Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome 17

After waiting some time for the return of his servants {204} Cadmus grew

impatient, and hastily arming himself with his lance and spear, set out to

seek them. On reaching the spot, the mangled remains of his unfortunate

followers met his view, and near them he beheld the frightful monster,

dripping with the blood of his victims. Seizing a huge rock, the hero

hurled it with all his might upon the dragon; but protected by his tough

black skin and steely scales as by a coat of mail, he remained unhurt.

Cadmus now tried his lance, and with more success, for it pierced the side

of the beast, who, furious with pain, sprang at his adversary, when Cadmus,

leaping aside, succeeded in fixing the point of his spear within his jaws,

which final stroke put an end to the encounter.

 

While Cadmus stood surveying his vanquished foe Pallas-Athene appeared to

him, and commanded him to sow the teeth of the dead dragon in the ground.

He obeyed; and out of the furrows there arose a band of armed men, who at

once commenced to fight with each other, until all except five were killed.

These last surviving warriors made peace with each other, and it was with

their assistance that Cadmus now built the famous city of Thebes. In later

times the noblest Theban families proudly claimed their descent from these

mighty earth-born warriors.

 

Ares was furious with rage when he discovered that Cadmus had slain his

dragon, and would have killed him had not Zeus interfered, and induced him

to mitigate his punishment to that of servitude for the term of eight

years. At the end of that time the god of war became reconciled to Cadmus,

and, in token of his forgiveness, bestowed upon him the hand of his

daughter Harmonia in marriage. Their nuptials were almost as celebrated as

those of Peleus and Thetis. All the gods honoured them with their presence,

and offered rich gifts and congratulations. Cadmus himself presented his

lovely bride with a splendid necklace fashioned by Hephæstus, which,

however, after the death of Harmonia, always proved fatal to its possessor.

 

The children of Cadmus and Harmonia were one son, {205} Polydorus, and four

daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, and Agave.

 

For many years the founder of Thebes reigned happily, but at length a

conspiracy was formed against him, and he was deprived of his throne by his

grandson Pentheus. Accompanied by his faithful wife Harmonia, he retired

into Illyria, and after death they were both changed by Zeus into serpents,

and transferred to Elysium.

 

PERSEUS.

 

Perseus, one of the most renowned of the legendary heroes of antiquity, was

the son of Zeus and Danaë, daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos.

 

An oracle having foretold to Acrisius that a son of Danaë would be the

cause of his death, he imprisoned her in a tower of brass in order to keep

her secluded from the world. Zeus, however, descended through the roof of

the tower in the form of a shower of gold, and the lovely Danaë became his

bride.

 

For four years Acrisius remained in ignorance of this union, but one

evening as he chanced to pass by the brazen chamber, he heard the cry of a

young child proceeding from within, which led to the discovery of his

daughter's marriage with Zeus. Enraged at finding all his precautions

unavailing, Acrisius commanded the mother and child to be placed in a chest

and thrown into the sea.

 

But it was not the will of Zeus that they should perish. He directed

Poseidon to calm the troubled waters, and caused the chest to float safely

to the island of Seriphus. Dictys, brother of Polydectes, king of the

island, was fishing on the sea-shore when he saw the chest stranded on the

beach; and pitying the helpless condition of its unhappy occupants, he

conducted them to the palace of the king, where they were treated with the

greatest kindness.

 

Polydectes eventually became united to Danaë, and {206} bestowed upon

Perseus an education befitting a hero. When he saw his stepson develop into

a noble and manly youth he endeavoured to instil into his mind a desire to

signalize himself by the achievement of some great and heroic deed, and

after mature deliberation it was decided that the slaying of the Gorgon,

Medusa, would bring him the greatest renown.

 

For the successful accomplishment of his object it was necessary for him to

be provided with a pair of winged sandals, a magic wallet, and the helmet

of Aïdes, which rendered the wearer invisible, all of which were in the

keeping of the Nymphs, the place of whose abode was known only to the Grææ.

Perseus started on his expedition, and, guided by Hermes and Pallas-Athene,

arrived, after a long journey, in the far-off region, on the borders of

Oceanus, where dwelt the Grææ, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. He at once

applied to them for the necessary information, and on their refusing to

grant it he deprived them of their single eye and tooth, which he only

restored to them when they gave him full directions with regard to his

route. He then proceeded to the abode of the Nymphs, from whom he obtained

the objects indispensable for his purpose.

 

Equipped with the magic helmet and wallet, and armed with a sickle, the

gift of Hermes, he attached to his feet the winged sandals, and flew to the

abode of the Gorgons, whom he found fast asleep. Now as Perseus had been

warned by his celestial guides that whoever looked upon these weird sisters

would be transformed into stone, he stood with averted face before the

sleepers, and caught on his bright metal shield their triple image. Then,

guided by Pallas-Athene, he cut off the head of the Medusa, which he placed

in his wallet. No sooner had he done so than from the headless trunk there

sprang forth the winged steed Pegasus, and Chrysaor, the father of the

winged giant Geryon. He now hastened to elude the pursuit of the two

surviving sisters, who, aroused from their slumbers, eagerly rushed to

avenge the death of their sister.

 

{207}

 

His invisible helmet and winged sandals here stood him in good stead; for

the former concealed him from the view of the Gorgons, whilst the latter

bore him swiftly over land and sea, far beyond the reach of pursuit. In

passing over the burning plains of Libya the drops of blood from the head

of the Medusa oozed through the wallet, and falling on the hot sands below

produced a brood of many-coloured snakes, which spread all over the

country.

 

Perseus continued his flight until he reached the kingdom of Atlas, of whom

he begged rest and shelter. But as this king possessed a valuable orchard,

in which every tree bore golden fruit, he was fearful lest the slayer of

the Medusa might destroy the dragon which guarded it, and then rob him of

his treasures. He therefore refused to grant the hospitality which the hero

demanded, whereupon Perseus, exasperated at the churlish repulse, produced

from his wallet the head of the Medusa, and holding it towards the king,

transformed him into a stony mountain. Beard and hair erected themselves

into forests; shoulders, hands, and limbs became huge rocks, and the head

grew up into a craggy peak which reached into the clouds.

 

Perseus then resumed his travels. His winged sandals bore him over deserts

and mountains, until he arrived at Æthiopia, the kingdom of King Cepheus.

Here he found the country inundated with disastrous floods, towns and

villages destroyed, and everywhere signs of desolation and ruin. On a

projecting cliff close to the shore he beheld a lovely maiden chained to a

rock. This was Andromeda, the king's daughter. Her mother Cassiopea, having

boasted that her beauty surpassed that of the Nereides, the angry

sea-nymphs appealed to Poseidon to avenge their wrongs, whereupon the

sea-god devastated the country with a terrible inundation, which brought

with it a huge monster who devoured all that came in his way.

 

In their distress the unfortunate Æthiopians applied to the oracle of

Jupiter-Ammon, in the Libyan desert, {208} and obtained the response, that

only by the sacrifice of the king's daughter to the monster could the

country and people be saved.

 

Cepheus, who was tenderly attached to his child, at first refused to listen

to this dreadful proposal; but overcome at length by the prayers and

solicitations of his unhappy subjects, the heart-broken father gave up his

child for the welfare of his country. Andromeda was accordingly chained to

a rock on the sea-shore to serve as a prey to the monster, whilst her

unhappy parents bewailed her sad fate on the beach below.

 

On being informed of the meaning of this tragic scene, Perseus proposed to

Cepheus to slay the dragon, on condition that the lovely victim should

become his bride. Overjoyed at the prospect of Andromeda's release, the

king gladly acceded to the stipulation, and Perseus hastened to the rock,

to breathe words of hope and comfort to the trembling maiden. Then assuming

once more the helmet of Aïdes, he mounted into the air, and awaited the

approach of the monster.

 

Presently the sea opened, and the shark's head of the gigantic beast of the

deep raised itself above the waves. Lashing his tail furiously from side to

side, he leaped forward to seize his victim; but the gallant hero, watching

his opportunity, suddenly darted down, and producing the head of the Medusa

from his wallet, held it before the eyes of the dragon, whose hideous body

became gradually transformed into a huge black rock, which remained for

ever a silent witness of the miraculous deliverance of Andromeda. Perseus

then led the maiden to her now happy parents, who, anxious to evince their

gratitude to her deliverer ordered immediate preparations to be made for

the nuptial feast. But the young hero was not to bear away his lovely bride

uncontested; for in the midst of the banquet, Phineus, the king's brother,

to whom Andromeda had previously been betrothed, returned to claim his

bride. Followed by a band of armed warriors he forced his way into the

hall, and a desperate encounter took place between the rivals, {209} which

might have terminated fatally for Perseus, had he not suddenly bethought

himself of the Medusa's head. Calling to his friends to avert their faces,

he drew it from his wallet, and held it before Phineus and his formidable

body-guard, whereupon they all stiffened into stone.

 

[Illustration]

 

Perseus now took leave of the Æthiopian king, and, accompanied by his

beautiful bride, returned to Seriphus, where a joyful meeting took place

between Danaë and her son. He then sent a messenger to his grandfather,

informing him that he intended returning to Argos; but Acrisius, fearing

the fulfilment of the oracular prediction, fled for protection to his

friend Teutemias, king of Larissa. Anxious to induce the aged monarch to

return to Argos, Perseus followed him thither. But here a strange fatality

occurred. Whilst taking part in some funereal games, celebrated in honour

of the king's father, Perseus, by an unfortunate throw of the discus,

accidentally struck his grandfather, and thereby was the innocent cause of

his death.

 

After celebrating the funereal rites of Acrisius with due solemnity,

Perseus returned to Argos; but feeling loath to occupy the throne of one

whose death he had caused, he exchanged kingdoms with Megapenthes, king of

Tiryns, and in course of time founded the cities of Mycenæ and Midea.

 

The head of the Medusa he presented to his divine patroness, Pallas-Athene,

who placed it in the centre of her shield.

 

Many great heroes were descended from Perseus and Andromeda, foremost among

whom was Heracles, whose mother, Alcmene, was their granddaughter.

 

Heroic honours were paid to Perseus, not only {210} throughout Argos, but

also at Athens and in the island of Seriphus.

 

ION.

 

Ion was the son of Crëusa (the beauteous daughter of Erechtheus, king of

Athens) and the sun-god Phoebus-Apollo, to whom she was united without the

knowledge of her father.

 

Fearing the anger of Erechtheus, Crëusa placed her new-born babe in a

little wicker basket, and hanging some golden charms round his neck,

invoked for him the protection of the gods, and concealed him in a lonely

cave. Apollo, pitying his deserted child, sent Hermes to convey him to

Delphi, where he deposited his charge on the steps of the temple. Next

morning the Delphic priestess discovered the infant, and was so charmed by

his engaging appearance that she adopted him as her own son. The young

child was carefully tended and reared by his kind foster-mother, and was

brought up in the service of the temple, where he was intrusted with some

of the minor duties of the holy edifice.

 

And now to return to Crëusa. During a war with the Euboeans, in which the

latter were signally defeated, Xuthus, son of Æolus, greatly distinguished

himself on the side of the Athenians, and as a reward for his valuable

services, the hand of Crëusa, the king's daughter, was bestowed upon him in

marriage. Their union, however, was not blest with children, and as this

was a source of great grief to both of them, they repaired to Delphi in

order to consult the oracle. The response was, that Xuthus should regard

the first person who met him on leaving the sanctuary as his son. Now it

happened that Ion, the young guardian of the temple, was the first to greet

his view, and when Xuthus beheld the beautiful youth, he gladly welcomed

him as his son, declaring that the gods had sent him to be a blessing and

comfort to his old age. Crëusa, however, who concluded that the youth was

the offspring of a secret marriage on the part of her husband, was filled

with suspicion and jealousy; {211} when an old servant, observing her

grief, begged her to be comforted, assuring her that the cause of her

distress should be speedily removed.

 

When, upon the occasion of the public adoption of his son, Xuthus gave a

grand banquet, the old servant of Crëusa contrived to mix a strong poison

in the wine of the unsuspecting Ion. But the youth--according to the pious

custom of the ancients, of offering a libation to the gods before partaking

of any repast--poured upon the ground a portion of the wine before putting

it to his lips, when suddenly, as if by a miracle, a dove flew into the

banquet-hall, and sipped of the wine of the libation; whereupon the poor

little creature began to quiver in every limb, and in a few moments

expired.

 

Ion's suspicions at once fell upon the obsequious servant of Crëusa, who

with such officious attention had filled his cup. He violently seized the

old man, and accused him of his murderous intentions. Unprepared for this

sudden attack he admitted his guilt, but pointed to the wife of Xuthus as

the instigator of the crime. Ion was about to avenge himself upon Crëusa,

when, by means of the divine intervention of Apollo, his foster-mother, the

Delphic priestess appeared on the scene, and explained the true

relationship which existed between Crëusa and Ion. In order to set all

doubts at rest, she produced the charms which she had found round the neck

of the infant, and also the wicker basket in which he had been conveyed to

Delphi.

 

Mother and son now became reconciled to each other, and Crëusa revealed to

Ion the secret of his divine origin. The priestess of Delphi foretold that

he would become the father of a great nation, called after him the Ionians,

and also that Xuthus and Crëusa would have a son called Dorus, who would be

the progenitor of the Dorian people, both of which predictions were in due

time verified.

 

DÆDALUS and ICARUS.

 

Dædalus, a descendant of Erechtheus, was an Athenian architect, sculptor,

and mechanician. He was the first {212} to introduce the art of sculpture

in its higher development, for before his time statues were merely rude

representations, having the limbs altogether undefined.

 

But great as was his genius, still greater was his vanity, and he could

brook no rival. Now his nephew and pupil, Talus, exhibited great talent,

having invented both the saw and the compass, and Dædalus, fearing lest he

might overshadow his own fame, secretly killed him by throwing him down

from the citadel of Pallas-Athene. The murder being discovered, Dædalus was

summoned before the court of the Areopagus and condemned to death; but he

made his escape to the island of Crete, where he was received by king Minos

in a manner worthy of his great reputation.

 

Dædalus constructed for the king the world-renowned labyrinth, which was an

immense building, full of intricate passages, intersecting each other in

such a manner, that even Dædalus himself is said, upon one occasion, to

have nearly lost his way in it; and it was in this building the king placed

the Minotaur, a monster with the head and shoulders of a bull and the body

of a man.

 

In the course of time the great artist became weary of his long exile, more

especially as the king, under the guise of friendship, kept him almost a

prisoner. He therefore resolved to make his escape, and for this purpose

ingeniously contrived wings for himself and his young son Icarus, whom he

diligently trained how to use them. Having awaited a favourable

opportunity, father and son commenced their flight, and were well on their

way when Icarus, pleased with the novel sensation, forgot altogether his

father's oft-repeated injunction not to approach too near the sun. The

consequence was that the wax, by means of which his wings were attached,

melted, and he fell into the sea and was drowned. The body of the

unfortunate Icarus was washed up by the tide, and was buried by the

bereaved father on an island which he called after his son, Icaria.

 

After this sad event, Dædalus winged his flight to the island of Sicily,

where he met with a kind welcome from {213} king Cocalus, for whom he

constructed several important public works. But no sooner did Minos receive

the intelligence that his great architect had found an asylum with Cocalus

than he sailed over to Sicily with a large army, and sent messengers to the

Sicilian king demanding the surrender of his guest. Cocalus feigned

compliance and invited Minos to his palace, where he was treacherously put

to death in a warm bath. The body of their king was brought to Agrigent by

the Cretans, where it was buried with great pomp, and over his tomb a

temple to Aphrodite was erected.

 

Dædalus passed the remainder of his life tranquilly in the island of

Sicily, where he occupied himself in the construction of various beautiful

works of art.

 

THE ARGONAUTS.

 

Aeson, king of Iolcus, was forced to fly from his dominions, which had been

usurped by his younger brother, Pelias, and with difficulty succeeded in

saving the life of his young son, Jason, who was at that time only ten

years of age. He intrusted him to the care of the Centaur Chiron, by whom

he was carefully trained in company with other noble youths, who, like

himself, afterwards signalized themselves by their bravery and heroic

exploits. For ten years Jason remained in the cave of the Centaur, by whom

he was instructed in all useful and warlike arts. But as he approached

manhood he became filled with an unconquerable desire to regain his

paternal inheritance. He therefore took leave of his kind friend and

preceptor, and set out for Iolcus to demand from his uncle Pelias the

kingdom which he had so unjustly usurped.

 

In the course of his journey he came to a broad and foaming river, on the

banks of which he perceived an old woman, who implored him to help her

across. At first he hesitated, knowing that even alone he would find some

difficulty in stemming the fierce torrent; but, {214} pitying her forlorn

condition, he raised her in his arms, and succeeded, with a great effort,

in reaching the opposite shore. But as soon as her feet had touched the

earth she became transformed into a beautiful woman, who, looking kindly at

the bewildered youth, informed him that she was the goddess Hera, and that

she would henceforth guide and protect him throughout his career. She then

disappeared, and, full of hope and courage at this divine manifestation,

Jason pursued his journey. He now perceived that in crossing the river he

had lost one of his sandals, but as it could not be recovered he was

obliged to proceed without it.

 

On his arrival at Iolcus he found his uncle in the market-place, offering

up a public sacrifice to Poseidon. When the king had concluded his

offering, his eye fell upon the distinguished stranger, whose manly beauty

and heroic bearing had already attracted the attention of his people.

Observing that one foot was unshod, he was reminded of an oracular

prediction which foretold to him the loss of his kingdom by a man wearing

only one sandal. He, however, disguised his fears, conversed kindly with

the youth, and drew from him his name and errand. Then pretending to be

highly pleased with his nephew, Pelias entertained him sumptuously for five

days, during which time all was festivity and rejoicing. On the sixth,

Jason appeared before his uncle, and with manly firmness demanded from him

the throne and kingdom which were his by right. Pelias, dissembling his

true feelings, smilingly consented to grant his request, provided that, in

return, Jason would undertake an expedition for him, which his advanced age

prevented him from accomplishing himself. He informed his nephew that the

shade of Phryxus had appeared to him in his dreams, and entreated him to

bring back from Colchis his mortal remains and the Golden Fleece; and added

that if Jason succeeded in obtaining for him these sacred relics, throne,

kingdom, and sceptre should be his.

 

{215}

 

STORY OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.

 

Athamas, king of Boeotia, had married Nephele, a cloud-nymph, and their

children were Helle and Phryxus. The restless and wandering nature of

Nephele, however, soon wearied her husband, who, being a mortal, had little

sympathy with his ethereal consort; so he divorced her, and married the

beautiful but wicked Ino (sister of Semele), who hated her step-children,

and even planned their destruction. But the watchful Nephele contrived to

circumvent her cruel designs, and succeeded in getting the children out of

the palace. She then placed them both on the back of a winged ram, with a

fleece of pure gold, which had been given to her by Hermes; and on this

wonderful animal brother and sister rode through the air over land and sea;

but on the way Helle, becoming seized with giddiness, fell into the sea

(called after her the Hellespont) and was drowned.

 

Phryxus arrived safely at Colchis, where he was hospitably received by king

Aëtes, who gave him one of his daughters in marriage. In gratitude to Zeus

for the protection accorded him during his flight, Phryxus sacrificed to

him the golden ram, whilst the fleece he presented to Aëtes, who nailed it

up in the Grove of Ares, and dedicated it to the god of War. An oracle

having declared that the life of Aëtes depended on the safe-keeping of the

fleece, he carefully guarded the entrance to the grove by placing before it

an immense dragon, which never slept.

 

BUILDING AND LAUNCH OF THE ARGO.--We will now return to Jason, who eagerly

undertook the perilous expedition proposed to him by his uncle, who, well

aware of the dangers attending such an enterprise, hoped by this means to

rid himself for ever of the unwelcome intruder.

 

Jason accordingly began to arrange his plans without delay, and invited the

young heroes whose friendship he {216} had formed whilst under the care of

Chiron, to join him in the perilous expedition. None refused the

invitation, all feeling honoured at being allowed the privilege of taking part in so noble and heroic an undertaking.

After waiting some time for the return of his servants {204} Cadmus grew

impatient, and hastily arming himself with his lance and spear, set out to

seek them. On reaching the spot, the mangled remains of his unfortunate

followers met his view, and near them he beheld the frightful monster,

dripping with the blood of his victims. Seizing a huge rock, the hero

hurled it with all his might upon the dragon; but protected by his tough

black skin and steely scales as by a coat of mail, he remained unhurt.

Cadmus now tried his lance, and with more success, for it pierced the side

of the beast, who, furious with pain, sprang at his adversary, when Cadmus,

leaping aside, succeeded in fixing the point of his spear within his jaws,

which final stroke put an end to the encounter.

 

While Cadmus stood surveying his vanquished foe Pallas-Athene appeared to

him, and commanded him to sow the teeth of the dead dragon in the ground.

He obeyed; and out of the furrows there arose a band of armed men, who at

once commenced to fight with each other, until all except five were killed.

These last surviving warriors made peace with each other, and it was with

their assistance that Cadmus now built the famous city of Thebes. In later

times the noblest Theban families proudly claimed their descent from these

mighty earth-born warriors.

 

Ares was furious with rage when he discovered that Cadmus had slain his

dragon, and would have killed him had not Zeus interfered, and induced him

to mitigate his punishment to that of servitude for the term of eight

years. At the end of that time the god of war became reconciled to Cadmus,

and, in token of his forgiveness, bestowed upon him the hand of his

daughter Harmonia in marriage. Their nuptials were almost as celebrated as

those of Peleus and Thetis. All the gods honoured them with their presence,

and offered rich gifts and congratulations. Cadmus himself presented his

lovely bride with a splendid necklace fashioned by Hephæstus, which,

however, after the death of Harmonia, always proved fatal to its possessor.

 

The children of Cadmus and Harmonia were one son, {205} Polydorus, and four

daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, and Agave.

 

For many years the founder of Thebes reigned happily, but at length a

conspiracy was formed against him, and he was deprived of his throne by his

grandson Pentheus. Accompanied by his faithful wife Harmonia, he retired

into Illyria, and after death they were both changed by Zeus into serpents,

and transferred to Elysium.

 

PERSEUS.

 

Perseus, one of the most renowned of the legendary heroes of antiquity, was

the son of Zeus and Danaë, daughter of Acrisius, king of Argos.

 

An oracle having foretold to Acrisius that a son of Danaë would be the

cause of his death, he imprisoned her in a tower of brass in order to keep

her secluded from the world. Zeus, however, descended through the roof of

the tower in the form of a shower of gold, and the lovely Danaë became his

bride.

 

For four years Acrisius remained in ignorance of this union, but one

evening as he chanced to pass by the brazen chamber, he heard the cry of a

young child proceeding from within, which led to the discovery of his

daughter's marriage with Zeus. Enraged at finding all his precautions

unavailing, Acrisius commanded the mother and child to be placed in a chest

and thrown into the sea.

 

But it was not the will of Zeus that they should perish. He directed

Poseidon to calm the troubled waters, and caused the chest to float safely

to the island of Seriphus. Dictys, brother of Polydectes, king of the

island, was fishing on the sea-shore when he saw the chest stranded on the

beach; and pitying the helpless condition of its unhappy occupants, he

conducted them to the palace of the king, where they were treated with the

greatest kindness.

 

Polydectes eventually became united to Danaë, and {206} bestowed upon

Perseus an education befitting a hero. When he saw his stepson develop into

a noble and manly youth he endeavoured to instil into his mind a desire to

signalize himself by the achievement of some great and heroic deed, and

after mature deliberation it was decided that the slaying of the Gorgon,

Medusa, would bring him the greatest renown.

 

For the successful accomplishment of his object it was necessary for him to

be provided with a pair of winged sandals, a magic wallet, and the helmet

of Aïdes, which rendered the wearer invisible, all of which were in the

keeping of the Nymphs, the place of whose abode was known only to the Grææ.

Perseus started on his expedition, and, guided by Hermes and Pallas-Athene,

arrived, after a long journey, in the far-off region, on the borders of

Oceanus, where dwelt the Grææ, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. He at once

applied to them for the necessary information, and on their refusing to

grant it he deprived them of their single eye and tooth, which he only

restored to them when they gave him full directions with regard to his

route. He then proceeded to the abode of the Nymphs, from whom he obtained

the objects indispensable for his purpose.

 

Equipped with the magic helmet and wallet, and armed with a sickle, the

gift of Hermes, he attached to his feet the winged sandals, and flew to the

abode of the Gorgons, whom he found fast asleep. Now as Perseus had been

warned by his celestial guides that whoever looked upon these weird sisters

would be transformed into stone, he stood with averted face before the

sleepers, and caught on his bright metal shield their triple image. Then,

guided by Pallas-Athene, he cut off the head of the Medusa, which he placed

in his wallet. No sooner had he done so than from the headless trunk there

sprang forth the winged steed Pegasus, and Chrysaor, the father of the

winged giant Geryon. He now hastened to elude the pursuit of the two

surviving sisters, who, aroused from their slumbers, eagerly rushed to

avenge the death of their sister.

 

{207}

 

His invisible helmet and winged sandals here stood him in good stead; for

the former concealed him from the view of the Gorgons, whilst the latter

bore him swiftly over land and sea, far beyond the reach of pursuit. In

passing over the burning plains of Libya the drops of blood from the head

of the Medusa oozed through the wallet, and falling on the hot sands below

produced a brood of many-coloured snakes, which spread all over the

country.

 

Perseus continued his flight until he reached the kingdom of Atlas, of whom

he begged rest and shelter. But as this king possessed a valuable orchard,

in which every tree bore golden fruit, he was fearful lest the slayer of

the Medusa might destroy the dragon which guarded it, and then rob him of

his treasures. He therefore refused to grant the hospitality which the hero

demanded, whereupon Perseus, exasperated at the churlish repulse, produced

from his wallet the head of the Medusa, and holding it towards the king,

transformed him into a stony mountain. Beard and hair erected themselves

into forests; shoulders, hands, and limbs became huge rocks, and the head

grew up into a craggy peak which reached into the clouds.

 

Perseus then resumed his travels. His winged sandals bore him over deserts

and mountains, until he arrived at Æthiopia, the kingdom of King Cepheus.

Here he found the country inundated with disastrous floods, towns and

villages destroyed, and everywhere signs of desolation and ruin. On a

projecting cliff close to the shore he beheld a lovely maiden chained to a

rock. This was Andromeda, the king's daughter. Her mother Cassiopea, having

boasted that her beauty surpassed that of the Nereides, the angry

sea-nymphs appealed to Poseidon to avenge their wrongs, whereupon the

sea-god devastated the country with a terrible inundation, which brought

with it a huge monster who devoured all that came in his way.

 

In their distress the unfortunate Æthiopians applied to the oracle of

Jupiter-Ammon, in the Libyan desert, {208} and obtained the response, that

only by the sacrifice of the king's daughter to the monster could the

country and people be saved.

 

Cepheus, who was tenderly attached to his child, at first refused to listen

to this dreadful proposal; but overcome at length by the prayers and

solicitations of his unhappy subjects, the heart-broken father gave up his

child for the welfare of his country. Andromeda was accordingly chained to

a rock on the sea-shore to serve as a prey to the monster, whilst her

unhappy parents bewailed her sad fate on the beach below.

 

On being informed of the meaning of this tragic scene, Perseus proposed to

Cepheus to slay the dragon, on condition that the lovely victim should

become his bride. Overjoyed at the prospect of Andromeda's release, the

king gladly acceded to the stipulation, and Perseus hastened to the rock,

to breathe words of hope and comfort to the trembling maiden. Then assuming

once more the helmet of Aïdes, he mounted into the air, and awaited the

approach of the monster.

 

Presently the sea opened, and the shark's head of the gigantic beast of the

deep raised itself above the waves. Lashing his tail furiously from side to

side, he leaped forward to seize his victim; but the gallant hero, watching

his opportunity, suddenly darted down, and producing the head of the Medusa

from his wallet, held it before the eyes of the dragon, whose hideous body

became gradually transformed into a huge black rock, which remained for

ever a silent witness of the miraculous deliverance of Andromeda. Perseus

then led the maiden to her now happy parents, who, anxious to evince their

gratitude to her deliverer ordered immediate preparations to be made for

the nuptial feast. But the young hero was not to bear away his lovely bride

uncontested; for in the midst of the banquet, Phineus, the king's brother,

to whom Andromeda had previously been betrothed, returned to claim his

bride. Followed by a band of armed warriors he forced his way into the

hall, and a desperate encounter took place between the rivals, {209} which

might have terminated fatally for Perseus, had he not suddenly bethought

himself of the Medusa's head. Calling to his friends to avert their faces,

he drew it from his wallet, and held it before Phineus and his formidable

body-guard, whereupon they all stiffened into stone.

 

[Illustration]

 

Perseus now took leave of the Æthiopian king, and, accompanied by his

beautiful bride, returned to Seriphus, where a joyful meeting took place

between Danaë and her son. He then sent a messenger to his grandfather,

informing him that he intended returning to Argos; but Acrisius, fearing

the fulfilment of the oracular prediction, fled for protection to his

friend Teutemias, king of Larissa. Anxious to induce the aged monarch to

return to Argos, Perseus followed him thither. But here a strange fatality

occurred. Whilst taking part in some funereal games, celebrated in honour

of the king's father, Perseus, by an unfortunate throw of the discus,

accidentally struck his grandfather, and thereby was the innocent cause of

his death.

 

After celebrating the funereal rites of Acrisius with due solemnity,

Perseus returned to Argos; but feeling loath to occupy the throne of one

whose death he had caused, he exchanged kingdoms with Megapenthes, king of

Tiryns, and in course of time founded the cities of Mycenæ and Midea.

 

The head of the Medusa he presented to his divine patroness, Pallas-Athene,

who placed it in the centre of her shield.

 

Many great heroes were descended from Perseus and Andromeda, foremost among

whom was Heracles, whose mother, Alcmene, was their granddaughter.

 

Heroic honours were paid to Perseus, not only {210} throughout Argos, but

also at Athens and in the island of Seriphus.

 

ION.

 

Ion was the son of Crëusa (the beauteous daughter of Erechtheus, king of

Athens) and the sun-god Phoebus-Apollo, to whom she was united without the

knowledge of her father.

 

Fearing the anger of Erechtheus, Crëusa placed her new-born babe in a

little wicker basket, and hanging some golden charms round his neck,

invoked for him the protection of the gods, and concealed him in a lonely

cave. Apollo, pitying his deserted child, sent Hermes to convey him to

Delphi, where he deposited his charge on the steps of the temple. Next

morning the Delphic priestess discovered the infant, and was so charmed by

his engaging appearance that she adopted him as her own son. The young

child was carefully tended and reared by his kind foster-mother, and was

brought up in the service of the temple, where he was intrusted with some

of the minor duties of the holy edifice.

 

And now to return to Crëusa. During a war with the Euboeans, in which the

latter were signally defeated, Xuthus, son of Æolus, greatly distinguished

himself on the side of the Athenians, and as a reward for his valuable

services, the hand of Crëusa, the king's daughter, was bestowed upon him in

marriage. Their union, however, was not blest with children, and as this

was a source of great grief to both of them, they repaired to Delphi in

order to consult the oracle. The response was, that Xuthus should regard

the first person who met him on leaving the sanctuary as his son. Now it

happened that Ion, the young guardian of the temple, was the first to greet

his view, and when Xuthus beheld the beautiful youth, he gladly welcomed

him as his son, declaring that the gods had sent him to be a blessing and

comfort to his old age. Crëusa, however, who concluded that the youth was

the offspring of a secret marriage on the part of her husband, was filled

with suspicion and jealousy; {211} when an old servant, observing her

grief, begged her to be comforted, assuring her that the cause of her

distress should be speedily removed.

 

When, upon the occasion of the public adoption of his son, Xuthus gave a

grand banquet, the old servant of Crëusa contrived to mix a strong poison

in the wine of the unsuspecting Ion. But the youth--according to the pious

custom of the ancients, of offering a libation to the gods before partaking

of any repast--poured upon the ground a portion of the wine before putting

it to his lips, when suddenly, as if by a miracle, a dove flew into the

banquet-hall, and sipped of the wine of the libation; whereupon the poor

little creature began to quiver in every limb, and in a few moments

expired.

 

Ion's suspicions at once fell upon the obsequious servant of Crëusa, who

with such officious attention had filled his cup. He violently seized the

old man, and accused him of his murderous intentions. Unprepared for this

sudden attack he admitted his guilt, but pointed to the wife of Xuthus as

the instigator of the crime. Ion was about to avenge himself upon Crëusa,

when, by means of the divine intervention of Apollo, his foster-mother, the

Delphic priestess appeared on the scene, and explained the true

relationship which existed between Crëusa and Ion. In order to set all

doubts at rest, she produced the charms which she had found round the neck

of the infant, and also the wicker basket in which he had been conveyed to

Delphi.

 

Mother and son now became reconciled to each other, and Crëusa revealed to

Ion the secret of his divine origin. The priestess of Delphi foretold that

he would become the father of a great nation, called after him the Ionians,

and also that Xuthus and Crëusa would have a son called Dorus, who would be

the progenitor of the Dorian people, both of which predictions were in due

time verified.

 

DÆDALUS and ICARUS.

 

Dædalus, a descendant of Erechtheus, was an Athenian architect, sculptor,

and mechanician. He was the first {212} to introduce the art of sculpture

in its higher development, for before his time statues were merely rude

representations, having the limbs altogether undefined.

 

But great as was his genius, still greater was his vanity, and he could

brook no rival. Now his nephew and pupil, Talus, exhibited great talent,

having invented both the saw and the compass, and Dædalus, fearing lest he

might overshadow his own fame, secretly killed him by throwing him down

from the citadel of Pallas-Athene. The murder being discovered, Dædalus was

summoned before the court of the Areopagus and condemned to death; but he

made his escape to the island of Crete, where he was received by king Minos

in a manner worthy of his great reputation.

 

Dædalus constructed for the king the world-renowned labyrinth, which was an

immense building, full of intricate passages, intersecting each other in

such a manner, that even Dædalus himself is said, upon one occasion, to

have nearly lost his way in it; and it was in this building the king placed

the Minotaur, a monster with the head and shoulders of a bull and the body

of a man.

 

In the course of time the great artist became weary of his long exile, more

especially as the king, under the guise of friendship, kept him almost a

prisoner. He therefore resolved to make his escape, and for this purpose

ingeniously contrived wings for himself and his young son Icarus, whom he

diligently trained how to use them. Having awaited a favourable

opportunity, father and son commenced their flight, and were well on their

way when Icarus, pleased with the novel sensation, forgot altogether his

father's oft-repeated injunction not to approach too near the sun. The

consequence was that the wax, by means of which his wings were attached,

melted, and he fell into the sea and was drowned. The body of the

unfortunate Icarus was washed up by the tide, and was buried by the

bereaved father on an island which he called after his son, Icaria.

 

After this sad event, Dædalus winged his flight to the island of Sicily,

where he met with a kind welcome from {213} king Cocalus, for whom he

constructed several important public works. But no sooner did Minos receive

the intelligence that his great architect had found an asylum with Cocalus

than he sailed over to Sicily with a large army, and sent messengers to the

Sicilian king demanding the surrender of his guest. Cocalus feigned

compliance and invited Minos to his palace, where he was treacherously put

to death in a warm bath. The body of their king was brought to Agrigent by

the Cretans, where it was buried with great pomp, and over his tomb a

temple to Aphrodite was erected.

 

Dædalus passed the remainder of his life tranquilly in the island of

Sicily, where he occupied himself in the construction of various beautiful

works of art.

 

THE ARGONAUTS.

 

Aeson, king of Iolcus, was forced to fly from his dominions, which had been

usurped by his younger brother, Pelias, and with difficulty succeeded in

saving the life of his young son, Jason, who was at that time only ten

years of age. He intrusted him to the care of the Centaur Chiron, by whom

he was carefully trained in company with other noble youths, who, like

himself, afterwards signalized themselves by their bravery and heroic

exploits. For ten years Jason remained in the cave of the Centaur, by whom

he was instructed in all useful and warlike arts. But as he approached

manhood he became filled with an unconquerable desire to regain his

paternal inheritance. He therefore took leave of his kind friend and

preceptor, and set out for Iolcus to demand from his uncle Pelias the

kingdom which he had so unjustly usurped.

 

In the course of his journey he came to a broad and foaming river, on the

banks of which he perceived an old woman, who implored him to help her

across. At first he hesitated, knowing that even alone he would find some

difficulty in stemming the fierce torrent; but, {214} pitying her forlorn

condition, he raised her in his arms, and succeeded, with a great effort,

in reaching the opposite shore. But as soon as her feet had touched the

earth she became transformed into a beautiful woman, who, looking kindly at

the bewildered youth, informed him that she was the goddess Hera, and that

she would henceforth guide and protect him throughout his career. She then

disappeared, and, full of hope and courage at this divine manifestation,

Jason pursued his journey. He now perceived that in crossing the river he

had lost one of his sandals, but as it could not be recovered he was

obliged to proceed without it.

 

On his arrival at Iolcus he found his uncle in the market-place, offering

up a public sacrifice to Poseidon. When the king had concluded his

offering, his eye fell upon the distinguished stranger, whose manly beauty

and heroic bearing had already attracted the attention of his people.

Observing that one foot was unshod, he was reminded of an oracular

prediction which foretold to him the loss of his kingdom by a man wearing

only one sandal. He, however, disguised his fears, conversed kindly with

the youth, and drew from him his name and errand. Then pretending to be

highly pleased with his nephew, Pelias entertained him sumptuously for five

days, during which time all was festivity and rejoicing. On the sixth,

Jason appeared before his uncle, and with manly firmness demanded from him

the throne and kingdom which were his by right. Pelias, dissembling his

true feelings, smilingly consented to grant his request, provided that, in

return, Jason would undertake an expedition for him, which his advanced age

prevented him from accomplishing himself. He informed his nephew that the

shade of Phryxus had appeared to him in his dreams, and entreated him to

bring back from Colchis his mortal remains and the Golden Fleece; and added

that if Jason succeeded in obtaining for him these sacred relics, throne,

kingdom, and sceptre should be his.

 

{215}

 

STORY OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.

 

Athamas, king of Boeotia, had married Nephele, a cloud-nymph, and their

children were Helle and Phryxus. The restless and wandering nature of

Nephele, however, soon wearied her husband, who, being a mortal, had little

sympathy with his ethereal consort; so he divorced her, and married the

beautiful but wicked Ino (sister of Semele), who hated her step-children,

and even planned their destruction. But the watchful Nephele contrived to

circumvent her cruel designs, and succeeded in getting the children out of

the palace. She then placed them both on the back of a winged ram, with a

fleece of pure gold, which had been given to her by Hermes; and on this

wonderful animal brother and sister rode through the air over land and sea;

but on the way Helle, becoming seized with giddiness, fell into the sea

(called after her the Hellespont) and was drowned.

 

Phryxus arrived safely at Colchis, where he was hospitably received by king

Aëtes, who gave him one of his daughters in marriage. In gratitude to Zeus

for the protection accorded him during his flight, Phryxus sacrificed to

him the golden ram, whilst the fleece he presented to Aëtes, who nailed it

up in the Grove of Ares, and dedicated it to the god of War. An oracle

having declared that the life of Aëtes depended on the safe-keeping of the

fleece, he carefully guarded the entrance to the grove by placing before it

an immense dragon, which never slept.

 

BUILDING AND LAUNCH OF THE ARGO.--We will now return to Jason, who eagerly

undertook the perilous expedition proposed to him by his uncle, who, well

aware of the dangers attending such an enterprise, hoped by this means to

rid himself for ever of the unwelcome intruder.

 

Jason accordingly began to arrange his plans without delay, and invited the

young heroes whose friendship he {216} had formed whilst under the care of

Chiron, to join him in the perilous expedition. None refused the

invitation, all feeling honoured at being allowed the privilege of taking part in so noble and heroic an undertaking.