Читать книгу The Mythology of Ancient Greece and Rome - Ultimate Collection - Homer - Страница 37
ОглавлениеI. STORIES OF CRETE
Eu ro’pa, the daughter of the Phœnician king, with her friends and companions was one day gathering flowers in the meadows by the seashore ; merrily they were filling their baskets with daffodils and lilies, violets and roses, contending who could gather the most. Looking down from his high heaven on the pretty group, Zeus marked the princess Europa in the midst, preeminent among her companions, just as Aphrodite is preeminent among the Graces. To see her was to desire her for his own, so he laid aside his scepter and his thunderbolt and put on the form of a white bull, a beautiful bull that had never felt the yoke nor drawn the plow. So he came into the flowery meadow, and the maidens did not fear him but gathered around him and began to stroke his snowy sides. At Europa's touch he lowed gently and beseechingly and kneeling down looked back at her with gentle, loving eyes as if to invite her to his broad white back. She spoke to her playmates and said: "Come, dear companions, let us ride on this bull's back, for he looks kind and mild, not at all like other bulls, and so like a man's is his understanding that he lacks only the power of speech." So she sat down smiling upon his back, and the others would have followed her, but suddenly the bull, having gained what he wanted, stood up and in all haste made for the sea.
Fig. 72. Europa on the Bull.
Then Europa stretched out her hands to her companions, crying aloud for help. But already they had reached the shore, and still the bull rushed on, right over the waves with hoofs unwet. The Nereids rose from the waters and frolicked about them, riding on the dolphins; Poseidon, calming the waves, guided them on their watery path, and the Tritons, trumpeting on their long shells, sounded the marriage-hymn. Europa, holding with one hand to the horn of the bull and with the other holding up her long robe that it might not be wet with the waves, spoke to the bull: "Whither are you bearing me, O godlike bull? It is clear that you are a god, for none but a god could do this thing. Alas! why did I ever leave my father's house to follow you and to journey alone on such a strange sea-voyage!" And the bull answered: "Take heart, dear maiden, and fear not the salt seawaves, for I am Zeus himself, and it is love of you that has driven me to journey over the sea in the form of a bull. Soon Crete shall receive you, and the island that nourished me as an infant shall be your wedding-place, and there you shall bear me famous sons that shall rule as kings."
In Crete, then, Europa bore to Zeus three sons, of whom one, Minos, became king of the island, and by his just and enlightened rule brought civilization and prosperity to his country and extended its power over neighboring lands. After his death, in consideration of his righteousness and wisdom, he and his brother Rhadamanthus were made judges of the dead in the lower world. (See p. 189.) Minos II, the grandson of this Minos, seems to have been of very different character; for when, in answer to prayer, Poseidon had sent him from the sea a splendid white bull for sacrifice, he offered to the gods an inferior animal and put the bull among his own herds. In punishment, Poseidon inspired in his wife an unholy passion for the bull, so that she left her home and followed the beast all over the island. From their union sprang the Minotaur, half bull and half man.
Fig. 73. Dædalus and Icarus.
During the reign of Minos there had arrived on his shores an exile from Athens, Dæ’dalus, who was the most skilful artist and engineer of his time. When a safe place in which to confine the Minotaur was needed, Dædalus built the Labyrinth, so winding and complicated a structure that no man or beast once shut inside could ever find the exit. Notwithstanding this and other services the artist fell under the king's displeasure and was himself, with his son, imprisoned in the Labyrinth he had designed. Knowing no way of escape to be possible, he constructed for himself and his son Ic'a rus wings and fastened them on with wax. Unfortunately, however, though Dædalus had warned his son not to fly too near the sun, Icarus forgot the injunction, and before he could be recalled the wax had melted, and the boy fell into the sea that from him was called the Icarian Sea, the part of the Ægean between the Cyclades and Asia Minor. Dædalus himself made good his escape to Italy and there dedicated his wings in a temple of Apollo.
II. STORIES OF SPARTA
The Di os cu’ri, Castor and his brother Pol ydeu’ces, the latter better known by his Roman name, Pollux, were the local heroes of Sparta. Their mother Leda, whose mortal husband was the king Tyn da're us, had by him two children, Cly tem nes’tra, who became the wife of King Agamem’non of Mycenæ, and Castor. But Zeus made love to Leda, taking upon himself when he visited her the form of a swan, and to him she bore two other children, Helen, whose divine beauty brought about the Trojan War, and Polydeuces. Castor was famous as a trainer of horses, while Polydeuces was the greatest of all boxers. Between the two brothers there was so great a love that when the mortal's son. Castor, was killed, Polydeuces, immortal by virtue of his divine father, obtained permission to divide his immortality with his brother. Therefore on alternate days after their death the two were among the dead in Hades, and among the gods in heaven, where they are still visible as the bright stars. Castor and Pollux, in the constellation Gemini, or the Twins. They were patrons of sailors, to whom they appear as balls of fire upon the masts, giving promise of clear weather after a storm. Among the Romans they received worship, and after the battle of Lake Regillus, fought between the Romans and the exiled Tarquins, they appeared in the Forum as two glorious youths on white horses and announced to the Romans the victory of their armies. In their honor a temple was built on the spot where they had appeared.
Fig. 74. The Dioscuri (Ancient statues now set up before the kings palace in Rome).
III. STORIES OF CORINTH
Corinth, through its situation on the isthmus holding command of two seas, was from the beginning an important commercial city, and its people were known as clever business men able to outwit all comers. This reputation began with the founder of the city, Sis’yphus, who began his career by bargaining with the river-god A so’pus for the never-failing spring Pi re’ne, on the citadel of Corinth,, in return for which he was to give the river-god information about his daughter, stolen by Zeus. In punishment for this interference with his plans, Zeus sent Death to take Sisyphus. Death himself, outwitted by the shrewd Corinthian, was caught, and while he was kept in chains, no one on earth could die. This state of things could not be allowed, and Ares succeeded in freeing Death and even in giving Sisyphus over to him. Before he was haled off to the lower world, however, the king exacted in secret a promise from his wife that she would offer no funeral sacrifices. When Pluto complained bitterly of this neglect, Sisyphus, feigning righteous indignation, offered to see that his wife did the proper thing, if for the purpose he was allowed to return to the upper air. Permission was given, and once outside the gates of Hades the wily king refused to return, lived to a ripe old age and at last died a natural death. But no one may cheat the gods and escape punishment, however clever he may be. In Hades Sisyphus was condemned eternally to roll a weighty stone up a hill, which ever, as it reached the top, rolled down again.
Fig. 75. Chimæra.
Sisyphus' grandson Bel ler’o phon was of very different mold. In his youth he was forced into exile because he had unintentionally killed a man. Hoping to be purified he went to Tiryns, and here the wife of King Proe’tus fell in love with him, and when he would not respond to her love, falsely accused him to her husband. Fearing divine anger if he himself killed a guest, Proetus sent him to the king of Lycia, and with him a secret message asking to have him slain. The king of Lycia at first treated Bellerophon with generous hospitality, but when he had read the message he sent him off on the dangerous adventure of killing the Chi mæ’ra. This beast had the fore part of a lion, the hinder part of a dragon, and in the middle the head of a goat, and breathed out fire from her nostrils. A seer consulted by Bellerophon told him that his success depended upon his catching and taming the winged horse Peg’a sus, and advised him to pass a night beside Athena's altar that he might secure the goddess' help. Pegasus was the offspring of Poseidon by Medusa, from whose neck he had sprung when Perseus cut off her head. Athena had given him to the Muses, and he had opened for them by a blow of his hoof the sacred spring of Hip po cre’ne on Mt. Hel’i con. While Bellerophon slept by her altar, Athena appeared to him and put into his hand a golden bridle, with which he easily caught Pegasus while he was drinking at the spring of Pirene. Mounted on the winged horse he flew down from above and killed the terrible Chimæra. The Lycian king sent him on other dangerous adventures and at last set an ambush to kill him. But when Bellerophon came out safe and victorious from all, the king, seeing that he was favored by the gods, gave him his daughter in marriage and half his kingdom as dowry. In time Bellerophon became so elated by his achievements that he challenged the immortal gods themselves, for he attempted to fly to Zeus's very dwelling on the winged horse. Zeus hurled a thunderbolt, and Bellerophon fell to earth maimed and blinded — an example to the proud not to attempt flying too high. Pegasus came to the dwelling of Zeus and was given the honor of drawing the thunder-chariot.
Fig. 76. Bellerophon and Pegasus.
IV. THE CALYDONIAN BOAR HUNT
During the time when the god-descended heroes lived in Greece, several joint expeditions were undertaken by them. One of these was the Calydonian boar hunt. Calydon was a town of Ætolia ruled over by Œneus, who was the first man of that part of Greece to learn of Dionysus the culture of the vine. He was married to Al the’a, who bore to him a son Mel e a’ger. When the boy was seven days. old, the Fates told Althea that he would die when the log that was then burning on the hearth should be consumed. Hearing this Althea quenched the brand and put it away in a box.
When Meleager had grown to be a young man, one harvest time his father Œneus, offering sacrifice of the first-fruits to all the other gods, passed over Artemis alone. In anger at this neglect the goddess sent into his country a great and ferocious boar, which laid waste all the country around. Meleager summoned the heroes from all parts of Greece, promising to him who killed the boar its hide as a gift of honor. It was a very distinguished company that assembled for the hunt: Castor and Polydeuces, from Lacedæmon, Theseus, from Athens, and his friend Pi rith’o us, Jason, later the leader of the Argonauts, Am phi a ra’us of Argos, and many other famous heroes. When the huntress At a lan’ta, daughter of the king of Arcadia, joined their number, many were indignant that they should be expected to share the danger and glory of the enterprise with any woman, however strong, but Meleager loved Atalanta and insisted upon her being received.
Fig. 77. Meleager.
Œneus entertained the company for nine days, and on the tenth they started the hunt. Three of the number lost their lives before any one had even wounded the beast, and Atalanta was the first to strike him, shooting- an arrow into his back. Then Amphiaraus shot him in the eye, but it was Meleager who finally despatched him, piercing between his ribs. The hide, which belonged to him by right, he gave to Atalanta. This mightily enraged some of the hunters, for they thought it unworthy that a woman should go off with the prize of honor for which so many men had striven; therefore the two uncles of Meleager lay in wait for the maiden and took away the hide, declaring that it belonged to them if Meleager did not choose to keep it. Meleager killed his uncles and restored the hide to Atalanta. When the news of her brothers' murder at the hands of her son came to Althea's ears, she seized the brand from its box and threw it on the fire. As it consumed the vital strength left Meleager’s body, and as it fell in ashes the spark of his life went out. Althea too late repented of her act of vengeance and took her own life. The weeping women about her were changed into birds.
