the story, the
-expedition was stated to have been undertaken only by the
-heroes of the race of the Minyæ—such as Acastus, Admetus,
-and Periclymenus. At a later period, however—when the date
-of the expedition had been fixed at one generation before the
-Trojan war—no hero of any note was allowed to be absent from
-the undertaking. In this manner were added the Dioscuri, the
-sons of Boreas, Calaïs and Zetes, Telamon, Peleus, Meleager,
-Tydeus, Iphitus, Theseus, Orpheus, Amphiaraüs, and even
-Heracles. In the last case, the incongruity of allowing the
-hero to play only a subordinate part was soon felt, and his
-name was withdrawn. He was said to have been left behind in
-Mysia, where he had landed in order to search for his favourite
-Hylas, who had been carried off by the Naiads. The number
-of the Argonauts was finally computed at fifty, tallying with the
-number of oars.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The expedition proceeded from Iolcus to Lemnos, and thence
-through the Hellespont to Cyzicus, where they were kindly
-received by the Doliones. From Cyzicus they proceeded to
-Bithynia, where they were opposed by the Bebryces, whose
-king, Amycus, was slain by Pollux in a boxing match. Their
-greatest difficulty lay in the passage of the Bosporus, there
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>being at the entrance of the Pontus (Black Sea) two terrible
-rocks, which were in constant motion—now retreating to the
-shore on either side, now hastily dashing together again; whence
-they were called the Symplegades. This occurred so rapidly
-that even the swiftest vessel had not time enough to get through.
-The Argonauts were in great perplexity. At length the blind
-seer Phineus, who dwelt in Thracian Salmydessus, and whose
-gratitude they won by delivering him from the Harpies who
-had tormented him, assisted them with his advice. By means
-of a stratagem he recommended they were enabled to bring the
-Argo through without any considerable damage, after which the
-Symplegades remained stationary. After this they stood along
-the south coast towards their destination, which, in the original
-legend, appears to have been the utterly fabulous Æa, subsequently
-converted into Colchis. This was the residence of the
-mighty king Æetes, a son of the sun-god. To rob him, either
-by craft or by violence, of the golden fleece was the task of
-Jason, the leader of the Argonauts.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The second prominent character in the story, Medea, the
-daughter of Æetes, now makes her appearance. It was, in fact,
-only through her love that Jason was enabled to surmount the
-vast obstacles which stood between him and the possession of
-the golden fleece. When the hero demanded the fleece of
-Æetes, the latter declared that he would deliver it up to him
-after he had accomplished two tasks. The first was to harness
-two brazen-footed, fire-breathing bulls, which Æetes had received
-from Hephæstus, to a plough, and with them to till an uncultivated
-field. The second was to sow in the furrows the dragon’s
-teeth that Æetes would give him, and to destroy the armed men
-which would then spring up. Jason’s heart failed him on
-hearing these conditions, but Medea, who was an enchantress
-and priestess of Hecate, was equal to the occasion. She gave
-the hero a magic salve to protect him against the fiery breath of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>the bulls and to endow him with invincible strength, which
-enabled him to accomplish his first task successfully. In the
-case of the armed men who sprang from the dragon’s teeth, by
-the advice of Medea he followed the example of Cadmus, and
-cast among them a heavy stone, whereupon in blind fury they
-turned their arms against each other, and were all destroyed.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The conditions imposed upon him by Æetes were thus accomplished;
-but the king, who perceived that Jason had only
-succeeded through the aid of his daughter, made this a pretext
-for refusing to surrender the fleece. Jason then removed it by
-night from the grove of Ares, after Medea had, by means of her
-enchantments, lulled the watchful dragon to sleep. That same
-night the Argonauts embarked on board their ship and put to
-sea, Medea accompanying them as the future wife of Jason.
-The wrathful Æetes attempted to overtake the fugitives, but
-Medea succeeded in staying the pursuit by slaying her younger
-brother Apsyrtus, whom she had brought with her, and scattering
-his limbs in the sea.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The most diverse accounts exist as to the road taken by the
-Argonauts on their homeward journey. Some say that they
-sailed up the Phasis to the Eastern Sea, and then, passing
-through the Red Sea and Libyan desert, over which they had to
-carry the Argo twelve days’ journey, came to Lake Tritonis, and
-thence to the Mediterranean. According to another account,
-they sought to pass through the Ister (Danube) and Eridanus
-(Po) to the Western Ocean; but the object of this account was
-manifestly to subject them to the same vicissitudes and adventures
-as Odysseus and his companions.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>At length Jason landed happily in Iolcus, and delivered the
-golden fleece into the hands of his uncle. Pelias, however, still
-refused to surrender the kingdom to Jason, and Medea therefore
-determined to make away with him by craft. Having persuaded
-the daughters of Pelias that she possessed a means of making
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>the old man young again, she directed them to slay their father,
-cut him in pieces, and boil the limbs in a cauldron filled with all
-manner of herbs; this they did in the vain expectation of seeing
-him restored to youth. Jason now took possession of his
-father’s kingdom, but was soon afterwards expelled by Acastus,
-the son of Pelias, and took refuge in Corinth. His subsequent
-misfortunes are well known. Thinking to better his condition,
-he was about to marry Creüsa, the daughter of the king of
-Corinth, when he was arrested by the fearful vengeance of his
-first wife. Medea sent the bride a poisoned garment, which
-caused her to die an agonising death, and then slew her own
-children by Jason; after which she fled in her chariot drawn by
-winged dragons to Athens, where she long found protection at
-the court of Ægeus. Jason either put an end to his own life, or
-was killed by the fall of a rotten beam of the Argo.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>In the history of the golden fleece we have one of the most
-widely spread myths of all, namely, that of the loss and recovery
-of a treasure. In Teutonic tradition we have the treasure of the
-Nibelungs, in which the very name is almost identical; and if
-we include the stories of women carried off and rescued, the
-list becomes endless. And the treasure of all those stories has
-been interpreted to be the golden clouds. The Dragon which
-guards the treasure again appears in the story of the apples of
-the Hesperides, and is closely allied to the Sphinx.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><b>3. The Theban Cycle.</b>—The highly tragic history of the
-Theban house of the Labdacidæ, teeming as it does with important
-characters and events, has at all times furnished subjects
-for Greek art and poetry, and has given birth to a whole series
-of epic and dramatic works. The former, which would have
-conduced far more to an exact acquaintance with the legend,
-have, unfortunately, perished, with the exception of a few unimportant
-fragments; although many important works of the
-great tragic poets, Æschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, relating
-to the subject, still remain. The common account runs thus:—Laius,
-a great-grandson of Cadmus, was warned by the oracle to
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>beget no children, as he was doomed to perish by the hands of
-his son, who would then marry his mother. When his wife
-Iocaste gave birth to a son, Laius accordingly exposed the child,
-with its feet pierced, on Mount Cithæron. The child, called
-Œdipus from the swelling of its feet, did not die, but was found
-by some Corinthian shepherds, who brought it to Polybus, king
-of Corinth. Polybus, having no children of his own, adopted
-Œdipus, who grew up in the belief that Polybus and Merope
-were his real parents, until one day a taunt of his companions
-as to his mysterious origin raised doubts in his mind. In order
-to solve his misgivings, he went to consult the oracle of Delphi,
-but he here received only the obscure direction not to return to
-his country, since, if he did, he would kill his father and marry
-his mother. Fearing on this account to return to Corinth, he
-took the road to Thebes, and thus, by his presumptuous prudence,
-brought about the very consequences he was so anxious
-to avoid. On the road he was met by Laius, who was on his
-way to the oracle to ask its advice concerning the Sphinx. A
-quarrel arose, in a narrow defile, between Laius and Œdipus;
-and Œdipus slew his father without knowing who he was. On
-arriving at Thebes he succeeded in delivering the country from
-the Sphinx. This monster, which had the combined form of a
-woman and a lion, had been sent by Hera, whom Laius had in
-some way offended, from Ethiopia to devastate the land of
-Thebes. Seated on a rock close to the town, she put to every
-one that passed by a riddle, and whoever was unable to
-solve it, she cast from the rock into a deep abyss. This
-calamity induced Creon, on the death of his brother-in-law
-Laius, to proclaim that whoever solved the riddle should obtain
-the crown and the hand of Iocaste. Œdipus succeeded in
-solving it, and thus delivered the country from the monster,
-who cast herself into the abyss.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Sphinx belongs to the same family as many of the
-monsters we have spoken of already; she is called by Hesiod
-the child of Orthros and Chimæra, whom we have seen to be
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>the daughter of Typhon and Echidna. It would seem, therefore,
-probable that the contest between her and her opponent may
-be interpreted in the same way as that of Bellerophon and the
-Chimæra, or of Zeus and Typhon. In support of this, the
-following considerations may be adduced. Since we know
-that thunder was supposed to be a warning or encouragement
-to men, it is easy to see in it the mysterious voice of the cloud,
-only intelligible to the wisest of men. Hence the conqueror of
-the cloud was called the man who understood her language.
-(It would not a little help this idea, that Œdipus might seem
-derived from a word meaning “to know.”) Then the death of
-the Sphinx will be the cloud falling upon the earth in the shape
-of rain. Œdipus, on the other hand, will be the same antagonist
-as we have before seen victorious over the cloud dragons; the sun,
-born helpless, rising to take the kingdom after the slaughter of
-his enemies, yet at last sinking blinded into an unknown grave.
-This, however, does not cover the crimes laid to his charge.
-But they have been explained in this way: that when people
-lost consciousness of the real meaning of the misfortunes of
-Œdipus, they cast about for some adequate cause, and found one
-in the two great crimes of incest and parricide. We have seen
-something similar to this in the case of Ixion. Further, the
-names of the wives assigned by various writers to Œdipus are
-connected with the light, and the name Laius has been interpreted
-as “enemy” of the light. Sphinx itself signifies “throttler.”</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>In art, the Sphinx had the form of a lion, generally in a recumbent
-position, with the breast and upper part of a beautiful woman.
-When the Greeks saw similar figures in Egypt, they naturally gave
-them the name of Sphinx. But name, family, and meaning of the
-Sphinx are alike Greek, although the Egyptian statues have taken
-too firm possession of the name ever to lose it. Ancient Egyptian
-art revelled in the creation of colossal Sphinxes, which were carved
-out of granite. A notable example of this kind exists in the giant
-Sphinx near the Pyramids of Gizeh, which is eighty-nine feet long.
-From such monstrous figures as these, Greek art held aloof.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Œdipus was rewarded with the sovereignty of Thebes and the
-hand of Iocaste; and for several years he enjoyed uninterrupted
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>happiness, surrounded by four blooming children, the fruit of his
-incestuous marriage. By the secret agency of the goddess, the
-dreadful truth was at length discovered. Iocaste hanged herself,
-and Œdipus, in despair, put out his own eyes. Not content with
-this voluntary penance, the hard-hearted Thebans compelled him
-besides to leave their city and country, while his sons Eteocles and
-Polynices, who were now grown up, refused to stir a foot in their
-father’s behalf. Œdipus, after invoking bitter curses on their
-heads, withdrew, and, guided by his faithful daughter Antigone,
-at last found an asylum in the grove of the Eumenides at Colonus,
-near Athens. His grave there was regarded, in consequence of
-an ancient response of the oracle, as a national treasure.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The curse of their father took effect on his unnatural sons.
-The elder, Eteocles, drove out his brother Polynices, who then
-sought the assistance of Adrastus, king of Argos. Adrastus was
-a grandson of Bias, of the race of the Amythaonidæ, and by his
-marriage with the daughter of the wealthy Polybus acquired the
-sovereignty of Sicyon. He not only hospitably received the
-fugitive Polynices, but gave him his daughter in marriage, and
-promised to assist him in recovering the crown of Thebes. In
-this expedition Adrastus sought to gain the aid of the other
-Argive heroes. They all declared their readiness to accompany
-him, with the exception of Amphiaraüs, his brother-in-law, who
-was equally renowned for his wisdom and courage. Amphiaraüs
-was a great-grandson of the celebrated seer Melampus, and
-inherited from him the gift of prophecy. He was thus enabled
-to perceive the disastrous termination of the war, and strove to
-hinder it. But Polynices and the fiery Tydeus—likewise a son-in-law
-of Adrastus—were so unceasing in their entreaties, that
-he at length sought to escape their importunity by flight.
-Polynices, however, bribed his wife Eriphyle, by the present of a
-magnificent necklace, which had formerly been given to Harmonia
-on the occasion of her marriage with Cadmus, to betray his place
-of concealment. Hereupon Amphiaraüs was obliged unwillingly
-to join the expedition, which ended as he had prophesied. The
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>attack on Thebes was not only repulsed, but all the Argive
-leaders, with the exception of Adrastus, who was saved by the
-fleetness of his horse, were slain. Polynices and Eteocles fell in
-single combat with each other. The flight of Adrastus to Attica,
-where he procured the assistance of Theseus in compelling the
-Thebans to grant the fallen heroes a solemn burial, is a feature
-unknown to the original legend, and may be ascribed to the
-patriotic impulses of the Athenian dramatists. The celebrated
-tragedy of Sophocles, called <cite>Antigone</cite>, is based on the assumption
-that Creon, the new king of Thebes, allowed the burial of the
-other heroes, but left Polynices to lie unburied on the field like
-a dog, and condemned Antigone to death because she ventured
-to bury her brother in despite of his command. Creon was
-destined to meet with a dreadful retribution, for his own son,
-who was betrothed to Antigone, killed himself in grief at her fate.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Ten years later, the sons of the fallen heroes are said to have
-combined with Ægialeus, the son of Adrastus, to avenge their
-fathers’ defeat. This expedition has therefore been called the
-war of the Epigoni (descendants), and not being undertaken,
-like that of their fathers, in manifest opposition to the will of
-the gods, proved successful. Laodamas, the savage son of
-Eteocles, who was now king of Thebes, was defeated in a
-decisive battle near Thebes, and, after Ægialeus had fallen by
-his hands, was himself slain by Alcmæon, the son of Amphiaraüs.
-The Thebans were unable any longer to hold their city,
-and, following the advice of the blind seer Tiresias, they withdrew
-under the cover of darkness and mist. The aged Tiresias
-expired on the road, at the fountain of Tilphusa; of the rest,
-some took refuge in Thessalia, and some sought other lands.
-The victorious Argives, after plundering and partly destroying
-the city, dedicated a great portion of the booty—among which
-was Manto, the daughter of Tiresias—to the oracle of Delphi.
-They then made Thersander, the son of Polynices, king of Thebes;
-upon which many of the fugitive inhabitants returned. Thersander
-subsequently took part in the Trojan war, and there perished.</p>
-
-<p class='c006'><span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span><b>4. The Trojan Cycle.</b>—We now come to the Trojan war,
-the fourth and most celebrated of the common undertakings of
-the later heroic age. Here the sources of our information are
-far more plentiful than in any former period of mythic history,
-because both the grand national epics, the <cite>Iliad</cite> and the <cite>Odyssey</cite>,
-which are commonly ascribed to Homer, relate to the Trojan war.
-As the contents of these immortal poems are probably well known
-to our readers, we shall only dwell on the most essential features
-of the story.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>I. The Heroic Races of the Trojan War.</span>—<em>1. The Dardanidæ,
-or race of Dardanus.</em>—The royal family of Troy were
-descended from Dardanus, a son of Zeus by Electra, a daughter
-of Atlas. Dardanus is said to have emigrated from Samothrace,
-or, according to others, from Italy to Arcadia, to the north-west
-portion of Asia Minor, between the range of Ida and the Hellespont,
-where he received from king Teucer some land to form a
-settlement. By a daughter of the river-god Simoïs, or, as others
-say, of Scamander, Dardanus had a son called Tros, from whom
-the Trojans derived their name. Tros had three sons—Assaracus,
-Ilus, and Ganymedes. The last, who, like all the scions of the
-race of Dardanus, was possessed of wonderful beauty, was raised
-by Zeus to the dignity of cupbearer to the gods, and thus became
-immortal. Ilus and Assaracus became the founders of two
-different branches of the Dardanian race. The latter remained
-in his native settlement of Dardania, where he became the father
-of Capys and the grandfather of Anchises, the father of Æneas.
-Ilus, on the other hand, emigrated to the plains of the Scamander,
-where he founded the city of Ilium, or Troy. After completing
-the town, he begged Zeus to bestow on him a sign of his favour.
-The next morning he found in front of his tent the celebrated
-Palladium—an image of Pallas Athene, carved in wood. On
-the possession of this depended the fortune and welfare of the
-city. After the death of Ilus, his son Laomedon became king
-of Troy. At his request, Poseidon and Apollo built the citadel
-of Pergamum. We have already related how this king, by his
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>faithless conduct provoked the wrath of Heracles, and the first
-capture of the city. Of his sons only Priam remained; in him the
-race of Dardanus flourished afresh, for by his wife Hecuba and
-by his concubines he had a great number of sons and daughters.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>2. The Pelopidæ, or race of Pelops.</em>—The Pelopidæ, who were
-chiefly instrumental in the destruction of Troy, were descended
-from the Phrygian king Tantalus, who was renowned alike for his
-unexampled good fortune and his subsequent unhappy fate. He
-was the son of Zeus and Pluto (rich plenty), and inhabited a citadel
-on Mount Sipylus, whence his rich pasture-lands and fruitful
-corn-fields extended twelve days’ journey, as far as Ida and the
-Propontis. The very gods honoured him with their friendship,
-and lived on such intimate terms that they invited him to eat at
-their table. This unheard-of good fortune, however, begot in the
-puny mortal such presumption, that he began to indulge in the
-grossest outrages on gods and men. At length he went so far as
-to cut his son Pelops in pieces to boil them, and set them before
-the gods in order to test their omniscience. The cup of his iniquity
-now seemed full, and the gods brought down a heavy retribution
-on the head of the criminal by his well-known punishment in
-the lower world, where, though surrounded by the most delicious
-fruits, and standing up to his neck in water, he was nevertheless
-condemned to suffer the pangs of continual hunger and thirst.
-Another tradition relates that he was kept in constant anxiety by
-a huge rock which was suspended over his head. (See pp. <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>.)</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The children of Tantalus were Pelops and Niobe. The unhappy
-fate of the latter has already been described in the mythic
-history of Thebes. Pelops was restored to life by the art of
-Hermes; and a portion of his shoulder, which had been consumed
-by Demeter, was replaced by the gods with a piece of
-ivory. Pelops is said to have grown up in Olympus, amongst
-the blessed gods. On being restored to earth, he proceeded to
-Elis, where he became a suitor for the hand of Hippodamia, the
-beautiful daughter of the king Œnomaüs. The latter had
-promised his daughter to the man who should vanquish him in
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>a chariot race: whoever failed was obliged to expiate his temerity
-with his life, as Œnomaüs transfixed him with his unerring
-lance as he passed. Thirteen noble youths had already suffered
-this fate, when Pelops appeared to undergo the dangerous ordeal.
-By means of the untiring winged horses which had been given
-him by Poseidon, and also by bribing Myrtilus, the King’s
-charioteer—who, before starting, withdrew the linch-pins from
-his master’s chariot or replaced them with wax—he came off
-victorious. Œnomaüs either was killed by the breaking down
-of his chariot, or put an end to his own life on seeing himself
-vanquished. Pelops now obtained both Hippodamia and the
-kingdom of Elis; but he ill rewarded Myrtilus, who had rendered
-him such valuable service, by casting him into the sea, in order
-to release himself from his obligations. Hermes, whose son he
-is reputed to have been, set him amongst the stars as charioteer.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The sons of Pelops by Hippodamia were Atreus and Thyestes,
-whose history, which is full of the most revolting crimes, formed a
-favourite subject with the tragic poets. First, Atreus and Thyestes
-murdered their step-brother Chrysippus, and were compelled to
-leave their country in company with their mother. They were
-hospitably received at Mycenæ by their brother-in-law Sthenelus,
-the son of Perseus, or by his son Eurystheus. On Eurystheus’
-death, they inherited the sovereignty of the Persidæ in Argos,
-and Atreus now took up his residence in the proud capital of
-Mycenæ, whence, strange to say, the most ancient specimen of
-Greek sculpture has come down to us in the so-called Gate of
-Lions. Soon an implacable enmity arose between the two
-brothers, and Thyestes, in consequence, was banished from
-Argos. He took with him, in revenge, Pleisthenes, the young
-son of Atreus, brought him up as his own son, and despatched
-him, later, to Mycenæ to kill Atreus. His design was discovered,
-and he expiated his intended crime with his life. When Atreus
-learned that it was his own son whom he had condemned to
-death, he determined on a dreadful revenge. Pretending to be
-reconciled, he recalled Thyestes and his children to Mycenæ; and
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>Thyestes, trusting to his brother’s word, returned. Atreus then
-privately seized the two young sons of Thyestes, slew them, and
-set this horrible food before their father. Horror-struck at this
-inhuman cruelty, the sun turned his chariot and went back in
-his course. Thyestes, uttering fearful curses against his brother
-and the whole race of the Pelopidæ, again escaped, and took
-refuge with Thesprotus, king of Epirus. Later, he succeeded,
-with the help of his only remaining son Ægisthus, in avenging
-himself on his brother. Atreus was slain by Ægisthus whilst
-offering up a sacrifice on the sea-shore, and Thyestes now acquired
-the sovereignty of Mycenæ. The sons of Atreus, Agamemnon
-and Menelaüs, fled from their barbarous uncle to
-Sparta, where Tyndareüs, the king, received them kindly, and
-gave them his daughters, Clytæmnestra and Helen, in marriage.
-With his aid Agamemnon recovered his father’s kingdom, slew
-Thyestes, and drove out Ægisthus. Menelaüs remained in
-Sparta—where he succeeded Tyndareüs—until the carrying off
-of his wife Helen by Paris gave rise to the Trojan war.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>3. The Æacidæ, or race of Æacus.</em>—After the sons of Atreus,
-the Æacidæ play the most important part in the Trojan war;
-in fact, we are almost justified in saying that the war was an
-exploit of these two races of heroes and their peoples, the
-Achæans of Argos and the Hellenes of Phthia. The ancestor of
-the Æacidæ was Æacus, who was renowned alike for his wisdom
-and justice, and on this account subsequently made a judge in
-the lower world. Æacus was a son of Zeus by Ægina, a
-daughter of the river-god Asopus. He ruled over the island of
-Ægina, and married Endeïs, the daughter of the wise Centaur
-Chiron. She bore him two sons, Peleus and Telamon. On
-reaching manhood they were compelled to leave their country,
-because, like the sons of Pelops, they had murdered, in a fit of
-jealousy, a step-brother who was a favourite with their father.
-Peleus betook himself to Phthia, where he was kindly received
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>by Eurytion, who bestowed on him the hand of his daughter and
-a third part of his kingdom. Peleus afterwards took part in the
-boar hunt of Calydon, on which occasion he had the misfortune
-to kill his father-in-law. In consequence of this, he left Phthia
-and proceeded to Iolcus, where he took part in the funeral
-games which Acastus was celebrating in honour of his father
-Pelias, who had perished by the treachery of Medea. Here he
-experienced a similar fate to that of Bellerophon at the court of
-Prœtus. Astydameia, the wife of Acastus, finding herself unable
-to seduce him, slandered him to her husband, who thereupon
-sought to take his life. After hunting on Pelion one day, Peleus
-fell asleep, and was left thus unprotected by Acastus, who hoped
-by this means to get rid of him. He would, indeed, have been
-murdered by the Centaurs, if the gods had not taken pity on
-him, and sent him by Hermes a sword of wonderful power, with
-which he was enabled to repel the assaults of the wild inhabitants
-of the forest. Peleus, with the help of the Dioscuri,
-subsequently took Iolcus, and put the treacherous Acastus and
-his wife to death. As a reward for his chastity, the gods gave
-him the goddess Thetis—a beautiful daughter of Nereus—to wife.
-She bore him one son, Achilleus (Achilles), the greatest and
-bravest hero of the Trojan war. A later tradition asserts that
-Thetis left her husband soon after the birth of Achilles, because
-he had disturbed her when she was about to render her child
-immortal in the fire, just as Demeter intended to do to the child
-of Celeüs; but this story is unknown to Homer. According to
-a still later legend, she plunged her son into the Styx, and
-thereby rendered him invulnerable in every part except the heel
-by which she held him. Like all noble heroes, Achilles was
-instructed by Chiron, under whom he acquired such wonderful
-skill in all feats of strength and agility that he soon surpassed
-all his contemporaries. In addition to Chiron, Homer names
-Phœnix, the son of Amyntor, as the instructor of the youthful
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>hero. Achilles proceeded to the Trojan war with cheerful determination,
-although he knew beforehand that he was not fated to
-return alive. The story that his mother Thetis, in order to avert
-his fate, sent him, disguised in women’s clothes, to the court of
-Lycomedes, king of Scyros, where he was discovered by the
-craft of Odysseus, is a post-Homeric invention.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>From Telamon, the second son of Æacus, was descended Aias
-or Ajax, a hero of but little less importance. Telamon, after
-his flight from Ægina, found a new home in Salamis, where he
-married the daughter of the king Cychreus. On the decease of
-Cychreus, he succeeded to the crown. After the death of his
-first wife, he married Peribœa, a daughter of Alcathoüs, king of
-Megara, who bore him Ajax. Tradition tells us much of the
-intimate friendship of Heracles and Telamon, who took part in
-the Trojan expedition of his mighty friend. Heracles, in return,
-gave him Hesione, the daughter of Laomedon, by whom he
-became the father of a second son, Teucer. Like every celebrated
-hero of antiquity, he is said to have taken part in the
-Calydonian hunt and the expedition of the Argonauts. Nothing
-inferior to this brave and doughty father was his son Ajax, on
-whom the mighty hero Heracles had invoked the blessing of his
-father Zeus, when as a child he held him in his arms. He was
-of greater size and strength than any of the other heroes; though
-he appears somewhat uncouth and clumsy when contrasted with
-the swift and agile form of Achilles. His mighty shield was
-as characteristic of him as the ponderous deadly spear was of
-Achilles. Beside him, his brother Teucer ranks as the best
-archer among the Greeks.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><em>4. Nestor, the Locrian Ajax, Diomedes, and Odysseus.</em>—Associated
-with the heroes of the race of Pelops and Æacus
-were some other renowned chieftains. First among them was
-the aged Nestor, of Pylus, whose wise counsels were as indispensable
-to the Greeks before Troy as the dauntless courage of
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>an Achilles or an Ajax. Nestor was the youngest of the twelve
-sons of Neleus, who was himself a son of Poseidon and Tyro,
-and twin-brother of Pelias. Neleus, having been driven out by
-Pelias, took refuge in Messenia, where he became the founder
-of a new kingdom. Later, however, both his sovereignty and
-the glory of his house were well-nigh extinguished by the
-hostility of Heracles, who slew all the sons of Neleus except
-Nestor. When quite young, Nestor defeated the neighbouring
-tribes of the Epei and Arcadians, and restored the dominions of
-his father to their former extent. He likewise took part in the
-contest between the Lapithæ and the Centaurs, in the Calydonian
-boar hunt, and in the expedition of the Argonauts.
-Though so far advanced in years—having ruled over three
-generations of men—he could not withstand the desire to take
-part in the Trojan war.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Locrian Ajax—also called the Lesser Ajax, to distinguish
-him from his mighty namesake—was a son of the Locrian king
-Oïleus, of whom nothing more is known than that he took part
-in the expedition of the Argonauts. Ajax was renowned among
-the Greeks for his skill in hurling the spear and for his great
-fleetness, in which he was surpassed only by Achilles. He
-always appears in a linen corslet, and his followers, the Opuntian
-Locrians, are also light-armed troops.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Diomedes was a member of the oft-mentioned race of the
-Æolian Amythaonidæ. His father was the hot-headed Tydeus,
-who was killed in the war of the Seven against Thebes. Diomedes,
-who inherited no small portion of his father’s wild,
-untameable disposition, of course took part in the war of the
-Epigoni, and subsequently succeeded his grandfather Adrastus
-in his Argive sovereignty at Sicyon. He also restored his
-paternal grandfather, the aged Ætolian king Œneus, who had
-been dethroned by the sons of his brother Agrius, to his kingdom.
-In the <cite>Iliad</cite> he appears as a special favourite of Pallas
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>Athene, and Homer makes him play an important part in the
-contests of the Greeks before the walls of Troy. In post-Homeric
-story he is represented as having carried off the Trojan
-Palladium.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Finally, Odysseus (Ulysses), the most popular of the Greek
-heroes of the Trojan war, was a son of Laërtes, king of Ithaca,
-by Anticlea, the daughter of Autolycus. Autolycus inhabited a
-district on Mount Parnassus, and was renowned for his cunning.
-His grandson seems to have inherited no small part of his grandfather’s
-disposition. Through his noble and virtuous wife
-Penelope, Odysseus was closely related to the Atridæ; Penelope
-being the daughter of Icarius, who was a brother of the Spartan
-king Tyndareüs. He was therefore obliged—though much
-against his will—to comply with the request of Menelaüs, and
-join the expedition against Troy. On account of his wisdom
-and eloquence, his dexterity in all feats of strength, and his
-dauntless valour in the midst of danger, he also was a special
-favourite of Pallas.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>II. The War.</span>—The <cite>Iliad</cite> of Homer, the most important
-source of our information with regard to the Trojan war, does
-not deal with the events of the first nine years; and of those of
-the tenth and last year it only gives such episodes as relate to
-the quarrel of Achilles and Agamemnon. Of the origin of the
-war, and the events of the first nine years, it speaks only incidentally,
-for the sake of explanation. The gap has to be filled
-up from the works of those writers who had access to other epic
-poems of the Trojan cycle, which are now no longer extant.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Eris, the goddess of discord, not having been invited to the
-marriage festivities of Peleus and Thetis, avenged herself by
-casting into the assembly a golden apple, with the inscription—“To
-the fairest.” The three rival goddesses—Hera, Athene, and
-Aphrodite—each claimed the apple for herself, but were referred
-by Zeus to the decision of Paris. Paris was a son of Priam, the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>Trojan king. Immediately after birth, he was exposed on Mount
-Ida, in consequence of an ill-omened dream which his mother
-Hecuba had during her pregnancy. He was found, however,
-and brought up by some shepherds. He decided in favour of
-Aphrodite, who had promised him the most beautiful woman
-on earth as his wife. Soon afterwards, at some games given by
-the king, the youth, who was equally distinguished for his
-handsome person and his bodily dexterity, after having wrested
-the prize from all his brethren, was recognised by the prophetess
-Cassandra, and received into his father’s favour. He next
-undertook a journey across the sea to Greece, and, among other
-places, visited the court of Menelaüs, king of Sparta, by whom
-he was hospitably received and entertained. Aphrodite kindled
-in the breast of the young wife of Menelaüs a fatal love for their
-handsome guest, who dazzled her as much by the beauty of his
-person as by the oriental splendour of his appearance. While
-Menelaüs was absent in Crete, and her brothers, the Dioscuri,
-were engaged in their strife with the sons of Aphareus, Helen
-fled with her seducer to Troy. On the refusal of the king of
-Troy to surrender Helen, Menelaüs succeeded in rousing the
-whole of Greece to a war of revenge. This task was the more
-easy, as most of the Grecian chieftains had been suitors of Helen,
-and had bound themselves by an oath to Tyndareüs to unite in
-support of the husband whom Helen should choose, in the event
-of his ever being injured or attacked. The well-manned ships
-of the Greeks assembled in the Bœotian port of Aulis. Their
-number amounted to eleven hundred and eighty-six, according
-to Homer; of which Agamemnon, who had been chosen leader
-of the expedition, alone furnished over one hundred. Agamemnon,
-however, having offended Artemis by killing a hind
-sacred to the goddess, the departure of the expedition was
-delayed by continuous calms, until at length, at the command of
-the priest Calchas, Agamemnon determined to appease the wrath
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>of the goddess by sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia on her altar.
-At the fatal moment Artemis rescued the victim, and, after
-substituting a hind in her stead, conveyed Iphigenia to Tauris,
-where she became a priestess in the temple of the goddess.
-The fleet now sailed with a fair wind. The expedition first
-stopped at Tenedos, opposite the coast of Troy. Here, on the
-occasion of a banquet, Philoctetes, who possessed the bow and
-arrows of Heracles on which the conquest of Troy depended,
-was bitten in the foot by a serpent, and on account of his cries
-and the offensive smell of the wound was carried to Lemnos,
-and there left to his fate. The Greeks next effected a landing
-on the coast of Troy, in spite of the opposition of Hector and
-Æneas; for Protesilaüs devoted himself to death for the Greeks,
-and sprang first on the Trojan shore. Even Cycnus, the mighty
-son of Poseidon, who was king of Colonæ in Troas, and came to
-the assistance of the Trojans, was unable to stem the advance of
-the Greeks; and his body being invulnerable, he was strangled
-by Achilles by means of a thong twisted round his neck.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>After the Greeks had made a station for their ships, the war
-began in earnest. Several of their attacks on the town having
-been successfully repelled by the Trojans, the Greeks now confined
-themselves to making inroads and plundering excursions
-into the surrounding country, in which Achilles was always the
-most prominent actor. The first nine years of the war were by
-no means fruitful in important events, and the wearisome
-monotony of the siege was broken only by the single combat
-between Achilles and Troïlus, the youngest son of Priam, in
-which Troïlus was slain, and by the fall of Palamedes of Eubœa,
-the head of the Greek peace-party, which was brought about by
-the treachery of Odysseus. At length, in the tenth year of the
-war, a quarrel broke out between Achilles and Agamemnon
-respecting a female slave who had been taken captive, and gave
-for the time quite another aspect to affairs. It is at this point
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>that the <cite>Iliad</cite> commences. Achilles, in his wrath, retired to his
-tent, and refused to take any further part in the war; whilst the
-Trojans, who feared him more than all the other Greeks, became
-bolder, and no longer kept to the protection of their walls.
-Zeus, at the request of Thetis, gave them the victory in their
-first engagement with the Greeks. Hector drove the latter back
-to their ships, and was already about to set them on fire, when
-Achilles consented to allow his friend Patroclus to don his
-armour and lead his Myrmidons to the assistance of the Greeks.
-The Trojans were now driven back, but Patroclus, in the ardour
-of pursuit, was slain by Hector, and deprived of his armour, and
-Menelaüs, with the help of the greater Ajax and other heroes, only
-succeeded in rescuing his corpse after a bloody and obstinate
-struggle. The wrath of Achilles was now entirely diverted by
-the desire of avenging on Hector the death of his much-loved
-friend Patroclus. He was scarcely willing even to wait for the
-new armour which his goddess-mother procured him from the
-workshop of Hephæstus. No sooner was he in possession of it
-than he again appeared on the field, and Hector—the bulwark
-of Troy—soon succumbed to his furious onslaught. Achilles,
-however, was generous enough to surrender his corpse to the
-entreaties of Priam. The <cite>Iliad</cite> concludes with the solemn
-funeral of Hector.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The succeeding events, up to the death of Achilles and
-the contest for his arms, were narrated in the <cite>Æthiopis</cite> of
-Arctinus of Miletus, with the contents of which we have
-some slight acquaintance, although the work itself is lost.
-All kinds of brilliant exploits are reported to have been
-performed by Achilles before the walls of Troy, which were
-manifestly unknown to the earlier story. In the first place,
-immediately after Hector’s death, Penthesilea, the queen of the
-Amazons, came to the assistance of the Trojans, and fought so
-bravely at the head of her army that the Greeks were hard
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>pressed. Achilles at length overcame the heroic daughter of
-Ares. After her fall, a new ally of the Trojans appeared in
-Memnon, king of Æthiopia, who is called a son of Eos, because
-the Æthiopians were supposed to dwell in the far East. Among
-those who fell by the hand of this handsome and courageous
-hero was Antilochus, the valiant son of Nestor. When Memnon,
-however, ventured to meet the invincible Achilles, he also
-was vanquished, after a brave struggle. The fresh morning dew,
-which springs from the tears of Eos, proves that she has never
-ceased to lament her heroic son. But death was soon to overtake
-him before whom so many heroes had bitten the dust. In an
-assault on the Scæan gate, Achilles was killed, at the head of his
-Myrmidons, by an arrow of Paris, which was directed by Apollo.
-According to later writers, whose accounts were followed by the
-tragic poets, he was treacherously murdered here on the occasion
-of his betrothal to Polyxena, the beautiful daughter of Priam.
-A furious contest, lasting the whole day, took place for the
-possession of his corpse and armour: at length Odysseus and
-Ajax succeeded in conveying it to a place of safety. Mourning
-and confusion reigned among the Greeks at his death. During
-seventeen days and nights Thetis, with the whole band of
-Nereids, bewailed his untimely fate in mourning melodies, so
-sad and touching that neither gods nor men could refrain from
-tears.</p>
-
-<div class='lg-container-b c021'>
- <div class='linegroup'>
- <div class='group'>
- <div class='line'>“See, tears are shed by every god and goddess, to survey</div>
- <div class='line'>How soon the Beautiful is past, the Perfect dies away!”</div>
- </div>
- </div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'>The death of the bravest of the Greeks was followed by an
-unhappy quarrel between Ajax and Odysseus respecting his
-arms. Ajax, on account of his near relationship to the deceased
-hero, and the great services he had rendered to the cause of the
-Greeks, seemed to have the best claim; but Agamemnon, by the
-advice of Athene, adjudged them to Odysseus. Ajax was so
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>mortified at this decision that he became insane, and put an end
-to his own life. An entire tragedy of Sophocles, treating of
-the mournful fate of the son of Telamon, has come down to
-us.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>After Ajax had quitted the scene, Odysseus became decidedly
-the chief personage among the Greeks. It was he who captured
-the Trojan seer Helenus, and extorted from him the secret that
-Ilium could not be taken without the arrows of Heracles. Hereupon
-Philoctetes, who was still lying sick at Lemnos, was
-fetched, and his wound healed by Machaon. Paris soon afterwards
-fell by his hand. It was Odysseus, moreover, who, in
-company with Diomedes, undertook the perilous task of entering
-Troy in disguise and stealing the Palladium, on which the safety
-of the city depended. It was he who fetched Neoptolemus, the
-young son of Achilles, from Scyros to the Trojan camp, it having
-been decreed that his presence was necessary to the success of
-the Greeks. Lastly—and this was his greatest service—it was
-Odysseus who devised the celebrated wooden horse, and the
-stratagem which led to the final capture of the city. In the
-belly of the horse, which was built by Epeüs, one hundred
-chosen warriors of the Greeks concealed themselves. The rest
-of the Greeks set fire to their camp, and sailed away to Tenedos;
-whereupon the Trojans, deceived by the assurances of Sinon,
-dragged the fatal horse, amid cries of joy, into the city. In
-vain did the Trojan priest of Apollo, Laocoön, seek to divert
-them from their folly. None would give heed to his warnings;
-and when, soon afterwards, both he and his sons, whilst sacrificing
-to Poseidon on the sea-shore, were strangled by two serpents that
-came up out of the sea, the Trojans regarded this as a punishment
-sent by the gods for his evil counsel, and were the more
-confirmed in their purpose.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>The death of Laocoön and his sons forms the subject of one of the
-most splendid of the creations of Greek art that have come down to
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>us from antiquity. The group was found, in the year 1506, by a
-Roman citizen in his vineyard, close to the former Thermæ of Titus,
-and was made over by him, for a considerable annuity, to Pope Julius
-II., who then placed it in the Vatican collection. The right arm of
-Laocoön, which was wanting, has, unfortunately, been incorrectly
-restored. This is attested by a copy of the group which was subsequently
-discovered in Naples. We give an engraving of the group
-in its original form (Fig. 61).</p>
-
-<div id='f_61' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_61.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 61.—Laocoön. Group.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>It treats really of three distinct incidents, which have been skilfully
-incorporated, by the artists to whom we owe the work (the
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>Rhodians Agesander, Athenodorus, and Polydorus), into one harmonious
-group. The eldest son is as yet unhurt, and appears to be
-so loosely held by the coils of the serpent that he might easily escape
-his impending fate, if he were not more effectually restrained by his
-loving sympathy with his noble father, on whom he gazes with
-piteous looks. Laocoön himself, who naturally forms the centre of
-the group, is depicted at the moment in which, mortally wounded by
-the serpent, he sinks on the altar, to rise from which he vainly
-exerts his last remaining strength. With his left arm he still
-mechanically seeks to repel the serpents. His hitherto energetic
-resistance has begun to fail, and his noble head is raised in mournful
-resignation to heaven, as though to ask the gods why they had condemned
-him to so terrible a fate. The dignified and resolute aspect
-of his countenance forms a beautiful contrast to that of his body,
-which is manifestly quivering in the keenest agony. The younger
-son on his right is already in the last agonies of death, and though
-his left hand grasps instinctively the head of the snake, he is
-evidently incapable of further resistance. He is drooping like a
-plucked flower, and in one more moment will have breathed his
-last.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>On the night succeeding Laocoön’s horrible end, and the rejoicings
-of the Trojans at the apparent departure of the Greeks,
-the Greek fleet returned in silence at a signal given by Sinon.
-The heroes who were hidden in the wooden horse then descended
-and opened the gates to the Greek host, who rushed into the
-doomed city. A terrible scene of plunder and carnage ensued,
-the Trojans, in their dismay and confusion, offering no resistance.
-The fate of the sacred city was fulfilled; Priam perished before
-the altar of Zeus by the hand of Neoptolemus, and with him
-the glory of Troy was laid in the dust. The men were put to
-death, the women and children, together with the rich booty,
-were carried off, the former being destined to the hard lot of
-slavery. Among them was the aged queen Hecuba, with all her
-daughters and daughters-in-law. Helen—the cause of all this
-misfortune—was found in the house of Deïphobus, whom she
-had married after the death of his brother Paris.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The city was burnt to the ground, and, long after, other cities
-rose on its site. Still the tradition of the siege remained among
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>the inhabitants, though, even in Roman times, learned men had
-begun to declare that Old Troy must have had another site.
-And now when the last Ilium had been no more for many centuries,
-and the very existence of Homer’s Troy had been declared
-a fable, the palace and the traces of the conflagration have been
-found. Dr. Schliemann has excavated the legendary site, and
-we know now that Athene was worshipped in the city, and that
-it perished by fire. We can hardly tell at present the full
-importance of these discoveries, nor of those at Mycenæ, where
-the traditional tombs of the Grecian leaders have been examined,
-and their long-buried wealth brought to light.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Yet this, too, the greatest of all the Grecian legend series,
-dissolves into the phenomena of nature. That there was a
-Trojan war, and that we have some historical facts about it, we can
-hardly doubt; but so many myths have crystallised round it,
-that to us it must be merely legend. The very names of
-Achilles, and Paris, and Helen, upon whom the whole story
-turns, have been recognised in Indian legend. Point after point
-in their history is found in the legend history of every nation
-of the Aryan family. The only conclusion that we can draw
-is, that such stories must have come into being before the
-separation of the Aryan family, and cannot therefore contain
-the later history of any one branch.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='sc'>III. The Return.</span>—The Greeks, after sacrificing Polyxena on
-the grave of Achilles at Sigeum, prepared to return to their
-country. Few, however, were destined to reach their homes
-without some misfortune, or, even when arrived there, to
-experience a kindly welcome. Of the two sons of Atreus,
-Agamemnon, after escaping a storm on the coast of Eubœa,
-landed safely on his native shores, but was soon after murdered
-by his wife and Ægisthus, who had, during his absence, returned
-to Argos and married Clytæmnestra. Cassandra, the Trojan
-prophetess, who, in the division of the spoils, had fallen to Agamemnon,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>shared his fate. She had continually predicted the
-unfortunate end of the war and the ultimate fate of the city, but
-had always been laughed to scorn by her incredulous countrymen.
-The fate of the commander of the Greeks, with its
-eventful consequences, was a favourite subject with the tragic
-poets. His murder did not go unavenged. Orestes, the only
-son of Agamemnon and Clytæmnestra, had been hastily removed
-from the scene by his sister Electra, and sent to his
-uncle, Strophius, king of Phocis. Strophius had him carefully
-educated with his own son Pylades, who was about the same
-age. A most intimate friendship soon sprang up between the
-two youths, which, from its faithfulness and constancy, has
-become proverbial. On reaching manhood, the sole thought of
-Orestes was to avenge his noble father’s treacherous death at the
-hands of the crafty Ægisthus and his mother Clytæmnestra.
-Accompanied by his friend Pylades, he returned, in the eighth
-year of his exile, to Mycenæ, and there slew both Ægisthus and
-Clytæmnestra. Although in so doing he had only fulfilled a
-duty, he yet incurred the deepest guilt by the murder of her
-who gave him birth, and at once found himself pursued by the
-avenging Furies. They dogged his steps, and ceased not to
-pursue him through all the countries of the earth, until he was
-at length directed by the oracle at Delphi to convey the statue
-of Artemis from Tauris to Attica. After he had, with the help
-of his newly-found sister, successfully achieved this task, he was
-purified by Apollo (see page <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>). Of the numerous dramas that
-were written on the subject of the fortunes of the Pelopidæ, which
-we have here briefly touched on, the <cite>Agamemnon</cite>, <cite>Choëphoræ</cite>,
-and <cite>Eumenides</cite> of Æschylus, the <cite>Electra</cite> of Sophocles, and the
-<cite>Electra</cite> and <cite>Iphigenia in Tauris</cite> of Euripides, are still extant.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>We must now turn to the fortunes of the other Greek leaders.
-Agamemnon’s brother Menelaus was overtaken, off Cape Malea,
-by a fearful storm, which carried him to Crete and Egypt,
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>whence, after seven years of wandering, he returned to Sparta
-with Helen and his share of the spoils of Troy.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>The Locrian Ajax experienced a still more unhappy fate. On
-the night of the destruction of Troy he had penetrated into the
-temple of Pallas, and had not only torn away the priestess
-Cassandra, who was clinging for safety to the altar and statue of
-the goddess, but had also overturned the statue of Pallas herself.
-As a punishment for this offence, his ship was wrecked on Cape
-Caphareus, He would still have been able to escape with his
-life—having succeeded in getting hold of a rock—if he had not
-given such offence to Poseidon by his impious boast that he
-needed not the help of the gods, that the god split the rock
-with his trident, whereupon Ajax fell into the sea and was
-drowned.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Diomedes, Philoctetes, and Idomeneus reached their homes in
-safety, but were all soon afterwards driven out, after which they
-all three emigrated to Italy. Here Diomedes founded many
-towns, and was long worshipped with heroic honours.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Teucer also succeeded in reaching Salamis in safety, but his
-father Telamon was so wroth because he had not better protected
-his brother Ajax, or at least avenged his death, that he refused
-to receive him. He was, therefore, likewise obliged to leave his
-country, and subsequently settled on the island of Cyprus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>But of all the Greek heroes Odysseus experienced the most
-reverses, while at home his faithful wife Penelope and his son
-Telemachus were hard pressed by the suitors. It was only in
-the tenth year after the fall of Troy, and after numerous
-wanderings and vicissitudes, that he was permitted to return to
-his native Ithaca and punish the shameless suitors who had
-wasted his substance and goods. The story of his adventures is
-so well known that we need not dwell on it here, further than to
-mention that, according to post-Homeric accounts, Odysseus was
-killed by the hand of Telegonus, his own son by Circe.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'><span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>The events of the Trojan cycle have supplied not only the poet,
-but also the artist and the sculptor, with a large number of their most
-acceptable subjects. Single scenes, such as the judgment of Paris,
-have been continually selected, ever since the time of Raphael, as
-favourite subjects of representation. Of modern masters, Carstens,
-Thorwaldsen the great Danish sculptor, Cornelius, Genelli, and
-Preller (Landscapes of the <cite>Odyssey</cite>) have illustrated the story of Troy
-in a series of splendid compositions. We give an engraving of a
-relief by Thorwaldsen, representing Priam before Achilles (Fig. 62).</p>
-
-<div id='f_62' class='figcenter id002'>
-<img src='images/f_62.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 62.—Priam before Achilles. Relief by Thorwaldsen.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c020'>Of the more important extant works of antiquity, we may mention
-the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, depicted on the Français vase in
-the Naples Museum; the abduction of Helen, depicted on a marble
-relief in the former Campana collection, now in the Louvre (Fig.
-63); the marble group in Rome, known by the name of “Pasquino,”
-which represents Menelaüs raising the corpse of Patroclus; and,
-lastly, the celebrated Ægina marbles in Munich. These last are the
-remains of a marble group from the gable of a temple of Pallas at
-Ægina, representing a battle between the Greeks and Trojans. They
-were discovered at Ægina in the year 1811; King Ludwig I. of
-Bavaria, who was a great patron of art, bought the Ægina marbles,
-and, after having them restored by Thorwaldsen, placed them in the
-Munich collection. The Laocoön, the most important of all the
-works relating to the Trojan cycle, has already been discussed.</p>
-
-<div id='f_63' class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>
-<img src='images/f_63.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 63.—Rape of Helen. Campana Collection. Paris.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<div>
- <span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>
- <h3 class='c019'>V.—MYTHIC SEERS AND BARDS.</h3>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c017'>We have already incidentally mentioned most of the seers of
-antiquity—Melampus, the son of Amythaon, who figures in
-Argive legend; likewise Amphiaraüs, Tiresias, and Calchas.
-Concerning Tiresias, we may remark that the ancients ascribed
-to him a fabulous age, extending over seven or even nine
-generations; so that he was thus a witness of all that happened
-to Thebes, from the foundation of the city to its destruction by
-the Epigoni. Like all celebrated soothsayers, he was acquainted
-with the language of birds, and could penetrate the most hidden
-secrets of nature; on which account he enjoyed up to his death
-an ever-increasing reputation among the Thebans. We have
-already related how, in extreme old age, when his native city
-could no longer withstand the assaults of the Epigoni, he experienced
-the bitter lot of having to take refuge in flight, and
-at length succumbed beneath the hardships of the journey.
-In the second century <span class='sc'><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">A.D.</span></span> his grave was still shown in the
-neighbourhood of Haliartus.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Among the fugitive Thebans who fell into the hands of the
-Argives is said to have been Manto, the daughter of Tiresias,
-who was likewise renowned as a prophetess. She was dedicated,
-together with a large portion of the spoils, to the oracle at
-Delphi. By the command of the god she was sent into Asia
-Minor, where she founded the oracle of Claros, near Colophon.
-She here married the Cretan Rhacius, and became by him the
-mother of Mopsus, who afterwards founded the oracle of Mallos
-in Cilicia.</p>
-
-<p class='c007'>Among the names of the mythic bards that have been handed
-down to us are undoubtedly to be found some recollections of
-those who first cultivated the art of poetry; partly, however,
-they are nothing more than personifications of certain tendencies
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>and modes of poetry. Such is probably the case with the
-mythic bard Linus, who was celebrated in Argos, Thebes, and
-Eubœa. Nothing is more common than for an unsophisticated
-people to burst forth in lamentation over the decay and final
-extinction of the blooming life of nature. This, as we see in
-the myth of Hyacinthus, was often portrayed under the metaphor
-of a beautiful boy slain by a quoit or by savage dogs—both
-symbols of the scorching heat of the sun. The dirges which
-from time immemorial were sung over the beautiful boy Linus,
-at the season of vintage, probably gave rise to the myth which
-makes Linus himself the singer.</p>
-
-<div id='f_64' class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/f_64.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-<div class='ic001'>
-<p>Fig. 64.—Orpheus and Eurydice. Marble Relief In the Villa Albani.</p>
-</div>
-</div>
-
-<p class='c007'><span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>Similar doleful memories are linked with the name of
-Orpheus, who is often termed a brother of Linus, though he
-was really not an Æolian, but a Thracian of Pieria. That
-which is best known of him is the story of his love for the
-beautiful nymph Eurydice. She was bitten in the foot by a
-snake, and thus snatched away from him by death. Orpheus
-then filled mountain and valley with songs of lamentation so
-piteous, that the wild beasts of the forest were enchanted at
-the sound, and followed him like lambs; and the very rocks and
-trees moved from their places. His yearning towards his beloved
-Eurydice induced him to descend to the lower world, to
-beg her release from the grim king of shadows. Here his piteous
-lay caused even the Erinyes to shed tears of compassion, and
-moved the hard heart of the Stygian king. He released Eurydice
-on condition that Orpheus should not look back on her till
-he reached the upper world. Orpheus, however, violated this
-condition, and Eurydice was once more lost to him. He himself,
-not long afterwards, whilst wandering in his despair over the
-Thracian mountains, was torn in pieces by some women in the
-mad excitement of their nightly Bacchanalian orgies.</p>
-
-<p class='c020'>A splendid representation of the second parting of the lovers by
-Hermes, the guide of souls, has come down to us on a marble relief,
-which is preserved in the Villa Albani (Fig. 64).</p>
-
-<div class='figcenter id001'>
-<img src='images/i_266.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='figcenter id002'>
-<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>
-<img src='images/i_267.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
-</div>
-
-<div class='chapter'>
- <h2 class='c005'>INDEX.</h2>
-</div>
-
-<ul class='index c003'>
- <li class='c024'>Ăbas, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăcastus, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăchĕlōus, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăchĕrōn, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăchilles (Ăchilleus), <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Āchĭrŏē, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăcrĭsĭus, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Actæon, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Actŏrĭdæ, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Admētē, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Admētus, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a></li>
- <li class='c024'>Ădōnis, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Adrastus, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Æăcus, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăēdōn, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Æētēs, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ægeus, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a>, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ægĭăleus, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ægĭmĭus, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ægīna, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ægis, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ægisthus, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ægyptus, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ænēas, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_157'>157</a>, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Æŏlus, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Æscŭlāpĭus (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Asclepius).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Æsōn, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Æthra, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ætna, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_69'>69</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăgămemnōn, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăgăthŏdæmōn, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăgāvē, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăgēnōr, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Aglăĭa, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Aglaurus, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Agrĭus, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăĭdōneus, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a> (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Hades).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ājax, Telamonian, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ājax, Locrian, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Alcæus, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Alcăthŏus, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Alcmæon, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Alcmēnē, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ālectō, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ălēus, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ălōīdæ, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Althæa, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ămalthēa, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>Ămāzons, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a>, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ămor, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Amphĭărāus, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Amphicty̆ōn, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Amphīōn, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_172'>172</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Amphitrītē, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Amphitry̆ōn, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ămy̆cus, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ămyntor, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ămy̆thāŏnĭdæ, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ănăcĕs, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ancæus, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Anchĭnŏē, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Anchīsēs, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Andrŏgĕōs, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Andrŏmĕda, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Anna Pĕrenna, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Antæus, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Antēa, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Antĕros, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Anthestērĭa, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Anticlēa, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Antĭgŏnē, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Antĭlŏchus, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Antĭŏpē, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăphăreus, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăphărīdæ, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăphidnæ, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Aphrŏdītē, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăpollo, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_40'>40</a>, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Apsyrtus, <a href='#Page_236'>236</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăquĭlo, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Arcas, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Arctus, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Areopagus, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ărēs, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_51'>51</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Argēs, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Argīphontēs, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Argonauts, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Argō, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Argŏs, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a>, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Argus, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ărĭadnē, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăristæus, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Artĕmis, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a>, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Asclēpĭus, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăsōpus, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Assărăcus, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Astĕrĭa, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Astĕrĭōn, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Astræus, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Asty̆dămīa, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ătălantē, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăthămas, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăthēnē, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_34'>34</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ăthēnē Pŏlĭas, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_38'>38</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Atlas, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Atreus, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Atrŏpos, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Attica, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Attis (Ātys), <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Augē, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Augēas, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Aurōra, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Autŏly̆cus, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Autŏnŏē, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Bacchus, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bellĕrŏphōn (Belīĕrŏphontēs), <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>Bellōna, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bēlus, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Benthĕsĭcȳmē, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bĕrŏē, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bĭas, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bŏnă Dĕă, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bŏnus Ēventus, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bŏrĕădæ, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Bŏrĕas, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Brĭăreus, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Brontēs, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Būsīris, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Căbīrī, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cācus, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cadmus, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cæneus, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Călăĭs, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Calchas, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Callĭŏpē, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Callĭrhŏē, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Callistō, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Calydonian Hunt, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Călypsō, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cămēnæ, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Căpys, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Carna (Cardĕa), <a href='#Page_97'>97</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Carpō, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cassandra, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cassĭŏpēa, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Castōr, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a>, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Catreus, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cecrops, <a href='#Page_217'>217</a>, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cēlĕus, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Centaurs, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Centaurs, fight with, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Centimanes, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cĕphălus, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cēpheus (Æthiopia), <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cēpheus (Tegea), <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cēphīsus, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cerbĕrus, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cercōpes, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cercy̆ōn, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cĕres, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a>, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cēres (Fates), <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cētō, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cēÿx, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Chăŏs, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Chărĭtĕs, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Chărōn, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Chĭmæra, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Chīrōn, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Chrȳsăor, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Chrȳsippus, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Circē, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Clărus, oracle of, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Clīō, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Clŏācīna, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Clōthō, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cly̆mĕnē, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cly̆tæmnestra, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_257'>257</a>, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cōcălus, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cœus, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cŏlossus of Rhodes, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cŏra, <a href='#Page_138'>138</a>, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cŏry̆bantes, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cŏry̆nētēs, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cottus, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Crănăus, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Crĕōn, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>, <a href='#Page_199'>199</a>, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Crētheus, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>Crĕūsa, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Crīus, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Crŏnus, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cŭpīdo, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cūrētes, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cy̆bĕlē, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cychreus, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cyclōpes, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cycnus, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Cyllēnē, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Dædălus, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dæmons, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dămastēs, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dănăē, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Danaids, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dănăus, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dardănus, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Death, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dēĭănīra, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dēĭphŏbus, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Delphian Oracle, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_72'>72</a>, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dēmētēr, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a>, <a href='#Page_139'>139</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dēmŏphōn, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a>, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dēmus, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dēō, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Deucălĭōn, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭāna, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a> (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Artemis).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭcē, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dictys, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Didymæan Oracle, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭoclēs, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭŏmēdēs, Argive, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭŏmēdēs, Thracian, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭōnē, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_56'>56</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭŏnȳsĭa, Greater, <a href='#Page_119'>119</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭŏnȳsĭa, Lesser, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭō̆nȳsus, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dĭoscūri, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dircē, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dis, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dōdōna, Oracle of, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dōris, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dryads, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dry̆ŏpes, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Dry̆ops, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Ĕchidna, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēchō, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēgĕrĭa, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēlectra (daughter of Agamemnon), <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēlectra (daughter of Atlas), <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēlectra (daughter of Oceanus), <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēlectry̆ōn, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕleusīnĭa, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕleusis, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēly̆sĭum, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ēmăthĭōn, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Endēĭs, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Endy̆mĭōn, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕnȳō, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ē̆ōs, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕpăphus, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕpēus, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕpĭgŏni, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕpĭmētheus, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕpōpeus, <a href='#Page_173'>173</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕrătō, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕrechtheus, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>Ergīnus, <a href='#Page_199'>199</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕrichthŏnĭus (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Erechtheus).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕrīnȳes, <a href='#Page_99'>99</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕriphȳlē, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕris, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕros, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕry̆sichthōn, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĕtĕoclēs, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eumĕnĭdes, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_239'>239</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eumolpus, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eunŏmĭa, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Euphrŏsy̆nē, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eurōpē (Europa), <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eurus, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eury̆ălē, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eury̆bĭa, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eury̆dĭcē, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eury̆nŏmē, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eurystheus, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eury̆tĭōn, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Eury̆tus, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Euterpē, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Fates (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Mœræ).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Fauna, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Faunālĭa, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Faunus, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Făvōnĭus, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Fēlīcĭtas, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Flōra, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Fontus, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Fortūna, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Fūrĭæ (Furies) (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Erinyes).</li>
- <li class='c003'>Gæa, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Găny̆mēdēs, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gē, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a> (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Gæa).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gĕlānōr, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gĕnĭi, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gēry̆ŏnēs (Geryon), <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gĭgantes (Giants), <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Glaucus Pontius, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Glaucus (son of Minos), <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Glaucus (son of Sisyphus), <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gorgŏnēum (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Ægis).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gorgons, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Graces, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Grā̆dīvus, <a href='#Page_53'>53</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Grææ, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Grātĭæ (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Graces).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Gy̆ēs, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Hādēs, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_139'>139</a>, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hamadryads, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Harmŏnĭa, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Harpies, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hēbē, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hĕcăbē (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Hecuba).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hĕcătē, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hector, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hĕcŭba, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hĕlĕnē (Helen), <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hĕlĕnus, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hēlĭos, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_89'>89</a>, <a href='#Page_139'>139</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hellē, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hēphæstus, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a>, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hēra, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a>, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hēraclēs, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_161'>161</a>, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>, <a href='#Page_197'>197</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>Hēræum, <a href='#Page_32'>32</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hercŭles, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a> (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Heracles).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hermēs, <a href='#Page_14'>14</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Heroes, <a href='#Page_159'>159</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hersē, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hēsĭŏne, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hespĕrĭdes, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hespĕrus, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hestĭa, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hīmĕrus, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hippŏcŏōn, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hippŏdămīa, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hippŏly̆tē, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hippŏly̆tus, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Homer, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_86'>86</a>, <a href='#Page_144'>144</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hŏnos, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hōræ, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆ăcinthus, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_263'>263</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆ădes, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hydra, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆gĭēa, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆las, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hyllus, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆mēn, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆mĕnæus, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆pĕrīōn, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hy̆permnestra, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Hypnus, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Īăpĕtus, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īcărĭus, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īcărŭs, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ichthyocentaurs, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īdas, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īdŏmĕneus, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Iliad, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īlīthyia, <a href='#Page_96'>96</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īlus, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īnăchus, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īnō, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĭnŭus, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īō, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īŏbătēs, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĭŏcastē, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĭŏlāus, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĭŏlē, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĭōn, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īphĭănassa, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īphiclēs, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īphĭgĕnīa, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īphĭtus, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īrēnē, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īrĭs, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_86'>86</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Īsis, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ismenian Oracle, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Isthmian Games, <a href='#Page_101'>101</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ĭty̆lus, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ixīōn, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Jānus, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_74'>74</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Jāsōn, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Jūno, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_32'>32</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Jūpĭter, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Jŭventas, <a href='#Page_87'>87</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Labdăcĭdæ, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Labdăcus, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lăchĕsis, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lādōn, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lāërtēs, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lāĭus, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>, <a href='#Page_237'>237</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lampus, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>Lāŏcŏōn, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lāŏdămas, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lāŏmĕdōn, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lăpĭthæ, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_211'>211</a>, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lărēs, <a href='#Page_157'>157</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Larvæ, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lātōna (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Leto).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĕarchus, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lēda, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĕmŭrālĭa, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĕmŭrēs, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĕnæa, <a href='#Page_118'>118</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lētō, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Leucippus, <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Leucŏthĕa (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Ino).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Līber, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lībĕrālĭa, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĭbĭtīna, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĭby̆a, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĭchas, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lĭnus, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_199'>199</a>, <a href='#Page_263'>263</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lower World, <a href='#Page_147'>147</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lūna, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lŭpercālĭa, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lŭpercus, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ly̆æus, <a href='#Page_117'>117</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ly̆cŏmēdēs, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ly̆cus (Thebes), <a href='#Page_173'>173</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ly̆cus (Megara), <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lynceus (Scythian), <a href='#Page_141'>141</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lynceus (son of Aphareus), <a href='#Page_195'>195</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Lynceus (son of Danaus), <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Măchāōn, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Maia, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>, <a href='#Page_132'>132</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mānēs, <a href='#Page_158'>158</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mantō, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mars, or Māvors, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_52'>52</a>, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Marsy̆as, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Māter Magna Īdæa, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Māter Mātūta, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a> (note).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Matrōnālia, <a href='#Page_33'>33</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mēdēa, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a>, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕdūsa, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a>, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕgăpenthēs, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕgæra, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕgăra, <a href='#Page_199'>199</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕlampūs, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕlĕāger, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕlĭa, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕlīcertēs, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Melpŏmĕnē, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Memnōn, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕnĕlāus, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_250'>250</a>, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕnestheus, <a href='#Page_225'>225</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕnœtĭus, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mercŭrĭus, <a href='#Page_65'>65</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕrŏpē, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mētĭōn, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mētĭŏnĭdæ, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mētis, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĕtus, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĭdas, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mĭnerva, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mīnōs, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_202'>202</a>, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Minotaur, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mnēmŏsy̆nē, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mœræ, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mŏlĭŏnĭdæ, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mopsus, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Morpheus, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mŏsychlus, <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mulcĭber, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>Murcĭa, <a href='#Page_59'>59</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Muses, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_80'>80</a>, <a href='#Page_81'>81</a>, <a href='#Page_121'>121</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Mūtūnus, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Myrtĭlus, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Naiads, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Năpææ, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Narcissus, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nēleus, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nĕmĕsis, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nĕoptŏlĕmus, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nĕphĕlē, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Neptune (Neptūnus), <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nereids, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nēreus, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nerio, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nessus, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nestor, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nīcē, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Night, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nīlus, <a href='#Page_186'>186</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nĭŏbē, <a href='#Page_48'>48</a>, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nīsus, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nŏtus, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nycteus, <a href='#Page_172'>172</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Nymphs, <a href='#Page_123'>123</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Oceanids, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ōcĕănus, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ŏdysseus, <a href='#Page_64'>64</a>, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Œdĭpūs, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Œneus, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>, <a href='#Page_230'>230</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Œnŏmăus, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ŏïclēs, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ŏīleus, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Olympian Games, <a href='#Page_24'>24</a>, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, <a href='#Page_196'>196</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Omphălē, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ops, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Orcus, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Oreads, <a href='#Page_124'>124</a>, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ŏrestēs, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ōrīōn, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ōrīthyia, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Orpheus, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_264'>264</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Oschŏphŏrĭa, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Pāgānāalĭa, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pălæmōn, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pălămēdēs, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Păles, <a href='#Page_136'>136</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pallădĭum, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pallas, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pallas Athēnē (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Athene).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pallor, <a href='#Page_54'>54</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pān, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pănăthĕnæa, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pandărĕōs, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pandīōn, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pandōra, <a href='#Page_163'>163</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pandrŏsus, <a href='#Page_218'>218</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pānes, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>, <a href='#Page_130'>130</a>, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Parcæ, <a href='#Page_98'>98</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Păris, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Parthĕnōn, <a href='#Page_36'>36</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pāsĭphăē, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Patroclus, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pēgăsus, <a href='#Page_103'>103</a>, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pēleus, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĕlĭas, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĕlŏpĭdæ, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĕlops, <a href='#Page_150'>150</a>, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĕnātēs, <a href='#Page_73'>73</a>, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>Pēnĕlŏpē, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pēnĕlŏpē (Nymph), <a href='#Page_128'>128</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Penthĕsĭlēa, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pentheus, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĕrĭbœa, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĕricly̆mĕnus, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĕrĭphētēs, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Persē, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Persēïs, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Persĕphŏnē, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_138'>138</a>, <a href='#Page_143'>143</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Perseus, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phædra, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_224'>224</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phăĕthōn (son of Helios), <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phăĕthōn (horse of Eos), <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phĭloctētēs, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phĭly̆ra, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phīneus, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phŏbus, <a href='#Page_57'>57</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phœbē, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phœnix, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phŏlus, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phorcys, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phosphŏrus, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phrixus, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Phȳleus, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pīrĭthŏus, <a href='#Page_165'>165</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pittheus, <a href='#Page_220'>220</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pĭty̆ŏcamptēs, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pleiădes, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Plexippus, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Plūteus, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Plūtō, <a href='#Page_146'>146</a>, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Plūtō (fem.), <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏdarcēs, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pœas, <a href='#Page_212'>212</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆bus, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆castē, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆clētus, <a href='#Page_32'>32</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆dectēs, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆deucēs (Pollux), <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_175'>175</a>, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆dōrus, <a href='#Page_172'>172</a>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆hymnĭa, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆ĭdus, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆nīcēs, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏly̆phēmus, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏlyxĕna, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pōmōna, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pontus, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏseidōn, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_20'>20</a>, <a href='#Page_72'>72</a>, <a href='#Page_100'>100</a>, <a href='#Page_180'>180</a>, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pŏthus, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prĭămus (Priam), <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>, <a href='#Page_256'>256</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prĭāpus, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Procris, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Procrustēs, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prœtĭdes, <a href='#Page_188'>188</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prœtus, <a href='#Page_181'>181</a>, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>, <a href='#Page_191'>191</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prŏmētheus, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prōserpĭna (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Persephone).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prōtĕsĭlāus, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Prōteus, <a href='#Page_107'>107</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Psȳchē, <a href='#Page_79'>79</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Py̆ănepsĭa, <a href='#Page_223'>223</a>, <a href='#Page_226'>226</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Py̆lădēs, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pyrrha, <a href='#Page_164'>164</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pȳthĭa (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Delphian Oracle).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Pȳthōn, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_189'>189</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Quinquatrūs Mājōrēs, <a href='#Page_37'>37</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Quĭrīnus, <a href='#Page_77'>77</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'><span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>Recarānus, <a href='#Page_214'>214</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Rhădămanthys (Rhadamanthus), <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Rhēa, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_71'>71</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Rhēa Cy̆bĕlē, <a href='#Page_113'>113</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Rhŏdē, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Sălăcĭa, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Salmōneus, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sălus, <a href='#Page_97'>97</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sandōn, <a href='#Page_207'>207</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sarpēdōn, <a href='#Page_227'>227</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sāturnālia, <a href='#Page_134'>134</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sāturnus, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_133'>133</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Satyrs, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Scīrōn, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Scŏtŏs, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Scylla, <a href='#Page_222'>222</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sĕlēnē, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_49'>49</a>, <a href='#Page_91'>91</a>, <a href='#Page_153'>153</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sĕmĕlē, <a href='#Page_26'>26</a>, <a href='#Page_108'>108</a>, <a href='#Page_114'>114</a>, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Semnæ, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sibyls, <a href='#Page_42'>42</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sīlēni, <a href='#Page_125'>125</a>, <a href='#Page_127'>127</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sīlēnus, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_126'>126</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Silvānus, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sĭmŏīs, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sĭnis, <a href='#Page_221'>221</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sĭnōn, <a href='#Page_254'>254</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sirens, <a href='#Page_109'>109</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sīrĭus, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sīsy̆phus, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sleep, <a href='#Page_154'>154</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sol, <a href='#Page_89'>89</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sŏly̆mi, <a href='#Page_182'>182</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sphinx, <a href='#Page_238'>238</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Stars, the, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Stĕrŏpēs, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sthĕnĕbœa, <a href='#Page_187'>187</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sthĕnĕlus, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sthēnō, <a href='#Page_190'>190</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Strēnĭa, <a href='#Page_97'>97</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Strĭges, <a href='#Page_97'>97</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Strŏphĭus, <a href='#Page_258'>258</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Stymphālĭdes, <a href='#Page_201'>201</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Styx, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sȳleus, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Symplēgădes, <a href='#Page_235'>235</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Sȳrinx, <a href='#Page_126'>126</a>, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Tălōs, <a href='#Page_229'>229</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tantălus, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>, <a href='#Page_176'>176</a>, <a href='#Page_243'>243</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tartărus, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tĕlămōn, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tēlĕbŏæ, <a href='#Page_198'>198</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tēlĕgŏnus, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tēlĕmăchus, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tēlĕphassa, <a href='#Page_170'>170</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tēlĕphus, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tellus, <a href='#Page_112'>112</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Termĭnus, <a href='#Page_131'>131</a>, <a href='#Page_137'>137</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Terpsĭchŏrē, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tēthys, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_99'>99</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Teucer, <a href='#Page_208'>208</a>, <a href='#Page_247'>247</a>, <a href='#Page_259'>259</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Teuthras, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thălīa, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>, <a href='#Page_83'>83</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thallō, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thănătus, <a href='#Page_155'>155</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thaumas, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thēa (Thīa), <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thĕmis, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_25'>25</a>, <a href='#Page_78'>78</a>, <a href='#Page_84'>84</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thersander, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thēseus, <a href='#Page_43'>43</a>, <a href='#Page_102'>102</a>, <a href='#Page_116'>116</a>, <a href='#Page_166'>166</a>, <a href='#Page_168'>168</a>, <a href='#Page_183'>183</a>, <a href='#Page_206'>206</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>, <a href='#Page_228'>228</a>, <a href='#Page_231'>231</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'><span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>Thesmŏphŏrĭa, <a href='#Page_141'>141</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thesprōtus, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thestĭus, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thĕtis, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>, <a href='#Page_68'>68</a>, <a href='#Page_106'>106</a>, <a href='#Page_246'>246</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>, <a href='#Page_252'>252</a>, <a href='#Page_253'>253</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thŏōsa, <a href='#Page_120'>120</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Thy̆estēs, <a href='#Page_244'>244</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tĭbĕrīnus, <a href='#Page_76'>76</a>, <a href='#Page_110'>110</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tīrĕsĭas, <a href='#Page_241'>241</a>, <a href='#Page_262'>262</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tīsĭphŏnē, <a href='#Page_151'>151</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Titans, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_90'>90</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tīthōnus, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_205'>205</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tĭty̆us, <a href='#Page_41'>41</a>, <a href='#Page_149'>149</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Toxeus, <a href='#Page_232'>232</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Triptŏlĕmus, <a href='#Page_140'>140</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Trītōn, <a href='#Page_35'>35</a>, <a href='#Page_104'>104</a>, <a href='#Page_105'>105</a>, <a href='#Page_129'>129</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Trōĭlus, <a href='#Page_251'>251</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Trōs, <a href='#Page_88'>88</a>, <a href='#Page_203'>203</a>, <a href='#Page_242'>242</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ty̆chē, <a href='#Page_99'>99</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tȳdeus, <a href='#Page_210'>210</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>, <a href='#Page_240'>240</a>, <a href='#Page_248'>248</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tyndărĕus, <a href='#Page_194'>194</a>, <a href='#Page_209'>209</a>, <a href='#Page_245'>245</a>, <a href='#Page_249'>249</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ty̆phōeus, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tȳphōn, <a href='#Page_200'>200</a>, <a href='#Page_204'>204</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Tȳrō, <a href='#Page_233'>233</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Ŭlysses (<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">vide</span></i> Odysseus).</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ūrănĭa, <a href='#Page_82'>82</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Ūrănus, <a href='#Page_17'>17</a>, <a href='#Page_18'>18</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_21'>21</a>, <a href='#Page_152'>152</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Vĕnus, <a href='#Page_58'>58</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Vertumnus, <a href='#Page_135'>135</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Vesta, <a href='#Page_72'>72</a>, <a href='#Page_156'>156</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Victōrĭa, <a href='#Page_85'>85</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Vulcan (Volcānus), <a href='#Page_70'>70</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Winds, the, <a href='#Page_93'>93</a>.</li>
- <li class='c003'>Zĕphy̆rus, <a href='#Page_92'>92</a>, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Zētēs, <a href='#Page_94'>94</a>, <a href='#Page_219'>219</a>, <a href='#Page_234'>234</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Zēthus, <a href='#Page_171'>171</a>, <a href='#Page_172'>172</a>, <a href='#Page_179'>179</a>.</li>
- <li class='c024'>Zeus, <a href='#Page_12'>12</a>, <a href='#Page_13'>13</a>, <a href='#Page_16'>16</a>, <a href='#Page_19'>19</a>, <a href='#Page_22'>22</a>, <a href='#Page_31'>31</a>, <a href='#Page_62'>62</a>, <a href='#Page_88'>88</a>, <a href='#Page_115'>115</a>, <a href='#Page_162'>162</a>, <a href='#Page_185'>185</a>.</li>
-</ul>
-
-<div class='figcenter id001'>
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