Prince Leonidas was hunting alone on foot , he had ventured far from Sparta . He was an Olympic victor and liked to practise running .Suddenly he heard thr sound of hooves and wild laughter.He quickly climbed the nearest tree to avoid ambush.
Four galloping centaurs came into view , they were armed with swords and bows and arrows .When they came closer , he saw there were two centauress
First a mohagany mare with a red hair and tail , another was platnium blonde growing out white mare , the other three were centaurs , first one growing out of a dappled stallion the second a brown stallion The third centaur was a coal black stallion .The wild laughter was coming from the lips of a beautiful young woman sitting astride on the back the handsome black centaur and holding his broad torso tightly . The centaur was trying to buck and throw her off , the horse play continued for some time. Soon it became obvious to Leonidas that the black centaur was not trying to hard .
The dappled centaur came closer and teased the woman by pulling her golden tresses . At this point the woman jumped onto his back and continued to stand while he trotted.
The third brown centaur came near and caught her as the woman began to slip then she jumped on his back and sat on his broad back.
''Enough Lassie ! you will break your neck ! ''shouted
the beautiful centauress ,the mohagany mare with a red hair and tail, Then the second centauress [platnium blonde growing out white mare .] began to comb the woman's tangled hair and braid them . Prince Leonidas held his breath , the young woman was beautiful yet so childish and full of life. All the women he had loved paled in her comparision , her bright blue eyes held secrets and her laughing lips were imprinted on his heart .
He felt an intense jealousy when she hugged the centaurs.
Her innocent actions made him wild and he knew he must possess her.
The many Greek tales he had heard were that nearly all centaurs are a wild race who were always violent, lustful, and usually intoxicated,preferring to avoid contact with humans. No one ever laughed at a centaur and that no one who valued his life would ever saddle one . Centaurs the wild creatures have two stomachs— one human and one equine— which means they eat quantities of both human and equine food. In contrast, here were centaurs as the wisest and noblest of creatures , living in societies called herds and are skilled at archery, healing and astrology.a fierce and valiant race always faithful creatures.
He remembered the greek centaur, Chiron, who, unlike all the other centaurs, was a noble, wise, and powerful being, gifted at stargazing, prophecy, healing, and warfare
Prince Leonidas eyes filled with tears of annoyance as the centaurs galloped away with the beautiful young woman. He watched from the treetop as they disappeared in a cloud of dust,he guessed maybe the girl was abadoned as an infant and brought up by these centaurs.Lassie, the adopted daughter of the centaurs appeared in his dreams and his waking thoughts.
Herakles, the son of Zeus. after completing his labors, established an athletic festival the festival at Olympia to honor his father. Due to constant wars between centaurs and humans ,the games were discontinued
Oenomaus,became the king of Pisa, Greece, who had a beautiful daughter named Hippodamia. According to an oracle, the king would be killed by her husband. Therefore, he decreed that any young man who wanted to marry his daughter was required to drive away with her in his chariot, and Oenomaus would follow in another chariot and spear the suitor if he caught up with them. Now, the king's chariot horses were a present from the god Poseidon and were therefore supernaturally fast. Pelops was a very handsome young man and the king's daughter fell in love with him. Before the race, she persuaded her father's charioteer Myrtilus to replace the bronze axle pins of the king's chariot with wax ones. Naturally, during the race the wax melted and the king fell from his chariot and was killed. At the same time the king's palace was struck by lightning and reduced to ashes, save for one wooden pillar that was revered in the Altis for centuries, and stood near what was to be the site of the temple of Zeus. Pelops was proclaimed the winner and married Hippodamia. After his victory, Pelops organized chariot races as thanksgiving to the gods and as funeral games in honor of King Oenomaus, in order to be purified of his death.
Pelops became a great king, a local hero, and gave his name to the Peloponnese.It was from this funeral race held at Olympia that the beginnings of the Olympic Games were inspired. His son.Diagoras Rhodes (Olympiad boxing champion and his sons Akusilaos and Damagetos (Olympiad champions of boxing and pankration)and Leonidas Rhodes (running: stadion, diaulos and hoplitodromos)
King Diagoras Rhodes wanted peace between the all kingdoms .Peace between Mystical creatures and demigods and all human beings. Confronting the centaurs was fighting a war which his father was trying to avoid.untill
The games of previous millennia were discontinued and then revived at the behest of the Oracle of Delphi who claimed that the people had strayed from the gods, which had caused a plague and constant war. Restoration of the games would end the plague, usher in a time of peace, and signal a return to a more traditional lifestyle.
The Greeks believed the games had their roots in religion, that athletic competition was tied to worship of the gods, and the revival of the ancient games was intended to bring peace, harmony and a return to the origins of Greek life.The winner of an Olympic event was awarded an olive branch and often was received with much honour throughout Greece, especially in his home town, where he was often granted large sums of money (in Athens, 500 drachma, a small fortune) and prizes including vats of olive oil. Sculptors would create statues of Olympic victors,and poets would sing odes in their praise for money.
Chapter 8
Prince Leonidas came to know through his spies that the centaur king did not like the adopted girl Lassie since Yonder spent more time with her than with the centaur princess Nephele.
But to his chargin his daughter loved Lassie even more and guarded her like her own offspring.He had banished her for 15 years to some unknown place ,but she had returned .
KIng Orion had not shown his displeasure openly, he was planning to wed Nephele to her betrothYonder Both were now of age
The prince decided to send an envoy secretly to King Orion to avoid an confrontation with the five guardian centaurs.
The centaur king welcomed the envoy and the prospect of a royal son in law . The peace treaty he had envisioned will finally happen.
He had never approved of Lassie because her presence endangered the lives of his centaurs since they bore the stigma of kidnapping women.
The legend was that Pholus an Arkadian Kentauros (Centaur) who made his home in a cave on Mount Pholoe. He once entertained Hercules who was passing through the region in search of the Erymanthian boar. But when Pholos opened his wine-skin to serve the hero the other Kentauroi (Centaurs), driven into a mad frenzy by the aroma, attacked. Hercules slew most of them with his arrows and the rest fled south. Pholos himself also suffered a mishap--for as he was examining the hero's poisoned-arrows he dropped one on his foot and died. The gods rewarded him for his show of hospitality by placing him amongst the stars as constellation Centaurus and his wine-cup as the adjacent Crater.
During this battle Nessus carried Deianeira across the river After carrying Deianeira, the wife of Hercules, across the river, Nessus attempted to force himself upon her. Heracles saw this from across the river and shot a Hydra-poisoned arrow into Nessus's breast. As a final act of malice, Nessus told Deianeira, as he lay dying, that his blood would ensure that Heracles would be true to her forever.
Deianeira foolishly believed him. Later, when her trust began to wane because of Iole, she spread the centaur's blood on a robe and gave it to her husband. Heracles went to a gathering of heroes, where his passion got the better of him. Meanwhile, Deianeira accidentally spilled a portion of the centaur's blood onto the floor. To her horror, it began to fume by the light of the rising sun.
She instantly recognized it as poison and sent her messenger to warn Heracles but it was too late. Hercules lay dying slowly and painfully as the robe burned his skin—either in actual flames or by the heat of poison. He died a noble death on a funeral pyre of oak branches. Hercules was then taken to Mount Olympus by Zeus and welcomed among the gods for his heroic exploits.
***
King Orion said to Lassie, " We need to talk my human daughter "
Lassie followed her King into his chamber [stable].
Her beating fast in her chest today he had acknowledged her as his daughter .
"Listen carefully ! My human daughter and donot rush to any conclusions.
I had always resented you because I feared you , my visitor from the future . You spoke of strange magical things and events .
I always had a foreboding that you are the reason of some change.
A frightful event !
I was mistaken, I was wrong !
My human daughter you are the ambassador of peace.!
A great peace treaty between Sparta and Centaurs.!
Again I say , donot rush to any conclusions.
You came to Greece at the age of 18 the correct time to enter into wedlock. After 15 years you are still an unwed virgin .
You were an orphan , a castaway but my Centaurs gave you your identity in your village , your future here in Greece is also bright
I'm your centaur Father I offer you the life of a queen
A royal life with centaur gold as your dowry.
Remember marriage is duty all have perform in Sparta.
Nephele and her betroth Yonder will never understand.
Prince Leon himself has requested your hand in marriage
Today you are 33 years old its now or never ""
I give you a new name Princess Cynisca
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