cause of his death, he imprisoned her in a tower of brass in order to keep
her secluded from the world. Zeus, however, descended through the roof of
the tower in the form of a shower of gold, and the lovely Danaë became his
bride.
For four years Acrisius remained in ignorance of this union, but one
evening as he chanced to pass by the brazen chamber, he heard the cry of a
young child proceeding from within, which led to the discovery of his
daughter's marriage with Zeus. Enraged at finding all his precautions
unavailing, Acrisius commanded the mother and child to be placed in a chest
and thrown into the sea.
But it was not the will of Zeus that they should perish.
He directed
Poseidon to calm the troubled waters, and caused the chest to float safely
to the island of Seriphus. Dictys, brother of Polydectes, king of the
island, was fishing on the sea-shore when he saw the chest stranded on the
beach; and pitying the helpless condition of its unhappy occupants, he
conducted them to the palace of the king, where they were treated with the
greatest kindness.
Polydectes eventually became united to Danaë, and {206}
bestowed upon
Perseus an education befitting a hero. When he saw his stepson develop into
a noble and manly youth he endeavoured to instil into his mind a desire to
signalize himself by the achievement of some great and heroic deed, and
after mature deliberation it was decided that the slaying of the Gorgon,
Medusa, would bring him the greatest renown.
For the successful accomplishment of his object it was necessary for him to
be provided with a pair of winged sandals, a magic wallet, and the helmet
of Aïdes, which rendered the wearer invisible, all of which were in the
keeping of the Nymphs, the place of whose abode was known only to the Grææ.
Perseus started on his expedition, and, guided by Hermes and Pallas-Athene,
arrived, after a long journey, in the far-off region, on the borders of
Oceanus, where dwelt the Grææ, daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. He at once
applied to them for the necessary information, and on their refusing to
grant it he deprived them of their single eye and tooth, which he only
restored to them when they gave him full directions with regard to his
route. He then proceeded to the abode of the Nymphs, from whom he obtained
the objects indispensable for his purpose.
Equipped with the magic helmet and wallet, and armed with a sickle, the
gift of Hermes, he attached to his feet the winged sandals, and flew to the
abode of the Gorgons, whom he found fast asleep. Now as Perseus had been
warned by his celestial guides that whoever looked upon these weird sisters
would be transformed into stone, he stood with averted face before the
sleepers, and caught on his bright metal shield their triple image. Then,
guided by Pallas-Athene, he cut off the head of the Medusa, which he placed
in his wallet. No sooner had he done so than from the headless trunk there
sprang forth the winged steed Pegasus, and Chrysaor, the father of the
winged giant Geryon. He now hastened to elude the pursuit of the two
surviving sisters, who, aroused from their slumbers, eagerly rushed to
avenge the death of their sister.
{207}
His invisible helmet and winged sandals here stood him in good stead; for
the former concealed him from the view of the Gorgons, whilst the latter
bore him swiftly over land and sea, far beyond the reach of pursuit. In
passing over the burning plains of Libya the drops of blood from the head
of the Medusa oozed through the wallet, and falling on the hot sands below
produced a brood of many-coloured snakes, which spread all over the
country.
Perseus continued his flight until he reached the kingdom of Atlas, of whom
he begged rest and shelter. But as this king possessed a valuable orchard,
in which every tree bore golden fruit, he was fearful lest the slayer of
the Medusa might destroy the dragon which guarded it, and then rob him of
his treasures. He therefore refused to grant the hospitality which the hero
demanded, whereupon Perseus, exasperated at the churlish repulse, produced
from his wallet the head of the Medusa, and holding it towards the king,
transformed him into a stony mountain. Beard and hair erected themselves
into forests; shoulders, hands, and limbs became huge rocks, and the head
grew up into a craggy peak which reached into the clouds.
Perseus then resumed his travels. His winged sandals bore him over deserts
and mountains, until he arrived at Æthiopia, the kingdom of King Cepheus.
Here he found the country inundated with disastrous floods, towns and
villages destroyed, and everywhere signs of desolation and ruin. On a
projecting cliff close to the shore he beheld a lovely maiden chained to a
rock. This was Andromeda, the king's daughter. Her mother Cassiopea, having
boasted that her beauty surpassed that of the Nereides, the angry
sea-nymphs appealed to Poseidon to avenge their wrongs, whereupon the
sea-god devastated the country with a terrible inundation, which brought
with it a huge monster who devoured all that came in his way.
In their distress the unfortunate Æthiopians applied to the oracle of
Jupiter-Ammon, in the Libyan desert, {208} and obtained the response, that
only by the sacrifice of the king's daughter to the monster could the
country and people be saved.
Cepheus, who was tenderly attached to his child, at first refused to listen
to this dreadful proposal; but overcome at length by the prayers and
solicitations of his unhappy subjects, the heart-broken father gave up his
child for the welfare of his country. Andromeda was accordingly chained to
a rock on the sea-shore to serve as a prey to the monster, whilst her
unhappy parents bewailed her sad fate on the beach below.
On being informed of the meaning of this tragic scene, Perseus proposed to
Cepheus to slay the dragon, on condition that the lovely victim should
become his bride. Overjoyed at the prospect of Andromeda's release, the
king gladly acceded to the stipulation, and Perseus hastened to the rock,
to breathe words of hope and comfort to the trembling maiden. Then assuming
once more the helmet of Aïdes, he mounted into the air, and awaited the
approach of the monster.
Presently the sea opened, and the shark's head of the gigantic beast of the
deep raised itself above the waves. Lashing his tail furiously from side to
side, he leaped forward to seize his victim; but the gallant hero, watching
his opportunity, suddenly darted down, and producing the head of the Medusa
from his wallet, held it before the eyes of the dragon, whose hideous body
became gradually transformed into a huge black rock, which remained for
ever a silent witness of the miraculous deliverance of Andromeda. Perseus
then led the maiden to her now happy parents, who, anxious to evince their
gratitude to her deliverer ordered immediate preparations to be made for
the nuptial feast. But the young hero was not to bear away his lovely bride
uncontested; for in the midst of the banquet, Phineus, the king's brother,
to whom Andromeda had previously been betrothed, returned to claim his
bride. Followed by a band of armed warriors he forced his way into the
hall, and a desperate encounter took place between the rivals, {209} which
might have terminated fatally for Perseus, had he not suddenly bethought
himself of the Medusa's head. Calling to his friends to avert their faces,
he drew it from his wallet, and held it before Phineus and his formidable
body-guard, whereupon they all stiffened into stone.
[Illustration]
Perseus now took leave of the Æthiopian king, and, accompanied by his
beautiful bride, returned to Seriphus, where a joyful meeting took place
between Danaë and her son. He then sent a messenger to his grandfather,
informing him that he intended returning to Argos; but Acrisius, fearing
the fulfilment of the oracular prediction, fled for protection to his
friend Teutemias, king of Larissa. Anxious to induce the aged monarch to
return to Argos, Perseus followed him thither. But here a strange fatality
occurred. Whilst taking part in some funereal games, celebrated in honour
of the king's father, Perseus, by an unfortunate throw of the discus,
accidentally struck his grandfather, and thereby was the innocent cause of
his death.
After celebrating the funereal rites of Acrisius with due solemnity,
Perseus returned to Argos; but feeling loath to occupy the throne of one
whose death he had caused, he exchanged kingdoms with Megapenthes, king of
Tiryns, and in course of time founded the cities of Mycenæ and Midea.
The head of the Medusa he presented to his divine patroness, Pallas-Athene,
who placed it in the centre of her shield.
Many great heroes were descended from Perseus and Andromeda, foremost among
whom was Heracles, whose mother, Alcmene, was their granddaughter.
Heroic honours were paid to Perseus, not only {210}
throughout Argos, but
also at Athens and in the island of Seriphus.
ION.
Ion was the son of Crëusa (the beauteous daughter of Erechtheus, king of
Athens) and the sun-god Phoebus-Apollo, to whom she was united without the
knowledge of her father.
Fearing the anger of Erechtheus, Crëusa placed her new-born babe in a
little wicker basket, and hanging some golden charms round his neck,
invoked for him the protection of the gods, and concealed him in a lonely
cave. Apollo, pitying his deserted child, sent Hermes to convey him to
Delphi, where he deposited his charge on the steps of the temple. Next
morning the Delphic priestess discovered the infant, and was so charmed by
his engaging appearance that she adopted him as her own son. The young
child was carefully tended and reared by his kind foster-mother, and was
brought up in the service of the temple, where he was intrusted with some
of the minor duties of the holy edifice.
And now to return to Crëusa. During a war with the Euboeans, in which the
latter were signally defeated, Xuthus, son of Æolus, greatly distinguished
himself on the side of the Athenians, and as a reward for his valuable
services, the hand of Crëusa, the king's daughter, was bestowed upon him in
marriage. Their union, however, was not blest with children, and as this
was a source of great grief to both of them, they repaired to Delphi in
order to consult the oracle. The response was, that Xuthus should regard
the first person who met him on leaving the sanctuary as his son. Now it
happened that Ion, the young guardian of the temple, was the first to greet
his view, and when Xuthus beheld the beautiful youth, he gladly welcomed
him as his son, declaring that the gods had sent him to be a blessing and
comfort to his old age. Crëusa, however, who concluded that the youth was
the offspring of a secret marriage on the part of her husband, was filled
with suspicion and jealousy; {211} when an old servant, observing her
grief, begged her to be comforted, assuring her that the cause of her
distress should be speedily removed.
When, upon the occasion of the public adoption of his son, Xuthus gave a
grand banquet, the old servant of Crëusa contrived to mix a strong poison
in the wine of the unsuspecting Ion. But the youth--
according to the pious
custom of the ancients, of offering a libation to the gods before partaking
of any repast--poured upon the ground a portion of the wine before putting
it to his lips, when suddenly, as if by a miracle, a dove flew into the
banquet-hall, and sipped of the wine of the libation; whereupon the poor
little creature began to quiver in every limb, and in a few moments
expired.
Ion's suspicions at once fell upon the obsequious servant of Crëusa, who
with such officious attention had filled his cup. He violently seized the
old man, and accused him of his murderous intentions.
Unprepared for this
sudden attack he admitted his guilt, but pointed to the wife of Xuthus as
the instigator of the crime. Ion was about to avenge himself upon Crëusa,
when, by means of the divine intervention of Apollo, his foster-mother, the
Delphic priestess appeared on the scene, and explained the true
relationship which existed between Crëusa and Ion. In order to set all
doubts at rest, she produced the charms which she had found round the neck
of the infant, and also the wicker basket in which he had been conveyed to
Delphi.
Mother and son now became reconciled to each other, and Crëusa revealed to
Ion the secret of his divine origin. The priestess of Delphi foretold that
he would become the father of a great nation, called after him the Ionians,
and also that Xuthus and Crëusa would have a son called Dorus, who would be
the progenitor of the Dorian people, both of which predictions were in due
time verified.
DÆDALUS and ICARUS.
Dædalus, a descendant of Erechtheus, was an Athenian architect, sculptor,
and mechanician. He was the first {212} to introduce the art of sculpture
in its higher development, for before his time statues were merely rude
representations, having the limbs altogether undefined.
But great as was his genius, still greater was his vanity, and he could
brook no rival. Now his nephew and pupil, Talus, exhibited great talent,
having invented both the saw and the compass, and Dædalus, fearing lest he
might overshadow his own fame, secretly killed him by throwing him down
from the citadel of Pallas-Athene. The murder being discovered, Dædalus was
summoned before the court of the Areopagus and condemned to death; but he
made his escape to the island of Crete, where he was received by king Minos
in a manner worthy of his great reputation.
Dædalus constructed for the king the world-renowned labyrinth, which was an
immense building, full of intricate passages, intersecting each other in
such a manner, that even Dædalus himself is said, upon one occasion, to
have nearly lost his way in it; and it was in this building the king placed
the Minotaur, a monster with the head and shoulders of a bull and the body
of a man.
In the course of time the great artist became weary of his long exile, more
especially as the king, under the guise of friendship, kept him almost a
prisoner. He therefore resolved to make his escape, and for this purpose
ingeniously contrived wings for himself and his young son Icarus, whom he
diligently trained how to use them. Having awaited a favourable
opportunity, father and son commenced their flight, and were well on their
way when Icarus, pleased with the novel sensation, forgot altogether his
father's oft-repeated injunction not to approach too near the sun. The
consequence was that the wax, by means of which his wings were attached,
melted, and he fell into the sea and was drowned. The body of the
unfortunate Icarus was washed up by the tide, and was buried by the
bereaved father on an island which he called after his son, Icaria.
After this sad event, Dædalus winged his flight to the island of Sicily,
where he met with a kind welcome from {213} king Cocalus, for whom he
constructed several important public works. But no sooner did Minos receive
the intelligence that his great architect had found an asylum with Cocalus
than he sailed over to Sicily with a large army, and sent messengers to the
Sicilian king demanding the surrender of his guest.
Cocalus feigned
compliance and invited Minos to his palace, where he was treacherously put
to death in a warm bath. The body of their king was brought to Agrigent by
the Cretans, where it was buried with great pomp, and over his tomb a
temple to Aphrodite was erected.
Dædalus passed the remainder of his life tranquilly in the island of
Sicily, where he occupied himself in the construction of various beautiful
works of art.
THE ARGONAUTS.
Aeson, king of Iolcus, was forced to fly from his dominions, which had been
usurped by his younger brother, Pelias, and with difficulty succeeded in
saving the life of his young son, Jason, who was at that time only ten
years of age. He intrusted him to the care of the Centaur Chiron, by whom
he was carefully trained in company with other noble youths, who, like
himself, afterwards signalized themselves by their bravery and heroic
exploits. For ten years Jason remained in the cave of the Centaur, by whom
he was instructed in all useful and warlike arts. But as he approached
manhood he became filled with an unconquerable desire to regain his
paternal inheritance. He therefore took leave of his kind friend and
preceptor, and set out for Iolcus to demand from his uncle Pelias the
kingdom which he had so unjustly usurped.
In the course of his journey he came to a broad and foaming river, on the
banks of which he perceived an old woman, who implored him to help her
across. At first he hesitated, knowing that even alone he would find some
difficulty in stemming the fierce torrent; but, {214}
pitying her forlorn
condition, he raised her in his arms, and succeeded, with a great effort,
in reaching the opposite shore. But as soon as her feet had touched the
earth she became transformed into a beautiful woman, who, looking kindly at
the bewildered youth, informed him that she was the goddess Hera, and that
she would henceforth guide and protect him throughout his career. She then
disappeared, and, full of hope and courage at this divine manifestation,
Jason pursued his journey. He now perceived that in crossing the river he
had lost one of his sandals, but as it could not be recovered he was
obliged to proceed without it.
On his arrival at Iolcus he found his uncle in the market-place, offering
up a public sacrifice to Poseidon. When the king had concluded his
offering, his eye fell upon the distinguished stranger, whose manly beauty
and heroic bearing had already attracted the attention of his people.
Observing that one foot was unshod, he was reminded of an oracular
prediction which foretold to him the loss of his kingdom by a man wearing
only one sandal. He, however, disguised his fears, conversed kindly with
the youth, and drew from him his name and errand. Then pretending to be
highly pleased with his nephew, Pelias entertained him sumptuously for five
days, during which time all was festivity and rejoicing.
On the sixth,
Jason appeared before his uncle, and with manly firmness demanded from him
the throne and kingdom which were his by right. Pelias, dissembling his
true feelings, smilingly consented to grant his request, provided that, in
return, Jason would undertake an expedition for him, which his advanced age
prevented him from accomplishing himself. He informed his nephew that the
shade of Phryxus had appeared to him in his dreams, and entreated him to
bring back from Colchis his mortal remains and the Golden Fleece; and added
that if Jason succeeded in obtaining for him these sacred relics, throne,
kingdom, and sceptre should be his.
{215}
STORY OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.
Athamas, king of Boeotia, had married Nephele, a cloud-nymph, and their
children were Helle and Phryxus. The restless and wandering nature of
Nephele, however, soon wearied her husband, who, being a mortal, had little
sympathy with his ethereal consort; so he divorced her, and married the
beautiful but wicked Ino (sister of Semele), who hated her step-children,
and even planned their destruction. But the watchful Nephele contrived to
circumvent her cruel designs, and succeeded in getting the children out of
the palace. She then placed them both on the back of a winged ram, with a
fleece of pure gold, which had been given to her by Hermes; and on this
wonderful animal brother and sister rode through the air over land and sea;
but on the way Helle, becoming seized with giddiness, fell into the sea
(called after her the Hellespont) and was drowned.
Phryxus arrived safely at Colchis, where he was hospitably received by king
Aëtes, who gave him one of his daughters in marriage. In gratitude to Zeus
for the protection accorded him during his flight, Phryxus sacrificed to
him the golden ram, whilst the fleece he presented to Aëtes, who nailed it
up in the Grove of Ares, and dedicated it to the god of War. An oracle
having declared that the life of Aëtes depended on the safe-keeping of the
fleece, he carefully guarded the entrance to the grove by placing before it
an immense dragon, which never slept.
BUILDING AND LAUNCH OF THE ARGO.--We will now return to Jason, who eagerly
undertook the perilous expedition proposed to him by his uncle, who, well
aware of the dangers attending such an enterprise, hoped by this means to
rid himself for ever of the unwelcome intruder.
Jason accordingly began to arrange his plans without delay, and invited the
young heroes whose friendship he {216} had formed whilst under the care of
Chiron, to join him in the perilous expedition. None refused the
invitation, all feeling honoured at being allowed the privilege of taking
part in so noble and heroic an undertaking.
Jason now applied to Argos, one of the cleverest ship-builders of his time,
who, under the guidance of Pallas-Athene, built for him a splendid
fifty-oared galley, which was called the Argo, after the builder. In the
upper deck of the vessel the goddess had imbedded a board from the speaking
oak of the oracle of Zeus at Dodona, which ever retained its powers of
prophecy. The exterior of the ship was ornamented with magnificent
carvings, and the whole vessel was so strongly built that it defied the
power of the winds and waves, and was, nevertheless, so light that the
heroes, when necessary, were able to carry it on their shoulders. When the
vessel was completed, the Argonauts (so called after their ship) assembled,
and their places were distributed by lot.
Jason was appointed commander-in-chief of the expedition, Tiphys acted as
steersman, Lynceus as pilot. In the bow of the vessel sat the renowned hero
Heracles; in the stern, Peleus (father of Achilles) and Telamon (the father
of Ajax the Great). In the inner space were Castor and Pollux, Neleus (the
father of Nestor), Admetus (the husband of Alcestes), Meleager (the slayer
of the Calydonian boar), Orpheus (the renowned singer), Menoctius (the
father of Patroclus), Theseus (afterwards king of Athens) and his friend
Pirithöus (the son of Ixion), Hylas (the adopted son of Heracles), Euphemus
(the son of Poseidon), Oileus (father of Ajax the Lesser), Zetes and Calais
(the winged sons of Boreas), Idmon the Seer (the son of Apollo), Mopsus
(the Thessalian prophet), &c. &c.
Before their departure Jason offered a solemn sacrifice to Poseidon and all
the other sea-deities; he also invoked the protection of Zeus and the
Fates, and then, Mopsus having taken the auguries, and found them
auspicious, the heroes stepped on board. And now a favourable breeze having
sprung up, they take their allotted places, {217} the anchor is weighed,
and the ship glides like a bird out of the harbour into the wa