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THE
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
OF
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
b
BLACKIE’S COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SERIES.
THE
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME:
BEING
A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY.
BY
E M. BERENS.
illustrated from Antique Sculptures.
LONDON:
BLACKIE & SON, 49 & 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C. GLASGOW, EDINBURGH, AND DUBLIN.
1880.
'g3o. f- 2-
po
Qv an) 200CT85 $
^
OXFORD.”
PREFACE.
THE want of an interesting work on Greek and Roman mytho- logy, suitable for the requirements of both boys and girls, has long been recognized by the principals of our advanced schools. The study of the classics themselves, even where the attain- ments of the pupil have rendered this feasible, has not been found altogether successful in giving to the student a clear and succinct idea of the religious beliefs of the ancients, and it has been suggested that a work which would so deal with the subject as to render it at once interesting and instructive would be hailed as a valuable introduction to the study of classic authors, and would be found to assist materially the labours of both master and pupil.
In endeavouring to supply this want I have sought to place before the reader a lifelike picture of the deities of classical times as they were conceived and worshipped by the ancients themselves, and thereby to awaken in the minds of young students a desire to become more intimately acquainted with the noble productions of classical antiquity.
It has been my aim to render the Legends, which form the second portion of the work, a picture, as it were, of old Greek life ; its customs, its superstitions, and its princely hospitalities, for which reason they are given at somewhat greater length than is usual in works of the kind.
In a chapter devoted to the purpose some interesting par- ticulars have been collected respecting the public worship of the ancient Greeks and Romans (more especialy of the former), to which is subjoined an account of their principal festivals.
I may add that no pains have been spared in order that, without passing over details the omission of which would hawe
li PREFACE.
marred the completeness of the work, not a single passage should be found which could possibly offend the most scrupu- lous delicacy; and also that I have purposely treated the subject with that reverence which I consider due to every religious system, however erroneous.
It is hardly necessary to dwell upon the importance of the study of Mythology: our poems, our novels, and even our daily journals teem with classical allusions; nor can a visit to our art galleries and museums be fully enjoyed without some- thing more than a mere superficial knowledge of a subject which has in all ages inspired painters, sculptors, and poets. It therefore only remains for me to express a hope that my little work may prove useful, not only to teachers and scholars, but also to a large class of general readers, who, in whiling away a leisure hour, may derive some pleasure and profit from its perusal.
E. M. BERENS.
October, 1879.
CONTENTS.
PART I.—MYTHS.
VTRODUOTION,
FIRST DYNASTY.
BIGIN OF THE WORLD—
URBANUS AND GA (Ccelus and Terra), ...
SECOND DYNASTY.
Cronus (Saturn), ...
Rura (Ops), ;
DIVISION OF THE WORLD, i THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF MAN,
THIRD DYNASTY.
ILYMPIAN DIVINITIES—
Zeus (Jupiter),
Hera (Juno), PALLAS-ATHENE (Minerva), THEMIS,
Hestia (Vesta), DEMETER (Ceres), ... APHRODITE (Venus), He tos (Sol),
Eos (Aurora), PHæBUS-A POLLO, ... HECATE,
SELENE (Luna), ARTEMIS (Diana), HeEPuzstus (Vulcan), PosEipoN (Neptune),
11
CONTENTS.
SEA DIVINITIES—
OCEANUS,
NEREUS,
PROTEUS,
TRITON AND THE TRITONS, GLAUCUS,
THETIS,
THAUMAS, PHOROYA; AND Czro, ioe
LEvcoTHEA,
THE SIRENS,
ARES (Mars),
NIKE (Victoria),
HERMES (Mercury), 5 Dionysus (Bacchus or Liber), AiDES (Pluto),
PLUTUS,
MINOR DIVINITIES—
THE HARPIES,
ERINYES, EUMENIDES (Furie, Dire),
Morræ or Fares (Parce), NEMESIS,
NIGHT AND HER CHILDREN—
Nyx (Nox),
THANATOS (Mors), Hyexva (Boma, wae
MOBPHEUS,
THE GoRGONS, GREZ, SPHINX,
TycHe (Fortuna) aud ANANKE (Nocasstbun],
KER, ATE, Momus,
Eros (Cupid, Amor) and Porous,
HYMEN,
Iris, a Hese (Juventas), ... GANYMEDES,
Page
107 108 108 109 109 110 111 111 112 112 117 117 124 130 137
137 138 139 141
142 142 143
144 145 146 147 149 149 149 150 154 155 156 157
CONTENTS. v
Page THE MUSES, me ie er sti T e. 157 PEGASUS, ... 13s ni a m -— .. 162 THE HESPERIDES, si bie K "x .. 162 CHARITES OR GRACES, ... is s i .. 163 Hor# (Seasons), .. — .. .. 0. 0. o 104 THe NYMPHS, a E En Vus Eos .. 165 THE WINDS, ia ar s $e gis .. 170 Pan (Faunus) .. T ee vs iss .. 171 THE SATYRS, i Wes es is is .. 174 PRIAPUS, .. its ee ed di uds .. 175 ASCLEPIAS (ZEsculapius), e tee De .. 176
ROMAN DIVINITIES—
J ANUS, re TP s n ae a .. 178 FLORA, ee P E NT ids ies .. 180 RoBIGUS, ... S s sis sss A .. 180 POMONA, .. NS is T Ri ai .. 180 VERTUMNUS, és 4 ite ae vis .. 181 PALES, "T Im i ies vs E .. 181 Picus, en isi 2s ius T MEN .. 182 PICUMNUS AND PILUMNUS, ee ald ae .. 182 SILVANUS, ... ut es m iss er .. 182 TERMINUS, ... $i s aus she Vs .. 182 COoNSUS, ... e oie $n jdi du .. 183 LIBITINA, ... i2 ves T E» vss .. 183 LAVERNA, ... ves T se ss: sis e. 184 COMUS, ses YR uh € a s .. 184 CAMENE, ... bes - dis A ES .. 184 GENII, m coe wae sak T ist .. 185 Manes, .. E T T T iex .. 185 PENATES, .. it em $us ds .. 187
PUBLIC WORSHIP or THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS—
TEMPLES, ... set us a irs A" .. 188 STATUES, ... T 2 as a bos .. 190 ALTARS, ... Jud i^ s Vei Vis .. 2191 PRIESTS, ... T ias pis s Fas we, 191 SACRIFICES, "T ues ids E .. 192 ORACLES, ... és Sos ie si ee e. IA SOoOTHBAYERS, d ies iiio sce e Se WD
vi CONTENTS.
Page AUGURS, ... ve E wae es re .. 196 FESTIVALS, .... om bas M " sae .. 196
GREEK FESTIVALS—
ELEUBINIAN MYSTERIES, ... -— sue si .. 196 THESMOPHORIA, ... Jgd s ao ie .. 197 Dionysia, ... 2 "m es S ate .. 197 PANATHEN EA, 3s ies a Js js .. 199 DAPHNEPHORIA, ... id -— iis n .. 200
ROMAN FESTIVALS—
SATURNALIA, d s $us T ds .. 200 CEREALIA, ... m ids Pi En V es: 201 VESTALIA, ... $i dus is i cu .. 201
PART IL—LEGENDS.
CADMUS, .. e eis per ins 2 .. 203 PERSEUS, ... "-" e ids s wee .. 205 Ion, jo se ide as des .. 210 DZDALUS AND ToaRus, As og "T et .. 211 THE ARGONAUTS, ... ae T T us dc 19 PrELors, .. zi ss sie -— i .. 232 HERACLES, ... qux sii E - ves .. 294 BELLEROPHON, Set ree ae ia iue .. 256 THESEUS, ... ies «T id pus ad .. 259 (QEDIPUS, ... i bad Ta .. 269 THE SEVEN AGAINST r THEBES, jii vu "" iac 272 THE EPIGONI, ix E T" m" .. 276 ALCMEON AND THE NuOELACE, M s bs xs 277 THE HERACLIDA, .. si e xui ain .. 280 THE SIEGE OF TRoy, ods i sas .. 283 RETURN OF THE GREEKS FROM TRoy, zn sae .. 3804
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
‘OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
PART I—MYTHS.
INTRODUCTION.
BEFORE entering upon the many strange beliefs of the ancient Greeks, and the extraordinary number of gods they worshipped, we must first consider what kind of beings these divinities were.
In appearance, the gods were supposed to resemble mortals, whom, however, they far surpassed in beauty, grandeur, and strength; ‘they were also more command- ing in stature, height being considered by the Greeks an attribute of beauty in man or woman. They resembled human beings in their feelings and habits, intermarrying and having children, and requiring daily nourishment to recruit their strength, and refreshing sleep to restore their energies. Their blood, a bright ethereal fluid called Ichor, never engendered disease, and, when shed, had the power of producing new life.
The Greeks believed that the mental qualifications of their gods were of a much higher order than those of men, but nevertheless, as we shall see, they were not considered to be exempt from human passions, and we frequently behold them actuated by revenge, deceit, and jealousy. They, however, always punish the evil-doer, and visit with dire calamities any impious mortal who dares to neglect their worship or despise their rites. We often hear of them visiting mankind and partaking of their hospitality, and not unfrequently both gods and goddesses
8 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
become attached to mortals, with whom they unite them- selves, the offspring of these unions being called heroes or demi-gods, who were usually renowned for their great strength and courage. But although there were so many points of resemblance between gods and men, there re- mained the one great characteristic distinction, viz., that the gods enjoyed immortality. Still, they were not invul- nerable, and we often hear of them being wounded, and suffering in consequence such exquisite torture that they have earnestly prayed to be deprived of their privilege of immortality.
The gods knew no limitation of time or space, being able to transport themselves to incredible distances with the speed of thought. They possessed the power of ren- dering themselves invisible at will, and could assume the forms of men or animals as it suited their convenience. They could also transform human beings into trees, stones, animals, &c., either as a punishment for their misdeeds, or as a means of protecting the individual, thus trans- formed, from impending danger. Their robes were like those worn by mortals, but were perfect in form and
-much finer in texture. Their weapons also resembled. those used by mankind; we hear of spears, shields, hel- mets, bows and arrows, &c., being employed by the gods. Each deity possessed a beautiful chariot, which, drawn by horses or other animals of celestial breed, conveyed them rapidly over land and sea according to their pleasure. Most of these divinities lived on the summit of Mount Olympus, each possessing his or her individual habitation, and all meeting together on festive occasions in the council-chamber of the gods, where their banquets were enlivened by the sweet strains of Apollo's lyre, whilst the beautiful voices of the Muses poured forth their rich melodies to his harmonious accompaniment. Magnificent temples were erected to their honour, where they were worshipped with the greatest solemnity; rich gifts were bees to them, and animals, and indeed sometimes
uman beings, were sacrificed on their altars. Zn the study of Grecian mythology we meet with some
INTRODUCTION. 9
curious, and what may at first sight appear unaccount- able notions. Thus we hear of terrible giants hurling rocks, upheaving mountains, and raising earthquakes which engulf whole armies; these ideas, however, may be accounted for by the awful convulsions of nature, which were in operation in pre-historic times. Again, the daily recurring phenomena, which to us, who know them to. be the result of certain well-ascertained laws of nature, are so familiar as to excite no remark, were, to the early Greeks, matter of grave speculation, and not unfrequently of alarm. For instance, when they heard the awful roar of thunder, and saw vivid flashes of lightning, accompa- nied by black clouds and torrents of rain, they believed that the great god of heaven was angry, and they trembled at his wrath. If the calm and tranquil sea became sud- denly agitated, and the crested billows rose mountains high, dashing furiously against the rocks, and threatening destruction to all within their reach, the sea-god was supposed to be in a furious rage. When they beheld the sky glowing with the hues of coming day they thought that the goddess of the dawn, with rosy fingers, was draw- ing aside the dark veil of night, to allow her brother, the sun-god, to enter upon his brilliant career. Thus personifying all the powers of nature, this very imagi- native and highly poetical nation beheld a divinity in every tree that grew, in every stream that flowed, in the bright beams of the glorious sun, and the clear, cold rays of the silvery moon; for them the whole universe lived and breathed, peopled by a thousand forms of grace and beauty.
The most important of these divinities may have been something more than the mere creations of an active and poetical imagination. They were possibly human beings who had so distinguished themselves in life by their pre- eminence over their fellow-mortals that after death they were deified by the people among whom they lived, and the poets touched with their magic wand the details of lives, which, in more prosaic times, would simply hove been recorded as illustrious,
10 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
It is highly probable that the reputed actions of these deified beings were commemorated by bards, who, tra- velling from one state to another, celebrated their praise in song; it therefore becomes exceedingly difficult, nay almost impossible, to separate bare facts from the exag- gerations which never fail to accompany oral traditions.
In order to exemplify this, let us suppose that Orpheus, the son of Apollo, so renowned for his extraordinary musical powers, had existed at the present day. We should no doubt have ranked him among the greatest of our musicians, and honoured him as such; but the Greeks, with their vivid imagination and poetic license, exagger- ated his remarkable gifts, and attributed to his music supernatural influence over animate and inanimate nature. Thus we hear of wild beasts tamed, of mighty rivers arrested in their course, and of mountains being moved by the sweet tones of his voice. The theory here ad- vanced may possibly prove useful in the future, in sug- gesting to the reader the probable basis of many of the extraordinary accounts we meet with in the study of classical mythology.
And now a few words will be necessary concerning the religious beliefs of the Romans. When the Greeks first settled in Italy they found in the country they col- onized a mythology belonging to the Celtic inhabitants, which, according to the Greek custom of paying reverence to all gods, known or unknown, they readily adopted, selecting and appropriating those divinities which had the greatest affinity to their own, and thus they formed a religious belief which naturally bore the impress of its ancient Greek source. As the primitive Celts, however, were a less civilized people than the Greeks, their my- thology was of a more barbarous character, and this cir- cumstance, combined with the fact that the Romans were not gifted with the vivid imagination of their Greek neighbours, leaves its mark on the Roman mythology, which is far less fertile in fanciful conceits, and deficient in al] those fairy-like stories and wonderfully poetic ideas
which so strongly characterize that of the Greeks.
URANUS AND GAA. 11
ORIGIN OF THE WORLD.—FIRST DYNASTY. URANUS AND GÆA.
(CaLus AND TERRA.)
The ancient Greeks had several different theories with regard to the origin of the world, but the generally accepted notion was that before this world came into existence, there was in its place a confused mass of shapeless elements called Chaos. These elements be- coming at length consolidated (by what means does not appear), resolved themselves into two widely different substances, the lighter portion of which, soaring on high, formed the sky or firmament, and constituted itself into a vast, overarching vault, which protected the firm and solid mass beneath.
Thus came into being the two first great primeval deities of the Greeks, Uranus and Ge or Gea.
Uranus, the more refined deity, represented the light and air of heaven, possessing the distinguishing qualities of light, heat, purity, and omnipresence, whilst Gea, the firm, flat,' life-sustaining earth, was worshipped as the great all-nourishing mother. Her many titles refer to her more or less in this character, and she appears to have been universally revered among the Greeks, there being scarcely a city in Greece which did not contain a temple erected in her honour; indeed Gea was held in such veneration that her name was always invoked when- ever the gods took a solemn oath, made an emphatic declaration, or implored assistance.
Uranus, the heaven, was believed to have united him- self in marriage with Gea, the earth; and a moments reflection will show what a truly poetical, and also what a logical idea this was; for, taken in a figurative sense,
1 The early Greeks sup the earth to be a flat circle, in the centre of which was Greece. Oceanus, the ocean stream, encircled it; the Mediterranean ipsi s Poed to flow into this river on the ons side, and the Euxine, or Black Sea, on the other.
12 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
this union actually does exist. The smiles of heaven produce the flowers of earth, whereas his long-continued frowns exercise so depressing an influence upon his loving artner, that she no longer decks herself in bright and estive robes, but responds with ready sympathy to his melancholy mood.
The first-born child of Uranus and Gea was Oceanus,! the ocean stream, that vast expanse of ever-flowing water which encircled the earth. Here we meet with another logical though fanciful conclusion, which a very slight knowledge of the workings of nature proves to have been just and true. The ocean is formed from the rains which descend from heaven and the streams which flow from earth. By making Oceanus therefore the offspring of Uranus and Gea, the ancients, if we take this notion in its literal sense, merely assert that the ocean is produced by the combined influence of heaven and earth, whilst at the same time their fervid and poetical imagination led them to see in this, as in all manifestations of the powers of nature, an actual, tangible divinity.
But Uranus, the heaven, the embodiment of light, heat, and the breath of life, produced offspring who were of a much less material nature than his son Oceanus. These other children of his were supposed to occupy the inter- mediate space which divided bus from Gea. Nearest to Uranus, and just beneath him, came Aether (Ether), a bright creation representing that highly rarified atmo- sphere which immortals alone could breathe. Then fol- lowed Aér (Air), which was in close proximity to Gea, and represented, as its name implies, the grosser atmo- sphere surrounding the earth which mortals could freely breathe, and without which they would perish. Aether and Aér were separated from each other by divinities called Nephelae. These were their restless and wander- ing sisters, who existed in the form of clouds, ever float-
1 Owing to the vagueness of the various accounts of creation, the origin of the primeval gods is variously accounted for, Thus, for in- erst Oceanus, with some, becomes the younger brother of Uranus an «Da. 1
URANUS AND GA. 13
ing between Aether and Aér. Gæa also produced the mountains, and Pontus (the sea). She united herself with the latter, and their offspring were the sea-deities Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, and Eurybia.
Co-existent with Uranus and Gea were two mighty powers who were also the offspring of Chaos. These were Erebus (Darkness) and Nyx (Night), who formed a striking contrast to the cheerful light of heaven and the bright smiles of earth. Erebus reigned in that mys- terious world below where no ray of sunshine, no gleam of daylight, nor vestige of health-giving terrestrial life ever appeared. Nyx, the sister of Erebus, represented Night, and was worshipped by the ancients with the greatest solemnity.
Uranus was also supposed to have been united to Nyx, but only in his capacity as god of light, he being considered the source and fountain of all light, and their children were Eos (Aurora), the Dawn, and Hemera, the Daylight. Nyx again, on her side was also doubly united, having been married at some indefinite period to Erebus.
In addition to those children of heaven and earth already enumerated, Uranus and Gæa produced two dis- tinctly different races of beings called Giants and Titans. The Giants personified brute strength alone, but the Titans united to their great physical power intellectual qualifications variously developed. There were three Giants, Briareus, Cottus, and Gyges, who each possessed a hundred hands and fifty heads, and were known col- lectively by the name of the Hecatoncheires, which signified hundred-handed. These mighty Giants could shake the universe and produce earthquakes; it is there- fore evident that they represented those active subter- ranean forces to which allusion has been made in the opening chapter. The Titans were twelve in number; their names were: Oceanus, Ceos, Crios, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys.
Now Uranus, the chaste light of heaven, the essence of all that is bright and pleasing, held in abhorrence Yos
14 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
crude, rough, and turbulent offspring, the Giants, and moreover feared that their great power might even- tually prove hurtful to himself. He therefore hurled them into Tartarus, that portion of the lower world which served as the subterranean dungeon of the gods. In order to avenge the oppression of her children, the Giants, Gea instigated a conspiracy on the part of the Titans against Uranus, which was carried to a success- ful issue by her son Cronus. He wounded his father, and from the blood of the wound which fell upon the earth sprang a race of monstrous beings also called Giants. Assisted by his brother-Titans, Cronus succeeded in dethroning his father, who, enraged at his defeat, cursed his rebellious son, and foretold to him a similar fate. Cronus now became invested with supreme power, and assigned to his brothers offices of distinction, subor- dinate only to himself. Subsequently, however, when, secure of his position, he no longer needed their assist- ance, he basely repaid their former services with treachery, made war upon his brothers and faithful allies, and, as- sisted by the Giants, completely defeated them, sending such as resisted his all-conquering arm down into the lowest depths of Tartarus.
SECOND DYNASTY. CRONUS (Sarury).
Cronus was the god of time in its sense of eternal duration. He married Rhea, daughter of Uranus and Gea, a very important divinity, to whom a special chapter will be devoted hereafter. Their children were, three sons: Aides (Pluto), Poseidon (Neptune), Zeus (Jupiter), and three daughters: Hestia (Vesta), Demeter (Ceres), and Hera (Juno). Cronus, having an uneasy conscience, was afraid that his children might one day rise up against his authority, and thus verify the prediction of his father
(73)
CRONUS (SATURN). 15
Uranus. In order, therefore, to render the prophecy im- possible of fulfilment, Cronus swallowed each child as soon as it was born,! greatly to the sorrow and indigna- tion of his wife Rhea When it came to Zeus, the sixth and last, Rhea resolved to try and save this one child at least, to love and cherish, and appealed to her parents, Uranus and Gea, for counsel and assistance. By their advice she wrapped a stone in baby-clothes, and Cronus, in eager haste, swallowed it, without noticing the decep- tion. The child thus saved, eventually, as we shall see, dethroned his father Cronus, became supreme god in his stead, and was universally venerated as the great national god of the Greeks.
Anxious to preserve the secret of his existence from Cronus, Rhea sent the infant | Zeus secretly to Crete, where he was nourished, protected, and educated. A sacred goat, | called Amalthea, supplied the | place of his mother, by provid- ing him with milk; nymphs, called Melissae, fed him with honey, and eagles and doves brought him nectar and am- brosia? He was kept concealed in a cave in the heart of Mount Ida, and the Curetes, or priestsof Rhea, by beating their | shields together, kept up a con- | stant noise at the entrance, | which drowned the cries of the child and frightened away all intruders, Under the watchful care of the Nymphs the infant Zeus throve rapidly, developing great physical powers, combined with extra-
1 The myth of Cronus swallowing his children is evidently intended by the poets to express the melancholy truth that time destroys all
things. ` 2 Nectar was the drink, and ambrosia the food of the gods.
16 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
ordinary wisdom and intelligence. Grown to manhood, he determined to compel his father to restore his brothers and sisters to the light of day, and is said to have been assisted in this difficult task by the goddess Metis, who artfully persuaded Cronus to drink a potion, which caused him to give back the children he had swallowed. The stone which had counterfeited Zeus was placed at Delphi, where it was long exhibited as a sacred relic.
Cronus was so enraged at being circumvented that war between the father and son became inevitable. The rival forces ranged themselves on two separate high mountains in Thessaly; Zeus, with his brothers and sisters, took his stand on Mount Olympus, where he was joined by Oceanus, and others of the Titans, who had forsaken Cronus on account of his oppressions. Cronus and his brother-Titans took possession of Mount Othrys, and pre- pared for battle. The struggle was long and fierce, and at length Zeus, finding that he was no nearer victory than before, bethought himself of the existence of the imprisoned Giants, and knowing that they would be able to render him most powerful assistance, he hastened to liberate them. He also called to his aid the Cyclops (sons of Poseidon and Amphitrite),! who had only one eye each in the middle of their foreheads, and were called Brontes (Thunder), Steropes (Lightning), and Pyracmon (Fire-anvil. They promptly responded to his summons for help, and brought with them tre- mendous thunderbolts which the Hecatoncheires, with their hundred hands, hurled down upon the enemy, at the same time raising mighty earthquakes, which swallowed up and destroyed all who opposed them. Aided by these new and powerful allies, Zeus now made a furious onslaught on his enemies, and so tremendous was the encounter that all nature is said to have throbbed in accord with this mighty effort of the celestial deities. The sea rose mountains high, and its angry billows
1 The clops are generally mentioned as the sons of Uranus and Gea, but Homer speaks of Polyphemus, the chief of the Cyclops, as the son of Poseidon, and states the Cyclops to be his brothers. CB)
CRONUS (SATURN). 17
hissed and foamed; the earth shook to its foundations, the heavens sent forth rolling thunder, and flash after flash of death-bringing lightning, whilst a blinding mist enveloped Cronus and his allies.
And now the fortunes of war began to turn, and victory smiled on Zeus. Cronus and his army were completely overthrown, his brothers despatched to the gloomy depths of the lower world, and Cronus himself was banished from his kingdom and deprived for ever of the supreme power, which now became vested in his son Zeus. This war was called the Titanomachia, and is most graphically described by the old classic poets.
With the defeat of Cronus and his banishment from - his dominions, his career as a ruling Greek divinity entirely ceases. But being, like all the gods, immortal, he was supposed to be still in existence, though pos- sessing no longer either influence or authority, his place being filled to a certain extent by his descendant and successor, Zeus.
Cronus is often repre- sented as an old man lean- ing on a scythe, with an hour-glass in his hand. The hour-glass symbolizes thefast-fleetingmomentsas they succeed each other un- ceasingly; the scythe isem- blematical of time, which mows down all before it.
SATURN.
The Romans, according to their custom of identi- fying their deities with those of the Greek gods whose attributes were simi- lar to their own, declared Cronus to be o identical with their old agricultural divinity Saturn. They believed that after his defeat in the
(73) B
18 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
Titanomachia and his banishment from his dominions by Zeus, he took refuge with Janus, king of Italy, who received the exiled deity with great kindness, and even shared his throne with him. Their united reign became so thoroughly peaceful and happy, and was distinguished by such uninterrupted prosperity, that it was called the Golden Age. |
Saturn is usually represented bearing a sickle in the one hand and a wheat-sheaf in the other.
A temple was erected to him at the foot of the Capito- line Hill in which were deposited the public treasury and the laws of the state.
RHBA (Ops).
Rhea, the wife of Cronus, and mother of Zeus and the other great gods of Olympus, personified the earth, and was regarded as the Great Mother and unceasing pro- ducer of all plant-life. She was also believed to exercise unbounded sway over the animal creation, more especially over the lion, the noble king of beasts. Rhea is generally represented wearing a crown of turrets or towers and seated on a throne, with lions crouching at her feet. She is sometimes depicted sitting in a chariot, drawn by lions.
The principal seat of her worship, which was always of a very riotous character, was at Crete. At her festivals, which took place at night, the wildest music of flutes, cymbals, and drums resounded, whilst joyful shouts and cries, accompanied by dancing and loud stamping of feet, filled the air.
This divinity was introduced into Crete by its first colonists from Phrygia, in Asia Minor, in which country she was worshipped under the name of Cybele. The people of Crete adored her as the Great Mother, more especially in her signification as the sustainer of the vegetable world. Seeing, however, that year by year, as winter appears, all her glory vanishes, her flowers fade, and her trees become leafless, they poetically expressed this process of nature under the figure of a lost love. She
DIVISION OF THE WORLD. 19
was said to have been tenderly attached to a youth of remarkable beauty, named Atys, who, to her grief and indignation, proved faithless to her. He was about to unite himself to a nymph called Sagaris, when, in the midst of the wedding feast, the rage of the incensed goddess suddenly burst forth upon all present. A panic seized the assembled guests, and Atys, becoming afflicted with temporary madness, fled to the mountains and de- stroyed himself. Cybele, moved with sorrow and regret, instituted a yearly mourning for his loss, when her priests, the Corybantes, with their usual noisy accompaniments, marched into the mountains to seek the lost youth. Having discovered him! they gave full vent to their ecstatic delight by indulging in the most violent gesticula- tions, dancing, shouting, and, at the same time, wounding and gashing themselves in a frightful manner.
OPS.
. In Rome the Greek Rhea was identified with Ops, the
goddess of plenty, the wife of Saturn, who had a variety of appellations. She was called Magna-Mater, Mater- Deorum, Berecynthia-Idea, and also Dindymene. This latter title she acquired from three high mountains in Phrygia, whence she was brought to Rome as Cybele during the second Punic war, B.C. 205, in obedience to an injunction contained in the Sybilline books. She was represented as a matron crowned with towers, seated in a chariot drawn by lions.
DIVISION OF THE WORLD.
We will now return to Zeus and his brothers, who, having gained a complete victory over their enemies, beganito consider how the world, which they had con-
1 Possibly an image of him placed in readiness.
20 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
quered, should be divided between them. At last it was settled by lot that Zeus should reign supreme in Heaven, whilst Aides governed the Lower World, and Poseidon had full command over the Sea, but the supremacy of Zeus was recognized in all three kingdoms, in heaven, on earth (in which of course the sea was included), and under the earth. Zeus held his court on the top of Mount Olympus, whose summit was beyond the clouds; the dominions of Aides were the gloomy unknown regions below the earth; and Poseidon reigned over the sea. It will be seen that the realm of each of these gods was enveloped in mystery. Olympus was shrouded in mists, Hades was wrapt in gloomy darkness, and the sea was, and indeed still is, a source of wonder and deep interest. Hence we see that what to other nations were merely strange phenomena, served this poetical and im- aginative people as a foundation upon which to build the wonderful stories of their mythology.
The division of the world being now satisfactorily arranged, it would seem that all things ought to have gone on smoothly, but such was not the case. Trouble arose in an unlooked-for quarter. The Giants, those hideous monsters (some with legs formed of serpents) who had sprung from the earth and the blood of Uranus, declared war against the triumphant deities of Olympus, and a struggle ensued, which, in consequence of Gea hav- ing made these children of hers invincible as long as they kept their feet on the ground, was wearisome and protracted. Their mother’s precaution, however, was rendered unavailing by pieces of rock being hurled upon them, which threw them down, and their feet being no longer placed firmly on their mother-earth, they were overcome, and this tedious war (which was called the Gigantomachia) at last. came to an end. Among the most daring of these earth-born giants were Enceladus, Rheetus, and the valiant Mimas, who, with youthful fire and energy, hurled against heaven great masses of rock and burning oak-trees, and defied the lightnings of Zeus. One of the most powerful monsters who opposed Zeus in this
Dinah 2.
THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF MAN. 21
war was called Typhon or Typhous. He was the young- est son of Tartarus and Gza, and had a hundred heads, with eyes which struck terror to the beholders, and awe- inspiring voices frightful to hear. This dreadful monster resolved to conquer both gods and men, but his plans were at length defeated by Zeus, who, after a violent encounter, succeeded in destroying him with a thunder- bolt, but not before he had so terrified the gods that they had fled for refuge to Egypt, where they metamorphosed themselves into different animals and thus escaped.
THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF MAN.
Just as there were several theories concerning the origin of the world, so there were various accounts of the creation of man.
The first natural belief of the Greek people was that man had sprung from the earth. They saw the tender plants and flowers force their way through the ground in the early spring of the year after the frost of winter had disappeared, and so they naturally concluded that man must also have issued from the earth in a similar manner. Like the wild plants and flowers, he was sup- posed to have had no cultivation, and resembled in his habits the untamed beasts of the field, having no habita- tion except that which nature had provided in the holes of the rocks, and in the dense forests whose overarching boughs protected him from the inclemency of the weather.
In the course of time these primitive human beings became tamed and civilized by the gods and heroes, who taught them to work in metals, to build houses, and other useful arts of civilization. But the human race became in the course of time so degenerate that the gods resolved to destroy all mankind by means of a flood; Deucalion
22 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
(son of Prometheus) and his wife Pyrrha, being, on ac- count of their piety, the only mortals saved.
By the command of his father, Deucalion built a ship, in which he and his wife took refuge during the deluge, which lasted for nine days. When the waters abated the ship rested on Mount Othrys in Thessaly, or according to some on Mount Parnassus. Deucalion and his wife now consulted the oracle of Themis as to how the human race might be restored. The answer was, that they were to cover their heads, and throw the bones of their mother behind them. For some time they were perplexed as to the meaning of the oracular command, but at length both agreed that by the bones of their mother were meant the stones of the earth. They accordingly took up stones from the mountain side and cast them over their shoulders. From those thrown by Deucalion there sprang up men, and from those thrown by Pyrrha, women.
After the lapse of time the theory of Autochthony (from autos, self, and chthon, earth) was laid aside. When this belief existed there were no religious teachers what- ever; but in course of time temples were raised in hon- our of the different gods, and priests appointed to offer sacrifices to them and conduct their worship. These priests were looked upon as authorities in all religious matters, and the doctrine they taught was, that man had been created by the gods, and that there had been several successive ages of men, which were called the Golden, Silver, Brazen, and Iron Ages.
Life in the Golden Age was one unceasing round of ever-recurring pleasures unmarred by sorrow or care. The favoured mortals living at this happy time led pure and joyous lives, thinking no evil, and doing no wrong. The earth brought forth fruits and flowers without toil or labour in plentiful luxuriance, and war was unknown. This delightful and god-like existence lasted for hundreds of years, and when at length life on earth was ended, death laid his hand so gently upon them that they passed pain- lessly away in a happy dream, and continued their exist- ence as ministering spirits in Hades, watching over and
THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF MAN. 23
protecting those they had loved and left behind on earth. The men of the Silver Age! were a long time growing up, and during their childhood, which lasted a hundred years, they suffered from ill-health and extreme debility. When they at last became men they lived but a short time, for they would not abstain from mutual injury, nor pay the service due to the gods, and were therefore banished to Hades. There, unlike the beings of the Golden Age, they exercised no beneficent supervision over the dear ones left behind, but wandered about as restless spirits, always sighing for the lost pleasures they had enjoyed in life. The men of the Brazen Age were quite a different race of beings, being as strong and powerful as those of the Silver Age were weak and enervated. Everything which surrounded them was of brass; their arms, their tools, their dwellings, and all that they made. Their characters seem to have resembled the metal in which they delighted; their minds and hearts were hard, obdurate, and cruel. They led a life of strife and contention, introduced into the world, which had hitherto known nothing but peace and tranquillity, the scourge of war, and were in fact only happy when fighting and quarrelling with each other. Hitherto Themis, the goddess of Justice, had been living among mankind, but becoming disheartened at their evil doings, she abandoned the earth, and winged her flight back to heaven. At last the gods became so tired of their evil deeds and continual dissensions, that they re- moved them from the face of the earth, and sent them down to Hades to share the fate of their predecessors. We now come to the men of the Iron Age. The earth, no longer teeming with fruitfulness, only yielded her increase after much toil and labour. The goddess of Justice having abandoned mankind, no influence remained sufficiently powerful to preserve them from every kind of wickedness and sin. This condition grew worse as time went on, until at last Zeus in his anger let loose the water-courses from above, and drowned every
1 This age was contemporary with the commencement of the dynasty of Zeus.
24 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
individual of this evil race, except Deucalion and Pyrrha.
The theory of Hesiod,’ the oldest of all the Greek poets, was that the Titan Prometheus, the son of Iapetus, had formed man out of clay, and that Athene had breathed a soul into him. Full of love for the beings he had called into existence, Prometheus determined to elevate their minds and improve their condition in every way; he therefore taught them astronomy, mathematics, the alpha- bet, how to cure diseases, and the art of divination. He created this race in such great numbers that the gods began to see the necessity of instituting certain fixed laws with regard to the sacrifices due to them, and the worship to which they considered themselves entitled from mankind in return for the protection which they accorded them. An assembly was therefore convened at Mecone in order to settle these points. It was decided that Prometheus, as the advocate of man, should slay an ox, which should be divided into two equal parts, and that the gods should select one portion which should henceforth, in all future sacrifices, be set apart for them. Prometheus so divided the ox that one part consisted of the bones (which formed of course the least valuable por- tion of the animal), artfully concealed by the white fat; whilst the other contained all the edible parts, which he covered with the skin, and on the top of all he laid the stomach.
Zeus, pretending to be deceived, chose the heap of bones, but he saw through the stratagem, and was so angry at the deception practised on him by Prometheus that he avenged himself by refusing to mortals the gift of fire.
1 Hesiod is said to have lived 850 years before the Christian era, con- sequently about 200 years after King David. He lived in Asia Minor, where his tomb is still shown at Orchomenus. This ancient writer left behind him two great poems, one entitled '*The Works and Days,” in which he gives us some of the earliest Greek legends, and the other, ** The Theogony," containing the Kenealogies of the gods; but, unfor- tunately, both these poems have n so interpolated by the writers of the Alexandrian school that they have lost their value as reliable
sources of information with regard to the early beliefs of the Greek
THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF MAN. 25
Prometheus, however, resolved to brave the anger of the great ruler of Olympus, and to obtain from heaven the vital spark so necessary for the further progress and comfort of the human race. He accordingly contrived to steal some sparks from the chariot of the sun, which he conveyed to earth hidden in a hollow tube. Furious at being again outwitted, Zeus determined to be revenged first on mankind, and then on Prometheus. To punish the former he commanded Hephestus (Vulcan) to mould a beautiful woman out of clay, and determined that through her instrumentality trouble and misery should be brought into the world.
The gods were so charmed with the graceful and artistic creation of Hepheestus, that they all determined to endow her with some special gift. Hermes (Mercury) bestowed on her a smooth persuasive tongue, Aphrodite gave her beauty and the art of pleasing; the Graces made her fascinating, and Athene (Minerva) gifted her with the possession of feminine accomplishments. She was called Pandora, which means all-gifted, having received every attribute necessary to make her charming and irresistible. Thus beautifully formed and endowed, this exquisite creature, attired by the Graces, and crowned with flowers by the Seasons, was conducted to the house of Epimetheus? by Hermes the messenger of the gods. Now Epimetheus had been warned by his brother not to accept any gift whatever from the gods; but he was so fascinated by the beautiful being who suddenly appeared before him, that he welcomed her to his home, and made her his wife. It was not long, however, before he had cause to regret his weakness.
He had in his possession a jar of rare workmanship, containing all the blessings reserved by the gods for man- kind, which he had been expressly forbidden to open. But woman’s proverbial curiosity could not withstand so great a temptation, and Pandora determined to solve the mystery at any cost. Watching her opportunity she raised the lid, and immediately all the blessings which
1 Epimetheus signifies after-thought, Prometheus fore-thougb\.
26 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
the gods had thus reserved for mankind took wing and flew away. But all was not lost. Just as Hope (which lay at the LA ER was about to escape, Pandora hastily closed the lid of the jar, and thus preserved to man that never-failing solace which helps him to bear with courage the many ills which assail him.!
Having punished mankind, Zeus determined to exe- cute vengeance on Prometheus. He accordingly chained him to a rock in Mount Caucasus, and sent an eagle every day to gnaw away his liver, which grew again every night ready for fresh torments. For thirty years Prometheus endured this fearful punishment; but at length Zeus relented, and permitted his son Heracles (Hercules) to kill the eagle, and the sufferer was released.
THIRD DYNASTY—OLYMPIAN DIVINITIES.
ZEUS? (JuPrreR).
Zeus, the great presiding deity of the universe, the ruler of heaven and earth, was regarded by the Greeks, first, as the god of all aérial phenomena; secondly, as the personification of the laws of nature; thirdly, as lord of state-life; and fourthly, as the father of gods and men.
As the god of aérial phenomena he could, by shaking his sgis? produce storms, tempests, and intense dark- ness. At his command the mighty thunder rolls, the lightning flashes, and the clouds open and pour forth their refreshing streams to fructify the earth.
As the personification of the operations of nature, he represents those grand laws of unchanging and harmo- nious order, by which not only the physical but also
1 There are various versions of this myth. According to some the jar or vase was full of all **the ills which flesh is heir to." 2 From Diaus, the sky. 3A sacred shield made for Zeus by Hephestus, which derived its name from being covered by the skin of the goat Amalthea, the word gis signifying goat’s-skin.
ZEUS (JUPITER). 27
the moral world is governed. Hence he is the god of regulated time as marked by the changing seasons, and by the regular succession of day and night, in contradis- tinction to his father Cronus, who represents time ab- solutely, i.e. eternity.
As the lord of state-life, he is the founder of kingly power, the upholder of all institutions connected with the state, and the special friend and patron of princes, whom he guards and assists with his advice and counsel. He protects the assembly of the people, and, in fact, watches over the welfare of the whole community.
As the father of the gods, Zeus sees that each deity performs his or her individual duty, punishes their mis- deeds, settles their disputes, and acts towards them on all occasions as their all-knowing counsellor and mighty friend.
As the father of men, he takes a paternal interest in the actions and well-being of mortals. He watches over them with tender solicitude, rewarding truth, charity, and uprightness, but severely punishing perjury, cruelty, and want of hospitality. Even the poorest and most forlorn wanderer finds in him a powerful advocate, for he, by a wise and merciful dispensation, ordains that the mighty ones of the earth should succour their distressed and needy brethren.
The Greeks believed that the home of this their mighty and all-powerful deity was on the top of Mount Olympus, that high and lofty mountain between Thessaly and Macedon, whose summit, wrapt in clouds and mist, was hidden from mortal view. It was supposed that this mysterious region, which even a bird could not reach, extended beyond the clouds right into Aether, the realm of the immortal gods. The poets describe this ethereal atmosphere as bright, glistening, and refreshing, exercising a peculiar, gladdening influence over the minds and hearts of those privileged beings permitted to share its delights. Here youth never ages, and the passing years leave no traces on its favoured inhabitants. On the cloud-capped summit of Olympus was the palace of
28 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
Zeus and Hera, of burnished gold, chased silver, and gleaming ivory. Lower down were the homes of the other gods, which, though less commanding in position and size, were yet similar to that of Zeus in design and workmanship, all being the work of the divine artist Hephestus. Below these were other palaces of silver, ebony, ivory, or burnished brass, where the Heroes, or Demi-gods, resided.
As the worship of Zeus formed so important a feature in the religion of the Greeks, his statues were necessarily both numerous and magnificent. He is usually repre- sented as a man of noble and imposing mien, his coun- ae expressing all the lofty majesty of the omnipotent ruler of the universe, combined with the gracious, yet serious, benignity of the father and friend of mankind. He may be recognized by his rich flow- ing beard, and the thick masses of hair, which rise straight from the high and in- tellectual forehead and fall to his shoulders in clustering locks The nose is large and finely formed, and the slightly- opened lips impart an air of sympathetic kindliness which invites confidence. He is always accompanied by an eagle, which either surmounts his sceptre, or sits at his feet; he generally bears in his up- lifted hand a sheaf of thunder-bolts, just ready to be hurled, whilst in the other he holds tho lightning. The head is frequently encircled with a wreath of oak-leaves.
The most celebrated statue of the Olympian Zeus was that by the famous Athenian sculptor Phidias, which was forty feet high, and stood in the temple of Zeus at Olympia lt was formed of ivory and gold, and was
ZEUS (JUPITER). 29
such a masterpiece of art, that it was reckoned among the seven wonders of the world. It represented the god, seated on a throne, holding in his right hand a life-sized image of Nike (the goddess of Victory), and in his left a royal sceptre, surmounted by an eagle. It is said that the great sculptor had concentrated all the marvellous powers of his genius on this sublime conception, and earnestly en- treated Zeus to give him a decided proof that his labours were approved.. An answer to his prayer came through the open roof of the temple in the shape of a flash of lightning, which Phidias interpreted as a sign that the god of heaven was pleased with his work.
Zeus was first worshipped at Dodona in Epirus, where, at the foot of Mount Tomarus, on the woody shore of Lake Joanina, was his famous oracle, the most ancient in Greece. Here the voice of the eternal and invisible god was supposed to be heard in the rustling leaves of a giant oak, announcing to mankind the will of heaven and the destiny of mortals; these revelations being interpreted to the people by the priests of Zeus, who were called Selli. Recent excavations which have been made at this spot have brought to light the ruins of the ancient temple of Zeus, and also, among other interesting relics, some plates of lead, on which are engraved inquiries which were evi- dently made by certain individuals who consulted the oracle. These little leaden plates speak to us, as it were, in a curiously homely manner of a by-gone time in the buried past. One person inquires what god he should apply to for health and fortune; another asks for advice concerning his child; and a third, evidently a shepherd, promises a gift to the oracle should a speculation in sheep turn out successfully. Had these little memorials been of gold instead of lead, they would doubtless have shared the fate of the numerous treasures which adorned this and other temples, in the universal pillage which took place when Greece fell into the hands of barbarians.
Though Dodona was the most ancient of his shrines, the great national seat of the worship of Zeus was at Olympia in Elis, where there was a magnificent temple
30 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
dedicated to him; containing the famous colossal statue by Phidias above described. Crowds of devout worship- pers flocked to this world-renowned fane from all parts of Greece, not only to pay homage to their supreme deity, but also to join in the celebrated games which were held there at intervals of four years The Olympic games were such a thoroughly national institution, that even Greeks who had left their native country made a point of returning on these occasions, if possible, in order to contend with their fellow-countrymen in the various athletic sports which took place at these festivals,
It will be seen on reflection that in a country like Greece, which contained so many petty states, often at variance with each other, these national gatherings must have been most valuable as a means of uniting the Greeks in one great bond of brotherhood. On these festive occasions the whole nation met together, forgetting for the moment all past differences, and uniting in the enjoyment of the same festivities.
It will doubtless have been remarked that in the representations of Zeus he is always accompanied by an eagle. This royal bird was sacred to him, probably from the fact of its being the only creature capable of gazing at the sun without being dazzled, which may have sug- gested the idea that it was able to contemplate the splendour of divine majesty unshrinkingly.
The oak-tree, and also the summits of mountains, were sacred to Zeus. His sacrifices consisted of white bulls, cows, and goats.
Zeus had seven immortal wives, whose names were Metis, Themis, Eurynome, Demeter, Mnemosyne, Leto, and Hera.
METIS, his first wife, was one of the Oceanides or sea- nymphs. She was the personification of prudence and wisdom, a convincing proof of which she displayed in her successful administration of the potion which caused Cronus to yield up his children. She was en- dowed with the gift of prophecy, and foretold to Zeus that one of their children would gain ascendency over
ZEUS (JUPITER). 31
him. In order, therefore, to avert the possibility of the prediction being fulfilled he swallowed her before any children were born to them. Feeling afterwards violent pains in his head, he sent for Hephestus, and ordered him to open it with an axe. His command was obeyed, and out sprang, with a loud and martial shout, a beautiful being, clad in armour from head to foot. This was Athene (Minerva), goddess of Armed Resistance and Wisdom.
THEMIS was the goddess of Justice, Law, and Order.
EURYNOME was one of the Oceanides, and the mother of the Charites or Graces. -
DEMETER,' the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, was the goddess of Agriculture.
MNEMOSYNE, the daughter of Uranus and Gea, was the goddess of Memory and the mother of ‘the nine Muses.
LETO (Latona) was the daughter of Coeus and Phebe. She was gifted with wonderful beauty, and was tenderly loved by Zeus, but her lot was far from being a happy one, for Hera, being extremely jealous of her, persecuted her with inveterate cruelty, and sent the dreadful serpent Python? to terrify and torment her wherever she went. But Zeus, who had observed with the deepest compassion her weary wanderings and agonized fears, resolved to create for her some place of refuge, however humble, where she might feel herself safe from the venomous attacks of the serpent. He therefore brought her to Delos, a floating island in the Ægean Sea, which he made stationary by attaching it with chains of adamant to the bottom of the sea. Here she gave birth to her twin-children, Apollo and Artemis (Diana), two of the most beautiful of the immortals.
According to some versions of the story of Leto, Zeus transformed her into a quail in order that she might thus elude the vigilance of Hera, and she is said to have
1 See Demeter.
2 This frightful monster had sprung from the slimy and stagnant dae which remained on the surface of the earth after the deluge of
ucalion.
32 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
resumed her true form when she arrived at the island of Delos.
HERA, being the principal wife of Zeus and queen of heaven, a detailed account will be given of her in a special chapter.
In the union of Zeus with most of his immortal wives we shall find that an allegorical meaning is conveyed. His marriage with Metis, who is said to have surpassed both gods and men in knowledge, represents supreme power allied to wisdom and prudence. His union with Themis typifies the bond which exists between divine majesty and justice, law, and order. Eurynome, as the mother of the Charites or Graces, supplied the refining and har- monizing influences of grace and beauty, whilst the marriage of Zeus with Mnemosyne typifies the union of genius with memory.
In addition to the seven immortal wives of Zeus, he was also allied to a number of mortal maidens whom he visited under various disguises, as it was supposed that if he revealed himself in his true form as king of heaven the splendour of his glory would cause instant destruc- tion to mortals. The mortal consorts of Zeus have been such a favourite theme with poets, painters, and sculp- tors, that it is necessary to give some account of their individual history. Those best known are Antiope, Leda, Europa, Callisto, Alemene, Semele, Io, and Danae.
ANTIOPE, to whom Zeus appeared under the form of a satyr, was the daughter of Nicteus, king of Thebes. To escape the anger of her father she fled to Sicyon, where king Epopeus, enraptured with her wonderful beauty, made her his wife without asking her father’s consent. This so enraged Nicteus that he declared war against Epopeus, in order to compel him to restore Antiope. At his death, which took place before he could succeed in his purpose, Nicteus left his kingdom to his brother Lycus, commanding him, at the same time, to carry on the war, and execute his vengeance. Lycus invaded Sicyon, defeated and killed Epopeus, and brought back
ZEUS (JUPITER). 33
Antiope as a prisoner. On the way to Thebes she gave birth to her twin-sons, Amphion and Zethus, who, by the orders of Lycus, were at once exposed on Mount Cith- aeron, and would have perished but for the kindness of a shepherd, who took pity on them and preserved their lives. Antiope was, for many years, held captive by her uncle Lycus, and compelled to suffer the utmost cruelty at the hands of his wife Dirce. But one day her bonds were miraculously loosened, and she flew for shelter and protection to the humble dwelling of her sons on Mount Cithaeron. During the long period of their mother's captivity the babes had grown into sturdy youths, and, as they listened angrily to the story of her wrongs, they became all impatience to avenge them. Setting off at once to Thebes they succeeded in possessing themselves of the town, and after slaying the cruel Lycus they bound Dirce by the hair to the horns of a wild bull, which dragged her hither and thither until she expired. Her mangled body was cast into the fount near Thebes, which still bears her name. Amphion became king of Thebes in his uncle’s stead. He was a friend of the Muses, and devoted to music and poetry. His brother, Zethus, was famous for his skill in archery, and was passionately fond of the chase. It is said that when Amphion wished to inclose the town of Thebes with walls and towers, he had but to play a sweet melody on the lyre, given to him by Hermes, and the huge stones began to move, and obediently fitted themselves together.
The punishment of Dirce at the hands of Amphion and Zethus forms the subject of the world-renowned marble group in the museum at Naples, known by the name of the Farnese Bull.
In sculpture Amphion is always represented with a lyre; Zethus with a club.
LEDA, whose affections Zeus won under the form of a swan, was the daughter of Thestius, king of ZEtolia. Her twin-sons, Castor and (Polydeuces or) Pollux,! were
1 Castor and Pollux were known by the name of the Dioscuri, from dios, gods, and kuroi, youths.
(78) c
34 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
renowned for their tender attachment to each other. They were also famous for their physical accomplish- ments, Castor being the most expert charioteer of his day, and Pollux the first of pugilists. Their names ap- pear both among the hunters of the Calydonian boar- hunt and the heroes of the Argonautic expedition. The brothers became attached to the daughters of Leucippus, prince of the Messenians, who had been betrothed by their father to Idas and Lynceus, sons of Aphareus. Having persuaded Leucippus to break his promise, the twins carried off the maidens as their brides. Idas and Lynceus, naturally furious at this proceeding, challenged the Dioscuri to mortal combat, in which Castor perished by the hand of Idas, and Lynceus by that of Pollux. Zeus wished to confer the gift of immortality upon Pollux, but he refused to accept it unless allowed to share it with Castor. Zeus gave the desired permission, and the faith- ful brothers were both allowed to live, but only on alternate days. The Dioscuri received divine honours throughout Greece, and were worshipped with special reverence at Sparta.
EUROPA was the beautiful daughter of Agenor, king of Phoenicia. She was one day gathering flowers with her companions in a meadow near the sea-shore, when Zeus, charmed with her great beauty, and wishing to win her love, transformed himself into a beautiful white bull, and trotted quietly up to the princess, so as not to alarm her. Surprised at the gentleness of the animal, and admiring its beauty, as it lay placidly on the grass, she caressed it, crowned it with flowers, and, at last, playfully seated herself on its back. Hardly had she done so than the disguised god bounded away with his lovely burden, and swam across the sea with her to the island of Crete.
Europa was the mother of Minos, Aeacus, and Rhada- manthus. Minos, who became king of Crete, was cele- brated for his justice and moderation, and after death he was created one of the judges of the lower world, which office he held in conjunction with his brothers.
ZEUS (JUPITER). 35
CALLISTO, the daughter of Lycaon, king of Arcadia, was a huntress in the train of Artemis, devoted to the pleasures of the chase, who had made a vow never to marry; but Zeus, under the form of the huntress-goddess, succeeded in obtaining her affections. Hera, being ex- tremely jealous of her, changed her into a bear, and caused Artemis (who failed to recognize her attendant under this form) to hunt her in the chase, and put an end to her existence. After her death she was placed by Zeus among the stars as a constellation, under the name of Arctos, or the bear.
ALCMENE, the daughter of Electryon, king of Mycenae, was betrothed to her cousin Amphytrion; but, during his absence on a perilous undertaking, Zeus assumed his form, and obtained her affections. Heracles (whose world- - renowned exploits will be related among the legends) was the son of Alcmene and Zeus.
SEMELE, a beautiful princess, the daughter of Cadmus, king of Phoenicia, was greatly beloved by Zeus. Like the unfortunate Callisto, she was hated by Hera with jealous malignity, and the haughty queen of heaven determined to effect her destruction. Disguising herself, therefore, as Berc, Semele’s faithful old nurse, she art- fully persuaded her to insist upon Zeus visiting her, as he appeared to Hera, in all his power and glory, well knowing that this would cause her instant death. Semele, suspecting no treachery, followed the advice of her sup- posed nurse; and the next time Zeus came to her, she earnestly entreated him to grant the favour she was about to ask. Zeus swore by the Styx (which was to the gods an irrevocable oath) to accede to her request what- soever it might be. Semele, therefore, secure of gaining her petition, begged of Zeus to appear to her in all the . glory of his divine power and majesty. As he had sworn to grant whatever she asked of him, he was compelled to comply with her wish; he therefore revealed himself as the mighty lord of the universe, accompanied by thunder and lightning, and she was instantly consumed in the flames.
36 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
10, daughter of Inachus, king of Argos, was a priestess of Hera. She was very beautiful, and Zeus, who was much attached to her, transformed her into a white cow, in order to defeat the jealous intrigues of Hera, who, however, was riot to be deceived. Aware of the stratagem, she con- trived to obtain the animal from Zeus, and placed her under the watchful care of a man called Argus-Panoptes, who fastened her to an olive-tree in the grove of Hera. He had a hundred eyes, of which, when asleep, he never closed more than two at a time; being thus always on the watch, Hera found him extremely useful in keeping guard over Io. Hermes, however, by the command of Zeus, succeeded in putting all his eyes to sleep with the sound of his magic lyre, and then, taking advantage of his helpless condition, slew him. The story goes, that in commemoration of the services which Argus had rendered her, Hera placed his eyes on the tail of a peacock, as a lasting memorial of her gratitude. Ever fertile in resource, Hera now sent a gadfly to worry and torment the unfor- tunate Io incessantly, and she wandered all over the world in hopes of escaping from her tormentor. At length she reached Egypt, where she found rest and freedom from the persecutions of her enemy. On the banks of the Nile she resumed her original form and gave birth to a son called Epaphus, who afterwards became king of Egypt, and built the famous city of Memphis.
DANAE.—Zeus appeared to Danae under the form of a shower of gold. (Further details concerning her will be found in the legend of Perseus.)
The Greeks supposed that the divine ruler of the
Universe occasionally assumed a human form, and de-
. scended from his celestial abode, in order to visit man-
kind and observe their proceedings, his aim being
generally either to punish the guilty, or to reward the deserving.
On one occasion Zeus, accompanied by Hermes, made
a journey through Phrygia, seeking hospitality and shelter
Bier they went. But nowhere did they receive a
ZEUS (JUPITER). 37
kindly welcome till they came to the humble cottage of an old man and his wife called Philemon and Baucis, who entertained them with the greatest kindness, setting before them what frugal fare their humble means per- mitted, and bidding them welcome with unaffected cordiality. Observing in the course of their simple repast that the wine bowl was miraculously replenished, the aged couple became convinced of the divine nature of their guests. The gods now informed them that on account of its wickedness their native place was doomed to destruction, and told them to climb the neighbouring hill with them, which overlooked the village where they dwelt. What was their dismay on beholding at their feet, in place of the spot where they had passed so many happy years together, nothing but a watery plain, the only house to be seen being their own little cottage, which suddenly ` ch itself into a temple before their eyes. Zeus now asked the worthy pair to name any wish they particularly desired and it should be granted. They accordingly begged that they might serve the gods in the temple below, and end life together.
Their wish was granted, for, after spending the re- mainder of their lives in the worship of the gods, they both died at the same instant, and were transformed by Zeus into trees, remaining for ever side by side.
Upon another occasion Zeus, wishing to ascertain for himself the truth of the reports concerning the atrocious wickedness of mankind, made a journey through Arcadia. Being recognized by the Arcadians as king of heaven, he was received by them with becoming respect and veneration; but Lycaon, their king, who had rendered himself infamous by the gross impiety of himself and his sons, doubted the divinity of Zeus, ridiculed his people for being so easily duped, and, according to his custom of killing all strangers who ventured to trust his hospi- tality, resolved to murder him. Before executing this wicked design, however, he decided to put Zeus to the test, and having killed à boy for the purpose, placed be fore him a dish containing human flesh. But Zeus wre
38 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
not to be deceived. He beheld the revolting dish with horror and loathing, and angrily upsetting the table upon which it was placed, turned Lycaon into a wolf, and de- stroyed all his fifty sons by lightning, except Nyctimus, who was saved by the intervention of Gea.
JUPITER.
The Roman Jupiter, who. is so frequently confounded with the Greek Zeus, is identical with him only as being the head of the Olympic gods, and the presiding deity over Life, Light, and Aerial Phenomena. Jupiter is lord of life in its widest and most comprehensive significa- tion, having absolute power over life and death, in which
respect he differed from the Greek Zeus, who was to a . certain extent controlled by the all-potent sway of the Moire or Fates. Zeus, as we have seen, often conde- scends to visit mankind, either as a mortal, or under various disguises, whereas Jupiter always remains essen- tially the supreme god of heaven, and never appears upon earth.
The most celebrated temple of Jupiter was that on the Capitoline Hill in the city of Rome, where he was wor- shipped under the names of Jupiter-Optimus-Maximus, Capitolinus, and Tarpeius.
The Romans represented him seated on a throne of ivory, holding in his right hand a sheaf of thunderbolts, and in his left a sceptre, whilst an eagle stands beside his throne.
HERA (Jono).
Hera, the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea, was born at Samos, or, according to some accounts, at Argos, and was reared by the sea-divinities Oceanus and Tethys, who were models of conjugal fidelity.! She was the prin-
1 The ancient Greeks attributed much of the subsequent character of an individual to early influences; hence Hera, the future queen and mistress of heaven, is represented as being brought up in a domes- ticated and orderly household, where home virtues are carefully
inculcated,
HERA (JUNO). 39
cipal wife of Zeus, and, as queen of heaven, participated in the honours paid to him, but her dominion only ex- tended over the air (the lower aérial regions). Hera appears to be the sublime embodiment of strict matronly virtue, and is on that account the protectress of purity and married women. Faultless herself in her fidelity as a wife, she is essentially the type of the sanctity of the marriage tie, and holds in abhorrence any violation of its obligations. So strongly was she: imbued with this hatred of any immorality, that, finding herself so often called upon to punish the failings of both gods and men in this respect, she became jealous, harsh, and vindictive. Her exalted position as the wife of the supreme deity, combined with.her extreme beauty, caused her to become exceedingly vain, and she consequently resented with great severity any infringement on her rights as queen of heaven, or any apparent slight on her personal appearance.
The following story will signally illustrate how ready she was to resent any slight offered to her.
At the marriage of the sea-nymph Thetis with a mortal called Peleus, all the gods and goddesses were present, except Eris (the goddess of Discord). Indignant at not being invited, she determined to cause dissension in the assembly, and for this purpose threw into the midst of the guests a golden apple with the inscription on it “For the Fairest.” Now, as all the goddesses were extremely heautiful, each claimed the apple; but at length, the rest having relinquished their pretensions, the number of candidates was reduced to three, Hera, Athene, and Aphrodite, who agreed to appeal to Paris for a settlement of this delicate question, he being noted for the wisdom he had displayed in his judgment upon several occa- sions. Paris was the son of Priam, king of Troy, who, ignorant of his noble birth, was at this time feeding his flocks on Mount Ida, in Phrygia Hermes, as mes- senger of the gods, conducted the three rival beauties to the young shepherd, and with breathless anxiety they awaited his decision. ach fair candidate endeavoured
40 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
to secure his favour by the most tempting offers. «Hera promised him extensive dominions; Athene, martial fame and glory; and Aphrodite, the loveliest woman in the world. But whether he really considered Aphrodite the fairest of the three, or preferred a beautiful wife to fame and power, we cannot tell; all we know is that to her he awarded the golden apple, and she became ever after universally acknowledged as the goddess of beauty. Hera, having fully expected that Paris would give her the- preference, was so indignant that she never forgave him, and not only persecuted him, but all the family of Priam, whose dreadful sufferings and misfortunes during the Trojan war were attributed to her influence. In fact, she carried her animosity to such an extent that it was often the cause of domestic disagreements between her- self and Zeus, who espoused the cause of the Trojans.
Among the many stories of these frequent quarrels there is one connected with Heracles, the favourite son of Zeus, which is as follows:—Hera having raised a storm at sea in order to drive him out of his course, Zeus became so angry that he hung her in the clouds by a golden chain, and attached heavy anvils to her feet. Her son Hephestus tried to release his mother from her humiliating position, for which Zeus threw him out of heaven, and his leg was broken by the fall.
Hera, being deeply offended with Zeus, determined to separate herself from him for ever, and she accordingly left him and took up her abode in Eubcea. Surprised and grieved at this unlooked-for desertion, Zeus resolved to leave no means untried to win her back again. In this emergency he consulted Cithaeron, king of Platea, who was famed for his great wisdom and subtlety. Cithaeron advised him to dress up an image in bridal attire and place it in a chariot, announcing that this was Platea, his future wife. The artifice succeeded. Hera, incensed at the idea of a rival, flew to meet the procession in great anger, and seizing the supposed bride, she furiously attacked her and dragged off her nuptial attire. Her delight on discovering the deception was so great that a
HERA (JUNO). 41
reconciliation took place, and, committing the image to the flames, with joyful laughter she seated herself in its place and returned to Olympus.
Hera was the mother of Ares (Mars), Hephestus, Hebe, and Eileithyia. Ares was the god of War; Hephestus, of Fire; Hebe, of Youth; and Eileithyia presided over the birth of mortals,
Hera dearly loved Greece, and indeed always watched over and protected Greek interests, her beloved and favourite cities being Argos, Samos, Sparta, and Mycene.
Her principal temples were at Argos and Samos. From a remote period she was greatly venerated at Olympia, and her temple there, which stood in the Altis or sacred grove, was five hundred years older than that of Zeus on the same spot. Some interesting excavations which are now going on there have brought to light the remains of the ancient edifice, which contains among other treasures of antiquity several beautiful statues, the work of the famous sculptors of ancient Greece. At first this temple was built of wood, then of stone, and the one lately dis- covered was formed of con- glomerate of shells.
In the Altis races were run by young maidens in honour of Hera, and the fleetest of foot received in token of hervictory an olive- wreath and a piece of the flesh of the sacrifices. These races, like the Olympic Games, were celebrated at intervals of four years, and were called Herz. A beau- tiful robe, woven by sixteen women chosen from the six- teen cities of Elis, was always offered to Hera on these
42 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
occasions, and choral songs and sacred dances formed part of the ceremonies.
Hera is usually represented seated on a throne, holding a pomegranate in one hand and a sceptre surmounted by acuckoo in the other. She appears as a calm, dignified matron of majestic beauty, obod in a tunic and mantle, her forehead is broad and intellectual, her eyes large and fully opened, and her arms dazzlingly white and finely moulded. .
The finest statue of this divinity was that by Polycletus at Argos.
Her attributes are the diadem, veil, sceptre, and pea- cock.
The first day of every month a ewe-lamb and sow were sacrificed to Hera. The hawk, goose, and more particularly the peacock! were sacred to her. Flocks of these beautiful birds generally surround her throne and draw her chariot, Iris, the Rainbow, being seated behind her.
Her favourite flowers were the dittany, poppy, and lily.
JUNO.
Juno, the Roman divinity supposed to be identical with the Greek Hera, differed from her in the most salient points, for whereas Hera invariably appears as the haughty, unbending queen of heaven, Juno, on the other hand, is revered and beloved as the type of a matron and housewife. She was worshipped in Rome under various titles, most of which point to her vocation as the protect- ress of married women. Juno was believed to watch over and guard the life of every woman from her birth to her death. The principal temples dedicated to her were in Rome, one being erected on the Aventine, and the other on the Capitoline Hill. She had also a temple on the Arx, in which she was worshipped as Juno Moneta, or the warn-
lIn the Homeric a pacok were unknown; it is therefore the later poets who descri era surrounded with peacocks, which were brought to Greece from India,
PALLAS-ATHENE (MINERVA). 43
ing goddess. Adjacent to this shrine was the public mint.! On the 1st of March a grand annual festival, called the Matronalia, was celebrated in her honour by all the mar- Tied women of Rome, and this religious institution was accompanied with much solemnity.”
PALLAS-ATHENE (Mrverva).
Pallas-Athene, goddess of Wisdom and Armed Resist- ance, was a purely Greek divinity; that is to say, no other nation possessed a corresponding conception. She was supposed, as already related, to have issued from the head of Zeus himself, clad in armour from head to foot. The miraculous advent of this maiden goddess is beauti- fully described by Homer in one of his hymns: snow- capped Olympus shook to its foundation; the glad earth teechoed her martial shout; the billowy sea became agi- tated; and Helios, the sun-god, arrested his fiery steeds in their headlong course to welcome this wonderful emanation from the godhead. Athene was at once admitted into the assembly of the gods, and henceforth took her place as the most faithful and sagacious of all her father’s coun- sellors. This brave, dauntless maiden, so exactly the essence of all that is noble in the character of “the father of gods and men,” remained throughout chaste in word and deed, and kind at heart, without exhibiting any of those failings which somewhat mar the nobler features in the character of Zeus. This direct emanation from his own self, justly his favourite child, his better and purer counterpart, received from him several import- ant prerogatives. She was permitted to hurl the thun- derbolts, to prolong the life of man, and to bestow the gift of prophecy; in fact Athene was the only divinity whose authority was equal to that of Zeus him- self, and when he had ceased to visit the earth in person
lThis circumstance has given rise to the erroneous conclusion that Juno presided over the finances of the state, but the word moneta is derived from the Latin monere, which means to warn or admonish.
? See Roman Festivals.
44 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
she was empowered by him to act as his deputy. It wa her especial duty to protect the state and all peacefu associations of mankind, which she possessed the power o defending when occasion required. She encouraged th maintenance of law and order, and defended the right oi all occasions, for which reason, in the Trojan war sh espouses the cause of the Greeks and exerts all her influ ence on their behalf. The Areopagus, a court of justic where religious causes and murders were tried, was be lieved to have been instituted -by her, and when botl sides happened to have an equal number of votes she gav: the casting-vote in favour of the accused. She was th patroness of learning, science, and art, more particular]: . where these contributed directly towards the welfare o nations. She presided over all inventions connected wit] agriculture, invented the plough, and taught mankin how to use oxen for farming purposes. She also in structed mankind in the use of numbers, trumpets chariots, &c., and presided over the building of the. Argo, thereby encouraging the useful art of navigation Sh also taught the Greeks how to build the wooden hors by means of which the destruction of Troy wa . effected.
The safety of cities depended on her care, for whicl reason her temples were generally built on the citadels, anı she was supposed to watch over the defence of the walls fortifications, harbours, &c. A divinity who so faithfull: guarded the best interests of the state, by not only pro tecting it from the attacks of enemies, but also by devel oping its chief resources of wealth and prosperity, wa worthily chosen as the presiding deity of the state, anc in this character as an essentially political goddess sh was called Athene-Polias.
The fact of Athene having been born clad in armour which merely signified that her virtue and purity wer unassailable, has given rise to the erroneous suppositio: that she was the presiding goddess of war; but a deepe
! The first large ship possessed by the Greeks fit for more than coas navigation.
PALLAS-ATHENE (MINERVA). 45
study of her character in all its bearings proves that, in contradistinction to her brother Ares, the god of war, who loved strife for its own sake, she only takes up arms to protect the innocent and deserving against tyran- nical oppression. It is true that in the Iliad we frequently see her on the battlefield fighting valiantly, and protecting her favourite heroes; but this is always at the command of Zeus, who even supplies her with arms for the purpose, as it is supposed that she possessed none of her own. A marked feature in the representations of this deity is the egis, that wonderful shield given to her by her father as a further means of defence, which, when in danger, she swung so swiftly round and round that it kept at a dis- tance all antagonistic influences; hence her name Pallas, from pallo, I swing. In the centre of this shield, which was covered with dragon’s scales, bordered with serpents, and which she sometimes wore as a breastplate, was the awe-inspiring head of the Medusa, which had the effect of turning to stone all beholders.
In addition to the many functions which she ex- ercised in connection with the state, Athene presided over the two chief departments of feminine industry, Spinning and weaving. In the latter art she herself dis- played unrivalled ability and exquisite taste. She wove her own robe and that of Hera, which last she is said to have embroidered very richly; she also gave Jason a cloak wrought by herself, when he set forth in quest of the Golden Fleece. Being on one occasion challenged to a contest in this accomplishment by a mortal maiden named Arachne, whom she had instructed in the art of weaving, she accepted the challenge and was completely vanquished by her pupil. Angry at her defeat, she struck the unfortunate maiden on the forehead with the shuttle which she held in her hand; and Arachne, being of a sen- sitive nature, was so hurt by this indignity that she hung herself in despair, and was changed by Athene into a spider. This goddess is said to have invented the flute,! upon
1 When Perseus, with the help of Athene, had cut off the head of the Medusa, the two sisters caused a sad dirge-like song to issue from the
46 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
which she played with considerable talent, until one day, being laughed at by the assembled gods and goddesses for the contortions which her countenance assumed dur- ing these musical efforts, she hastily ran to a fountain in order to convince herself whether she deserved their ridicule. Finding to her intense disgust that such was indeed the fact, she threw the flute away, and never raised it to her lips again.
Athene is usually represented fully draped; she has a serious and thoughtful aspect, as though replete with l _ earnestness and wisdom;
the beautiful oval contour | of her countenance is | adorned by the luxuriance . of her wealth of hair, | which is drawn back from the temples and hangs down in careless grace; she looks the embodiment of strength, deur, and majesty; whilst her broad shoulders and small hips give her a slightly mascu- line appearance.
When represented as the war-goddess she ap- pears clad' in armour, with a helmet on her head, from which waves a large plume; she carries the egis on her arm, and in her hand a golden staff, which possessed the property of endowing her chosen favourites with youth and dignity.
Athene was universally worshipped throughout Greece, but was regarded with special veneration bythe Athenians, she being the guardian deity of Athens. Her most cele- brated temple was the Parthenon, which stood on the
mouths of the many snakes of which their hair was composed, where- upon Athene, pleased with the sound, imitated the melody on a reed, and thus invented the flute.
THEMIS. 47
Jis at Athens, and contained her world-renowned by Phidias, which ranks second only to that of vy the same great artist. This colossal statue was t high, and was composed of ivory and gold; its ic beauty formed the chief attraction of the temple. resented her standing erect, bearing her spear and ; in her hand she held an image of Nike, and at et there lay a serpent.
> tree sacred to her was the olive, which she herself ced in a contest with Poseidon. The olive-tree thus into existence was preserved in the temple of Erec- , on the Acropolis, and is said to have possessed such sllous vitality, that when the Persians burned it after ig the town it immediately burst forth into new 3, e principal festival held in honour of this divinity he Panathenza.
e owl, cock, and serpent were the animals sacred to her, and her sacrifices were rams, bulls, and cows.
MINERVA.
The Minerva of the Romans was identified with the Pallas-Athene of the Greeks. Like her she pre- sides over learning and all useful arts, and is the patroness of the feminine accomplishments of sew- ing, spinning, weaving, &c. Schools were under her especial care, and school- boys, therefore, had holi- days during her festivals (the Greater Quinquatria), they always brought a gift to their master, called [inerval. is worthy of notice that the only three divinities
48 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
worshipped inthe Capitol were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerv: and in their joint honour the Ludi Maximi or great gam: were held.
THEMIS.
Themis, who has already been alluded to as the wi: of Zeus, was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, an personified those divine laws of justice and order t means of which the well-being and morality of comm: nities are regulated. She presided over the assemblies the people and the laws of hospitality. To her was ii trusted the office of convoking the assembly of the god and she was also mistress of ritual and ceremony. O account of her great wisdom Zeus himself frequent] sought her counsel and acted upon her advice. Them was a prophetic divinity, and had an oracle near the riv Cephissus in Boeotia.
She is usually represented as being in the fu maturity of womanhood, of fair aspect, and wearin a flowing garment, which drapes her noble, majest form; in her right hand she holds the sword of justic and in her left the scales, which indicate the impartialit with which every cause is carefully weighed by her, hx eyes being bandaged so that the personality of the ind vidual should carry no weight with respect to the verdic
This divinity is sometimes identified with Tych sometimes with Ananke.
Themis, like so many other Greek divinities, takes tk place of a more ancient deity of the same name wh was a daughter of Uranus and Gea. This elder Them inherited fan her mother the gift of prophecy, and whe she became merged into her younger representative sh transmitted to her this prophetic power.
HESTIA (Vesta).
Hestia was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Sh was the goddess of Fire in its first application to the want of mankind, hence she was essentially the presiding deit
. HESTIA (VESTA). 49
of the domestic hearth and the guardian spirit of man, and it was her pure and benign infiuence which was sup- posed to protect the sanctity of domestic life.
Now in these early ages the hearth was regarded as the most important and most sacred portion of the dwelling, probably because the protection of the fire was an impor- tant consideration, for if once permitted to become ex- tinct, re-ignition was attended with extreme difficulty. In fact, the hearth was held so sacred that it constituted the sanctum of the family, for which reason it was always erected in the centre of every house. It was a few fet in height and was built of stone; the fire was placed on the top of it, and served the double purpose of pre- paring the daily meals, and consuming the family sacrifices. Round this domestic hearth or altar were gathered the various members of the family, the head of the house occupying the place of honour nearest the hearth. Here prayers were said and sacrifices offered, and here also every kind and loving feeling was fostered, which even extended to the hunted and guilty stranger, who, if he once succeeded in touching this sacred altar, was safe from pursuit and punishment, and was henceforth placed under the protection of the family. Any crime committed within the sacred precincts of the domestic hearth was invariably visited by death.
In Grecian cities there was a common hall, called the Prytaneum, in which the members of the government had their meals at the expense of the state, and here too was the Hestia, or public hearth, with its fire, by means of which those meals were prepared. It was customary for emigrants to take with them a portion of this sacred fire, which they jealously guarded and brought with them to their new home, where it served as a connecting link between the young Greek colony and the mother coun- try. Hestia is generally represented standing, and in accordance with the dignity and sanctity of her character, always appears fully draped. Her counten- ance is distinguished by a serene gravity of expres- sion. `
(72) D
50 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
VESTA.
Vesta occupies a distinguished place among the earlier divini- ties of the Romans. Her temple in Rome, containing as it were the hearthstone of the nation, stood close beside the palace of Numa Pompilius.
On her altar burned the never- ceasing fire, which was tended by her priestesses, the Vestal Virgins.!
The temple of Vesta was cir- eular in form, and contained that sacred and highly prized
treasure the Palladium of Troy.? | The great festival in honour of Vesta, called the Vestalia, was celebrated on the 9th of June.
DEMETER (Ceres).
Demeter (from Ge-meter, earth-mother) was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea? She represented that portion of Gea (the whole solid earth) which we call the earth’s crust, and which produces all vegetation. As goddess of agriculture, field-fruits, plenty, and productive- ness, she was the sustainer of material life, and was there- fore a divinity of great importance. When ancient Gea lost, with Uranus, her position as a ruling divinity, she abdicated her sway in favour of her daughter Rhea, who henceforth inherited the powers which her mother had previously possessed, receiving in her place the honour and worship of mankind. In a very old poem Gaea is accordingly described as retiring to a cavern in the bowels
2 For details see Roman Festivals.
2 See Legend of aay 9 Some, with but little reason, make Demeter the daughter of Uranus
DEMETER (CERES). 51
‘arth, where she sits in the lap of her daughter, ing, moaning, and nodding for ever and ever. necessary to keep clearly in view the distinctive xe between the three great earth-goddesses Gea, id Demeter. Gea represents the earth as a whole, mighty subterranean forces; Rhea is that produc- ver which causes vegetation to spring forth, thus ng men and animals; Demeter, by presiding riculture, directs and utilizes Rhea’s productive
But in later times, when Rhea, like other ancient 28, loses her importance as a ruling deity, Demeter ; all her functions and attributes, and then becomes ldess of the life-producing and life-maintaining ust. We must bear in mind the fact that man in nitive state knew neither how to sow nor how to ground; when, therefore, he had exhausted the 3 which surrounded him he was compelled to seek vhich were as yet unreaped; thus, roaming con- from one place to another, settled habitations, and consequently civilizing influences, were impossible. Demeter, how- ever, by introducing a knowledge of agriculture, put an end, at once and for ever, to that nomadic life which was now no longer necessary.
The favour of Demeter was be- lieved to bring mankind rich har- vests and fruitful crops, whereas her displeasure caused blight, drought, and famine. The island | of Sicily was supposed to be under | her especial protection, and there she was regarded with particular | veneration, the Sicilians natur- ally attributing the wonderful fertility of their country to the ty of the goddess. ster is usually represented as a woman oi novice
52 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
bearing and majestic appearance, tall, matronly, and dignified, with beautiful golden hair, which falls in rippling curls over her stately shoulders, the yellow locks being emblematical of the ripened ears of corn. Some- times she appears seated in a chariot drawn by winged dragons, at others she stands erect, her figure drawn up to its full height, and always fully draped; she bears a sheaf of wheat-ears in one hand. and a lighted torch in the other. The wheat-ears are not unfrequently replaced by a bunch of poppies, with which her brows are also garlanded, though sometimes she merely wears a simple riband in her hair.
Demeter, as the wife of Zeus, became the mother of Persephone (Proserpine), to whom she was so ten- derly attached that her whole life was bound up in her, and she knew no happiness except in her society. One day, however, whilst Persephone was gathering flowers in a meadow, attended by the ocean-nymphs, she saw to her surprise a beautiful narcissus, from the stem of which sprang forth a hundred blossoms. Drawing near to examine this lovely flower, whose exquisite scent per- fumed the air, she stooped down to gather it, suspecting no evil, when a yawning abyss opened at her feet, and Aides, the grim ruler of the lower world, appeared from its depths, seated in his dazzling chariot drawn by four black horses. Regardless of her tears and the shrieks of her female attendants, Aïdes seized the terrified maiden, and bore her away to the gloomy realms over which he reigned in melancholy grandeur. . Helios, the all-seeing sun-god, and Hecate, a mysterious and very ancient divi- nity, alone heard her cries for aid, but were powerless to help her. When Demeter became conscious of her loss
' her grief was intense, and she refused to be comforted. She knew not where to seek for her child, but feeling that repose and inaction were impossible, she set out on her weary search, taking with her two torches which she lighted in the flames of Mount Etna to guide her on her way. For nine long days and nights she wandered on,
b inquiring of every one she met for tidings of her child.
DEMETER (CERES). 53
But all was in vain! Neither gods nor men could give her the comfort which her soul so hungered for. At last, on the tenth day, the disconsolate mother met Hecate, who informed her that she had heard her daughter’s cries, but knew not who it was that had borne her away. By Hecate’s advice Demeter consulted Helios, whose all- seeing eye nothing escapes, and from him she learnt that it was Zeus himself who had permitted Aides to seize Persephone, and transport her to the lower world in order that she might become his wite. Indignant with Zeus for having given his sanction to the abduction of his daughter, and filled with the bitterest sorrow, she abandoned her home in Olympus, and refused all heavenly food. Disguising herself as an old woman, she descended upon earth, and commenced a weary pilgrimage among mankind. One evening she arrived at a place called Eleusis, in Attica, and sat down to rest herself near a well beneath the shade of an olive-tree. The youthful daughters of Celeus, the king of the country, came with their pails of brass to draw water from this well, and seeing that the tired wayfarer appeared faint and dis- pirited, they spoke kindly to her, asking who she was, and whence she came. Demeter replied that she had made her escape from pirates, who had captured her, and added that she would feel grateful for à home with any worthy family, whom she would be willing to serve in a menial capacity. The princesses, on hearing this, begged Demeter to have a moment’s patience while they returned home and consulted their mother, Metaneira. They soon brought the joyful intelligence that she was desirous of securing her services as nurse to her infant son Demo- phoon, or Triptolemus. When Demeter arrived at the house a radiant light suddenly illumined her, which cir- cumstance so overawed Metaneira that she treated the unknown stranger with the greatest respect, and hospit- ably offered her food and drink. But Demeter, still grief-worn and dejected, refused her friendly offers, and held herself apart from the social board. At length, however, the maid-servant Iambe succeeded, by means
l
54 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
of playful jests and merriment, in somewhat dispelling the grief of the sorrowing mother, causing her at times to smile in spite of herself, and even inducing her to partake of a mixture of barley-meal, mint, and water, which was prepared according to the directions of the goddess herself. Time passed on, and the young child throve amazingly under the care of his kind and judicious nurse, who, however, gave him no food, but anointed him daily with ambrosia, and every night laid him secretly in the fire in order to render him immortal and exempt from old age. But, unfortunately, this benevolent design on the part of Demeter was frustrated by Metaneira herself, whose curiosity, one night, impelled her to watch the proceedings of the mysterious being who nursed her child. When to her horror she beheld her son placed in the flames, she shrieked aloud. Demeter, incensed at this untimely interruption, instantly withdrew the child, and throwing him on the ground, revealed herself in her true character. The bent and aged form had vanished, and in its place there stood a bright and beauteous being, whose golden locks streamed over her shoulders in richest luxuriance, her whole aspect bespeaking dignity and majesty. She told the awe-struck Metaneira that she was the goddess Demeter, and had intended to make her son immortal, but that her fatal curiosity had rendered this impossible, add- ing, however, that the child, having slept in her arms, and been nursed on her lap, should ever command the respect and esteem of mankind. She then desired that a temple and altar should be erected to her on a neighbouring hill by the people of Eleusis, promising that she herself would direct them how to perform the sacred rites and ceremonies, which should be observed in her honour. With these words she took her departure never to return. Obedient to her commands, Celeus called together a meeting of his people, and built the temple on the spot which the goddess had indicated. It was soon completed, and Demeter took up her abode in it, but her heart was still sad for the loss of her daughter, and the whole world ___ felt the influence of her grief and dejection. This was
DEMETER (CERES). 55
indeed a terrible year for mankind. Demeter no longer smiled on the earth she was wont to bless, and though the husbandman sowed the grain, and the groaning oxen ploughed the fields, no harvest rewarded their labour. All was barren, dreary desolation. The world was threat- ened with famine, and the gods with the loss of their accustomed honours and sacrifices; it became evident, therefore, to Zeus himself that some measures must be adopted to appease the anger of the goddess. He accord- ingly despatched Iris and many of the other gods and god- desses to implore Demeter to return to Olympus; but all their prayers were fruitless. The incensed goddess swore that until her daughter was restored to her she would not allow the grain to spring forth from the earth. At length Zeus sent Hermes, his faithful messenger, to the lower world with a petition to Aides, urgently entreating him to restore Persephone to the arms of her disconsolate mother. When he arrived in the gloomy realms of Aides, Hermes found him seated on a throne with the beautiful Perse- phone beside him, sorrowfully bewailing her unhappy fate. On learning his errand, Aides consented to resign Per- sephone, who joyfully prepared to follow the messenger of the gods to the abode of life and light. Before taking leave of her husband, he presented to her a few seeds of pomegranate, which in her excitement she thoughtlessly swallowed, and this simple act, as the sequel will show, materially affected her whole future life. The meeting between mother and child was one of unmixed rapture, and for the moment all the past was forgotten. The loving mother’s happiness would now have been complete had not Aides asserted his rights. These were, that if any immortal had tasted food in his realms they were bound to remain there for ever. Of course the ruler of the lower world had to prove this assertion. This, how- ever, he found no difficulty in doing, as Ascalaphus, the son of Acheron and Orphne, was his witness to the fact.' Zeus, pitying the disappointment of Demeter at finding
l Demeter transformed Ascalaphus into an owl for revealing the secret.
56 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
her hopes thus blighted, succeeded in effecting a compro- mise by inducing his brother Aides to allow Persephone to spend six months of the year with the gods above, whilst during the other six she was to be the joyless com- panion of her grim lord below. Accompanied by her daughter, the beautiful Persephone, Demeter now resumed her long-abandoned dwelling in Olympus; the sympa- thetic earth responded gaily to her bright smiles, the corn at once sprang forth from the ground in fullest plenty, the trees, which late were sered and bare, now donned their brightest emerald robes, and the flowers, so long imprisoned in the hard, dry soil, filled the whole air with their fragrant perfume. Thus ends this charming story, which was a favourite theme with all the classic authors.
It is very possible that the poets who first created this graceful myth merely intended it as an allegory to illus trate the change of seasons; in the course of time, how- ever, a literal meaning became attached to this and similar poetical fancies, and thus the people of Greece came to regard as an article of religious belief what, in the first instance, was nothing more than a poetic simile.
In the temple erected to Demeter at Eleusis, the famous Eleusinian Mysteries were instituted by the god- dess herself. It is exceedingly difficult, as in the case of all secret societies, to discover anything with certainty concerning these sacred rites. The most plausible sup- position is that the doctrines taught by the priests to the favoured few whom they initiated, were religious truths which were deemed unfit for the uninstructed mind of the multitude. For instance, it is supposed that the myth of Demeter and Persephone was explained by the teachers of the Mysteries to signify the temporary loss which mother earth sustains every year when the icy breath of winter robs her of her flowers and fruits and grain.
It is believed that in later times a still deeper meaning was conveyed by this beautiful myth, viz, the doctrine of the immortality of the soul The grain, which, as
indht^ ^ remains dead for a time in the dark earth, only
DEMETER (CERES). 57
to rise one day dressed in a newer and lovelier garb, was supposed to symbolize the soul, which, after death, frees itself from corruption, to live again under a better and purer form.
When Demeter instituted the Eleusinian Mysteries, Celeus and his family were the first to be initiated, Celeus himself being appointed high-priest. His son Triptolemus and his daughters, who acted as priestesses, assisted him in the duties of his sacred office. The Mysteries were celebrated by the Athenians every five vears, and. were, for a long time, their exclusive privilege. They took place by torchlight, and were conducted with the greatest solemnity.
In order to spread abroad the blessings which agricul- ture confers, Demeter presented Triptolemus with her chariot drawn by winged dragons, and, giving him some grains of corn, desired him to journey through the world, teaching mankind the arts of agriculture and hus- bandry.
Demeter exercised great severity towards those who incurred her displeasure. We find examples of this in the stories of Stellio and Eresicthon. Stellio was a youth who ridiculed the goddess for the eagerness with which she was eating a bowl of porridge, when weary and faint in the vain search for her daughter. Resolved that he should never again have an opportunity of thus offending, she angrily threw into his face the remainder of the food, and changed him into a spotted lizard.
Eresicthon, son of Triopas, had drawn upon himself the anger of Demeter by cutting down her sacred groves, for which she punished him with a constant and insatiable hunger. He sold all his possessions in order to satisfy his cravings, and was forced at last to devour his own limbs. His daughter Metra, who was devotedly attached to him, possessed the power of trans- forming herself into a variety of different animals. By this means she contrived to support her father, who sold her again and again each time she assumed a different form, and thus he dragged on a pitiful existence.
58 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
CERES.
The Roman Ceres is actually the Greek Dem: _ under another name, her at | butes, worship, festivals, « being precisely identical.
The Romans were indet to Sicily for this divinity, worship having been introdu by the Greek colonists * settled there.
The Cerealia, or festivals honour of Ceres, commenced
À| the 12th of April and la: ER” | several days.
APHRODITE (Venvs).
Aphrodite (from aphros, foam, and dite, issued), the dax ter of Zeus and a seanyr called Dione, was the god: of Love and Beauty.
Dione, being a sea-nym gave birth to her daughter beneath the waves; but child of the heaven-inhabiting Zeus was forced to asc from the ocean-depths and mount to the snow-cap summits of Olympus, in order to breathe that ethe and most refined atmosphere which pertains to celestial gods.
Aphrodite was the mother of Eros (Cupid), the go Love, also of Æneas, the great Trojan hero and the h of that Greek colony which settled in Italy, and f which arose the city of Rome. As a mother Aphro claims our sympathy for the tenderness she exhi towards her children. Homer tells us in his Iliad, h when Æneas was wounded in battle, she came to assistance, regardless of personal danger, and was her
severely wounded in attempting to save his life.
APHRODITE (VENUS).. Lo
Aphrodite was tenderly attached to a lovely youth, called Adonis, whose exquisite beauty has become pro- verbia. He was a motherless babe, and Aphrodite, taking pity on him, placed him in a chest and intrusted him to the care of Persephone, who became so fond of the beautiful youth that she refused to part with him. Zeus, being appealed to by the rival foster-mothers, de- cided that Adonis should spend four months of every year with Persephone, four with Aphrodite, whilst during the remaining four months he should be left to his own devices, He became, however, so attached to Aphrodite that he voluntarily devoted to her the time at his own
i Adonis was killed, during the chase, by a wild boar, to the great grief of Aphrodite, who bemoaned his loss so persistently that Aïdes, moyed with pity, per- mitted him to pass six months of every year with her, whilst the remaining half of the year was spent by him in the lower world.
Aphrodite possessed a magic girdle (the famous cestus) which she frequently lent to unhappy maidens suffering fom the pangs of unrequited love, as it was endowed with the power of inspiring affection for the wearer, whom it invested with every attribute of grace, beauty, and fas- cination.
Her usual attendants are the Charites or Graces (Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia), who are represented undraped and intertwined in a loving embrace.
In Hesiod’s Theogony she is supposed to belong to the more ancient divinities, and, whilst those of later date are represented as having descended one from another, and all more or less from Zeus, Aphrodite has a variously- accounted-for, yet independent origin.
The most poetical version of her birth is that when Uranus was wounded by his son Cronus, his blood min- gled with the foam of the sea, whereupon the bubbling waters at once assumed a rosy tint, and from their depths arose, in all the surpassing glory of her loveliness, Aphro- dite, goddess of love and beauty! Shaking her long, fair tresses, the water-drops rolled down into the Vea
69 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
sea-shell in which she stood, and became transformed into pure, es pearls. Wafted by the soft and . balmy breezes, she floated on to Cythera, and was thence trans- ported to the island of Cyprus. | Lightly she stepped on shore, and under the gentle pressure of her delicate foot the dry and rigid sand became transformed into a verdant meadow, where every varied shade of colour and every sweet odour charmed the senses. The whole island of Cyprus be- | came clothed with verdure, and greeted this fairest of all created beings with a glad smile of | friendly welcome. Here she was received by the Seasons, who decked her with garments of immortal fabric, encircling her fair brow with a wreath of purest gold, whilst from her ears depended costly rings, and a glittering chain em-: braced her swan-like throat. And now, arrayed in all the panoply of her irresistible charms, the nymphs escort her to the dazzling halls of Olympus, where she is received with ecstatic enthusiasm by the admiring gods and god- desses. The. gods all vied with each other in aspiring to the honour of her hand, but Hephestus became the envied possessor of this ‘lovely being, who, however, ` proved as faithless as she was beautiful, and ‘caused her husband much unhappiness, owing to the preference she showed at various times for some of the other gods and also for mortal men.
The celebrated Venus of Milo, now in the Louvre, is an exquisite statue of this divinity. The head is beautifully formed; the rich waves of hair descend on her rather low but broad forehead and are caught up gracefully in a small knot at the back of the head; the expression of the face is most bewitching, and bespeaks the perfect
HELIOS (SOL). 61
joyousness of a happy nature combined with the dignity of a goddess; the drapery falls in careless folds from the waist downwards, and her whole attitude is the embodi- ment of all that is graceful and lovely in womanhood. She is of medium height, and the form is perfect in its symmetry and faultless proportions.
Aphrodite is also frequently represented in the act of confining her dripping locks in a knot, whilst her attend- ant nymphs envelop her in a gauzy veil.
The animals sacred to her were the dove, swan, swallow, and sparrow. Her favourite plants were the myrtle, apple-tree, rose, and poppy.
The worship of Aphrodite is supposed to have been introduced into Greece from Central Asia. There is no doubt that she was originally identical with the famous Astarté, the Ashtoreth of the Bible, against whose idola- trous worship and infamous rites the prophets of old hurled forth their sublime and powerful anathemas.
VENUS.
The Venus of the Romans was identified with the Aphrodite of the Greeks. The worship of this divinity was only established in Rome in comparatively later times. Annual festivals, called Veneralia, were held in her honour, and the month of April, when flowers and plants spring forth afresh, was sacred to her. She was worshipped as Venus Cloacina Ns the Purifier), and as Venus Myrtea (or the myrtle goddess), an epithet derived from the myrtle, the emblem of Love.
HELIOS (Sor)
The worship of Helios was introduced into Greece from Asia. According to the earliest conceptions of the Greeks he was not only the sun-god, but also the personification of life and all life-giving power, for light is well known to be an indispensable condition of all healthy terrestrial life. The worship of the sun was originally very widely sprees,
62 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
not only among the early Greeks themselves, but also among other primitive nations. To us the sun is simply the orb of light, which, high above our heads, performs each day the functions assigned to it by a mighty and invisible Power; we can, therefore, form but a faint idea of the im- pression which it produced upon the spirit of a people whose intellect was still in its infancy, and who believed, with child-like simplicity, that every power of nature was a divinity, which, according as its character was bale- ful or beneficent, worked for the destruction or benefit of the human race.
Helios, who was the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, is described as rising every morning in the east, preceded by his sister Eos (the Dawn), who, with her rosy fingers, paints the tips of the mountains, and draws aside that misty veil through which her brother is about to appear. When he has burst forth in all the glorious light of day, Eos disappears, and Helios now drives his flame- darting chariot along the accustomed track. This chariot, which is of burnished gold, is drawn by four fire-breath- ing steeds, behind which the young god stands erect with flashing eyes, his head surrounded with rays, holding in one hand the reins of those fiery coursers which in all hands save his are unmanageable. When towards even- ing he descends the curve! in order to cool his burning forehead in the waters of the deep sea, he is followed closely by his sister Selene (the Moon), who is now pre- pared to take charge of the world, and illumine with her silver crescent the dusky night. Helios meanwhile rests from his labours, and, reclining softly on the cool fragrant couch prepared for him by the sea-nymphs, recruits him- self for another life-giving, joy-inspiring, and beauteous day.
It may appear strange that, although the Greeks considered the earth to be a flat circle, no explanation is given of the fact that Helios sinks down in the far
1 The course which the sun ran was considered by the ancients to be arising and descending curve ———., the centre of which was sup- posed to be reached by Helios at mid-day.
HELIOS (SOL). 63
west regularly every evening, and yet reappears as regularly every morning in the east. Whether he was supposed to pass through Tartarus, and thus regain the opposite extremity through the bowels of the earth, or whether they thought he possessed any other means -of making this transit, there is not a line in either Homer or Hesiod to prove. In later times, however, the poets in- vented the graceful fiction, that when Helios had finished his course, and reached the western side of the curve, a winged boat, or cup, which had been made for him by Hepheestus, awaited him there, and conveyed him rapidly, with his glorious equipage, to the east, where he recom- menced his bright and glowing career.
This divinity was invoked as a witness when a solemn oath was taken, as it was believed that nothing escaped his all-seeing eye, and it was this fact which enabled him to inform Demeter of the fate of her daughter, as already related. He was supposed to possess flocks and herds in various localities, which may possibly be intended to re- present the days and nights of the year, or the stars of heaven.
Helios is said to have loved Clytie, a daughter of Ocea- nus, who ardently returned his affection; but in the course of time the fickle sun-god transferred his devotion to Leu- cothea, the daughter of Orchamus, king of the eastern countries, which so angered the forsaken Clytie that she informed Orchamus of his daughter’s attachment, and he punished her by inhumanly burying her alive. Helios, overcome with grief, endeavoured, by every means in his power, to recall her to life. At last, finding all his efforts unavailing, he sprinkled her grave with heavenly nectar, and immediately there sprang forth from the spot a shoot ds frankincense, which spread around its aromatic per-
e.
The jealous Clytie gained nothing by her cruel conduct, for the sun-god came to her no more. Inconsolable at his loss, she threw herself upon the ground, and refused all sustenance. For nine long days she turned her face towards the glorious god of day, as he moved along the
64 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
heavens, till at length her limbs became rooted in the ground, and she was transformed into a flower, which ever turns towards the sun.
Helios married Perse, daughter of Oceanus, and their children were, Aétes, king of Colchis (celebrated in the legend of the Argonauts as the possessor of the Golden Fleece), and Circe, the renowned sorceress.
Helios had another son named Phaethon, whose mother was Clymene, one of the Oceanides. The youth was very beautiful, and a great favourite with Aphrodite, who intrusted him with the care of one of ber temples, which flattering proof of her regard caused him to become vain and presumptuous. His friend Epaphus, son of Zeus and Io, endeavoured to check his youthful vanity by pretend- ing to disbelieve his assertion that the sun-god was his father. Phaethon, full of resentment, and eager to be able to refute the calumny, hastened to his mother Cly- mene, and besought her to tell him whether Helios was really his father. Moved by his entreaties, and at the same time angry at the reproach of Epaphus, Clymene pointed to the glorious sun, then shining down upon them, and assured her son that in that bright orb he beheld the author of his being, adding that if he had still any doubt, he might visit the radiant dwelling of the great god of light and inquire for himself. Overjoyed at his mother’s reassuring words, and following the directions she gave him, Phaethon quickly wended his way to his father’s palace.
As he entered the palace of the sun-god the dazzling rays almost blinded him, and prevented him from approach- ing the throne on which his father was seated, surrounded by the Hours, Days, Months, Years, and Seasons. Helios, who with his all-seeing eye had watched him from afar, removed his crown of glittering rays, and bade him not to be afraid, but to draw near to his father. Encouraged by this kind reception, Phaethon entreated him to be- stow upon him such a proof of his love, that all the world might be convinced that he was indeed his son; where- upon Helios desired him to ask any favour he pleased,
HELIOS (SOL). 65
and swore by the Styx that it should be granted. The impetuous youth immediately requested permission to drive the chariot of the sun for one whole day. His father listened horror-struck to this presumptuous demand, and by representing the many dangers which would beset is path, endeavoured to dissuade him from so perilous an undertaking; but his son, deaf to all advice, pressed his point with such pertinacity, that Helios was reluctantly compelled to lead him to the chariot. Phaethon paused for a moment to admire the beauty of the glittering equipage, the gift of the god of fire, who had fornted it of gold, and ornamented it with precious stones, which
- Teflected the rays of the sun. And now Helios, seeing
his sister, the Dawn, opening her doors in the rosy east, ordered the Hours to yoke the horses. The goddesses speedily obeyed the command, and the father then an- ointed the face of his son with a sacred balm, to enable him to endure the burning flames which issued from the nostrils of the steeds, and sorrowfully placing his crown of rays upon his head, desired him to ascend the chariot.
The eager youth joyfully took his place and grasped the coveted reins, but no sooner did the fiery coursers of the sun feel the inexperienced hand which attempted to guide them, than they became restive and unmanage- able. Wildly they rushed out of their accustomed track, now soaring so high as to threaten the heavens with destruction, now descending so low as nearly to set the earth on fire. At last the unfortunate charioteer, blinded with the glare, and terrified at the awful devastation he had caused, dropped the reins from his trembling hands. Mountains and forests were in flames, rivers and streams were dried up, and a general conflagration was imminent. The scorched earth now called on Zeus for help, who hurled his thunderbolt at Phaethon, and with a flash of lightning brought the fiery steeds to a standstill. The lifeless body of the youth fell headlong into the river Eridanus,! where it was received and buried by the
1 The river Po. (73) E
66 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
nymphs of the stream. His sisters mourned so long fo him that they were transformed by Zeus into poplars and the tears they shed, falling into the waters, becam: drops of clear, transparent amber. Cycnus, the faithfu friend of the unhappy Phaethon, felt such overwhelmin; grief at his terrible fate, that he pined and wasted away The gods, moved with compassion, transformed him int a swan, which for ever brooded over the fatal spot wher the waters had closed over the head of his unfortunat friend.
The chief seat of the worship of Helios was the island o Rhodes, which according to the following myth was hi especial territory. At the time of the Titanomachia, whei the gods were dividing the world by lot, Helios happene to be absent, and consequently received no share. He therefore, complained to Zeus, who proposed to have : new allotment, but this Helios would not allow, saying that as he pursued his daily journey, his penetrating ey had beheld a lovely, fertile island lying beneath the wave of the ocean, and that if the immortals would swear t give him the undisturbed possession of this spot, he wouk be content to accept it as his share of the universe. Th gods took the oath, whereupo: the island of Rhodes imme diately raised itself above th surface of the waters.
The famous Colossus o Rhodes, which was one of th seven wonders of the world was erected in honour o Helios. This wonderful statu: ' was 105 feet high, and wa
formed entirely of brass; i
" formed the entrance to thi harbour at Rhodes, and th largest vessel could easily sai
y between the legs, which stoot
on moles, each side of the harbour. Though so gigantic , it was perfectly proportioned in every part. Some idea o
EOS (AURORA). 67
its size may be gained from the fact that very few people were able to span the thumb of this statue with their arms In the interior of the Colossus was a winding stair- case leading to the top, from the summit of which, by means of a telescope, the coast of Syria, and also the shores of Egypt, are said to have been visible.!
EOS (Avrora).
Eos, the Dawn, like her brother Helios, whose advent she always announced, was also deified by the early Greeks. She too had her own chariot, which she drove across the vast horizon both morning and night, before and after the sun-god. Hence she is not merely the personifica- tion of the rosy morn, but also of twilight, for which reason her palace is placed in the west, on the island Ææa The abode of Eos is a magnificent structure, sur- rounded by flowery meads and velvety lawns, where nymphs and other immortal beings, wind in and out in the mazy figures of the dance, whilst the music of a sweetly-tuned melody accompanies their graceful, gliding movements.
Eos is described by the poets as a beautiful maiden with rosy arms and fingers, and large wings, whose plumage is of an ever-changing hue; she bears a star on her forehead, and a torch in her hand. Wrapping round her the rich folds of her violet-tinged mantle, she leaves her couch before the break of day, and herself yokes her two horses, Lampetus and Phaethon, to her glorious chariot. She then hastens with active cheerfulness to open the gates of heaven, in order to herald the approach of her brother, the god of day, whilst the tender plants and flowers, re- ud by the morning dew, lift their heads to welcome ler as she passes.
1This great work of antiquity was destroyed by an earthquake fifty- six years after its erection, B.C. 256. The fragments remained on the ground for many centuries, until Rhodes was conquered by the Turks, and they were eventually sold by one of the generals of Caliph Othman IV. to a merchant of Emesa for £36,000, A.D. 672.
68 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
Eos first married the Titan Astrzus,! and their children were Heosphorus (Hesperus), the evening star, and the winds. She afterwards became united to Tithonus, son oi Laomedon, king of Troy, who had won her affection by hi: unrivalled beauty; and Eos, unhappy at the thought o: their being ever separated by death, obtained for him from Zeus the gift of immortality, forgetting, however, t« add to it that of eternal youth. The consequence wa: that when, in the course of time, Tithonus grew old anc decrepid, and lost all the beauty which had won he admiration, Eos became disgusted with his infirmities and at last shut him up in a chamber, where soon little else was left of him but his voice, which had now sunk into a weak, feeble quaver. According to some of the later poets, he became so weary of his cheerless and miser- able existence, that he entreated to be allowed to die. This was, however, impossible; but Eos, pitying his un- happy condition, exerted her divine power, and changed him into a grasshopper, which is, as it were, all voice, and whose monotonous, ceaseless chirpings may not in- aptly be compared to the meaningless babble of extreme old age.
PH@BUS-APOLLO.
Pheebus-Apollo, the god of Light, Prophecy, Music, Poetry, and the Arts and Sciences, is by far the noblest conception within the whole range of Greek mythology, and his worship, which not only extended to all the states of Greece, but also to Asia Minor and to every Greek colony throughout the world, stands out among the most ancient and strongly-marked features of Grecian history, and exerted a more decided influence over the Greek nation, than that of any other deity, not excepting Zeus himself.
Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, and was born beneath the shade of a palm-tree which grew at the foot
1 According to some authoritics, Strymon.
PHBUS-APOLLO. 69
of Mount Cynthus, on the barren and rocky island of Delos. The poets tell us that the earth smiled when the young god first beheld the light of day, and that Delos became so proud and exultant at the honour thus conferred upon her, that she covered herself with golden flowers; swans surrounded the island, and the Delian nymphs celebrated his birth with songs of joy.
The unhappy Leto, driven to Delos by the relentless persecutions of Hera, was not long per- mitted to enjoy her haven of refuge. Being still tormented by her enemy, the young mother was once more obliged to fly; she therefore resigned the charge of her new-born babe tothe goddess Themis, who carefully wrapped the help- less infant in swaddling-clothes, and fed him with nectar and ambrosia; but he had no sooner partaken of the heavenly food than, to the amazement of the goddess, he burst asunder the bands which confined his infant limbs, and springing to his feet, appeared before her as a full-grown youth of divine strength and beauty. He now demanded a lyre and a bow, declaring that hence- forth he would announce to mankind the will of his father Zeus. ‘The golden lyre,” said he, “shall be my friend, the bent bow my delight, and in oracles will I foretell the dark future.” With these words he ascended to Olympus, where he was received with joyful acclama- tions into the assembly of the celestial gods, who acknow- ledged him as the most beautiful and glorious of all the eons of Zeus.
Phoebus-Apollo was the god of light in a twofold sign-
70 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
fication: first, as representing the great orb of day which illumines the world; and secondly, as the heavenly light which animates the soul of man. He inherited his func- tion as sun-god from Helios, with whom, in later times, he was so completely identified, that the personality of the one became gradually merged in that of the other. We, accordingly, find Helios frequently confounded with Apollo, myths belonging to the former attributed to the latter; and with some tribes—the Ionic, for instance—so complete is this identification, that Apollo is called by them Helios-Apollo.
As the divinity whose power is developed in the broad light of day, he brings joy and delight to nature, and health and prosperity to man. By the influence of his warm and gentle rays he disperses the noxious vapours of the night, assists the grain to ripen and the flowers to bloom.
But although, as god of the sun, he is a life-giving and life-preserving power, who, by his genial influence, dispels the cold of winter, he is, at the same time, tho god who, by means of his fiercely darting rays, could spread disease and send sudden death to men and ani- mals; and it is to this phase of his character that we must look for the explanation of his being considered, in conjunction with his twin-sister, Artemis (as moon- goddess), a divinity of death. The brother and sister share this function between them, he taking man and she woman as her aim, and those especially who died in the bloom of youth, or at an advanced age, were believed to have been killed by their gentle arrows. But Apollo did not always send an easy death. We see in the Jiiad how, when angry with the Greeks, the *god of the silver bow" strode down from Olympus, with his quiver full of death- bringing darts, and sent a raging pestilence into their camp. For nine days he let fly his fatal arrows, first on
‘animals and then on men, till the air became darkened with the smoke from the funeral pyres.
In his character as god of light, Phoebus-Apollo is the
rotecting deity of shepherds, because it is he who warms
PH(EBUS-APOLLO. 71
the fields and meadows, and gives rich pastures to the flocks, thereby gladdening the heart of the herdsman.
As the temperate heat of the sun exercises so invigorat-
ing an effect on man and animals, and promotes the growth of those medicinal herbs and vegetable productions necessary for the cure of diseases, Phoebus-Apollo was supposed to possess the power of restoring life and health; hence he was regarded as the god of healing; but this feature in his character we shall find more particularly developed in his son Asclepius (ZEsculapius), the veritable god of the healing art.
Pursuing our analysis of the various phases in the cha- racter of Phoebus-Apollo, we find that with the first beams of his genial light, all nature awakens to renewed life, and the woods re-echo with the jubilant sound of the untaught lays, warbled by thousands of feathered choristers. Hence, by a natural inference, he is the god of music, and as, according to the belief of the ancients, the inspirations of genius were inseparably connected with the glorious light of heaven, he is also the god of poetry, and acts as the special patron of the arts and sciences. Apollo is himself the heavenly musician among the Olympic gods, whose banquets are gladdened by the wondrous strains which he
roduces from his favourite instrument, the seven-stringed yre. In thecultus of Apollo, music formed a distinguish- ing feature. All sacred dances, and even the sacrifices in his honour, were performed to the sound of musical in- struments; and it is, in a great measure, owing to the influence which the music in his worship exercised on the Greek nation, that Apollo came to be regarded as the leader of the nine Muses, the legitimate divinities of poetry and song. In this character he is called Musagetes, and is always represented robed in along flowing garment; his lyre, to the tones of which he appears to be singing, is suspended by a band across the chest; his head is en- circled by a wreath of laurel, and his long hair, stream- ing down over his shoulders, gives him a somewhat effeminate appearance.
And now we must view the glorious god of light under
72 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
another, and (as far as regards his influence over the Greek nation) a much more important aspect; for, in his- torical times, all the other functions and attributes of Apollo sink into comparative insignificance before the great power which he exercised as god of prophecy. Itis true that all Greek gods were endowed, to a certain extent, with the faculty of foretelling future events; but Apollo, as sun-god, was the concentration of all prophetic power, as it was supposed that nothing escaped his all-seeing eye, which penetrated the most hidden recesses, and laid bare the secrets which lay concealed behind the dark veil of the future.
We have seen that when Apollo assumed his god-like form, he took his place among the immortals; but he had not long enjoyed the rapturous delights of Olympus, before he felt within him an ardent desire to fulfil his great mis- sion of interpreting to mankind the will of his mighty father. He accordingly descended to earth, and travelled through many countries, seeking a fitting site upon which to establish an oracle. At length he reached the southern side of the rocky heights of Parnassus, beneath which lay the harbour of Crissa. Here, under the overhanging cliff, he found a secluded spot, where, from the most ancient times, there had existed an oracle, in which Gea herself had revealed the future to man, and which, in Deucalion’s time, she had resigned to Themis. It was guarded by the huge serpent Python, the scourge of the surrounding neighbourhood, and the terror alike of men and cattle. The young god, full of confidence in his unerring aim, attacked and slew the monster with his arrows, thus free- ing land and people from their mighty enemy.
The grateful inhabitants, anxious to do honour to their deliverer, flocked round Apollo, who proceeded to mark out a plan for a temple, and, with the assistance of numbers of eager volunteers, a suitable edifice was soon erected. It now became necessary to choose ministers, who would offer up sacrifices, interpret his prophecies to the people, and take charge of the temple. Looking round, he saw. in the far distance a vessel bound from Crete to the Pelopon-
PH(EBUS-APOLLO. 73
nesus, and determined to avail himself of her crew for his service. Assuming the shape of an enormous dolphin, he agitated the waters to such a degree, that the ship was tossed violently to and fro, to the great alarm of the mariners; at the same time he raised a mighty wind, which drove the ship into the harbour of Crissa, where she ran aground. The terrified sailors dared not set foot on shore; but Apollo, under the form of a vigorous youth, stepped down to the vessel, revealed himself in his true character, and informed them that it was he who had driven them to Crissa, in order that they might become his priests, and serve him in his temple. Arrived at the sacred fane, he instructed them how to perform the services in his honour, and desired them to worship him under the name of Apollo-Delphinios, be- cause he had first appeared to them under the form of adolphin. Thus was established the far-famed oracle of Delphi, the only institution of the kind which was not exclusively national, for it was consulted by Lydians, . Phrygians, Etruscans, Romans, &c., and, in fact, was held m the highest repute all over the world. In obedience to its decrees, the laws of Lycurgus were introduced, and the earliest Greek colonies founded. No cities were built without first consulting the Delphic oracle, for it was be- lieved that Apollo took special delight in the founding of cities, the first stone of which he laid in person; nor was any enterprise ever undertaken, without inquiring at this sacred fane as to its probable success,
But that which brought Apollo more closely home to the hearts of the people, and raised the whole moral tone of the Greek nation, was the belief, gradually de- veloped with the intelligence of the people, that he was the god who accepted repentance as an atonement for si who pardoned the contrite sinner, and who acted as the special protector of those, who, like Orestes, had com- mitted a crime, which required long years of expiation.
Apollo is represented by the poets as being eternally young; his countenance, glowing with joyous life, is the embodiment of immortal beauty; his eyes are of a deen
im.
74 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
blue; his forehead low, but broad and intellectual; his hair, which falls over his shoulders in long waving locks, is of a golden, or warm chestnut hue. He is crowned with laurel, and wears a purple robe; in his hand he bears his silver bow, which is unbent when he smiles, but ready for use when he menaces evil-doers.
But Apollo, the eternally beautiful youth, the perfec- tion of all that is graceful and refined, rarely seems to have been happy in his love; either his advances met with a repulse, or his union with the object of his affec- tion was attended with fatal consequences.
His first love was Daphne (daughter of Peneus, the river-god), who was so averse to marriage that she en- treated her father to allow her to lead a life of celibacy, and devote herself to the chase, which she loved to the exclusion of all other pursuits. But one day, soon after his victory over the Python, Apollo happened to see Eros bending his bow, and proud of his own superior strength and skill, he laughed at the efforts of the little archer, saying that such a weapon was more suited to the one who had just killed the terrible serpent. Eros angrily re- plied that his arrow should pierce the heart of the mocker himself, and flying off to the summit of Mount Parnas- sus, he drew from his quiver two darts of different work- manship—one of gold, which had the effect of inspiring love; the other of lead, which created aversion. Taking aim at Apollo, he pierced his breast with the golden shaft, whilst the leaden one he discharged into the bosom of the beautiful Daphne. The son of Leto in- stantly felt the most ardent affection for the nymph, who, on her part, evinced the greatest dislike towards her divine lover, and, at his approach, fled from him like a hunted deer. He called upon her in the most endearing accents to stay, but she still sped on, until at length, becoming faint with fatigue, and fearing that she was about to succumb, she called upon the gods to come to her aid. Hardly had she uttered her prayer before a heavy torpor seized her limbs, and just as Apollo threw out his arms to embrace her, she became transformed
PHCBUS-APOLLO. 75
into a laurel-bush. He sorrowfully crowned his head with its leaves, and declared, that in memory of his love, it TUM henceforth remain evergreen, and be held sacred to hi
He next sought the love of Marpessa, the daughter of Evenus; but though her father approved his suit, the maiden preferred a youth named Idas, who contrived to carry her off in a winged chariot which he had procured from Poseidon. Apollo pursued the fugitives, whom he quickly overtook, and forcibly seizing the bride, refused toresign her. Zeus then interfered, and declared that Marpessa herself must decide which of her lovers should claim her as his wife. After due reflection she accepted Idas as her husband, judiciously concluding that although the attractions of the divine Apollo were superior to those of her lover, it would be wiser to unite herself to a mortal who, growing old with herself, would be less likely to forsake her, when advancing years should rob her of her charms.
Cassandra, daughter of Priam, king of Troy, was an- other object of the love of Apollo. She feigned to return his affection, and promised to marry him, provided he would confer upon her the gift of prophecy; but having received the boon she desired, the treacherous maiden refused to comply with the conditions upon which it had been granted. Incensed at her breach of faith, Apollo, unable to recall the gift he had bestowed, rendered it useless by causing her predictions to fail in obtaining credence. Cassandra became famous in history for her rophetic powers, but her prophecies were never believed.
or instance, she warned her brother Paris that if he brought back a wife from Greece he would cause the destruction of his father's house and kingdom; she also warned the Trojans not to admit the wooden horse within the walls of the city, and foretold to Agamemnon all the disasters which afterwards befell him.
Apollo afterwards married Coronis, a nymph of Larissa, and thought himself happy in the possession of her faithful love; but once more he was doomed to disap-
76 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
pointment, for one day his favourite bird, the crow, flew to him with the intelligence that his wife had trans- ferred her affections to a youth of Haemonia. Apollo, burning with rage, instantly destroyed her with one of his death-bringing darts. Too late he repented of his rashness, for she had been tenderly beloved by him, and he would fain have recalled her to life; but, although he exerted all his healing powers, his efforts were in vain. He punished the crow for its garrulity by changing the colour of its plumage from pure white to intense black, and forbade it to fly any longer among the other birds. Coronis left an infant son named Asclepius, who after- wards became god of medicine. His powers were so extraordinary that he could not only cure the sick, but could even restore the dead to life. At last Aides com- plained to Zeus that the number of shades conducted to his dominions was daily decreasing, and the great ruler of Olympus, fearing that mankind, thus protected against sickness and death, would be able to defy the gods them- selves, killed Asclepius with one of his thunderbolts. The loss of his highly gifted son so exasperated Apollo that, being unable to vent his anger on Zeus, he destroyed the Cyclops, who had forged the fatal thunderbolts. For this offence, Apollo would have been banished by Zeus to Tartarus, but at the earnest intercession of Leto he par- tially relented, and contented himself with depriving him of all power and dignity, and imposing on him a tem- porary servitude in the house of Admetus, king of Thes- saly. Apollo faithfully served his royal master for nine years in the humble capacity of a shepherd, and was treated by him with every kindness and consideration. During the period of his service the king sought the hand of Alcestis, the beautiful daughter of Pelias, son of Posei- don; but her father declared that he would only resign her to the suitor who should succeed in yoking a lion and a wild boar to his chariot. By the aid of his divine herds- man, Admetus accomplished this difficult task, and gained his bride. Nor was this the only favour which the king received from the exiled god, for Apollo obtained from
PHOBUS-APOLLO. 14
the Fates the gift of immortality for his benefactor, on condition that when his last hour approached, some mem- ber of his own family should be willing to die in his stead. When the fatal hour arrived, and Admetus felt that he was at the point of death, he implored his aged parents to yield to him their few remaining days. But “life is sweet" even to old age, and they both refused to make the sacrifice demanded of them. — Alcestis, however, who had secretly devoted herself to death for her husband, was seized with a mortal sickness, which kept pace with his rapid recovery. The devoted wife breathed her last in the arms of Admetus, and he had just consigned her to the tomb, when Heracles chanced to come to the palace, Admetus held the rites of hospitality so sacred, that he at first kept silence with regard to his great bereavement; but as soon as his friend heard what had occurred, he bravely descended into the tomb, and when death came toclaim his prey, he exerted his marvellous strength, and held him in his arms, until he promised to restore the beautiful and heroic queen to the bosom of her family.
Whilst pursuing the peaceful life of a shepherd, Apollo formed a strong friendship with two youths named Hya- dnthus and Cyparissus, but the great favour shown to them by the god did not suffice to shield them from mis- fortune. The former was one day throwing the discus with Apollo, when, running too eagerly to take up the one thrown by the god, he was struck on the head with it and killed on the spot. Apollo was overcome with grief at the sad end of his young favourite, but being unable to restore him to life, he changed him into the flower called after him the Hyacinth. Cyparissus had the misfortune to kill by accident one of Apollo’s favourite stags, which so preyed on his mind that he gradually pined away, and died of a broken heart. He was trans- formed by the god into a cypress-tree, which owes its name to this story.
After these sad occurrences Apollo quitted Thessaly and repaired to Phrygia, in Asia Minor, where he met Poseidon, who, like himself, was in exile, and condemned
78 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
to a temporary servitude on earth. The two gods m entered the service of Laomedon, king of Troy, Apo undertaking to tend his flocks, and Poseidon to build t walls of the city. But Apollo also contributed his assi ance in the erection of those wonderful walls, and, by t aid of his marvellous musical powers, the labours of ] fellow-worker, Poseidon, were rendered so light and es that his otherwise arduous task advanced with astoni ing celerity; for, as the master-hand of the god of mu grasped the chords of his lyre,! the huge blocks of sto moved of their own accord, adjusting themselves w: the utmost nicety into the places designed for them. But though Apollo was so renowned in the art music, there were two individuals who had the effronte to consider themselves equal to him in this respect, ai accordingly, each challenged him to compete with th: in a musical contest. These were Marsyas and P: Marsyas was a satyr, who, having picked up the fh which Athene had thrown away in disgust, discovered, his great delight and astonishment, that, in consequer of its having touched the lips of a goddess, it played itself in the most charming manner. Marsyas, who wa: great lover of music, and much beloved on this accor by all the elflike denizens of the woods and gle was so intoxicated with joy at this discovery, that foolishly challenged Apollo to compete with him in musical contest. The challenge being accepted, t Muses were chosen umpires, and it was decided that t unsuccessful candidate should suffer the punishment being flayed alive. For a long time the merits of bc claimants remained so equally balanced, that it w impossible to award the palm of victory to either, seei which, Apollo, resolved to conquer, added the sw: tones of his melodious voice to the strains of his ly
1 This wonderful lyre, which had been given to Apollo by Her (Mercury) in exchange for the Caduceus or rod of wealth, 1s said have possessed such extraordinary powers, that it caused a stone, uj which it was laid, to become so melodious, that ever afterwards, on be touched, it emitted a musical sound which resembled that produced the lyre itself.
PH(EBUS-APOLLO. 79
and this at once turned the scale in his favour. The unhappy Marsyas being defeated, had to undergo the terrible penalty, and his untimely fate was universally lamented; indeed the Satyrs and Dryads, his com- panions, wept so incessantly at his fate, that their tears, uniting together, formed a river in Phrygia which is still known by the name of Marsyas.
The result of the contest with Pan was by no means (f so serious a character. The god of shepherds having afirmed that he could play more skilfully on his flute of seven reeds (the syrinx or Pan's pipe), than Apollo on his world-renowned lyre, a contest ensued, in which Apollo was pronounced the victor by all the judges ap- pointed to decide between the rival candidates. Midas, king of Phrygia, alone demurred at this decision, having the bad taste to prefer the uncouth tones of the Pan’s pipe to the refined melodies of Apollo’s lyre. Incensed at the obstinacy and stupidity of the Phrygian king, Apollo punished him by giving him the ears of an ass. Midas, horrified at being thus disfigured, determined to hide his disgrace from his subjects by means of a cap; his barber, however, could not be kept in ignorance of the fact, and was therefore bribed with rich gifts never to reveal it. Finding, however, that he could not keep the secret any longer, he dug a hole in the ground into which he whispered it; then closing up the aperture he returned home, feeling greatly relieved at having thus eased his mind of its burden. But after all, this very humiliating secret was revealed to the world, for some reeds which sprung up from the spot murmured inces- santly, as they waved to and fro in the wind: “King Midas has the ears of an ass.”
In the sad and beautiful story of Niobe, daughter of Tantalus, and wife of Amphion, king of Thebes, we have another instance of the severe punishments meted out by Apollo to those who in any way incurred his displeasure. Niobe was the proud mother of seven sons and seven daughters, and exulting in the number of her children, she, upon one occasion, ridiculed the worship of Leto,
80 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
because she had but one son and daughter, and desired the Thebans, for the future, to give to her the honours and sacrifices which they had hitherto offered to the mother of Apollo and Artemis. The sacrilegious words
had scarcely passed her lips | before Apollo called upon his sister Artemis to assist him in avenging the insult offered to their mother, and soon their in- visible arrows sped through the air. Apollo slew all the sons, | and Artemis had already slain | all the daughters save one, the youngest and best beloved, whom Niobe clasped in her arms, when the agonized mother implored the enraged deities to leave her, at least, one out of all her beau- tiful children; but, even as she \ | prayed, the deadly arrow reached : ~ the heart of this child also. Meanwhile the unhappy father, unable to bear the loss of his children, had destroyed himself, and his dead body lay beside the lifeless corpse of his favourite son. Widowed and childless, the heart-broken mother sat among her dead, and the gods, in pity for her unutterable woe, turned her into a stone, which they transferred to Siphylus, her native Phrygian mountain, where it still continues to shed tears.
The punishment of Niobe forms the subject of a mag- nificent marble group, which was found at Rome in the year 1553, and is now in the gallery of Uffizi, at Florence.
The renowned singer Orpheus was the son of Apollo and Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, and, as might be expected with parents so highly gifted, was endowed with most distinguished intellectual qualifications. He was a poet, a teacher of the religious doctrines known as the Orphic mysteries, and a great musician, having in- herited from his father an extraordinary genius for music.
PHBUS-APOLLO. 81
When he sang to the sweet tones of his lyre, he charmed all nature, and summoned round him the wild beasts of the forests, who, under the influence of his music, became tame and gentle as lambs. The madly rushing torrents stopped their rapid course, and the very mountains and trees moved from their places at the sound of his entranc- mg melodies.
Orpheus became united to a lovely nymph named Eurydice, the daughter of the sea-god Nereus, whom he fondly loved. She was no less attached to him, and their married life was full of joy and happiness. But it was oly short-lived; for Aristeus,! the half-brother of Or- pheus, having fallen in love with the beautiful Eurydice, forcibly endeavoured to take her from her husband, and as she fled across some fields to elude his pursuit, she was bitten in the foot by a venomous snake, which lay con- cealed in the long grass. Eurydice died of the wound, and her sorrowing husband filled the groves and valleys with his piteous and unceasing lamentations.
His longing to behold her once more became at last s) unconquerable, that he determined to brave the hor- rors of the lower world, in order to entreat Aides to restore to him his beloved wife. Armed only with his golden lyre, the gift of Apollo, he descended into the gloomy depths of Hades, where his heavenly music ar- rested for a while the torments of the unhappy sufferers. The stone of Sisyphus remained motionless; Tantalus for-
got his perpetual thirst; the wheel of Ixion ceased to revolve; and even the Furies shed tears, and withheld for a time their persecutions. Undismayed at the scenes of horror and suffering which met his view on every side, he pursued his way until he arrived at the palace of Aides. Presenting himself before the throne on which sat the stony-hearted king and his consort Persephone, Orpheus recounted his woes to the sound of his lyre. Moved to pity by his sweet strains, they listened ‘to his
l Aristeus was worshipped as a rural divinity in various parts of Greece, and was supposed to have taught mankind how to catch bees, and to utilize honey and wax.
(73) ¥
82 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
melancholy story, and consented to release Eurydice c condition that he should not look upon her until the reached the upper world. Orpheus gladly promised : comply with this injunction, and, followed by Eurydic ascended the steep and gloomy path which led to tl realms of life and light. All went well until he was ju about to pass the extreme limits of Hades, when, forge ting for the moment the hard condition, he turned : convince himself that his beloved wife was really behir him. The glance was fatal, and destroyed all his hop of happiness; for, as he yearningly stretched out his arn to embrace her, she was caught back, and vanished fro his sight for ever. The grief of Orpheus at this secor loss was even more intense than before, and he no avoided all human society. In vain did the nymphs, h once chosen companions, endeavour to win him back : his accustomed haunts; their power to charm was gon and music was now his sole consolation. He wander: forth alone, choosing the wildest and most secluded path and the hills and vales resounded with. his pathetic mel dies. At last he happened to cross the path of son Thracian women, who were performing the wild rites Dionysus (Bacchus), and in their mad fury at his r fusing to join them, they furiously attacked him, ar tore him in pieces. In pity for his unhappy fate, tl Muses collected his remains, which they buried at tl foot of Mount Olympus, and the nightingale warbled funeral dirge over his grave. His head was thrown in the river Hebrus, and as it floated down the stream, tl lips still continued to murmur the beloved name Eurydice.
The chief seat of the worship of Apollo was at Delptl and here was the most magnificent of all his temples, t] foundation of which reaches far beyond all historic knowledge, and which contained immense riches, t] offerings of kings and private persons, who had receive favourable replies from the oracle. "The Greeks believ: Delphi to be the central point of the earth, because tv eagles sent forth by Zeus, one from the east, the oth
ROMAN APOLLO. 83
from the west, were said to have arrived there at the same moment.
The Pythian games, celebrated in honour of the victory of Apollo over the Python, took place at Delphi every four years. At the first celebration of these games, gods, goddesses, and heroes contended for the prizes, which were at first of gold or silver, but consisted, in later times, of simple laurel wreaths.
On account of its being the place of his birth, the whole island of Delos was consecrated to Apollo, where he was worshipped with great solemnity; the greatest care was taken to preserve the sanctity of the spot, for which reason no one was suffered to be buried there. At the foot of Mount Cynthus was a splendid temple of Apollo which possessed an oracle, and was enriched with magni- ficent offerings from all parts of Greece. Even foreign nations held this island sacred, for when the Persians passed it on their way to attack Greece, they not only sailed by, leaving it uninjured, but sent rich presents to the temple. Games, called Delia, instituted by Theseus, were celebrated at Delos every four years.
A festival termed the Gymnopedeza was held at Sparta in honour of Apollo, in which boys sang the praises of the gods, and of the three hundred Lacedemonians who fell at the battle of Thermopyle.
Wolves and hawks were sacrificed to Apollo, and the birds sacred to him were the hawk, raven, and swan.
ROMAN APOLLO.
The worship of Apollo never occupied the all-important position in Rome which it held in Greece, nor was it in- troduced till a comparatively late period. There was no sanctuary erected to this divinity until B.c. 430, when the Romans, in order to avert a plague, built a temple in his honour; but we do not find the worship of Apollo be- coming in any way prominent until the time of Augus- tus, who, having called upon this god for aid before the famous battle of Actium, ascribed the victory which be
in...
84 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
gained, to his influence, and accordingly erected a temple there, which he enriched with a portion of the spoil.
Augustus afterwards built another temple in honour of Apollo, on the Palatine Hill, in which at the foot of his statue, were deposited two gilt chests, containing the Sibylline oracles. These oracles were collected to replace the Sibylline books originally preserved in the temple of Jupiter, which were destroyed when that edifice was burned.
The Sibyls were maidens who had received the gift of prophecy, and the privilege of living to an incredible age. One of these Sibyls (known as the Cumzan) appeared to
Tarquinius Superbus, the last | king of Rome, offering for
sale nine books, which she in- | formed him had been written | by herself. Not knowing | who she was, Tarquin refused to buy them, upon which she burned three, and returned with six, demanding the same price as before. Being again driven away as an impostor, she again retired and burned three more, returning with theremaining three, for which | she still asked the same price
as at first. Tarquin, amazed
at her inconsistency, now con- sulted the Augurs, who blamed him for not having bought the nine books when they were first offered to him, and desired him to secure the remaining three, at whatever price they were to be had. He, accordingly, purchased the volumes, which were found to contain predictions of great importance to the Romans. After the disposal of the books, the Sibyl vanished, and was seen no more.
The most beautiful and renowned of all the statues of Apollo now in existence, is that known as the Apollo Belvedere, which was found in 1503 among the ruins of
HECATE, 85
ancient Antium. It was purchased by Pope Julius IL, who removed it to the Belvedere of the Vatican, from whence it takes its name, and where it has been, for more than three hundred years, the admiration of the world. When Rome was taken, and plundered by the French, this celebrated statue was transported to Paris, and placed in the museum there, but in 1815 it was restored to its former place in the Vatican. The attitude of the figure, Which is more than seveh feet high, is inimitable in its freedom, grace, and majesty. The forehead is noble and intellectual, and the whole countenance so exquisite in its beauty, that one pauses spell-bound to gaze on so perfect a conception. The god has a very youthful appearance, as is usual in all his representations, and with the excep- tion of a short mantle which falls from his shoulders, is unclothed. He stands against the trunk of a tree, up which a serpent is creeping, and his left arm is out- stretched, as though about to punish.
HECATE.
Hecate would appear to have been originally a moon- goddess worshipped by the Thracians. She became con- founded, and eventually identified with Selene and Per- sephone, and is one of those divinities of whom the ancients had various conflicting accounts.
Hecate was the daughter of Perses and “gold-wreathed” Astrea (the starry night!), and her sway extended over earth, heaven, and hell, for which reason she is repre- sented in works of art as a triple divinity, having three Mere bodies, all young and beautiful, and united to-
ether.
: In later times, when this divinity becomes identified with Persephone, she is supposed to inhabit the lower world as a malignant deity, and henceforward it is the gloomy, awe-inspiring side of her character which alone
1 Astræa was the daughter of the Titans Coous and Phoebe. Perses was son of the Titans Crios and Eurybia.
86 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
develops itself. She now presides over all practices con nected with witchcraft ane enchantments, haunts sepul chres, and the point where two roads cross, and lonel: spots where murders have been committed. She wa supposed to be connected with the appearance of ghost and spectres, to possess unlimited influence over th powers of the lower world, and to be able to lay t rest unearthly apparitions by her magic spells and in cantations.
Hecate appears as a gigantic woman, bearing a torcl and a sword. Her feet and hair are formed of snakes and her passage is accompanied by voices of thunder weird shrieks and yells, and the deep baying and howl ing of dogs.
Her favour was propitiated by offerings and sacrifices principally consisting of black lambs. Her festivals wer celebrated at night, by torchlight, when these animal were offered to her, accompanied by many peculiar cere monies. These ceremonies were carried out with th minutest attention to details, as it was believed that th omission of the slightest particular would afford to he ministers, the evil spirits of the lower world, who hovere round the worshippers, an opportunity for entering amon; them, and exerting their baneful influence. At the en of every month food was placed wherever two roads met in readiness for her and other malignant divinities.
In studying the peculiar characteristics which Hecat assumes when she usurps the place of Persephone, th rightful mistress of the lower world, we are reminded c the various superstitions with regard to spectres, witcl craft, &c., which have, even down to our own timer exerted so powerful an influence over the minds of th ignorant, and which would appear to owe their origin t a remote pagan source.
SELENE (Lona).
Just as Helios personified the sun, so his sister Selen led the moon, and was supposed to drive he
ARCADIAN ARTEMIS. 87
chariot across the sky whilst her brother was reposing after the toils of the day.
When the shades of evening began to enfold the earth, the two milk-white steeds of Selene rose out of the mys- terious depths of Oceanus. Seated in a silvery chariot, and accompanied by her daughter Herse, the goddess of the dew, appeared the mild and gentle queen of the night, with a crescent on her fair brow, a gauzy veil flowing behind, and a lighted torch in her hand.
Selene greatly admired a beautiful young shepherd named Endymion, to whom Zeus had accorded the privi- lege of eternal youth, combined with the faculty of sleep- ing whenever he desired, and as long as he wished. Seeing this lovely youth fast asleep on Mount Latmus, Selene was so struck with his beauty, that she came down every
night from heaven to watch over and protect him.
ARTEMIS (Dusa).
Artemis was worshipped by the Greeks under various appellations, to each of which belonged special charac- teristics. Thus she is known as the Arcadian, Ephesian and Brauronian Ártemis, and also as Selene-Artemis, and in order fully to comprehend the worship of this divinity, we must consider her under each aspect.
ARCADIAN ARTEMIS.
The Arcadian Artemis (the real Artemis of the Greeks) was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin-sister of Apollo. She was the goddess of Hunting and Chastity, and having obtained from her father permission to lead a life of celibacy, she ever remained a maiden-divinity. Artemis is the feminine counterpart of her brother, the glorious god of Light, and, like him, though she deals out destruction and sudden death to men and animals, she is also able to alleviate suffering and cure diseases. Like Apollo also, she is skilled in the use of the bow, but in a far more eminent degree, for in the character of Artemis, who devoted herself to the chase with passionate
!
88 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
ardour, this becomes an all-distinguishing feature. Ai with her bow and quiver, and attended by her tra huntresses, who were nymphs of the woods and spr she roamed over the mountains in pursuit of her favo exercise, destroying in her course the wild animals o forest. When the chase was ended, Artemis and maidens loved to assemble in a shady grove, or or banks of a favourite stream, where they joined in merry song, or graceful dance, and made the hills res with their joyous shouts.
As the type of purity and chastity, Artemis wa pecially venerated by young maidens, who, before m ing, sacrificed their hair to her. She was also patroness of those vowed to celibacy, and puni severely any infringement of their obligation.
The huntress-goddess is represented as being a taller than her attendant nymphs, and always appea a youthful and slender maiden. Her features are be ful, but wanting in gentleness of expression; her is gathered negligently into a knot at the back of well-shaped head; and her figure, though some masculine, is most graceful in its attitude and pr tions. The short robe she wears, leaves her limbs for the exercise of the chase, her devotion to whic indicated by the quiver which is slung over her shou and the bow which she bears in her hand.
There are many famous statues of this divinity; the most celebrated is that known as the Diana of sailles, now in the Louvre, which forms a not unwc companion to the Apollo-Belvedere of the Vatican. this statue, the goddess appears in the act of rescui hunted deer from its pursuers, on whom she is tur with angry mien. One hand is laid protectingly or head of the stag, whilst with the other she draw: arrow from the quiver which hangs over her shoulde
Her attributes are the bow, quiver, and spear. animals sacred to her are the hind, dog, bear, and boar.
Artemis promptly resented any disregard or negle
ARCADIAN ARTEMIS. 89
her worship; a remarkable instance of this is shown in the story of the Calydonian ae which is as fol- OWS:— oe Oeneus, king of Caly- — don in Attolia, had in- / IS be curred the displeasure of 2194 X Artemis by neglecting to "NL include her in a general VA WW sacrifice to the gods which EA he had offered up, out of i jy gratitude for a bountiful CUIN harvest. The goddess, en- raged at this neglect, sent a wild boar of extraordi- nary size and prodigious strength, which destroyed the sprouting grain, laid waste the fields, and threat- ened the inhabitants with famine and death. At this juncture, Meleager, the brave son of Oeneus, re- turned from the Argonautic expedition, and finding his country ravaged by this dreadful scourge, entreated the assistance of all the celebrated heroes of the age to join him in hunting the ferocious monster. Among the most famous of those who responded to his call were Jason, Castor and Pollux, Idas and Lynceus, Peleus, Telamon, Admetus, Perithous, and Theseus. The brothers of Althea, wife of Oeneus, joined the hunters, and Meleager also enlisted into his service the fleet- footed huntress Atalanta.
The father of this maiden was Schoeneus, an Arcadian, who, disappointed at the birth of a daughter when he had particularly desired a son, had exposed her on the Parthenian Hill, where he left her to perish. Here she was nursed by a she-bear, and at last found by some hunters, who reared her, and gave her the name of Atalanta. As the maiden grew up, she became an ardent
4
90 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
lover of the chase, and was alike distinguished for her beauty and courage. Though often wooed, she led a life of strict celibacy, an oracle having predicted that inevit- able misfortune awaited her, should she give herself in marriage to any of her numerous suitors.
Many of the heroes objected to hunt in company with a maiden; but Meleager, who loved Atalanta, overcame their opposition, and the valiant band set out on their expedition. Atalanta was the first to wound the boar with her spear, but not before two of the heroes had met their death from his fierce tusks. After a long and desperate encounter, Meleager succeeded in killing the monster, and presented the head and hide to Atalanta, as trophies of the victory. The uncles of Meleager, how- ever, forcibly took the hide from the maiden, claiming their right to the spoil as next of kin, if Meleager re- signed it. Artemis, whose anger was still unappeased, caused a violent quarrel to arise between uncles and nephew, and, in the struggle which ensued, Meleager killed his mother’s brothers, and then restored the hide to Atalanta. When Althea beheld the dead bodies of the slain heroes, her grief and anger knew no bounds. She swore to revenge the death of her brothers on her own son, and unfortunately for him, the instrument of vengeance lay ready to her hand.
At the birth of Meleager, the Moirae, or Fates, entered the house of Oeneus, and pointing to a piece of wood then burning on the hearth, declared that as soon as it was consumed the babe would surely die. On hearing this, Althea seized the brand, laid it up carefully in a chest, and henceforth preserved it as her most precious possession. But now, love for her son giving place to the resentment she felt against the murderer of her brothers, she threw the fatal brand into the devouring flames. As it consumed, the vigour of Meleager wasted away, and when it was reduced to ashes, he expired. Re- penting too late the terrible effects of her rash deed, Althea, in remorse and despair, took away her own life.
The news of the courage and intrepidity displayed by
ARCADIAN ARTEMIS. 91
Atalanta in the famous boar-hunt, being carried to the ears of her father, caused him to acknowledge his long- lost child. Urged by him to choose one of her numerous suitors, she consented to do so, but made it a condition that he alone, who could outstrip her in the race, should become her husband, whilst those she defeated should be put to death by her, with the lance which she bore in her hand. Thus many suitors had perished, for the maiden was unequalled for swiftness of foot, but at last a beautiful youth, named Hippomenes, who had vainly endeavoured to win her love by his assiduous attentions in the chase, ventured to enter the fatal lists. Knowing that only by stratagem could he hope to be successful, he obtained, by the help of Aphrodite, three golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, which he threw down at in- tervals during his course. Atalanta, secure of victory, stooped to pick up the tempting fruit, and, in the mean- time, Hippomenes arrived at the goal. He became the husband of the lovely Atalanta, but forgot, in his newly found happiness, the gratitude which he owed to Aphro- dite, and the goddess withdrew her favour from the pair. Not long after, the prediction which foretold misfortune to Atalanta, in the event of her marriage, was verified, for she and her husband, having strayed unsanctioned into a sacred grove of Zeus, were both transformed into lions.
The trophies of the ever-memorable boar-hunt had been carried by Atalanta into Arcadia, and, for many centuries, the identical hide and enormous tusks of the Calydonian boar hung in the temple of Athene at Tegea. The tusks were afterwards conveyed to Rome, and shown there among other curiosities.
A forcible instance of the manner in which Artemis resented any intrusion on her retirement, is seen in the fate which befell the famous hunter Actaeon, who happening one day to see Artemis and her attendants bathing, imprudently ventured to approach the spot. The goddess, incensed at his audacity, sprinkled him with water, and transformed him into a stag, whereupon he was torn in pieces and devoured by his own dogs.
92 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
EPHESIAN ARTEMIS.
The Ephesian Artemis, known to us as “Diana of the Ephesians,” was a very ancient Asiatic divinity of Persian origin called Metra,! whose worship the Greek colonists found already established, when they first settled in Asia Minor, and whom they identified with their own Greek Artemis, though she really possessed but one single attribute in common with their home deity.
Metra was a twofold divinity, and represented, in one phase of her character, all-pervading love; in the other she was the light of heaven; and as Artemis, in her char- acter as Selene, was the only Greek female divinity who represented celestial light, the Greek settlers, according to their custom of fusing foreign deities into their own, seized at once upon this point of resemblance, and decided that Metra should henceforth be regarded as identical with Artemis.
In her character as the love which pervades all nature, and penetrates everywhere, they believed her also to be present in the mysterious Realm of Shades, where she exercised her benign sway, replacing to a certain extent that ancient divinity Hecate, and partly usurping also the place of Persephone, as mistress of the lower world. Thus they believed that it was she who permitted the spirits of the departed to revisit the earth, in order to communicate with those they loved, and to give them timely warning of coming evil. In fact, this great, mighty, and omnipresent power of love, as embodied in the Ephesian Artemis, was believed by the great thinkers of old, to be the ruling spirit of the universe, and it was to her influence that all the mysterious and beneficent workings of nature were ascribed.
There was a magnificent temple erected to this divinity at Ephesus (a city of Asia Minor), which was ranked among the seven wonders of the world, and was un- equalled in beauty and grandeur. The interior of this
1 Called also Anaitis-Aphroditis.
BRAURONIAN ARTEMIS. 93
edifice was adorned with statues and paintings, and con- tamed one hundred and twenty-seven columns, sixty feet in height, each column having been placed there by a different king. The wealth deposited in this temple was enormous, and the goddess was here worshipped with particular awe and solemnity. In the interior of the edifice stood a statue of her, formed of ebony, with lions on her arms and turrets on her head, whilst a number of breasts indicated the fruitfulness of the earth and of na- ture. Ctesiphon was the principal architect of this world- renowned structure, which, however, was not entirely completed till two hundred and twenty years after the foundation-stone was laid. But the labour of centuries was destroyed in a single night; for a man called Hero- stratus, seized with the insane desire of making his name famous to all succeeding generations, set fire to it and completely destroyed it.! So great was the indignation and sorrow of the Ephesians at this calamity, that they enacted a law, forbidding the incendiary’s name to be mentioned, thereby however, defeating their own object, for thus the name of Herostratus has been handed down to posterity, and will live as long as the memory of the famous temple of Ephesus.
BRAURONIAN ARTEMIS.
In ancient times, the country which we now call the
imea, was known by the name of the Taurica Cherson- nesus. It was colonized by Greek settlers, who, finding that the Scythian inhabitants had a native divinity some- what resembling their own Artemis, identified her with the huntress-goddess of the mother-country. The worship of this Taurian Artemis was attended with the most barbarous practices, for, in accordance with a law which she had enacted, all strangers, whether male or female, landing, or shipwrecked on her shores, were sacrificed upon her altars. It is supposed that this decree was
1 This occurred during the night Alexander the Great waa born.
94 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
issued by the Taurian goddess of Chastity, to protect the purity of her followers, by keeping them apart from foreign influences.
The interesting story of Iphigenia, a priestess in the temple of Artemis at Tauris, forms the subject of one of Schiller’s most beautiful plays. The circumstances oc- curred at the commencement of the Trojan war, and are as follows:—The fleet, collected by the Greeks for the siege of Troy, had assembled at Aulis, in Boeotia, and was about to set sail, when Agamemnon, the commander. in-chief, had the misfortune to kill accidentally, a stag which was grazing in a grove, sacred to Artemis. The offended goddess sent continuous calms which delayed the departure of the fleet, and Calchas, the soothsayer, who had accompanied the expedition, declared that nothing less than the sacrifice of Agamemnon’s favourite daughter, Iphigenia, would appease the wrath of the god- dess. At these words, the heroic heart of the brave leader sank within him, and he declared that rather than consent to so fearful an alternative, he would give up his share in the expedition and return to Argos. In this dilemma Odysseus and the other great generals called a council tc discuss the matter, and, after much deliberation, it was decided that private feeling must yield to the welfare ol the state. For a long time the unhappy Agamemnon turned a deaf ear to their arguments, but at last they succeeded in persuading him that it was his duty to make the sacrifice. He, accordingly, despatched a messenger tc his wife, Clytemnestra, begging her to send Iphigeni: to him, alleging as a pretext that the great hero Achilles desired to make her his wife. Rejoicing at the brilliant destiny which awaited her beautiful daughter, the fond mother at once obeyed the command, and sent her tc Aulis. When the maiden arrived at her destination, anc discovered, to her horror, the dreadful fate which awaitec her, she threw herself in an agony of grief at her father’: feet, and with sobs and tears entreated him to have mercy on her, and to spare her young life. But alas Aer doom was sealed, and her now repentant and heart
BRAURONIAN ARTEMIS. 95
broken father was powerless to avert it. The unfortunate victim was bound to the altar, and already the fatal knife was raised to deal the death-blow, when suddenly Iphigenia disappeared from view, and in her place on the altar, lay a beautiful deer ready to be sacrificed. It was Artemis herself, who, pitying the youth and beauty of her victim, caused her to be conveyed in a cloud to Taurica, where she became one of her priestesses, and intrusted with the charge of her temple; a dignity, how- ever, which necessitated the offering of those human sacrifices presented to Artemis.
Many years passed away, during which time the long and wearisome siege of Troy had come to an end, and the brave Agamemnon had returned home to meet death at the hands of his wife and Aegisthus. But his daughter, Iphigenia, was still an exile from her native country, and continued to perform the terrible duties which her office involved. She had long given up all hopes of ever being restored to her friends, when one day two Greek strangers landed on Taurica’s inhospitable shores. These were Orestes and Pylades, whose romantic attachment to each other has made their names synonymous for devoted self-sacrificing friendship. Orestes was Iphigenia’s brother, and Pylades her cousin, and their object in undertaking an expedition fraught with so much peril, was to obtain the statue of the Taurian Artemis, Orestes, having in- curred the anger of the Furies for avenging the murder of his father Agamemnon, was pursued by them where- ever he went, until at last he was informed by the oracle of Delphi that, in order to pacify them, he must convey the image of the Taurian Artemis from Tauris to Attica. This he at once resolved to do, and accompanied by his faithful friend Pylades, who insisted on sharing the dangers of the undertaking, he set out for Taurica. But the unfortunate youths had hardly stepped on shore before they were seized by the natives, who, as usual, conveyed them for sacrifice to the temple of Artemis. Iphigenia, discovering that they were Greeks, though unaware of their near relationship to herself, thought the
96 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE .AND ROME.
opportunity a favourable one for sending tidings of her existence to her native country, and, accordingly, requested one of the strangers to be the bearer of a letter from her to her family. A magnanimous dispute now arose between the friends, and each besought the other to accept the precious privilege of life and freedom. Pylades, at length over- come by the urgent entreaties of Orestes, agreed to be the bearer of the missive, but on looking more closely at the superscription, he observed, to his intense surprise, that it was addressed to Orestes. Hereupon an explana- tion followed; the brother and sister recognized each other, amid joyful tears and loving embraces, and assisted by her friends and kinsmen, Iphigenia escaped with them from a country where she had spent so many unhappy days, and witnessed so many scenes of horror and anguish.
The fugitives, having contrived to obtain the image of the Taurian Artemis, carried it with them to Brauron in Attica. This divinity was henceforth known as the Brauronian Artemis, and the rites which had rendered her worship so infamous in Taurica were now introduced into Greece, and human victims bled freely under the sacrificial knife, both in Athens and Sparta. The revolt- ing practice of offering human sacrifices to her, was con- tinued until the time of Lycurgus, the great Spartan law- giver, who put an end to it by substituting in its place one, which was hardly less barbarous, namely, the scourg- ing of youths, who were whipped on the altars of the Brauronian Artemis in the most cruel manner; sometimes indeed they expired under the lash, in which case their mothers, far from lamenting their fate, are said to have rejoiced, considering this an honourable death for their sons.
SELENE-ARTEMIS.
Hitherto we have seen Artemis only in the various phases of her terrestrial character; but just as her brother Apollo drew into himself by degrees the attributes of that more ancient divinity Helios, the sun-god, so, in like manner, she came to be identified in later times
HEPHJESTUS (VULCAN). 97
with Selene, the moon-goddess, in which character she is
always represented as wearing on her forehead a glittering
crescent, whilst a flowing veil, bespangled with stars,
ae to her feet, and a long robe completely envelops er. .
DIANA.
The Diana of the Romans was identified with the Greek Artemis, with whom she shares that peculiar tri- partite character, which so strongly marks the individu- ality of the Greek goddess. In heaven she was Luna (the moon), on earth Diana (the huntress-goddess), and in the lower world Proserpine; but, unlike the Ephesian Artemis, Diana, in her character as Proserpine, carries with her into the lower world no element of love or sym- pathy; she is, on the contrary, characterized by practices altogether hostile to man, such as the exercise of witch- craft, evil charms, and other antagonistic influences, and is, in fact, the Greek Hecate in her later development.
The statues of Diana were generally erected at a point where three roads met, for which reason she is called Trivia (from fr, three, and via, way).
A temple was dedicated to her on the Aventine hill by Servius Tullius, who is said to have first introduced the worship of this divinity into Rome.
The Nemoralia, or Grove Festivals, were celebrated in her honour on the 13th of August, on the Lacus Nemor- ensis, or forest-buried lake, near Aricia, The priest who officiated in her temple on this spot, was always a fugitive slave, who had gained his office by murdering his prede- cessor, and hence was constantly armed, in order that he might thus be prepared to encounter a new aspirant.
HEPHAISTUS (Vutcay).
Hephestus, the son of Zeus and Hera, was the god of fire in its beneficial aspect, and the presiding deity over all workmanship accomplished by means of this useful element. He was universally honoured, not only as the
(73) Q
£8 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
god of all mechanical arts, but also as a house and hearth divinity, who exercised a beneficial influence on civilized society in general Unlike the other Greek divinities, he was ugly and deformed, being awkward in his move- ments, and limping in his gait. This latter defect ori- ginated, as we have already seen, in the wrath of his father Zeus, who hurled him down from heaven! in con- sequence of his taking the part of Hera, in one of the domestic disagreements, which so frequently arose between this royal pair. Hephestus was nine days falling from Olympus to the earth, where he at length alighted on the island of Lemnos. "The inhabitants of the country, seeing him descending through the air, received him in their arms; but in spite of their care, his leg was broken by the fall, and he remained ever afterwards lame in one foot. Grateful for the kindness of the Lemnians, he hence- forth took up his abode in their island, and there built for himself a superb palace, and forges for the pursuit of his avocation. He instructed the people how to work in metals, and also taught them other valuable and useful arts.
It is said that the first work of Hephestus was a most ingenious throne of gold, with secret springs, which he presented to Hera. It was arranged in such a man- ner that, once seated, she found herself unable to move, and though all the gods endeavoured to extricate her, their efforts were unavailing. Hephestus thus revenged himself on his mother for the cruelty she had always displayed towards him, on account of his want of comeliness and grace. Dionysus, the wine-god, contrived, however, to intoxicate Hephaestus, and then induced him to return to Olympus, where, after having released the
1 Another version, with regard to the origin of this defect, is that being born ugly and deformed, his mother Hera, disgusted at his un- sightliness, herself threw him violently from her lap, and it was then that his leg was broken, producing the lameness from which he suffered -ever after. On this occasion he fell into the sea, and was saved by the sea-nymphs Thetis and Eurynome, who kept him for nine years in à cavern beneath the ocean, where he made for them, in gratitude for
their kindness, several beautiful ornaments, and trinkets of rare work- manship.
HEPHJESTUS (VULCAN). 99
queen of heaven from her very undignified position, he became reconciled to his parents.
He now built for himself a glorious palace on Olympus, of shining gold, and made for the other deities those magnificent edifices which they inhabited. He was as- sisted in his various and exquisitely skilful works of art, by two female statues of pure gold, formed by his own hand, which possessed the power of motion, and always accompanied him wherever he went. With the assis- tance of the Cyclops, he forged for Zeus lis wonderful thunderbolts, thus investing his mighty father with a new power of terrible import. Zeus testified his appre- ciation of this precious gift, by bestowing upon Heph- estus the beautiful Aphrodite in marriage,! but this was a questionable boon; for the lovely Aphrodite, who was the personification of all grace and beauty, felt no affec- tion for her ungainly and unattractive spouse, and amused herself by ridiculing his awkward movements and unsightly person. On one occasion especially, when Hephestus good-naturedly took upon himself the office of cup-bearer to the gods, his hobbling gait and extreme awkwardness created the greatest mirth amongst the celestials, in which his disloyal partner was the first to join, with unconcealed merriment.
Aphrodite greatly preferred Ares to her husband, and this preference naturally gave rise to much jealousy on the part of Hephestus, and caused them great unhappi- ness.
Hephestus appears to have been an indispensable member of the Olympic Assembly, where he plays the part of smith, armourer, chariot-builder, &c. As already mentioned, he constructed the palaces where the gods re- sided, fashioned the golden shoes with which they trod the air or water, built for them their wonderful chariots, and shod with brass the horses of celestial breed, which conveyed these glittering equipages over land and sea. He also made the tripods which moved of themselves in and out of the celestial halls, formed for Zeus the far-
1 According to some accounts Chares was the wife of Hephastua.
100 MYTIIS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
famed egis, and erected the magnificent palace ol sun. He also created the brazen-footed bulls of A which breathed flames from their nostrils, s2nt forth c! of smoke, and filled the air with their roaring.
Among his most renowned works of art for the u mortals were: the armour of Achilles and Æneas beautiful necklace of Harmonia, and the crown of Ari: but his masterpiece was Pandora, of whom a detaile count has already been given.
There was a temple on Mount Etna erected i honour, which none but the pure and virtuous were mitted to enter. The entrance to this temple was gus by dogs, which possessed the extraordinary facul: being able to discriminate between the righteous an unrighteous, pedes upon and caressing the good, w they rushed upon all evil-doers and drove them awa
Hephsestus is usually represented as a powerful, bra and very muscular man of middle height and mature his strong uplifted arm is raised in the act of strikin; anvil with a hammer, which he holds in one hand, w with the other he is turning a thunderbolt, whic deed puel LL eagle beside him is waitir carry to Zeus. The prin seat of his worship was island of Lemnos, where he regarded with peculiar ve tion.
VULCAN.
The Roman Vulcan was 1 ly an importation from Gr which never at any time firm root in Rome, nor en: largely into the actual life | sympathies of the nation | worship being unattende 7 7. the devotional feeling anc thusiasm which characterized the religious rites of
other deities. He still, however, retained in Rom
POSEIDON (NEPTUNE). 101
Greek attributes as god of fire, and unrivalled master of the art of working in metals, and was ranked among the twelve great gods of Olympus, whose gilded statues were arranged consecutively along the Forum. His Roman name, Vulcan, would seem to indicate a connec- tion with the first great metal-working artificer of Biblical history, Tubal-Cain.
POSEIDON (Nzrruxx).
Poseidon was the son of Kronos and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus. He was god of the sea, more particu- larly of the Mediterranean, and, like the element over which he presided, was of a variable disposition, now vio- lently agitated, and now calm and placid, for which reason he is sometimes represented by the poets as quiet and composed, and at others as disturbed and angry.
In the earliest agesof Greek mythology, he merely sym- bolized the watery element; but in later times, as naviga- tion and intercourse with other nations engendered greater traffic by sea, Poseidon gained in importance, and came to be regarded as a distinct divinity, holding in- disputable dominion over the sea, and over all sea- divinities, who acknowledged him as their sovereign ruler. He possessed the power of causing at will, mighty and destructive tempests, in which the billows rise moun- tains high, the wind becomes a hurricane, land and sea being enveloped in thick mists, whilst destruction assails the unfortunate mariners exposed to their fury. On the other hand, his alone was the power of stilling the angry
102 MYTHS OF ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME.
waves, of soothing the troubled waters, and granting safe voyages to mariners. For this reason, Poseidon was always invoked and propitiated by a libation before a voyage was undertaken, and sacrifices and thanksgivings were gratefully offered to him after a safe and prosperous journey by sea.
The symbol of his power was the fisherman’s fork or trident! by means of which he produced earthquakes, raised up islands from the bottom of the sea, and caused wells to spring forth out of the earth.
Poseidon was essentially the presiding deity over fisher- men, and was on that account, more particularly wor- shipped and revered in countries bordering on the sea- coast, where fish naturally formed a staple commodity of trade. He was supposed to vent his displeasure by sending disastrous inundations, which completely de- stroyed whole countries, and were usually accompanied by terrible marine monsters, who swallowed up and devoured those whom the floods had spared. It is pro- bable that these sea-monsters are the poetical figures which represent the demons of hunger and famine, necessarily accompanying a general inundation.
Poseidon is generally represented as resembling his brother Zeus in features, height, and general aspect; but we miss in the countenance of the sea-god the kindness and benignity which so pleasingly distinguish his mighty brother. The eyes are bright and piercing, and the contour of the face somewhat sharper in its outline than that of Zeus, thus corresponding, as it were, with his more angry and violent nature. "itis hair waves in dark, disorderly masses over his shoulders; his chest is broad, and his frame powerful and stalwart; he wears a short, curling beard, and a band round his head. He usually appears standing erect in a graceful shell-chariot, drawn by hippocamps, or sea-horses, with golden manes and brazen hoofs, who bound over the dancing waves with such wonderful swiftness, that the chariot scarcely touches
1 The trident resembled the arrow-headed pronged fork, used by the fishermen of the Mediterranean Sea in the eel-Gshery.
POSEIDON (NEPTUNE). 103
the water. The monsters of the deep, acknowledging their mighty lord, gambol playfully around him, whilst the sea joyfully smooths a path for the passage of its all-powerful ruler.
He inhabited a beauti- ful palace at the bottom of the sea at Ægea in Euboea, and also possess- ed a royal residence on Mount Olympus, which, however, he only visited when his presence was required at the council of the gods.
His wonderful palace beneath the waters was of vast extent; in its lofty and capacious halls thousands of his followers could assemble. The exterior of the building was of bright gold, which the continual wash of the waters preserved untarnished; in the interior, lofty and graceful columns supported the gleaming dome. Every- where fountains of